Thanks for all the reviews and favs!
This weeks manga chapter was very surprising. That Madara really gets around, doesn't he? And I was surprised to see that Kushina and Mikoto were friends. I had them as friends in the first story, but that was just for plot. Who knew it would be true?
Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto
Chapter 74 A Sense of Urgency
Time seemed to pass slowly as Itachi relaxed on the bench next to the calm, deep blue lake. Shisui was nestled comfortably in the crook of his arm as Sheeta dangled Rumiko's legs gingerly in the cool water. The warm morning was promising to get even warmer and there were already a few other people nearby enjoying the weather.
Itachi had received word the previous afternoon that Kisame was willing to assist him in rescuing Sasuke - if that's what it could be called. And unfortunately at this point he suspected his little brother probably was nothing more than a prisoner.
The problem, though, and the reason he had not already set out to meet up with Kisame, was how exactly was the best way to approach the problem. If a fight erupted between himself and Madara Sasuke would end up getting injured or even killed. Or... Itachi shuddered involuntarily. What if Madara decided to kill Sasuke to keep him away from Konoha?
Itachi shook his head to clear it. That was the dumbest thing he had thought of in a long time. There would be no benefit gained from killing him and Madara rarely acted without cause.
The baby yawned and smacked his lips as he gazed up with small dark eyes at his father. Itachi smoothed the short black hair over his small forehead and smiled as he caught his son's eye. The boy smiled back and began to gurgle and blow spit bubbles. His hand and feet moved but his arms and legs, except for a slight upward motion, remained still.
He was improving though. Itachi could see the limbs were moving a little more than they had a month ago. And he was getting bigger. Both he and Rumiko had graduated from preemie clothes to newborn size, much to the joy of Sheeta who couldn't wait to dress them in all the cute outfits she had received as gifts.
Itachi blinked in surprise when the click of a shutter going off surprised him. Looking up he saw Sheeta standing about six feet away holding a camera.
"You looked so thoughtful," She grinned as she placed the camera back in her bag. Rumiko was now propped up in a baby carrier on a large red and white blanket and gazing sleepily at her parents.
"Yeah. Thinking about Sasuke. We missed his birthday. I didn't even get him anything." Itachi decided a half-truth was better than telling her about the message.
"Mikoto sent him a new watch. Hopefully he got it."
"Hmm." Itachi realized that Shisui was now asleep and placed him gently in a carrier next to his sister.
"Fugaku is meeting with Pein again this morning. It's weird, i thought after Tsunade took over he would have more free time."
"Not until Madara is gone." Itachi furrowed his brow and stared up at the sky, "I've got to leave on a mission for a few days, Sheeta."
"Again?" the teen sounded disappointed and Itachi suddenly found himself wishing he never had to leave Konoha again. But he did, and it had to be soon.
"I'll be back as soon as I can"
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
The young woman lay half asleep in her bed; the lights were off, the curtains drawn and an IV drip solution attached to her arm. Sighing with annoyance Madara quietly exited the room and made his way to the living room where he found Sora sitting in a chair and gazing outside at the thick mid-day fog.
"She's probably a mistake." He said as he leaned up against the highly polished wood wall.
"Huh?" Sora wasn't sure he knew what the Mizukage was talking about.
"Princess Aya. I shouldn't have married her. Or gotten her pregnant. She's been sick for a couple weeks now."
"It happens. Usually not this severe but she's being closely monitored and the dehydration is being treated. Don't overreact. Morning sickness usually passes after a few weeks." Sora kept his voice neutral and Madara looked at him curiously.
"Times are different is that what you're trying to say?"
Sora was quiet for a couple minutes, "The medicine that could have saved them... during that epidemic so long ago was destroyed in a battle. A few months later the Senju asked us to join them in Konoha. They had also suffered from the same virus and had a lot of casualties."
Madara remembered the helplessness he had felt upon receiving word that the precious medications, obtained at great expense, had been destroyed and the ninjas carrying them tortured and killed. A lot of people of all ages died over the following weeks, including his last child.
Sora continued, "If that epidemic had not happened I wonder if the clan would have been so eager to join the Senju."
"It would be naive to assume only one cause, but it may have been the deciding factor. However, if you are asking me , once again, to forgive them, the answer is no. They abandoned me, not the other way way around."
"I'm not asking anything. In a roundabout way I am reminding you that your child will grow up in a world free of war. Do not worry yourself so much over his or her condition right now."
