A/N: This coming weekend is the birthday of my deceased baby brother so it's got me in a weird head space. And this chapter is very heavy in the Itachi and Sasuke sibling love. The timing is just kind of weird, considering. Maybe not weird, maybe more like fated. Anyways, I totally relate to their connection even more intensely.
Chapter Seventeen: Brothers
Itachi and Sasuke POVs
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The walk back to his family home was a blur for Itachi. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware the district was quiet due to the mandatory clan meeting — that he'd blatantly skipped. There was the pain in his eyes — sharp and excruciating, tears of blood streamed down his cheeks — the only time in his life he could say he succumbed to crying, and the dull crushing ache in his chest. He wanted to recover Shisui and carry his failing body to his brother's one-day lover and let her fix him. Surely, Sakura was capable. She traveled through time to save members of the clan, did she not? What was the point of coming to help if she sat back and did nothing?
Shisui was the best of the Uchiha. The clan could not recover from his loss. It would be hopeless.
It was once he reached the steps to his family house that he almost tripped over Kakashi's damn Ninken. He recognized it as the talkative pug ninja hound — he'd met him many times before on missions. For two years, Itachi and Kakashi had worked alongside each other. That made Kakashi his longest teammate— even if technically in Anbu you were to not know the identities of other shinobi within the rank. You'd have to be incredibly, willfully ignorant to not know your own teammates.
"What do you want, Pakkun?" Itachi asked, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar even to his own ears.
"My master wants to meet you tomorrow. Three o'clock," Pakkun said, tilting his head to the side and giving Itachi a sympathetic look. He scratched at his collar and a small packet fell to the ground. "That's for you."
"Where?"
"Outside the gates. The place where you slipped that one time." Pakkun disappeared in a puff.
Itachi blinked a moment in the suddenness. He really needed to sleep. He knew the spot, it had been coming home from one of their first missions in Anbu. The strap to his damn sandal had broken. Now he always double and tripped all his gear the night before any mission as well as packed replacements within one of his traveling scrolls. He picked up the small pouch and opened it as he walked inside.
His parents were still at the clan meeting, but Sasuke would be asleep in their shared bedroom. He could feel his little brother's chakra signature. He'd need to remind him about cloaking it in the future — even in sleep. He strode directly to the bathroom — a nice hot shower might help him feel less contaminated.
The headache was still intense, but it was a few degrees improved. Within the pouch, was a teabag labeled in Sakura's how familiar handwriting Herbal Tea for headaches and sleep. He brought it to his nose and recognized the blended scent of green tea, chamomile, jasmine, and peppermint. He could also feel the faint buzz of chakra infusion within the mix. A small glimmer of hope began light in his heart — Kakashi and Sakura had both just reached out to him. They wanted to meet him. They knew he'd have a headache — they knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan — Kakashi had one — of course he'd know.
He boiled the water in the tea kettle sitting on the stovetop and using a little chakra, sped up the process. Then he began to seep the herbal tea into the hot water, the aroma already offered a faint reprieve from the discomfort. It would be ready after a quick shower. He needed to wash the grime off his hands — the blood from Shisui and the earth he'd clawed at when he'd fallen to his knees after pushing his best friend off the cliff.
It was a quick shower, ruthless shower — his skin reddened by the abrasive scrubbing. After drying off and shucking on his pajama pants and long-sleeve shirt, he returned to the kitchen and downed the tea like a man that hadn't drank water in days. He washed and dried his tea cup and rinsed the tea kettle. His mother kept an immaculate kitchen and he would never be so disrespectful as to disturb her domain.
The impact of the herbal tea was almost immediate — the headache dulled and his worries and concerns began to fade. He barely made it to his bedroom in time, his feet moved silently on the wooden floor, his ninja training so ingrained that Sasuke never stirred though he was a light sleeper. With one last look at his precious baby brother, Itachi collapsed onto his bed, not even bothering to turn down the covers and fell into a dreamless, deep sleep.
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"Nii-san?" Sasuke's soft, worried whispers filled Itachi's ears. Small hands shook his shoulder slightly.
Itachi opened his eyes a crack to acknowledge his brother. The morning light felt harsh where it shown from their bedroom window.
