27. Memories and Nightmares

I pushed open the door cautiously, as though an angry tiger awaited me on the other side. Darkness was all the greeted me, however. Taking a tentative step into the dark room, my right hand found the light switch on the wall. I paused, my fingers resting there for a moment before I sighed and flipped the switch.

The now-illuminated room looked the same as always. I wasn't sure if I'd expected anything different. It was just as bare and meticulously clean as they day Keitaro had left it for the very last night. Grief slammed into me so hard I had to stand completely still and let myself recuperate.

Why hadn't the pain dissipated yet? I had finally returned home, occupying what now felt like an empty house, devoid of life and energy, but the pain still felt just as raw as it had the day of the funeral. In time likes these, it seemed to rob me of my breath and halt the world in its tracks.

I waited for the sharp pain in my heart to dull to an ache before creeping into the room. Keitaro's bed rested against the far wall. It was made of course; the blanket folded perfectly at the top and not a single wrinkle in the pillowcase. His dresser top was completely bare aside from a single picture frame. Moving over to it, I picked up the frame carefully and delicately ran a finger across the glass.

The picture was about seven or eight years old. Keitaro and Itachi stood side by side. I was very young in the photo, sitting atop Itachi's shoulders. My eyes were shut with glee, grinning widely. Sasuke sat upon Keitaro's shoulder; his face turned in my direction, smiling. Itachi and Keitaro were looking at one another. A delicate smile graced Itachi's face; a grin plastered on Keitaro's; his messy, brown bangs grown too long were hiding his eyes from view.

I smiled ever so slightly at the photo. I didn't remember the exact memory, but the scene was so familiar. Sasuke and I together, Itachi and Keitaro together. I remember being so happy back then, back when my parents were still alive. Before they were murdered.

Hatred for Natsuo bubbled in my gut but I quickly fought to banish. I couldn't let hatred consume me; it would only lead to bitterness and nothing good would come from it. I'd already gotten my revenge. Did it feel like enough? No. Did I feel like he got off easy? Yes. But there was no more I could do.

I replaced the photograph and turned my attention to the dresser drawers. Sadness tugged at my motivation, pleaded with me to leave now and never come back. But I knew I had to do this. The time had come to go through my brother's belongings; I couldn't put it off forever. It was my turn to do this; just as my brother had done to my parents' belongings years prior.

The top three drawers were filled with clothes. One drawer was filled with medical supplies. As with everything in Keitaro's room, the clothes were neatly folded and items were placed in very precise spots. The forth drawer, however, was filled with more personal items.

There were several old photographs of our family and of him and Itachi. There was a pocket watch that I held no recollection of, but which seemed vaguely familiar. The watch was gold and the golden chain was woven with scarlet. Plucking it from its spot, I opened the watch. The inside cover was engraved with the Uchiha Clan symbol. I stared at it curiously for a moment, trying to pull at the threads of familiarity, but I could not remember where I knew the watch from.

Replacing the item, a book in the corner of the drawer caught my attention. It was thick and the leather cover was black. I pulled it out, opening it to the first page. The pages were handwritten with small, neat penmanship. A quick glance of the first page told me this was Keitaro's journal.

I immediately jerked away, as though the words burned my eyes. I held the book in trembling hands. These were Keitaro's thoughts, his deepest feelings. Perhaps this book held answers for me. Did Keitaro know about Itachi's plan to massacre his entire plan? How much did he know about Natsuo? What did he know about Orochimaru? What was he keeping from me that I wasn't already wondering about?

But still, I could not return my eyes to the writing. I could not delve into my brother's thoughts when his passing was so raw. When I didn't have him standing before me to explain things. Guilt still riddled my heart over how angry I'd been with him, and how my concerns paled in comparison to my loss.

Closing the cover, I stuffed the journal back in the drawer.

I hurried through the packed streets of Konoha. My fellow pedestrians were oblivious to my rush, however, as they clogged the streets with their slow pace. I was growing quickly frustrated. Didn't they realize I had somewhere to be? Couldn't they take their lazy afternoon walks somewhere else?

Apparently not, I thought in annoyance as I got stuck behind an elderly man, creeping down the road with his cane.

Many frustrating moments later, my destination came into view. My eyes practically twinkled at the sight, as just a minute ago I never felt like I'd reach the designated meeting spot. I came to an abrupt stop at the shop entrance, trying to catch my harried breath. Smoothing down my frazzled hair, I took a deep, calming breath and stepped inside.

