Chapter 3 – Prayer of the Refugee
It was around mid-afternoon when they decided to leave. The short hour or so had given Itachi the opportunity to increase the strength of his genjutsu as a precaution, allowed him to ensure there were no pressing matters requiring his attention before leaving. One of the children was coming down with a cold (flu at worst), but other than that, there was nothing to worry about. He simply made a mental note to try and find spare blankets and perhaps soup, too.
The small team he'd put together was filled with capable shinobi without taking too much power from the group, should they be attacked. The others weren't people he'd spoken with while living in Konoha – in fact, until the night of the attack, he'd never seen any of them before in his entire life. Two of the three were older than himself, one being in their early forties while the other late thirties. The final person was fairly young, around the same age as Hyuuga Neji considering they were teammates.
"Are we splitting up once we reach the town?" the youngest of the two kunoichi asked, brown eyes glancing at the last-minute group.
Itachi nodded though didn't look back as they began walking away from the hideout, bodies tense, senses reaching out further than ever to be certain there was no one around. There wasn't. The realisation had him breathing out an unnoticeable sigh, grateful that they'd yet to be discovered. Staying at the hideout for as long as possible, especially now that others were on their way and a child was sick (even if it was only a cold), was imperative.
"If we can't get any missions or food, what's the plan?" one of the other jōnin asked.
"What else is there to do?" the older woman demanded with a roll of her eyes. "We scavenge. Take what we can."
While he didn't relish the thought of stealing from people who were trying to earn a living, trying to run businesses, he had a hideout full of people who were hungry, cold and in need of clean clothes. Children were starting to get sick from the harsh conditions and while that sickness was limited to one child for the time being, Itachi wished it to remain that way. If the children were getting sick, then the adults would eventually get sick. If they were attacked while ill-
"Itachi-san?"
He'd asked them not to add the honorifics 'sama' or 'senpai' to his name, as some had in the beginning. They brought back unwanted memories of his time in the academy. Made him feel like something he wasn't. A false hero, he supposed.
Sighing, he murmured, "Do not take from struggling businesses." Feeling incredulous stares boring into his back had him refraining from sighing a second time. "Do not steal unless it is a last resort. We all have our own lists on what we must collect. Neji-san and Tenten-san, you are responsible for procuring clothing. Etsu-san, Fujita-san and Genzou-san, medical supplies." Narrowing his eyes fractionally as he sent chakra to his feet, aiding in the leap to the branch ahead of him, he said, "I will focus on food."
"Wouldn't it be best to send another with you, Itachi-san?" Genzou asked. When they first met, three days after the attack, his curly brown hair had fallen into his eyes. Now, it was slicked back, the curls dropping with the build-up of oils in his hair. Itachi knew he couldn't comment, though. Not when they were all in similar positions. "I'm sure Fujita and Etsu-san can manage-"
No, he worked better alone. Instead of saying that, he interjected quietly, saying, "It will look suspicious if there are several pairs travelling and entering stores but never buying anything." An idea struck him and Itachi added, more to Neji and Tenten, "When looking for clothing, Neji-san, please try to find spare bedding. Tenten-san, I chose you due to your skills in storage scrolls. You are capable of storing great amounts of items in a single scroll, are you not?"
The brunette nodded and he commended her on her professionalism. Not once did she fall out of line, or look away from the space she had been ordered to watch. Itachi almost felt foolish for presuming she would be the same as her sensei and teammate, when she was, in fact, more like Neji. "Yeah. I emptied all but two before we left, so I have around six or seven to spare."
Good. "Visit inns and see if you can acquire anything from there." It made him feel like a petty criminal, but he supposed that was what life as a rogue-nin was all about. Constantly looking over his shoulder, doing whatever was necessary to keep himself alive. Only, unlike most rogue-nin who chose solitude, he had many who were relying on him. He had to keep himself alive to protect the rest of them. "Bedding and toiletries, more than anything else."
They nodded in understanding before Neji asked, "What about water? Should we all carry as much as we can?"
"Yes." Activating his Sharingan, Itachi glanced around, watching the rustling leaves as a strong breeze blew through them, tearing many from the branches and up into the air. He noticed Etsu pluck a leaf from in front of her, dark eyes saddening. Was he supposed to say something to boost morale? To try and comfort the others? Was that even possible? "Etsu-san, Fujita-san and Genzou-san, focus mainly on pharmacies. If you cannot find what is on the list, use the hospital as a last resort."