"Maybe you want to go train today?" Sasuke's dark gaze shifted towards the bedroom door. The muffled voices of their parents arguing penetrated the barrier. "Father is very angry. Mother has kept him out of here. I told them you were sick."
"Why did you tell them that, little brother?" Itachi asked, his voice barely a whisper, humoring Sasuke's concern.
"Because you are." Sasuke's small voice quivered. "I tried to wake you earlier, but you wouldn't wake up. And there's blood coming from your eyes." The young boy worried his lower lip anxiously. "Do I need to get a doctor? The lady that helped Shisui's father?"
Was the medicinal tea so strong? Itachi didn't think so. It was just his body recovering from the shock of awakening the legendary bloodline limit of their clan. "That won't be necessary. I'm feeling better now," Itachi assured him. He reached up and poked his brother on his forehead weakly, smiling faintly at his brother's scowl. "You know about the Sharingan, right?"
Sasuke nodded and rubbed his forehead. "Of course." He was no longer biting his lip and looked irritated rather than worried — a much better look on him.
"Something happened yesterday and my Sharingan had another evolution. But you cannot tell anyone," Itachi warned. "It's our secret. I trust you, Sasuke."
The young boy's chest huffed with pride at the admission of trust. "Dad is about to leave for work. Do you want to spend the day with me?" Sasuke's eyes shown with such hope, that a piece of the darkness that threatened to drown Itachi chipped away. "It's Saturday, so there's no school."
"I am meeting my team this afternoon, but I would love to spend the day with you," Itachi answered. It might be the last day he got to spend with Sasuke. He knew why his father would be angry. He knew what topic of discussion last night's clan meeting would be about. But, the fact that his mother stood up to his father and allowed Itachi to rest in peace, he had hope for her. "I'd like to hear about how your test went yesterday."
Sasuke smirked, pride evident on his young features. "You didn't hear enough over dinner?"
"Ah." Itachi had momentarily forgotten that he and Izumi had taken Sasuke and his two friends to eat. "I can never hear enough about you— and your friends."
Sasuke's cheeks pinked at the comment. His dark gaze shifted to his feet as he seemed to struggle in finding the courage to ask his next question. "Was it hard for you to make friends, Nii-san?"
"Incredibly," Itachi admitted. Sasuke's gaze snapped back up to his face with astonishment stark across his features. "Shisui and Izumi are also clan members. I was not fortunate enough to befriend any outside of the clan until more recently. It's brought my friend count to a stunning four."
"I just have two," Sasuke whispered, crest-fallen.
Itachi sat up and pulled Sasuke to him in a hug, surprising both himself and his little brother. "Those two are precious. But, you also have me."
"I hardly see you." Sasuke's thin arms wrapped around Itachi's neck, returning the hug tentatively.
"It doesn't matter." Itachi leaned back and touched Sasuke's forehead. "We'll always be connected right here. You are my most precious person, Sasuke. I would watch the world burn if it meant you were alive and well. I just want you to be happy."
"I'm happy when I'm with you," Sasuke answered, he ran the back of his hand over his eyes and quickly wiped away any evidence of tears.
The sounds of Fugaku leaving the house and starting his commute to work at the station, made Itachi relax marginally. He wanted to lay it all out for his brother. It was rare they spoke like this and he wasn't sure if they'd have future opportunities. He didn't like to talk during training. It was important to focus. "I will soon have to leave on a very long mission," Itachi confessed. "You will hear things about me — that will be confusing. Remember, we are shinobi, things are not always what they seem. Come, let's have breakfast with Mother."
"Maybe you should wash your face — she'll worry," Sasuke said. "The blood." He gestured vaguely.
"Of course." Itachi reached over and ruffled his brother's wild, unruly midnight hair.
Itachi cleaned up in the bathroom while Sasuke hurried to the kitchen. He splashed cool water over his face and was grateful that his headache was now only a dull ache. He didn't really look different. His tear trough creases were back to the level they were a few days ago — his work at repairing the damage with healing chakra quickly undone. Sakura would be annoyed with him. He created a shadow clone and sent it back to the Nakago River to seek out Shisui's body. He wanted to find it before his clansmen did. They would unlikely believe he ran away immediately and would certainly send out a search party. They were police, so they would find clues.