My eyes scanned the crowd of people in the establishment. People laughed over drinks, leaning over each other to make themselves heard over the crowded room. My gaze slipped over all of them until I spotted the lone figure in the back.

Smiling, I made my way over. "Hey you."

Kiba glanced up and a grin lit up his face. I took the seat opposite him on a wooden bench. A mug of steaming liquid sat in front of Kiba, along with a plate of assorted sweets.

"Hey," Kiba replied and Akamaru, sitting atop Kiba's head, yipped happily.

A waitress wandered over, thick hair pulled back in a ponytail, where she held her pen. She seemed rather hassled, judging by the look on her face, and she didn't bother pulling out her check book. When she looked at me, however, she attempted to sound civil. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a sweat tea, thanks," I smiled gently and the waitress shot me a grateful look. As she hurried off, I glanced back to Kiba. "So what's new?"

Kiba shrugged. "Nothing really. Kurenai-sensei gave us a break from fixing the village today. We got to train instead."

My eyes wandered as I thought. "Hopefully that'll become more frequent. Most of Konoha has been repaired already. It's amazing really; it felt like this whole place was demolished."

Kiba leaned back in his seat. "Well that's what happens when you have every single, available shinobi working on it."

I sighed, resting my chin on the palm of my hand. "It's been so dull. Only the jounin are going on missions; though rumor has it they're beginning to run low on jounin and chuunin to run missions fairly soon."

"Great; as if our village wasn't vulnerable enough right now."

I nodded gravely in agreement as the waitress return to our table. She set a steaming mug of sweat tea before me before vanishing once more into her packed tables. I raised the mug to my lips, blowing gently on the hot liquid. I took a tiny sip and something over Kiba's shoulder caught my attention.

Slowly lowering my cup, I peered intensely at what had caught my eye; or rather, whom. A table near to mine was occupied by two figures. One figure was much bigger and bulkier than his thin counterpart. Both were dressed in black cloaks, decorated by red clouds. Atop their heads were large, triangle, bamboo hats which obscured their faces from view.

I frowned, brows furrowing. I couldn't put my finger on it, but recognition was pulling at me. I wasn't even sure what about the pair seemed familiar, but their very presence kept grabbing my attention.

"Nakao? Are you alright?"

I blinked and shook my head, turning my attention back to the voice. "Huh?"

Kiba was staring at me curiously. "You zoned out there. What were you looking at?"

Kiba glanced over his shoulder and my eyes, too, searched for the mysterious men, only to find that they were gone. Kiba's eyes scanned the shop before returning his attention to me, a frown etched onto his face.

I was scratching my head. "B-But…there were two-they…"

I trailed off, confused.

"Kakashi, it's rare for you to show up first."

My head perked up as the familiar voice reached my ears. Sasuke?

I was raising from my seat, responding without realizing. It was Kiba who grabbed my awareness. "Nakao? Where are you going?"

I blinked and glanced at him, before glancing back to the entrance of the shop. Sasuke's voice had come from that direction.

"Uh-just give me a sec," I mumbled distractedly. Kiba opened his mouth to respond, but I was already gone.

I pushed aside the flaps at the entrance of the sweets shop, glancing to my left as I exited. Standing leisurely against the side of the shop was Kakashi-sensei, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his pants. Standing before him was Sasuke.

"Well, fancy seeing you two here," I stepped up to my male teammates, a small smile on my lips.

The two glanced over to me. Kakashi-sensei pushed himself off of the wall. "Ohiyo, Nakao. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just meeting Kiba," I shrugged, inclining my head towards the entrance of the shop. My eyes slipped over to Sasuke. "What are you guys up to?"

Sasuke's eyes fell to me in turn. "Kakashi-sensei wanted to talk to me about something."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, but I was still smiling. I couldn't stop it and it was probably weird. But I was…happy…to see Sasuke. I hadn't seen him recently and for some reason, seeing him before me brought a comforting brush of familiarity; a sense of security. Like a child's blanket, or one's favorite food. Seeing him again made me feel like my life was normal again, even though it was not. I wanted to stay in this moment and hold onto it, hold onto this secure feeling in my chest.

Sasuke seemed to be watching me as well, though he did not respond. Not a nod or a glance to our sensei. He just watched me. Was he appraising me? For a decline in my condition? For the evidence of lack of sleep? Or was he, also, somehow finding himself entranced with this small sense of normalcy.

