Eight days pass and Oki-Itachi doesn't return.
Sasuke paces a hole through the floor after Konan drops off his breakfast, agitated by the lack of news. Not that the Chibi is worried about Oki-Itachi. He just hates not knowing what's going on and what this delay might mean for him.
The lack of intel makes him feel helpless, a feeling that only grows once the Chibi realizes today marks two weeks since he was captured by the Akatsuki...meaning today is Itachi's birthday.
The teenager slows to a stop under the table. Sasuke was supposed to be home by now. He was supposed to be picking up his special order from the weapons shop while Mother cooked Itachi's favorite meals, and they were going to surprise him with a party at the dango shop.
Shisui and Izumi had been especially excited to celebrate, happy for any excuse to drag Itachi out of his office... But now Sasuke isn't even sure his brother is alive, and the thought that Itachi didn't live to see his twenty-first birthday kills him inside.
The Chibi falls back on his pillow, rolling over to bury his face in the cushion and dragging the cloth over his head. He's tired suddenly, despite getting a full night's rest, and all he wants to do is sleep the day away.
So he does.
.
Konan enters the room twice. Sasuke senses her staring after she sees his untouched meal. Yet the kunoichi merely switches out the food with a fresh dish before leaving as quietly as she came.
Sasuke doesn't get up, doesn't want to. He doesn't feel hungry, though there's a yawning emptiness inside him. Sasuke doesn't feel anything, and maybe it's better this way.
.
Konan comes in a third time, walking right over the barrier and bending down so close he can sense her body heat. Still, Sasuke doesn't move until her fingers tug the cloth off his head.
He quickly steals the blanket back and yanks it over himself. The Chibi waits for the kunoichi to do something, perhaps steal the blanket again, but all he gets is the shuffling of feet and then she's gone.
Good. Sasuke prefers to be alone today.
.
Hours or minutes pass and the door clicks open again. The Chibi doesn't have the energy to put up a fight when a hand slides under his side and picks him up, cloth and all.
Konan puts him in the jar, and Sasuke immediately sits against the glass, wearing the cloth over his head. The Chibi knows he's being childish, and that hiding from his problems won't solve them or bring Itachi back, but he just doesn't care.
A bright light invades Sasuke's vision, and his eyes squeeze closed as he turns away from the setting sun, wondering when they went outside.
"You said the min-nin was sick."
Sasuke opens his eyes and peeks out of the cloth to see Oki-Itachi, his face slightly pinched with concern.
"Yes." Konan stares at Sasuke. "The min-nin would not eat, and it's been lethargic all day. It also refused to come out from under its blanket until now." Her amber eyes glide up to Itachi then back to the Chibi. "Though perhaps it wasn't as sick as I thought."
She hands the jar to Oki-Itachi while Kisame says, "The min-nin looks pretty lively to me." He smirks. "Maybe it just missed Itachi."
The Oki Uchiha doesn't comment, simply continuing to stare at him, and Sasuke feels something for the first time since this morning, so glares back.
"Was he eating before today?" Oki-Itachi asks.
Konan nods. "Yes, it was fine until this morning."
Itachi gives Sasuke another look over and then his features go blank. "I suppose the min-nin has grown a little attached to me." Sasuke's eyes widen. "So perhaps he really did just miss me."
The Chibi pales because surely Oki-Itachi doesn't actually think he missed him!? He hates him!
"That is good news," Konan says, "Considering your mission with the min-nin is tomorrow."
Itachi doesn't look surprised, maybe having already been informed about his next assignment, and neither does Kisame, though the blue-skinned man sighs. "To think we just got back after our target eluded us for days and we're already being sent out again." His sharp grin shows he isn't as bothered by the new mission as he sounds.
"We can go over the details tomorrow." Oki-Itachi tells his partner before striding into the cave.
The Oki takes Sasuke back to their room, leaving him in the jar and placing it on his dresser. He returns thirty minutes later with a plate of sushi, which he sets beside the Chibi.
Sasuke backs away as the human lowers a sushi roll into the jar. Then screwing the lid back on, Oki-Itachi catches Sasuke's gaze and orders. "Eat."
