Chapter 8

Itachi and I are sitting under a tree. It's pouring and Kisame hasn't returned from wherever he is.

Days have been going by in a blur of places. Most of the time, I have no idea where we are and by the time I figure it out, we're already on the move. Itachi and Kisame never talk about anything related to the Akatsuki when I'm around. I tried eavesdropping on them, but Itachi caught me every time, so I gave up on that. My presence seems to amuse Kisame, however, so there's that.

I pull my knees up to my chest, thinking, for the first time in a while, about Konoha. It's been almost two weeks since I left. I have been trying to keep it out of my mind, if only to avoid feeling guilty of being in the company of S-rank criminals, one of whom defected from our village.

"Do you ever think about Konoha?" I ask Itachi on a whim. I don't expect him to reply. He tends to ignore personal questions. He does it this time, too.

"Did you have friends?" I keep going, already used to his silence.

"Two," he says after a few moments, taking me completely by surprise.

"Where are they now?"

"Dead."

My smile fades, the joy I felt at finally learning something new about Itachi gone. It would be insensitive of me to ask if they're dead because they were Uchiha.

The rain keeps pattering against the ground and, for a while, it's the only sound we hear. Itachi has leaned his head back against the tree. His eyes are closed and raindrops are running down his face like tears. I wonder what is going through his mind right now. Perhaps he's reminiscing about the time spent with his friends, like I'm thinking of the days Team 7 was still together.

Inevitably, my thoughts come to dwell on Sasuke-kun. When is the last time I saw him, I wonder? It can't have been so long ago. It was at that abandoned hideout of Orochimaru's. How much has he changed since then? Is his hair still short or has he let it grow? Is he taller than Itachi is now?

I open my eyes. Why am I comparing Sasuke-kun to Itachi? They are nothing alike.

"Do you really plan to use me to capture Naruto for the Akatsuki?"

"No."

"Sasuke would," I say, my voice wavering. Deep down, I know it's true. "If it would give him enough power to defeat you, there's nothing Sasuke wouldn't do." I look at Itachi, aware of the tears in my eyes. "You made him like that," I tell him. "Is that really what you wanted from him?"

Itachi looks at me and my heart skips a beat. I expected a glare, his usual means of telling me to back down. Instead, I see a world of pain in his eyes.

"No," he says.

I'm at a loss for words. I stare at him, unable to formulate a single coherent thought, while in my chest, my heart is breaking. I think about Sasuke, walking the path set before him, losing himself along the way.

"Then why did you do this to him?" I ask, letting my tears fall.

He hesitates. "Because I was selfish."

"What do you mean? What really happened that night?" I decide to try asking again, hoping against hope that he will tell the truth a third time in a row. He brushes me off.

"It doesn't matter."

I bite my lip, decide it's time to push my luck. "Did someone order you to do it?"

Itachi turns away from me. Our little episode of truth and dare is over. He's shutting me out again. Or rather, he's shutting himself in. I'm left to guess. Nothing he said points me in the right direction. All I know now is that he never wanted this for Sasuke. It seems more important than anything for some reason, but I'm too upset to think clearly. All I see is the look in Itachi's eyes when he said it.

He's aware of what he's done to Sasuke-kun. He hates himself for it. How long has he been tormenting himself over it?

"Itachi-" I begin to say, wanting to apologize, but he clamps a hand over my mouth. I have no idea when he moved. A moment ago he was sitting next to me and now he's crouched over me, glaring at something in the distance. He would know if it were Kisame, meaning this isn't him. My heart starts beating fast. Frustration is building up in me, since I can't look the way Itachi does. I didn't see or hear anything. What is he so worked up over?

Then I hear them. There's a small group headed our way, three or four by the sound of their voices. I freeze. Can the two of us take down four people at once? Itachi seems intent on avoiding confrontation. He quietly moves off me, removing his hand from my mouth and tugging on my arm. He wants me to follow, so I move silently away from the tree, counting my steps as I focus on not making a single sound.

I hear them talking again, louder this time and I start wondering if we'll make it away from here in time.

"I told that baka to watch it, because the place was rigged with explosives, but did he listen? No! He went and blew his baka ass off!"

"Hey, I'm right here!"

For a team of shinobi, they're quite loud. That usually means one of two things: either they are very stupid, or very powerful. Itachi and I make our way in the opposite direction. A little way from us, the treeline meets the edge of the cliff. We can disappear there. I wipe the rain from my face with the back of my free hand. The other one is in Itachi's iron grip. It's like he's afraid I'm going to run all of the sudden.

"Shut up, Suigetsu, you moron!"

"Both of you be quiet."

I freeze. My legs stop listening to me. I hold my breath as I turn to look over my shoulder. I hear Itachi sigh behind me and his hand releases my wrist, but I barely feel anything. I turn around, forgetting all about him.

All I see is Sasuke.