Akanishi-san: GAWD, it took forever to upload this. I couldn't think of a way to plug those events into this chapter. anyway, here is your ch13, and hope you review and Ill try to update next chappie soon. Like i said before, this story will be 18 chapters long. Its almost done. 0o!
Ch13
When Neji opened his eyes the next time, all he saw was white ceiling once more. He moaned as he sat up, his whole body protesting his action.
"Neji?" A voice asked next to him. Neji turned around, and saw Naruto sitting on a chair next to his bed. "You're awake!" He said, grinning, but with a lot of effort.
"Yeah…" Neji replied, looking at him and scanned him quickly. Naruto had some bandages around him, but nothing looked fatal. But one thing that looked like the worst was the sorrow in his eyes. Neji could tell that Naruto was truly depressed at the fact he could not help Sasuke or Izaki. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked as he straightened on his bed.
Naruto, with his effort grin still up replied with more effort. "1 day and a half. That's all…Kakashi-sensei is still in bed. He used his Sharingan too much. Tsunade-bachan is all right, she could stand and all, but she can't move that much. And Sasuke's been awake but…" He trailed off.
Neji suspected much from Naruto's voice. "He's awake, but won't talk or anything?" He asked, trying to move his arms.
Naruto shook his head, now the grin gone. "He won't take any food!" He suddenly said after a while. "He won't talk, move, eat, or anything! His health is falling and…" He looked at the ground.
Neji moved his protesting body up, and sat up straight. "What's his room number?" He asked. "Show me where. I need to talk to you and Sasuke about something." When he looked down at himself, he saw that he was wearing the hospital clothes, and not his regular ones. He frowned as he looked around the room. "First, can you get my clothes?" He asked.
Curious at what Neji wanted to tell the two, Naruto hurriedly got the clothes for him. "His room is in the flood above you. You don't need Tsunade-baba or Kakshi-sensei?" He asked.
Neji shook his head. "No." He said. He then turned to Naruto. "Turn around, and don't turn back until I say you can."
Naruto shrugged and turned around. "All right then. What is it, though? Is it something important? About Izaki-chan?" He asked with some hope.
Neji groaned as his body protested in moving to change, but answered through his gritting teeth. "It's about her." He said. "Now don't talk to me. I need every effort to change right at this moment." He gritted his teeth together, forcing himself to move while his whole body protested. But he needed to tell Sasuke, what he had seen.
5 minutes past by, and Neji still wasn't ready. "Are you sure you don't need help?' Naruto asked as he heard Neji curse as he almost tripped over his tired legs. Neji did not answer, taking that as a silence 'yes' and quieted once more.
10 minutes past by, and Naruto was about to ask if he still didn't need help, but Neji beat him to it. "All right, let's get going." Neji said. finally, letting a sigh of relief escape him. At least he got dressed before he collapsed.
Naruto turned around to see fully-dressed Neji struggling to stay up. Naruto fought to hold down a laugh as he walked over to him. "Use my shoulder." He said, slinging his arm over his shoulders. "Looks like you can't even stand straight." He chuckled.
Neji rolled his eyes as he let himself be helped by Naruto. "Now hurry up to his room." He said. "I have things that are important to tell. I'm sure Uchiha will respond to something when I say what I have to say."
Naruto nodded, now his face looking serious. "Right." With that, the two walked to Sasuke's room.
Sasuke's Room
Sasuke didn't even look over to them when they entered the room. He sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. He seemed to be in one piece, but, to everyone, he looked lifeless. He looked blankly at the wall, not even blinking. His eyes were stone, like a black hole, that swallows everything, yet it does nothing in return.
"Uchiha." Neji said with effort as he sat down on an offered chair by Naruto. Sasuke kept looking at the wall, as if he didn't hear him. Neji sighed. "Look Uchiha, I came in to tell you something about Izaki." He said.
Sasuke seemed to react a bit, for he looked at him, but only his blank eyes, his face was still looking at the wall.
Neji looked at him straight into the eye and went on. "Before I say anything, I need to know your past. To make things clear for me." He said. "When the Uchiha Clan was…well, you know, was it truly Itachi who killed off your clan? Did you actually see him kill some people? Like as in, did you see him kill? Not the mangekyou, but in real." He asked. Sasuke blinked and slowly after a while, shook his head. Neji kept going. "I saw a dream, a weird dream, about Izaki's past for some reason."
Naruto frowned. "A dream?" He asked.
Neji nodded. "Yes. And…well, if they were true, it means that Itachi didn't want to kill your clan at all, and wants Izaki to live, with us. He really cares about her, you know. And because Itachi found you first, instead of the Akatsuki who are the real criminals in this, you are alive. If the Akatsuki had found you first, you would be dead now." He said carefully, looking at him.
