A/N: Important note: I reworked certain aspects and character narrations in earlier chapters (ch2-8): The changes mainly concern Kakashi's ponderings about Sasuke. I also kinda rearranged the Itachi-Sai talk a bit and adjusted some of Shikamaru's perspective that refers to Kakashi's reports…
A big thanks goes to vetrena1 who inspired these changes with her critical review and discussions!

Also, a minor (but important) change is in chapter 11, with Sai leaving for a mission of his own before the emergency call comes. He therefore is not part of the Kazekage mission... (just like he wasn't in the original...)
 Sai not being on that mission suits me just fine for my original plans, so I changed it back to the way I had it before, and my plans are working out much better than I imagined… everything seems to be aligning really nicely :)

The new chapter should be readable without rereading all the parts with the changes and additions, but I think i definitely added depth and detail to it that make it much more fun and also work better with this new chapter, so I wanted to have it pointed out.

Moving on to the rest: 6 reviews! I'm so happy and thankful. I worked hard on delivering this new chapter. To the guests, I also want to thank you personally, but there's two of you, so, I'll just say this to both of you: I'm really happy that you let me know you like it, I'm trying to take care of myself and my health, though that is not always very easy, thanks for the concern. if you'd like a more individual response, leave a name to be referred by and I'll use it!

Also, a big special thanks goes to HailZuko89 who proof-read this monster! Thanks for being there

Alright, enough of me talking: Have fun reading!

Chapter 12 Speculations

This chapter is dedicated to vetrena1. I hope it will be enjoyable, even for the critical eye.

Sakura had felt the Subjugation Seal flare up, signalling her that Tatakai had crossed a border. Throwing a quick glance back, she'd seen that he'd fallen to his knees, but since she needed to look where she leapt, the moment had been too fleeting to catch his expression. They were out of sight within moments, and after a while, she felt the seal flare up again in it's non-painful way, and she knew that he was moving back into the village borders.

They made good headway, but the atmosphere was sombre, and Naruto unnaturally quiet.

Sakura's thoughts were repeatedly drawn back to the conversation she had listened in on. Naruto had claimed that he and Gaara were the same. And Tatakai insisted that Naruto hadn't meant loneliness. How had he been so sure? It had taken her years to start guessing into the right direction. Though, she had known for a long time that Naruto was different, that there was something she didn't know about him.

The chakra cloak that would envelope him when he was in great distress had made her doubt that he was really human at times. She had refused to tell him that he had once hurt her in this state out of fear of how he'd react. Especially after it became clear that he often had blank spots in his memory when the transformations were intense enough to erode his skin. But Naruto was Naruto, loyal to the bone. It was surprising, considering how shitty the villages support had been as he grew up, but he seemed to never stray from his quest to win their approval despite. And he always woke up the same easygoing, insouciant boy he'd always been.

Out of fear for herself and her safety, she had kept her mouth shut about what happened. At first it was worrisome, the thought that something may trigger it again, but that eventually turned into fear for his psyche. She didn't want him to blame himself for whatever it was that took him over, she could see him try to fight it when it happened.

When it had become too much of a burden, Naruto had left to train outside the village, and when he returned, he wasn't as tight-lipped about the hints as before. He talked casually about them instead of trying to ignore their existence. By that time, she'd been pretty sure what he was already, so the revelation hadn't come as much of a surprise.

"You already know, don't you, Sakura?" He'd looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. "That I've got the Nine Tailed Fox spirit sealed inside of me."

He'd been reluctant, he'd been careful. He hadn't wanted to be rejected, to lose a friend. Still, he'd finally come clean about it, and she knew it had cost him a lot of worry to get there. And now, he was hunted because of what he contained.

The Akatsuki, a group she hadn't really heard of before. Apparently, they'd been quite active, though only for those who cared to know. A mercenary group that had seemed to be interested mainly in high-paying missions, much to the delight of many hidden villages that didn't want to be associated with what these missions entailed or didn't want to risk their own forces.

Them hunting Jinchuuriki was a new development. And it was highly alarming that they had managed to snatch Gaara. He had always seemed so untouchable with his almost impenetrable sand shield, and these days, with his position as Kazekage.

Sakura knew that this was on Naruto's mind, too. But even so, he had insisted in joining the mission and putting himself in danger. Because Gaara was his friend.

Tatakai had somehow known that Naruto was in danger, too. He hadn't known exactly why, but he'd claimed that his brother was the one targeting Naruto. Naruto had mentioned that said brother was Akatsuki… Tatakai hadn't seemed aware of that. It was odd.

00000

After the guards had been assured that Sasuke was fine, he carefully turned around to the borders defined by the seal, avoiding any forward movement that would trigger the seal again. The lingering pain lessened with each step and disappeared once he was inside the gate.

Sasuke stood there, under the gate, not knowing what to do. He felt lost, and eventually just began walking. He wasn't planning on going back to sleep until the sun rose. He wasn't planning anything. He just went where his feet carried him, and he didn't like where he ended up. The desolate grounds of his clan's property only made him feel more lost.

There were patches of blackened earth and stone. Nature should have been able to reclaim this place much faster than this, but then again, those hadn't been normal flames. It had been the ultimative fire technique, the black flames. But nature was coming back, slowly in some places, a little faster in others. There were young trees all throughout the ruins, as well as patches of moss and lichen. Conversely, the evidence of the fire still showed through quite strongly in some areas, especially where the houses had stood. Some of the ruins that the fire hadn't completely devoured were overgrown with vines, whereas in other places, the blackened wood of the posts, grits and ridgepoles were still showcased against the sky.

