A/N: About update schedule, I've got a ton of project due to work on next week since term is ending and final projects take way longer than partials (I'm already dreading some of them) and won't have the time to write at all or update, I hate having to delay things but not much I can do there...

Chapter 45: Unexpected encounters

Things were going out of control.

No, it would be better to say things had gone out of control ever since the fiasco that had been the Chuunin Selection Exam.

Uchiha Itachi stared t the eccentric man that effortlessly blocked one of Kirigakure's most feared criminals. Even back when the young man still resided inside the village, the taijutsu experts reputation had been something to behold. Unlike his own fame granted by natural talent alone, the man confidently standing in front of them had gotten everything based on hard work alone.

"Who are you?" Impatient as always, Kisame asked.

"Konoha's noble green beast," Just as well known as his hand-to-hand skills, were the older jounin's loud voice. "Maito Gai!"

"Do not underestimate him," Itachi gave a low warning.

"A silent splash was the only indication Hatake Kakashi had finally fallen unconscious, sinking into the water as his chakra flow vanished. That was...the man in charge of both Sasuke and Kagome...he wasn't unskilled...and yet it was far from enough.

"Don't look Itachi in the eye, Gai!" Asuma's loud warning didn't seem to faze the taijutsu expert. "He'll snare you in his jutsu!"

"You don't have to tell me the obvious! I've already mastered counter-sharingan battle techniques from all my bouts against Kakashi!"

The Sharingan was not a flawless technique; such a thing didn't exist in the first place. The question here, however, was if Maito Gai had truly mastered an effective counter...Itachi wouldn't be too surprised.

"Open your eyes, both of you!" At the least, the man was confident in it himself. "When you go against the Sharingan, you only need to avoid meeting your opponent's eyes! Just keep your sight on his feet at all times, and you can still read his movements and react!"

"Now that you mention it, it does make sense, but..."

"You're probably the only one of us who is any good at it," Asuma finished the kunoichi's words.

"I suppose so...you simply need to acquire the knack for discerning an opponent's movements from just their feet." It was...a bit annoying how it was said as if a matter of fact. "But in this emergency situation, we don't have that luxury. You'll have to learn on the fly."

Every word spoken by the eccentric martial artist was logical. And yet, there was a sea of difference between the theory and the practice, especially when going against someone who could make liberal use of genjutsu. There was a reason why most shinobi trained to either speed up their seal waving or straight up eliminate them altogether. For him to predict the kind of ninjutsu his opponent simply from the subtle environmental hints and foot movements...

This man was more than most would think.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Kurenai! Get Kakashi to the medics!" Gai didn't waste time taking the leadership Asuma just gave him. "Asuma, you're going to be backing me up."

Itachi was losing control of this situation.

Way faster than he would've liked.

"All we need to do is buy some time..." Really, this was devolving into chaos. "Until the ANBU reinforcements that I requisitioned arrive!"

"Ya got guts..."

No.

He couldn't let it get that far.

An all-out fight would attract too much attention; even now, Itachi had already risked far much more than he was comfortable with. It had been too much of a near-miss back at the tea house. They had almost seen him...and even if they didn't...

Kagome would feel him.

It was the older Uchiha who'd taken over helping the girl with her kekkei genkai; if she'd memorized the target points of the human body when she'd been that young, then she'd definitely remember the feeling of his chakra. And if the Higurashi heiress came to find him, Sasuke would follow as well.

It wasn't the proper time for that yet.

"Kisame, I'm calling it off." This just couldn't continue. "We didn't come here to start a war...tempting as it is, this is not the way to do this...let's go."

"They don't know how lucky they are," Kisame scoffed, giving one last look at the two jounins.

Itachi forced himself to swallow down the mirthless laughter that threatened to rise up his throat.

It was him who was feeling lucky.

Lucky that, despite it all, there had been no deaths, and they didn't see him. Lucky, in a way, that he'd been able to catch even the slight glimpse he did of them. The two children who once loved to be carried on his shoulders had grown. Alone and with barely any help, but they were still walking side by side. They'd been holding hands, a sign that Sasuke had outgrown that phase when he thought it was girly and protested. Proof that their care for one another was just as strong as it had been before he left. Hopefully, it was stronger than even back then.

