A/N:
*evil grin continuation*
Chapter 17
Justice
What's taking them so long?
Once again, Sasuke surveyed the men meters away before them. Some openly displayed their submachine guns, assault rifles and pistols in a pathetic attempt to impose threat; all nine had smug grins or sneers plastered on their faces. It was ridiculous how they depended so much on firearms. Without those, they would be nothing.
His gaze shifted to the wall opening behind the group of men. Just minutes ago, one of them had entered there to summon and escort their leader out.
Sasuke clenched his teeth and fists, restraining himself from bolting through that doorway and finding Orochimaru himself. That wasn't a good idea. He had already let the mess get this far. He couldn't commit another mistake. To distract himself, he let his eyes roam the place.
Wall partitions were only present at the area behind those men. Apparently, this level was intended for parking purposes, judging by the unobstructed view of columns throughout the space and the curved ramps on either side of the building. For fuck's sake, he just parked the Harunos' vehicle in here! The car was right behind him!
Sasuke cursed. It was no use. He couldn't distract himself from his anger. It had only projected itself onto another thought. If the trade wouldn't happen soon, he doubted if he could keep his control.
"Looks like their ready to shoot anytime." Kizashi murmured beside him, and he acknowledged the diversion. "I only hope they wouldn't hurt Sakura after they got the money."
Sasuke's jaw protested from the increased gritting force. "I won't allow them."
Just then, he noticed figures approaching the doorway. When the group walked closer to the light source, Sasuke immediately recognized Orochimaru at the very front. Fury mixed with his blood and circulated throughout his system. He wanted Orochimaru to beg for mercy. He wanted him covered with his own blood. He wanted him with a bullet to the head. He wanted him dead.
Sasuke put on his indifferent mask, trying to avoid unwanted attention. He shifted his focus to the small group that followed Orochimaru and matched their faces with the profiles in his memory. The one at the right was Manda, to the left was the person who fetched them: Kimimaro, the one pushing Karin forward was Kabuto…
He scanned the group once more. No sign of pink.
They stopped a few paces out the doorway and settled a trembling Karin beside Orochimaru.
Kizashi stepped forward. "Where's Sakura?"
"My, my… Is that how you greet an old friend, Kizashi?" Orochimaru gave a smile too pleasant for the setting. "It's been a while, hasn't it? How long has it been? 23, 24 years since you ruined my life? No worries, I hold no grudge… as long as your money can compensate for it. After all, what are friends for?"
"Where is my daughter?"
"Ah… You want to skip our little reunion." The smile transformed into a cold line. "Change of plans. The ransom's doubled."
Kizashi froze. "But I only have the initial money."
"Then I will give you 24 hours for the other half. Tonight, you can only retrieve the Uzumaki in exchange of the money you currently have."
Visible veins enveloped Sasuke's fists. The war inside him proved to be more difficult to contain. Fortunately, Kizashi stated the obvious.
"That's unfair. Why haven't you called earlier to inform us?"
Orochimaru shrugged. "It just came to me now. Since we caught a bonus hostage, we might as well take advantage."
"But you said the money would be enough for both of them."
"I changed my mind; I need more. Besides, I'm not the only one who's playing unfair here, am I?" He pointedly glanced at Sasuke. "You're supposed to come on your own, but you brought a bodyguard. Don't assume I'm oblivious to the squad outside this building either. I warned you, Kizashi; I will know if you misbehave."
"I need security from your people."
Orochimaru laughed while some of his goons followed his lead. "I don't blame you for not taking my word. I'll be lenient about all these for now, but I won't promise the same for tomorrow. Don't test my patience."
The Haruno's shoulders remained rigid, his fists mimicking Sasuke's. "I understand."
"Kabuto." Orochimaru called, his eyes still on Kizashi. "Let go of the girl and let her walk towards them."
Karin started crossing the distance, her footsteps unsteady from her trembling form, hands still bound at the back. Her lips pursed to repress sobs, cheeks wet from continuous tears, and eyes downcast on the ground.
As soon as she was in reach, Sasuke untied her hands and supported her shoulders to steer her towards the car. However, Karin stayed in place and raised her head to face Kizashi.
"I'm so sorry, uncle Kizashi." She whimpered. "I didn't know, I swear. I'm sorry."
The Haruno didn't look her way. "Get in the car, Karin."
She started sobbing as Sasuke guided her into the backseat.
"Just leave the money there." Orochimaru said. "Remember, Kizashi, I still have your daughter. I'm hoping you at least conformed to the part about keeping the police out of this. I can find that out if I want to; I have connections. You wouldn't want to upset me now, would you?"
Sasuke slammed the door, and the car jolted with a 4.0 magnitude man-made quake. He stood right next to the driver side door, unable to go beyond that point without snatching the pistol from his holster and aiming it at Orochimaru.
Kizashi left the two large duffle bags beside one column, stepped backwards, and climbed into the passenger seat. Once the Haruno was inside the car, Sasuke followed suit. He forced himself to start the engine and maneuver the car out of the basement, still outraged about the – yet again – unexpected change of plans.