But of course not. That would be silly.

"Why don't you meet me later, Sasuke?" Kakashi-sensei's amused voice seemed to break through our thoughts. I glanced over to him to find his eye drifting between myself and my teammate. "At my apartment."

Sasuke glanced to him and gave him a slight nod. "Hai."

A wrinkle appeared in Kakashi-sensei's mask, indicating that he was smiling. He gave us a wave and departed.

"What does he want to talk to you about?" I asked Sasuke, turning my attention back to him.

Sasuke shrugged lazily, hands in his pockets. "He didn't say. Something about training I presume."

"Have you been training this whole time?" I asked incredulously.

"Not the entire time," Sasuke clarified.

My jaw set stubbornly, hands planting firmly to my hips. My violet eyes narrowed. "So you get to train while the rest of us rebuild the village?"

"I've been helping," Sasuke defended himself, but he sounded amused. A small smirk had settled on his lips, particularly at my annoyed attitude.

Regardless, I scoffed and rolled my eyes but replied with a definite air of attempted detachment. "Well you don't have to be a stranger. We could train sometime."

"You wouldn't be able to keep up," Sasuke flashed me a cocky smirk.

"Ugh, spare me your dramatics," I teased.

"Nakao?"

I almost jumped at the sudden intrusion. I pivoted in order to glance behind me, and I felt Sasuke's eyes glance past me. Kiba was exiting the sweets shop, his hand still pushing away the flaps of material. His eyes were on me.

"K-Kiba," I said, the overwhelming feeling of guilt sinking into to my chest. My mouth was quickly drying as Kiba came to stop before me, his eyes switching between me and Sasuke.

"I uh, was just saying hi," I said, way too awkwardly. I felt my cheeks grow hot in embarrassment and shame. How could I have forgotten about Kiba?

But Kiba did not respond. His eyes were locked on Sasuke's, and they watched each other intensely. The tension was beginning to make me fidget. Why did it seem that the tension that sparked between these two seemed to grow stronger with each meeting?

"Well, Sasuke," I finally blurted out, feeling some anxiety creep up at me as the tension grew thicker. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Sasuke's eyes finally slipped over to me. I felt…disappointed…to be saying goodbye so quickly. Suddenly, our interaction, my small thread of comfort and familiarity, felt like a spark of light, brightening the persistent cloudiness of my current life. And now it was snuffed out, erased, now that we were parting ways. I wanted to go train, or sit by our bridge or even have him insult me just to keep that heaviness from resettling on my shoulders.

But I couldn't show this of course. Not to Sasuke or Kiba. And so I offered him a small, but uneasy smile. "Have fun with Kakashi-sensei, okay?"

I had to get out of the situation. I needed to free myself from the guilt pressing in on me, and the confusing desire to care less. I gently grabbed the sleeve of Kiba's gray jacket and began to tug him down the road. Before we made it too far away, I glanced over my shoulder, witnessing Sasuke turn his back to our direction and move in the opposite direction.

I had no particular destination in mind, aside away from the sweets shop. And so we traveled through the streets, each of us seemingly stuck in our own thoughts.

"Nakao…" Kiba piped up after an extended period of silence. He sounded tentative and was shifting uncomfortably.

"What's up?" I asked him, welcoming the distraction. I laced my fingers together behind my head and glanced over to my friend. My previous, strangely strong emotions from before were beginning to fade and the unease began to melt away.

"Well I…" he trailed off, his mouth opening and closing rapidly as he desperate searched for the words he wanted to say. I watched him curiously, if not a bit concerned. He refused to look in my direction when he did speak. "It's just I…well…I'm a bit…confused."

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "About…?"

"Well…I thought that you and Sasuke…you know, hated each other," Kiba's hands were rolling in front of him as if pulling the words towards him.

"Hate each other?" my eyebrows shot up. "Well that's a touch dramatic don't you think?"

He glanced over and I noticed the desperation on his face. It's like he was willing for me to understand what he was talking about, what it seemed he was asking about. But I couldn't help him there. I had no idea what he was talking about and where on earth this had originated from.

"I don't think so…" Kiba said carefully, clearly remembering the last four years. "And anyway…even if it was just, you know, dislike, you guys seem awfully...close."