When the news of Orochimaru's attack at Konoha reached him, it had taken all of his self-control not to ignore orders and race towards the village. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the snake Sannin was after. The man had been obsessed with his Sharingan, and the Higurashi bloodline was way too tempting to ignore. Itachi himself hadn't had much trouble driving him away, but as they were now, those two would have no chance. Hatake Kakashi was certainly a good teacher, but he'd just shown that his level was unlikely to be enough to keep them safe were Orochimaru to make another move.

Forcing himself not to look back to the place those two were in, the Uchiha moved.

Going back inside the village to look for the jinchuuriki would be far too risky. Already it was a small miracle that the girl hadn't noticed him, even with him using only techniques that wouldn't make his chakra spike. For all that the Tsukuyomi strained his body, it remained subtle in that particular department. For now, the important thing was to guide Kisame out of Konoha.

His steps faltered at the gate.

If the village's information was even half as up-to-date as it should, then there was a chance the boy was already taken to hide somewhere else. And they'd already been seen, the 'traitor' Uchiha's reappearance would surely reach the ears of the council soon enough...there was no longer any need for him to remain in such a precarious position.

For all of the questions that remained after looking into the archives and the proof of the treason his clan had been more than willing to commit, only one thing became more and more certain as their incomplete research kept advancing.

This village did not deserve all of the sacrifices people had made.

In fact, it would be better if it burned to the ground.

After delving deeper into what little they could of the incidents that left them living alone in an abandoned compound, even Kagome's reservations about taking Orochimaru's double-edged help were vanishing. Her anger freezing over her compassion and each dirty look directed at their childhood friend only made things worse...although Sasuke couldn't say he complained about it. It was that hatred that was pushing the girl to agree with the kind of decisions the Uchiha knew she'd never had agreed to before. As it was, they knew that sooner or later, the snake Sannin would send someone for them. And they would go with them. Meaning they had to take as much information they could before entering the viper's nest.

If the reason for them changing their plans from investigating the public records of Shisui's death to pestering their teacher for additional training was that the Uchiha felt too irritated to sit calmly in Konoha's library...well, it made no difference. Besides, there was still the issue of finding out what had the jounins act weirdly earlier today.

One thing Sasuke would not miss about this place was the annoying persistence of the idiotic medic wanna-be.

"Kakashi-sensei," Kagome knocked on the door once before opening it. "we're coming in..."

When they were unable to find the Copy Ninja lazying around town, the girl proposed going directly to his apartment. It was an unusual move; other than the time Naruto convinced them to stalk the man to try and see underneath the mask, none of them had actually stepped foot inside. Sasuke Wasn't sure what they would find...but by no means was it a bunch of jounins surrounding their teacher's bed.

Or Kakashi lying unconscious on top of said bed.

"Why is Kakashi bedridden?" The questions left him before he could stop himself. Usually, it was the heiress who handled this kind of situation for a reason. "And what are all of you jounin doing here...what the hell is going on?!"

"Oh...nothing...really." Maito Gai was a shit liar.

"Is it true that Itachi showed up in town and that he's after Naruto?!" The shinobi Sasuke didn't recognize faltered as their presence finally sunk in. "Oh..."

"Idiot..."

There was no need to wait. The Uchiha could feel Kagome tensing before letting go of his hand, rushing in the exact same direction as him. The screams of the adults went unheard as they sped up. One glance at the panicked azure eyes besides him was enough to let him know the Higurashi girl was thinking the same thing.

It was too soon.

Way too soon to confront him.

Even if he'd still wished for revenge, Sasuke was not strong enough yet.

"They left around noon!" Kagome's voice was laced with worry. "Jiraiya-sama had to know he was being hunted. That's why he took Naruto with him!"

"The Kyuubi?"

"Likely."

Right, if his brother was still acting in accordance with the village, then the only reason for him to go look for the prankster was for something related to the demon sealed inside him. It was also what had prompted two out of the three Sannin to show an interest in the boy (brief as it had been in Orochimaru's case). After facing Gaara, there was no denying why people would like to get their hands on Naruto.

