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Discovering Home Discovering Home - 3


Itachi had been as startled as Kakashi when Uzumaki had suddenly dashed off down the street. What had captured his attention, however, was not the actions of the blond but those of Sasuke. Uzumaki had been holding Sasuke's hand since they'd departed the hospital room, leading him like a child, ensuring that he did not stray from the group as they processed through the town. Sasuke had remained apathetic to his surroundings, the change from isolated hospital room to busy streets not seeming to matter to him at all. Yet the moment Uzumaki had dropped his hand and run, there had been no sign of hesitation at all. Sasuke had been at Uzumaki's heels from the outset, while Itachi simply watched and pondered until it kicked in that he should be following as well.



He'd been able to observe the initial engagement with the two cloaked figures, taking in Uzumaki's headlong gambit as well as the plethora of shadow clones removing the children to safety with one part of his mind, while the majority was fixed on Sasuke and his opponent. Both were armed with kusanagi, which Itachi found especially curious as he knew Sasuke had been unarmed when they'd left the hospital. Uzumaki had requested - and received - basic weaponry, but they had not equipped Sasuke given his current state. A closer inspection revealed the sword to be element based, an interesting achievement considering that Sasuke was wielding it as confidently and precisely as a blade of steel.



"Orochimaru!" Kakashi hissed beside him as a glancing blow sent the bamboo hat flying from Sasuke's opponent's head, revealing the Sannin's face. Itachi's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the infamous missing-nin, who was smiling arrogantly as he swapped sword strikes with Sasuke. His movements were a perfect match for Sasuke's - or possibly Sasuke's for Orochimaru's, as he was uncertain as to which man was truly in control of the fight - making the combat seeming almost rehearsed.



A burst of chakra made them pause just as they reached the playground proper, ducking debris as it scattered the area. Uzumaki had thrust some kind of chakra ball against his opponent, which turned out to be some kind of puppet.



"That - it can't be - "



Beside him, Kakashi was frankly staring, wide-eyed, at Uzumaki. Of more concern to Itachi than this unusual sight was the appearance of Hebi, the ANBU who had been assigned to watch over his little brother since the arrival of his older self. For Hebi to be here meant that the younger Sasuke was still in the area, and had not been evacuated with the other children. Unlike the older Sasuke, the younger was neither capable of participating meaningfully in this level of combat, nor able to recognise when he should stay out of it.



"Sasuke!"



For a moment Itachi believed Uzumaki meant the younger version, but his eyes were fixed on the one engaged with Orochimaru. Looking past Uzumaki towards the Academy's main entrance, he found his little brother peering cautiously around the door, his dark eyes lighting up as they focused on Itachi - who began to run.



"Brother!"



It was truly a wonder, he mused as he sprinted towards the boy, that the foolish child before him could become the shinobi who was holding his own with the Sannin Orochimaru just metres behind him. The potential had always been there, he knew, with their shared blood and circumstance. Yet Sasuke had never succeeded in activating that potential, not in the same way Itachi had. The difference between them had only grown over the years, despite how Sasuke had tried to close it. Something had changed, though, for the Sasuke that had come back through time. Itachi fully intended to find out what that was, so that the child before him could also reach such heights of achievement - or possibly even higher.



Uzumaki shouted a warning, and Itachi caught a flicker of movement behind him. There was not enough time to reposition himself without endangering Sasuke, however, so he continued onwards, leaving the task of countering the attack to one of the others. Sure enough, the sound of metal on metal and rock was heard and repeated before he had even reached Sasuke.



The blond ninja gave another warning about the puppet and poison just as Itachi picked his little brother up. He had no intention of staying burdened in such a manner, however, so passed him quickly to one of the two Uzumaki, who despite his protest held the child protectively against himself. Relieved of his obligation, he was free to attack, and made quick work of the puppet with his fire jutsu. Too quick, it appeared, as the body began to change shape beneath the flames.



He observed the changes curiously, as he had not seen such a complete transformation jutsu before that could even mimic a puppet body. It seemed Uzumaki had, though, and Itachi mentally added it to the list of questions he needed answered. There was no point in attempting to reclaim the corpse from the fire at this point, though, and in any case, Sasuke had provided them with another who had been under the same jutsu.



