It had been five days…five days since I had slept or eaten much of anything…seven days since he disappeared into the morning rain. I could not but help to wonder if this magical 'healer' really knew how to cure the oldest Uchiha. I stared down at the warm bowl of ramen that the old man placed before me. The distant memory of the ramen shop back home made me yearn for its comfort. The wind roared through the small cabin…no this place was far from where I called home, and that thought alone made me feel all of the more lonely.
"This is ridiculous it has already been five days, how much longer will he take?" I stared down the healer from across the table. He was an older man perhaps in his 60's, but something about him made me feel as though he was a lot older. We had arrived at his shack along the ocean a little over a week ago, I remember the day well.
When we got close to where Itachi had tracked the old man he slowed down his pace and, with a deep breath, walked through the final few trees that were hiding our presence. On the shore about thirty feet from the cabin we saw a skinny form crouched over the powerful waves. His long white hair was held back in a makeshift braid that nearly dragged to the ground. He was painfully thin, the long blue robes he wore seemed to hang from only bones. The closer we got to him, the harder it seemed to breath as if the air was getting thinner.
"Be respectful, Sakura. I sense a great power within him," I nodded in understanding as we stopped a few feet from the old man. I clutched my fists in anticipation, Itachi had to be painfully desperate to ask for help. The man gave no physical indication that he had noticed our presence, instead he maintained his odd pose. The closer we got to him, I began to hear him whispering to the water, but I could not quite make out what he was saying.
"I never thought I would see an Uchiha with my own eyes," he chuckled to himself, "well so to speak," I shifted back a few steps uncomfortably as he slowly rose. His bones creaked as he shifted his weight to stand up tall. When he turned around to face as I was surprised to find his eyes utterly white, he was blind.
"You once healed Kisame, of the Akatski, I have come here for a similar request," his face wrinkled in disgust at the mention of the shark-like ninja. Itachi towered over the old man, but he hardly seemed intimidated with Itachi's presence.
"I did not heal him…he healed himself. I would never heal one myself with such a dark heart, but showing him the way would not soil my hands," I had to admit I was not a fan of dealing with ninjas that had dark chakras either, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
"Either way, my time is running out and you are the only one that can help me. This illness," Itachi held his arms out, "is taking over my body, and without your help I will not be able to save my brother," his voice was so quiet I had to strain my ears to hear him. I could practically feel how powerless Itachi felt, it was quite a humbling experience.
"The water told me you were coming, the waves crashed wildly with anticipation. Itachi Uchiha, kin slayer, do you not find your illness a just reward for your actions," I fought the urge to punch the crooked grin straight off of his face, as soon as the thought crossed through my head his unseeing eyes turned their attention towards me.
"As a healer, your duty is to heal those that are in need of your help, judgements are not yours to pass," I recited the words Tsuande had spoken to me once long ago when I too had to heal a murderer.
"Perhaps that is true, Sakura Haruno," I was hardly surprised he knew my name, "student of the fifth Hokage, and now a murderer too I see, but you see I am not a healer anymore. My purpose lies far beyond the stars and sea, I am a keeper of something greater than myself," Itachi stepped protectively in front of me, blocking those white eyes from boring into my soul.
"Then what purpose do you serve now, old man? I am not blind to your power," Itachi's voice had shifted now, it was utterly cold and detached. It never ceased to amaze me how easily Itachi could put up that stone mask. The elderly ninja turned away from us once more and fell to his knees, moving his hands through the cold sand where the water met the earth.
"I am the protector of fate now, I listen to the earth and carry out her will. For she is greater than any of us can ever hope to be," perhaps all of these years in isolation had driven him crazy, but I knew Itachi was growing tired of his games.
"Very well then, so what does the fates say about me?" there was a palpable pause in the air as a strong breeze roared along the beach side. I silently feared for the response that I knew could be brewing beneath that mess of sand and water.
"The fates do not answer to you boy, no matter how important you find yourself. Although, they will help those that help themselves, so if you dare to explore their depths Itachi I will give you the health you seek for your upcoming battles," something about his tone of voice made me want to grab Itachi's hand and run until the salty smell of the beach was a distant memory.
"I will do what is necessary for me to save my brother, I accept your terms," a cold chill ran up my spine at those words, he was never usually so impulsive.
"Then the water will call when it is ready for you," those were the last words the old man spoke. Itachi and I had made camp on the shore for the night. The next morning when I awoke all I saw was his distant form disappearing into a thick fog several miles down the beach. For some reason my lips tasted like blackberries and wildfire. I could only pray that wherever he was, whatever he was doing, he was safe and would find strength for the coming storm. The waves outside crashed violently as I shivered in the small cabin with a blind fortune teller.