"Hmmm." His attention was diverted as a housekeeper entered the room and bowed slightly,
"Young Sasuke has been returned to his room by his sensei. He said the boy is suffering mental strain and needs to rest."
"Mental strain?" Madara was livid. "That lazy little brat! I'll teach him a thing or two about lazy!" He stomped off, ignoring Sora's plea to calm down.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Reaching Sasuke's room Madara reached out to grip the door and slid it back an inch before stopping, shocked at what he was hearing.
"He's crying." Sora replied softly, coming up behind his nephew quietly.
"Why are you here?" Madara asked angrily in a low voice.
"To keep you from doing something you'll regret."
Madara didn't understand the meaning behind the words, and instead turned his attention back to Sasuke. The boy had quieted down and through the small crack in the door he could see he was lying on his stomach on the couch staring at an open box wrapped with red and black festive paper.
"I shouldn't have let him have that." Madara looked at the red and white wrappings and the silver colored watch with its black band that was lying haphazardly nearby. He had allowed the present to pass through to Sasuke because of his feelings for Mikoto. It hadn't even occurred to him that the boy might get upset, or even homesick.
"I think it has more to do with his schedule. He's being worked too hard." Sora stepped back and leaned against the opposite wall, resting his cane against his hip. "You had a hard time of it as well at first, if I remember right."
Pursing his lips Madara quietly slid the door shut and turned to face his uncle, "I was six years old. Sasuke is twice that age."
"It's not about age, so much, as it is about environment. This isn't something Sasuke is used to, or has even witnessed. He knows very little about what his older brother's training consisted of and he knows even less about you."
"I… we don't have a choice. If we don't act soon we will lose our opportunity. Konoha is forming alliances that can't be ignored. They will stop us. Remember, Pein is now on their side. Itachi is useless to me now. Sasuke is the only one I can use to jumpstart the 'Eye of the Moon'."
"Madara…" Sora whispered.
"It is my fault I brought the clan to this point. I should have gone ahead and killed the Konoha Uchihas after Itachi was found out and imprisoned. But I hesitated and then refused. I thought I would be able to control the situation better but somewhere along the line everything fell apart and Konoha is now back in the hands of the Senju." Madara clenched his fists in determination, "Sasuke's training must be speeded up. He must be ready!"
Sora watched as Madara stalked off and stepped forward to peek in through the door one more time. The boy's eyes were closed and he was now holding the watch in his hand. 'He reminds me so much of Madara it's scary.' He thought. And for the first time since he and Madara had come up with the 'Eye of the Moon' plan he began to doubt their intended path.
'My father… Madara's grandfather would work the poor boy relentlessly to the point where he would be so exhausted that all he could do was drop down onto the field and sleep where he fell.' Sora remembered how worried he had been to find the young child collapsed in the mud asleep, with tears in his eyes and bruises on his body. He would heal him, carry him back to his room and place him in bed. His mother would clean him up and then the next morning everything would start over.
But there were several important differences that Madara was overlooking. The first was that the young Madara had agreed to the training and was pushing himself just as hard as his grandfather was. The second was that he had people to support him. Sora was there to heal him and his mother was there to comfort him and Izuna was his companion and best friend. Sasuke, however, was alone.
x x x x x x x x x x x x
Waking up was not something the boy looked forward to anymore. All it meant was another long, grueling day of training with no end in sight. Sitting up he rubbed his eyes and stretched as he looked towards the window to see if the sun was out, fully expecting to see a white mist swirling around outside. He was surprised, therefore, when instead he saw four rock walls, a rock floor and a rock ceiling. And a very sturdy looking wooden door with steel bolts attaching it to the wall.
"I'm… in jail?" He looked around and saw he was laying on a futon while a small table next to him. A single kerosene lamp lit the small space and the yellow light danced around the shadows as a small breeze from a tiny ventilation shaft blew air into the room. Rubbing his temples he realized he had a slight headache and felt very groggy, as well as hungry and thirsty.
Standing up he was surprised to see himself dressed in a simple pair of black pants with a black yukata tied loosely around his body. It was definitely not what he had fallen asleep wearing. And his watch was gone. He gulped as a feeling of sorrow washed over him and he guessed that Madara had probably taken it away from him.
