Itachi had tracked Kabuto back to his bunker in Fire Country. It wasn't the smartest decision he had ever made, but Itachi seemed to be making a lot of stupid decisions lately.

He had all but given up on Akatsuki at this point. He had no more use for being a part of the organization now that Sasuke was going to come after him. He would soon be taking his last breaths, giving his brother the revenge he needed so badly. Everything else seemed trivial.

He only hoped that Sasuke would reach him before any Akatsuki members did. It was somewhat in his control, if he got what he needed from Kabuto.

A genjutsu, and not a particularly good one hid the entrance to the bunker. It wasn't Kabuto's specialty, but Itachi had expected better of the man.

He activated his Sharingan and went inside.

The inside of the bunker was much larger than it appeared from the outside. It went deep underground and into an open area that looked very much like a prison. There were several sets of spiraling metal staircases leading to suspended cages filled to capacity with some of what Itachi assumed were Kabuto's "patients."

Their sickening cries echoed in the expansive space, reminding Itachi of the inn in Toyeiki. He didn't want to think about why they screamed or what Kabuto had done to them.

Itachi walked down to the ground floor and past the rows of cells that lined the walls around him. Skeletal hands lunged out between the bars to grab him as he passed. He was careful to keep his distance, recoiling minutely when a set of fingertips grazed against his cloak.

He wondered if these people were here for Orochimaru or if Kabuto had gone out in search of them after the snake summoner's death.

Itachi entered the door near the end of the rows of cells where he could feel Kabuto's chakra signature flaring. He was using it for something. On the other side of the door was a chamber that looked similar to a doctor's office, but decidedly more gray. In the center of the room was Kabuto standing over a gurney and peering into the open stomach of a woman who was slumped – obviously dead – on the white sheets.

Shifting his Sharingan to the Mangekyou, Itachi let the door fall shut, the sound echoing throughout the chamber.

Kabuto didn't look up from the gurney.

"Itachi-san," Kabuto said, his voice smooth and cordial, "What brings you here today?"

Itachi paused a moment to collect his temper before he could lash out at the medic-nin. It was not the first time in the past week that he had been annoyed and he was beginning to grow accustomed to the feeling.

"I want to talk to you about Sasuke." Itachi said.

Kabuto dropped his hands to his sides and took a step back away from the gurney. "Sasuke, you say," he started, "Not Sakura?"

Itachi remained impassive, but he felt his fingers curling themselves into a fist underneath his cloak. He wouldn't let Kabuto get a rise out of him.

"You were working with her, weren't you?" Kabuto asked, "I sensed you in Toyeiki. I am curious. What could a guy like you and girl like Sakura have to work together on?"

Besides the obvious – that Kabuto had created the need for them to work together – Itachi felt that it was a bit presumptuous for him to assume that they were working together. There were a slew of other reasons that a couple of enemy nins would be in the same location, but Itachi didn't mention that.

"Tell me what you know about Sasuke's whereabouts," Itachi demanded, cutting right to the chase.

"Now, now," Kabuto said in an irritatingly condescending tone, "You don't need to worry about Sasuke. He'll find you when he's ready. You know that."

Kabuto was looking directly into Itachi's eyes, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of the Mangekyou there. Surely he knew what Itachi was capable of – what his eyes could do. Wasn't that what Orochimaru's ultimate goal was? To have the Sharingan? It was inconceivable that Kabuto wouldn't be aware of their powers.

Itachi could pull him into his Tsukuyomi and get his answers there. He didn't have to waste his time speaking to Kabuto anymore than he already had.

"I'd like to talk some more about Sakura, though," Kabuto said. Itachi raked his gaze over the man, feeling a strange pull to kill him right then and there. "If she was willing to work with you, there must be some part of her that's willing to work with me as well. After all, my crimes are much less horrifying than yours, aren't they?"

Itachi didn't think they were – not in the slightest. Itachi had never experimented on anyone – not nearly anything as cruel and disturbing as Kabuto had. He hadn't held hundreds of innocent people captive in order to poke and prod them with needles.

