Silent's Author's Note:

This is the next chapter to Callous Objectives. As you all may know, my fellow writer and partner in this fic, MelissaKS has written the first chapter, and this chapter is the one proceeding it. Please enjoy, r&r, feedback is valued and genuinely appreciated.

Chapter 2

:Sasuke's Pov:

There was moister in the air, and it blew and wrestled my jet-black hair serenely. It swayed and made the trees dance and rustle with rage. The sun's rays peeked through the openings of the leaves that blanketed over us from above; none of this attracted our gaze as we kept on from tree branch to tree branch never letting up for even a breath. As we got further ahead, I noticed a change in front of us. Chakra flowing perfectly in the body from someone close by, my eyes contacting Madara's form shortly after this occurs.

I notice the others slow down after noticing my dark glare at Madara, Karin showing concern as she hovered swiftly towards me as the breeze held her above, because of the rhythm and the pattern she jumped with. Her hand dared to rest on my shoulder, but I scooted away, my shoulder diving away in mere disgust at her gesture.

Her eyebrow furrowed and her hand collapsed at my response, she looked on ahead, ignoring what had just happened. My lip creased a little, as I focused and averted my eyes at Madara once again. "We're stopping here." Came my voice, not even a pinch of tiredness affecting it, as I slanted a little towards a tree trunk to slow down my pace.

Everyone continued with my latest action, all both doing the same. Jugo had fallen behind, coming late after all of us as we all settled on the same thick tree branch to hold all of our weight. Madara tilted his head in wonder, and walked towards me like he knew exactly what was skipping through my mind at that very moment. "Your chakra reading is impressive, Sasuke." My eyebrows creased a little at hearing this coming from Madara, the breeze still taking our hair in a quiet war, thick black hair mixing with the wind for a solemn battle. "Come out, Kisame." My eyes grew a little bigger, noting that this must be someone Madara has been acquainted with. I still wondered whom.

And as Madara had mouthed this, and right on queue, a dark figure with the same attire as Madara walked out from behind a tree. He looked the same as a shark, only, in a human form. My eyes concentrated on the new person in our location, studying his actions as he made his way towards us. "Kisame, what is his business here?" Madara gave no reply, but concentrated on Kisame's way to them.

Kisame relaxed his shoulders, standing in front of Madara now and looking down at him with his towering figure. Suigetsu hunched a little, kneeling towards the floor in a break from our ongoing trip, exhaling and rubbing his forehead with two of his fingers. "Kisame… apart of Akatsuki, I recall?" A creasing tugged on Suigetsu's lip, a grin shivering onto his lips taking over the soft feature he usually took on.

"Yes. He was Itachi's partner in battle, and comrade ever sense Itachi had newly joined. He's been beside no one else, really." Madara took his stance, taking a step back one, and looked back at me, expressionless as his mask bore witness to me instead of an icy glance to respond to me other then his voice.

"I am only here by orders, as you would know… there is business we're trying to take care of. What are you doing here?" Kisame's eyebrows creased at Madara, still somehow maintaining no meaning in his face, he remained in the spot he had been all along, without moving a muscle.

"I'll explain it all later, right now, we need to explain Sasuke's plans." Everyone, including Jugo who was up against a tree slanting, with folded arms averted their gaze at me. I sighed without exasperation, stepping towards the middle of the circle we had managed to be in ever sense Kisame had introduced himself to our location. My shoes made their own song as I made it to the middle, facing Madara. "I'm curious as to how you determine to go about your revenge, Sasuke. You say you want to perish Konoha, but how do you actually plan to do this?"

My glance at Madara softened, drinking in what exactly I would say, and how just I would say it. I brushed off any tension that would be recognized in my voice, slanting a shoulder a little at the others who awaited my response. "I'll kill the elders. I haven't planned on killing anyone else."

Kisame stepped in for the first time, coming closer to both me, and Madara. Scratching the side of his mouth a little, his facial expression still remained the same, as he situated his weight to a portion of his body to make his stance more comfortable. "If you go to the more advanced, the others will protect them. Don't think this is going to be easy for you. Your "falcon" group wont be powerful enough. At the moment, you are no match for Konoha."

Suigetsu scowled at Kisame in a whisper, I recognized his lip curl in irritation at him, it was as a whisper that no one really laid their attention on. "I wouldn't quickly underestimate us if I were you, Kisame…" Kisame tilted his head to the side, giving Suigetsu his attention. "If I recall, we never did settle our little game… if I were serious…" Suigestsu's voice became a bit stern until he was cut off by Madara's calm voice.