There was also the lake. The dock had long since withered, and all that was left were a few half-burned poles sticking out of the water. The landscape was idyllic: lush, green grass on untouched shores, sandy beaches in some places, and a tree or two standing close to the water. It was unkempt, but that only added to the lulling atmosphere.

There was a slight breeze grazing the water's surface, causing it to ripple gently. Sasuke stared at it, lost in thought.

He couldn't bring himself to think about the fact that he was alone again, left behind again. Unable to follow the one request Itachi had asked of him after the previous one to stay safe, three years ago. He had failed before he'd even started.

He sat at the shore until the sun had risen well over the trees, and his stomach involuntarily made itself known by grumbling. Sighing, he got up. There was no point in staying here. He walked towards the remnants of the main street, where his family's house had stood. He caught sight of the memorial and the names etched therein, immediately recalling pictures of the event that had been burnt into his mind. He closed his eyes, turned away. He needed a distraction.

"... I know what they want with him…" Stupid Naruto, just running into danger. Sasuke kicked a stone, angrily. "...Gaara and I are the same…" What was he? "...Look, we know your brother is a member of the Akatsuki..." How could a cloak in his brother's inn room be sufficient evidence? And what did his brother want with such an organization, and why were they targeting Naruto? What was Akatsuki? What was their goal?

Itachi. He'd encouraged him, tried to get him to connect with people again three years ago. Itachi had done so again now, but with the threat of killing one of them if he wasn't strong enough. Why did he go after people Sasuke had become acquainted with? Why? Why?

Why had he killed their family? Why the hell had he let him live?

Sasuke grabbed at his hair. It didn't make any sense. Why would he go after Naruto? Why would he tell him what he was about to do? What was he missing? What was his brother trying to accomplish?

Connect, build up relationships, only to break them once again? Was that what Itachi was trying to do? Make him panic? Make him stronger by fearing what would happen if he couldn't protect them himself? Was that his motivation? Was this a second chance?

It certainly was a shitty move on the part of his brother, giving him an order that he couldn't even follow. Had Itachi known? Was that his intention? Wasn't it just like last time? It had already been too late when he realized what had happened back then, too. Itachi and his mind games…

He recognized the feeling that was gnawing at him. Dread. Dread at meeting his brother again, dread at not being out there with Naruto. Not because Naruto was in danger, but because Itachi was putting something in motion that Sasuke had no control over. He wasn't able to intervene, and he felt as if Itachi was mocking him for it.

Naruto was out there, Itachi was—god knows where. And he? He was here, unable to leave. He had no chance.

In his distractedness, he stumbled over something. Really, he needed to calm down, he needed to focus. Breathe.

Sitting back down, he leaned against some ruin that was half covered by vines. He could still do something. He had to be doing something! Maybe his brother would let him have a chance if he prepared, or at least, tried to. Maybe his brother would wait until he had a chance to actually protect Naruto. Maybe he'd hold back until then.

He hoped so. His brother, he still couldn't decide what to make of him. But Itachi had invested a lot of time and effort in training him. He wouldn't let that go to waste, would he? His brother had always pushed him to his limits and told him to keep a cool head if he wanted to succeed in having the upper hand in a fight. Itachi would give him a chance to protect Naruto, wouldn't he?

His brother had to realize that Sasuke couldn't leave the village. He had to realize that he was bound here by the slave seal. That he couldn't leave.

He took another breath. He had to do something. He'd go crazy if he didn't. He grit is teeth and stood up.

He had to see Shikamaru. Maybe the guy could help him find out something, at least. And, if he remembered right, it would take the others three days to get to Suna from here, so he was on his own for the time being.

00000

Naruto was equally worried. Sasuke asking about why the Akatsuki wanted him, or rather, his brother, since he apparently hadn't even known that his brother belonged to them. He'd tried to make him see reason but Naruto just knew, he couldn't just do nothing.

He knew that Sasuke (yeah, the name was weird to use, as he had believed that said boy had died years ago) had tried to let him know why his brother was dangerous, and he felt bad for not being able to share his secret with him. He understood that it must have been a huge step for Sasuke to reveal his identity to him. And he knew he'd mainly done so to make him aware of just how dangerous his brother really was. The Sharingan. He only knew a bit about it from Kakashi, and that was only the parts about being able to anticipate moves and copy them. But Sasuke's instructions had been very clear… Avoid eye contact at all costs.

But yeah, as shitty as it felt, he still couldn't blab his secret to Sasuke, even if he had revealed a big secret of his own. It was a state secret, one meant to protect him. He'd kept quiet about it for so long, out of fear of what would happen if outsiders found out. As such, he couldn't help but dread Sasuke's reaction. He didn't know him that well. What if he told Sasuke, only to have him decide that the Akatsuki would better the world by ridding it of a monster?.

It was a well-kept secret, for sure… maybe too well-kept. He suddenly realized that not everybody on his current team knew, either, even though it was a large contributing factor to why he had chosen to take this mission in the first place. He was beginning to think that Tamari needed to know, too. Naruto was a target of the Akatsuki. She needed to know about the risk he was taking and be prepared to react if they would decide to abduct him during this mission.

