A/N: So...I'm back.
Chapter Seven
Yes, as far as Orochimaru was concerned, the boy was a truly pathetic substitute for the Uchiha he wanted...but he'd have to do.
Overhead, a crow cawed, and he faltered in his steps as it began to circle them. The genin, exhausted from their battle, stiffened, unsure if it were a trick or not. Another crow joined it moments later and he felt a tendril of fear snake its way down his spine. Only one shinobi had such control over those damn birds.
Swinging his katana in the youngest Uchiha's direction, he bit back a gulp as he was met with a katana and cold onyx eyes, beneath a wide straw hat.
Itachi.
Fuck.
*/*
Silence.
Pure unadulterated silence rang as everyone stared at the figure blocking Orochimaru's blade with a katana of his own, wide-brimmed straw hat blocking his face from the view of everyone but the sannin. Black red cloud covered cloak hiding his form, a single pale hand holding the Katana, they couldn't help but wonder.
All but Sasuke, who recognized the chakra of the newcomer clear as day.
He had spent the last half a decade dreading it yet praying it would come so he could kill the man. Had spent the last month of so praying it would come back so he could bring him home, the truth in his lies making his heart ache for the older man's suffering…and yet now he stood there protecting him…and Sasuke couldn't speak.
A smirk, wide but shaky crossed Orochimaru's lips and he jumped back. "Itachi-Kun," He purred. "How nice to see you again."
Naruto's eyes widened, his nose recognizing the scent of the man before him.
Weasel.
The only ANBU guard he had beyond Inu to actually speak to him during his childhood. The man had vanished years ago, and Naruto had always assumed he was dead, now, however, he knew otherwise.
Orochimaru lunged at the figure, who jumped back easily, his hat falling to reveal fair skin, and an aristocratically handsome face, deep tear troughs leading away from a lazily spinning sharingan, his black hair pulled back into a low tail and tucked beneath his cloak.
"Orochimaru." He replied impassively, and the sannin sneered at him.
"Where's your ever-faithful companion?"
The nukenin didn't respond for a moment, staring at the elder with an expression as blank as his gaze.
"Otouto," He rumbled and Sasuke stiffened.
"H-Hai?"
A second Itachi appeared soundlessly. "Follow the clone."
He went to protest, but the clone grabbed his shoulder, Naruto and Sakura rounded up beside him.
He stared up at the elder brother he'd spent the last several years hating and felt his heart breaking.
Even though he didn't recognize his face, he recognized the name Orochimaru.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
His brother, for all his strength, he may not be enough.
"Go."
The clone gaze a swift nod and a flurry of black feathers surrounded them. Just as their view was obscured, he saw the two clash blades again.
Moreso, he saw a spark of black ignite his brother's blade.
*/*
Itachi was gone.
Deep amber eyes glanced their room in dismay as he saw his young partner's cloak and more tellingly, his beloved crow and katana, were gone.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to search for the chakra signature he knew almost as well as his own, lips curling into a vicious snarl as he felt that the other was currently engaged in battle with the only man he hated more than Tobi and Fugaku Uchiha.
Orochimaru.
The sannin's obsession with his partner set his every instinct alight and made his blood boil. It was only the younger ex-ANBU's assurance that nothing had ever happened that kept him from unleashing Samehada on the man.
Even now, he felt his instinct rear their head, baying for the sannin's blood and he felt no need to ignore it. Instead he followed Itachi's chakra signature, and hoped he made it before the younger man fell into the sannin's hand.
*/*
Shisui scowled as he followed Kakashi and Obito into the forest of death, worry gnawing at his consciousness.
He'd known for years that Orochimaru held a strange fascination with Itachi, especially given the way the man used to watch the younger Uchiha train. This said, it didn't surprise him that the sannin was in Konoha, nor that he was after Sasuke in Itachi's stead.
Sasuke, for all that he was one of the strongest genin in his age group, was nowhere near the level that Itachi had been when Shisui had died and, given the half a decade Itachi had been living as a nuke-nin, he'd probably only gotten stronger. It made sense for Orochimaru to go after who he perceived as the weakest link in the man's armor.
This said, he and his companions were only praying to reach their students before the sannin had a chance.