Had his torture of Sasuke been worse than this? Had murdering his clan been comparable to the devastation Kabuto wreaked on these innocent humans?

He didn't want to think about the answer to that.

"I don't care about Sakura," Itachi said.

Kabuto chuckled darkly. "I wonder about that," he said, "But that's besides the point. If you help me win over Sakura and get her to join me, then I will tell you everything you want to know about Sasuke."

"I'm not here to strike a deal with you," Itachi said.

"If you want my cooperation, you will help me get Sakura."

Itachi clenched his fists. He didn't want to fight Kabuto. He didn't want to get involved with Kabuto's business either. All he needed was a close approximation of where Sasuke might be. He had other ways of tracking down his brother – he didn't need Kabuto's help.

Without any indication of what he was about to do, Itachi pulled Kabuto into his Tsukuyomi. This genjustu wasn't anywhere near as pleasant as the one he had shown to Yamato and Sachi, but it wasn't quite as terrifying as some that he had used before. After all, he didn't want to hurt Kabuto. Not yet, anyway.

Within the genjutsu, Kabuto was strung upside down by his ankles, hanging from an unseen rafter. Casually, Itachi flung a shuriken at him, striking him in the abdomen. Kabuto winced, but made no sound.

"Kabuto," Itachi said, "I will release this genjutu when you give me the information I want. Otherwise, I will strike you with more shuriken until you decide to comply."

Kabuto looked up at his stomach and watched as the shuriken receded into nothingness. Another one that Itachi flung at him immediately replaced it. It embedded itself into his skin just below his ribcage.

Kabuto remained tightlipped, refusing to utter a word.

Three more shuriken followed the first, scattering around his chest and abdomen. Blood began to seep from the wounds, slowly dripping down Kabuto's neck and into his face. The four shuriken in his torso disappeared and Itachi repeated the process.

Three more times Itachi repeated the process, Kabuto remaining silent the entire time. There were worse things Itachi could do. A shuriken to the stomach wasn't something that most shinobi would be unable to handle. It wasn't the severity of the torture that would make Kabuto succumb to him. It was the time, the days he spent in the genjutsu.

Eventually, Kabuto would become accustomed to the pain. Or maybe he already was. But how long would he remain sane? How long could he stay in the genjutsu without begging or crying?

Itachi was in no hurry to find out. Not even a second had passed yet in the real world. Within Tsukuyomi, all he had was time.

.

After three days' worth of time in the genjutsu, Itachi released Kabuto. More time would have killed him, which was something Itachi wanted to avoid until he had the information he wanted.

Back in the real world, Kabuto slumped to the ground behind the gurney, smacking his head on the concrete floor with a dull thud.

Itachi was angry. Kabuto had remained silent for the duration of the genjutsu, never once revealing the pain or the suffering he must have been feeling. Itachi was exhausted just orchestrating the ordeal. Even if he couldn't admit it aloud, Itachi was impressed that Kabuto had managed to hang on for so long.

A lightning bolt of pain shot through Itachi's eye, stinging and blurring his vision. He covered his eye with his palm and grimaced. The dangers of using his Mangekyou were not unknown to him, but he supposed that if these were going to be his final days then he could play around with his powers in spite of the heavy consequences.

Itachi didn't plan on using the Tsukuyomi on Sasuke during their final battle. This would probably be the last time he used it at all. And it had been a wasted effort.

Still annoyed, Itachi approached Kabuto's limp body and kicked him over onto his back with his foot. His glasses had broken during the fall and had nicked his face, which was now streaked with blood. Itachi grimaced and heaved the man up onto his shoulder.

He didn't need Kabuto's help to track down Sasuke. He could do that on his own.

But he didn't want to leave Kabuto to his own devices either. He had come too close to Sakura (and therefore also Yamato and Sachi, Itachi reasoned) for Itachi's comfort. Whatever else Kabuto was planning, Itachi would put an end to right now.

"Kabuto-sama!"

Itachi turned to face the door he entered from. A girl was standing in the doorway looking flushed and nervous. Itachi detected a small chakra signature in her – she was not a shinobi, he deduced, but she could probably use chakra to some degree.