I continued to watch Kiba, very confused, perhaps a little weirded out. "Um…I mean…close might be a bit dramatic too. We're just…teammates. You know how a few life and death situations hold a team together."

Kiba huffed, frustrated, ranking a hand through his shaggy locks. The sound surprised me. "No. You're not getting it."

I shook my head, aghast. "No, I'm really not."

"I'm saying that you and Sasuke-"

But whatever Kiba was going to say was abruptly cut off by a blur of black speeding past me. Kiba and I both blinked in surprise, but I quickly identified the blur.

"Sasuke…?"

The boy halted, whirling around. Frantic eyes searched for me and he sprinted back to me. Frantically, he grabbed me by the shoulders. "Nakao, have you seen Naruto?"

I lost my voice for a moment, so surprised by the wild concern my teammate was displaying. "What? N-no…"

"Kuso," Sasuke cursed, immediately releasing me.

"Sasuke, what on earth is going on?" I searched my teammate's face, alarm beginning to flush through me.

"Nothing," Sasuke quickly shot me a stern look before he turned away and sprinted down the road again.

"Sasuke!" I called out. "Wait!"

But my feet were already moving, rushing after the Uchiha.

"Nakao!"

I halted, just a few feet away. I pivoted, my gaze falling on Kiba. He stood where I left him, hurt evident in the way he gazed at me. I felt the guilt slam into me as I watched him feel forgotten and unwanted. But desperation pulled at me. Something was seriously wrong if Sasuke was so spooked. And it was clear that, wherever Naruto was, he was in trouble.

I tried to pour all my sincerity into my pleading face, as I pleaded for him to understand. Even my voice came out a little desperate. "Kiba…I'm so sorry. I have to go."

I didn't give him a chance to respond; I didn't have the time. I turned forward and dashed after Sasuke. I tried to push the look of Kiba's crushed demeanor from my mind.

I caught sight of Sasuke when he exited Ichiraku Ramen stand. A logical place to search for Naruto. But judging by Sasuke's concerned, nearly panicked expression, the blonde boy had not been present. But while Sasuke was in view, I was still far enough behind him to be frustrated, and he took off in a hurry.

"Dammit," I huffed, breathing heavier than normal. Sasuke was moving fast. But as I followed the Uchiha, my mind was racing faster than my heart.

What the hell is going on? What could be so dangerous? Naruto's safe right now; whatever he's doing. Right...?

And still, Sasuke moved so quickly that there was still distance between us. At one point the distance widened so that his back was barely seen disappearing into the distance. The confusion only continued when Sasuke led me out of the village and into a neighboring sect. It resembled a busy city with a plethora of hotels, restaurants and casinos.

Why would Naruto be all the way out here?

We traveled by rooftop for at least a mile before Sasuke finally leapt downwards. When I reached the edge of that building, I followed his lead, landing in the center of a bustling street. People moved all around me, chattering excitedly to one another. A variety of aromas assaulted my senses and neon signs flashed down at me from the sides of buildings. Frantically, I tried to block this all out, searching for Sasuke.

I tried to take a deep breath in through my nose in an attempt to calm myself. I needed to block out the sensory overload and focus on the memory of Sasuke's chakra. I pushed my awareness out, searching. When I caught his trail, my head snapped in that direction. From what I could tell, he was in the hotel across the road from me. And there were…two very large chakras. I could tell from the suppressed energy that the owners were masking their chakra. But despite this, the sheer power could not be disguised.

My mind was racing, questions popping into my head. But I tried to force them away, to focus on the task at hand. I sprinted towards the hotel, flinging the door inward and causing a small wind chime to jingle obnoxiously. My eyes scanned the room and I found myself in the small lobby, a reception desk situated in front of me. An elderly man with gray hair sat behind the desk. Without a word, the man pointed his index finger upwards towards the ceiling. I didn't bother with a response and immediately bounded up the staircase beside the man, jumping over two steps at a time.

I flung myself over the top of the stairs, appearing on the second floor. A long hallway stretched before me, lined with doors and dim lights. Halfway down the hall, Naruto stood in front of an open door, which I presumed was the room he'd been in. With my arrival, his eyes shot over to me, surprise and confusion etched into his face. In front of him stood a very tall man. At least, I thought he was a man…

The character in question was definitely male. His skin was a bluish-gray color. His face reminded me of a shark, complete with gills on his cheeks and sharpened teeth. His spikey, blue hair was pushed away from his face by a mist headband. The insignia, however, was crossed by a long scratch, immediately identifying him as a missing ninja.