A short while later, Itachi, Sasuke, and Mikoto sat at the family table. There was an aura of calm around their mother that had been missing for months. It was a comfort to see it had returned. "Sasuke and I will be training today and I'll be meeting friends this afternoon," Itachi announced.
"You have the day off?" Mikoto stopped her cup of tea halfway to her mouth, her surprise evident.
Itachi smiled softly. "I do occasionally need a day off, Mother."
Sasuke snickered and then busied himself with his breakfast.
"Shisui and Izumi?" Mikoto asked.
Itachi shook his head. "I have other friends."
Her mother's eyes widened comically. "I wasn't aware."
"Mother, Sasuke, I wanted to see if there was a possibility of considering adoption," Itachi suggested. His brother's attention snapped back to him, eyebrows raised high in confusion.
"Adoption?" Mikoto repeated. "Like a pet cat?"
Itachi smiled faintly. "No, Mother, not a cat. One of Sasuke's friends is an orphan. I will soon be living on my own and it seems a waste to let my old bed fall into disuse."
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked. He frowned. "He snores. He's fallen asleep in class before."
"That's probably because he doesn't get enough sleep," Mikoto murmured. "His father used to snore whenever he was sleep deprived."
"You know Naruto's dad?" Sasuke's shock was evident. He shook his head faintly. "I mean knew."
A sad smile crossed Mikoto's face. "His dad and I were teammates fresh out of the Academy. I was friends with his mother too." She laid her hand gently on Sasuke's upper back between his shoulder blades and met Itachi's gaze. "I've asked to adopt Naruto before — twice. Lord Third wouldn't allow it."
"Ask again — in a few weeks. I believe the answer will be different," Itachi suggested.
"Why? Where are you going, Itachi?" Mikoto worried. She knew about the planned coup and about the gathering of those against it. Itachi had seen her name at the top of Izumi's list. It made him so proud to be her son.
Itachi finished his tea. "That's classified." He began to gather his empty dishes and brought them to the sink. "Thank you for the meal, Mother. I'll take care of the dishes. Sasuke, finish getting ready so we can train." As he dipped his hands into the soapy water he felt a slight jolt as his Shadow clone dispelled itself.
Shisui's body was nowhere to be found. What he had found was a Shadow clone made of lightning that looked like Shisui. A slow smile crept across Itachi's lips. Kakashi and Sakura hadn't let him down after all.
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It had been a long time since Sasuke didn't have to take a turn on watch during a mission. Considering the majority of his missions were Solo-S rank jobs, it was refreshing to have such a robust team — even if the mission was a little on the insane side. He opened his eyes and stared at the woman in the bedroll next to him as well as his idiot best friend on her other side. Their hair being the same golden blond threw him off — knowing now that they were related added to the surrealism. And the fact that the two of them were the sun to his solar system. No matter how far his orbit — he kept being drawn back to those two teammates of his.
As usual, Sasuke's feelings towards Sakura were — complicated. Did he love her— definitely. Were they husband and wife material? He didn't know. He knew he was extremely fortunate to not have been imprisoned for the rest of his life for his actions during the war. He had spent six months in the village after everything settled. He tried— he really did — to make Konoha his home.
But he had felt restless. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi had welcomed him back with open arms, but no one else wanted him. He could feel the distrust and fear. The Uchiha district remained mostly intact after Pain's attack on Konoha, but it was still a ghost town, haunted by the unattainable joy he'd had as a child that he could never quite regain.
He'd gone on a few dates with Sakura. She was pretty, but he was never interested in physical beauty. He appreciated her athleticism, her determination, her intelligence, her monstrous strength, but most especially her heart. She cared for him, no matter his faults. It offered him comfort. Shortly before he left the village on his last mission, they'd become physically intimate with each other.
It had been awkward due to their mutual inexperience, but he was also learning how to do things one-handed. He was embarrassed by his newfound disability, but he also refused a prosthetic. The hand he lost tried to kill both Naruto and Sakura. He didn't deserve to be whole and it would remind him of the darkness that still threatened to overwhelm him at times.
