Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

IS THIS HOPE

To say he was unamused with his body's lack of self control would be an understatement. This time he stayed on the ground laying in mud for what felt like hours before he rolled over and brought himself upright.

This body was weaker than his last, and he slowly pushed himself into a standing position. He had never been so slow in his life. Granted it was to be expected after being brought from the verge of death while still having an unknown disease that was very capable of killing him for the second time. Though his health would have to wait, it would not be long until Sasuke was reunited with his team and then Itachi could once again rest in peace.

He did not want to go to Konoha as that would surely end unpleasantly, he would rather run into a member of team seven themselves, but as the hours passed he came to the decision that Konoha would be the best chance to find the infamous team.

He was also left with the question as to how he came back into the living world. He had been content in the plain he was in. The only sense he had was peace, until he felt chakra. He tried to ignore it, tried to hide from it until the blue light was directly in front of him and he had no chance to move before the light engulfed him. And then he woke in that cave.

So the possibilities of it being a jutsu was higher than kami giving him a second chance. But he woke alone. The possibilities of this being Madara were slim to none (though he wouldn't put it past Madara to bring him back to life to haunt Sasuke) but this wasn't a reanimation jutsu. He was brought back to life. He bleed, he could breathe (though it burned), and he could feel his heartbeat. He was alive. And that knowledge stuck him so hard he stumbled before coming to a stop. Itachi Uchiha was alive, and though this wasn't time travel he could still fix his mistakes. He had a second chance at life... But did he want it?

He silently walked the path he'd chosen to get back to Konoha. He didn't have an answer he liked for that. So for now he'd walk. He was nervous, not for going back to Konoha in 4 years but for his next meeting with Sasuke. What if Itachi pushed Sasuke so far down the wrong path that Sasuke couldn't find the light in Naruto? And what of the wicked lies that Madara fed him, Itachi couldn't protect Sasuke no matter how much he tried. But he made a promise to his parents that night. And he'd be damned if he didn't try.

He sighed as he looked up. It was nightfall, he should rest. He forced his body to move towards the nearest tree. He didn't have enough chakra to defend himself- a genin could beat him at this point. He absently hoped no one would find him, then he closed his eyes and thought with irony, he never hoped so much before dying and now, that's all he seemed to do.

He woke drenched in sweat. The dreams that haunt him consumed him on a nightly occurrence and he's usually able to block them out but this was different, he was shaking-quivering. He knew it had nothing to do with the blood on his hands, his pulse was weak. His pants became harder and harder until he couldn't breath. His heart was beating too loud, too fast. The blood that came out of his mouth as he hacked let him know that this wasn't something he could fix. He tried to force himself to calm down though it was futile.

It wasn't until someone began shaking him did he realize he was once again alive.

"Mister are you ok?" A young voice all but yelled in his ears. He took a moment to gather his whereabouts, there was only one person in the clearing with him, and he carefully opened his eyes.

The child was directly in front of him, her brown eyes ceased in worry and surprised as she quickly forced a bottle into his mouth.

"Drink this mister!" she shouted once again, and he had no strength to pull away. He had not drank or ate anything since the day he burn in his throat slowly eased but did not disappear.

"You ok mister? You look like shit… and you smell like it too…" Itachi grimace. He didn't remember kids being this disrespectful. Well, maybe some kids from the academy but never kids he associated with- which was only Sasuke and Shishui and sure the latter was a tad disrespectful but only to Itachi himself and never to strangers.

Said child who appeared to be as young as Sasuke was that night brushing his hair from his face before stuffing a grape (grape?) in his mouth and telling him to "Chew." If it hurt to swallow he didn't show.

"Thank you." He winced at the way his voice came out. The child frowned, before sitting besides him,

"Are you dying?" she asked after a lifetime of silence, when he didn't answer she took it upon herself to answer her question. "You look like you're dying. My kaa-chan was sick too. She had cancer and she looked like you but worse. Do you have cancer too?" Her brown eyes peered at his before she frowned and a sad look came on her features. "I hope you don't die mister, I don't like dead people." He chuckled at that before looking around their surroundings once again.

"Where is your father?"

"I'm staring at him…" Itachi waited until her laughter calmed down before he once again looked at her.

"I'm kidding mister! I don't know my tou-san he left when Kaa-chan first got sick." Itachi said nothing as he forced himself to stand, ignoring the girl's protest to stay down. He looked around the clearing for the tenth time before slowly making his way in the direction he knew Konoha to be in.

"You should return home." He said as he walked away from the child.

"Hey wait asshat you can't travel by yourself you're gonna die!" He paused mid walk and thought of what she just said. Asshat, he'd been called many things but that was never one of them. He smiled as he returned walking. He hoped to reach Konoha within 8 days as long as he didn't pass out again. And he should probably stop and fish.

