Just so ya'll know, I am writing this with no preconceived plot. If it looks like there are plot holes that's why, I am making this up as I go along. Let me know what they are and I will see what I can do about them in future chapters. I also am going to very limited effort to edit this, my sentence structure and the like is weak in some areas I know, I apologize. This just isn't high priority on my project scale.
There has been requests for some fluff...I don't really think this chapter counts as fluff, but this story will get there eventually if I keep on it. I am a slow builder when it comes to relationships, Itachi is not the sort of character to rush that sort of thing. Sorry, there is a limit to my skill.
Enjoy
Dawn found them mounted on black war horses, headed down the steep cliff path that led from the Uchiha castle grounds. Shisui had never been able to adjust his sleeping schedule in a hurry and being that he had a tendency to like nightlife he had not been able to go back to sleep after Itachi had woken him in the wee morning hours, because of preparations for departure. His face warned all, that he was in a foul mood. Sasuke was in a relatively good mood given their mission objective, though in spite of that, his expression almost matched that of his older cousin.
Itachi hadn't slept at all the night before, busy making arrangements so that they would be able to leave as soon as possible. He was tired, though not unduly so, and he was careful to keep any sign of it from his features, unlike his kin.
It hadn't occurred to Itachi that Sakura might not take their method of travel in good spirits until she was padding behind him on the way to the stables. He couldn't imagine why she wouldn't, but then women in general were strange creatures, and he knew next to nothing about the preferences of her species. His mother, he knew, found riding tedious. But there was no need to worry. The moment she saw the horses her entire countenance grew bright and sunny. She bounded forward, avoiding Itachi's grabbing hand as he attempted to keep her exuberance from startling the high-strung creatures.
But once again it seemed the concern was unwarranted, as several of the steeds turned to nicker at her, a strange occurrence indeed. He had been unaware the pink haired beauty had been spending large amounts of time in the stables, but she must have been, given the reaction of the steeds.
She looked almost childlike, her short stature and the riding leathers she wore made her look so young and small. But the way she leapt onto the large creatures back with a sort of nonchalant confidence exuded only the air of experience and maturity. She certainly was a conundrum.
He watched her without appearing to as they descended, taking note of her expression as she surveyed the height of the sheer cliff that dropped off to their right. It didn't seem to bother her overly much but she kept the horse as far back from the ledge as was possible.
Horses were not any Uchiha's favorite method of travel but it was easier to move incognito thusly, flying across the countryside would alert their quarry to their presence prematurely. Every species stood up and took notice when I demon darkened the sky, for generally it spelled trouble for somebody. Best to approach on the ground, where Sakura had a better chance of analyzing the terrain and retracing her steps back to Orochimaru's hideout.
It was almost noon before Itachi came to realise that Sakura hadn't been entirely forthcoming with him. She carried another spell, he could sense the slight change as it activated and grew stronger the farther they got from the wards placed on Uchiha soil. She was attempting to hide it, though given the presence of his tracking bracelets on her wrists he had already established a skin to magic link with her and could feel past the layers of warding she had begun to wrap around herself. He didn't doubt that Shisui and Sasuke were non-the wiser for her efforts.
It was dusk before they pulled up to make camp, and he could tell that whatever the spell was, it was wearing on her. She was much more subdued, tired, though that could have just been from a day of hard travel.
Itachi was quick to send both Shisui and Sasuke out to scout the area. Giving them strict orders to cloak their presence thoroughly even as they released their wings and took off. Then he turned to Sakura.
"I will ask for your honesty." He said simply "for anything less will lead to unnecessary risks" He gave her a meaningful look and she just ducked her head as she realised she had been found out. He waited patiently gaze never wavering.
'it's a tracking spell' she said finally and his eyes bled red to give him night vision so that he may read her lips in the dark.
"May I see it?" He did his best to soften his tone, he wanted this little creature's willing cooperation, he could not strong arm her into this or risk her omitting more intel in the future.
Her face blushed scarlet and she shook her head forcefully. He cocked his head at her, confused by her reaction.
"Tracking spells often involve blood magic. Because of Orochimaru's experiments his blood is toxic to any he uses it on, if that's the case it could do you irreparable harm." He explained gently, not to mention it was quite possible the snake knew exactly where she was right now if he had been monitoring the spell at all.
She hesitated at that, obviously, it was new information to her. She sighed and her head went down in defeat, a concession if he ever saw one.
It wasn't until she slowly began to undo the ties on the side of her leather leggings that he understood her reluctance. She was embarrassed to disrobe so, he suppressed the urge to smirk. If she thought he was laughing at her she would be much more difficult in the future. But it was so cute, her innocence was refreshing in more ways than one.
The mark of the seal rested on her hip bone, and he could tell it was causing her some deal of irritation given the angry red skin surrounding it. He approached slowly, so as not to startle her, reaching forward to brush a finger along the runes on her smooth skin, she flinched. He paused, glancing at her face to make sure it was okay to continue before soothing some of his own magic into the mark.
