((Sorry for the long wait again. I found out that they changed the mobile website so I can upload from my phone anymore, but thanks for your patience!))

It wasn't possible. Or that's what he kept telling himself. Itachi looked up at them, wondering if they had truly reliable information or not. Kakashi couldn't be dead. That was impossible. How could he have died? How could that have happened? Kakuzu was so obsessed with Kakashi that he wouldn't have let that happen so how could this be possible? A soft whine escaped him as he pulled away from the redhead which made the man frown. Itachi couldn't care less about his disguise for the moment.

"Are you sure?" The redhead asked as he looked at the dog curiously.

"Yes. They said he was found in the room he was kept in. He had no pulse or heartbeat," the dark haired man answered. The dog once again whimpered and whined before practically collapsing. How could this have happened? While he was escaping, Kakashi had died? From the sound of it, it wasn't Kakuzu or anyone else. Had he killed himself? Why would he do that? The question moved through his head as he tried to think of any possible solution. He wasn't that miserable there was he? Or perhaps he had been? Was it because of Itachi himself? Had he done it so they wouldn't have anything to hold over him? "What have you heard from Neji?"

"Not much. He had been keeping an eye on the two of them but he never mentioned the Hatake seeming unwell or in true danger. I'm not sure what changed or how he died," the smaller man answered. Itachi couldn't take it anymore. He stood again and bit the sleeve of the redhead, dragging him towards an alley. Surprisingly the man followed as did his companions. Once they were out of sight, Itachi looked around and carefully shifted into his human self.

"What else have you heard from the castle and how do you know Neji?" The prince asked as he looked over the three. Two of them stood with shock on their faces while the redhead smiled and bowed his head slightly.

"Neji is my lover. He has been sending us what information he can. Unfortunately, I do not know what if anything happened to the prince of the silver kingdom," the shorter answered as he gave Itachi a soft, apologetic look.

"So, he is dead as far as you know?" Itachi clarified as he tried to keep from panicking. How could he have left him alone like that. By himself. He had escaped and now he was alone without the love of his life and the last time he had seen him, he looked horrible and Kakashi had been terrified that he would die. How had this happened at all? He looked down quietly and bit his lip in thought. "We have to confirm his death somehow."

"That was the next step in our plans. If he is dead then we cannot accomplish our task," the woman piped up with a very worried expression. Itachi frowned as he heard that and turned to look at her curiously.

"What task is that?" the Uchiha asked as he tried to keep all of his emotions from his face. He couldn't let them know how upset he felt right now.

"Our task was to find you both and bring you to safety with your families," the redhead answered. "My name is Gaara, this is Kankuro and Temari. My brother and sister. We were hired by your parents to find you and make sure you were safe."

"I see. That is a bit smarter than sending Uchiha troops. What about Kakashi's family? Are they safe?" Itachi asked without hesitation. The three smiled and nodded nearly in unison. "That is such a relief. Thank you."

"So what should we do about the Hatake prince?" the dark haired one asked as he looked between all of them.

"At the very least we can bring Kakashi's body back for his family. That's the least they deserve. Especially because of all of this trouble," Itachi said quickly.

"I agree. That is the least we can do," Gaara responded as he looked between his siblings. "The problem will be getting inside the castle in order to get his body. Or even locate it. I will attempt to send Neji a message in order to help us."

"Thank you," Itachi said with a soft sigh. Why did this happen? He hated to think that his lover had done that badly or because of him. It hurt his brain and heart just imagining that Kakashi would have done something like that. "I am unable to help much due to my injuries but do let me know what I can do to assist."

"It is best that you stay and rest. We'll handle all of this," Temari answered before the others could think. "That way you are able to help us get back to his family and yours."

"That would likely be best." Itachi replied as he shook his head. He didn't want to allow these three to go off and get hurt, but he was rather incapacitated as is. "Thank you for telling me about these things. It….I appreciate knowing what has happened. However, I should also warn you about the people working for the Hyuga at the moment. They are ruthless and dangerous. Their leader is a very powerful man. Do not let him catch you or see you if possible."

"We will keep this in mind and be cautious in retrieving him as well as possibly rescuing Neji and Hinata. They...must be taken to safety," Gaara said gently. It was difficult to see the other in such pain as thinking about what could have happened to the other prince. "We will let you know what happened as soon as we find any information as well."

"Thank you," Itachi replied as he looked down. He should go and rest then, but where? "I need to rest."

"Come with me, I'll show you where we are staying, but you will have to keep your head down," Kankuro said as he nodded towards an inn. That way the Uchiha would at least be safe and hopefully hidden away from harm for the time being. He took a moment and waited for the prince to follow him. "Don't worry, it's safe or we wouldn't have stayed there."

"I trust your judgments," the uchiha replied as he followed carefully. He made sure to keep an eye on where they were going as well as making sure they weren't being watched or followed. Once they reached the inn, Kankuro led him to a room and opened it.

"We have this one and the one next to it, so you shouldn't be bothered for the time being. Should you need us, that vile over there is enchanted with Gaara's magic. He uses sand. Pour it out and write a brief message and we will know you are in trouble," Kankuro explained. After that he helped Itachi to lay down and left him alone.

"Kakashi, I am so sorry," Itachi mumbled as he looked at the ceiling. He felt lost and rather empty at the moment. Part of him believed that this wasn't real and Kakashi wasn't gone, but he had no other proof to think otherwise and that scared him. He wanted his lover back, alive. But that was now impossible.