Sunlight in a Dark Room

Author's Note: The wait was shorter! Woo! *feels accomplished* :P Much thanks to AmuseMe for the beta. *hugs* ^_______^

I hope everyone enjoys. :P

Review Responses:

Crimson2006: I hope this update was soon enough. ;D I'm glad you enjoyed the last one. ^^

AnA La PaNa83: It was quite the long break, ne? :P And I do intend to finish this story. Woo! It's really close to being done. ^^ Itachi is falling into the norm of things so easily now. *blames Naruto* XDDD

move_them_hands: LOL! Well, I'm happy to see you again! ^_____^ *glomps* Thank you for your awesome review!!! *hugs* I'm happy you liked the chapter. :D

Nusku: I know. Tis sad. :( I've come to realize that I really don't like killing off characters. D:

sadistickiss: Thank you! *beams* Your comment made me so happy. :D I prefer reading long chapters too but sometimes I wish I can write short ones. *laughs*

Kamikyo: Angst is a terribly addicting thing. XD Chapter 12 just seemed a little...unfinished or something. ^^; I'm not sure but I'm glad you liked it. Thank you. ^^

hina88: Thank you so much! Much apologies for the lateness. D: It's getting really crazy for me now because things are starting to piece together and I'm so frazzled about it. XD; I'm happy that they're still IC. I kind of fear that they aren't in this new chapter. I was quite out of the loop as I was writing it and I'm just not so sure. =o

qwerty: I know! I feel so awful for killing her off. *cries*

Adonis Kontos: Wah! Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the story thus far. :D

Pie: Apologies for the distractiong. *grins* I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you finished your school work. *eyes you warily* JK. XD

animelover: Sadly, Kyuubi is gone. :( *gives you a Kleenex* I just wasn't too sure about the way this chapter was laid out as well as the content. It seemed unfinished or something. D: But I'm happy you liked it. :D Thank you. ^^

prostochudo: I'm glad you liked it. :D

Ree-chan: *sigh* They're my favourite too. ^_____^ Thank you. :D And there will definitely be more chapters. ;D

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Chapter 13 – Consequential Uncertainty [Part One]

Naruto was sitting at the window sill watching the people mill about on the crowded street below. It had been two days since they arrived at the Hidden Village of the Mist and three days since his merger with Kyuubi.

And Itachi was still sleeping.

After entering the village inconspicuously – aka sneaking in over the wall – Naruto had opted out of taking the Uchiha to a hospital. They would ask too many questions and draw unwanted attention to themselves. Instead he had found a reasonably priced inn within the confines of one of the shadier districts of the large village. He had enough knowledge of medical treatment – courtesy of training with Sakura – to take care of his lover’s injuries on his own.

Literally lugging the unconscious man up the stairs and to their room, Naruto placed him as carefully as he could onto what looked like a bed and went about seeing to the wounds properly. He had deduced them as non-life threatening and painstakingly healed each one as best as he could before he wrapped them up in bandages. He was rather impressed with himself; being able to heal with his newly returned chakra. He felt whole again despite Kyuubi’s departure.

Itachi’s low chakra levels also worried Naruto. It had been so severe that the pathways almost collapsed and Naruto continuously poured his own chakra into each of the Uchiha’s major chakra openings in carefully measured quantities. The blond worked on healing Itachi for a few hours and by the time he was done he collapsed beside the older man and fell asleep.

Naruto had woken the morning after and kept a watchful eye over his lover since. Itachi would stir and talk in his sleep but never wake up. So whenever he heard the rustling of sheets or quiet murmurs from the Uchiha, Naruto would pay him no mind. After all, he would be able to tell if the man was waking up or not. He discovered that he had acquired extra traits with the merger. He found them rather bothersome considering the excessive sensitivity to his surroundings he now possessed.

For one, he could hear everything and he meant everything. So much so that he wanted to leave the village. It was too damn loud. He could care less about what Miya wanted for dinner or if Gin was better looking than Masashi. Naruto had even gone to the lengths of plugging his ears with cotton. It barely worked but it helped.

Besides that, the blond’s eyesight had improved greatly. He wasn’t quite sure by how much though. He had to admit though it was a hell of a lot better than before. It had been difficult to judge the distance between himself and objects when he carried Itachi to the village. He had fallen quite a few times and refused to acknowledge the fact that the extra bruising on Itachi’s side had resulted from those little tumbles. Naruto was getting used to his new eyes though and figured that they would prove invaluable in the near future. He hoped so anyway.