He didn't regret having sex with Sakura — if he was going to share that experience with anyone — it would be her.
His love for her had grown almost unbearable these last few days — knowing what she risked to make his life better. Was it a romantic love? He would have thought so, except, when he stole a glimpse at Kakashi's memories— felt what Kakashi felt at that time. He had never felt something like that. It was part of the reason he'd been so angry. He'd always had a sense of competitiveness with Kakashi — perhaps because when he was a fresh graduate of the Academy it was because they both had the Sharingan. Or maybe because they were both supposed to be prodigies. Or because Kakashi had actually been friends with Itachi. Regardless, seeing the type of bond younger Kakashi had forged with his dear friend made him realize he didn't understand that kind of love.
Sasuke knew his psyche had been scarred by the trauma of his childhood and the subsequent ruthless, murderous madness he'd acquired under Orochimaru.
He reached across the space between them and tucked back a strand of Sakura's hair behind her ear. This remarkable woman was doing something impossible so that he'd have a chance to love.
"I see you're awake," Sakura murmured, opening her eyes and staring back at him with her familiar jade eyes. "You okay?"
"It will be strange to see him," Sasuke answered, his voice a barely audible whisper. "He will have just barely turned thirteen years old. What were we going at thirteen? The Chunin Exams?"
"You've got to stop comparing yourself to him, Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled faintly. "He's going to be floored seeing you. You're taller and more broad than your father. He'll have never seen a Susanoo. He will have just developed his Mangekyo Sharingan in the past twelve hours."
"It will be the worse headache he's ever experienced." Sasuke thought back to the pain he'd experienced when his Sharingan evolved. He'd not given Itachi the fatal blow in their battle, but the emotional trauma of learning everything his brother endured awoke it. What if this time Sasuke taught Itachi how to use his new found powers? No one understood them better than Sasuke after all. He'd had three years to master his powers. "He might not be able to meet us."
"Pakkun will have also given him a medicinal tea I created." Sakura sat up and stretched her arms above her head and then behind her back. Sasuke watched her movements and appreciated her lithe form. He was looking forward to being teammates with her again, working in tandem alongside her. "Remember that blend I worked on for you before you left?"
"Yeah." Sasuke followed her example and sat up as well. He remembered spending many hours wandering the woods and fields with Sakura gathering different herbs for her to experiment with. She'd infused the final blend with healing chakra. He'd been pleasantly rewarded with the best headache cure and relaxation tea. He'd stocked up before his last trip. "That would help."
"I never visited the Uchiha district when I was young. I had no idea how lively it is," Sakura murmured, turning back towards him, her brow furrowed. "I've only been there twice — once with Shisui and later with Itachi and Shisui to meet your father."
Sasuke smiled faintly at a distant memory. "There was this old baker couple — they'd give me a sweet roll every morning. I didn't have the heart to tell them I didn't like sweets. I'd give them to Mother." His smile fell thinking about his mother. She was alive! Would his heart feel that old warmth he barely remembered from his youth if he saw her again? And what of his father? He'd been a difficult man — Naruto would have described him as emotionally constipated.
Sasuke caught Sakura extending her hand towards him and he took it in his, holding it gently. She was the only person he'd held hands with — aside from his mother when he was small. It brought him comfort that he didn't realize he needed. "So, Naruto said that I'm not allowed to go anywhere without either you, him, or Kakashi. Apparently, you guys think I'll get myself in some sort of trouble."
Sasuke scoffed. "He's not wrong. Haven't you already found yourself in all sorts of trouble?"
"Hm. Maybe so," Sakura agreed. She smiled and he felt a spark of hope in his heart at her confidence. "It's going to be better, Sasuke-kun. You won't feel alone anymore."
His dark eyes swept between her and Naruto. "I never feel alone with you two." He smirked. "You're both so damn noisy."
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One of the advantages of living on the outskirts of Konoha was the proximity to the wilds of the forest and the great field to the East. There was always the chance of a feral boar showing up and disrupting a training session that added to the excitement. Itachi perched on a high branch, watching as Sasuke tracked his chakra trail. He masked it for the most part, but had allowed a couple of flares to give the young boy a clue.