The new information slowly sank into Sasuke's mind, now his mind flying rapidly. He turned his whole head over to him. "So…Itachi took Izaki, why? If he wanted her to live with us, then why did he take her back?" He asked, finally finding his voice.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke!" He yelled, happy that he could speak again. He was about to fling himself at Sasuke, but Neji had started talking again, stopping him.
"That part, I think is because if he didn't take back Izaki, the Akatsuki will come and get her anyway, and kill anyone who got in the way. Because Itachi was in command when he and those Akatsuki came to get her couple days ago, he ordered no deaths. The proof, is that no one died." He shrugged. "Hurt, but he has to do that part."
Sasuke frowned. "But why?" He asked. "Why did you see it, and not me, or Naruto?"
Neji shrugged. "I don't know, but I think Itachi knew about…erm…something," He said, not wanting to mention about his feelings for Sasuke's sister. "I think the cause of my dreams about Izaki's past was because of him. I also know a way to get Izaki and the wolf to separate if they merge, but we need her to stay still." He said. "Itachi showed me the seals. In the dreams, though."
Sasuke and Naruto both frowned, and was about to say something when the door opened. The 3 looked towards the door to see Tsunade and behind her, stood other Konoha Ninjas, all who gave Izaki tours.
"If I heard correctly, Itachi planned this to happen?" Tsunade asked, walking over to them with effort.
Gai was supporting her as she walked in, with Lee at his heels. The Konoha Kunoichis were behind them, all looking serious. The 4 other male ninjas, Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji also followed them in, Kakashi at the rear with effort, supported by crutches.
Neji sighed. He really didn't want everyoninto this, yet anyway. But he had no choise now."I was going to tell Sasuke and Naruto about my dream, from the begging to end. If you want, you guys can listen as well now that you guys heard most of it anyway."
Tsunade nodded a thank you as Gai placed her on a chair and turned to Neji. "I would like to hear about this." She said. The other Konoha Ninjas nodded in agreement as they all got confortable in the room, looking intently at Neji.
Neji sighed once more. "All right, this is what happened." He looked around once more, and told about his dream. He started from when Itachi attacked Uchiha clan, or Akatsuki did, what ever way, but he told about that day. He told them that Itachi wanted the safety of Izaki, and also for Sasuke. He told them about how Itachi insisted on using Izaki and not Sasuke.
"I wonder why?" Ino said. "Why did he want to use Izaki instead of Sasuke?"
"Maybe it's because Sasuke-kun is older?" Sakura piped in. "So when Itachi getsIzaki backinto Konoha, he will know Sasuke-kun will take care of her."
Sasuke shook his head. "I know the answer to that one." He said gloomily. "It's true," He started after a while. "She had more skills as an Uchiha more than I did. He thought that she would probably have more chance on surviving Akatsuki more than I will. And she did survive." He made himself looked up.
Silence followed and Neji started onto the next dream he saw. He told them how Itachi made sure Izaki would obey Akatsuki, and to do her best on anything they assign. He also told them how Itachi cared for Izaki, and tended her wounds carefully and fully. Neji hesitated, but added the fact that Itachi said he couldn't disobey the orders from Akatsuki as well. At this point, Neji took another break, to which the others added their comments.
"What does Akatsuki have that Itachi can't lose?" Gai asked.
Lee answered him with his opinion. "Maybe the Akatsuki said that they would kill Izaki-san if he does anything funny?"
"But would they kill a container they trained so hard on?" Kiba asked. "By the sound of it, it sounds like the Akatsuki was kind of hating her, but they are using lots of time to train her."
Naruto added his opinions as well. "I think Geji-Mayu is right. (Rock Lee is Geji Mayu, btw) Maybe the Akatsuki threatened him that they will kill Izaki if needed to be."
Shino also opened his mouth that was hidden beneath his shirt. "Or maybe hurt her. Containers could be easily found, and Itachi didn't want them to find another for replacement."
Silence followed again, and once again, Neji continued. He told them about the fight Izaki fought when she was around 6, and how Itachi came to her rescue. He told them how Itachi was relieved so much to see she was alive, he was smiling. Neji looked at the ground and told them how Itachi hesitated on telling her it was all right to kill to not to get caught, and not to get caught. He warned her not to, for she might be killed. Neji told them how Itachi flinched when he saw the wounds Izaki carried at that time, and when he made her go to sleep, he had told her sleeping form that he would never let her get hurt again and for Sasuke.
"He said that?" Sasuke asked, his eyes wide.
Neji nodded. "He said he would protect her, and says he's sorry for his decision. And, that he had brought pain to you and Izaki."