"Why a last resort?" questioned Fujita, foot touching down on a branch for a fraction of a second before they were leaping again, one after another. "It'll be quicker going straight there, not to mention they'll have more medicine."
"While that is no doubt true," Itachi began, pausing as he took another leap. "We are trying to keep a low profile. There are too many people in the hospital for it to be a complete success and I do not want any of us gaining unwanted attention, or making any unnecessary encounters." For more the innocent peoples' sake than theirs. Should Danzo catch wind of their being in the town, he would interrogate the villagers, demanding answers. It wouldn't only put the villagers at risk, but also his group back at the hideout. "Which brings me to my next point."
For a few moments, there was tense silence, each of their eyes focusing intently on his back. Due to not wanting anybody to recognise his clan's emblem, he was wearing his plain standard issue ANBU cloak, but the others were all wearing their usual outfits. There was nothing tying them to Konoha in the least and he would prefer it to remain that way. On the night of the attack, he'd been wearing his ANBU uniform to avoid arousing suspicion while breaking Sasuke out of his cell. At the hideout, there'd been a few spare items of clothing lying around and since his clan's shirts were less conspicuous than his ANBU uniform, he'd chosen to wear it. Now he couldn't risk that being seen, either.
"We will be using a henge before entering the village as a precaution. Danzo could potentially have undercover spies watching." Sparing a single glance over his shoulder at the rest of them, he said, "Make yourselves look average – no distinguishing features."
"Such as…?" Genzou pushed.
"For starters, my Byakugan and anything that links me to my clan," Neji stated before Itachi could and behind him, Tenten rolled her eyes, like it was the most obvious answer. "Itachi-san will have to change his entire appearance due to being in the Bingo Books."
Etsu wasn't too bad, Itachi noted and neither was Tenten. They both appeared ordinary and didn't stand out – the latter's youthful appearance could be a bonus for them, also. But would she be prepared to use her looks to get what they needed? Every shinobi did so at one point in their lives, but he understood that Tenten was still young (only a year older than his brother, if he wasn't mistaken). Could he expect something like that from a seventeen-year-old?
Pink hair flashed through his mind, followed by bright green eyes and an innocent, cheerful smile.
Momentarily shutting his eyes, Itachi banished her from his thoughts. It was necessary. He wouldn't tell Tenten outright to use her femininity to persuade others to give her missions, or give her the items she needed. If she used it, then that meant he could rely on her to give her all to protect their group, to provide for them. If not, then they would find missions and the items on their lists some other way.
The other men's appearances, Fujita's and Genzou's, were also ordinary and Itachi knew that they weren't in any of the Bingo Books despite their skills being great. They wouldn't need to use a henge like himself and Neji.
When they arrived just outside of the village, Itachi signalled for them to stop and turned to face them. "Etsu-san, you can sense chakra, correct?"
She nodded once, features stern as she pressed her hand to the trunk of the tree she was stood on, dark eyes narrowing on the village before them. Her ash brown hair was scraped back into a high ponytail that rested on the top of her head, making her eyes appear more slanted and smoothing out a few of the fine wrinkles on her face.
"There's a lot of people," she informed them and then raised her hand, creating a single hand sign. Shutting her eyes, Etsu focused intently on the chakras she could sense, the rest of them remaining silent to better her concentration. "More civilians than shinobi, but there are a few powerful chakras in the village. None I recognise, though."
Itachi wouldn't have expected her to recognise any of them. Her rank in Konoha wasn't high enough to grant her audiences with Danzo or his ROOT agents. Still, it was comforting to know they didn't have to worry about crossing paths with their comrades – or former comrades, he supposed.
Opening her eyes once more, Etsu looked back to them before focusing on Tenten. "How old are you?"
The question seemed to shock her, because the younger kunoichi was frowning, glancing around at them all. Knowing what Etsu was after, Itachi didn't intervene. It was probably easier coming from another woman rather than himself. "What does my age have to do with anything?"