When he had seen the watch it reminded him so much of home that it was all he could do to hold back his tears while he was training. He had failed of course. Thoughts of his mother, brother, Sheeta, Naruto, his friends…. Faces just kept popping up in his head and he even saw Fugaku as less of a monster. He had collapsed at that point, too tired and too pained to continue training. He was homesick and all he could do was hope that somehow he could escape this mess.
His stomach growled as the scent of food wafted over to him. There were rice balls and a jug of water on another small table near the door and Sasuke held back his tears as he pulled out the chair and sat down to eat. He greedily stuffed the food into his mouth as he wondered why he was so hungry. It felt like he hadn't eaten in days and as he downed his third glass of water he conjectured that perhaps he had been knocked unconscious somehow.
As the last rice ball disappeared Sasuke heard a rattle of keys and the door opened revealing none other than Madara, who stepped in confidently and closed the door firmly behind him. He was silent as he surveyed the room, the empty plate and the half empty jug of water.
"That could have been poisoned, you know." Madara laughed, surprising the boy.
"Not likely. Then again, I might have eaten it faster if I knew it was poison." Sasuke was definitely feeling rebellious and his mood was quickly drifting downhill. "Where am I?"
"Getting right to the point, huh? Well, there were too many distractions in Mist. Too many bad influences. So I brought you to one of the Akatsuki hideouts. Here, you can train with a variety of Shinobi all of whom have different affinities and skill levels than what you are used to. It should make your training go faster and be much more relevant."
"So I'm not in Mist anymore." He suddenly panicked, "What about Juugo and Karin?"
"They are safe for the moment."
"For the moment… does that mean…"
"Sasuke, if you have figured it out that far then there is no need for me to say it,."
The boy nodded his head. He got the message. If he cooperated his friends would be safe. He gazed carefully at the man in front of him and he couldn't help but feel hesitant about Madara's desire to hurt the two young refugees from Orochimaru's lair. However, he also knew the man's incredible power was rivaled only by Itachi, and after seeing what his brother was capable of he decided that messing with Madara was probably a bad idea. And besides, he had sent Tama to speak with Itachi. With any luck he was on his way to get him right now.
Except he was no longer in Mist. Tama hadn't returned yet either so the cat wouldn't be able to show him where he was. And it was unlikely that Juugo and Karin knew anything either.
"Sasuke, you said once you wanted everyone to live in peace. I don't doubt your conviction, but I do believe you are getting cold feet. I assure you that this plan will work. The 'Eye of the Moon' will give the world the peace it so desires and no one will raise arms against another again. There will be no more war. No more Shinobi. The 'coming-of-age' ceremony practiced by the Uchiha will disappear as will all desire to engage in violence. But in order for all this to happen you must help."
"How do I know you can do this? It sounded okay at first, but the more I think about it… it's just not possible!" Sasuke was surprised to find himself pleading with the powerful ninja.
"I can do it, Sasuke. We are gathering up the last of the Jinchuuriki now. Soon they will be sealed away. In fact, they are to be kept here in this very facility until we are ready to seal them."
Surprised, Sasuke rose to his feet, "So they're here? Now? Does that mean Naruto is here?"
"Yeah, he's been here for weeks. Nice and safe and waiting patiently for us to extract the Kyuubi. Well, maybe not 'patiently' but he's safe anyway." Madara chuckled slightly.
Sasuke was about to ask if he could see him, but clamped his mouth shut instead. He knew that request would be denied. And he knew that if Naruto was nearby he was in great danger.
"All the demons must be sealed away for the plan to work. It's unfortunate that they were sealed away in people first. Very unfortunate. But Sasuke, their sacrifice, giving their bodies to the demons and then to my plan, will ensure the safety of an entire planet. Hundreds of millions of people live here, Sasuke. Not just on our continent, but others as well. And war exists in places you have never visited. You saw the faces of war, son, skulls with empty eyes staring up at a silent blue sky."
The boy's eyes turned downcast and his shoulders slumped, "Yeah. I remember." It was something that still haunted his nightmares and probably would for the rest of his life.
"Good to hear." Madara patted the boy on the back, "Now come with me and I'll show you around."
x x x x x x x x x x x x
As Madara pulled open a heavy wooden door he was surprised to see Hidan and Kakuzu standing outside talking while a woman lay unconscious at their feet. They looked like they were just goofing off and he found the image rather humorous, especially considering Kakuzu's temperament and workaholic tendencies.
"Good morning, gentlemen." Madara greeted them. "I take it this is the two-tails?"