Not that the knowledge brought them any sort of reassurance. The Uchiha massacre already showed them how far his brother was willing to go...and the blond was not loved in Konoha.

"Travelling during the night would be dangerous, same as camping!" Kagome yelled as they made their way over the village wall. "There is only one city close enough to reach on foot before nightfall!"

A silent nod was all he gave.

Whatever it was Itachi wanted, they wouldn't be able to win against him in any sort of fight. First of all would be to find the moron, warn the Sannin taking care of him and convince them to go back to the village, to get away from there. All before his brother could show up.

Less than an hour, they could make it in less than an hour, and once within the city, Kagome could look for Naruto's chakra signature and get them to him in an instant.

It would have to be enough.

Back then, all he'd had to guide his decision had been one small girl's intuition.

It was all he needed.

And so, Itachi had allowed the village's jinchuuriki to form a bond with the two existences he'd sworn himself to protect. At that point, the little heiress' intuition had proven scarily correct, to the degree that he'd seen the greed in his father's eyes as the idea of how skilled the girl would become crossed the Uchiha patriarch's mind. So he simply trusted her. It wasn't until after the older teen spent some time watching over all three children that he could fully appreciate what Kagome had seen with one glance.

A scared child, longing for affection.

One who'd followed after a strange man just because he saw his first friend being taken away. One that fearlessly charged ahead, kicking and screaming at an adult so many times stronger and bit down as if his life depended on it despite the fist coming down on his small skull over and over.

All to protect the same girl Itachi came to love just as fiercely as his own younger brother.

It was another painful irony that now it was his place to hunt that scared, lonely kid.

"Geez, what luck we had." Kisame's voice forced him out of his reminiscence. The man had been grumbling about Jiraiya's roles as the jinchuuriki's escort for a while. "Even if you might be able to take him on, I'm not so sure about me...he's in a different league."

"Yeah...if we faced off, we might end up killing one another. At the very least, we'd both would each other badly...and even if I had more backup, it probably wouldn't change the outcome."

Unlike Orochimaru, who'd relied on surprise attacks and underhanded tactics, this member of the legendary Sannin was a force to be reckoned with. And a part of him couldn't deny feeling grateful for it. This way, there was a chance the Toad Sage would force them both to retreat without Itachi having to find a way around his orders. Already, he'd taken enough from those two. If they were alive, then anything would be worth it, but the pain the older Uchiha caused them was not something he relished.

"It was great thinking, getting the info from the gate guards...but for his babysitter to be one of Konoha's great Sannins," his partner continued with his litany of complaints. "With him as our enemy, even the titles Konoha's Uchiha clan and Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure pale in comparison."

"Yeah, however, even the strongest heroes have their weaknesses."

It was well known that Jiraiya of the Sannins had a particularly obsessive hobby. Nobody who'd been near Konoha the Toad Hermit visited could miss the screeches and angered yells of the women from the hot springs.

An incorrigible pervert.

One that, hopefully, would be able to tell when the out-of-his-league-woman flirting with him was being controlled via genjutsu in time to save their childhood friend out of danger. The man had made it to old age, though, it should mean that for all of his well-known vices, Jiraiya-sama had to have enough intelligence to spot the threats lurking around him.

Finding a woman to fit the requirements wouldn't take too long. Applying the genjutsu even less...and with a bit of luck...the old man would make it back to his charge soon enough. Itachi only wished to place more distance between himself and them once more.

"Found him!"

He was after her in a heartbeat, unwilling to be even a step behind her. It was painfully obvious, the agitation the girl was feeling as she rushed through the streets, completely ignoring manners and bystanders. Immediately running up the side of a hotel instead of attempting to go through normal means. There was none of her usual composure, and a part of him was sure Kagome had already felt his brother's chakra around here somewhere and was trying to ignore it.

Not waiting to even knock, the girl forced the window open, jumping in without a pause in her movements. Hearing the surprised yell from the blond. Sasuke followed in right after.