After hours of endless walking and when the girls chakra slowly started to fade did he allow himself to stop. He couldn't possibly leave her to defend on her own after she followed him- a stranger nonetheless, three hours into unknown territory.

"Haha!" The girl screamed as she came running out the bushes, "You never even knew I followed you! You better be lucky I did mister, or else you'd be dead!"

"Do you know how to fish?" He couldn't really tell if she was shaking or nodding her head but at last he said, "Come I'll show you."

They sat in relative silence as they ate their fish, the only thing that could be heard was the dying sound of fire and the girls loud eating. She looked at him after every bite, waiting for something.

"Say mister, what's your name?" Itachi once again paused. He'd been traveling with this girl for almost a day and yet knew not even her name. He sighed as he thought about her question. While he wasn't a threat, she could slip and say his name around the wrong person and considering he wasn't a threat he wouldn't be able to defend her. "You're a ninja right? You're probably a rogue and can't tell me, that's ok. I don't even care! My name is Satoshi and I'm 7! But I'm a smart 7! That's what my Kaa-chan always said!"

"Ok, Satoshi." The rest of the meal followed by the girls' constant talking. It wasn't unwelcome, and Itachi found himself smiling as he let the darkness once again take him.

She hadn't expected to find a random almost dying man when she ran from home. She knew better than to talk to strangers but she could never leave someone in pain. And when mister woke up well he was the first person to not look at her in contempt. So against all logic she followed him.

The past few days have been nothing but wonderful. She could talk misters head off all day and he wouldn't care. He'd just listen, offering her words of encouragement, and nodding along like he was paying attention, even if she thought he wasn't.

"So your favorite color is blue blue or navy blue? Oooo what about ocean blue? Sky blue? I like green blue- teal, is that your favorite blue too?" She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she asked him question after question, and wasn't surprised when he didn't answer back immediately. See that's the thing about him, he was dumb. And he never liked to get questions wrong so he waited and waited until he finally had a good response. So she had to be patient with him. He probably wasn't used to talking either so she would wait.

They spent the past three days walking taking breaks in between, while he didn't mention it, she knew he couldn't move much faster. He was a dead man walking- wherever to, she had no idea. She didn't notice the slowing of his speed. Didn't pick up his lack of no response meaning he couldn't physically talk. She didn't notice the way his body swayed to the left before he was face down in the middle of the clearing.

She stared at his body for a brief second (which felt like minutes to her) before she frantically ran to him bringing her head to his mouth to hear if he was breathing.

He was! She quickly tried and failed to find the source of his unconsciousness. He was injured, yes. But she was positive that the man was sick, the whites in his eyes were bloodshot, and throughout their journey he coughed up blood frequently. Satoshi was worried.

She couldn't stand by and watch him die. He was all she had. And while it was short, this was the most fun she'd ever had. Then she recalled mister mentioning a village up ahead and that they were going to go around it.

A village! With a labored breath she dragged the man to the nearest tree before finding all types of twigs and leaves to cover him in. She could go to the village and get bandages and medicine to help him! She couldn't help her mother, didn't have the money to get her the treatment she needed, but she could help mister. No she didn't have money but she was a renowned theft in her village.

She pulled her bag open and quickly pulled out a pocket knife before marking the tree. She didn't have a map but she could use the knife to carve a trail! She would save mister, she thought determined as she quickly ran in the direction (she hoped) that would lead her to the village.

She refused to show tears as nightfall came. She could no longer see the trail she left behind and the misters' life depended on her.

She cautiously made her way to the nearest tree before feeling around and once she realized no marks bared this tree she moved on to the next.

She wasn't sure how long had passed but once she found him, dressed his wounds and pill fed him, the sun had just risen. She wanted nothing more than to sleep but recalled the time she woke on his back. She would protect him with everything! So she sat besides him and ate an apple she took from the merchants.

She didn't like stealing from the poor so she was glad that the village had been rich and could afford not having her money. Her village had been like that too. She was poor, she came from the poor part of the village but the village itself had money. They had money they didn't like to share and watched her mother die from a curable disease. She glared at the ground and whatever sadness she had about stealing was gone.

Some people deserved what happened to them. Her village was one of them.

As the day passed Satoshi grew more worried. She wondered if she should take him to the village but thought better of it. If he was a rouge they'd probably kill him and claim his bounty. She supposed she shouldn't know that, but four months on the run really showed her how the world worked.

It was nearing two days since he went unconscious, did Satoshi slowly feel herself start to become numb to the world. She tried to force herself to stay awake but no matter how many laps she did around the clearing allowed her to stay awake for the third day.

IS THIS HOPE

Happy Monday! If you're still reading, I just want to say thank you! I hope yall liked Satoshi.

Do not hold back on the criticism!

Thank you lovelies!