Author's Note

Katiya, this entire chapter. Because I couldn't figure out a better way to do it. Skip if you wish, but there's a bit of Itachi in here, if you're interested.

Chapter 24

Katiya (the next day, approximate time: 10:00 AM)

Orochimaru had come back from his most recent recruitment campaign apparently successful. Extra halls had recently been added to Oto and a few other bases, courtesy of a few well-placed earth-style jutsu. But the "mess hall-fight room" combos had remained the same size. And unlike the average shinobi village, Oto had no sensei and no students—simply the fight rooms. Unfurnished square roomed ones for the shinobi deemed loyal enough, tiered pit-like ones for the prisoners.

You won or you died. You learned from your fight.

Katiya hated the rooms, but she found herself shouldering past the sea of grey and black witnesses to a one-v-one shinobi brawl, within one. Trying to get a woman who was dressed as distinctly as ever in forest green to go on a mission with her… To attend one such fight, and drag back the winner, assuming she didn't get dragged into the one already occurring because of the woman.

Two fights had already concluded in the Land of Rice Paddies—one from Oto's own prisoner pit and one from the two-hundred-subject trial—A and B blood victors, respectively. And one more was set to arrive from the Northern Hideout later that day. But since they only had three shinobi, and His Lordship Orochimaru wanted four to form a nearly unbreakable Four Violet Flames Barrier, they needed one more person. And so they had to repeat the process with the base in Kusagakure.

The woman—who Kabuto had adroitly refused to fetch this time, for good reason as Katiya was now finding—was busy watching an aforementioned fight.

Katiya scowled as she grabbed the grinning green clad woman's shoulder. Luckily the glare that replaced the wild grin wasn't followed by a wall of crystals but some… snarky banter. Katiya finally stowed her staff after she dragged the woman into the dimly lit hall with the bribe of a mission.

…

"You can't seriously expect me to believe you joined because of Orochimaru's power," Katiya said, interrupting the silence upon coming out of the base.

Guren scoffed, eager to reply. "It's something you no-talent trash can't understand. To be valued for your power rather than simply scorned—if you knew how important it was, I don't think you and Four-Eyes would be so disloyal to him!"

Considering her experience with Gaara, she doubted it. "Disloyal? Kabuto?" Katiya asked instead. She was not all surprised about Guren's own view considering Kabuto's.

Guren scowled. "That scum of man has the audacity to question Lord Orochimaru's orders on a daily basis!"

"... This mission did go through him, from Orochimaru."

Guren scowled further. "I just can't believe he has the opportunity to get a curse mark before I do! He doesn't deserve the opportunity to become Lord Orochimaru's next vessel!"

"... and I do recall him being an advocate for your receiving of one, if it makes you feel any better."

Guren huffed out of her lipstick rouged lips. "What are you, his cheerleader? That still doesn't excuse him," she said while acting mildly placated.

Katiya watched Guren's expression. "I'm just trying to understand your issue with him—and where I fit in. You truly wish to receive a curse mark despite the risks and your own power without it?" she asked, returning to her previous train of thought.

Guren smirked, "Well, it's no surprise you no-talent trash wouldn't understand—but that curse mark offers more than just power—it links Lord Orochimaru's chakra with your own and it's a necessary step to becoming his next vessel—the ultimate union with him. Joined with him forever, as your chakra becomes a part of his immortal soul."

Katiya frowned at the obviously indoctrinated statement. Kabuto, being higher ranking and a student of the sciences, likely had a different view because of it—contributing to the sore point. Her respect for the young man increased.

"You're... willing to do all that… because you admire his power?" Katiya asked, carefully incredulous.

Guren huffed. "Of course you won't understand," she scorned.

Katiya frowned. She thought back to Gaara, and how his own father treated him. Maybe she didn't. With a shake of her head, they resumed their journey in silence.