"Wha..." Naruto stood from the bed he'd been lying on, confusion evident in his face. "Kagome-chan? Bastard?"

"Jiraiya-sama, where is he?" The heiress' voice was tight, azure eyes combing the room.

"Ero-sennin went after some chick that winked at him or other, but what..."

"We need to leave then." Sasuke snapped.

"Leave?" They did not have the time to explain things. "Wait, you were supposed to be told that.."

"We were told, but it doesn't matter," the girl shook her head, long hair flying around from the motion. "We need to leave, and now."

"But..."

"We don't have time!" The Uchiha closed his fingers around the still confused prankster. "Just trust us, this is..."

Three knocks all but rooted him to his spot for half a second.

It had to be him.

One glance at Kagome's frozen form was all the confirmation he needed. The person behind the door was not Jiraiya.

Shit.

Without another knock, the door was forcibly open, the sound of the knob being broken obnoxiously loud to his ears as the only thing that separated them was slowly pushed aside.

Black was the first color he registered, black clothing, black hair...followed by crimson clouds stitched into the cloak...and crimson tainted eyes.

They'd run out of time.

Five years and a half.

Five years and a half had Kagome spent going over her memories in a daily exercise of futility.

Why had one of the persons she'd love the most betrayed them both?

What had pushed him so far?

Why couldn't she hate him?

The answers to those questions had been a cruel revelation. One that let her feeling almost as relieved as enraged as the world shifted beneath her feet once more. Crumbling into an abyss that she was barely managing to balance on the edge of. With bleeding hands, she'd grabbed onto the jagged edges of what was left, willing to sacrifice her everything if it meant not letting go...knowing her own edges were cutting as deep into her life companion.

Her need for the truth had driven her for so long...

And now, here he was, in front of her.

And her limbs were chained by tensions, her voice dying in her throat, azure eyes trapped by crimson. What was she supposed to do? What could she even say right now? This was not how things were supposed to go. They weren't ready/ She wasn't...

"Kagome."

It hurt, the familiarity of his voice, making long revisited memories echo inside her mind. Jostling her enough that her own slight jump at the sound that shattered her frozen time went unnoticed. Drowning the light bells of alarm that sounded in the background.

"Itachi..."

The word slipped from her lips without any rational thought...what was he supposed to do now?

"A girl?" a new voice asked from the hallway.

"She was my family's ward."

"Oh, someone important enough that the Uchihas wanted her for themselves." The stranger moved into the opening of the door, blue-tinted skin adding to the unnatural feeling she got from him. "But man, here I thought only one brat was supposed to be here, but it seems we ended up with a nursery...one of them even looks like you, Itachi, with the same Sharingan, even."

"He's...my brother." There was the slightest hesitation in his voice, the kind of hesitation most people never noticed.

"Did you miss a spot?" Mockingly the other man smirked at them. "Well, well, none of them look all that happy to see you...shall we get rid of the extras? Or maybe take them as a bonus? If those two escaped your massacre, they could be interesting, right?"

She felt a vice grip on her wrist at the same time she saw the explosives being thrown at the space between her and the two cloaked shinobi. A force pulled her backward in a familiar notion.

Right.

She was not alone.

Pushing chakra to her legs, the girl moved, speeding to the front as they jumped out the window.

"Naruto, clones!" At last, her voice sounded normal.

"Wha.."

"Four sets!" They would've been already caught if they were serious, if they could just gain some time... "Scatter them!"

"What the hell is going on?!"

The blond was really growing stronger, not wasting a second in changing his clones to look like them even as he kept on running, trying to get some answers.

"They were at the village!" Sasuke yelled back. "Looking for you!"

"But why?!"

"Doesn't matter!"

This time, the girl couldn't miss it.

The oh-so-familiar feel of that chakra running behind them. Pursuing them. Reiki surged almost instinctively. Letting go of Sasuke's hand, she pivoted on her heel, bypassing the seals for her jutsu. A light pink barrier came to life at the entrance of the alley they'd just entered.