Sasuke scowls and Oki-Itachi's eyes narrow. "I told you what would happen if you hurt yourself." The Chibi blinks, surprised by the reminder. "Starving yourself counts as self-harm, so unless you want to spend the rest of the night in that jar, I suggest you eat."
Sasuke clenches his jaw. It looks like Oki-Itachi wasn't making an idle threat, he really will lock Sasuke in a cage and deprive him of privacy if he doesn't take proper care of himself.
The Chibi still isn't hungry, but it's not healthy to go this long without food. Therefore, Sasuke stands, and holding his head high, abandons the cloth on the floor as he marches over to the sushi. He picks up the roll and bends down to bite into the seaweed wrap, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of being watched while he chews.
After he takes another bite, Oki-Itachi looks away and sits on his bed as Sasuke focuses on eating.
Once the Chibi is done, Oki-Itachi turns and his eyes rake over Sasuke like he's searching for something. The teen glares back, but a whole minute passes before Oki-Itachi says, "I know you didn't miss me."
The teen glowers, eyes asking why the Oki made the other humans believe that lie then.
Oki-Itachi gives him a knowing look. "At least, I'm not the Itachi you miss."
Sasuke's body goes rigid and the Oki closes his eyes. "So it is his birthday too."
If Itachi is still alive. Sasuke's eyes burn at the thought and he stares at the ground to cover up his reaction.
"You must have been looking forward to celebrating with him." The Oki notes. "But now you're not even sure he's alive."
Sasuke's hands curl into fists and his whole body trembles with his rage and despair. How dare Oki-Itachi taunt him like this, how dare—
"You shouldn't worry."
Sasuke looks up, dark orbs moist and narrowed with hatred. Yet Oki-Itachi's expression isn't cold or callous. Rather, his face is drawn down in sympathy. "I think your brother is alive."
Shock flashes over Sasuke's face while the Oki pulls open a drawer. "I would have told you this earlier, but I didn't know you could understand me."
The Chibi's eyes widen as Oki-Itachi sets a familiar bird saddle next to his jar. "My crow found this at your brother's crash site."
Sasuke presses his hands against the glass, peering closely at the saddle's side until he spots the Uchiha fan in the corner. There's no way an Oki would know to paint the symbol in that specific spot, which means it really is Itachi's saddle.
"They couldn't find any signs of your brother, but it's possible the rain washed the evidence away."
Sasuke's lip quivers and his face screws up because if that's true then Itachi could be... Itachi is...
The Oki looks the other way when the tears start rolling down Sasuke's face because Itachi is alive, his brother is okay!
The Chibi had clung to hope of his brother's survival, but now he has proof Itachi walked away from the crash and the relief nearly brings him to his knees.
After a few minutes, Sasuke scrubs the tears from his eyes and Oki-Itachi takes the jar behind the seal, releasing him onto his pillow.
"Keep it." Oki-Itachi places the saddle near the cushion. "You can give it back to your brother when you get home." The Oki doesn't say more as he goes to his side of the room and gets ready for bed.
Sasuke lies on his pillow that night, his brother's cloak folded beside him, and turns to Oki-Itachi's sleeping form. It is ironic the human gave him a gift today when it's the Oki whose having a birthday.
The teen frowns. But why did Oki-Itachi tell him about the saddle?
Sasuke tries telling himself the human is simply pretending to be nice, but for some reason, the explanation doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.
—
Oki-Itachi and Kisame set off for the mission the next morning, Sasuke coming along in his jar, which is stuffed into a weapons pouch clipped to the larger Uchiha's side.
The ride isn't as bumpy as Sasuke was expecting, maybe because Oki-Itachi padded the cylinder with a fleecy hand towel before setting him in. However, watching the forest scenery gets boring after the first day. Especially since it gives little indication how far they are from Konoha, as nearly every Elemental Nation has woodland areas.
Growing restless, Sasuke paces around the jar, but Oki-Itachi's constant movements make it near impossible to maintain balance, and he's soon forced to sit back down.
By the time they stop for lunch, Sasuke is restless enough to lunge at the hand lowering a granola bar into his container.
Of course Oki-Itachi merely catches him and holds his neck back when he tries to bite him while Sasuke writhes.
Kisame, watching from his perch on a boulder, chuckles. "Somebody is cranky." The Chibi would glare at the sharkman if Oki-Itachi wasn't holding his head in place. "Maybe we should knock it out until we reach the docks."
