AN: Special thank to Black Haired Girl for encouraging me on, even though she's not a Naruto fan

AN: Special thank to Black Haired Girl for encouraging me on, even though she's not a Naruto fan. You will convert, my friend. Mahhaha. She writes awesome Gundam Wing fics, though, so go check her out.

Special thank you to everyone who's read so far! Don't worry, there will be more HP….in about four more chapters. ;

Please review! Comments and helpful criticism make me insanely happy!

"A cousin."

"Yes, it's a possibility."

"A hitherto unknown cousin from a forgotten blind uncle that left the country some thirty years ago for some place that is not even on the map."

"Yes."

Kakashi was making that ridiculous grinning face that made Sasuke want to deck him. Which Kakashi knew. Which was why he made that face to begin with. But none of that changed the fact that the man was suggesting Sasuke had a cousin of all things.

Finding out that Orochimaru wanted to repent seemed more likely.

"And how have I never heard of this before?" Sasuke replied as calmly as he could manage. He was still confined to a hospital bed despite his protests. Sakura had learned long ago how to ignore him, and wouldn't be beyond breaking some more ribs if that was what it took to keep him where she wanted him and she had not left his side since he had woken up for the second time. The restriction was making it even more difficult to control his temper, and the constant lack of privacy was becoming increasingly annoying.

"Kakashi-sensei and I got that all figured out!" Naruto replied immediately. He flipped out the worn volume that they had returned to and waved it about. "See, we figure it must have been real embarrassing for your dad and granddad for your uncle to be blind and everything, so they didn't ever talk about him. And this page here, see, we think that's some kind of adoption thing cause it sure looks like one and Kakashi-sensei can read a little of it and he thinks so to, so yeah. It all makes sense, actually."

It really should not. All of this seemed very against everything he had known about his clan. Degenerative eye disease? That kind of thing happened only to other people. Adoption paper from a distant country? He could not even read the document Naruto had shown him. Besides which, how would his infant uncle have found his way out to such a distant place? He had never even heard of anyone going to or coming from such foreign places. He had heard a handful of tales way out on the edge of known civilization of other places, other civilizations with no nin, no chakra. Places filled with strange languages and super machines that fought in the place of people. It all had sounded very ridiculous. He had dismissed it all – and now this.

"A cousin."

"It's the best explanation possible," Kakashi said quietly.

Sasuke shook his head. "It is just not possible."

"Sure it is," Naruto repeated. "We've got it all right here, see-"

"That does not prove anything, you imbecile!"

"Sasuke-" Sakura reached out from beside him as if to touch him on the arm but he folded them across his chest before she had the chance to.

"It is just not possible," he repeated harshly. For a moment no one said anything. Sasuke glared down at the sheets and the other three did that thing. It was the thing where they would all take turns looking at each other, talking about him without even having to say a word. They had been doing it ever since he had come back.

"Just go the fuck away," he hissed out. He could not deal with this right now. He needed to think. Needed to plan. Needed to go over and over this latest fight with that man and analyze it. He obviously still was not strong enough. He had improved, but so had Itachi. Sasuke was not doing enough, clearly. He needed a better plan.

"And if you do have a cousin?" Kakashi demanded. He held up his hands quickly when Sasuke turned to glare at him. "Let's just assume there's a remote possibility. What do you think your brother will do with such knowledge?"

"Kill him, of course," Sasuke replied and as soon as he said it, he knew exactly what Kakashi meant. If this cousin existed, then Itachi would see to it that he would not much longer. Itachi would finish what he started all those years ago and destroy everyone else in the clan. And there was a chance that Sasuke could stop him.

He had the covers thrown back and his feet swung over before Sakura managed to react. Within a second, however, she was holding him down with a hand on each shoulder and a fierce look in her eyes. "No way. Not yet."

"You do not understand-"

"You're going to have to wait, Sasuke," Kakashi interrupted.

Sasuke jerked around to glare at him. "Do you think Itachi will wait?"

"No, but we don't know where we're going yet," Naruto answered. His jaw was set and his eyes focused determinedly down at the book he held in his lap.

Sasuke relaxed slightly. He was right. They would not be able to leave immediately, but they would have to leave very soon if they hoped to intersect Itachi.

"Let me study that document some," Kakashi said. He stepped over to take the book from Naruto but did not glance away from Sasuke. "I've seen some of this language before, and I know someone who might know a bit more of it. Hopefully we can get a starting location from this."

Naruto groaned suddenly. "We're all going to have to learn that funny language, aren't we?" Naruto caught Sasuke staring at him and grinned like an idiot. "After all, we're coming with you right? Nothing like Team 7 for a rescue mission! Though maybe I'll leave the funny blocky language to you and Sakura…"

Sasuke stopped listening. The four of them together would stand a better chance of being able to find and rescue this mysterious cousin – if Itachi had not already killed him.