On this strange man's shoulder rested a giant sword, the same size as me, height and width wise. He wore a black cloak, printed with red clouds. Said cloak was identical to the one worn by a figure standing in the middle of the hallway. This figure was also male, his black hair pulled back in a low ponytail, long bangs framing his face. Deep grooves underlined his onyx eyes. His headband also contained a scratch, over the Leaf insignia.

My breath caught in my throat. Itachi…

Standing several feet in front of me, standing before Itachi, was Sasuke. He'd clearly been distracted by my appearance, as he glanced over his shoulder at my arrival. I'd rarely seen Sasuke's eyes burn with such fury as he glared at me.

The hallway was eerily silent in that moment; all eyes seemed trained on me. I could feel my heart slamming against my ribcage. How did I find myself in this situation? But I tried to block out Itachi and, who must be, his partner, settling my gaze on Sasuke. I took a step towards him.

"Stay there!" Sasuke immediately shouted, effectively halting me in my tracks. "This is my fight."

"But Sasuke-" I tried, my voice heightened an octave by my fear. But my voice was drowned out by the chirping noise of Sasuke's Chidori.

The electric blue glow of Sasuke's chakra flickered against the walls. Random bolts of chakra shot out here and there, reminding anyone around him of the danger. Sasuke's attention was no longer on me, but set fully on his brother.

"I've been wanting to say this to you…" Sasuke began, his now-crimson eyes narrowed at Itachi. "I've lived hating you…And also that I have lived only to kill you…I have lived for this!"

Sasuke let out a cry as he dashed towards Itachi. His hand holding the Chidori was extended away from his body, breaking apart the wall as he rushed Itachi. He thrust his hand at Itachi, aiming for his heart. Itachi had not moved the entire time and when Sasuke reached him, he only reached his arm out and his hand caught Sasuke's wrist.

I gasped, my heart plunging in my chest, my gut clenching. My wide eyes could almost not believe what they'd witnessed.

Off to the side, Naruto put his fingers into a handseal. As Naruto began to gather his chakra, Itachi barely so much as glanced at his brother.

"You're in the way," Itachi said simply before tightening his grip, snapping Sasuke's wrist.

"Sasuke!" Naruto and my voice mingle in horror as Sasuke's pained scream stabbed the air.

"Dammit!" Naruto gritted his teeth together, activating his jutsu.

"Too late!" the fish-man smirked, taking his large sword from his shoulder. He swung it at Naruto, but did not slice him. But Naruto's wide eyes watched the man, sweat beginning to slip down his face.

The man laughed. "My Samehada eats chakra. Now that your jutsu is gone, you shouldn't be any more trouble. First of all…should I chop off a leg or cut off an arm?"

While Naruto's situation appeared dire, my full attention had been on Sasuke. I wasn't thinking, not clearly anyway, as I rushed forward. He lay on the hard ground, breathing heavily, pain stitched into his face. I wanted to drop to his side, look him over, ease his pain, but I was not so foolish to do this. Rather, I slid in front of my teammate, keeping my body between him and Itachi. I glared up to the elder Uchiha; though he did not notice, as something had drawn his attention over his shoulder.

A man had just appeared in a cloud of smoke directly behind Naruto. He sported long, thick white hair; a Konoha headband wrapped around his forehead. Two red lines of paint ran from each eye to his neck. An unconscious woman was draped over his right shoulder.

"Hehe…So it's one of the legendary three ninjas, the Great Jiraiya, eh? You like beautiful woman but we weren't thinking that such a simple method could successfully stall you anyway," Itachi's partner smirked.

I sucked in a breath of air. That's one of the legendary sannin?

Jiraiya gently set the woman against a wall and out of harm's way as he talked over his shoulder to Itachi and his companion. "You guys wanted to draw me away, so you used the Sharingan to cast genjutsu on the woman huh? Not a very manly way of doing things. So, you really are after Naruto?"

My eyes widened at this. Of course, it all made sense now. Though at the very sight of Itachi, whom I'd not seen since before he assassinated his entire clan, had wiped the immediate reason for my journey from my mind. But there was still a million questions to answer. How did Sasuke know his brother was after Naruto? Why was Itachi after Naruto? How did any of this make sense?