Katiya (approximate time: 5:00 PM)

The route they took was a short-cut to the Land of Grass, to Kusa from Oto, through the Land of Fire. Saving time, but with enough potential for shinobi interaction to warrant their mission being considered B-rank. So halfway through their journey, when she heard the eerily loud flap of wings and felt the temporary disassociation from her body as one entering a genjutsu, she was not surprised.

...

Katiya let out a breath as she swung her gaze around. Red skies, but an oddly monochrome foreground—as if the day had turned to night, and the sky portrayed doom. She had no idea what was happening to her body or would happen henceforth, but there was something purposefully nonviolent in the genjutsu that calmed her. Katiya flexed her fingers. It felt so real—the landscape before her—despite the fact that she knew it existed only in one's mind.

"Katiya."

Katiya swung around. There was no one—yet. But she recognized the voice.

"Itachi… Are you planning on showing yourself anytime soon?" she asked at normal volume, knowing Itachi would have heard it regardless.

An artificial wind blew past in response.

Then there was a flap of wings and cry of a thousand crows. Where the crows appeared out of the corners of her vision and met in the sky, a mass began to form, and then Itachi himself. Or the manifestation of him, at least, it being a genjutsu. He was clothed in a black Akatsuki robe, sparsely patterned with the ornate red clouds that were their symbol. A slashed hitai-ate bearing the remnants of the Konohagakure logo sat above his brow and under his dark hair.

Katiya sucked in a breath. The scion of the Uchiha clan had been known for his impressive features before he was declared a traitor to Konoha and joined the terrorist Jinchuriki-hunting organization known as the Akatsuki. But his tear-troughed eyes were lined with an exhaustion she knew no one else would have seen—his emotional mask more impeccable than her own when he desired it to be. Only now, in a genjutsu—an illusion—she knew he would ever show his true exhaustion. Ironic.

"Itachi. Something the matter? I don't think you'd be meeting like this if it weren't important," she said tersely.

Itachi landed on the ground before her. He was silent for a moment before speaking, subtly replacing his emotionless mask at the tone. "You've joined Orochimaru."

It wasn't a question. She nodded solemnly.

"I got driven out of Suna, needed a place to go. They—Oto—took me readily, but they don't yet know of my Sharingan," she replied, supplying him with the information that would have likely answered his next few questions at the same time.

Itachi's eyes narrowed marginally. That "yet" hung in the air. Neither of them were fools. "You remember—"

"Your warning—yes, I do." Katiya interrupted, nodding irritatedly. The warning that no one must know the truth of the Uchiha Massacre lest Katiya put herself at risk; that the Sharingan was coveted to the point people killed to get their hands on it—as Katiya had seen herself in the lab storage rooms; and that Katiya was to lay low and avoid Konoha if she sought to keep her eyes from the head of the ANBU there. "Was there something you wanted?" she asked brusquely.

Itachi didn't reply, likely noting her more defensive and combative nature compared to what he last saw of her. He was likely unaware of her recently developed anger edged against him following Yashamaru's betrayal, yet Itachi himself was clearly still on somewhat good terms with her, to have so obviously and gently placed her under the genjutsu rather than with a subtle and weaponized methodology. So likewise Katiya didn't openly disrespect the genjutsu by attempting (emphasis on the "attempt") to dispel or fight the genjutsu.

They stood there, faux breathing in a manufactured silence. Itachi deliberated his next words. "Did either of your parents ever mention any family illnesses?" he asked at last, breaking the silence.

… Family illnesses? Katiya thought. "No…" She allowed her mind to flick back to her mother's papers on kekkei genkai, and then to how her mother remained in Orochimaru's service, undergoing testing for a curse mark despite likely not needing to ever do so, deciding Itachi was likely able to see the same memories and that they were impersonal to her. Family… illnesses. Mom was a geneticist… "But… why… do you ask?" she questioned haltingly.

Itachi watched her expression impassively. Katiya sucked in a breath, the answer at the tip of her mind. Genetic illnesses… Mom… Mom, could the Uchiha Clan have a history of genetic illnesses? She inhaled again, clearing her mind of what was going through it. "Can you dispel the genjutsu—so I can examine you?" she asked finally.