It was not as he feared. It seemed that somehow Orochimaru had managed to reverse engineer a tracking seal. Instead of injecting his own blood along with a spell into the being he wished to track. He instead took blood from her, how he had managed to manipulate her into casting a spell against herself he didn't know, but he was aware of The Snakes methods and he doubted very much it was anything short of horrifying. Anger rose in him, he had to be careful not to let it bleed into his magic as he attempted to manipulate the base of the spell. His efforts were met with very minimal results, and when he felt Sasuke returning he withdrew from her. Standing from where he had crouched before her and stepping away.
Her hand shot out and caught his wrist, tugging him back to face her. He saw the question in her eyes.
"It is not his blood magic, there is nothing to fear" he assured her. "However, I do believe that we are going to change our strategy" He was silent as sasuke landed in a flurry. "We are going to make the filth come to us" Itachi smiled, a wicked thing.
The look on Sasuke's face was suddenly very curious, he knew that expression and it meant hell if it was pointed at him, but given that his brothers target was Orochimaru, he knew that this was going to be much more fun even than he had been anticipating it would be.
…
It was more than three weeks on the road. All three of the Uchiha found the method of travel tedious, but if Orochimaru was truly tracking them as closely as Itachi suspected he was-given the monitoring spell of his own he had cast-then they could travel no faster or give away that Sakura was far from traveling alone and, or vulnerable. Sakura on the other hand did not seem to mind the travel, though she became exhausted quickly, the tracking spell drew on her constantly.
Itachi suspected that was the reason she had not attempted to leave the Uchiha palace grounds, the wards there had disabled the tracking spell. Though there must be more to it, did she not have family to get back to? Perhaps Orochimaru had gotten to them already and they were gone, he truly did not know much about the pink haired minx.
It became apparent as they traveled that her spirit of mischief was on par with Shisui's if not stronger. It seemed she held a grudge against his older cousin as he was constantly on the receiving end of her devilry, he suspected it had something to do with the manor in which she came to find herself at the Uchiha castle in the first place. Shisui was not amused.
Burrs henged into the seat of his saddle, stink weed in his canteen, all manor of uncomfortable pranks. Even Sasuke had been nearly scared out of his saddle when she abruptly dropped from the branches above him, wearing an illusion that made her look exactly like Orochimaru himself. He had been so irate with her that he had leapt after her. She considered this to be great fun and lead him on a merry chase through the tree tops, dropping down behind Itachi and using him as her last defence when her strength flagged. Shisui had laughed hard at that, glad to not be the butt of all the jokes.
Without fail, she ran to Itachi when she had irritated one of the other two past a safe level. Itachi himself was highly amused by it, and did nothing to intervene, though he had used a hard look to make Shisui or Sasuke back down when she took the liberty of using him as cover. He supposed this was the best sort of unplanned revenge one could ever ask for.
That is until one hot sunny afternoon they had paused momentarily to allow their horses to drink from a large creek that meandered its way through the valley. Shisui's horse took to the shallows and immediately set to pawing up huge waves of water, he cursed and tried to control the animal's enthusiasm. Itachi had one moment of not paying attention, allowing the reigns to run slack through his hands so that the horse could reach the water. He caught only a flash of pink before she hit him broadside, having leapt from the back of her own horse. Her momentum was enough that the pair of them were thrown from horseback to land in the water.
He was surprised that she would resort to trickery against him, who would protect her from the others if she got on his bad side too? He flipped her in the water so that she was the one beneath him, and she didn't resist, grinning up at him as if she hadn't a care in the world.
They matched gazes for a long moment and he distantly recognized that the cackling in the background was in fact Shisui. Finally, he smirked at her, and her grin got wider. He dunked her head back underwater as he stood to retrieve his somewhat startled horse. He had to admit her methods were strange, he had never had his character tested in quit that way.
There was a method to her madness, she read every move he made, analysed it all. He had to remember that she had somehow managed to escape from the Snake, foiled the wards on his room, and managed to sneak up on their other two highly trained companions repeatedly. She was most certainly clever, and that smile that she used ensured that no matter what she did, she had an appearance of innocence, it was the Siren in her that made her appear so, no allure magic necessary. Once again, he marveled at this little creature, she chose instead of sex-appeal and seduction, light hearted smiles and innocent pranks to wheedle her way into their complacency. He would have to stay alert to ensure that her 'end game' was not less innocent than she appeared.
Itachi caught Shisui sneaking a laxative herb into her dinner one night, Itachi cast him a hard look, but Shisui set his jaw and returned it with a look of his own, daring him to do something about it. As it was, Shisui was the one who trotted into the bush repeatedly that night, cursing the little Siren all the while. She was most clever indeed, it made Itachi curious as to how The Snake had managed to get his grimy hands on her.
Please review, it's like magic and produces motivation in me :)