We all focused on him now. "Stop it, Suigetsu." With Suigetsu's heavy sword, his weight shifted a little so he could charge Kisame, my eyes glaring a little at his child's play at a moment such as this. It was easily deflected by Madara, and was used with ease and poise. Suigetsu's eyes shot in surprise, shocked that he had blocked his attack with only his arm.

"Foolish idiot, this is not the place, or the time for that Suigetsu." Karin's voice put penetration on the conversation, alerting a different vibe to it. Suigetsu still glaring in an antagonizing way, as he spat his words directed at Kisame. "Kisame's always been the one I'm after, this is the only reason why I decided to join Sasuke."

Jugo chuckled pushing off from the tree he had seated and rested on, listening discreetly from the shadow beside us, scoffing in a low whisper at Suigetsu, and cocking a brow. "Sasuke, what are you gonna do?" Jugo was much more interested in what lay ahead of our journey, other then a war dispute between a shark and a vengeful young man.

"Alright, you can have your way Suigetsu. There's no way you can beat him yet, anyways." Throwing a palm to the side a little at Suigetsu, seeing him lower his gaze to the ground in agreement. Kisame smirking at my remark, and tilting his body a little to let it sink into his mind and play words in his thoughts, his sharp teeth were recognized at the side of my eye as he opened his mouth to chuckle a little.

Suigetsu sat down exasperating how the conversation ended up, huffing in disappointment at his failed attempt. "Yeah… you might be right Sasuke. Well, I'll just have to remind myself that I'll get some tasty shark fin eventually." An evil chuckle was noted by everyone listening in on Suigetsu's response to me. No one paid any attention at what it had meant.

Madara broke in to the conversation once again, like Jugo, focusing on the importance in the discussion. He seemed eager with his step forward towards me, gathering the important issues to warm me with and with the absolute sound in his voice. "Anyway, Akatsuki isn't strong enough either…" Suigetsu eagerly interrupted him, glaring irritated and smitten with reproach on Madara. " So you've got no room to speak."

Madara slanted a shoulder, continuing his speech ignoring and brushing off the remark Suigetsu shot at him. He steadied my gaze as I watched him recognizing the pitch in his voice lower as he got serious, trying to have my full-undivided attention. "Our arms coincide, now. So from this day forward, Akatsuki and Falcon shall move together." For some thought there, I realized Madara had tried hinting at this earlier on our trip towards Konoha, I hadn't really paid any of my attention till now.

"And why should we take you up on that?" I expected a much different response then I had received… "I'll give you one of the "tailed beasts". My eyes widened at this, air caught in my throat unable to respond quickly.

:Itachi's Pov:

My body itched and jerked with sudden movement, as their eyes stared burning into my body, shocked eyes scanning my condition. I winced a little quietly, trying to remain tactful and not fathomed by my current injuries. Shifting my weight to sit up, I couldn't move even an inch without wanting to scream out in bitter and astringent pain, I relented to do so and muffled back any air that would help me to bid this wish of ridding any of the caustic pain I buried within. My skin felt like it was on burning wretched fire, responding to my injuries and wounds, and paper cuts along my fingertips that I had received due to foolish mistakes I had easily made accidentally. The pain clearly winning the battle we partook in with life and death.

The dirt beneath me covered some of my infuriating wounds, making it worse for me to be in placating comfort against the tree. My knee inched up slowly, trying to straighten my back enough to face the two stricken in their very own footsteps, unable to confront me after their last words had danced in the wind. I wet my lips with my tongue, stroking my bottom lip a little as the wind bore witness to it and easily dried it shortly after. I coughed a little at the dryness of the air that itched the back of my throat; everything never failed to affect me in my difficult condition.

I heaved quietly in a prudent way, trying to make sure it was below a whisper, I knew they had studied my actions to be aware that Sasuke had played a great deal of power on me. I was vulnerable, and I could tell by the look on their faces that they were questioning whether to finish me off, or take me up on my deal. My eyes narrowed and caught site of them, their eyes widening at this as they noticed I had focused my gaze.