Shit. Why didn't he tell me? I need to call him soon… Hang on, Sakura.
The room had become quieter without Karin. Sakura didn't have anyone to talk to and counting the pieces of saw dust wasn't as entertaining as it had been. It now contributed to drowsiness; the same way as counting imaginary sheep jumping over a fence would put someone to sleep.
That one never worked for her though. She found it hard to imagine a sheep's jump. Would it resemble a horse's jump? Now she imagined a horse. Or a dog's? Now she saw a dog. Before she could picture how a jumping sheep would look like, she would have already fallen asleep. Well in that regard, it did work for her.
Air rushed into Sakura's nostrils, collected in her lungs, and freed itself through her open mouth to complete a yawn. Even though she was left behind, Sakura was still glad that Karin had been rescued. The exchange may have been dangerous, but she prayed it wasn't anywhere near the event she had experienced with Sakumo-san.
The door creaked open and alerted her senses. A tray of food in a pair of hands came into view, followed by her new caretaker. He nudged the door closed, walked over, and placed the tray on the ground right before her. He then moved to unbind her hands, so she could eat on her own.
All the while, Sakura kept her eyes on the man who appeared to be avoiding her gaze. She felt like she had seen him before, but she couldn't point out exactly where and when. Maybe it was just the man's dark eyes, which was the most common eye color she had encountered. Like a while ago, she dismissed the thought as another déjà vu brought by the memories of Orochimaru.
She turned her attention to the bowl of steaming instant ramen on the tray, and with lightning speed, Naruto trespassed her head. How many minutes or seconds could Naruto finish this? One thing was for sure, she didn't plan to beat his record. Sakura picked up the chopsticks and started eating in a leisurely pace.
Manda's replacement remained standing beside her, watching her every move. As she felt his gaze, Sakura fidgeted and willed herself to focus on the ramen. The awkward silence waited for the bowl to be half empty before she cleared her throat.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Sakura kept her head down and waited for the chopsticks to complete three revolutions along the bowl's rim.
"Go ahead." His deep voice made her eyebrows move up in a slight surprise. She hadn't expected him to give a positive response.
"How did the… negotiation went?"
"Successful. They handed Karin and got the money in return."
"Was anyone hurt?"
"Not that I know of. If it helps, there seems to be no sign of a fight."
"Oh. That's good." Sakura nodded to herself, grateful that Karin, her dad and Sasuke were all safe. She still couldn't believe that her dad came here in person. For the first time, he confronted the kidnappers face to face. He was willing to risk his life in order to save her.
Sakura's throat tightened. Wasn't that enough proof that he did care?
Could she, perhaps, conclude the same for Sasuke? He was probably there to protect her dad. That was his job after all. But a big question mark covered that assumption: Weren't Kakashi and Iruka her dad's bodyguards?
Manda's replacement strode over to the door all of a sudden, breaking Sakura's problem solving. She glanced at the tray.
Would he leave it here? Maybe he doesn't want to talk some more.
He opened the door and stepped through the crack, one hand still on the doorknob. It almost looked like he was scanning the hallway. To her surprise, he stepped back and closed the door again. Then he strode over to her and crouched down to meet her eyes.
"I'll get you out of here."
The chopsticks fell and clattered onto the plastic bowl, her hand frozen in place. Did she hear that right?
"Why?" She whispered.
He raised a brow, genuine curiosity in his eyes. "Do you want to stay?"
"No! Of course not. What I meant to say was… why would you do that?"
"This is not the time for explanations. All I can assure you is that I'm not on Orochimaru's side."
He definitely was speaking in a foreign language, and Sakura had to squint to make sense of his words. "Then why are you working for him?"
"I'm not… and I am. It's a bit complicated, but that's not our concern at the moment. As I've said; explanations could wait."
"Well I want to hear them now."
He shut his eyes and took a deep measured breath. "We can't waste that much time. So could you just cooperate and listen to my instructions?"
Could she risk believing this guy's words? What if he came up with this scheme for his own benefit? He might manage to get her out and then kidnap her all the same. That way, he could demand ransom from both Orochimaru and her dad.
Sakura stared back at him, studying his reaction. "How do I know you're not bluffing?"
"That's up for you to decide." No significant movement registered on his face. "Do you have any further questions?"
"Actually, I'm wondering if–"
"Let me revise that: Are you prepared to cooperate?"
Was she? But she didn't know him. Would she gamble for it or continue waiting in this room? The latter was more unappealing. She didn't want her dad or Sasuke to come back here and put themselves in danger again because of her. And she could avoid that if she preferred to escape now rather than just sit here for another set of hours. But still, this man was a stranger.
Sakura bowed her head and the glint of silver on her chest blurred all doubts. The clenched-fist pendant on her necklace sucker punched her gut and mind, making her realize how cowardly she had been acting. Didn't she vow to face the kidnappers and beat them up herself? That was the purpose of all those trainings!