The fight appeared to have woken Sasuke from his apathetic state, and he approached with sharingan activated, the three tomoe in each eye mere confirmation of ability Itachi had already witnessed in action. The burning intensity of the gaze, however, was not something he had ever experienced from his little brother.



He blinked as Uzumaki stepped between them, speaking in tones low enough that Itachi could not make out the words. The older Sasuke lifted his hand, as though to push Uzumaki aside, while the younger leaned back with wide eyes.



It was a curious tableau, but one that would not last long. The skirmish had drawn a crowd of ninja, including several from Konoha's Police Corps. Itachi could see his father, along with some of his cousins, eyeing the uchiwa on the back of Sasuke's shirt, and waited for the expected outcry.



"Who are you?" Fugaku demanded. Uzumaki's head whipped around, taking in the crowd surrounding them. Itachi moved forward to stand by the pair, feeling a curious disappointment as he noticed Sasuke's sharingan fade away, leaving only the empty eyes he'd possessed in the hospital once again.



"Only Uchiha wear that symbol in this town!" his cousin Inabi declared loudly, backed up by Tekka as usual. Itachi resisted the urge to glare at them. He had known they would react this way, after all. Their main focus was the clan, despite the fact that they'd just witnessed mortal combat in the Academy playground.



"He is an Uchiha!" Uzumaki proclaimed on his companion's behalf. "Uchiha Sasuke!"



"That's my name!" was young Sasuke's immediate protest. Uzumaki blinked at him, apparently having forgotten he was still carrying the boy. "He can't have my name!"



"Eh, well, you can be Sasuke still, and we'll just call him 'Bastard'. How about that?"



"That's rude!" Sasuke informed him indignantly, his young face scrunching into a scowl. Uzumaki scowled back.



"My son is the only living Uchiha bearing the name 'Sasuke'," Fugaku stated as he moved towards them, frowning.



"And now you have two," Sandaime interrupted striding forward from amidst the crowd.



"Hokage-sama - "



The old man waved him silent, shooting a penetrating look at Uzumaki, who responded with a short nod.



"One week ago," the Hokage spoke in tones loud enough for all the crowd to hear, "two of our ANBU discovered some of our ninja who had been caught up in an incorrectly formed jutsu. That jutsu carried them through time itself." Incredulous murmurs arose in response to that statement. "They are unable to return to their own time," the old man almost bellowed his emphasis, quieting the whisperers. "And so I have welcomed them here, because they are indeed Konoha shinobi. Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto."



The crowd responded with mutterings far harsher than before. Itachi, who had been watching Uzumaki, was curious as to why he'd flinched slightly when the Hokage had named them as Konoha shinobi. The fear-laced vocalisations presented him with one likely possibility.



"Monster..."



"Demon..."



"Isn't it bad enough having one in the village, let alone..."



Itachi continued to observe Uzumaki from the corner of his eye, noting his free hand clenching harder into a fist with every word uttered - until Sasuke squirmed in his arms.



"Sorry," the blond murmured softly, visibly forcing his body to relax.



"It's okay," Sasuke told him, eyes glancing worriedly at the increasingly angry crowd.



"ENOUGH!" Silence fell in wake of the Hokage's shout. "Both Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke are valued members of our community. They will both be accorded with the same respect that would be given to any other ninja in this village. They will not be subjected to questioning regarding their previous experiences without prior approval from me. Am I making myself clear?!"



There was a swift affirmative response.



"Then I suggest you all carry on with your duties! Take those bodies back for investigation, and go _check on the children!_"



There were several startled looks before the crowd dispersed in a flurry of activity.



"Fugaku, if you would accompany us."



He nodded solemnly, still eyeing the older Sasuke with suspicion, Itachi noted.



"Um," Uzumaki quirked an eyebrow at the boy in his arms. Sasuke squinted back at him.



"Hebi will take young Sasuke home," Sandaime said. The ANBU appeared instantly at the mention of her name.



"But where are you going?" Sasuke wanted to know, looking across at his older self curiously.



"I'm taking Naruto and the older Sasuke to the place where they will be living," Sandaime informed him with a small smile.



"If he's me, shouldn't he be coming home?" Sasuke frowned, pointing at the other Sasuke.



"With respect, Hokage-sama, Sasuke is correct. My son has a home, with his family."