"Using fully bodied bunshins to create a diversion, forcing us to separate and have us run through the streets." Itachi stood there, in front of the barrier, like he'd been there all the time. "Not a bad plan."

"Naruto..." Her mind whirled as the girl went through their options. "Go and get Jiraiya-sama. He has to have noticed the explosions. Go and get him."

"You can't mean...!"

"You're his target, moron. Just go!" Sasuke's voice left no room for argument.

With a loud curse, their childhood friend rushed out the alley. Illogically, Kagome could feel some of the tension leave her body.

"Not a bad plan..." The older Uchiha repeated slowly. "But you cannot replicate reiki."

And yet, it was only Itachi here. The blue-skinned shinobi who'd been with him was nowhere to be seen; she couldn't feel him anywhere nearby either. Itachi knowingly let his partner chase their clones to come after them himself...even now, he simply stood in front of her shield.

"Do you think this can stop me?"

"No..." A wry smile made its way into her lips, her emotions still chaotic inside her. "On the contrary, I'm certain no barrier of mine can stop you..."

"Why are you after Naruto?" Thankfully, Sasuke seemed to notice her turmoil, taking over the role of keeping up their facade.

"You would not understand."

"Is it the Kyuubi?" It was slight, but the younger Uchiha's words finally took him by surprise. "What, did you think we'd be blind about our own childhood friend?"

Bitterness dripped from his words, and a part of her couldn't help but wonder if it was fully directed at the older teen...or if it was also directed at the village. After all, had it not been for that mislabeled A-rank mission and Naruto's emotions going haywire, chances were they'd still be in the dark.

With deliberate slowness, Itachi brought his hand up, close enough to almost touch the shimmering pink energy blocking off the path...no.

Kagome was not blocking the path.

It was ridiculous to even entertain the idea. Running up one of the walls next to them would be easy. Attacking until her energy ran out was another. The girl skipped all but the last hand seal, forcing the technique to work by willing her kekkei genkai to move through memory alone. Her own indecision making the shield more fragile.

Itachi wasn't moving.

Despite the fact that he had to know every single way to slip past her barrier she'd just thought about and more, the older Uchiha still stood in front of them.

"Oh, so you got the right ones!" The other Akatsuki's voice rang through the alley. "I can't see the Kyuubi brat, however."

"Don't touch the barrier." Itachi's voice stopped his partner's steps.

"Huh?"

"That's not chakra." His voice was impassive, matter of fact. "And it doesn't take well to it either."

"Then what the hell is it...?"

"You don't know me at all!" Boisterous and loud, Jiraiya appeared behind them, Naruto in tow. "You should've done your homework. The Toad Sage Jiraiya falls victim to no woman's charm. Beauties drop for me like blossoms in a storm!"

"Yeah, right!" The prankster scoffed. "You're the one who got excited when a woman winked at you! This is no time to be acting so high and mighty, Ero-sennin!"

"Argh, I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people, you brat!"

"We've got worse things to worry about than what these guys think of you!" The argument going on behind the heiress sounded muffled, her gaze still locked on to crimson orbs. "Get on with it, Ero-sennin!"

"Ah, Jiraiya-sama, touted as one of the legendary Sannin." The unknown Akatsuki smirked mockingly. "No matter how much of an unrivaled woman-chaser you are, I didn't think our delaying tactic would succeed so easily. But...it would seem you've undone the genjutsu we placed on that woman."

"Going this low to separate me from Naruto...what kind of coward would do something like that." The old man's hand fell on her shoulder, almost making her jump. "So..this is the Higurashi's kekkei genkai, huh? Lower it girl, there's no need for it anymore."

Looking to her side where Sasuke had positioned himself for a second, she nodded, releasing the seal and quickly moving to grasp the boy's hand. Whether it was a way to remind herself she had to keep calm or reassure him, the girl wasn't sure anymore. Regardless, for all the tension she could fill in his form, Sasuke pulled her behind him.

"Now I know how Kakashi knew." Crimson eyes remained locked on them even as Itachi spoke to the Sannin. "I see...so you were his information sources, but it changes nothing. To take Naruto with us is the supreme order given to us by Akatsuki."