The raging headache that began with his Sharingan's evolution had ebbed to a manageable throb. He had read in the archives hidden within the Nakago Shrine the little there was about the Mangekyo Sharingan. It was apparently very rarely achieved and he suspected that most of his ancestors that did awaken it, didn't broadcast their ability. Those that found out — generally died as victims. He had no idea what sort of new abilities he possessed. What abilities had Shisui possessed?
He would ask Kakashi about his abilities when he saw him that afternoon. He'd seen projectiles vanish into thin air when in Kakashi's proximity — maybe something like that?
"I see you, Nii-san," Sasuke called out, tossing a kunai into the branch under what appeared to be Itachi's feet.
"So you have." Itachi did a substitution and on the tree it appeared that his body dissolved into a murder of crows. His actual body stood directly behind Sasuke. He tapped his little brother on the shoulder and felt the prick of a kunai against his rib. "Good reflexes."
"You let me find you on purpose," Sasuke accused with an adorable pout on his face.
"I gave you clues," Itachi countered. He had left only a very slight trace of chakra and Sasuke's sensitivity was certainly above average. "You have been honing your skills. I apologize that I haven't been able to train you as much as I would like." When he was Sasuke's age, he'd spent countless hours training with Shisui. Sasuke hadn't received such an advantage.
"You're training me today." Sasuke smiled up at him. The smile was bright and innocent.
The sight of such a sincere, happy smile felt like a vice around Itachi's heart. The world of the shinobi would snuff out the bright, sweet boy that was his brother. "You know, one day, I would love to be the Hokage — protect the village so that the youth of tomorrow are free to enjoy their lives."
The smile vanished from Sasuke's face. "Was it true that Father wanted to be the Hokage?"
"A great many shinobi have the goal of being the Hokage. The one that is chosen is not only the strongest physically, but emotionally. They must want to protect everyone in the village and be willing to sacrifice their personal happiness to make it happen." Itachi's lips thinned in thought. "Father has much pride, but the role of Hokage must go to someone full of humility."
Sasuke put away his kunai into the pouch on his hip. "How do you do the thing with the crows?"
Itachi smirked at his brother. "I can't tell you my signature move. You must find your own. Is there an animal you like?"
"I like cats. And snakes are fascinating." Sasuke tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe a hawk." He smiled. "Yeah, I like hawks best."
"Aw, well, crows travel in large groups when they migrate." Itachi did a body flicker and substitution move and had the newly formed clone in his former position breakaway into a murder of raven crows. "Hawks are solitary." He had picked up their canteen of water and started back towards Sasuke, offering the younger boy first drink. "I need to meet my teammates in a little while." He felt the approach of a familiar chakra.
Sasuke felt the chakra as well, only a moment later. "Isn't that your girlfriend?"
Itachi frowned. Was Izumi his girlfriend? He liked her — she was his friend. And if he were to be in a relationship with someone, she'd be his first choice considering she was his second oldest friendship.
He waited until Izumi was close enough for visual confirmation before he lifted his hand in a silent greeting. The relieved smile that crossed her face confused him — not that he was unused to her smiling, but because his heart seemed to skip a beat at the sight. "Izumi."
"Itachi! Sasuke-kun!" Izumi broke into a run and stopped just short of the two brothers. "Have you seen Shisui? I've been trying to find him all day."
"I haven't seen him today," Itachi murmured truthfully.
"Oh. What about your other friends? Do they have a date yet?" Izumi asked.
"Soon," Itachi assured her. He would be finding out momentarily. "I need to meet some teammates." He stared at Izumi, hoping she would read his silent request.
"I better head back," Izumi murmured. "Sasuke, would you escort me back to the district? I felt a little anxious by myself walking through the woods on the way here."
"Sure!" Sasuke agree, puffing his little chest in confidence. "I'll see you at dinner, Itachi!"
"Very well," Itachi agreed. He lingered for a while longer, watching as his brother and dear friend walked alongside each other back towards the residential area of the district. He felt a pang of loss for what could be versus what would be. The idea of picking up Sasuke and his friends from the Academy and taking them to dinner with Izumi was very tempting.
However, stopping his clansmen from destroying Konoha in a civil war that would make it ripe pickings for foreign powers was the priority. He started for the meeting place. If he couldn't take his little brother and his friends out to eat, then hopefully, at least Izumi would be able to do so in his stead.