She had resigned from being a princess a long time ago and she embraced to be the monster. Right in front of her was the opportunity to fight back, to escape from the kidnappers' grasp, and she couldn't let this chance slip away. It was settled then. She would choose to trust this man and she didn't care if it was a mistake or not. As long as she stood her ground against those kidnappers, that was more than enough.
With renewed determination, Sakura raised her head and gazed at the man. "All right. I'll cooperate with you."
He explained the mechanics of her escape and Sakura was all ears. He said they would have to wait until later that night before they could make a move, since the kidnappers wouldn't be fully alert by that time. They would be either too drowsy or lazy to check for the source of the slightest noise.
When the man finished, he took the tray and tied her hands back – just in case anyone happened to pass by and check on her. He said the next time he'd show up; they could proceed with their objective.
So once again, that left Sakura all alone in the confines of this room. But now she didn't mind. She would leave this place in a matter of hours or minutes or seconds. She could do something to get out of this situation. Hope tickled her skin and sent a rush of thrill over her; the same feeling she had when she sneaked out of their house.
But what if one of the kidnappers caught sight of her? Was she strong enough to fight them physically?
Then she remembered Sasuke's words in one of her aikido lessons. 'You're exerting too much strength. That's insignificant. The movements only require minimum physical strength. It's more about blending with your attacker's motion and redirecting its force. Don't counter the force with another force. Observe the rhythm and intent of your attacker, formulate a strategy, and act on it.'
Sakura frowned. Those principles were only applied in aikido, and Sasuke himself mentioned the martial art's techniques weren't ideal to use in an actual fight. It was designed to enhance one's discipline and decision-making skills, just like some other forms of martial arts.
She couldn't apply that principle in fighting those kidnappers… right? Surely she would need a huge amount of strength, considering how bulky most of them were.
As if in answer, Tsunade's words came to her. 'Strong will is the true measure of strength.'
Sakura stared at the far wall; she had a feeling those two quotations were interrelated, but she couldn't exactly point out the connection. She spent the following hours molding those two puzzle pieces to fit each other. Before she even realized it, the door already swung inward and Manda's replacement entered the room.
"It's time." He reminded her to stick to their plan before he started unbinding her wrists. While he was doing the same for her ankles, Sakura decided to say the very first question she should have asked him a while ago.
"Who are you?"
He glanced at her and continued with his task. "You'll find out soon."
"Very unique… but it's kinda awkward if I call you that. You have any nick name?"
He didn't look at her, but she swore he had rolled his eyes. Once the rope was undone, he threw it aside, stood up, and extended a hand to her. Sakura took it before rising on her feet. Her legs wobbled as they regained their function, the leg muscles adjusting from almost a day of sitting on the floor. Not to mention her numb gluteus maximus.
Sakura marched in place. "I think I need to do some stretching first."
He let her do just that as he waited by the door. When she turned to him, he stared back with impatience.
"Ready?" He said.
Sakura walked over to the pile of used lumbers and picked-up a steady 2x4 that was about 2 feet long. Then she turned to face him once again, eyes filled with resolve.
"Let's kick some ass."
So far, they hadn't encountered any of Orochimaru's men.
He managed to hide Sakura in a safe location and he hoped she could stay there for the life of her. The girl could tend to be impatient and just wouldn't run out of questions. Hadn't she heard the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat'?
He shook his head and paced down the hallway. Now that the Haruno was out of direct harm, he could confront someone without restriction.
He paused by a door and knocked. "It's me."
After hearing the invitation from the other side, he turned the knob and stepped into the room.
Just like any other space in the building, this too was unfinished: unpainted walls, rough concrete floor and air ducts at the ceiling. A suspended bulb lit the room. A desk and a mono-block chair were the only furniture, and both were occupied by Orochimaru, who was currently counting the money he had just acquired.
The said man didn't look up from flipping bill after bill and arranging them in stacks on the table. "What brings you here? Are there any problems with our dear Sakura-chan?"
He closed the door behind him and settled before the desk, staring down at Orochimaru. "Everything's fine."
"Then you must be here to get your portion of the money? I suppose you are entitled to receive it in advance, since you've completed the most delicate task."
As he glared at Orochimaru, he crept one hand to his lower back and gripped for the pistol tucked there. Without hesitation, he grabbed the metal and aimed it at the criminal's forehead faster than a heartbeat. Then he loaded the gun, its clicking sound reverberating in the room.
Orochimaru paused, head still down. "What's the meaning of this, Kishimoto?"
He smirked. "Hn. The name's not Kishimoto. It's Uchiha… Uchiha Itachi. Does it ring a bell?"
…
…
…
A ten year-old Itachi sat beside his father at a backyard. The vacation house belonged to the old man they just met a few weeks ago, Sarutobi Hiruzen. In the middle of school semester, the old man invited their family to fly here at Ame. What was more puzzling for Itachi was that his parents actually agreed to it, considering their strict policy when it came to schooling. He scowled. He had a Science project to finish and if he didn't do so, his straight A record could be broken.