Oki-Itachi keeps his gaze on the still squirming Chibi as he says, "No, I need to show him how to complete the mission first." His eyes bleed into the Mangekyō Sharingan and Sasuke can't avert his gaze before he's drawn into the scarlet irises. "I'll show him now."
The Oki's voice echoes as the world darkens, and Sasuke can't even see the hand around him until a soft yellow light forms above the Uchiha.
The Chibi ceases struggling and his pulse quickens because he's seen what Oki-Itachi can do with a genjutsu, will never forgot how Oki-Sasuke screamed.
Oki-Itachi frowns, loosening his hold on him. "You don't have to be afraid," he says gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The Chibi scoffs because that's probably what the Oki Uchiha thought before he killed them all.
The human's brow furrows. "Is that why you're so scared of me? You saw what I did?"
Sasuke quickly realizes he projected that thought out loud because this isn't the real world, but an illusion in his mind. He has to guard his thoughts carefully here or they could become audible.
Oki-Itachi stares seriously at him, repeating. "I am not going to hurt you." The Chibi's skeptical expression doesn't change. "What I did in the past...I have no intention of ever carrying out again."
A hard glint enters the Oki's eyes, but Sasuke doesn't care if he means it. His intentions don't matter, considering Oki-Itachi didn't intend to starve his clan and nearly kill him that night, yet his actions almost cost Sasuke everything regardless.
"What?" Oki-Itachi looks genuinely shocked, having heard Sasuke's thoughts, and anger rushes into the teen's veins.
It's not fair. The human didn't even know what he did to the Chibi Uchiha, was ignorant of the harm he caused while Sasuke's brother almost killed himself gathering food to ensure the clan made it through the night.
Sasuke's emotions churn, venomous words hanging off the tip of his tongue, so when Oki-Itachi moves to speak, the dam breaks loose.
—isn't even close to bedtime yet.
The memory of Sasuke riding a crow that fateful night displays itself like a scratchy film beside them, and Oki-Itachi whips around to it with wide eyes while it shows the seven-year old Chibi climbing into Oki-Sasuke's satchel.
"This is—!"
"Uncle... Auntie..."
"Father? Mother?"
Sasuke struggles to halt the flow of memories, yet his emotions are so charged that suddenly he's no longer fifteen, but seven-years old and trembling inside Oki-Sasuke's shorts pocket while Oki sandals clack against the floorboards.
Sasuke squeezes his eyes shut and covers his ears, but Oki-Sasuke screams and screams until Sasuke can't help but scream too.
Then he's falling, head colliding harshly with the floor, and vision fading in and out as the Oki talk above him.
"Nii-san...why did you..."
"That is what's important."
A thick, metallic-smelling liquid fills around Sasuke and the seven-year old weakly opens his eyes to see an ocean of blood. Is it his blood? Is he dying?
Sasuke's eyes drift close.
I don't...want to...
The memory ends abruptly, Sasuke gasping as the genjutsu world shatters around him.
Then he's fifteen again, standing in Oki-Itachi's palm while the giant sways back and forth.
It takes a second to realize it isn't the Oki swaying, but himself, and by then Sasuke is already falling back unconscious while Oki-Itachi whispers his name.
.
Fingers running through his hair wakes Sasuke up. The Chibi believes it's his brother, and is going to complain about being too old for this when he notices it isn't fingers running through his hair. It's a single, giant finger brushing his head.
The Chibi cracks open his eyes to see a large campfire against the backdrop of night and a black material beneath him. Soon he realizes he's lying on an Akatsuki cloak, which is spread over a human's lap.
An Oki finger strokes Sasuke's hair, gently smoothing down the spikes, and the Chibi looks up to see Oki-Itachi gazing at the campfire, his hand hovering over him.
Disturbed by their close proximity, Sasuke lurches to his feet and nearly falls right back down. The Chibi looks to the ground, blinking at the ninja wire twined around his ankles and lifting his arms to see his wrists are tied too.
"You're awake." Oki-Itachi takes his hand away from him. "Are you feeling alright?"
Sasuke ignores the question and tries pulling his hands apart because he can tell his chakra is no longer suppressed, so if he can just get his hands loose...