"Once you reach a certain age, you're trained in the art of seduction," Etsu informed her, features composed and serious. "In the academy, you receive lessons on how to act like a woman, also. So?"
She sighed, head turning away from her teammate. "Seventeen."
"Good." Again, the older woman created a hand sign, her appearance changing until she was much younger. She looked a lot cleaner, too and seemed to have been wearing makeup. Itachi had to admit: he'd never seen the henge jutsu used to apply makeup before. "Tidy yourself up-"
"You're not suggesting-"
"Neji-san," Itachi cut him off smoothly, body turning slightly so that he could face him. "Tenten-san is trained for this and at one point in all our careers, this is expected of us."
By the Hyuuga's side, Tenten smiled faintly and took his hand, focusing on him entirely as she looked at him, pleading with him to understand. "It's for the people at the hideout. The civilians and the children."
"I know," he replied quietly. "But despite seduction lessons, you have never been on a mission that required you to use those particular skills."
She nodded in understanding, still holding on to his hand. "I'm okay with that because I have you with me, watching my back." Itachi almost felt the need to turn away, to give them some privacy. It surprised him that he hadn't noticed how close the pair were in the past two months – they were definitely more than teammates. It reminded him of the day he'd interrupted Shisui's and Sakura's moment on the sofa and in response, he felt a horrible pang of regret in his chest, one that was impossible to ignore. It made him ache that they never had the chance to explore their feelings. "If something goes wrong, I know I can rely on you to have my back."
Neji hesitated in his reply, his eyes never leaving her features for a moment, until he sighed and nodded, watching silently as Tenten passed a storage scroll to each of them and used the henge jutsu. Instead of her more reserved clothing, she was wearing a dress that was feminine while still practical, still allowed her to move more freely and her pack was gone, hiding away her remaining storage scrolls. Itachi was surprised with how well she held it, how she instantly knew what features to enhance and exploit.
The rest of them followed their examples, cleaning themselves up and appearing more presentable. The Hyuuga's hair remained the same colour, though was much shorter in his henge, almost like Sasuke's – only completely flat – and his eyes were now a deep blue. His clothing was less formal, but like Tenten's, still practical. For himself, Itachi kept his hair long, though turned it dull blond and had it pulled back into a bun, soon followed by his eyes changing to brown and his cloak turning black, covering his clothing completely. He altered his features somewhat, as did Neji, to erase any evidence of them being linked back to their clans.
Confident that they were ready, he faced the village once more, signalling with a simple movement of his hand for the team to move out.
Three missions, all of which were completed quickly and efficiently. The pay wasn't as great as it would have been in the village – that was merely the clients taking advantage of desperate rogue-nin, not wanting to pay the full price of the hidden villages. Itachi didn't complain. Money was money and it allowed him to purchase plenty of food, although he unfortunately resorted to stealing when he realised it wasn't enough for everyone.
Wishing to view it from a brighter angle (as both Shisui and Sakura had often told him he needed to do), Itachi reminded himself that the sick child back in the hideout was now going to receive the vitamins he needed, along with plenty of soup. Additionally, he would no longer have to endure Uzumaki Naruto's whining about missing his precious ramen, as Itachi made sure to pick as much of it up as possible. It wouldn't keep him quiet for long, but it was a start.
The village was of an average size, but there were many both living there and visiting, reminding Itachi of Konoha with its busy, loud streets. It brought forth a painful sensation of homesickness, leaving him breathless when he'd first arrived. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine he was back home and standing in the market, surrounded by his comrades and fellow villagers. He could imagine he was back in his district with his clansmen. With his parents. With Shisui and Sakura.
Leaning back against the tree trunk, he waited for his group to return, masking his chakra. They had a sensory type in one group and Neji in the other, so he knew they would find him eventually. If not, then he knew who not to take next time they had to make a supply run.
Neji and Tenten were the next to return, both nodding once at his questioning silence, telling him that they'd managed to get everything on the list, if not more. Good. Now, they had food and spare clothes. Itachi debated on whether it was safe to go in groups to the lake – it was half an hour away on foot, taking them further into Fire Country. Would the civilians be okay with that? Or should he have tried to store away a few baths and used water jutsu to fill them?