"I can't see this happening." Chouji said, shaking his head. For once, he was listning fully, not eating. He was carefully taking in the new information, chips and other junk in his hands.
"Me neither." Shikamaru added. "But seems like your brother really cared and well, it shows that because he planned all of this, right? I mean, showing Neji the dreams and stuff."
Neji nodded. "But that wasn't the last one I saw." He said. With that, the room quieted again and all focused on Neji. Neji looked around once to make sure he had their attention and continued. "This one was kind of weird." He said and started. He told everyone how Itachi pleaded to not to have Izaki merge with the wolf, and the fact that he said he would bring another child to take her place. Neji also told them about how Itachi didn't know that Izaki was going to merge with the wolf. If he knew, he probably took another child. He told them how Itachi got furious about how the Akatsuki killed his family, and the fact he said he cared for them. He told them the fact that Itachi didn't know that they were going to kill them either. Neji again hesitated, and said how Itachi told the Akatsuki leader that he did not believe Izaki will be brought down by the wolf when they merge.
Silence followed them after he said that, but Neji broke it. "I think this was when Itachi started to study about dis-merging, because in the next dream, he did it successfully."
"Well, how did he do it?" Tsunade asked, her eyes on him. "Finish the story, will you?" She asked.
Neji nodded and told them about the final piece. He told them how Itachi had stopped the Akatsuki on killing Izaki when they saw that they couldn't get her under control. Neji didn't tell them the hand seals, but told them how Itachi got them to dis-merge and how Itachi looked at him in the dream as if he knew he was watching. He also skipped the description of Izaki when she had merged, he was too angry at Akatsuki to say. He then finished the story with the last piece of the dream with Itachi getting Izaki to forget everything and go to Konoha.
"So…Itachi learned a way to get them individual again?" Tsunade asked. "And…this means that the fact that Izaki was completely afraid of Itachi was his cause. No wonder she looked too frightened."
Neji nodded. "I still remember the seals. It looked like Itachi made me remember. Also…maybe it was just me, but the two did look like they were putting on an act now that I think about it. When they came to get Izaki,Itachi was hesitant a bit. Izaki was a good actor though."
Tsunade fell silent, and after a moment, voiced her opinion. "It means that Itachi planned all of this to happen. He takes Izaki, and returns her to Konoha. There, she was to be taken by Sasuke, and he did take her. After that, Itachi made sure Izaki would get friends, especially someone…" She stopped, which relieved Neji a bit. "But anyway, Itachi planned this so Izaki could be free of Akatsuki."
The ground gaped at her. "So…Itachi's a nice guy?" Sakura asked.
Tsunade nodded. "It seems so."
"But we can't finish the story." Kakashi said, opening his mouth the first time.
Everyone turned to Kakashi. "Why not?" Ino asked.
Kakashi looked at the ground. "Even if we knew how to get Izaki to separate if necessary, and how Itachi wants this to happen, we are missing a gigantic piece to the puzzle."
Neji finished it off for him. "We don't know where Akatsuki is. I know, but I have an idea or two of where." Everyone's eyes turned to Neji. "I saw pieces in the dream, it was a forest, but that wasn't going to help me, but…during the dream about the fight, I saw that we were near the Village of Rain. Also, I don't know exactly why, but I thinkthey were heading south."
Tsunade looked at him funnily. "Well..." She bit her bottom lip. "All right." She said at last. "I will assign 4 ANBU to go and see about anything up there." She said, standing up.
Neji also stood up. "No." He said. "Itachi showed the dream to me. I will go." He said. "If he meant for anyone to come, it's me."
Tsunade looked at Neji with her eyes and for a long moment, they stood there, looking at each other.
"I will go as well." Sasuke said, now standing up as well. "She is, after all my sister. And the fact Itachi kept me alive means that my role to protect her is still up and running."
"Hey, don't forget about me!" Naruto pouted. "I'm coming too! I promised Sasuke and Izaki I would protect her as well!"
The others looked at each other, and nodded. "We will go as well." Gai and Lee said.
Shikamaru scratched his head in sort of annoyance. "Well, she did help us out with the wolves, seems like I owe her a rescue."
"Girls should stick together, right?" Ino asked at the girls, who nodded. "We are going too!"
Kiba also spoke up, one arm slung over Shino. "Hey! Don't forget us!"
Kakashi looked at them all. "I need to baby sit them all, don't you think?" He asked Tsunade with a smile behind his mask.
Tsunade looked at everyone who had determination on their eyes. Tsunade looked worried, but nodded. "All right." She said. "But I will not let all of you go." The group moaned. "No, don't complain. I can't send 14 of you all at once. You will be an open target. "How about this…I will assign Neji, Sasuke, Naruto, Lee, Gai and Kakashi. Now we have 2 chaperones, a taijutsu specialist, ninjutsu specialist, stamina freak and of course, the key to it all."