"Sorry about the wire, but it was either that or put you back in the jar, and you didn't seem very fond of the jar."
Sasuke glowers at the giant Uchiha because being tied up is hardly better.
The Oki frowns. "Are you really okay? The genjutsu…" He trails off and Sasuke looks away, embarrassed by how he lost control to the point he showed the Oki his memories. He's only fortunate none of the memories showed him or other Chibi talking.
"I didn't mean to invade your privacy." Oki-Itachi bows his head and Sasuke is shocked by the sincerity in his voice. "And I am sorry for the harm I brought you that night."
Sasuke's mouth drops. Yet soon he realizes the Oki must still be trying to bond with him by acting nice. The explanation doesn't quite satisfy the Chibi like it used to, but it's the only explanation that makes sense, so he goes with it.
Oki-Itachi raises his head. "I still need to tell you about the mission." Sasuke braces himself for another genjutsu, but the human doesn't activate his Sharingan. "You'll be gathering information. We'll drop you off at a message encryption center where you will break into the mailroom and read a letter labeled with this date and name."
The Oki pulls out a piece of paper from his weapons pouch and shows it to Sasuke, who takes a moment to read the large print.
Terumī Mei. The Mizukage? Why do they want information on her?
"I'm not sure if you can read kanji, but even if you can't, I'll simply retrieve the image of the letter from your head."
Sasuke turns up to glare at the Oki because the entire Akatsuki must be crazy if they think he's actually going to help them with anything.
Oki-Itachi notices his defiant stance and lowers his voice as he asks, "Do you know why they assigned you to me?" Sasuke blinks, confused by the change in subject. "It's because I'm the only one who can force you to go along with our plans."
The Chibi flinches, realizing that with his Mangekyō Sharingan, Oki-Itachi could force Sasuke to do whatever the Akatsuki want... But what exactly is the Akatsuki's plan for him? And how does it involve the Mizukage?
"I'm sure we would both prefer to avoid that," Oki-Itachi says. "So I recommend you do as they ask for now."
Sasuke scowls, but knows the Oki is right. He can either complete the mission of his own free will or do it while under the influence of a genjutsu.
"You should eat before the mission." Oki-Itachi lowers some senbei beside Sasuke and pulls out a thermos, pouring a light-colored liquid into the thermos cup before placing it next to him.
Sasuke is considering kicking the cup so the drink spills over the Oki's legs when he catches a whiff of it. The liquid has a scent, meaning it isn't water.
The Chibi peers closer at the steam rising from the drink, soon identifying it as green tea.
Eyes widening, Sasuke pulls the cup down with his bound hands until he can dip his head in and sip the hot liquid. He drinks all of it in two breaths, and releases the cup with a satisfied sigh because it's been weeks since he drank anything beside plain water.
Oki-Itachi stares him, eyes a little bigger than normal, and a light blush spreads across Sasuke's cheeks. Yet the Oki doesn't comment before pouring him another cup of green tea, which Sasuke enjoys between bites of the rice crackers.
It's as the Chibi is finishing his meal that Kisame returns, and Sasuke thinks Oki-Itachi's face becomes a tad more reserved when he addresses his partner. "Did you find one?"
"Of course, the dock barely has any guards this late." Kisame frowns a little. "And the ones there barely put up a fight." He sighs and shakes his head. "It was really no fun."
Oki-Itachi nods, putting away the the thermos and moving Sasuke to the ground while he stands and shrugs on his cloak. The Chibi is about to activate his Sharingan as Kisame faces him, hoping to capture the man in a genjutsu, but Oki-Itachi lifts him by his shirt and tucks him in his weapons pouch, closing the flap before he can.
Annoyed, Sasuke huffs while the Oki discuss the mission plan, which apparently involves sending him to an island via a crow summon. At least part of the journey must be by boat though because the Chibi eventually smells salt water and feels the bobbing of waves beneath him.
Are they in the Land of Water? If so, that would explain the island destination and the connection to the Mizukage. It would also allow him to cross out the Land of Water as a potential location for the Akatsuki base he's been staying in, considering it took days to reach this land.
