Sorry for the delay; went on vacation for last week. I'll mention next time if there's some sort of delay.

I'll say this chapter assumes you know the events of the Uchiha Massacre fairly well; I figure since most people here are big Itachi fans, this isn't an issue. I just want to avoid boring, regurgitated information.

XXX

Kisame Hoshigake

Itachi was as light as he looked, so he had no problem wrapping him over his shoulders and bolting from the forest. Although his temper was still somewhat brewing below the surface, he made sure to remember which direction Taka had gone in on Madara's commands, even though the night. He made few stops along the way, mostly for a drink of water, to check Itachi and Samehada's health, and to think.

"Why is it that so suddenly", he caught himself wondering out loud. "There's so much to question?"

Nothing answered him, so once again gathered them up and continued the trek.

The forest cleared up at the end of the first day, and he followed a river for most of the second. He avoided the towns and villages along the way, guessing there was a good chance the Akatsuki cloaks would attract the wrong sort of attention. It was frustrating and worrying to have to take long ways around, but he made up the lost time by pushing his wells of stamina as far as they could go. One sleepless night, two sleepless nights, only stopping for hydration and to make sure they were still breathing.

In the middle of the fourth day, in the midst of a thick rainstorm, he finally arrived. The mountains before him stretched into the clouds pelting him with fierce drops, their peaks obscured by gray fog. From their base, though, he could still make out the rough steps hewn into its side, nearly invisible against its textured backface. It was a perfect natural camouflage that none would notice unless they were specifically searching for them.

"Nearly there," he muttered aloud, jostling the two. "Hang in a bit longer."

His tired state was beginning to creep in on him, now that it could sense the end of the journey was at hand. Both felt heavier, his legs more sluggish, his vision more blurry. Even the cold and damp weather seemed to be trying to wear him down, which amused him since he spent so much time in icy seas and rivers.

At the same time his body told him to quit, he merely told it no. He was grateful, though, that the strange new voice did not talk to him at all. There was already so much going on in his head that didn't want to start thinking he was any more unhinged than he already thought he was; talking with himself was just asking for the next string to snap. The koto's playing was already miserable enough.

"I'll be damned. Kisame Hoshigake, is that you?"

He looked up. Above him, standing on the final step, was a hazy silhouette clouded by rain and fog. Even their voice was somewhat misty, disturbed by a distant but familiar crashing sound.

"It is. I've come seeking help."

"Is that right." The silhouette crossed their arms. "What could have compelled you to return here, I wonder?"

"The lives I carry with me."

Their closed off stance faltered. "You're lying."

"Have you ever known me to?" Kisame countered impatiently.

"Not since you left us," the other agreed. "Fine, but we're going to keep this quiet until the elders have had their say. For now, welcome home."

The other backed off of the last step, and Kisame slowly ascended the last of the stone-

To a forgotten memory. The rain was still falling, but the daunting mist and fog stayed where they were at the last step, as if he were walking through an ethereal ceiling. His eyes cleared and adjusted: dozens of small homes stood at varying elevations against the rocky inlet, trees and struggling crops in between. This stretched deeply into the mountains like a valley, with a large lake separating the two halves. The distant crashing sound was still far, but at least he could see its source now: twin massive waterfalls, flowing down from the high range into the lake.

Even from here, he could see the fins of sharks protruding through the surface as they swam alongside other people.

"Yeah, drink it in while you can. Who knows when you'll see it again." Kisame turned to the silhouette, no longer obscured. They had pale blue skin and familiar black markings under their eyes, two under each socket. But each of their eyes were trained on him, eyeing him with a wariness they would not have had for anyone else in the village.

"I could've had a worse welcome," Kisame grunted.

"You could've," the other agreed shortly. "But then again, family is supposed to stay together. Maybe you'll relearn that here. But I see your injured companion; let's get them situated."

XXX

"How is he?" Kisame asked later, drinking from a hesitantly provided tea.