The afternoon breeze made the tree leaves rustle, but his father's voice rose above it.
"Itachi, your mother and I will fly back to Konoha this weekend. You and Sasuke would have to stay here for a while."
He turned to him with raised eyebrows. "Why can't we go with you, otousan?"
"It's for your own good. I need to settle some problem at work, so I wouldn't be home often. It's best if you're with Sarutobi-san for the time being. Once the problem is resolved, we'd come back here for you."
"What about school?"
Fugaku sighed. "We'll worry about that later."
Itachi stared at him, disbelieving. Was this person his father? The problem he spoke of must be important enough that he could look past his sons' education.
The person with the same face and voice as his father continued. "Just remember that whatever happens, stay close to Sarutobi-san. He would know what to do. But take note: do not completely rely on him at all times. Although you're still ten, you should know–"
"Yes, I know. 'I'm never too young to look after myself.' You always say that."
"Because that is the truth. Maturity is not dependent on the number of years you've been living. Age is merely an excuse for avoiding responsibilities; and as my first son, you cannot have such an excuse. Remember that you have to be independent and be a leader for your brother. You can't take care of Sasuke if you can't do the same for yourself."
Itachi crossed his arms over the chest. "That's a given."
Fugaku patted his son's shoulder, a proud smirk on his lips.
…
…
The airport's departure lounge wasn't as crowded as the shops they had passed by. Itachi stood there with Mikoto and Sasuke, staring at his father who was having a conversation with Hiruzen at the far corner.
"Okaasan! Are we going to fly again?" Sasuke cheered beside him.
Their mother crouched down to Sasuke's eye level and explained the situation. Itachi just shook his head. He'd told his mother to say it earlier, but she didn't want to ruin Sasuke's excitement when he heard they would drive to the airport. What was it about seven year olds and airports? Or was it just his little brother?
The two older men joined them not long after. Hiruzen stood at Sasuke's other side while his father turned to face the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Mikoto, are you certain about your decision to go with me? You know you don't need to. I can handle the situation on my own."
"We've talked about this, Fugaku. We will resolve this problem together. We've gone this far in protecting our family. Your parents and brother are mine as well, and I want to protect them too… them and…" She turned to the two brothers. "our sons…"
"It's entirely my fault. I trusted the wrong guy. If only I hadn't allowed that ungrateful bastard–"
"Fugaku." Mikoto gave a warning look and glanced at Sasuke.
Itachi rolled his eyes. Apparently, foul language wasn't allowed around his brother. Well, shit.
"My apologies. I got carried away." Fugaku sighed and faced Sasuke. "When we get back to Konoha together, I want to see you top that exam you've been reviewing with your okaasan. Only then, will I agree to accompany you on that year-end fieldtrip." His eyes shifted to Itachi. "We'll be going now. You're never too young to look after yourself. Remember what I told you the other day. Make me proud."
Itachi nodded, while Sasuke grinned and copied his action – although in exaggeration.
"I will otousan!" The youngest Uchiha said.
Mikoto squeezed Sasuke's arms and gave a soft smile. "We love you." Then she leaned forward to kiss both of his cheeks and engulf him in a bone crushing hug, which he gladly reciprocated.
"I love you too, okaasan."
Mikoto pulled back to look at Sasuke and then at Itachi. "Take care you two… Itachi, have more patience with your little brother, okay? We won't be around to tame his little tantrums."
"Just come back soon." And then his mother did all that mushy stuff to him as well.
Their parents had boarded the plane, and the brothers were currently waiting for it to pass by. Their eyes were fixed at the runway, the wire-mesh fence filtering the view. Sasuke had managed to convince Hiruzen to let them stay and observe the planes flying off. So they waited beside a road parallel to the runway, just next to the airport's boundary.
Itachi and Sasuke stood side by side, backs leaning against Hiruzen's car. The old man settled on the passenger side, with the door opened at full swing to also give him an open view.
"There! You see that? That's the plane where your parents are in." Hiruzen pointed at the plane that had just started travelling the runway.
Itachi eyed the airplane's smooth movement from one end of the long road to the other. He wondered what his father's problem was; he should have asked. He wondered if he could've helped; he should have offered to. He wondered: When would his parents come back?
The plane started taking off.
BOOM!
And he stopped wondering.
Itachi could only stare at the sight. A cloud of flames covered the airplane; red, yellow, orange, and black molded together to consume the white. The flames glued themselves to the metal as it smashed back to earth with a resounding crash.
Then his mind resumed working. Sasuke!
He turned to his little brother and raised a hand to cover the boy's eyes.
…
…
After the accident, Hiruzen gained custody of the two brothers. He moved with them to Otogakure, where he said his permanent residence was located. He enrolled them into a new school and tried to make them as comfortable as possible. Itachi learned that Hiruzen worked for a secret investigation agency, but he had yet to ask more about the old man's connection to his father.