"Yep." Hidan grinned widely, but his eyes narrowed malevolently. "Zetsu went to make sure her cell was ready."
Kakuzu remained silent, but his green eyes locked onto Sasuke, who met his gaze unflinchingly. A gust of wind blew over them and the boy was surprised to smell the sea. Turning his head he looked carefully through the close stand of trees by the cave entrance and saw a glimpse of sand and the wide blue ocean.
"Sasuke," Madara turned his attention back to the boy, "you will be training with Hidan and Kakuzu starting tomorrow. For the rest of today, rest and eat. You have been unconscious for a week and the drug is likely making you feel weak. And you two," He looked at the Akatsuki pair who were now frowning their disapproval, "This is a training session. Remember that."
Hidan and Kakuzu both knew that the warning, while given lightly, was meant to be taken seriously and nodded to show their understanding, after which Madara directed Hidan to return Sasuke to his room and stand guard.
As they were entering the cave they heard Madara tell Kakuzu that Sasori and Deidara were in Sand and would be returning with the One-tail in a couple days. A chill ran down Sasuke's spine as he thought of Gaara, whom he had met briefly after the Chuunin exams. He had seemed rather broken and downcast, but also strong and determined. Naruto had declared the boy to be his new best friend and that was enough to get Sasuke to trust in him as well. But now… he was also going to die.
"This sucks." Hidan complained as he kicked the chair that was sitting outside the boy's room. "Why do I have to play babysitter?"
"Why indeed?" Sasuke answered as he leaned against the wall. He had no intention of entering the room until he was told to and besides, he wanted to get to Naruto to see how he was doing.
"Yeah! You're his son after all, why lock you up, if it were me I would…" Hidan wasn't able to continue talking as he locked eyes with his young charge's Sharingan.
Sasuke smirked, "That's better. Now, whenever I tell you to do something you will follow my orders without question."
Hidan didn't even seem to be able to fight the Genjutsu and Sasuke worried that perhaps it wasn't working. Then again, it was possible that the white-haired Akatsuki had never developed any resistance to Genjutsu. Itachi had told him at one point that some Shinobi were so arrogant that they believed studying anything that didn't involve fighting was a waste of their time. They were prime targets for Genjutsu and the easiest to kill.
But Sasuke wasn't looking to kill anyone. "Take me to Naruto and don't tell anyone you did it."
The Genjutsu faded, but the effect of the "suggestion" was permanent. Hidan smiled as if nothing had happened and pointed down the hall, "This way, kid. And hurry up or I'll leave you behind."
x x x x x x x x x x x
The hallway turned from a natural stone cave into one cut out of the hard sandstone. After a few minutes the pair stopped in front of a door and Hidan raised his hands to perform a jutsu to open it. Surprisingly the room was very normal looking. Not like Sasuke's at all. In fact, by comparison it was luxurious. Tatami mats softened the cold stone floor, the walls had wood on them and there were cabinets, a book case, a kitchenette and some furniture. And sitting at the kotetsu table with a manga opened and a half-eaten container of ramen was a blond haired boy in an orange jumpsuit. But what Sasuke saw when he activated his Sharingan was frightening.
"H…Hidan… wait for me outside." The man shrugged and exited the room, slamming the door behind him.
Sasuke reached down and grabbed the front of the boy's shirt and hauled him to his feet before shoving him up against the nearest wall, "Are you an idiot Suigetsu? What are you doing here? I knew it was you a second after seeing you, if Madara comes here you're dead!"
"Hey, it's not my idea!" The boy raised his hands in surrender to show his innocence.
"Of course it isn't!" Sasuke released him and dropped down onto a cushion. Running his hands through his black hair he sighed loudly, "Where is Naruto? Safe, I presume."
"Yeah. I won't tell you where he is though."
"Ah. Good idea. I don't need to know anyway." The relief he felt over that news was real and before he realized it he was smiling, "I'm glad to see you though."
"Yeah! Can't keep us apart, huh?" Suigetsu grabbed a couple sodas out of the refrigerator and gave one to Sasuke, "How are Juugo and Karin?"
"I don't know. I was… well, I remember falling asleep on the couch and then the next thing I remember is waking up here. And Madara said that I was unconscious for a week."
"Not good." He watched as Sasuke pulled a half empty package of cookies closer to him and began stuffing them in his mouth.
"Well, I better not stay long. I'll try to come back occasionally, but… they're bringing in the two-tail now and the one-tail has is on his way. I don't know if there are any others around here."