The clan practitioner, a man of comparable height to himself with similar blue skin and gills, shrugged. "Well, needless to say he's not a Hoshigake. I'm not used to treating anyone outside of the clan, so my skills aren't going to their fullest extent here."

"So nothing can be done?" the one who had let Kisame in asked.

"I didn't say that, did I?" the tall herbalist grumbled, looking up from the bed. He was irritably silent a moment, but then his sense of pride finally caved. "But... it's not a far off statement. His lungs are critically damaged from some sort of disease, never seen it in any of our people before. I have some herbs I can try to administer, but it's beyond anything I've dealt with. Has he seen a proper doctor before?"

"I don't know," Kisame admitted, shoveling through his pocket for Itachi's medicine bottle. "He had these, but they looked pretty black market to me."

The herbalist took them, and with one glance nodded. "Yup, never seen this before in my life. Tch, all this refined garbage wasn't going to help in the first place. Only natural remedies with research would've saved him for sure. Now, it's probably too late. I'm sorry."

Kisame fought the urge to tell the other the medicine had actually been working, but he knew, like all of them how hot the Hoshikage blood could run at times. "Can you at least try to treat him?"

The herbalist snorted. "I already said I'd give him some herbs, didn't I?" But their small black eyes swiveled to the steps' guard. "But... should I, is the question?"

A dim silence trudged through the cabin, the outside rain prodding for an answer. "Treat with some basic herbs for now," the guard said at last. "Tonight, the elders will decide what is to be actually done with these two."

Kisame hissed relief quietly through his teeth as the tall practitioner nodded and once more sat by Itachi's side, but he started as the other's hand clamped down over his shoulder. "We should talk," they said quietly."

He followed them outside the house, letting the rain run over them. "Samehada is injured quite badly, but it'll be fine. Tomorrow, you'll take into the lake to rebond and heal with it. Provided that the elders accept it."

"And if they don't?"

"Do you really have to ask?" The guard crossed their arms again, sharp teeth slightly bared. "You still have your clan name, but most here would not consider you one of us any longer. We are bound by loyalty to Kirigakure and the Fifth Mizukage. If your plea is rejected, national law will come into effect."

"I suppose that's fair," Kisame agreed. "I'll still fight you, of course."

The other chuckled. "So it's as I thought. The man in there is some sort of hostage or victim, then? Not some friend?"

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you wouldn't risk his life like that while he's in our custody. The physician could just as easily poison him as we feed him to the sharks the moment you become aggressive."

Kisame paused; he really hadn't taken anything like that into account. He had never put the life of another at a higher value than his own or a missions; the former was natural and the latter was merely typical of what he had done under Kirigakure and the Akatsuki since. This was a genuine first, and he was irritated with himself to find he was actually stuck.

"Well... we'll see."

"I guess we will." Once more, the guard shrugged off his protected stance. "Come with me. I'll take you to your family home."

Kisame abruptly felt uncomfortable. "I... is there somewhere else?"

"Is the mighty Kisame Hoshigake afraid of seeing his family again?" the guard sneered over his shoulder. "You needn't worry. They appropriately took their lives after the shame you inflicted upon their name."

"Appropriately." The third string snapped in his mind, and he felt his anger flare. "I'm sure you were all very pleased to see it happen," he snarled. "I know what they did. I see the village has not changed much in my absence, after all. Still the same sickening dedication and revelry for outdated traditions."

"Does it matter if you're killing in the name of tradition or for your own gain?" the guard scoffed, completely unperturbed. "Now come on- you got a lot of thinking to do for what you're gonna say to the elders.. Who knows- it might be the last chance you or your friend ever get to speak."

XXX

Itachi Uchiha

In the dreamland, he had nightmares. Most of them had to with the night of the massacre, as most of his nightmares usually did. The devil's agreement with Madara, the beginnings of the attack, killing his aunt and uncle, placing Izumi under the Tsukiyomi for her to die peacefully in his arms, executing Mother and Father, Sauske-

The murders were a heavy weight he struggled to remain upright with while he walked around day-to-day, trying to stand tall amongst the psychopaths and degenerates of Akatsuki who wouldn't have flinched at the crime. Only in his sleep, where his mind wandered without restraint, did the guilt truly impact him.