Itachi decided then and there that Uzumaki was the most emotional ninja he'd ever encountered. He was even more expressive than Sasuke, who was the most open person Itachi had previously known. Joy, sorrow, wistfulness, loneliness; the emotions were simply there, throwing themselves out for the world to see, and then -



"That's a great idea!" Uzumaki declared with a brilliant grin on his face. "I know he'd like that!"



It was almost as good as an ANBU mask, concealing everything beneath its artificial surface. Effectively it was even better at hiding emotion. Everyone knew that the ANBU masks were just that, masks. The false smile, however, could only be seen as one by those who truly looked.



Fugaku was frowning at the older Sasuke, who remained as impassive as ever.



"Sasuke is still recovering from the battle they were involved in prior to arriving here," the Hokage informed him. "I would prefer that he and Naruto stay together for the time being."



The furrow between Fugaku's eyebrows deepened as his gaze switched between Uzumaki, the older Sasuke and Sandaime. "We have room for them both," he stated after several moments. Uzumaki blinked at him in astonishment.



"I had been going to place them near young Naruto," Sandaime replied blandly.



Itachi watched young Sasuke as he watched their father, fascinated by Fugaku's twitching eye. Itachi himself was equally interested, as this was the most emotion anyone else had evoked from his father in a long time.



"We have room for them all," Fugaku ground out the amendment grudgingly. Sandaime smirked.



"Excellent. Itachi will liase between you and the ANBU watching over them."



There wasn't much else Fugaku could do at that point but agree.



* * *



The muted sounds of laughter seemed a world away from the sombre silence weighing heavily upon the impromptu meeting. His mother had taken the arrival of their unexpected and highly unusual guests with aplomb that could only have been the result of being married to Uchiha Fugaku for fourteen long years. The younger Sasuke and Naruto, along with one of the older Uzumaki's shadow clones who had lingered after the battle, had quickly been roped into helping her clean the guest room - which Itachi noted had been clean when they had started, but given the amount of noise they were making he was sure that wouldn't have lasted long.



"Excuse me," Iruka apologised from the open doorway. "Mikoto-san said you were expecting me."



"Indeed," Sandaime acknowledged, gesturing to the empty space between Kakashi and Sasuke. Iruka moved to take the assigned place, sliding the door shut behind him, cutting off the cheerful laughter of the children. Itachi took note of the quick glances the Chuunin cast towards Sasuke and Uzumaki: concern warring with curiosity for dominance. It was a stark contrast to Fugaku's gaze, fixed upon the Hokage for the most part, with only the barest occasional hint of a frown in Sasuke's direction.



Sasuke himself was demonstrating the perfect indifference to which their father seemingly aspired. His eyes retained the abstracted stare that he had presented in the hospital, yet there was something about his posture that suggested an awareness that had previously been absent. No one else had remarked upon the slight change, however, and Itachi was content to wait and observe.



"All students and staff have been accounted for," Iruka reported. "There were a few minor injuries, but none resulting from direct assault. The warning provided by Na- Uzumaki-san enabled staff to enact contingency plans swiftly. This was hampered by the timing of the attack as the students had just been dismissed for recess, lack of staff immediately on hand, and slow response from a large number of students. This will be addressed in a review of procedures as soon as possible. Structural damage was minimal, and classes will resume as normal tomorrow, barring any restrictions imposed by Police or ANBU investigations." He paused for a moment, darting another glance at Sasuke and Uzumaki before continuing. "Hokage-sama, if the target of this attack - "



"Young Sasuke and Naruto will remain here in the Uchiha compound under ANBU guard until further notice," Sandaime informed him. "As will their older counterparts. Hebi and Neko will continue as guards for the younger pair, while Itachi and Kakashi will stay with this Sasuke and Naruto."



While Uzumaki grumbled half-heartedly across from him, Itachi watched as the muscles in Fugaku's neck tightened marginally, revealing his discontent. Kakashi pretended obliviousness, but the faint narrowing of his uncovered eye was enough for Itachi. He wondered briefly whether it was that Kakashi even possessed a sharingan eye that upset his father so much, or that he was able to use it far more effectively that Obito ever had. The sharingan alone was not enough to make a top-class shinobi - and even Jounin had moments where they lapsed short of expectations.