He didn't think it would be an issue, seeing as Temari was in fact Gaara's sister. But he had kept it a secret so long and only ever told Sakura, one of his closest friends, in a lonely moment of weakness. It was hard to make the step, even though he knew his fears were unfounded. Temari was the sister of a fellow Jinchuuriki She knew the truth about what being a Jinchuuriki, a demon's vessel, entailed. She knew better than the common misconceptions that most people had. And she knew him.

He'd just have to take the step and throw it out there. It was important that she know. He was stronger than hiding like this. It wouldn't take much...

"Uhm, Temari..." Naruto was still jumping ahead, not ready to reveal this face-to-face. "...there's something you should know…"

Naruto noticed himself still pushing off the inevitable, and gave himself another mental push.

"Gaara and I are the same. It's incredibly unreasonable for me to take on this mission, because it's already an established fact that the Akatsuki hunt Jinchuuriki. But Gaara is my friend. I can't just let them take him. I know there will be a time when they will come for the Kyuubi and….. I just thought you should know."

Naruto pushed further ahead, not looking back to see her reaction.

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Shikamaru wasn't at home, and his mom told Sasuke to look for him at Training Ground 5. Sasuke made his way there, only to find Shikamaru cloud gazing instead of training. He kicked a small stone at Shikamaru's folded hands. The Nara lazily opened his eyes, looking up at him.

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

Sighing, the other rose, dusting off his pants. Sasuke turned to go, his long, quick strides contrasting with Shikamaru's leisurely pace.

"Hey, what's the hurry?" he called out.

"Team Seven went on a mission last night. Without me."

"Oh, I see. I can't get you cleared to follow them, though."

"I know, I'm not asking for that. I want to talk about how to get cleared more quickly in the future, amongst other things."

"Sakura gave you some conditions. I heard you weren't very willing to meet them, up 'til now. And we discussed convincing Kakashi. What are the other things?"

Sasuke hoped the other would fall for the trick of not relating it back to Naruto, though he doubted it even as he spoke. "I want to know more about the Kazekage."

"Why's that?"

"Because he's been kidnapped by the Akatsuki."

"I see," Shikamaru said tiredly.

They arrived at Sakura's apartment, and Sasuke quickly opened the still unlocked door, took off his shoes, then took to his room with fast strides.

"Close the door," he instructed as he sat down on his bed.

Shikamaru took a seat on Naruto's. "What did Naruto tell you about Gaara?"

Of course Shikamaru wouldn't fall for it; he'd probably seen right through the question.

Sasuke pressed his lips in a grim line, trying not to show his frustration. "He said, he and Gaara are the same. I want to know what it is that makes them a target."

Shikamaru smiled faintly, then replied, "You know it's not my place to tell." He stretched his legs, shifting to find a more comfortable position. "Have you thought about what could happen to you if your brother meets Team 7 and reveals that he is an Uchiha during a fight?"

Sasuke shuddered inwardly as he imagined just what that could—no—would mean. The questions, the mistrust it would shed on him… he couldn't control all of these factors with other people involved. He couldn't control their actions.

"I'm sure you see my point. However, if you are aware of the risks, you may be able to do damage control before things get out of hand."

"What do you suggest? That I go and rat out my brother? He told me to protect Naruto from him. What does that imply? He warned Konoha, on purpose!" Sasuke bit out.

"No, just be aware, should he reveal his identity. I don't know how you both survived the massacre, but you might want to have some kind of story ready to tell."

Sasuke grit his teeth. This was terrible. If he told them that Itachi was responsible for the Uchiha massacre, they'd hunt him down. In Sasuke's opinion, if anyone should take revenge and get answers from his brother as to why he'd done what he'd done, it should be himself. Not some random Konoha Shinobi who had the order to stick their noses into business outside of their concern.

"Tsunade isn't stupid. She knows that he warned Konoha through the message meant for you. She's not going to compromise your brother's doings unless she's got a very good reason. She's not going to make a public announcement about the Uchiha Clan survivors, either. She prefers to see how it plays out without having to risk our forces."

"You don't understand."

"Do you want me to guess?"

No, Sasuke most definitely didn't want Shikamaru to start guessing about his past, especially not about his family's passing.

"I'll think about what I want to tell them. What evidence do they have on the event?"

"From what I know, a lot of burned houses and unidentified bodies. Those bodies found in the Uchiha district that weren't burned were said to have been killed by sword. And no one ever claimed the massacre as their doing, so the rest is speculation. But you already read about it in the public library, didn't you?"

Sasuke didn't grace the other with an answer. Shikamaru could think what he wanted. "Can you research it?"

"I could, but I'm not sure how that would help you."

"I'm working for you now, so what about your end of the deal? You told me you'd help me find out about things I want to know."

"I don't think you really want to know, that's the problem. I think you already know what happened that day and I'm not about to waste my time so you can fabricate some lie. It's evidence we're talking about, and you are directly related to it. I'd be an accessory to your deceit. I won't do it."

"Are you just leading me on with your offer?"

"No, I'm just defining what I'm willing to do and not do. If you go around asking about things that compromise my vow of being a loyal Konoha Shinobi, you must understand my reluctance to answer. I'm not asking you to share your secrets with me, either. "

"No, you are trying to guess my intentions by analyzing which questions I ask. I know that as well as you do."

Sasuke was seriously starting to doubt that Shikamaru would ever follow up on his word to actually provide him with help in finding some real answers. He was just wasting his time. The Nara might be content with keeping his identity secret, but Sasuke got the impression that the other was much too lazy to actually do research for him. Maybe keeping his identity secret was just an act of laziness, too. He couldn't be sure.