It was maddening that someone had created a hideout without any plumbing or bathrooms, leaving them to take turns in rushing outside when it was safe to do so. Then again, the hideout was old – he wasn't even sure how long it had been around. When they arrived, everything was coated in thick layers of dust and the only supplies they could find were weapons, which wasn't too surprising considering it was a last resort more than anything else. Clansmen were forbidden to go there unless it was an emergency, the elders wishing to keep the hideout a secret should they ever need to flee from Konoha.
Twenty minutes later, the last three finally returned, breathless and pale. Itachi made sure to thank them for their efforts, grateful that they'd gone to such lengths while so exhausted to ensure they salvaged everything they needed. Unfortunately, they couldn't linger any longer as it was too risky. They understood, not arguing when they set off back to the hideout.
They were eagerly waiting for them and when they returned, several of the civilian women approached them, surprising the makeshift team with cups of hot tea – heated by a fire jutsu, one told them. It wasn't anything fancy and it didn't taste nice, but Itachi was thankful and didn't hesitate in drinking the tea.
That was what Konoha was supposed to be. Protecting one another, caring for one another. The shinobi protected the village and the villagers with their lives, doing everything possible to give them peaceful, happy lives and in return, the civilians did all they could to assist them. It was about finding a balance, about teamwork. While Itachi may not have always believed that, the past two months had taught him so much.
"Itachi-san?"
Smiling, he handed his cup to a child and gestured for the rest of the children to take a few steps back before releasing the seal on his storage scroll, watching their eyes go wide in awe and surprise as huge piles of food were presented to them. The civilians got there before the children, however, assessing the piles with hesitant smiles, exchanging glances of disbelief and hope.
"Amazing," one gasped, holding up the large cut of meat he'd managed to snatch.
"This is great," a man said with wide eyes. "We won't have to worry about food for another two weeks."
"Thank you, Itachi-san."
At the sight of one mother and her son lingering in the background, keeping their distance from the others and the food, Itachi picked up the smaller pile he'd purchased out of one of the mission's pay, approaching them and kneeling, giving the child a smile.
"These are for you," he told them both, placing the food down on their sleeping bag. They'd managed to scavenge enough of them to give the civilians beds, but children were sharing either with each other or with parents, whereas the rest of them slept rough. "I managed to find fruit, vitamins and cough medicine, also."
The young boy was no older than five and was sickly pale, inwardly making Itachi frown with worry. He seemed sicker than earlier that day and he hoped it wasn't anything more serious than the flu, for they didn't have any medics at the hideout. Sure, Itachi knew basic medical ninjutsu, but nothing that would be of any use if it was serious. He wouldn't even know where to start.
"Thank you," his mother gushed. Taking his hand in hers, she gave a gentle squeeze, blue eyes screaming their gratitude. "Thank you so much for this."
He could only nod, unable to find his voice as he continued to assess the pale boy's features. A few moments later, he managed to say, "Get plenty of rest and stay wrapped up. Neji-san and Tenten-san have managed to acquire extra bedding and clothing."
At his words, the pair took them all by surprise by opening not one or two, but four storage scrolls worth of clothing, bedding, toiletries and futons. Enough for them all – more, even. It had Itachi hoping they hadn't robbed a single inn, for they would surely go out of business, but at the same time, he was unbelievably grateful for what they'd done.
"We'll have to use the other rooms," Naruto spoke up from across the hall, his voice low. He was sat back against a wall, legs stretched out in front of himself and eyes heavy. "We won't fit all that in here."
No, they wouldn't, especially not with others due to arrive at some point. Standing up straight and assessing the group, who all watched him curiously in return, Itachi ran through his options. He could put the civilians, who were fewer in number, in one of the smaller rooms, placing a genjutsu around it to further conceal their presence in case of a surprise attack, although that would mean another constant drain on his chakra. There was the option of mixing them up – half shinobi, half civilian. That was probably the best option they had. Splitting their strength equally. A balance.
But before he had the chance to so much as consider who would go where, several shinobi, all with impressive strength, managed to break through his genjutsu. They hadn't hesitated, hadn't been hindered by it in the slightest.
Itachi wasn't the only one who suddenly left the hideout, signalling for the others to remain silent and hidden. Neji, Hanabi, Tenten, Naruto and Sasuke left alongside him. He had a feeling the other shinobi would have, had he not ordered them to protect the civilians with a simple glance of his Sharingan.
