Writing this chapter was seriously fun. Why? No Idea.
No spoiler, but this probably isn't what you think it is. This is not Sasuke and Itachi's final encounter, it's just Sasuke being an idiot.
Daylight seemed to be coming much too quickly, but maybe it was just my imagination. When it got bright enough, it would be too hard to hide in the village.
"He isn't out here." I seethed.
"I don't see any reason why he would use this chance to run off." Sai replied dryly.
"That means they're already gone." If the trees could understand my bottled up anger-and if they could move-they would be running. And so would Sai.
I hadn't naturally sensed any chakra signatures that I knew, besides Sai, so I concentrated. I pushed my senses out as far as I could, and stood stalk still for a few minutes.
I picked up Naruto's. He was either very far away or nearly dead, based on how weak it was. I decided to go with far away, but neither bit of knowledge was comforting. I tried to remember what little Orochimaru had said about the extraction process. I was sure it took five people at least, and he mentioned it could take up to two days. Naruto was fine, just far.
"Are you going back?" I hissed.
"No. I'm following you. So start going." Sai replied. His expression was easier to hear through his speech than to look at.
Without a warning, and trying my best to lose Sai and failing, I bolted off in the direction of Naruto's chakra, pushing said substance into my feet. Hard as I tried, I couldn't lose Sai with all of my darts and turns, so I gave up. It was a waste of energy.
I was trying to picture what we would find when we found Naruto. Hopefully not Itachi. Not Itachi. If Itachi had captured Naruto, I wouldn't be able to restrain myself, seeing him right in front of me. No matter how much I tired to drill that into my head now, it wouldn't work- in the moment. I was always too blinded by rage when I saw him. Heard about him. Thought about him. Like now.
I still had my questions to ask him, aside from slaughtering him.
Naruto's chakra would not get any stronger no matter how much I followed it, so they must have been moving to, away from us. This continued for a few miles, neither of us tiring. I was waiting for just the slightest change in strength…
Then it came. I could feel his chakra without concentrating on it. I didn't bother telling Sai, my sudden increase in speed was warning enough. The environment seemed to blur, and I seemed to forget everything, including Naruto, but not Itachi. I could only assume the person was Itachi. The last thing I thought before I was on top of them was that I had to remain calm. I couldn't let Itachi distract me.
What Sai and I both saw next was that they had stopped, obviously aware we had been following them. There was no mistaking the cloak, but I tore my eyes away from them. They were far enough out of sight that I could look at just Naruto. He wasn't scared, he looked more shocked. Maybe Apprehensive, too.
"You-" Naruto started to protest, hands flying up and eyes darting towards his captor. He must have thought I saw who it was. But I didn't. So long as I didn't look at them I could concentrate. "Can't-" The blonde couldn't form words.
How I managed to not look at them for so long still astounds me. It felt like I we were playing a game.
"Naruto." I tried to be subtle. I tried to motion just barely, to look at him in just the right way to get my message across. Move. But Naruto didn't budge. Even when I sensed Sai doing the same, much less discreetly.
"Go."
I didn't hear the word. I heard the voice, so close to mine. Deep and brooding, but somehow smoother than mine. Maybe 1/16th of an octave higher.
Everything, our surroundings, Sai, Naruto, Everything. It faded to black and I altered my vision to be towards the voice. It was a mistake, but that didn't matter to my conscience. The rationality and the worry faded just like my vision of everything but the man in front of me. The only thing standing in my way of losing all sense but those focused on my brother was about ten yards of space. Ten yards that could easily be cleared with my sword that I now grasped, and a few running steps.
There was nothing, just Itachi, and my mental drive to have my revenge. I couldn't even feel myself move when I did, running at full speed.
Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, Itachi,
Naruto.
Everything in my brain turned back on. I was now seeing Naruto, because he was blocking parts of my sight on Itachi. Now I could focus. I could "hear" the silence now. I could feel my sudden stop of movement, and the air temperature. Most importantly, I could see Naruto, unhesitatingly standing in front of Itachi.
"Don't, Sasuke."
Everything above happened in under a second, and my senses failed all over again with the next second.
I didn't think.
Turning the blade in my hands around, I came forward again and slammed the handle into Naruto's side. He recoiled in pain and fell out of the way of Itachi. Blade now horizontal to him, I sliced, expecting his next move. He seemed to disappear.
Pulling a kunai out from some concealment on my clothes, I turned in the next half second and hurled it. It separated into four, and I was right on. Itachi had been ten or so feet behind me. He dodged these with little movement.
With only a bit more combat, it began to come to me. I wasn't prepared. I wasn't fully rested, and I didn't have the chakra saved up that I would have wanted to. I didn't have the weapons I wanted, or the right amount of them. I barely had anything. As the combat continued, I ran out. My ninja instinct overruled, and I was forced to dodge him. To stay out of the way. I would think he would be doing more to fight me when I was like this, but he didn't. I matched him for quite some time, more of my rational thought returning.
I missed a second. For one second, perhaps less, I couldn't keep up the rhythm of my dodges. Itachi struck, too quickly for me to fight. He didn't strike hard, though. His hand just met my skin and I felt a small burning sensation from foreign chakra, then without warning, lost consciousness.
...So, predictions? :D