"The Hokage knows that I am keeping an eye on you when Sakura's out of town. My assessment of you will hold a lot of weight, don't forget that. And just because I won't give you direct answers doesn't mean that I'm not going to help. As for your question on how to get cleared for missions, I've outlined that to you before, but I can repeat myself. You need to convince Kakashi and Sakura. We talked about Sakura and Kakashi already. I might be able to give you some pointers, but ultimately, I won't lie. In time, it will depend on how you handle the whole process of obtaining their approval. Trust is not something easily earned, and Kakashi is already suspicious of you. Kakashi tends to look underneath the underneath. He's very good at it, too. I think it's only a question of time until he figures you out."

Sasuke averted his gaze. "My brother... I don't want to compromise his plans until I know what he's trying to do."

"I think your brother can take care of himself. He seems pretty clever. He's been trying to make sure that you'd be on our side no matter which one he appears to be on. That's the impression I get, at least."

"Yeah, but why?"

"Maybe he wants to make sure you're not gonna be affiliated with what he's doing right now to any outside eye. The Akatsuki is a very dangerous organisation."

"I didn't even know he belonged to them! And Naruto said that the reason they believe he does is because Sai saw a cloak in their room. How can that be sufficient evidence?" Sasuke bit out in frustration.

"Seeing as Kisame is listed as a member in the bingo books and you confirmed your brother to be his partner, it was already highly likely. And with their recent activities in addition to that message he sent you, there's little doubt."

"I want to understand."

"It's not my place to tell. But maybe you should start by learning more about your charge, anyway. If you're serious with protecting him, that is."

"And how can I? He's gone."

"Research."

Sasuke snorted at that. "Yeah, sure…"

"Just a suggestion. Anyway, you live with him. How difficult can it be to go through his stuff?"

"Besides the fact that I've already seen all his things, since I was the one who helped him pack and move?"

"Well, It can't hurt to look a second time, can it? Sometimes, you won't see what's under your nose until you're looking for it. Anyway, I need to go; duty calls."

Sasuke thinned his eyes, not liking how Shikamaru was, once more, putting him off, even though he could understand that the other had a life. Sasuke saw him to the door.

"Well, I hope this helped," Shikamaru said in closing. "And if you're going to find out more about Naruto, you may as well start at the beginning." He winked before turning to take his leave.

Sasuke absentmindedly locked the door behind himself and leaned against it, thinking of what to do now. What a strange last suggestion.

00000

As much as Shikamaru made it appear that he was too lazy to do proper research, he was in fact very much researching it, and the results were troubling. Danzo had lead the investigation into the Uchiha massacre. The body count had been difficult, as the centre where the fire had spread from had burned everything in its wake. The clan head's family had not been found among the carnage, which was reasonable, having seen pictures of the blackened pit that used to be their house. The same had been the case with surrounding houses and families. The fire hadn't consumed the whole district, and the further out they had investigated, the more remains they had found on its outskirts.

Still, Danzo had promoted the belief that they had all died, and after a couple of years, the talk about the case had cooled. Sometimes people with a genotype similar to Uchiha were still scrutinized, but the lack of any reappearance of the infamous clan abilities anywhere else had eventually caused the gossip to calm down, more or less. The story had gotten old, and with the lack of any related news, probably grew boring.

It didn't explain Danzo's involvement, but as expected, Danzo hadn't left many trails to follow. Shikamaru had the sneaking suspicion that the massacre wasn't based on an internal quarrel, but had been a systematic move to eliminate them. The question was, why? And, of course, it would also be interesting to know who had managed to kill an entire clan with active ninja and a formidable, dare-say infamous, Kekkei Genkai.

Even if it had been a clan member they had trusted, one could have expected that the bloodshed would have eventually alerted someone in the clan. And, in turn, that should have caused a ruckus, and a lot of victims either running away or taking up arms. There had been no traces suggesting any of that, which made it probable that multiple people had systematically killed the clan members from strategic vantage points, so as to not let anyone escape.

It was also suspected that by the time the fire had broken out, everyone had been dealt with. All killings had been clean. Still, the official report suggested that it had been an internal quarrel. And, seeing that the Uchiha compound burned down by a suspicious fire, that supposition wasn't entirely unreasonable, considering that the Uchiha had many clan-specific Katon Jutsu.

Still, seeing that Danzo most likely was involved in some way, Shikamaru doubted that that was entirely true. So, he had tried to figure out Danzo, but the man covered his tracks well, and Shikamaru didn't want to risk his suspicions being discovered and Danzo alerted. He had to be careful.

And while Tatakai (or should he start referring to him by his real name in his head now?) might have held some information that could have helped to solve the puzzle, he wondered if it was a good idea to include him.

If his suspicions were correct, and the clan had been eliminated on orders, then he could understand why Konoha had kept quiet about it. It made him wonder how the siblings had escaped, or if the elder brother had in fact been part of the team that had carried out this order and been able to hide his younger brother and take him away afterwards.

Or maybe there was a different explanation for it. He couldn't know without asking Tatakai about it. He still played with that thought, though he could see how it might be unwise.

What really made him wonder, though, was why the Uchiha clan had to be eliminated in the first place. He wondered what Tatakai believed. He didn't seem to have much animosity toward Konoha, so he must have been lead to believe that Konoha had nothing to do with it.