Itachi responded readily, "My crow clone is what's currently maintaining the genjutsu—I am not actually here."

Katiya averted her eyes in the mind-scape. She thought back to Yashamaru. Since entering Oto, she had neither cared for nor healed anyone. She rubbed at her temples. She'd be a hypocrite if she didn't help someone of her own blood—someone that still had enough care to visit despite the expanse of time that elapsed—more than what she could say she did for Gaara. She exhaled slowly, letting go of her residual anger. Itachi didn't do anything against her, not really. No matter how hard she tried to be mad at Yashamaru and Itachi's… stupidity, anger over it solved nothing.

But he only came for a reason. You're being used. Again.

She shook her head. "Any known symptoms? How long has it been going on? And what of rogue medic-nin? Have you visited any?" she asked, approaching Itachi.

Itachi is not Yashamaru. And he isn't the Kazekage.

Itachi's eyes widened. "It's not anything too debilitating…"

Katiya allowed irritation to flash across her features. She instantly interpreted that as "a while," and "no" to the other questions she asked. But it was unfortunately to be expected. There were few trustworthy rogue medic-nin in the world. If she could have done anything about it, she would have implored Itachi to seek her out sooner—but she knew that wouldn't have done any good considering either of their... lifestyles.

"The smallest wound can become the worst infection if left untreated,"* Katiya countered. "How long?"

Itachi frowned, remembering. "I started noticing it... more... after... about half a year ago."

It was Katiya's turn to frown. Six months ago was when he started feeling symptoms, but the unmonitored factors that led to their development were likely growing for a time period much greater than that. Katiya tilted her head, thinking. Something else occurred to her. "About six months ago you say?"

Itachi looked imploringly at her face. "Is there any significance about that time?"

"I left Suna around that time… it just reminded me... Kabuto—he's Orochimaru's spymaster, effectively, he was there too. I've been trying to get him on my side… He also controls the majority of the research in Oto that Orochimaru doesn't do himself…" Katiya trailed off, "I'd probably need that equipment…"

Itachi's eyes shifted. "You were in Suna during that time?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Sasori began implanting Sleeper Jutsu needles in all of Orochimaru's spies in Suna around then."

Katiya narrowed her eyes. She assumed Sasori was the name of another Akatsuki member... So there were Akatsuki spies in Oto, on Oto spies, who were spying on Suna… "Was he only targeting Orochimaru's spies?"

And is this before or after he met me?

"What's going on with my body right now? My partner—Guren? And where are you really?" Katiya asked verbally, silently wondering if Itachi was able to hear her thoughts as well.

"... Your body's fine... It's stationary approximately a meter behind your partner, who's locked in a more subtle genjutsu. Your own is only so obvious to allow for this interaction to take place within the span of a second. My real body on the other hand, is currently en route to Konoha for reconnaissance for the Akatsuki."

Katiya nodded soberly, the recent news more pressing than the awe she felt for the genjutsu prowess she lacked.

"There isn't much I can do for you now," she said, locking eyes with Itachi. "I—" she hesitated. How was this going to work? "I'm likely to be passing by here again in the next two days. Try to get here around noon. I'm going to have to examine your physical body at some point, and it might as well be then. I only have my field equipment and ninjutsu skill—we're going to have to make do—but it should suffice while we decide what extra equipment I'll need for a proper analysis and treatment… and plan out how to get it…" she trailed off.

The issue of the Sleeper Jutsu could wait.

Itachi simply nodded.

Author's Note:

"The smallest wound can become the worst infection if left untreated." No idea where this quote actually came from, but I'm fairly sure it's been paraphrased from a survival book I read.

Katiya (two days later, approximate time: 12:00 PM)

Katiya inhaled. She prayed for the best of the interaction to come.