One summer, Hiruzen had a day off and spent it at home. They had just finished lunch and were putting away the dishes when Itachi brought out the topic.
"Sarutobi-san, I've been thinking, how did you meet our parents?" He muttered, since Sasuke was in the living room and the mention of their parents could still make him grieve. Itachi felt the same, but he had accepted the fact that it was out of anyone's control. It was an accident.
Hiruzen started washing the dishes. "Umm… How do I say this…? You see… I have a feeling you're going to throw that question one of these days–"
A loud shattering sound came from the living room, making them break their conversation and run to the source of the noise. Sasuke stood by a broken window, a baseball in one hand.
"Someone threw this from outside." He said.
Itachi strode over and pulled him away from the glass shards on the floor. "Are you hurt?"
"No."
The doorbell rang, and Hiruzen checked to see who it could be. When he swung the door open, a blonde kid with a sheepish grin and a bump on the forehead greeted him.
"Good morning, sir!"
"Afternoon."
"Oh yeah. Uh..." He took a deep breath. "I was on the sidewalk and on my way home when I saw some kids playing baseball so I asked 'hey, can I play with you?' and they said 'no, we don't play with strangers' and then they threw the ball at me and I got so mad, so I took the ball and run with it 'til I lost sight of them and then I threw it somewhere else and I'm so sorry it hit your window!"
Hiruzen blinked… and smiled. "All right, I accept your apology for the broken window. But I have some company whom you should also apologize to. Sasuke?"
Said boy moved to stand beside him, followed by Itachi.
The blonde gasped, pointing a finger at the younger Uchiha. "Hey, you're a kid!"
"And you're an idiot."
Itachi nudged Sasuke's arm. "Language."
Hiruzen turned to the kid, who now donned a scowl. "He didn't mean that. His name's Sasuke and this is his brother, Itachi… I've never seen you before. Are you new here?"
The grin returned. "I'm just on vacation with the old man. Oops! Sorry, no offence. We stay in a house right down the street. Jiraiya's relatives are there. Oh, and I'm Naruto."
Hiruzen managed to convince Sasuke into playing with Naruto outside, while he and Itachi finished the dishes and cleaned up the broken glass. When they were done, Itachi took that as a cue to have a proper conversation with Hiruzen at the dining table.
"You know the company your father worked at, right?"
Itachi nodded. "Uwabami Corporation."
"Yes… Well, he called our agency to report a case of drug dealing under that company. That's how I met him."
His father was involved in an illegal business? The shock must be evident on his face, because Hiruzen explained it further.
"Fugaku hadn't been aware of the secret operations when he started working there. He was an accountant in the Product Distributions Division, and he'd been noticing discrepancies in his auditing. He'd developed suspicions, so he tried checking one of the boxes that was ready for delivery. And he discovered cocaine in some product packages. At that time, he tried quitting the job, but someone saw what he did and they couldn't let him resign with his newfound knowledge. They even went as far as… threatening to kill his family."
Itachi's throat dried out, he couldn't imagine his authoritarian father giving in to someone else's power. "So that was the problem he'd been talking about."
Hiruzen folded his hands on the table. "Yes, and that was the reason why he contacted our agency. It had taken years before he finally decided to do that. He'd even chosen to stay away from your grandparents and uncle, so they wouldn't get involved. But he worried more when you and your brother started growing up. He didn't want to keep on sustaining you with 'dirty' money, so he sought for our help."
"Does the vacation to Ame have anything to do with this 'help'?"
"Yes, it has. Your father was willing to take part in our operation to arrest the drug lord. In exchange, he wanted us to keep you and your brother safe. The plan was for him to take a few days off from work, fly with his family to Ame, meet me there, and then leave you and your brother to my care while he and Mikoto would return to Konoha, where some of our agents were waiting to assist them. We made it appear that you two had boarded the plane with them to cover up your true location. According to the airport's records, you and Sasuke were inside that bombed airplane. So technically… you two are dead."
Numbness settled in Itachi's mind and body, he couldn't figure out how to react to that. How come Hiruzen hadn't told this to them right away? Did he think some kids wouldn't understand all these? Or was it because he thought they're still mourning for their loss? His parents… were dead. And technically, so were him and Sasuke.
Itachi found words. "If our location should be a secret, then what about our school records here at Otogakure?"
"This city is distant from Ame and is significantly a larger one. If anyone attempts to find you, they'd start at the place where Fugaku was last seen. It also helped that there are a number of Uchihas all over Japan, and most of them weren't directly related to you. But just to be safe, we asked your school to keep your records confidential. We also made sure that your names appeared in the Obituary section of every newspaper, especially in Konoha."
All the information took some time to sink in for Itachi. He and his brother didn't exist anymore in the public's eye. What everyone knew was that they were inside the bombed airplane…
Something's wrong with that picture.
He raised his eyes to Hiruzen once more, aware of the boiling discomfort in his gut. "You said the plane was bombed. It wasn't an accident?"