It was obvious that Tatakai was trying to figure out something related to it, though. He hadn't directly reacted to Shikamaru's suggestion that he had read the public version, but if he indeed had been researching the event and possible reasons behind it, then it would be good for Shikamaru to learn the truth, just to predict how he was going to interpret any puzzle pieces he might discover.

00000

Sasuke considered Shikamaru's suggestion of finding out more about Naruto... starting at the beginning. Well, that would be easier said than done. Naruto was an orphan. Was he supposed to find out about his parents? Or find out his birthday? What for?

He ended up looking through Naruto's stuff anyway, carefully, so as not to upset anything. As he looked over the contents of the nightstand, he suddenly realized just how easy it would be for someone to go through his own stuff, as well. He quickly decided that he couldn't risk Itachi's drawing and the pictures Shikamaru had left him laying around any longer.

He considered burning them. It would have been the cleanest way, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. In the end, he drew another storage seal, sealing them into one of the inside covers of his sketchbook.

The search proved fruitless. Mainly because he already knew what stuff Naruto had brought as he'd helped him pack them in the first place. Naruto didn't have very many possessions, but he was obviously attached to some keepsakes he had collected over the years. He even remembered to check the calendar, but there was no note that would have hinted at when his birthday could be.

Sasuke wondered if there was any way to look into Naruto's family register. But then he recalled that maybe Sakura had written it on her calendar. She certainly was meticulous enough for him to find it likely. There was just one problem. Her calendar was in her room, which was somewhere he wasn't supposed to go. How had she phrased it? If he recalled right, she'd said: "My room is off limits if I'm not around…"

If that really was exactly how she had worded it, then he was lucky. It wouldn't stop him from going into her room. It wouldn't even notify her. He approached the door carefully, thinking about what he was about to do. The seal stayed quiet. He smirked, carefully pushing the door handle down and keeping an eye out for traps. He didn't think she had trapped her room, but it was better to be prepared, just in case.

She seemed to not have, and he was at the calendar quickly. It displayed a different picture than the last time he'd been there—a painting of a Katsura tree in bloom, whereas last time, it had been a painting of blooming rhododendra. He quickly took it from the nail and flipped it to its cover page.

"A Bit of Spring Every Month" was the title.

Well, that calendar was certainly fitting for someone named Sakura. He flipped it to January and started looking through the dates.

He'd been right in his guess that she'd have birthdays there, including her own. There were also some mention of other dates, but she'd coded them, probably out of lack of space. He didn't waste time trying to figure out their meaning; he was trying to find Naruto's name in there.

He found it in October... October 10th to be specific. Satisfied, he put the calendar back into its original position, with the Katsura tree displayed, and quietly left the room.

Back in his own four walls, he wondered how on earth he had thought that a birthday could tell him something about Naruto. After he looked through Naruto's stuff a second time, even picked the lock to his apartment to get more answers, he gave up. He'd already derived all he could from Naruto's living quarters and belongings. He'd seen it all before, it fit his personality, and it gave away nothing about whatever it was he was hiding.

At a lack for a better idea, he decided to hit the public library. He was sure that Shikamaru had been hinting at something when he suggested finding out more about Naruto, about the person he was trying to protect. And he was sure that the mention of starting to search at the beginning hadn't been a random comment to remind him, but was in fact a carefully formulated hint. So, even if it was just for the sake of having a distraction, he was going to look it up. And while he was at it, he figured he might as well try and see if he could find out anything about the Kazekage.

On the way there, he thought about when he'd read up on Konoha's history, the first time Sakura had left him behind. He suspected that Shikamaru had somehow guessed what he'd been trying to discover. He'd been trying to find out how the massacre fit into all the events that shaped Konoha, if Itachi possibly could have had a reason other than just snapping under the pressure that day. He'd tried to understand the political context of that time, which had been more turbulent than it was nowadays. He'd wanted to know more about his clan, his heritage, and their place in society as Konoha's police force.

Had he read anything about the time Naruto been born? Naruto had to be about the same age as Sasuke. That's when it suddenly came to mind. A page of a history book. October 10th: The day where the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit had attacked Konoha. The day the fourth Hokage had saved Konoha from certain destruction, defeating said spirit and losing his life in the process.

Stunned, he paused, letting the thought pass through his mind again before he picked up his walk, trying to figure out how this all related back to Naruto. It certainly had not been an easy day to be born, he supposed. But what did that event have to do with Naruto? Did it have to do with Naruto? If so, how?

It didn't make any sense other than that said birthday left a lot of horrible memories in people's minds. Naruto couldn't have had any part in what happened that day; he'd simply been too young. From what Sasuke remembered, he'd been orphaned already by the time they had entered the academy. Had he lost his parents to the Kyuubi's attack?

Did being an orphan have anything to do with his being a target? But he knew it couldn't have been loneliness. No one would kidnap anyone just because the victim was lonely. Anyway, Naruto wasn't lonely now, or was he?

Well, he was almost at the library, so he figured he might as well reread about the event. He'd rather not think about what Naruto was walking into so foolishly right now.

Once inside, he quickly went to the history section and picked out his lecture, sitting down at a free table to read. It was pretty much as he remembered, and there was no hint that lead back to Naruto except that it apparently was his birth date. Maybe he'd gotten the year wrong after all, but no book mentioned any other event that would have happened on October 10th, unless one counted the festival celebrating the Kyuubi's defeat, but that, again, was tied back to the main event.