Though he was conscious that he had fallen unconscious, he knew there was nothing he could do by himself to wake up, and that terrified him. He valued Kisame as a partner, but there was no way he had the means to save Itachi's life. At the same time, he simply could not let himself die; there was too much at stake. Sasuke-

He couldn't die, but how was he going to stop it? Like this, he was powerless-

He laughed, disembodied as he was. Is this what it's like, I wonder, for another to be under the Tsukiyomi? Completely helpless, paralyzed by another, simply waiting for me to perform my punishment. Only this time... there's no one waiting.

I'm in limbo.

So he waited, perpetually between life and death. There was no pain, only frustration and the agony of watching himself commit the Uchiha Massacre over and over again in all its detail. Sometimes from an outside perspective, sometimes from his own. Every time, Sasuke-

"Big Brother?"

In the haze, Itachi whirled around. The images of the slaughter were gone; instead, he was in the verdant forest that had grown next to the village beforehand. Birds were tweeting, the branches bristled in the wind, and-

A shuriken zipped past his head and burrowed itself into a nearby tree trunk. "Ha, how was that!"

Itachi- or rather, a different Itachi, a younger one whose eyes and lips the current one now lived through- chuckled. "You were closer that time, but you keep losing your grasp towards the end. That's why it won't curve into the target, even though it looks like it will. You have to keep up the control all the way."

"But that's so hard! How do you do it!"

Itachi looked down at his younger brother, a brother not terrified of him or whose eyes were shining were betrayal and anguish, but one who had full trust and even admiration for him. This was a few weeks before Third Hokage gave the order for the massacre.

"Well, I never let go of my concentration," Itachi said simply. "It's easy for me, I suppose. Keep your chakra honed in on the shuriken, will it to where you want it to go." He grimaced. "Though of course, it gets more complicated pretty quick. In a combat situation, you're having to keep your awareness up to dodge incoming attacks, maybe you're using the shuriken as a distraction for your real move, or-"

"Gahhh! Why is being a shinobi so difficult!" Sasuke complained, his cheeks reddening. "It's no fair, you make it look so easy!"

The older Uchiha smiled. "Sorry about that. But you're still young, Sasuke. There's plenty of time for you to grow still."

Sasuke pointed an upset finger at him. "Yeah, but you already knew all this when I was this old. I don't know why I have to be the one to struggle with it."

This was a familiar conversation between the two, but before Itachi could placate his sibling, there was a rustling from the trees. They both looked over and saw two policemen come out of the trees, looking quite unhappy. "So, this is where you ran off to," the one on the left, Tekka grumbled.

"You can't keep avoiding us," their counterpart, Rujina, added. "We need to talk."

Itachi turned away, feeling hot despite the cool air. "We have nothing to talk about."

"You were frankly named as the last person seen before Shisui's disappearance," Tekka snarled. "You think that warrants nothing to talk about? You're lucky we didn't arrest you the day we came to your house last week-"

"Tekka, please!" Rujina interrupted, a little exasperated. Itachi could see the simple strategy at play here: Rujina was one of the softer members on the police force, and she had been one of Itachi's classmates. They were going to try and appeal to his compassionate side, which she definitively knew existed.

But in front of Sasuke? "Sorry, but I have nothing to talk about with either of you," he said shortly, putting a warning hand on the confused Sasuke's shoulders. He let his head lower so the bangs of his hair shielded his eyes from all around. "If you don't mind, I must return my little brother home."

"Itachi, this isn't like you," Rujina started. "Please, Shisui was as close a friend to you as he was to all of us. We only want-"

"Sasuke, go home," Itachi commanded suddenly. "I'll need to speak to them so they leave us alone."

"But-"

"Go."