"No wonder Kakashi knew about this…you were the source of information," Itachi's full attention was set on the new arrival. "To abduct Naruto, those were the orders give to us by the higher echelons of the organization 'Akatsuki'."

"You won't get Naruto," Jiraiya glared at Itachi.

"And why not?" Itachi responded coolly.

"Because right now, right here, you two will die by my hand."

"Don't…do it."

The sudden sound of Sasuke's voice almost startled me. My attention had been completely consumed by the scene playing out before me. But now I glanced just behind me, finding Sasuke still lying on the ground, trying to hide his twitches of pain.

"This guy…is mine," Sasuke ground out.

"I have absolutely no interest in you," Itachi responded, watching his brother as though he was little more than an annoying gnat.

Still, despite Itachi's claim, he took a step towards Sasuke and myself. My instincts fired off and I quickly reached for my blades, my hands hovering over the handles. And for the first time, Itachi seemed to really see me.

"Makase Nakao," Itachi peered down at me, his voice devoid of emotion. He regarded me with those cool eyes and his voice almost caused me to shiver.

I swallowed against my throat, managing to keep a glare trained on Itachi. I tried to ignore the fact that he was the most powerful shinobi I knew. I tried to forget he'd massacred an entire clan in one night. I pushed away the thought that this cold-blooded killer had dined at my table, carried me on his shoulders, befriended my brother. But my mouth was dry and my throat felt like it might have closed. Which was fine; as I couldn't think of anything I'd want to say.

"You look like your brother."

I didn't wince, though I felt a heavy pang in my chest. I tried to keep my gaze from wavering. A subtle movement chilled my blood, when I realized Itachi seemed ready to move forward.

"Don't…fucking…touch her…"

Despite years of training and all my common sense, I turned away from my enemy. I turned my attention to Sasuke, who was slowly, shakily, getting to his feet. He'd ground out the words, but he was breathing heavily.

"Sasuke," I whispered urgently, my fear palpable. He was going to get himself killed. What was I going to do to keep him away from this? To make him back down? I put a hand on his arm, opening my mouth.

Sasuke's uninjured arm whipped out, plowing into my stomach. The air flew out of my lungs as my body few backwards. I hit the ground on my side several feet away, wheezing and trying desperately to suck in air.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice laced with horror and surprise.

I coughed and wheezed, frantically trying to regain oxygen. My abdomen pulsed in pain where Sasuke had struck me. I could feel saliva collecting on the side of my mouth. Still, I desperately tried to refocus my eyes, and train them on Sasuke. I saw him rush his brother and panic had me trying to pull myself to my knees.

As Sasuke reached his brother, Itachi brought a knee back before ramming it into Sasuke's gut. Sasuke cried out in pain, a spurt of crimson flying from his lips. Itachi's onslaught continued. He brought a hand down on Sasuke's neck, bowing his head in time for Itachi to ram his knee beneath Sasuke's chin. Another cry was wrenched from the younger Uchiha, but it was cut off abruptly by a punch to his diaphragm.

"S-Sasuke!" I coughed out, my lungs still feeling rather constricted. I struggled to my knees, attempting to stand, but the world spun and I faltered.

Sasuke collapsed to the ground, cheek to the floor. Itachi bent down, every movement as fluid as water, and grabbed Sasuke around the neck. He picked him up, as though he weighed nothing, before slamming Sasuke into the nearest wall. He leaned in, his lips against Sasuke's ear, whispering words I could not hear. Sasuke only coughed in response. Itachi then pulled back, staring into Sasuke's eyes. Those crimson eyes flashed and Sasuke let out a sudden cry of anguish.

Sasuke! My eyes were wide in horror, fear clenching at my heart. I felt helpless and paralyzed. I wanted to rush the elder Uchiha, tear him away from Sasuke, but I was not foolish enough to think I'd even reach him before I perished.

"Itachi, I advise against using your eyes so many times in a single day," the fish-man said leisurely from somewhere outside my range of sight.

"Ninpou Gama Guchi Shibari!" Jiraiya yelled.

The floor suddenly seemed to tremble before the floor and walls changed. Every surface was now pink and moist, squishy beneath me. The air was suddenly thick and humid.

"Too bad Itachi, Kisame…you are already inside my stomach!" Jiraiya said.

"Kisame," Itachi glanced over his shoulder at his companion, who nodded.