She figured Itachi would be able to deal with Guren once more—but the prisoner she was escorting could be worrisome. She passed by the same spot she was two days ago, coming out into a small clearing and glanced at her charge—a young eleven year old girl. And although rather young to have won against some of her more senior prisoners, Katiya herself knew from witnessing the match she was also incredibly powerful.

Her charge's head was wrapped in bandages, her coral red hair spilling out underneath. And although she was silent with exhaustion now, her mouth had run afoul with more fire than Katiya herself received from Guren. Katiya pressed a hand against her staff. The girl—Tayuya—also an adept sonar genjutsu wielder, and that had her even more worried about the day's later proceedings.

Come on, Itachi—where are you?

...

Only because she was actively searching for signs of other people was she prepared when a giant bandage-wrapped sword came at them. Katiya mentally cursed. Itachi didn't mention anything about bringing any company. But, on the other hand, neither did she.

A grinning shark-like man stepped out of the bush after the oversized sword, the pattern of the Akatsuki cloak clearly visible. As Katiya's group moved to defensive positions, she noted the prominent gilled cheekbones—closed at the moment—and the likelihood he was capable of both breathing with lungs and gills considering the current low-humidity environment. A memory of Jugo clung to her mind.

Guren switched to an offensive position.

Then noticing the slashed Kiri hitai-ate, Katiya's eyes widened.

Kisame Hoshigaki—Monster of the Hidden Mist?!? Is this a double cross?

Guren formed two blue crystal tonfa, attached to her forearms. "Who do you think you are—trying to disrupt a mission of Lord Orochimaru's?!?"

The blue shark-like man's eyes widened with his grin. "Well, well. Orochimaru's lackeys, huh? Guess we're in for a treat, eh, Itachi? I think the boss would appreciate some of Orochimaru's lackey's heads mounted up."

No, Katiya countered, he didn't know we'd be here even though we planned to be here.

Katiya pulled out her staff. Her mother kept tabs on Kiri even after the Third Shinobi War, and the shinobi from there like him. Kisame was dangerous—and because he was a rogue-nin of Kiri, she worried he would go after them before he settled in with the Akatsuki. As one of the former Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, with superhuman chakra levels and a refined clan kekkei genkai of shark-like features, her entire team put together—even with Tayuya's demon summons and (now fresh) curse mark injection—they were likely no match.

Guren moved to engage Kisame, who deflected her and moved to swing his sword. Katiya kept her eyes on Tayuya, who pulled out her flute.

Itachi, you better have a plan.

There was another rustle of brush as Itachi stepped into view, his Sharingan already ablaze. "Kisame, leave them to me. We need them alive if we're to find out Orochimaru's base."

Kisame grinned. "Sasori's going to owe us a favor for this."

Itachi subtly made eye contact with all of her team. They all froze, Tayuya's lips on her flute and Guren crouched on the ground. Katiya noticed Kisame had frozen as well.

Katiya flitted her gaze over them. "Good timing," she said, seemingly the only one still able to move.

Itachi didn't respond.

"You okay?" Katiya asked worriedly.

Itachi hummed once in affirmation. "How long do you expect to take?"

Katiya made a shadow clone and then imparted half of her chakra to it, then passed it one of her Storage Scrolls of water (its contents not duplicable due to her inability to "create" water, and conservation of mass*). "Twenty minutes or so, maybe less. Discussing how to get the equipment and our next meet will take more time, but we can do that as I work. We're also going to have to discuss that whole 'spy' kerfuffle as well—or we might have some issues down the line."

Itachi nodded in response.

Her shadow clone wove through the hand signs for the Water Wall Jutsu. Then she—it—followed up with the Chameleon Jutsu over the water wall. "We should have adequate cover and camouflage now," her shadow clone said when she was done.

Itachi nodded then sat on the grass. Katiya kneeled down beside him, pushing chakra into her hands for the Mystical Palm Jutsu. It wasn't a sensory jutsu, nor a scanning jutsu, but it was capable of performing as such at close range as it linked to another's chakra to speed up healing processes. Chakra being present in all cell life and dependent on one's consciousness (and spiritual body), using a simpler and less intensive version of the A-rank Mystical Palm Jutsu, she was able to scan his body without equipment.