The old man stroked his grayish goatee, an action he often did when he felt nervous. "The plane crash… was intentional. Weeks before your father contacted our agency, he turned to the local police first… but they didn't believe his complain. So Fugaku called us instead. The thing is… this drug lord from Uwabami Corp is associated with one police officer; and through that informant, he found out that Fugaku was starting to turn against him. Our own investigations pointed to the drug lord, Orochimaru, as the person responsible for the plane bombing. Our theory is that he'd chosen to… to take care of Fugaku's rebellion through a 'plane crash,' because more citizens would get involved; and accordingly, the percentage of him being a suspect would be low."
"…Is he in jail?" Itachi asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry to say that we don't have any concrete evidence against Orochimaru, so we couldn't arrest him for those charges. His underlings did all the dirty work for him. The intent for targeting your father isn't supported either. Fugaku was the only willing informant we had for the drug dealing operations, and he's the only person who could help us gather proof that Orochimaru is in fact a drug lord. Furthermore, our agency cannot disclose this information to others, and we cannot continue the case unless otherwise petitioned. Again… I'm sorry."
Itachi's vision blurred, along with his former acceptance of the death of his parents. Strips of warm liquid ran down his cheeks. He could feel it through his pounding chest, tangled mind, inverted stomach, and damped skin: the birth of rage within him.
From that time onwards, he vowed to seek justice for his parents.
…
…
"Sir." Itachi answered the call.
"Any news?" Came a low thickly voice from the other line.
"Negative. They're currently in the mansion, including the target."
"Okay. Call me back if you made any progress. Take note of any possible openings. We can work that to our advantage."
"Got it."
"Good. Just make sure you remain unnoticed." The caller hung up without warning.
Itachi continued staring out the windshield as a satisfied smirk crept on his face. "That's my specialty."
After graduating from High School, he had decided to join Hiruzen's investigation agency. He had worked his way into becoming an undercover agent until he was capable of reopening his father's case. He had volunteered to be the informant.
Now, at one year within the illegal organization, he was gaining the drug lord's trust. He had been compliant with all the organization's affairs, being under the command of Orochimaru's underlings and never seeing him face to face. But judging from the current task Orochimaru had directly given to him, he was making progress. The drug lord started having confidence in him.
He had made himself stand out: Stage one completed. Next, he had to be trusted enough to lead one of the drug transactions. The goal to apprehend Orochimaru was just beginning.
The gates Itachi had been keeping his eyes on finally swung open. A black luxurious car, with all its tinted windows shut, emerged onto the roadway. He took note of its number plate before revving up his own engine. As soon as the gates closed, he let go of the brake and stepped on the accelerator.
"Let the mission begin."
…
…
The window slid up to a close. Itachi clutched the steering wheel and stepped on the accelerator. Charcoal eyes glanced at the rearview mirror to look at Orochimaru on the backseat, who was wiping the tip of his gun with a handkerchief.
"That was necessary. We couldn't risk being found out just because of a newbie's stupidity."
"Well, that was a shame. I admit he showed more than what we gave him credit for." Answered Kabuto, who was sitting on the passenger side.
"He knew the consequences. He failed, so he dies."
"That was close though, we almost had her."
A dark sneer marked Orochimaru's face. "That's all right… There's always a next time."
…
…
"You're being unfair. Why can't I take part in this?"
Itachi sighed and shot an indifferent stare at Sasuke's murderous glare. "Because you're a new agent and this case is too dangerous for you."
"New? I've been training for almost two years and I'm still not getting any missions. I think you have something to do with it."
"Do I?" Itachi reveled in the scowl on his little brother's face. Such a rare sight these days.
He declared himself guilty on that one. Itachi did meddle a bit with the cases, advising the head investigator to not yet assign missions for Sasuke. Itachi had a good reason – he had to look after his little brother.
Sasuke continued glaring at him. "I'm not a kid anymore. You can't decide for me. I want to be in on this case and help bring that criminal behind bars. I can't just sit back and watch you do all the work. You're not the only one who swore to avenge for our parents."
'You're never too young to look after yourself.' His father's words echoed in his head. Somehow, Itachi had forgotten that those words also applied to Sasuke – the little brother who wasn't so little anymore… not even close. Itachi refused to think about his own age and turned to Sasuke.
"Fine. You want to help? We need an agent to undercover as a bodyguard." He tossed the folder he had been holding onto Sasuke's side of the table. "The Harunos are in need of a new one, and this is where you step in. You'll play the part until we capture Orochimaru. Your objective is to gather as much information as you can regarding the daughter's whereabouts and forward them to me, while I do the same for Orochimaru's plans and notify you about them."
Sasuke raised a brow, scanning the folder's contents. "The rationale?"
"We can avoid the kidnapping and focus on our main objective. The less innocent persons are involved in our operation, the better. Orochimaru's set on kidnapping Haruno Kizashi's daughter to raise money for his business expansion. His current project is to build a casino, so he's resorting to other means of earning cash. Recently, he just made an attempt to kidnap the Haruno; but their guards managed to stop it."