They were completely unprepared for the sight that met them, the four opposite them breathing harshly and covered in blood, limbs shaking with exertion and making it obvious they'd fought to escape. What stunned them further was the bloody mess of a woman in their arms, features deathly pale and soaked in sweat and grime, left eye covered with a blood-soaked bandage that was clearly put on in a hurry.
"We found her on the way here," Kakashi muttered as Neji stepped forward numbly, taking the unconscious woman from his arms and holding her close, eyes wide and composure slipping, making way for horror and disbelief.
"I did what I could to stop the bleeding and numb the pain," continued Genma through his pants for breath. "Someone did the main part. Saved her from dying, by the looks of it. But… it's gone. Danzo took her eye."
Hanabi's knees gave out on her, tears filling her eyes.
"O-nee-sama."
In that moment, Itachi wished Sakura was there with them. She would know what to do in an instant, would know how to treat Hyuuga Hinata's wounds. Instead, he, Genma and Kakashi exchanged what they knew of medical ninjutsu, taking turns in trying to heal the damage. They were useless compared to Sakura, however.
"The Byakugan is much more complex than the Sharingan," Kakashi commented, leaning back against the wall and breathing out a deep sigh. He and the Hokage's guard were still injured and in pain themselves, but they endured it. They were more concerned with the Hyuuga. "The knowledge I'd picked up from Sakura is meaningless, it seems."
Meaningless… "It's not meaningless," came Itachi's quiet argument. Nothing Haruno Sakura had done in her lifetime was meaningless. All the knowledge she'd come to learn about the Sharingan was learned to try and better Shisui's life – to better all their lives. She more than likely gave up her life to protect Shisui. That will never, in a million lifetimes, be meaningless to him. "The knowledge Sakura shared with us will be useful." Turning his head to the side to assess the newcomers, he said, "We will make sure not to waste it."
Speaking of Sakura seemed to dampen the mood even further, not that it really surprised him. The villagers of Konoha had adored Haruno Sakura. They were eternally grateful for the hard work and kindness she'd displayed over the many years as their Hokage's beloved apprentice. They witnessed her heartbreak, her suffering and her perseverance. Not to mention the man standing behind him was her former sensei, a man who'd watched her grow from a weak, emotional child to a powerful and passionate woman. They were bound to grow upset at the mentioning of her name.
"We won't waste it," the Copy-Nin agreed, single eye heavy. How many had Hatake Kakashi lost over the years? It struck something within Itachi to know that it was impossible to grow used to or become immune to death. It still hurt, no matter how many losses a person went through.
"Is there no chance of…?"
Naruto's broken voice had Itachi looking away again, Kakashi's eye squinting ever so slightly. The two Hyuuga were sitting at Hinata's bedside, their legs folded beneath themselves as they watched her relaxed pale features. After trying their best to heal her wounds, Hanabi had asked to be left alone with her sister for a while. When they returned, she was cleaned up and dressed in some of the clothing they'd acquired earlier that day. Wherever she'd been, there hadn't been any spare changes of clothes or washing facilities. Her clothes had been ruined, barely clinging together. It was distasteful keeping her in that state of undress, Neji had muttered, keeping her body covered. Shameful, Hanabi had added before ordering another to gather some water and cleaning supplies.
"If Hinata's been kept captive for the past two months, then Sakura-chan could've been captured, too," the blond added more seriously, voice hardening. "She could still be alive."
It was something he wished more than anything – for his friend to be alive. But if that was the case, then she would be experiencing some of the worst torture imaginable because of her connection to Shisui and many other Uchiha. That wasn't going into the fact that Sakura was a stubborn woman. After the death of her shishou, she would not bend to Danzo's will. She would not allow him to control her or use her. She would fight against him with every fibre of her being simply to spite him, which would bring her more pain.
Perhaps it would be a kinder fate if she had died that night. Sakura wouldn't be the same woman at the end of the torture.
"She-"
"Someone saved O-nee-sama's life," Hanabi murmured softly and tilted her head to the side, eye going straight to Naruto's. "I doubted you once before. I believed, more than anything, that O-nee-sama was dead because of her kind heart. You were right, however. I will not doubt you again."