"Symptoms?" she asked as she placed her palms over his chest, feeling his lungs and heart.

"Just… chest tightness, congestion… some fatigue. Eye aches."

Katiya dismissed the eye aches for the moment and removed her hands from his chest to place one on his back, and the other on his forehead to check out the fatigue. Not all physical illnesses affected the spiritual body—oftentimes, one's will and determination could protect one from feeling the degradation of it (and therefore fatigue) until perhaps the final moments of the disease. However, she found the chakra that met her own under the Mystical Palm Jutsu strong… yet still degrading.

She removed her hand from his back to focus on his forehead. Nothing abnormal there—so it wasn't a neurological disease causing his fatigue. She moved the hand down to hover over his eyes. Then she placed a hand on one of his ribs. "Inhale for me."

Itachi complied. Katiya wasn't sure if it was the lack of ANBU armor or her memory deceiving her—but she felt that Itachi had lost weight. "Hold."

Itachi's ribs were definitely more prominent—either he was inhaling much more deeply to accommodate for his "chest congestion" or he had indeed lost weight. She decided it was both. Katiya leaned back, stopping her medical jutsu. It wasn't a normal disease, she realized. Not a civilian one. Civilians, with their lower chakra levels would have likely not even noticed the symptoms, no… This was a genetic disease, one that only could have affected shinobi, even potentially only those born to two shinobi parents.

The chakra network expanded throughout every cell in the body—it was your energy, much like food or sleep was. What she felt from Itachi was akin to one sleeping, but not gaining rest—a bad sleep—a bad storage of chakra. The only comparable analogy we could make for the sensation itself—that Katiya felt scanning him—was that of a book in which after a page was written, the pages preceding it would blur, if ever so slightly. The chakra—the book—being as tied as it is to one's life, when it degraded completely, one would die.

"Well?" Itachi asked after a moment.

It was centered on his chest—his heart—the most important organ when it came to chakra refinement. Katiya closed her eyes. The degradation followed up to Sharingan—his eyes. She realized it had to be because of the chakra an Uchiha must make to control them.

"We're going to need a full blood work-up. And access to the equipment to do it… And maybe another scan without your Sharingan activated, but that can wait… I do have salvaged equipment from…" Katiya cleared her throat and thumbed her knapsack, "but it isn't exactly safe to use it where I'm at right now… do you have any contacts in Konoha, still?"

Itachi shook his head slowly. "What of that other researcher at Oto? … Kabuto?"

"Also Orochimaru's right hand. Too risky if we want to keep our relation out of this… though, Orochimaru has enough canned Sharingan to allow me to analyze their DNA and compare it to yours."

"Sharingan?" Itachi inquired—his voice at normal volume, but the apprehension still palpable.

"From the Uchiha massacre. He can't implant them though, because of the preservation technique. Too hastily done."

Itachi inhaled, digesting the information. "He's been after the Sharingan even when he was in the Akatsuki… If he gains access to it, he'll be unstoppable."

"As would be nearly anyone," Katiya said as she leaned back on her hands. The Sharingan was a powerful ocular kekkei genkai, capable of copying such a vast number of jutsu, analyzing them in less than a second assuming they unlocked all three tomoe as Itachi had done. "I can't do anything about the eyes, though. It'll be too obvious… but considering he's willing to kill for them, I say let him keep them."

Itachi frowned. Changing the subject, he asked, "How often are you able to slip out of Oto alone?"

"Getting out of Oto's fairly easy on missions—alone is a different story. It's the reason why I've been pining after Kabuto. My mom—she—she had free reign before as a researcher. But she was trusted enough, skilled enough. There's also a few more side researchers with free reign, but those are people Orochimaru isn't particularly interested in—so they don't get his equipment or funding—which we're probably going to need."

"Is there any way—?"