Frustrated, he put the book down, turning another page without much motivation left. But the page revealed an illustration that actually made him pause and stare. It showed a man that looked like Naruto. He knew it wasn't Naruto, since the man was older than they were, had a different hairstyle, a slightly different facial structure and no strange marks on his cheeks. But the resemblance was uncanny.

He looked down at the caption:

Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage

It took a moment to sink in. It sent his thoughts spinning. Naruto looked like the fourth Hokage. Therefore, Naruto was related to the fourth Hokage?! But he had seen no pictures of him in Naruto's things. And Naruto's surname was Uzumaki, not Namikaze. But the fourth had died on October 10th, his mind helpfully supplied.

It was then that he recalled having picked out that book containing the notes of the fourth Hokage as material to study with Naruto. Namikaze Minato… Neither name nor title had triggered a reaction from Naruto.

Did he even know that he looked like the Fourth Hokage? How had Sasuke himself never realized that the Fourth's stone face on the Hokage monument shared such similarities with Naruto? Well, he suspected he hadn't seen it from afar very often. But Naruto surely had.

Sasuke shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. So, Naruto was born on the day the Fourth died, and he looked like him. Okay… that didn't really help him figure out this mess. The Fourth was dead, so even if Naruto was related to him, he couldn't really be used to force his hand, which had been the only somewhat reasonable thought that he ended up having about this likely connection.

After two more books that didn't tell him anything new, he decided that he had milked this particular hint enough.

He thought about tracking down Naruto's last name, and went to search for books that could hold that information. The only thing he found, however, was a list of the names of Konoha's native clans. Uzumaki wasn't listed among them, so he abandoned that idea, too, finally moving to the hint Naruto himself had given him, probably without meaning to.

Gaara, as Kazekage, must be listed in the more recent books about Sunagakure. So he went to search for that.

He found Gaara indeed:

Sabaku no Gaara, the fifth Kazekage was the third child of Rasa, the fourth Kazekage. His mother had died giving birth to him, and apparently, he had Shukaku, the One-Tail, sealed inside of him, which made him a Jinchuuriki. A weapon for the village.

The text went on about his lonely childhood, his insomnia, and his bloodlust due to Shukaku's influence. But they also mentioned how he had been trying to redeem himself in recent years by being a good ruler.

The next two paragraphs focused on his skill, covering his Kekkei Genkai and ultimate defence he was famous for.

Then, it talked about the alliance he had arranged with Konoha, and some other achievements during his rule so far.

Sasuke compared what he knew about Gaara and Naruto. Sakura had probably been right about the loneliness—they had both lost their mothers very early on. Sasuke wondered if Naruto's mother had also died giving birth to him.

Then, if he believed the resemblance between Naruto and the fourth Hokage to mean anything, they could be closely related. Gaara and the fourth Kazekage were, at least. That would make one more parallel. Another parallel alongside this one was that both of those leaders had been long dead, though Rasa's death had been much more recent than Minato's. So it couldn't be ransom or blackmail they wanted them for. His mind was just going in circles. What else?

Mention of tailed beasts was made in both the story of Naruto's birth date as well as Gaara's tale. The only other connection he could see was that Gaara was in the same position that Naruto was aiming for in his own village.

Being the village leader, he could see a couple of reasons why people might target him, but they had to be incredibly powerful to pull it off. You didn't become a Kage of a village for nothing. And Naruto hadn't even earned the position yet.

Increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress, Sasuke browsed the shelves again. As he passed the familiar titles, he didn't quite realize that he had moved past the history section until a title sprang at him.

The Kyuubi: Facts and Speculations on the Nine-Tails

Well, he might as well read it. But he had already spent quite a while in the library, so he decided to go to the training ground for a break first. He went to the counter to check the book out, then left the library.

00000

Traveling long distances left a lot of time to think. Yes, one had to stay alert, but that didn't mean that the focus was solely on keeping up the radar. Quite the opposite, try to do that too rigidly and you would most likely blend out things because the attention would start to fixate on one thing too much. So, Kakashi kept his mind busy with considering the different aspects of the situation and how they might influence the outcome.

The Akatsuki would have a three-and-a-half days' headstart to them, probably a bit more. They had to expect Gaara to be incapacitated. And if the Akatsuki had begun to extract Shukaku, the One-Tail, from Gaara, Gaara's body would start to give out eventually. Time was of the essence.

He counted on some kinds of measures by the Akatsuki to delay them. He considered the possibility of them using this chance to lure Naruto to them, to danger. That boy, Tatakai, had been very adamant about his brother being dangerous and that it was irresponsible of Naruto to even go on this mission. Or so, Sakura had told him, after Naruto had admitted to Temari that he was a Jinchuuriki like Gaara.

This brother, and the influence he had on this situation so far, was also disturbing. Kakashi knew about the order that had been given to Tatakai. He believed that Tatakai's concern wasn't out of place. He'd seen the boy's skill, and it was likely that if this brother hadn't trained Tatakai himself, that he'd at the very least trained alongside him. So Tatakai would know his fighting style and strategies well.

Still, he was convinced that his decision to not take him on this trip was a good one, as they didn't know Tatakai well enough to know his interpretation of the order or how well he could act to deceive them when he had a goal in mind. And he really didn't want to be caught up in a fight between brothers in the middle of a mission, much less a reunion intended to possibly turn Tatakai against them. Even though it was now clear that this brother belonged to Akatsuki and probably hadn't picked out Naruto as a victim just because of his proximity to Tatakai, but rather as a result of being part of that organisation, it was better to be cautious.