Sasuke backed away one step, two steps, clearly upset and confused. But the finality in his older brother's tone was encouragement enough to leave without further argument, and he went back out the trees towards the village. Tekka watched him go, then moved to stand between Itachi and the way he had gone.

"I have nothing to say to you, truly," Itachi said flatly. "I am an Uchiha, as one of you. I have nothing but our clan's best interests at heart... and I did not kill Shisui."

Rujina gave a sigh of relief, but Tekka scoffed at him. "You wait this long to tell us that? No, you're clearly hiding something from us. Are you sure your loyalty isn't to the Hokage over all of us?"

They know. He bit his lip for a moment, then relaxed. But Rujina saw his brief hesitation and her gaze darkened. "You already know what's at stake, Itachi. We can't trust this village to hold our clan in good regard anymore. Their bias to us is stronger than ever. Hashirama Senju's promise to us has long since died away; we can't have anything interfere in the coup. Including one of our own."

So, they'd been tailing him during his personal meetings with Hiruzen. It didn't sound like they had the direct evidence he'd been feeding the Third Hokage information, but more of they suspected foul play on his part.

They were trying to force an admittance.

"What do you want of me," Itachi said tiredly.

"Fugaku is your father," Tekka grunted. "You know a lot of what is going to happen. But you, like Shisui was, are close to the Hokage. His little errand boy, some say. Now Shisui's dead, and you're closer than ever." His eyes flashed scarlet. "So, did you kill him so you could get close to Sarutobi? That's what some of think, and that you're actually on our side and you'll assassinate the geezer. But you know what I think?"

"What do you think?"

Tekka crunched his hands into fists. "I think you're just a little freak. I know about your studies of the Mangekyo Sharingan. You're the village's fastest growing shinobi- some say you're as good as Madara himself. But you're missing the Mangekyo... and your desire to have as much power as he led to you killing Shisui! You're just a murderer. I doubt you care about your clan or your village, even." He spread his hands mockingly. "But please, give me a reason why I should doubt it!"

The wind grew still, and inside Itachi felt himself growing more tired. He could see the fury in Tekka's eyes and the simmering doubt in Rujina's- the Curse of Hatred in them was strong. It was just as Shisui had warned him the night of his suicide: the clan had chosen a path and lacked the freedom of mind to consider anything else. Even if Itachi surrendered himself into their custody now, he wagered, it would not be enough for them. They might kill him to be sure the coup absolutely didn't leak, and then?

They might even go after Sasuke, to be sure I haven't told him anything. Their father was a good man, Itachi knew, but he was just as susceptible to the Curse. He had no doubt that he would view Sasuke's death as a sacrifice for the good of the Uchiha.

"Would you like to see them?"

Tekka and Rujina frowned. "See what?" the latter asked coolly.

"My Mangekyo Sharingan."

They both started, but the revelation was so unexpected that they simply stood there in confusion. "Tsukiyomi."

He held their eyes locked in his own for a brief moment, then blinked. In that instance, they both collapsed: he'd just made them go through a forgetful genjutsu to neglect their interrogation entirely. They'd wake up believing he'd once again sidestepped their questions, and then they'd decided to take a quick nap in the trees.

Itachi walked away from them both towards the village, but he was surprised to find himself feeling incredibly tense, despite knowing full well he had has the situation under his control from the start. But he knew why; it was always the reason why he got upset.

Sasuke. I won't ever let them harm you.

The visage faded away entirely before his eyes, leaving the current Itachi surrounded in darkness once more. Confusion rippled through him; was his conscience trying to speak to him? What was it even trying to say?

If anything, it reinforced he needed to wake up and reach Sasuke. Who knew what Madara was telling him now, locked away in a booth or cave and feeding him lie after lie about him- or perhaps worse, the truth. What would Sasuke think of his clan, if he knew what they were plotting? Would he come to hate Father and Mother? And what would he think of his hated older brother, the killer of the clan who willingly chose to execute them all for the sake of others? Madara held more aces in his hand than there were in a deck, and he could do nothing about it like this.

