Sins of the Heart

The cobblestones echoed underneath his feet as Itachi ran swiftly through an old stone fortress. A small blade rested on his hip, concealed from the moonlight by black paint and easily accessible. His chest tightened in exertion. The reason that he was no longer an active warrior by Madara's side was returned to haunt him. He stopped and jumped into a nearby corner, listening for any sound of pursuit. The night stilled in anticipation and his breath came out in inaudible gusts.

Armor chinked not twenty feet from where he hid and his fingers turned white as he clutched the hilt of his knife. Drenched in sweat, the back of his shirt cooled rapidly as he pressed against the stone wall. In all likelihood, another life would soon be ended by his hands. Another sin to atone for in another life, perhaps.

A wooden door opened at the far end of the walkway. Before the woman could even get a glimpse of him, Itachi poised the knife at her neck and backed into the door she came from. He kept a hand around her mouth and slowly turned, keeping his back against the wooden door. She raised her hands up in surrender, trembling slightly as they moved together.

In the dim light of the empty room, Itachi was able to make out the red hair, the backwards obi and the disheveled kimono. There was no doubt in his mind that he had come across a prostitute. What remained to be seen, however, was how involved she was in Orochimaru's operation. There was a reason that Itachi kept himself far away from brothels, unlike his cousin. Women made exceptional spies. Far too many samurai had let down their guard in the presence of a woman only to pay the ultimate price.

"I'm going to release you. If you scream, I will slit your throat without hesitation. Nod if you understand," he whispered hoarsely. She nodded.

True to his word, he released her and with a slight stumble, she turned around and took him in.. His entire outfit blended with the night sky and the shadows that lurked around the dank castle. Paint concealed his face and a loose lock of hair escaped from the dark cloth wrapped around his head.

The longer that she looked at him, the more that she saw a faint family resemblance to a young man that she had known years ago. The boy's eyes had been cold, but he still had stood between her and a trafficker. A samurai, one from a powerful clan with all of the pomp and arrogance that befitted him. It had been a quick fight, the boy had simply slain her pursuer in the street when they attempted to grab her. Not that it mattered, her red-hair all but ensured she would be kidnapped someday and sold to the highest bidder. When her mother had been cast out of the Uzumaki clan, their fate had been sealed. That boy had been the only person to ever stand up for her-Sasuke Uchiha.

She breathed in quickly, no longer able to hold back the question on her tongue, "Are you related to Sasuke Uchiha?" It came as no surprise when she found herself pinned against the wall with the knife to her throat.

"How do you know that name?" he hissed.

"He saved my life once."

Itachi was taken aback. She squirmed beneath his hard stare and squeeked as the knife pressed more firmly against her skin.

When he found what he was looking for, he inclined his head slightly and released her.

"My little brother," was the last thing he said before he let silence consume the small space. Itachi grunted as he sat on the unmade bed and wrinkled his nose at the smell permeating from the sheets. An unsuppressed cough erupted violently from his chest that had the woman looking at him with curiosity.

"My mother had a cough like that before she… it's no matter. Peppermint and marshmallow root would help."

"I would think it's obvious I am short of peppermint and marshmallow root-" another cough interrupted him before he continued, "at the moment."

She slowly pulled her hands away from the wall, keeping them in plain sight as she walked to a small chest in the corner of the room. He watched her uneasily, his hand never wavered from the hilt of his knife. A clearly labeled vial was produced and she held it out to him.

"It's drafty and humid here, fairly often. I make this for myself. Take it as a return favor to Sasuke-kun, please."

Itachi chuckled darkly, "Why would I trust your potion? So my dead body can become your master's new prize?"

"I owe Sasuke a life debt. Poisoning his brother would not be the way to repay the favor. If you believe anything, believe me when I say that I am more afraid of divine retribution than I am of anything a man can do to me. Men have done enough. The gods have yet to finish with me."

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. The small squad of Uchiha was waiting for him just outside of this village. If he did not return by dawn, they would leave him behind under Madara's orders. Weakness had never been tolerated in his clan. Even if that weakness was a genetic breathing disorder.

"Your name?"

"Karin Uzumaki."

Itachi nodded again and held out his hand. At least now he would have a name to curse in the next life if he ended this mission as a ghost.

The woman held her breath and slipped the small vial into his outstretched palm. After removing the wax seal and cork, Itachi hesitated a moment before downing the contents of the bottle. Moments later, the room was swimming and his head felt stuffed with cotton balls. The knife slipped from his hand and clattered on the floor.

"Rest, Uchiha-san. You'll feel better in the morning."


A heavy knock sounded on the wood door just before daybreak. It echoed off the damp walls and Itachi awoke with a jerk. The quilt that had been placed on him fell to the floor. Karin opened the door, her yukata slipping from her shoulders and her hand keeping it closed.

"Ne, what seems to be the issue this time, Sakon? I already tended to you. It's someone else's turn," Karin said seductively, gravel punctuating her voice. Itachi looked on as she trailed a light hand on the man's chest. The man tried to look around Karin while she held the door firm. Her hand dropped from her robes, baring herself to the person in front of her and Itachi quickly looked away. "Later, I promise." She pulled him in for a dizzying kiss before pushing him out completely then locking the door behind her. Putting a finger to her lips, she motioned towards Itachi's boots in the corner of the room. She grabbed the front of her robe and closed it. Heavy male footsteps moved swiftly away from the door and her shoulders dropped in relief.

"That was Sakon. Orochimaru's second in command and the leader of the Sound Four," she whispered, dropping down to a plain wooden stool. "I'm sorry for putting you to sleep. His guards were in the middle of a triple rotation at the time you burst in here. You wouldn't have been able to make it out. I meant what I said before, Uchiha-san, I owe your brother my life. I intend to honor that debt."

"It strikes me as odd that someone in your… predicament… would put honor above practicality," Itachi pointed out.

Karin hummed in response then looked towards the floor. Her hands busied themselves with closing her robe properly before her arms crossed over her chest.

"I appreciate the gesture, nonetheless." He cleared his throat and was surprised that the ache in his lungs had significantly diminished while he had slept. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled at the sewn stash of muffled gold coins and ripped it from his blouse. "For your silence, and hospitality."

A whippoorwill sang outside of the keep and its gentle song reverberated off the walls, signaling the imminent rise of the sun. Karin hesitantly took the proffered coin purse and opened it. Her eyes went wide and she hastily pushed it back towards Itachi.

"You cannot offer me this," she hissed. "I have no intention of servicing you further, nor for the amount of time this amount would require."

Itachi pulled back and blinked harshly. "You misunderstand me. I have no need of anything further. This is merely gratitude for this evening. Gratitude that would be extended further if you gain any valuable information that could be of use to the Uchiha clan."

Leaving it at that, Itachi pulled on his boots and exited the window. Karin watched as he ran off into the woodline below and clutched the coin purse to her chest. Now, she could see who Sasuke Uchiha had learned such chivalry from.


AN: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment! This is the pre/sequel to 'The Samurai's Blossom', a Shisui/Sakura fic.

Written for: Cherryberry12

Beta'ed by: Mrs. Sakura Hatake Thank you so so much for looking this over and correcting it! I Greatly appreciate it!

If you're following over, no I haven't posted the last chapter to 'The Samurai's Blossom' yet. Sorry!