Crimson Seal - 6
No, your eyes aren't tricking you. I've uploaded two chapters for today.
A bunny sat in the dirt, licking at the pads of it's paws and then swiping them quickly across it's face, sniffing at the air the whole time.
Though it only burst into action when he purposely stepped on a twig, letting it snap beneath his foot. The bunny had sprinted off to disappear into a bush quicker than most ninja could draw and throw a kunai. If he didn't know better he would think it was hypersensitive to sound rather than smell. The only reason it must not have moved before was because it recognized him as human and was probably never chased through the woods by children. To the bunny he wasn't a predator. More like another animal, perhaps a herbivore.
To practically everyone in the ninja world though? He was undoubtedly a predator. Worse, he was a murderer. No, to them he was one of the worst murderers. That's why they fled the moment they caught sight of him. They scattered just like a rabbit would. But an actual specimen of the creature? It could care less if he was near. It didn't know about the perceptions of an entirely different species, it didn't judge him. As long as he didn't sprint toward it, make a sudden noise, or do anything reminiscent of a predator it wasn't going to stop what it was doing. He would need to be perceived as a threat, which he wasn't.
Unless he went into a village then everyone on the street did their best to stay out of his way, ducking into a house, closing the blinds. As if he was going to go after them. As if the Akatsuki would really have a contract on a random civilian. The chances of such a thing were next to zero and yet with the way they hid you had to think they were guilty of something to think someone would want them killed.
It made him wonder just what they had done to react like that. Some of them just reacted that way out of a general fear, but with others you could see how their eyes started to shift, as if trying to pinpoint the person that must have sent money to the Akatsuki. It was ridiculous. Whatever they had done could not be worse than what he or any other member of the Akatsuki had done.
The people they went after were either fellow ninjas or those in a position of power. The common people didn't have enough money to even get in contact with the Akatsuki, never mind setting up a contract for a murder.
Money was a core element that the organization was interested in, and that wasn't including Kakuzu who only joined for the money in the first place. Civilians simply had nothing to worry about, or rather they had one thing, getting caught in the cross-fire.
A sigh passed his lips as he finally emerged from the trees and into a small clearing; there was a campfire situated in the middle, two bed rolls on opposite sides of it at varying angles, a pack situated on another side. The pack was small, just barely larger than the meager fire.
Usually he wouldn't notice such a mundane detail in his own camp, but it hadn't been there when he left and he turned his head to see Kisame lounging on a rock to his far right that was pressed up against the treeline.
"Itachi," his partner greeted with a permanent growl. "Where have you been?"
He considered not answering the question. It didn't particularly matter where he was, nor was it something for Kisame to worry about. Though he was asking, which was rather unusual. But this situation was rather unusual.
Kisame was early from his own mission, already at the meeting point that he had been supposedly hanging around for the last few days. Their Leader, Pein, would disprove of them not moving as a unit, but after all these years they had become comfortable enough to do this. It was simply a matter of trust, and it was obvious to him that Kisame was questioning that trust he had placed with him.
There was really only one way to go about this without displacing that trust. "Out," he answered. His partner didn't usually pry any further than one question, so he expected another, but not one that was observant.
"Out in the Fire Country?" He said nothing within the first second and Kisame was able to surprise him a second time. "In the direction of the Leaf Village?"
It seemed his trust had been more shaken than he first suspected. He merely glanced at him once more before walking towards his own bed roll, sitting down on the rough fabric before turning back to Kisame. "What is this about, Kisame?" He might as well get down to the source of his partner's troubles, uproot the problem as quickly as possibly so they could go back to headquarters and report in for the month.
"Whenever you're near your old home you get antsy. Like there's something you need to be doing besides our missions. We hadn't been near the border for more than six months and you were getting the same way without being around the country. Then when we did get here it became even worse. You don't sleep as often as a normal person, which in itself can be disturbing, but when we came here? Whatever amount you did sleep was cut in half, and now I'm here just a few hours early and you're no where in the perimeter? Walking back from what appears to be your old village? What reason do you have to go back to that place? What sort of thing would makes you act the way you have been?"
Itachi was silent as he processed all of his partner's words. Considering Kisame wasn't the type to talk so much at once he needed to go over everything carefully. Even so it didn't take him long to find what the problem was.
Him.
Kisame had made comments about his behavior before, usually they were just a small observation. With his history of being a murderer certain actions were seen as odd by his partner, another murderer who didn't quite understand why Itachi acted the way he did at times. Their situations were vastly different and though that was understood, the details were not.
His partner probably thought he was spying on the Akatsuki after taking the time to notice where he had come from.