"Sorry, can't give you Naruto. Honestly, can't let you touch any of these kids."

"Really..."

"Fine, just as well. I'll take care of the two of you right here!" The Toad Sage moved in an instant.

Barely a second had passed from the moment Itachi's partner raced towards them to the moment the whole alley was covered by pink pulsated flesh. The air itself felt different, and Kagome could see a piece of the flesh wrapped around the giant sword that had almost swung down.

"Gamabushi shibari!" The old man sounded satisfied. "Too bad, Itachi...and Kisame, you truly can't escape me now. You are mine!"

"So...back to hiding behind more talented people...Sasuke." There it was again, a slight hesitation as Itachi spoke.

There would be bruising; the girl could already feel the strain from where the younger Uchiha kept her hand in an almost punishing grip. She could also feel the wetness caused by the drops of crimson slowly falling to the ground from where her nails dug into his skin.

"I...we...will hunt you down."

It was a different promise than the one Itachi probably wanted, but Kagome could tell the difference. She could hear the burning hatred within his voice being directed to a different target. Her own determination cementing even more. Yes, they would hunt him down, get the truth, and then...then, they would get proper retribution. All those responsible for this fiasco would pay...no matter the cost.

"No, the hunt ends here," Jiraiya-sama interrupted them. "You've just been swallowed by the rock-dwelling giant toad of the mount Myonoku. Welcome, my friends, to the belly of the beast."

"Wha..."

"Naruto-kun." Her free hand moved to stop the blond's movement. "Don't move...they are the ones cornered."

"Kisame, let's go." Again, Itachi's words were calm, even if they were still orders.

"No one's ever successfully escaped from this!"

Nothing had gone as Sasuke had expected.

Nothing had gone as their half-made plans dictated.

Somehow, however, seeing the walls of flesh morph and move around them as they tried to trap both his brother and the freak with him was...out of his expectations...and the sight repulsed him.

And yet, the silence didn't last long.

The Toad Sage that was supposed to protect Naruto was up and running less than five seconds after the chase began. Completely ignoring the fact that the moron jumped to follow right after. Forcing a shaky breath in, the Uchiha looked at the girl at his side only to see the same contained anger reflected.

"Let's follow them," Kagome's words were low.

It didn't take too much to figure out why the old man was so surprised. There, at the end of the flesh hallway, was a hole surrounded by black fire.

"What's up with these flames?" the idiot asked as he neared the fire. "They're black..."

"Naruto-kun..." the Higurashi heiress sighed. "Please, don't touch that."

"Eh? You know what this is?"

"It's clearly not normal fire, moron." Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Sasuke continued. "And even if it was, what kind of idiot would place their hand on an open fire?"

That fire...it had to be his brother's, fire jutsus were not common for Kirigakure shinobis, even he knew that. Which made it all the more annoying as it took only one glance at the large scroll the old man was filling with the kind of complicated and extremely advanced sealing just to absorb the fire to realize just how far they were from him.

"Alright, now then..." the old sage turned to look at them. "Why are two heirs to ancient clans alone outside the village?"

"So, we were supposed to just stay put when we heard they were after that idiot?!" His volume was higher than it probably should.

His hand let go of Kagome's, fists tightening as the boy fought to douse the anger that flared up inside him once more. He was only creating problems for the girl if he insulted a Sannin, and this was not just a random civilian vendor they could ignore if necessary.

"Dynamic entry!"

The shout was too loud, too close too.

None of them had fully turned by the time the bright green, spandex-clad figure high-kicked the Toad Sannin to the ground.

"Oh my...I'm so sorry...I was in such a rush I forgot my hand mirror, hahaha." Maito Gai was just loud as he'd been during the Chuunin Exams. "So I used y headband instead, but it didn't give me the clearest image, and I thought you were the enemy."

Sasuke angrily confronting the old man probably didn't help.

"Hey, is that supposed to be an apology?"

"Well, never mind." The bizarre jounin waved carelessly. "What's important is to get these two back to the village."

"Oh yeah," Naruto turned to look at the two clan heirs. "How come you're here in the first place?"