My hair choosing to betray and irritate me also by falling into my eyes, skinny strands tickling my nose and eyes, swaying blissfully with the wind enough for my eyes to focus on the soft locks. I ignored this, and focused on the two a few steps away from me again. "Well…?" I could tell the young girl with pink hair, the one called "Sakura" had more pity then doubt, as she scanned my body and wounds to see just how easy it would be to heal me. I could see her judging herself already if she decided to take a stand and heal me for those answers… those answers I know she was just biting herself to know already.

My lip asked me to crease into a grin; I refused and coughed a little more, getting slightly annoyed with their lack of response and futile silence that hovered over our location. I looked down giving them more time to gather words to interpret, knowing they must just be in a loss for words, as their expressions remain the same from my latest question.

"Why should we trust you wont just kill us after we heal you… how do we know we might not just as well be in danger?" Naruto took the response instead of Sakura; I could still see her questioning herself, her soft expression carrying stress and virtue to pick this choice wisely.

"Why would I want to kill you after I have already given you a portion of my power… Naruto?" I could tell the air had been caught in his throat, my point had been made and he took it bitterly. He took a step back to calm his revelation, remembering back on our little encounter before I took care of business with Sasuke.

This also triggered a memory of how I got here.

Flashback

"Where are you off to, Itachi?" Kisame stopped in his footsteps as he noticed me taking my leave.

"I have some unfinished business to take care of with Sasuke… he's waited all his life for this, and now is the time where his revenge finally occurred." Kisame's expression never faltered, he continued the same look, right about to question my actions. "But I must ask something of you, Kisame."

Kisame gave a nod in return. "If Sasuke fails to kill me once he leaves, please remove me from the scene and get me elsewhere. I have a solution on reviving my body. But I'll need your help getting there, I'm sure I'll be in no good enough condition to get there myself."

I could notice in Kisame's eyes he was questioning just what I had in mind, but otherwise, he nodded with a smirk.

"Once your chakra drains to the littlest bit, I'll be close by to notice the drain." Kisame reassured me and elegantly purified my conscience.

"Make sure you keep the rest of Akatsuki from contacting my body, I want them all to remain thinking that I'm dead." Kisame didn't fail to nod, patting my back, reminding me we were always still partners in battles with our loyalty and refuge.

"Good luck." Was the last words I remember from my fellow comrade, I gave a solemn nod in reply, taking my leave quickly after to meet Sasuke a short distance away.

End Flashback

"How do we know that your information will be accurate?" Sakura broke the silence that stilled everyone of us. I was surprised at he abrupt response, she uttered it shakily, still unsure of herself as she caught my dark gaze. Without let-up, she focused her gaze on me also, never breaking the contact.

"Because I have no reason to lie about information like this, now if you will please, heal me. There isn't much time left… my chakra is already drained practically completely, its not enough to keep me alive much longer." Sakura held herself back from running towards me and covering my wounds with her palms and sinking her healing chakra into my sore wounds, I could tell her eyes were written with worry at the chance that could get them back their lost partner. I could also see she could tell this could be betrayal, a despising crime that could disown them from their own village in utter dismay.

"Alright…" Once again, Naruto stole her reply, his voice shaky and still uncertain, but he had made his decision. My lips tried to go against my wishes and curl into a grin with confirmation of my fate, as I had been shaken and relieved that I had another chance back at life after this…. "Sense you're supposed to be dead, we'll hide you far away from here. If we keep you here, Kakashi and the rest will easily find you. We'll do it in sessions, I'm sure Kakashi wants to head back soon, if we don't find Sasuke by dusk, so we'll travel here in order to heal you properly."

I gave a nod, knowing I had to comply with whatever they chose to go about this; I indeed was the one vulnerable towards any attack they could decide to take upon me with. My lip quivered a little, one of my wounds itched eagerly to agitate in response to it, laying my head back and exhaling sharply at the feeling, as it cursed and bid me with discipline and submission, as I basically kneeled to its purpose.

Sakura looked at Naruto as in question to start. "We'll heal you enough that you are positive to live another day, we haven't much time, I'm sure Kakashi will be wandering our whereabouts soon enough…" Naruto nudged Sakura off a bit, and she stumbled a little, her legs seeming to be shaky at all this, the revelation… my condition for most part in questioning to her healing abilities.

She kneeled next to me, her scent emanating briskly around her, like an aura of perfume surrounding you in a glass box. I took it in reluctantly, such a bittersweet smell that I had only remembered in my past. She knelt farther, studying my injuries, and picking at my clothing a little to scan any gashes that might take longer then an hour or so to heal.