The plan he had tried to put into place to protect his brother was falling apart.

"I need to wake up," he said aloud. "Wake up!"

But nothing happened.

"He needs me! I can't leave things unfinished like this!"

The darkness was unyielding.

"WAKE UP!"

He continued to stand in the nothingness.

XXX

Kisame Hoshigake

The elder council were as straightforward as any of the Hoshigake clan: their inane temper and bloodlust did not wither away with age, nor did nuance and peaceful wisdom cloud their judgement as it with others. A shark never stopped hunting until its last breath; such was the way of their clan.

"Kisame Hoshigake," Bruma Hoshigake exclaimed from the left-center. "We've come to a decision on what shall be done with you. But before we give it, we offer you a chance to influence the decision, as is custom."

Kisame stepped forward, feeling out of place in his Akatsuki robes. Many had come to the central hall by the Left Waterfall to see his return and case be delivered; not only was it a rare circumstance of an outsider returning to the village, but he himself was an object of curiosity to them. The Scourge of the Hidden Mist, the traitor, the rogue. The Hidden Mist had no shortage of traitors and rogues, but for some reason, he was a spectacle to them.

"I come before you the same as when I left," Kisame said aloud, stepping into the center of the room. "This world still holds no color to me. I see the traditions that made me what I am today are still held in a place of honor. I am not the one to say our ways ought to have changed by now, but if they are to continue the way they are, then I ask that the clan's vow to itself be upheld."

"We are a clan of violence. Kirigakure has many of our number serving their shinobi army, and they spread our name proud and wide. I may not do it for Kirigakure's name, but I still commit to our ways abroad. My name is known to many, as is my hunger for death. Through that, too, the Hoshigake name is spread and instills fear into others of distant lands."

There were some approving murmurs in the crowd, but most of the elders still looked ambivalent to him. His voice faltered, and he looked over his shoulder in the direction of the herbalist's home. Damn you, Itachi, he thought morosely. You know words are your things, not mine. Why'd you have to leave me with this situation?

What would you say to them?

Everything Itachi did went against the Hoshigake way of life. Where they would use violence, he would seek alternate solution. Where they would seek domination over the enemy, Itachi would spare them complete humiliation. Where they valued family highly, he destroyed his without remorse. Perhaps, for once, it wasn't a good thing he was talking this time around.

"...the man back in that home is no innocent. In many ways, he is better than I, and in some fewer ways, worse than me. But what I cannot deny is that we have come to develop a friendship unlike any I ever expected to develop. Beyond any with you... even my own parents."

There were some backlash from the crowd at this, but the elders waved them down. "Continue," Bruma allowed.

"We have a bond I cannot deny. Because of it, I would do anything to see him recover and well again." He raised his small eyes to the elders. "Even to return to this place where I surely know my life would be put at risk. It is not only because Samehada can be recovered here: it is a place that I felt I could trust to do the right thing. For even though I despise what this place represents at time... there is no denying that this is where family helps one another."

The elders looked at one another with something akin to amusement, then Bruma stood. "We thought as much. Kisame Hoshigake, you will be allowed to remain in the Hoshigake Village, as will your newfound compatriot until he can stand once more. Although we disagree with the path you have taken, you have sought to find meaning in this world. That alone is enough for us to believe you deserve this chance."

"In four days time, you will rebond with Samehada. We will keep your presence hidden from Kirigakure officials. You will share room with Ryuuda and Tusina Hoshigake until the recovery process is complete."

Kisame followed their finger to the guard who had let him in, who noticeably blanched but kept his lips tight. He looked back and bowed his head before them. "Thank you."

"One day, perhaps you will be able to find who you once were and properly return to us, Lost Son of the Bloodfin," Bruma replied gently. "Until then, this is the most we shall do for you."

"Your hospitality is appreciated." And despite himself, he smiled as the koto strummed a bad yet cheerful tune.