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It was precisely two minutes before three when Itachi arrived at the designated location. His crows were surveilling the area and aside from him, there were no people in the vicinity. He was anxious to hear if Kakashi and Sakura knew about Shisui's fate.
There was a faint shift in the air and the hairs on the back of Itachi's neck stood on end. Then, eyes wide in disbelief, he saw the very fabric of reality split open. Through the portal emerged a giant purple skeletal samurai with three people protected within its ribcage. He recognized the shiny silver of Kakashi Hatake and the dyed golden blond of Sakura. The cloaked figure standing beside them had hair black as midnight and pale, sharp features on his face — he looked like a male version of Itachi's mother.
The dark haired male locked eyes with him. The eye on the right was a type of Sharingan he'd never seen before and the eye on the left was the legendary Rinnegan.
The purple creature dissolved. The tall dark haired man stared at Itachi — looking at him and through him at the same time.
"Itachi, this is your brother, Sasuke," Sakura introduced.
It was impossible, yet, Itachi recognized the very distinct chakra signature of his baby brother in this full grown man. For a moment, it seemed as if his knees might give out from under him, but Itachi steeled himself and remained motionless.
The dark-haired man— nay, Sasuke— turned quickly towards Sakura ever so slightly, uncertainty in his eyes as his Sharingan deactivated into onyx and his bangs fell across his Rinnegan. Something silent seemed to pass between them and then Sasuke took four strides with his long legs and wrapped his arm around Itachi's much smaller frame.
His baby brother was taller and broader than their father. He was also missing the lower half of his left upper extremity. "Itachi," Sasuke said, his voice a deep baritone.
It had been years since Itachi had hugged someone. It had either been Sasuke when he was two or three or their mother. And today he'd hugged his brother twice. But with all the turmoil and trauma he'd been through, knowing his dark journey as a shinobi was only just starting — he wrapped his arms around his grown brother and hugged him back "You got big."
Sasuke scoffed in amusement. "Don't worry, you get taller." He stepped back, obviously not much of a hugger either. "I apologize for the hug." The tips of his ears burned red. "Sakura and Naruto both insisted it was the only appropriate greeting for a situation such as ours."
"You came with Sakura from the future?" Itachi asked, awe evident in his voice. He glanced towards his teammate Kakashi. The Anbu captain looked almost bored with his relaxed posture and hands shoved into his pants pockets quietly watching the exchange.
"A few of us did," Sasuke explained. "I'll be transporting those wishing to seek refuge from the clan to somewhere safe."
"In that purple skeleton thing? How did you get here? Did you create a portal?" Itachi had so many questions.
"It's a Susanoo. And with my Rinnegan I am able to travel between dimensions as well as cross great distances in a short amount of time," Sasuke explained. He reached his hand across the space between them and tapped Itachi's forehead in their familiar manner. "Sakura's tea works wonders doesn't it? I was laid up for nearly three days when I awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Itachi shifted his eyes towards Kakashi, silently asking for his experience.
With an exacerbated sigh, Kakashi answered. "Three days for me too. After Master Minato brought me home, I was in the hospital for most of it."
"That was your clone by the river," Itachi stated, still looking at the Copy Ninja. "Is Shisui—-?"
Kakashi glanced at Sakura and they exchanged brief smiles. "He's alive and recuperating. We're still trying to sort out what to do to get his stolen eye back."
"How are you feeling, Itachi?" Sakura's voice was soothing and he could see how she was able to coax her patients into relaxing.
"My headache is tolerable. And knowing that Shisui, while injured, isn't dead, I am more relieved than you can possibly imagine." Itachi stared back up at his tall, little brother. "We should remove the clan members that wish to depart within the next week. In the meantime, Sasuke, I want you to tell me everything about the Mangekyo Sharingan's abilities."
"And the pupil becomes the teacher," Sasuke murmured, amusement twinkling in his visible dark eye. "You have two distinct powers. One is the Amaterasu— a fire that never extinguishes — unless you put it out. The other is the Tsukiyomi — a genjutsu that can manipulate time. Three seconds may have passed in the real world, but in your mind you can stretch time out indefinitely. And it's very real to the person you trap."