So yeah, it was reasonable for Tatakai to stay back for the time being. He didn't know, however, how said brother would react to the fact that Tatakai wasn't part of this mission. Kakashi had no means to judge this brother's character. He hadn't met him, and Sai's assessment could only be used as a pointer. Calculating, emotionless, very dangerous. It was a worrying bit of estimation to build upon. But indirectly, he'd warned Konoha of danger. It might just be an elaborate ploy to get them to trust Tatakai and to get him out of the village and into the field. Who knew?

Why would they have Konoha's interest in mind unless they had some ties back there?

The thought lead him to earlier contemplations. Tatakai's knowledge of ANBU hand signs… could it be that this brother had taught Tatakai these signs? Could it be that his brother had been in the ANBU at some point? Had it been the regular faction or Danzo's?

The Danzo theory still seemed unlikely for the same reasons as before. He'd gone and picked out a random slave house that Tatakai had been to and requested and found the corresponding papers, which backed up the authenticity of the documents and the history they declared. He must have been free before capture. Anyway, Danzo wouldn't have gone and freed a slave he trained, and the fact that this brother was now Akatsuki, would have meant a remarkable skillset. Danzo wouldn't just have let someone like that go free. Someone under Danzo's rule wouldn't have let themselves be captured and enslaved, either.

He was quite sure that Tatakai himself hadn't been in the regular ANBU. Kakashi would have heard about someone entering so young. Maybe his brother? How old was he? Sai hadn't mentioned an estimation of age, but Kakashi guessed him to be older than Tatakai. Had he been in ANBU? Had Kakashi known him?

There weren't very many that had entered the ANBU around 13, which would be a probable age for said brother to have been. There was only one who had been younger, but he had been dead for… wait… didn't the Weasel have a younger brother?

Tatakai looked suspiciously similar to the Weasel, and it would explain how Tatakai had come to know ANBU hand signing. It might explain the reaction to the Sharingan, as well. If Kakashi remembered right, the slave's age could match with how old he believed the younger brother to be... but that would mean that Itachi was still alive!

It would mean that… it could mean that… the massacre…. Kakashi had wondered how anyone could have killed Itachi, but he'd seen the pictures of the crime scene. A blackened pit. Assumed dead.

They had found nothing of the clan head's family. Out of the most devastating radius of the fire, they had found remains of terribly shriveled, unidentifiable organs. And more outwards, they had found more recognizable means of remains. But the black flames had burned right into the grounds of the clan head's house, most likely burning every corpse in it to ash.

If Itachi was indeed still alive, did that mean that Itachi had a hand in the massacre, or was he a lucky survivor because he'd found a way for he and his brother to escape? Were there more survivors? And how had they stayed in hiding for this long? Wouldn't that mean that from what they knew about Tatakai's brother, that Itachi was a member of Akatsuki now? Why? How? There had been no trace to follow that would have lead them to believe he was even alive. But if he indeed was, and had gained the Akatsuki's attention, he must mean that skill must have exceeded to crazy levels since his ANBU times...

Kakashi knew his thoughts were spiraling. He needed to stop. They might meet said brother, and he could possibly confirm it before he returned to the village, but he couldn't do anything right now. He had a mission to accomplish, and this was easily becoming one of the most thought-consuming distractions he'd had in a long while. He needed to focus on getting to Suna, so he decided to ban further speculation. However, it didn't keep the thoughts from returning for long; question after question arose. He didn't know what to believe, but he knew now wasn't the time, nor did he have the proof to confirm this line of thought. After all, he'd assumed Itachi dead for years.

00000

Sasuke had worked himself into the ground, working out his frustrations on very little sleep. He had to remember to pace himself. They were only on their way to Suna now; they wouldn't arrive there for another two days. Only then would their mission truly start, and he had no idea when they would return. Never had he dreaded waiting this much.

He was lucky that his body gave in to sleep rather quickly, because his thoughts were still restlessly churning inside a trance-like state of mind.

The next morning, he woke up late, leisurely made breakfast and did the cleaning that would have been Sakura's and Naruto's job, according to their new, fancy plan. He grit his teeth at that. Yeah, of course, just as expected, the others left on a mission without him, rendering the lovely idea of splitting up the housework utterly useless.

Whatever, at least it kept him busy for an hour.

The doorbell rang at around 10:30 AM. He hadn't expected anyone, and he wasn't really looking forward to another talk with Shikamaru. Unfounded apprehension sitting deep in his stomach, he made his way to the door. But the person visiting him wasn't Shikamaru, it was Sai. And for once, he wasn't flashing his weird smile.

"I returned just this morning and heard the others went on a mission."

"Yeah," Sasuke said flatly, letting the other in.

He lead Sai back to his room without offering him anything to drink. He'd completely forgotten about Sai's separate mission. It was weird to feel glad for the other boy's return. Sai, though weird, was an alternative to Shikamaru, whom Sasuke really didn't know how to feel about. And Sai had not only met his brother, but he also knew life with a slave seal.

He sat down on his bed. "What do you know?" he asked as soon as the room's door had fallen into its lock.

"They don't often speak of other people's missions. It prevents people from worrying about the specifics, even if it is your own team. It's why we usually stop by and let the others know we're leaving and how long we might be gone, if we can."

"I can tell you what I know."

"I'm listening."