"What are you doing with him?" she shrieked, her voice several octaves higher than what it probably should have been.

"Who are you?" Itachi asked. She did not appear to be a patient of Kabuto's.

She took a step backwards, over the threshold of the door. Itachi deactivated his Sharingan. He couldn't use it in his current state anyway, and he wouldn't need it to deal with the girl.

"Who are you?" he repeated when she didn't answer.

"M-my name is Kira," she stuttered.

Kira. The nurse. The girl Kabuto had sent to spy on Sakura. So this girl had been the one who betrayed the pink-haired woman.

"You work for Kabuto."

"Yes."

"Did you work for Orochimaru, too?"

"I don't know who that is."

Itachi dropped Kabuto's body, letting it fall back to the ground without ceremony. Maybe Kira had the answers that Kabuto failed to give to him.

"I have some questions to ask you."

She glanced nervously between Itachi and Kabuto's body crumpled up at this feet. Itachi may not have been an inherently cruel man, but he appreciated that she showed an appropriate apprehensiveness about dealing with him. He had been pleased when Sakura had shown the same nervousness, if he was honest with himself.

But he wasn't going to hurt her, and telling her that would likely only make her more cooperative.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. He could see that she didn't believe him. "I just want some answers regarding Kabuto's prior business."

"Prior business?" she asked, clutching onto the doorframe like maybe it could save her if she dug her fingernails into hard enough.

"He was working for a man name Orochimaru," Itachi said, "And there was another man – Sasuke. Do you know where Sasuke is?"

"I don't know who either of those people are," she insisted, "Please believe me – I only just started working with Kabuto recently."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at her. It wasn't her fault that she didn't have answers. He could tell that she wasn't lying to him. Still, it was just another annoyance. It meant he would have to track Sasuke without any help.

"You no longer work for Kabuto, understand?" Itachi said, "Go back to wherever you came from and forget about Kabuto."

He watched as the fear on her face shifted to something darker, something more determined and fierce.

"You can't tell me what to do."

Her stubbornness reminded him of Sakura and he felt the corners of him mouth twitch up into a smile. He could be stubborn, too.

"Leave now, or I will kill Kabuto and you won't have a choice."

It was cold, even by Itachi's standards. He didn't really have any intention to kill Kabuto, but Kira didn't need to know that.

She dropped her gaze back down to Kabuto. He looked pretty rough with blood streaking down his face. He would undoubtedly be unconscious for a least a week after spending so long in the Tsukuyomi.

"Leave," Itachi repeated, his tone brooking no arguments. Just for good measure, he activated his Sharingan again and fixed her with his ominous red glare.

She wilted under his gaze, looking as though she were about to faint. Itachi considered whether it would be worth it to catch her before she fell in order to prevent her from hitting her head and seriously injuring herself. He thought about how the girl betrayed Sakura and decided otherwise.

The girl collapsed and slumped to the floor. Itachi felt it was a little melodramatic because he wasn't that scary. At least Sakura hadn't fainted at the sight of his Sharingan and Sachi had even let him use it on her.

More than a little irritated, Itachi sighed and rubbed his brow with the back of his hand. He had his work cut out for him now.

.

Many hours later, Itachi was still inside Kabuto's bunker. He had tied up both Kabuto and Kira in the room with the gurney, using chakra binds to ensure that they wouldn't be able to escape. Kabuto might have been able to worm his way free, so Itachi made sure that his ties were extra secure.

After a few minutes of exploring, it was clear to Itachi that this bunker was not one that Orochimaru had used. He couldn't sense any trace of Orochimaru or Sasuke anywhere within the bunker.

Instead, Itachi opted to search through Kabuto's laboratory that seemed to also function as his office. It was remarkably similar to the office that Sakura had set up for herself in Toyeiki except this one contained far more unsavory things – like jars filled with detached body parts, forbidden jutsus rolled up into scrolls, and rows and rows of poisons. Itachi took special note of the poisons because it seemed that there were far too many for it to be a passing interest. There were shelves upon shelves of different colored poisons. Itachi wasn't all that familiar with poisons, but he was curious about these.