"I have concerns regarding the choice of personnel for this mission, Hokage-sama."



Kakashi's eye twitched. Fugaku frowned. Sandaime merely raised an eyebrow at him as he puffed away on his pipe.



"Your concerns are understood," was the only answer given, unsatisfactory though it was. "The mission stands."



Itachi nodded his acquiescence, knowing that Kakashi would drag him off again for another 'talk' as soon as they both had a moment to spare. Yet the ANBU Captain couldn't deny that the hesitancy displayed earlier was an issue that they could not afford to have repeated, no matter the identity of their opponents - nor the techniques used by those they were supposed to defend.



It had taken some thought before he recalled that the technique Uzumaki had used against the puppet-user had been one of Yondaime's own. That, added in with the close likeness in appearance, explained why Kakashi had frozen as though he'd seen the dead rise form the grave. Hebi and Neko's reactions to seeing Orochimaru were also understandable: former sensei of one, abductor and abuser of the other. Understandable, yet unacceptable if they were to effectively undertake this mission.



Shinobi must never show emotion. His father's favourite rule. This was the reason for its existence. Emotion led to carelessness, carelessness led to mistakes, and mistakes were often fatal where ninja were concerned. Especially when facing such high level opponents.



Orochimaru and Sasori of the Red Sand were both well known as S-class missing-nin, as listed in Konoha's Bingo Book, as were Hidan and Kakuzu. Hoshigaki Kisame, a rising star of the Mist, was also a name known to him. Deidara of the Rock he was not familiar with, but by Uzumaki's account, his skill was not to be taken lightly. As it stood, they were a formidable group - and there were at least three more members for whom Uzumaki could not supply any significant information, including the leader.



Itachi held no false modesty - he was fully prepared to take on any of the Akatsuki. Even taking into consideration that he'd confronted a mere portion of Sasori's true strength at the Academy, he had faith in his own strength and skills. He was not so confident in the rest of his team's abilities. They had only been together for one short mission, and that - while successful - had not proceeded as smoothly as it should have.



Kakashi was a superb shinobi, there was no question of that. So was Hebi, for all her impetuousness and propensity towards bloodthirstiness. Neko had also displayed proficiency that was more than adequate in most circumstances. Yet Itachi found himself reluctant to entrust his little brother's safety to anyone else, especially after the day's events. Nor did he want to relinquish his role watching over the older Sasuke. There were ways around the restrictions of the mission, however. What was not so clear in his mind was who would take priority in his mind should they be attacked once again: the Sasuke who had realised his potential, or the one who simply showed promise?



He pondered over the question as his mother brought an end to the meeting by informing them with a smile that there was food available if they were hungry. The Hokage declined politely, citing work waiting for him in his office - most of which would be more reports following the earlier attack. Iruka started to make his excuses only to have Uzumaki latch onto his arm and drag him along behind Mikoto, Sasuke following in their wake in a far more dignified manner, with Fugaku taking up the rear. Kakashi lingered for a moment, gazing at Itachi soberly before shrugging and following the rest of the group.



Itachi waited.



"So that's why you wanted my shirt."



He shrugged. "Mine would have been too small."



Laughter. "You're growing up fast, too, you know."



Itachi stared at him blankly.



"Oh, don't try that with me. I know you better."



He snorted, acknowledging that truth.



"So, what's the future going to be like for us?"



"The Hokage ordered that they should not be questioned regarding the future."



"I'm not asking them, I'm asking you."



"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."



"Bah, you're useless as a friend. What if you knew I was going to die tomorrow? Would you tell me then?"



"No."



"Cruel."



"I'd save you."



"Oh, so that's it - you just want to play the hero!"



He snorted. "I'm a ninja, not a hero. It's different, anyway."



"What's different?"



"Their past, our future. The assault at the Academy today didn't happen in their time."



"Well, now that's interesting."



Itachi shrugged. "They're a possibility, that's all. It changes nothing. The future is still uncertain for us."



"So we make our own."



Itachi nodded, then cocked his head as his mother called his name from the kitchen.



"You'd better go. Growing shinobi need good food, after all."



He was gone before Itachi could respond.

June '07 [MirrorForest][Fanfics][rhionae@hotmail.com]