"—I think I can get on Orochimaru and Kabuto's good sides if I can expose Sasori's Sleeper Jutsu. That might give me the freedom I need. But I don't know how to do that without arousing suspicion—I've no luck with genjutsu—nor am I sure if Orochimaru's found out about it himself," she interrupted. "And I don't want to give you away, either."

Itachi nodded. "Sasori hasn't called in any of his implanted sleeper agents to report yet, so its discovery is unlikely. The Akatsuki is looking to make a move soon, but lacks the funds. That's the greatest priority at the moment. If I can convince Sasori to make his agents give false contradicting information in the meantime, that might give you the opening you need."

Katiya nodded. "You find me again when the time is right, I'm sure... can you check for the Sleeper Jutsu for me? I left Suna around that same time."

"Yes. And we need to discuss the proceedings of today."

Katiya nodded once more, knowing Itachi needed information. "What are they seeing?" she gesticulated as she knelt back down on the ground beside Itachi.

"Just some mild torture. Your team and yourself will awaken here within the hour. Weakened, but alive. Kisame's used to my… pacifism. He won't object. And I will inform Kisame that the information I have gathered may not be accurate due to your low ranks."

Itachi placed a hand on Katiya's forehead as his Sharingan revolved.

Privately, she wondered about the "pacifistic" statement given Itachi killed off his entire clan, joined the Akatsuki, and was hedging for the death of Sasori's spies at Orochimaru's hand, but she let it slide. She allowed for her own contradictions.

"You're clear."

Katiya nodded her thanks.

"Where are Orochimaru's main bases?"

"It's in the Land of Rice Paddies, under a tree with an entrance of two carved painted snakes. But he spends time rotating between several. I only know of the one in Kusa and one to the north of the last base I mentioned. He has a few more, for sure. Another in Land of Seas and… there's an old one in the Land of Waves but I don't know much about those, besides the fact that the Land of Waves base was shut down... all of the bases in the Land of Rice Paddies can be connected through a series of tunnels—I know for certain Kabuto has traveled to another base solely underground, but they've been blocked off with seals and I don't have enough security clearance. Or skill. And I don't think much of Oto even knows the tunnel system exists."

Truthfully, she didn't even think she would have if not for her Sensing Mist Jutsu and the odd underground ventilation system Oto had.

Itachi met her eyes, understanding. It was information he'd get if he had searched her mind as he supposedly did. Katiya's vision began to fade at the edges.

"And Itachi? The next time we meet. The name's Katsu."

Itachi's eyes appeared to glow brighter at that statement. Then the world spun to black.

Author's Note

My made up Shadow Clone Jutsu hypothesis for this fiction: you can clone clothes, yourself, and simple weapons so long as you use your chakra to dip into the "spirit realm" of the "spiritual energy" part of chakra and pull atoms from there… Objects pulled are temporary and dispel-able when they make harsh enough contact with a physical object that disrupts the connection to the spirit realm... You can only create things from elements that exist in the spirit realm that you have a functional mental picture of (hence no explosion tags and no electronics). And, any "creation" is temporary and only as long as chakra is still running through the "cloned" object.

Katiya can do the Shadow Clone Jutsu more easily than she can pull water from the spirit realm because she's used to chakra control for medical ninjutsu—which means "raw" chakra not pushed into an elemental form, medical ninjutsu running on yin or yang chakra, not... elemental chakra. Using chakra of an actual... conceptual "element" *cough... oxygen that happens to be bonded to two hydrogens *cough... therefore doesn't come as naturally to her. Hence, she can't "create" "elements" yet.

(And that there was my attempt to ease off on the fake science, technobabble and world building in the main body of my fanfiction…)

Also note 2023: I have learned the Sleeper Jutsu mentioned is not how it works in canon. Mine actually ups its ability by allowing it to brainwash the implantee to serve the implanter. The only downside being that activating the jutsu to render the implantee completely loyal to the implanter requires proximity to the implanter's chakra.