Inside Kabuto's desk drawer, Itachi found a poisons guide – or what he assumed was a poisons guide. It appeared to have been written with some type of code. Itachi was familiar with codes, so he tucked the guide away in his cloak for further inspection later.

Also in Kabuto's office, Itachi found the patient files for all of the people that had been in the cells Itachi passed when he first entered. The files detailed all of the gruesome experiments that Kabuto had been doing and Itachi found most of them difficult to stomach. Thinking about Orochimaru's experiments always left Itachi feeling bitter. Sasuke had essentially become one prior to Orochimaru's death and it didn't sit right with Itachi.

Itachi knew of Sasuke's curse mark. He even knew of Juugo, whose blood helped create the curse mark. Itachi also knew that Sasuke didn't need such a thing to become powerful. He was an Uchiha – it was in his blood to be great. He had the Sharingan at his disposal, and a natural talent for fire style and taijustu.

It was unimaginable to Itachi that Sasuke would have found himself lacking power – or at least lacking the ability to gain it without Orochimaru's aid. But, Itachi wasn't so proud that he couldn't admit when he'd made a mistake.

The more he thought about it, the sicker to his stomach he felt. He had pushed Sasuke in this direction. He had nudged him right into Orochimaru's waiting arms. How could he blame Sasuke for doing exactly what he told him to do?

Itachi had only been thirteen when he left Konoha. Sure, many thought he possessed intelligence on par with a much older, more experienced man, but still – he had only been a kid, barely older than Yamato. He wouldn't have trusted Yamato with some of the decisions he had made back then. Yamato wouldn't have been capable of making such decisions without help. So why did Itachi feel so guilty for making mistakes at his age?

Sasuke suffered as a result of those mistakes, and would likely suffer for the rest of his life. There was nothing Itachi could do now but let his plan come to fruition. Sasuke would kill him and find his peace. It was the best that anyone could hope for. No one would miss Itachi. Sasuke would have his revenge. Hopefully he would return to Konoha, which would make Sakura happy, too. A win for everyone.

But it didn't feel much like a win for Itachi.

He searched the rest of Kabuto's office, finding nothing else of use anywhere. There was no more information about Sasuke that could be gathered at this location.

.

After leaving Kabuto's bunker, Itachi found himself at a loss for what to do. Going back to Rain, back to Akatsuki didn't seem like such a good idea anymore. He never wanted to be there in the first place.

Sasuke would come find him when he was ready. That had always been the plan. But Itachi didn't feel like waiting anymore. He was growing more and more desperate as time passed, hoping to just end things now – as quickly as possible.

He knew that "quick" was just a pipedream. Sasuke would want to fight him at his full strength – and Itachi wanted to confirm that Sasuke was truly powerful enough to protect himself and Konoha. It would be painful. He would have to lose, and he hated to lose. He hoped that he wouldn't have to let Sasuke win, but if it came to that, he wouldn't hesitate to do it.

That line of reasoning led him to Sound. It was Sasuke's last known location – Orochimaru's base. It meant he would have to travel directly through Fire Country (a risk he didn't want to take), or skirt the country around the perimeter. It would take weeks to go around, but Itachi didn't mind. All he had was time.

That was how he found himself in a tavern near the border of River Country. He was technically still in Fire Country, but he knew that Konoha's attention would be directed elsewhere – probably north toward Sound, or maybe they had finally discovered the location of Akatsuki's base and would focus their attention on Rain. Either way, Itachi was comfortable with his cloak inside out and his collar pulled up high. He wouldn't be recognized here.

He was nursing a cup of sake – not something he would usually do. In fact, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd consumed alcohol of any kind. It dulled the mind, slowed down reflexes, and loosened tongues. He was smart enough to stay away from it on a regular basis.

But he, in a fragile state of mind now, knew that it would all be over soon. If he was going to go out, he might as well go out with a bang, right? Maybe now was his chance to enjoy all the things he had deprived himself of for so many years. He could drink what he wanted, eat dango until his stomach hurt, and spend the remainder of his money on books to consume while he waited for his end to come.