A scream rang out, full of agony, and Obito shuddered, his dark eyes full of worry. "Th-That wasn't one of the kids, Kashi…was it?"
Kakashi frowned and went to speak only to be cut off by the arrival of a mass of crows. One by one, they merged together until they formed three wide-eyed genin and a man whose face was obscured by his hat and cloak.
Shisui raised his kunai. "Get away from my students." He growled, observing him.
The cloak, shapeless, hid the man's form, his hat hiding everything but his mouth. His hands, nails painted purple moved from Sasuke and Naruto's shoulder to his side to be obscured by his sleeve.
"State your name and business in Konoha." Kakashi barked, and Shisui swallowed thickly, as this was the first time, he'd heard him sound so cold.
For a moment, it seemed like the man would ignore him, then he spoke, his voice low but heartbreakingly familiar. "I admit, Itachi-san will be happy to know Sandaime-sama was telling the truth, Shisui, Obito."
"I-Itachi?"
The cloaked man hummed. "I'm afraid not. Itachi-san is currently battling Orochimaru-sama."
"Where?" Barked a voice, harsh and guttural and as one the group turned to find a tall blue skinned man standing in the tree above them watching them with keen amber eyes.
"Just ahead, Kisame. Just beyond the tower. He is using Amaterasu, so I will not last much longer."
"Dispel. Itachi-san will need his strength."
The clone nodded and vanished as silently as he'd appeared leaving the focus on Kisame, who with nary a word, took off. Another scream sounded, this one louder and more horrifying than the first, before it was choked of and the sound vanished completely.
Unable to think of anything else, Kakashi and Shisui followed him, the genin and Obito trailing behind them.
As they approached, the smell of burning flesh singed the air, and they were able to see a small pile of ashes burning black at the base of a tree. Itachi stood just meters away, one hand clasped over his right eye.
"Otouto?"
"Nii-san?"
Sasuke and Shisui called in unison and the nuke-nin glanced at them, his single visible eye impassive. Kisame stood behind him, arms crossed, but unable to hide the worry in his eyes.
"I see. So Sandaime-sama was telling the truth."
"Hai." Shisui replied, stepping forward. To his shock, his younger cousin took a step back, removing his hat as he went.
How could someone look so similar and so different from who he'd remembered?
Tear troughs ran more pronounce than they'd previously been for eyes that were slowly fading back to their normal onyx. Skin, moonlit pale stretched over a youthful face, high cheekbones and thin lips making up the face he remembered drawing more than its fair share of fangirls.
However, there was something there. Something dark lurking just on the edge of his awareness and he couldn't help but wonder what it was.
What had happened to his cousin in the time that he's been gone?
"I'm so sorry, Itachi." He murmured and the younger man's lips quirked just slightly at the corner, a shadow of the warm, kind smile he used to give. "I didn't want any of that to happen."
"It wasn't your fault."
Shisui shook his head, and Obito glared at the younger Uchiha. "Sasuke's not going to fall for whatever you have planned, Kiddo. Let us help you."
Immediately, they realized it was the wrong thing to say as Kisame's expression tightened and Itachi's shut down.
"Kisame." There was an unspoken command in his tone, and he turned to walk away, the giant shark like man turned as well, sending them one last look before they vanished in a murder of crows. Once they were gone, Sasuke swallowed.
"Something's wrong."
Shisui couldn't help but agree.
After all, Itachi had shown no emotion at the realization that they all knew the truth of his sacrifice meaning there was something deeper going on.
They just needed to figure out what.
*/*
"Begin the waking process."
A young nurse nodded his head silently at his master's orders, walking out of the room.
Behind him an older man sat staring at the monitors for the entrance of the tower of the forest of death, one frozen on a candid of team seven entering the tower dirty and exhausted. The other showed a smoldering pile of ash, a single crow feather lying atop it. A warning.
A threat.
Itachi Uchiha was in Konoha and he was angry.
With a cold smirk, the man couldn't help but wonder, if the youth was angry enough to carry out the threat he had given the night he massacred his clan.
Then again, seeing the pile that had once been Orochimaru, he knew it was more than a probability.
It was a promise.
TBC…