Sasuke stares at the wire tied around his wrists, wondering if he can burn it off, but his hands are too close together to weave signs and the wire is part metal, meaning he would electricute himself if he used lightning on it.
The Chibi is beginning to doubt this mission will be an escape opportunity, but doesn't give up hope until Oki-Itachi removes him from the pouch and he looks around while the human unties his hands.
Sasuke could try running across the water, but he can't tell how far they are from land. He could attack the humans, but Oki-Itachi will just use his Sharingan to force him to complete the mission anyway.
Grudgingly accepting he won't be escaping today, Sasuke allows Oki-Itachi to set him on his crow. The Chibi uses chakra to stick to the bird's back, savoring the feeling of having access to it as the crow takes off into the dark, moonless sky.
Sasuke is mildly concerned about the bird's lack of night vision, but thankfully the flight only lasts three minutes before a tall, stone building appears in the distance.
It takes another five minutes for the crow to land on the sand beside the building, and Sasuke hops off of it, scanning the area until he finds an air vent in the stone structure.
The Chibi creates a lightning blade and uses it to cut a hole through the metal grate, which he walks into assuming the crow will wait here for him.
Then Sasuke breaks into a run, wanting to complete this mission as fast as possible because helping the Akatsuki makes him feel like a traitor even if he doesn't really have a choice.
The teen slows every time he passes a grate opening, checking to see where it leads, and comes to a total stop once he finds a staircase. He makes sure no Oki are nearby before cutting a hole and stepping out onto the floor.
Sasuke's bad leg twinges as he runs up the staircase railing, but his injury is almost completely healed, so he quickly shakes off the pain and walks up the metal towards the exit. Pausing on the railing corner, the Chibi examines the map directory hanging beside the doorway and sees the mailroom is two floors up and the fourth room on the left.
Sasuke hurries up the rail to the third floor, grateful no Oki enter the stairwell, and leaps to the ground upon seeing the door labeled with a large number three.
His hand sparks with lightning as he prepares to form a blade, but a human pushes open the door and Sasuke quickly ends the jutsu, cartwheels aside and presses himself flat against the wall.
The man walks past without turning back and Sasuke runs out as the door closes behind him, yet freezes upon seeing a dozen Oki milling about the hallway.
He can't henge into something less noticeable because the Oki might sense his jutsu, so Sasuke takes a chance and darts towards the nearest woman.
Her skirt falls just above the floor and grants him the perfect cover. However, she soon moves towards the staircase, forcing Sasuke to run out from under her and hide between the shoes of two men absorbed in conversation.
The mailroom is merely a few feet ahead of them, but the door is closed and using his lightning blade on it would definitely catch the attention of the Oki.
Fortunately, a man pushing a cart full of boxes enters the corridor and Sasuke slides under it as it passes, leaping onto the cart's underside and smirking when the man turns straight into the mailroom.
The lights are off inside, and the man doesn't bother turning them on as he deposits three boxes on the middle table and pulls the cart back out, Sasuke letting go of it to land on the ground while the man closes the door.
Moonlight streams in through a small window in the back, but Sasuke still uses chakra to climb up the wall and flick on the lights.
He squints until his eyes adjust and then takes in the area. Four long tables border the room while a circular table rests in the middle. Plastic baskets labeled with dates are on every table, some empty and others brimming with envelopes.
Sasuke looks around for the date he's supposed to find and soon spots it on the nearest right table. He uses his chakra to run along the wall and drops down in front of the basket. Then he picks up each envelope, scanning over their addresses until he comes across one with the Mizukage's name.
He quickly breaks the seal, opens it, and pulls out the letter. Yet reading it, he frowns.
Her schedule? The message has a list of future dates and times next to brief descriptions of what the Mizukage will be doing, such as meeting with a daimyo or passing a reform law.
The teen is confused since nothing here pertains to the Akatsuki. Though he can't ponder it more as a familiar whistle slices through the air behind him and Sasuke ducks, watching Chibi shuriken clatter against the mail basket.
The Uchiha leaps high as four more shuriken soar under him while a voice quips. "Well, can't say I was expecting to see an Uchiha this far in Land of Water territory."
Sasuke lands on the table corner and his eyes widen, recognizing the other man's voice as he turns towards the middle table.
Chibi-Kisame stands there wearing an unmarred Kirigakure headband and a katana on his back.
