Chapter Twelve: Papa Please

Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai were camping in a clearing as well as they settled down from a long day of searching.

At one point they had been so close. Kiba was sure that they were on top of Sasuke when his scent had suddenly disappeared. They must've caught on to them.

"Damn!" Naruto shouted in frustration, "We're getting nowhere!"

"It's not like you to give up," Kakashi said, giving Naruto a sidelong glance.

"I'm not giving up!" Naruto said firmly, "I'm going to find Sasuke ya know!"

"We're going to find Sasuke-kun," Sakura in an annoyed tone.

Suddenly Kakashi's head snapped up as a flock of ravens filled the sky. It couldn't be.

And then Itachi was there. At the edge of their camp. Just standing there.

Everyone looked at him cautiously.

Everyone that is, except one. Naruto drew his kunai, "Brave of you to pop up in our camp when all of us are here," he said, "We're taking you back to Konaha!" And he went to charge.

"Wait!" Kakashi said grabbing Naruto's collar, "look at his arms."

Naruto did as he was told and his eyes widened. Itachi was holding a fatally injured and unconscious Mikoto. "Mimi-chan!" He gasped, "What happened?'

Suddenly Itachi disappeared and reappeared in front of Sakura. Sakura flinched as the man who haunted Sasuke's nightmares stood in front of her. She feared and hated this man with every fiber of her being.

Gently Itachi placed Mikoto on the ground in front of Sakura and knelt next to her, "Medic," Was all he said.

Despite everything Sakura was a professional and she didn't need to be told twice. She knelt down and immediately checked her over with her Medical Ninjutsu. Her eyes widened and she surveyed the damage.

"Is she going to be ok?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sakura didn't look up from Mikoto as she focused on her wounds. It was bad. The weapon had missed her heart but it had punctured her lung which had collapsed. There was no telling how long ago the injury occured but it to be at least a couple hours as she had lost a lot of blood.

"Shh.." She finally said, "I need to focus."

"How did this happen?" Naruto asked again.

Itachi said nothing as he continued to stare at his daughters unconscious face.

"Damn it answer me!" Naruto demanded.

Itachi stood quickly and faced Naruto. His eyes were glowing with anger.

Kakashi's eyes widened. In the year that Itachi had worked with him in ANBU he had come to know him well enough. He had seen the man do many things and experience awful things, even as a child. But he had never seen him mad.

"When I saw she was with you," Itachi started, "I assumed she was safe!"

"She was safe!" Naruto defended.

"Then what was she doing challenging Sasuke by herself?"

Everyone's eyes widened. Sasuke did this?

"N-n-no," Naruto said hesitantly, "he wouldn't do that."

"He did." Itachi said evenly.

"Well if she challenged him it was all to protect you!" Naruto said accusingly, "Everything she does is for you. Even if you're not worth it."

Itachi looked down at his daughter. Her face looked pained even though she was unconscious, "I know," he said sadly.

"Papa," Mikoto's said in a strained voice.

Itachi immediately knelt back down, "Mikoto," He said quietly.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "She's out of danger." She said as she continued to heal her, "But I'm not done yet. Don't move." She ordered her patient.

"Papa," Mikoto said again, "It hurts."

Itachi looked at her sadly then smiled as though remembering something. He reached into one of his pouches.

Yamato and Kakashi both reacted as though he were about to fight. A weapon?

But no. Itachi pulled out what looked like hot pink bandages with blue and green polka dots. He handed them to Sakura, "Her favorite."

Sakura looked at Itachi in confusion. This is the despicable man who slaughtered the Uchiha? She quietly took the bandages.

"Papa," Mikoto said quietly, "I'm not a baby anymore."

Itachi gave her a small smile, "I beg to differ." He stood and turned to leave.

"If you think we'll just let you leave." Kakashi started.

"You will." Itachi interrupted, "I didn't come to fight."

"Wait Papa," Mikoto said quietly, "In my pack," She coughed, "For you."

Itachi looked at her in surprise. He picked up her pack, reached inside, and pulled out a brown paper bag. His eyes widened, "Are these?" He hesitated.

"Dango," Mikoto said in a hoarse voice, "From the shop you told me about."

Itachi beamed at his daughter while Kakashi sweatdropped. Dango? Really?

"You're such a good daughter," He said. And then he prepared to leave. He knew he would have to be quick in order to get away from the Leaf Shinobi. Maybe a Genjutsu.

Suddenly a hand grabbed his pant leg. He looked down in confusion.

"Papa don't go." Mikoto said quietly.

Itachi didn't respond. He didn't move.

"Don't fight him," Mikoto continued tearfully, "If you do… you'll die."

Him? Is she talking about…?

"You have so little faith in your father?" Itachi said, his eyes looking straight ahead.

"You could win…" Mikoto began, "If you wanted to. But you don't do you?"

Itachi said nothing.

"You're going to let him win… why?" Mikoto asked him desperately, "Because you're guilty? Please papa," She sobbed, "Don't leave me."

"We could run away." She continued through her tears, "We could go far away from villages and clans and all this shit! It can be just us. Just the two of us."

Suddenly Itachi disappeared.

Everyone's eyes widened as they tried to find him again. Even Shino's bugs couldn't find him. He had placed a bug on him. Where was it? Was he ever really there.

Then he was there. On his knees above Mikoto's head.

Gently he tapped her forehead.

"I'm sorry Mikoto," He said, "Maybe In the next life."

Mikoto looked into his red eyes. The pain in her chest faded as Genjutsu overtook her. And then slowly she fell asleep.

And as quickly as he arrived, Itachi Uchiha was gone.