"...Kakashi-sensei," Kagome trailed off for a second, probably trying to calm down. "Was attacked in the village, when we went to see him regarding our training...we heard the other jounins reunited say that they were looking for you."

"A-attacked..."

"There's not a lot of physical damage." Gai grimaced as he stammered. "But, well..."

"He used genjutsu." It was hard to keep his bitterness under control. "Like last time."

Probably the same one his brother used against them that day.

And wasn't that an odd choice, to use a technique that would immobilize but not kill. Just as odd of a choice as it was to allow his partner to follow their clones. Especially when he knew who were the real genins and then let Naruto escape. Or to stop the freak from attacking Kagome's barrier.

"What..." This time Naruto also sounded angry. "Why...what did you two do to deserve this...hey Ero-sennin! Change of plans!

"I was freaked out earlier, but this time...I swear I'll hunt those black-caped crooks down and beat them up! They've got some business with me, right? Well, I'll go see them, then!"

"What for?" The words came out before he could think better of it. "To get yourself killed?"

"Are you saying I have to keep running and hiding for the rest of my life?"

"I'm saying if you truly think you can beat him right now, then you've truly grown delusional!" Rage guided his screams. Itachi wouldn't hurt them...but he'd already proved he'd harm others if necessary.

"What, so you're telling me you'll just sit back and shiver in fear?!"

"Enough!"

His words died on his throat, dark eyes quickly flying shivering form of Kagome as she stood, tears dripping down her cheeks, and he knew crimson would stain her skin even if the cuts were healed by the time they were back in the village...Sasuke thought about it...back when she froze.

The Higurashi heiress was barely holding herself together.

"That's enough!...please, just stop it..." Her voice broke. "Naruto-kun, that's enough...I don't want to lose anyone else anymore...please, don't do anything reckless...we know what we need to do...but you need to be careful."

"Ahh...I'm..." The blond was panicking.

Ignoring the prankster's spluttering nonsense and the gazes of the other two jounins, Sasuke took in a deep breath before going towards the girl, arms lightly wrapping around her. His anger had been tightly coiled inside him all the time, anger towards the village, towards Itachi himself for putting them in this situation. Even if now it was more similar to the anger he'd felt as a child than the burning hatred he felt for Konoha...but Kagome was not like that. He knew the girl never outright hated him, always looking for an explanation for his actions that hurt less...seeing him like this...it had to have shaken her more than anything. Her emotions had to be going haywire.

"Come on," he whispered against her hair. "Let's go back."

Lowering his arms, Sasuke took hold of her hand, lightly pulling to get them to start moving. Right now, what she needed was a place where she could let it all out without eyes registering her every action. The longer they stood with two mostly unknown shinobis, the between. She would get mortified enough about this once she calmed down.

Later, he would probably have to apologize to Naruto. It was his temper that exploded, taking the blond as a convenient target. But it was only his worry about the girl that finally managed to make his anger simmer down.

The only thing that mattered right now was Kagome.

A/N: And here we have it, one of the first genuinely big changes to the story that is going to have bigger repercussions. Because Kagome was with him, this time Sasuke didn't waste time and arrived before Itachi, also because he was more focused on keeping Kagome and he no longer hates Itachi safe he didn't try to use the chidori against him. This also means there is not going to be a confrontation on the hospital roof since as I see it a big part of what made that happen was that Sasuke didn't know how Naruto was getting stronger and used to look at him as the weakest felt his own progress slow by comparison. Here he already knows why plus they have years of real friendship between them, the bond is different here. Also, the reason why Kagome who'd been the most rational in any other encounter lost it here is quite simple: she's always been emotional. She knows how to hide it, but just like her canon self loves fiercely she dies the same. She can handle unknown threats by trusting her instincts, but facing Itachi was a different thing altogether.

About Pain being about the same power level as Madara...I'm honestly not sure, though at the very least I would expect him to give a better fight than the five Kages since he was already insanely strong and Tsunade couldn't really do a thing to stop him from destroying Konoha.

As always thank you guys so much for reading and any review/comment/criticism is greatly appreciated!