The two suddenly took off at a sprint, moving down a hallway perpendicular to my current location. Jiraiya and Naruto quickly rushed after them, breezing past me as I finally got to my feet.

"They're gone!" Naruto exclaimed as they turned the corner.

A commotion in their location reached my ears, but I paid little mind. I rushed over to Sasuke, ignoring the moisture that seeped between my toes from what used to be the floor. But by the time I reached Sasuke, the tissue-like walls were beginning to revert back to normal and Sasuke's body subsequently fell forward. I was there to snatch him and I lowered us to the ground, my knees wobbling at the sudden inclusion of Sasuke's weight. I placed Sasuke against the now-solid wall.

"Sasuke!" I said urgently, gently shaking the boy's shoulders.

But Sasuke did not respond to me. His eyes were open, but glazed over, unseeing. And though I shook him, he neither blinked nor twitched. I could feel my fear climbing into my chest, growing, expanding, until I felt my breath quicken and my eyes mist over. But Sasuke's condition remained unchanged and I ignored the sound of approaching footsteps and I pulled Sasuke towards me, encasing him in my arms.

I stood just outside the checkpoint entry gates. Backpack slung over his shoulders, Naruto stood across from me, beside Jiraiya. Gai-sensei stood beside me, for he'd arrived at the hotel soon after Itachi and Kisame had escaped. I hadn't listened to his explanation, nor had I cared as my mind was plagued with concern. Gai-sensei had offered to carry Sasuke back to the village, but I'd declined, even though Sasuke was taller than me. He was dead weight; even his head as it rested on my shoulder. But I guess I…I needed to feel useful. I felt like I needed to do something. I'd done nothing as Itachi put him in this state.

Now at the village, it was mine and Gai's responsibility to get Sasuke to the hospital. Naruto and Jiraiya, however, had a different mission. They were headed out of the village to track down another legendary sannin by the name of Tsunade. Not only was she to be offered the position as the new Hokage, she was the greatest medical ninja Jiraiya could attest to. Jiraiya was positive she'd be able to cure Sasuke, who would be out of commission indefinitely until she could heal him.

I gazed at Naruto, my eyes clear and determined. But still, my chin trembled slightly and my face creased with worry and sadness. And I could not deny how my words came out in a plea. "Please find her, Naruto."

Naruto's sky-blue eyes searched my face, his own appearance rather subdued. "We will. Take care of Sasuke, Nakao."

"I will."

With this, Naruto and Jiraiya turned their backs to us and set out along the dirt path. Gai waved but I'd already turned my focus on Sasuke. I'd closed his eyes but a trail of blood ran down his chin. One hand reached up to wipe it away and I turned my attention to the village gates.

It had grown dark outside. I'd not bothered to turn on a light and only the light through the window cast the room in shadows. I knew a nurse would soon arrive to kick me out, but I remained where I'd been seated since my arrival. I sat on the edge of the mattress, gazing down at my teammate. His head rested on a cheap-looking pillow and a blanket was pulled up to his chest. One arm was resting atop the blanket and I had this hand clasped in mine, mindful of the IV inserted there.

The room was silent, aside from the steady beeping of Sasuke's heart monitor. Annoying as it might be under normal circumstances, I took comfort in its constant presence, reminding me that at least Sasuke was still alive. The curtains around the window fluttered in a gentle breeze, as the window had not yet been shut. Moonlight leaked through the pane, illuminating half of Sasuke's face. Jiraiya told me he felt sure Sasuke's was reliving his worst memories on repeat, though his face betrayed no trace of this internal agony.

I squeezed Sasuke's hand gently. "Naruto will find Tsunade. You'll be okay."

He would be okay, I had to remind myself over and over. But when? How long would it take to find Tsunade? What if she didn't agree to come? What if she did come but Sasuke awoke a different person? Would the horrors reinstate his guard; make those walls I thought might be cracking bit by bit grow taller and thicker than ever?

My eyes fluttered shut as I tried to block out the constant thoughts. I hoped that Naruto would return soon; not just for Sasuke's sake, but for my own sanity. Sighing, I finally released Sasuke's hand, resting his arm beside his body. I leaned forward, gently brushing my lips against his cheek.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

Pulling away, I got to my feet and headed for the door. As I opened it, light from the hallway spilled into the room. I glanced back to find it illuminating Sasuke's peaceful face. I lingered for a long moment before I exited the room and closed the door behind me, leaving Sasuke's room in darkness.