"Why hire a new bodyguard when they already have much?"
"They lost one in the last kidnapping attempt. His name's Uchiha Obito."
Sasuke's eyes ripped away from the folder and searched his. "A relative?"
"He's otousan's younger brother… our uncle."
…
…
"They're going to install additional CCTV cameras around the house. I'll let you know if there're any blind spots." Came Sasuke's voice from the phone.
"Okay, I guess I'll just have to park at a distance for now." Itachi said, maneuvering the car to turn at a block. He was still carrying out the task Orochimaru had given him: to spy on the Harunos' daily activities. "How are you faring in there?"
"Fine."
"And from where are you making this call?"
"Behind a garden shed."
Itachi frowned. "Always be on guard. Remember, our cover couldn't be exposed. Removing my name in your records is just one precaution, just in case, but we wouldn't want to let things get there. Choose a more private space when you call me next time. You should also stick to your modified background when talking with anyone in that house."
"Yes, I know." The cellphone didn't filter the annoyance in his little brother's tone.
"Has anyone noticed you're making calls often?"
"No one, so far."
"Good. I think we should limit our calls from now on, especially if you're having them in the open."
"…"
Itachi took that as a scowl, making him smirk in return. "By the way, Kizashi's unexpected arrangement seems favorable to us. It's more convenient for you to keep track of the Haruno girl's movements, since you have been assigned as her temporary bodyguard."
"Hn. Even better… I'm now the permanent."
"Well that's good news. But why do I have a feeling there's more to your satisfaction? Continue that, little brother, and you'll get attached to her."
"I won't."
"Just keep in mind that you have a mission to fulfill."
"I know that."
"But if you want to start a mission of your own with the Haruno, I won't get in the wa–"
"Bye." And Sasuke hung up on him.
He let his smirk linger and shook his head. It was rare for Sasuke to acknowledge the positive in a given situation. His little brother had indeed grown up.
Itachi refused to think about his own love life.
…
…
Itachi stopped at one door and knocked, before turning the knob and stepping inside the room. Two charcoal eyes scanned the area.
A long table for twelve persons was set at the center of the dimly lit space. Most of the seats were occupied while some persons were standing at the sides. Everyone turned to his direction, but his eyes remained on the person at the end of the table. Thrilled black eyes against sickly pale skin stared back at him.
"Orochimaru-sama."
"Ah… Here's my jack of all trades. How's everything going at the mansion?"
He smirked. "They don't have a clue."
…
…
"They will be on the move tomorrow." Itachi said, a cellphone on one ear, eyes at the Haruno mansion gates. He was inside a car, parked at the blind spot Sasuke had told him about. "Two cars would chase after you on the way home from school. Evade them as much as possible. Study the roadways around Konoha and device an optimum escape route."
"I'll do that. How many are they?" Sasuke said.
"Four would be in the van and two inside the sedan. If they managed to catch up with you, dispose of them immediately. We couldn't risk them figuring out that someone's thwarting their plans from the inside. And seeing you in person and up close might intrigue them."
"You're over-thinking. You adopted a different name. Moreover, I don't look like you."
Itachi smirked. "I agree; your appearance is certainly inferior to mine. But even if I've changed my name, the less attractive features of my face could still resemble your best ones. It's better to be cautious. Just do as I say."
"Hn. Delusional. What do you think Orochimaru would do next?"
"That criminal is unpredictable, but I'll convince him to continue observing the Harunos from afar. That should minimize the kidnapping attempts."
…
…
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Kabuto is an ambitious individual. I could tell he wants to take my place and he's hungry for power, but I won't grant him an ounce of it. I don't trust him. I know you're busy, but one call to the others won't hurt. Go and rely my orders to them. Is that clear?"
"Yes." Very clear. I've become the right-hand man.
"Good. You're dismissed."
Itachi stood up and walked to the door, assuring himself that all these were for his parents. Because even though the plane bombing incident had happened years ago, the culprit hadn't been arrested yet. And this organization was the only way to get to that person… to that criminal.
"One more thing."
Orochimaru's voice made him pause directly in front of the door and turn to look back.
"This conversation never happened."
"Hn."
…
…
*Ring…* *Ring…* *Beep* "What?" Sasuke growled in answer.
In a bad mood? "Hn. Little brother."
"What is it? Just talk already. Dammit."
"Language. You haven't called in weeks to give me an update. Start at the time when you went to Yama. You know I couldn't follow you there. I would be too obvious if I trail your van along the highway. How was the trip?"
"…"
Itachi took that as a scowl. "Sasuke…"
"It was uneventful. We just hiked. That's all."
"No one got harmed? Nothing that could be of disadvantage to us and beneficial for Orochimaru?"
"I was injured, but it's healed now."
His 'older brother mode' activated. "What? Injured where? How did that happen?"
"That's not important."
"What kind of injury was it? Did you let a doctor examine it? Were you treated properly?"