"Ah, I already do such a thing," Itachi explained.
"It's more, I assure you." Sasuke ran his hand through his dark hair absently. "And the Susanoo summoning — you can do a partial or a whole." He created the arm of the Susanoo on his left side. "While I lost part of my arm, I can always just summon Susanoo as needed if I truly needed two hands to do something."
"How did you lose your arm?" Itachi stared at Sasuke's cloaked side.
"I had lost my mind and fought to a stalemate with a friend — our powers canceled each other out and if it hadn't been for Sakura we'd have bled out." Sasuke cringed ever so faintly at the admission. "Chidori versus Rasengan."
Itachi's gaze snapped to Kakashi. The Copy Ninja would teach Sasuke his signature move? Who would learn to master Lord Fourth's imperfect jutsu? "Wait. Before we begin training — which I am most eager to start — for the gathering of those seeking refuge — how many will you transport at a time? I believe if we round up all those clan members in one place it will be too suspicious."
Sasuke glanced over towards Sakura and then back at Itachi. "I can transport five or I can transport fifty."
"The vital part is that we only bring those sincere against the uprising," Sakura said. "If any one person has malicious intent, we risk failing. But if we do not plan for enough provisions then there will be an issue as well."
Itachi nodded. "I will put Mother and Izumi in charge of provisions. Perhaps we should begin the extraction in a couple of days, five to seven clansmen at a time. Then by the time of the next mandatory meeting they need to all be gone."
"Sasuke, why don't you and Itachi finish this conversation in private?" Sakura looked over at Kakashi, but he merely shrugged. "Kakashi and I will make ourselves scarce for the next fifteen or twenty minutes."
Sasuke nodded. "Don't go far. You remember what our Hokage said."
"I remember." Sakura rolled her eyes. She tapped Kakashi on the shoulder and they jumped into the trees and vanished within the thick forest.
"When do you plan to ask the Orange masked man for help?" Sasuke asked.
"You know of him?" Itachi was surprised. He'd been trying to figure out how to track the man down. He'd need to do it soon.
"He's your in- to joining the Akatsuki," Sasuke answered. "And, my younger self will need to see the carnage." He frowned, his brow creased as his thoughts focused on a painful memory. "It's unfortunate that it takes such strong emotional turmoil to awaken our Sharingan, but I will need it for what is to come. I will recover — I will have my friends. And I will have my mother. It would be nice to not be alone. That was the worse part."
"I see. I assume you know the identity of the Orange-masked man," Itachi stated.
Sasuke nodded. "You're intuitive. You'll figure it out too."
"He's part of our clan, but not someone I grew up with." Itachi's fingers flexed, eager to learn from Sasuke his new abilities. "I believe he's the one responsible for the Nine-tails attack."
"I don't think I can confirm or deny. Let us focus on learning to master your abilities. And just, trust your instincts, Itachi." Sasuke clutched his cloak tighter. "You always think before you act — plan after contingency plan after contingency plan."
It was a strange feeling, but for once, Itachi felt he could be completely open with someone in his life. He could tell this Sasuke anything and everything — for he already knew. He didn't have to hide his hand close to his heart. "Sakura has taught me some of her healing techniques. I have some kind of inflammatory disease in my lungs."
"You have such a hard life, brother. If I can somehow ease your burden, I will," Sasuke vowed. "That's why I'm here. That's why my team is here."
"You're very lucky to have such a team," Itachi murmured.
Sasuke nodded. "I know I am." He found a small clearing and his eye shifted patterns. "Amaterasu," he murmured. Blood dripped from his eye and the bush in the center caught up with black flames. Then the flames vanished. "Only you will be able to snuff out the fire." His Sharingan faded back to onyx. "Do you think I should try to reason with Father?"
Itachi shook his head, staring between the ash that was the bush and his brother's intense stare. "He is beyond reason." There was a second bush not far from the first. Itachi activated his Sharingan and allowed the Mangekyo pattern to open. "Amaterasu," he murmured. The second bush burst into black flames. He chuckled at the scene, feeling giddy at the intensity of the power. It would be very useful.
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