His features scrunched up for a split second until Naruto nodded quickly. "Thanks, Hanabi."
"I mean it." Pale eyes narrowed fractionally, eyebrows knitting together. "I will follow you from now on, Uzumaki Naruto. If you want to search for her – for Haruno Sakura – I will lend you my eyes. If she truly saved O-nee-sama's life, I will lend you my strength, also."
Smiling in thanks, he put his hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "Sakura-chan is alive. I just know it. Team Seven doesn't know how to give up."
Itachi wished he had the same faith as them.
"There was a strange vial in O-nee-sama's pocket, by the way," Hanabi then stated and reached into her robe, removing a small vial from it. "It looks like blood."
"Blood?" repeated Itachi, no matter how hard he tried to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. Standing, he approached the Hyuuga, taking the vial from her hand and holding it up, the flickering flame on the wall only offering a small amount of light. It was dark in colour, though that could have been the colour of the glass, for it held an odd tint. "Her own?"
"Why would she-"
"Look at the state she's in," he cut Naruto off without hesitation. "Though unconscious, she is not dead. With her blood, we could still summon an animal should she hold a contract."
"Hinata-sama does not hold a contract," Neji informed them.
Pushing away from the wall, Kakashi held his hand out, accepting the vial and without pause, he opened it, narrowing his eye. He hesitated in bringing it to his nose, gaze briefly meeting Naruto's, who instantly clicked onto what he was thinking. He straightened up, whiskered features brightening considerably, excitement almost getting the best of him as he bounced in his place from foot to foot.
And then Kakashi was breathing in the scent for a split second before he was nodding once, his hold on the vial tightening.
"It's Sakura's blood."
"Sakura's," Itachi repeated. His hand itched to take it back, his heart impossibly seeming to skip a beat as his stomach somersaulted. She was…
"But why would she-"
Disbelief had Itachi's eyes going wide, had his hands flying through the familiar hand signs before he was all but snatching the vial from Kakashi's grasp, using Sakura's blood to summon Katsuyu.
The fact that the slug appeared, in a human sized form no less, told them all they needed to know.
"She's alive," he breathed and looked back to Hyuuga Hinata. "Sakura is alive."
"That's…" Katsuyu seemed to lose her voice momentarily, her body quivering as she gasped out, "Sakura-chan's chakra is weak – weaker than it's ever been. I am grateful that you summoned me in time."
"In time for what?" demanded Naruto angrily. "Sakura-chan's not gonna die."
"N-Not…" She was still trembling, but they were all stunned when a hand appeared from her side followed by a foot on her other side. "She begged of me to save him. Until now, I have been keeping him in an induced coma, healing his injuries with what little chakra Sakura-chan could send, but he's been fighting it. I can't-"
The appearance of a struggling body had her cutting herself off, the sound of his coughing and spluttering covering her voice and they were all speechless when he fell to his knees, shaking with the force of his hacking. There wasn't a mark on his body, skin smooth and flawless if not a little paler than usual and without a second thought, Itachi fell to his knees beside the older man, hands faltering in mid-air when Shisui's haggard features lifted, wary eyes snapping to his, but then he was yanking Shisui against him, holding him tightly, breathing out a deep sigh of relief.
Alive.
His precious people.
They were both alive.
"I-Itachi," he rasped, hands falling to his forearms. "Sakura is…" Shisui swallowed hard and seemed unable to gather his thoughts. "Where a-are we?"
"Rest," Itachi warned him and pulled back, watching him closely. "We can talk more about Sakura once you are-"
But his words and their surroundings seemed to anger him, his usually relaxed features twisting into a scowl as Shisui grabbed at his arms. His hold was weak, the tell-tale signs of being in a coma for over two months, but the look in his eyes told them what his actions couldn't: he was desperate. It was in the way his eyes widened a fraction, in the down-turning of his lips and the mashing together of his eyebrows. His eyes… He could–
"Where is she?" he demanded darkly.
A/N - I promise I'll definitely reply to you all when I've finally got the chance, so please don't think I'm ignoring you. I've been pretty busy lately and have only been able to write bits and pieces for my stories, hence the slow updates for Saviour and STIL. I have some time off next week though, so I'm hoping that gives me the chance to write and respond.