Sasuke is stunned, having not expected to encounter an enemy Chibi, let alone one whose Oki counterpart he already knows.
"I don't know what you're doing here," Kisame slides out his sword and smirks, "But I'm not going to let you leave with Kirigakure's secrets."
Sasuke can't respond before the sharkman runs and leaps across the distance, bearing down on Sasuke with his blade.
The katana slashes across the Uchiha's chest, but Kisame is shocked when Sasuke turns into a log. However, heat bursts behind the Kiri-nin and he swivels around, hands already forming signs before he spits a stream of water at the incoming fireball.
The two elements clash and steam fills the room. Yet once it clears, Kisame finds the Konoha-nin is nowhere in sight.
He gazes over the table to see a jagged hole in the window, and grins. "Smart, but you won't be getting away that easily."
—
Out on the sand, Sasuke uses shunshin to reach the metal vent he first came through, only to panic when he finds his ride is gone.
Yet soon he notices the crow is there, its dark feathers blending in with the shadows. Hastily Sasuke hops onto the bird's back and sighs in relief as it takes off into the sky.
However, the Chibi can't relax before something big shoots at them from below. The crow screeches, gliding left to dodge the projectile and Sasuke's activates his Sharingan, scouring the sea for the source of attack.
The Uchiha can't make out anything in the dark waters until a formless ball of chakra—a water jutsu—hurtles up from under them and Sasuke leaps off the bird, knowing the crow won't be able to move in time.
The crow is struck, falling somewhere to wayside while the Chibi lands on the water's surface. Though Sasuke gasps as his Sharingan reveals a dozen jets of water soaring towards him.
The Chibi jumps and flips to avoid them, but wobbles when the ocean suddenly lurches up beneath him. Sasuke looks down to see sharp teeth and eyes widening, launches up before the shark summon can swallow him.
He falls safely on the shark's head. However, a katana comes swinging at his neck and Sasuke ducks.
Chibi-Kisame again brings the sword down on his shoulder, but Sasuke twists aside and kicks at the sharkman's knees.
Kisame isn't effected by Sasuke's hit, merely chuckling. "Is this the best you can do? And here I thought I'd found a real challenge."
Sasuke attempts to make eye contact, to trap him in a genjutsu, but Kisame wisely keeps his eyes on Sasuke's neck as he stabs at the Uchiha's throat.
The teen leans back, but the shark summon suddenly lunges forward, racing along the water, and unprepared, Sasuke can't push chakra into his feet before he slides off.
The Chibi plunges into the frigid water and the cold bites into Sasuke's bones like needles while the teen flails in his attempt to climb back onto the surface.
Sasuke eventually manages to get on top of the waves, but his teeth chatter as the wind whips across his face. This isn't good, he'll freeze to death if he doesn't get off of the water soon.
The Uchiha looks around, but there is no land in sight, and he's nearly out of chakra.
He deactivates his Sharingan to conserve his strength, but the action does nothing to warm him up. What should he do? The teen can't even tell where the island is, it's too dark, and he's starting to shiver.
Sasuke searches desperately and stiffens when he sees what looks like a tall wave approaching. If it is one, Sasuke doubts he can evade it, and if it's Chibi-Kisame returning, Sasuke will certainly be done for.
"Little Sasuke?" The large shape stops yards away, and Sasuke realizes it's Oki-Itachi, his Sharingan shining like a beacon in the darkness.
Sasuke flares his chakra up and down, too desperate to be stubborn, and the Oki spins around, quickly making his way over and stopping in front of the Chibi.
"Come on," Oki-Itachi urges, crouching and laying his cupped hands on the water.
The Chibi weakly stumbles onto his palms, uncaring that it's Oki-Itachi helping him because he's freezing and the human's hands are so warm.
"Are you alright?" The Oki's fingers curl over Sasuke and the Chibi presses his face against the hot skin.
"Hold on." Oki-Itachi tells him, but his voice sounds far off, and though Sasuke fights to keep his eyes open, exhaustion gradually sweeps him away.
Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys have some interesting ideas about the Akatsuki's plans for Chibi Sasuke and I love reading your guesses :)
Next time: Sasuke recovers and the Akatsuki move forward with their plans...