"WHAT!" Ino cried out loud.
"Yeah, what about us!" Kiba complained.
"You guys," Tsunade looked at them. "Will be needed here. I can't let all of you go. Then who will be here in case Akatsuki does plan to attack here? Shikamaru and Chouji, I would like you guys to keep an eye on the wolves that came in with the red one. And I mean 24-7. Who knows what they were told? Kiba and Shino, I would like you guys to patrol. Kiba, with your nose, I'm sure you will be a great use and Shino, with your bugs, I'm sure we could use them to spy. Shino, please leave a female bug with Kakashi at all times, so if needed, we could follow them. In order to do that, we will need you here. Girls, I need you for extra patrol duty while they are away."
The girls looked at each other, and nodded finally. "Bring her back." Tenten said, looking at Neji. "If you don't, the next time we practice, you'll see more of my weapons." She grinned.
Neji winced. He never got on the bad side of her, and never wishes to do so now. He nodded. "I promise." He said.
Tsunade turned to her Ninjas. "All right, I'm going to set two rules on you." She said calmly, looking at each Ninjas in the eye. "One, to bring her back safely. Two…" She looked at then once more. "Don't die, you guys also will come back in one piece."
Naruto nodded, ad threw his fist into the air. "All right!" He yelled. "Let's get going!"
Sasuke looked at himself and said, "I need to change first." He said, and suddenly, his and Neji's stomach growled.
"And food." Tsunade said, trying to hide a laugh. "Girls?" She asked. Instantly, they fled to get food for them. "Now get changed, Sasuke. I will also stand out."
Sasuke nodded and murmured thanks to Naruto who handed him his clothes.
When the girls returned with food, the Konoha Ninjas who were leaving were ready to go. "We also brought in food and water for the trip." Sakura said, producing a pack and couple of water flasks.
"What we need." Kakashi said, smiling as he took the necessary items from her as Sasuke and Neji ate. "Soon as you are done eating, we are leaving." He told them, to which they nodded between mouthfuls.
Tsunade frowned. "Why don't we drop a day?" She asked. "You guys just woke up."
Neji swallowed his food and shook his head. "If Itachi wanted rescue, he wants it soon. Or he wouldn't have shown me the dream now."
Tsunade sighed in defeat. "Fine. But remember my orders." She told them. "We will wait at the gate in 10 min with your pack. We will do that right now." She motioned the Konoha Ninjas to follow, leaving Sasuke, Neji eating and Naruto sitting down with them.
Sasuke looked up from his food and swallowed what was in his mouth. "So Itachi didn't kill our family?" He asked, eyeing Neji.
Neji nodded as he also swallowed food. "Yes." And took another bite. "Are you sure we were only asleep for 1 and a half day?" Neji asked Naruto.
Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yes, and hurry up, I want to go already!" He complained, glaring at the two eating.
Neji and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We're eating, we're eating." Sasuke said, as he flapped a hand at him and took food into his mouth.
Front of Konoha gates
"We are ready." Kakashi said as the Ninjas gathered.
Tsunade nodded to them. Everyone who heard the news of Konoha Ninjas going to Akatsuki to get Izaki back was there. Some mumbled and whispered that what they were doing was nonsense, while some cheered and yelled encouragements.
Sasuke glared at some who said that they were really sure Izaki was a spy all along. Neji, on the other hand was busy glaring at men who were talking about Izaki in a way he didn't like at all. Neji kept his glare up, until Kakashi spoke up.
"All right team, let's get going." He said, his voice serious.
"Right!" They all said, and were gone into the woods.
Akanishi-san: Sooooo. Yeah, well next chapter will be up soon, I promise. Sorry aboutt his chapter being a tad bit late. I was busy with my AP class works. Its so boring. Anyway...please review
BTW READERS
NekoGuyFan: Well your question was answered here. Neji told Sasuke. And the part you said that Neji will use the jutsu to get Izaki back to herself, I can not say. Its a secret till it comes, ne? But then again, I just revealed it. lol.
ChocolatePanda: Thanks. I'm really glad you are liking it so far. Thanks for your support, and hope to see you review in this chappie.
mangagurl101: Hehe, I'm really glad you like it. the story in my opinion is turning haywire. It's gonna take a while to get the next chappie in, but please stay with me
keiya mizuki: Yes, Itachi chares for Izaki. I really didnt want to make him evil. I like Itachi.
Jazzy Uchiha: lol, that chapter was my fav. as well. lol. Anyway, please keep on readin, and hope you update your fic soon