"Hey, sweetie, you looking to have a good time?"

Itachi had felt her approach him from behind. He'd seen her in the corner and he knew that she was a prostitute. She'd worked the richer looking men in the tavern and for whatever reason they had not wanted her.

He turned to look at her, giving her nothing more than a side-glance. She was pretty, probably in her twenties. She had that golden hair that most men seemed to like, a full pout that was darkened by whatever red hue she'd stained it with. Itachi was a man and could admit that she was very beautiful.

And wasn't he going to go out with a bang?

She placed a coy hand on his shoulder, rubbing the knots there with her slender fingers. She didn't do much to relieve any tension, but it felt nice to have someone's hands there. She sidled up next to him, forgoing the barstool next to him and asserting herself into his lap instead.

Itachi swallowed hard because he did not like it at all. Or maybe he liked it too much. A wave of nausea swept over him and he gripped the counter in front of him too tightly.

"I haven't seen you around here before," she said, encouraged by his lack of response. She twisted her hips in his lap, creating a delicious and sickening friction.

"Stop," Itachi whispered hoarsely.

She tilted her head back and laughed – a fake, and yet utterly pleasing sound. Itachi felt a heat rise up in his cheeks and other places, too.

"It's okay, baby," she cooed, bringing her face closer to his. Her lips were mere centimeters away from his. He could lean forward, fold his body closer to hers, and he would be kissing her.

But instead he gripped her elbows in his hands and halted her movements, forcibly holding her down. Her thighs tightened around his.

Itachi wasn't the kind of man that sought out physical pleasure. He hadn't given it any thought at all after he'd left Konoha. There had been a girl – an Uchiha. He forced himself never to think of her, but now images of her flooded back to him. She could have been his wife – the new Uchiha matriarch. She was beautiful and full of spirit and would have loved him until her last breath.

And he had killed her.

The girl continued to wriggle in his lap, seemingly enjoying being held down. It made Itachi feel sick.

Izumi. That had been her name. He would have married her. He knew it. They had been so young when the massacre happened. Sex was hardly on either of their minds. But now, with a prostitute grinding on his lap, he imagined what sex with her might have been like.

Nothing like this, he thought.

"Get off of me," he said, still clutching her arms.

She cocked her head to the side and leaned her body closer to his. "Come on now, baby," she said, "I can show you a real good time."

He pushed her off him, toward the empty barstool on his left. She shrieked indignantly and stumbled, obviously more than a little intoxicated. Annoyed by the guilt that he felt for pushing her so roughly, Itachi reached out and caught her arm, holding onto her until she was steady on her feet.

"I'm not interested," Itachi said.

She pouted and crossed her arms over her ample chest, pushing them up and into Itachi's view. He hoped that she would miss the way his eyes dipped down for a fraction of a second to view what she had put on display for him.

"You seem pretty interested," she said, nodding her head toward Itachi's lap, where an uncomfortable physical manifestation of Itachi's arousal was in plain view.

Itachi activated his Sharingan and fixed her with his most intimidating glare. "I'm not interested," he repeated.

That seemed to do the trick. She didn't wilt like Kira had done, or shrink away from him like Sakura had, but she wasn't stupid and could sense the danger behind those eyes.

"Fine," she said, jutting her hip out with a sass that reminded him of Sakura, "You could have just said no to begin with."

Itachi turned away from her, back to the bar. He had told her to stop, but he didn't need to make his point to her. He just wanted her to leave. He adjusted his cloak to cover the embarrassing situation in his lap and took another sip of his sake.

His head was swimming from the sake and the sensation of being aroused. If Sasuke walked in right now ready to fight him, Itachi would be mortified. Maybe he should stay on the straight and narrow instead of letting loose. It was a luxury he couldn't afford. He remembered why he didn't drink. He remembered why he hadn't let himself think of Izumi.

Itachi was not cut out for a hedonistic lifestyle. Sex, alcohol, the simplest of life's pleasures had never been attainable for him. There was no reason that should change now just because death was looming over him.

But maybe he could just finish this one drink.