She settled a palm over the other, calming herself and easing the tension out of her veins and muscles trying to focus her attention of ridding the pain that coursed through every bit of me, and she started the process a few breaths later as the green chakra slipped oozing from her palms to my wounds. The pressure added to my skin, and the tension put on my aggravated lungs had started to dissipate and disappear as she began healing all of my serious imperative wounds that could've meant my life if left alone and avoided any longer then now.

"Where is he now?" Her voice interrupted my thoughts… that sweet innocent voice that didn't seem capable of murder, though I knew she must've thought of the act as she sited me half way dead on the ground and susceptible to any attack certain.

"…He must be with his team, I'm sure he's let them know of the outcome." She looked at me, as my breath seemed to hitch at my voice, exhaustion taking over as I started to get delirious, and my energy had been sapped. She added more pressure and energy to her chakra, I could tell by the eager and absolute look on her face, my eyes were also drained of energy, my gaze slowly leaving her face as my head sunk back a little, unable to stay alert, and almost not awake.

"You have to stay awake during this process, its best that you are conscious…" Her green emerald eyes assured me in my position, I never nodded, nor did I speak, I simply kept a firm gaze on her eyes, and she looked away noticing I wasn't going to answer her. I could remember that smell from anywhere, of course I could… How could I have forgotten? "Were we your only choice…?" The silence was exempt again, and this time I didn't look at her to respond.

"I thought about it before I fought Sasuke… I knew you would be around on a retrieval for him, so I chose my solutions wisely. I also had doubt that you'd actually conform…" She continued with her healing, concentrating on the bigger wounds, taking breaks in between, wiping sweat from her forehead as she focused on getting as much done as possible, and then repeating the process.

I lay back, taking in my surroundings, my fate… the current situation. Exhaling loud enough for her to hear, shifting my weight a little and letting my leg slide down, nudging her knee a little, she shuffled back slightly at this. I watched her leg move away, like I was some disgusting virus trying to trap her with my flaws, I brushed it off, renewing my gaze to the ground, my hair beginning to irritate my face once again.

:Sasuke's Pov:

My heart felt like concrete, heavy with exhaustion and fatigue, we had been traveling all day, and through the night. Though it was pitch black, our senses helped us avoid any mishap, or injury. Jugo and Karin surveyed our location, in case others happened to be wandering about, while the rest kept in a swift and quick pace. We had picked up chakra readings from time to time, but evaded any trouble, trying to focus on the mission and current task to get to the outskirts of Konoha.

Almost being contacted by another interruption, I would not allow more intermission on this task, slanting a foot forward on one of the tree branches, slowing myself down to a halt. Everyone around me immediately recognized this, doing the same shortly after, until we all ended up on the same tree branch like earlier before.

"Someone's close by… Jugo, Suigetsu, scout out the outskirts of this area, make sure we know who is in contact with us. I'm beginning to think they might know we are around here somewhere…" Madara focused his attention on me, itching at his spiky locks and resting a little by placing a palm on his kneecap, entrusting that I knew what I was doing, and being rather aware that I had sensed some disruption in the former peace. Jugo and Suigetsu both gave one nod at me, taking off after my order.

Karin tended to our supplies, while Kisame meandered around a little carelessly, checking our surroundings for anything unusual or suspicious. Madara and I were left alone; I could still strongly sense the chakra, knowing it must be nearby now. Madara scuffed at the tree branch, killing the silence with his shuffling as he shifted towards me.

His facial expression still quiet and hidden beneath that orange suspicious mask of his.

"These tailed beasts you speak of, how do you exactly propose we go about with them?" I questioned out of the settling silence, taking a step at Madara, laying an inquiry on the table regarding his motives.

My quest was short lived, when Madara responded quickly to my question, almost like he had expected this question sooner or later. And it ended up sooner… "We can easily give you these "tailed beasts", but even Akatsuki knows this wont be enough to attack Konoha… you need the mislaid beast." I cocked an eyebrow at this, speculating if he had meant what I conjectured he meant. "For years Akatsuki has built itself, vigilant and hidden under radars to congregate and assemble enough power to be inevitable against Konoha and neighboring associates to that very village. But even so, with all this building inexorable power, we still lack one tool." I had a feeling Madara would touch on this subject, lowering my head for a shadow to cover my eyes, in deep thought of his next words, I was sure he had more then a desire just to obliterate Konoha.