"Okay…" Suigetsu frowned, "Well, see you later."
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
The large port town never seemed to change and as Itachi made his way along the boardwalk toward the pier Kisame had instructed to meet him at he found himself walking slowly so he could watch the scene. Early morning seemed almost as busy as afternoon, with vendors selling fish to restaurants, spice merchants setting up shops and souvenir stands restocking their inventory. Fishing boats were coming and going to match the migration routes of the particular fish they were after while others were unloading catches for the fish vendors.
A few locals and tourists were also up and either taking walks or jogging. It was a comfortable scene and Itachi found himself wishing Sheeta and the twins were there to enjoy it. He saw some kids run up to a candy stand that wasn't open yet and the vendor laughingly gave them some free "samples", asking them to come back later to buy more if they like it. They ran with big grins on their faces, promising to return at lunch time.
'Shisui won't be able to run like them.' Itachi felt his smile fade and he stopped walking to stare after the youngsters who melded into the rows of fish vendors with practiced ease. However, his eyes opened wide at the sound of something rolling quickly over the wooden planking of the boardwalk. A small wheelchair with an even smaller child rode comfortably as she ordered her "chauffeur" – another girl perhaps a year or two older – to hurry up or they would miss the boat. He watched as a small forty-foot fishing ship began to come alongside the dock and the girls waved to a rather muscular woman who waved back before tying up the ship. The older girl pulled out some crutches that the younger one used to stand up and walk haltingly to the edge of the dock. Within seconds the first group of kids had returned and were happily waving at the woman as well.
Itachi's smile returned and he figured the woman either had ten kids or she owned a candy shop. Either way she seemed quite popular with the younger crowd. "I'll build a wooden boardwalk around the lake for Shisui." He said under his breath.
"Talking to yourself, I see. You finally went round the bend, huh?" Kisame slapped him on the back and grinned widely, his sharp teeth prominently displayed."
"I think I've earned a stay in the loony bin." Itachi responded lightly. He noted that Kisame was not wearing his Akatsuki attire and his ring was missing. "What happened?"
The large man noticed Itachi's gaze and smirked, "Told Madara I quit."
"Hmmm… and your still alive. Or are you one of those sea ghosts that haunt the shore?"
"Might be a ghost. Not sure at times, really. But it really just comes down to you. You are the threat. Not me. Therefore, I am expendable. As long as I keep my mouth shut, that is."
"There is nothing you could tell me about Madara that I don't already know."
"Exactly." Kisame extended his hand, "My ship is this way."
"Hey Captain!" A man, a little taller than Kisame wearing ragged brown pants, a white t-shirt and no shoes waved as Kisame and extended a gangplank so they could board the ship. Which it turned out was a medium sized steamer.
"Captain?" Itachi queried curiously.
"Yeah, well, I own it. And a few others."
"We need to get going. I heard the navy is nearby." The shoeless man called out as he started to climb up a steel ladder to an open hatch, which he slammed shut and padlocked. About a couple dozen other sailors were also tying things down or picking up trash or otherwise getting ready to set out.
"Then let's go." Kisame yelled happily. "This'll be fun, Itachi. These guys really know how to party!"
"Oh… yeah… fun." Itachi was not in a partying mood and couldn't really remember ever having even desired to "party." But he couldn't deny the atmosphere on the ship was very relaxing and as he found a spot on the deck to sit so he could watch the city disappear into the horizon as they entered the bay he even found himself nodding off.
"Raise the colors!" Kisame's voice rang out, waking him instantly. Looking up he saw the blue man staring at a tripod structure with a flagpole on top. Two young teenagers were pulling at a rope as an older man timed them with his watch.
"Hah! Eight seconds! Fastest time yet!" The man laughed as the two boys high-fived each other and ran off to do something else. Itachi shielded his eyes with his hand and followed the heavy steel flagpole up into the sky, He had a suspicion what Kisame was referring to and when he saw the flag his suspicions were confirmed.
"Kisame…" Itachi asked slowly, "Are you a pirate?" The black flag bore the usual skull and crossbones with the addition of a set of pointed teeth and a set of sharp pointed horns.
"Why Itachi, of course I am." Kisame laughed. "Gotta get my kicks somehow."
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Next week, Gaara? And Deidara? Yep, they'll be here. But not in the way you think.
I totally see Kisame as a pirate. We still don't have his backstory, but I like him as a pirate xD
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