"It was an emergency summoning in the middle of the night. They're on their way to Suna. The Kazekage has been kidnapped, apparently by the Akatsuki."

"I see," Sai said thoughtfully.

"Are you going to tell me what you know, or are you going to be like the rest?" Sasuke prodded.

"It depends on the information."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes and, instead, decided to go into related matters first. Not that he had much hope that his tactics would work this time...

"What did you tell Konoha about my brother? And sit down, you're not on a mission report!" Sasuke motioned towards Naruto's bed, as Sai was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

"I reported his messages, and I described what I saw in their room."

"They don't have any drawings of him done by you, do they?"

"Your brother? No, no one has asked yet."

"Promise me that you won't draw him for them!"

"I don't think it will make a difference in the long run. I delivered the message to you. Your brother will show himself at some point."

"Is it true that you saw Akatsuki cloaks in their room? Two of them?"

"Yes."

They fell into silence as Sasuke tried to find words. He reluctantly set out to ask his next question, however, as he wanted to move this conversation forward.

"The Akatsuki are powerful, and Konoha knows it, don't they?"

"Yes, they do."

"If they know that Naruto is a target, why are they letting him go on this mission?"

"Naruto is one of a kind. You probably know that by now. And once he's set his mind on something, it's hard to convince him to act otherwise."

"They abducted the Kazekage. I may not know him personally, but he's a Kage, he's bound to be powerful in his own right. What makes Naruto think he's got a chance?"

"It's not about having a chance, it's about saving a friend."

"It's stupid to put yourself in danger if the chances of saving that person are slim in the first place."

"Naruto doesn't care about that."

"Is he suicidal?"

Sai chuckled quietly. "No, he's got a very strong wish to live. And he isn't alone; Sakura and Kakashi are there with him."

"He is a target, he knows it. I warned him, but he just said he knew what they wanted of him and the Kazekage, and that he wouldn't let them suck out his life-force. But they already have the Kazekage, and a head-start… It's so irresponsible. They'll have him right where they want him once they're done with the Kazekage. He'll follow them right into their lair."

Sasuke was careful not to mention anything that could give away that he didn't know what Naruto had meant with his comment about life-force. Maybe Sai would let something slip

"It's not that simple. A jutsu like that likely requires a ton of chakra. I doubt they'd be able to do it in quick succession like that. And they'd still have to get Gaara to their lair and fend off any squads sent to retrieve him. They'd focus on the delay, not on Naruto's capture."

"Naruto's team is one man down. The Hokage is sending a back-up team, but that will cause even more of a delay."

"And you've been left behind and can't follow your brother's request, because you're not cleared for missions yet." Sai said in his blunt, direct way.

"Yes," Sasuke bit out grudgingly.

"You know, you got a way of finding out what's going on on their end. It's not the same, but at least you may be able to hear about their progress and setbacks. You could also report it to the Hokage directly and immediately."

"Are you serious? You know what that would mean, don't you?! I'd be revealing the seal's secrets, I'd be at Sakura's mercy. As long as she doesn't know about it, she can't use it!"

"You will have to eventually tell her something to get her to trust you. I don't care how you handle the slave seal's secrets. My master knows most of them, so it's not like it will have any effect on how my master treats me. Just think about it. The decision is yours."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted unwilling.

Sai left soon after, to Sasuke's frustration, without revealing anything about the relation between Naruto and the Kazekage. Well, maybe next time!

He went to train, feeling restless. He missed his practice katana, but he had no money for a replacement or a real sword, much less one of his preference. Instead, he familiarized himself with the equipment Naruto had gifted him with. The thought however didn't want to leave him alone. If he just could get Sakura to listen to him for a minute, would he be able to convince her? He knew they were on a mission. If he decided to risk it, he'd have to make his move before they arrived at Suna. The sooner, the better. But he felt uneasy about it.

Contacting her would require him to explain how it worked. He might not have to tell her everything, but this would be a direct ticket for her to his mind. If she learned how to issue an order he had to follow, she would be able to do so with merely a bit of chakra and a thought. He'd be at her mercy, anytime, anywhere.

Damn. There was a reason why slaves never even hinted that these seal features existed. It was safer if the owners didn't even start guessing about something like this being possible.

Eventually, he decided to take a break and eat lunch at home. After his meal, he decided to start on the lecture about the Kyuubi, opening the book's first page. A feudal-style drawing of the Nine-Tailed Fox spirit covered the front page, repeating the title: The Kyuubi: Facts and Speculations on the Nine-Tails

He started from the beginning, reading about the definition of the Biju as chakra-monsters and the history of how they had come into existence… the splitting of the Ten-Tails into nine separate entities by a sage who had also named them. It was a bit long-winded, but Sasuke was getting the message. Still, his thoughts kept returning to the idea Sai had planted.

The fact that Naruto could be intercepted by Itachi at any time, and Sasuke wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him, didn't sit well with him. Not knowing what was happening was making him nervous... though, the thought of contacting Sakura was, too.

However, he knew Sakura now, so he wasn't actually all that afraid that she'd use the knowledge to his detriment, if he was honest.

It would only be a small consolation, but if she would let him know how things were on her side, then he wouldn't be driving himself crazy with wondering about it. In the late afternoon, he decided that he needed to at least try.

Reluctantly, he lifted a hand to his slave seal, pushing a tiny amount of chakra into it.

00000

A/N: Looking forward to hear your thoughts! Take care in the meanwhile!