"This tool lies within that young boy, which was locked away into his body only at a premature age. At this time, Akatsuki wasn't even close in achieving the goal to capture and detain the tailed demon. Akatsuki was also weak at the moment, I watched their every aim at capturing this misplaced beast, and only decided to join till later when I felt Akatsuki was strong and physically more powerful enough to finish this vital and fundamental duty." Madara took a break from his explanatory speech, circling me with his hands linked behind his back, with ease and calmness emanating from his words, but virtue and determination from his beckoning stance.

"So if the "tailed beast" that you contain now is not enough… are you saying we need to capture Naruto and obtain the beast that he inherits?" My eyes narrowed at Madara as my eyebrows furrowed in wonder. Madara's shoes clicked in strides as his back faced me, his hands losing the link to slant his neck so his eye peeked through the hole, almost emphasizing a death glare.

"Its not that simple… our task wouldn't only be capturing Naruto and paralyzing him to weakness in order to obtain the demon." Madara finally slanted his entire body in order to face me, absolute heard in his voice. My thumb and index finger went to rest on my chin, rubbing it lightly, the ground still detained my gaze, searching my thoughts for the correct answer to the inclination in Madara's explanations.

"We'll have to immobilize him through death in order to obtain it…" Madara's voice grew stern and definite, as he was exact once I widened my eyes slightly, studying his stance more fully to search for a response.

:Sakura's Pov:

I felt his wrist, noting it was rather cold; I huffed exhaling after my work had nearly been completed. I felt a pool of weariness brush over me like a comb through hair, and stroked a hand through my pink locks. I placed my hands on my knees sitting upward, scanning his body once again. I could tell he was polluted, and desiccated just by the look in his eyes, the way they were barely open, his eyelids weighty and ready to close any moment now. I noticed Itachi wrinkling his nose at his hair, not even having a little energy to lift his arm and swat it away, I bit my lip softly, wondering if I should do it for him.

But what lay ahead if I touch him so suddenly? In fact it would be abrupt… and surprising if out of nowhere I choose to brush away a few strands for this disabled and damaged man's pale face. I inhaled a little sharply, but discreetly so he didn't notice. His hands shuddered in mere irritation; I can see it growing more and more bothersome and inconvenient for him. My hand shivered a little before I decided to resolute to brushing it away quickly.

"Why did you hesitate for so long…?" My eyes grew wide at hearing his low and solemn voice. His eyes looking even more swollen as they focused on me. I bit the inside of my cheek, chewing and grinding my teeth together in thought for an answer. But I remained speechless, turning away from his somber gaze, focusing on the patch on my hip, I pulled out a bottle of liquid, studying its color to make sure it was the correct one.

Sighing softly and pushing my hair over my shoulder, I turned my attention to him once again. "I'm going to nourish you this medicine now, it's to help you regain your energy, in order for you to have enough strength to walk on your own." I moved closer towards him, scraping the dirt with my knees in doing so, I tilted his forehead back, placing my other fingertips on his chin to open his mouth, the liquid slipped down his throat without any trouble, I placed the empty bottle back in my patch after finishing.

"Are you still frightened by me, Sakura?" Came his cold dry reply, I could only hear him heave from speaking, and then watched his lips move slowly to wet his throat once again.

Another reply stuck in my throat, unable to release itself on its own. I wet a cloth from my canteen and placed it on one of his dirty and parched wounds, rubbing it slightly, watching his eyes or gestures for any sign of pain… nothing. "Not frightened, just uncertain. I'm not sure what to think of you…" I never met his gaze, patting at his smaller wounds to clean them of any threat of contamination.

"Does he mean that much to you?" I halted suddenly at his striking words that hit like a needle. It was almost like it was real, all those emotions coming back at me like a crushing wave. Our eyes locked gazes, and never pulled away until Naruto's voice interrupted any future responses, our conversation short lived. I felt needy to get out from Itachi's presence.

"Sakura, Kakashi is nearby, we need to get him out of here immediately." The bushes a little ways away could be heard rustling, my eyes shot towards Itachi, widening in panic.

It felt like Kakashi appeared almost instantaneously, before we could even move a muscle to act. "Kakashi sensei!"

Our eyes shocked, our hearts hesitant and faltering to beat again. Our throats remained dry, and our hands shaky and unsure what to do. We were both shivering in our shoes, I bit my lip hard in anticipation for Kakashi to say something about this already… but nothing, and only panic and fright remained in our minds.

To be continued…

Silent