He would leave his village with updates of what the Akatsuki were doing, but they were few and far in-between. Plus he never made such risky moves when near his old home. He only ever did it when traveling, when he knew specific ninja were in the area. Otherwise his efforts would just be wasted, someone would have noticed what he was doing. But they hadn't. Kisame hadn't. It was likely his partner thought he just got the evidence to tell Pein though.
Since it wasn't true though he wouldn't have to lie for the moment. He did need to give a plausible reason for his behavior though so Kisame would drop the subject and not become wary of him, distrustful. Not after all the progress he had made ever since the night he left Konoha.
Everything currently in his mind was a simple throwaway diversion though, the kind Kisame would usually let slip before going back to his own business. From his own behavior he wouldn't let them slip by this time, the questions would continue until he was satisfied. Which could take awhile.
Itachi exhaled slowly, forcing his mind not to spin so fast. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever, especially from his partner since they usually moved as a unit. Perhaps it was time for him to know. "How long have you been watching me?"
"I noticed it the first time we came near the Fire Country, but chalked it up to your past. After that I occasionally saw the change in your behavior. The only reason I mention it now is because it's become more noticeable over the years and whatever it is it's been affecting more than your sleep lately."
His brow drew down for a moment. He had actually assessed the situation wrong. Was he getting sloppy? He couldn't afford for his senses to dull. Not after what he had seen back at the village. "How?"
"Your rate of reaction for one thing. Whenever that sharingan of yours isn't active you see less than an ant."
He could feel his lips inch down to form a bare frown. An ant? That was an exaggeration. A large one at that, but Kisame wouldn't have used it if he didn't think it was a problem. He wouldn't have mentioned it at all if he wasn't so obviously bothered by it.
It was time then. Time to set his partner's mind at ease, to push the issue to the back of his mind until another member of the Akatsuki noticed. The others would certainly not look at his behavior the same way Kisame did. "I've been distracted lately."
Kisame let out a snort at his words. "By what?"
"The future. My..." He paused, pushing away the memory of what he had seen back there. The idea that the clan would be neglectful of even a former heiress rubbed him the wrong way. It was the same way they treated the Cadet Branch of the House, with only the barest hint of concern. He had seen himself though that there was no seal on her. Yet. "My fiance."
Kisame shifted on the rock, peering at him before voicing the inevitable question, "Your fiance?"
"Hinata Hyuuga, she was the heiress to the clan until a few days ago. Something happened and her sister was made the new heiress." With Kisame's continued silence he continued, "Our clans agreed on a marriage between us years ago, as a way to unite the clans, or that's the explanation they both gave." Kisame nodded, he seemed to understand clan politics well enough. The truth was seldom revealed, especially when the clans involved were well known. "A contract was drawn up. My father and her father signed it with our names. My mother told me later that day, but I don't think Hiashi ever told her."
"So what? You feel guilty for something he failed to do?"
Itachi shook his head. "It's not that. I don't think he told her because he began looking for a way out of it at some point."
"If you mean after the massacre of your clan I could hardly blame him for that, but it's just a contract. It can be broken. So why would he need to tell her at this point?"
Why? His mother. He had recognized her chakra when he found the contract hidden away in the wall. "My clan went through more effort than most to make sure the contract would be honored. The day she turns sixteen is when we get married."
Kisame's eyes narrowed before looking towards the direction of the Fire Country. "He hasn't told her, because he hasn't had to tell her. Is that it?" Kisame didn't wait for him to answer. The Akatsuki member simply turned to look back at him. "You haven't told her either, but you know what's been happening in her life. How do you usually keep an eye on her?"
"Short sporadic visits." His words were met with a chuckle and Itachi relaxed enough to grin at his partner. "I use my genjutsu so no one recognizes me. If anyone ever asks I'm always from a different village, usually a tourist of sorts just wandering the streets. Sometimes the rooftops."
"So... you're guilty of stealing her life?" The small smile slipped from his face. "It wouldn't be stealing if she knew, would it?"
"She doesn't know. Her father will probably never tell her." He felt sickened just thinking about it. "Not even on the day when I come to take her away from them."
Kisame was quiet for more than a minute before he stood up from the rock. "It would freak most out if a stranger came and announced they were to be betrothed on that day. I imagine it will be even more so for her with your particularly colorful history." He wasn't sure he wanted Kisame confirming his own fears when he thought about it often enough as it was. "What if you're not a stranger?"
Itachi didn't bother to stop the frown from forming. "That would be a complicated process." One he would have accepted when he was younger if not for his unpredictable schedule. With everything as it was now he wasn't sure how to approach that. As Kisame had just said, he was a murderer. Of his own clan. Being a complete stranger without that added on would have made it much easier for him to approach her.
"You were a prodigy. Surely it couldn't be that difficult if you actually care for her."