"I'm fine now."
Itachi sighed; expect his little brother to torture him with worry. "Just be more careful then."
"Yeah."
"How's your cover going? Does Kakashi still doubt you?"
"Don't even remind me. The old man's bothering Naruto this time. And the dobe's starting to get curious."
"Why don't you tell Naruto?"
"What?"
"He's your friend, right? If you explain our mission to him, he might even help you keep your cover."
"You think I should?"
"I'm not in the position to answer that. Here's what I can say: If you think you trust Naruto, then you can tell him. Besides, your mission will be over soon."
"…What do you mean?"
"Orochimaru just assigned a drug transaction under my lead, and our conversation had been recorded. That's the solid evidence we need, little brother. Once I record the trade and get a few drug samples, we'll send them to the headquarters and carefully plan an arrest. We can finally accomplish our mission and achieve justice."
"Hn. I can't wait to see him in jail."
"Me too. I will be quite busy for the following days, so Kabuto and I would have to take shifts in keeping track of the Harunos. I'll message you if he's taking over, so you can be more alert. He's more devious than how he seems to be."
…
…
Itachi glanced at his watch. 10:01 PM. His shift would end by midnight, and then he would have to supervise the 'deliveries' at Uwabami Corp. That would be the last set of drug-filled packages they needed to transport before he could claim the remaining half of the purchaser's fee. Since he was in charge, the money should be handed to him directly. So he would have to come along with the delivery truck to the destination out of town.
A familiar car slowed down beside his and occupied the parallel parking slot in front of him. Itachi stared at its plate number.
He's a little too early.
The driver side door opened. Kabuto stepped out, walked over to him and knocked on the window.
Itachi lowered the glass halfway. "You're supposed to be here at 5 AM."
"I'll take over from here. Orochimaru-sama said the delivery time's changed to 1 AM. You need to be there early to double check the packages."
"I can do that in 30 minutes. I'll stay here until 12."
Kabuto smiled. "You're so full of yourself, aren't you? Just because Orochimaru-sama saw you as trustworthy, doesn't give you the power to make your own rules. I've been watching you, Kishimoto. And I believe Orochimaru-sama made the wrong choice of trusting you."
Itachi smirked; two could play at this game. "I could say the same for you. If you're that insistent on regaining your position, you can ask nicely. I find it a responsibility to help the underprivileged. I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you the chance to start redeeming yourself. I'll let you take my shift."
Then he closed the window and drove off.
…
…
Damned that Kabuto.
A pair of charcoal eyes narrowed; their owner striding down the length of a paved ramp. He had the mission under control, but in one single blink, everything was ruined. Their plan was put to waste just because that Kabuto acted on his own and kidnapped Sakura behind his back.
Itachi should have insisted on keeping watch until midnight, but then that would raise more suspicions about him. That brought no significance at this point, what's done was done. Blaming anyone wouldn't alter the previous events, but getting revenge would definitely alleviate its effects.
The plan had been rushed. This arrest wasn't supposed to happen yet. And not like this – not with innocents involved. He did try to avoid the kidnapping earlier, but he was too late. He had found out too late, he had called Sasuke a second too late, and Kizashi was informed too late.
…
…
…
Orochimaru finally looked up and stared at him with horror-filled eyes. "You're… Fugaku's son? But how…? You're dead."
"As you can see, I'm not. But you will be. You and your sick organization."
The leader's eyes narrowed. "The Uchiha bodyguard… He's your brother. I should have known. You altered his information – the reason why he has a different family background."
"Hn. You're the one who ordered me to have a background check on him."
"That was because he's Sakura-chan's bodyguard, and you were keeping the Haruno under surveillance." Orochimaru paused; comprehension melted in his dark eyes before he started laughing – a cold humorless sound. "I understand. All this time, I've been feeding a snake and I wasn't aware of it. Don't tell me Fugaku's alive, too?"
"Shut up." Itachi's grip tightened on the gun handle. This criminal didn't have the right to mention his father's name.
"Ah… I see what this is. You're up for revenge, aren't you? A son, who suffered from the death of his father… If I remember clearly, your mother was also in that plane crash… all of you, in fact. It was the perfect way to get rid of your nosy father. I don't know how you survived, but isn't it a torture that you're alive?"
"Shut up." Itachi's knuckles turned white. He could feel it through his pounding chest, tangled mind, inverted stomach, and damped skin: the full-grown rage within him.
"You've been bearing hatred and anguish all throughout your life. You must have greatly anticipated for this moment. Go ahead. You want to kill me, right? Suffice your vengeance. But I doubt if that would be enough for you. You know it too, don't you? …That my death will not bring your parents back to life."
"Shut Up!" Itachi pulled the trigger.
After the loud gunshot, the dent on the side wall, and the slow creep of a smile on Orochimaru's face; Itachi realized his mistake.
He just alerted everyone in the building.
A/N:
This is 2x the length of the usual chapters. I thought about cutting it into two but... oh well.