He yawned loudly and decided to give in and go to sleep. It didn’t feel like Itachi was going to wake up anytime soon. Naruto looked down to the now quiet street and guessed the time to be around nine o’clock. He had noted, the other day, that the shops closed around eight o’clock and activity in the street ceased by eight thirty or nine. It was rather early compared to the market place in Konoha but Naruto supposed that might have something to do with how cold and dark it got by the time the sun went down.

Sighing in resignation, Naruto made his way quietly over to the bed and slipped underneath the covers. Originally, he had tried to sleep in the other bed but found himself sneaking into bed with Itachi. A force of habit, he supposed. It was funny how quickly he had become accustomed to sleeping with the older man. The sudden memory of their time together four nights ago made a faint blush bloom on his tanned cheeks.

Stupid memory.

After unconsciously moving closer to Itachi, Naruto turned to face him. As he watched the slow rise and fall of Itachi’s chest, the blond found himself wondering how the hell he could ever fall for the man now laying beside him. But ‘fall’ he did and it was something he was completely unprepared for. Something he hadn’t counted on. Naruto figured that Itachi hadn’t counted on it either.

It was funny how things worked out and yet didn’t.

Even the knowledge of his ‘impending demise’ had not influenced his decision about the older man. Naruto had seen some mismatched relationships before but this one – his, theirs – topped the cake. Well, whatever they were was not quite a relationship but it’s the closest thing Naruto had ever had to one. He had friends. Great friends however none had ever amounted to more than that. Even Sasuke despite how much the younger Uchiha meant to him.

He had flings before – one nighters that meant little to nothing – and short term dates that couldn’t even be considered much either. And he had no idea why he never felt anything even remotely with them like what the man beside him had invoked.

Either way, Uchiha Itachi had breached his walls and brought forth something – the sun’s light – into a room so dark Naruto had forgotten how to see. Itachi had done that.

And Naruto had opened his eyes.

He reached over to thread his fingers through Itachi’s long black hair briefly. Naruto smiled slightly at the fact that his lover would be waking soon. The strong heartbeat he could hear clearly and Itachi’s returning complexion was proof enough. And it didn’t take long after learning that knowledge before Naruto fell into a restful sleep.

-----

Jiraiya stopped the group at the outskirts of the Mist Village. During the time it took to reach the village, the Toad Sannin had thought over on exactly how they were going to get in without being detected. After all, Konoha had yet to form a treaty with the Water Country. The two countries were somewhat neutral but to enter without both forewarning and permission could result in a tricky situation. And they did not have the time nor manpower to deal with unwelcoming Mist nin.

“I honestly didn’t expect Itachi to bring him here,” Jiraiya mused aloud.

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked when no one else would.

“Well, the Akatsuki usually operate out of the Rain Country and I know they have been networking all over the continent. But, I have not heard of them branching into the Water Country.”

“Should we send word to Hokage-sama?” Sai interjected, “She would want to know about this.”

“This mission is almost over. We either find the Brat within whatever time we have left or just give it up and leave. Naruto is a very touchy subject when it comes to the village. Especially the Council. You all know this. And with what happened to Gaara when the Akatsuki got a hold of him, they’re all going to assume that he has died anyway. Even if we think that there’s a chance of him being alive, it won’t matter.

A heavy atmosphere befell the group as the Toad Sannin’s words sunk in. For they all knew what he said was true. What was worse was that they had lost any trace of the blond they thought they had. All that was left was Itachi’s trail. And he was somewhere within the masses of people behind the looming walls ahead of them. He had to be.

Sasuke and Gaara remained quiet. Jiraiya noticed this and after formulizing a plan on how to get inside the village walls, he discreetly pulled the two men to the side.

“Now I know what you both are thinking. And the answer is ‘no’.”

The glare and look of indifference he received was expected but he continued, “Sasuke. You are treading on thin ice with the village as it is. To take off again will only make your situation worse. They will not hesitate to kill you this time. And Naruto is not there to protect you.”

Sasuke winced with Jiraiya’s next words.

“Don’t make all those years it took for Naruto to bring you back go to waste.”

Silence.

“I know,” Sasuke growled out.

“And Gaara,” Jiraiya directed his attention to the redhead, “You have a responsibility to your country as the Kazekage.”

Gaara nodded, fully understanding what the Toad Sannin had meant. He was being selfish.

When he was sure the two men before him would not do anything rash, Jiraiya turned to the other two members of the group.

“Now that we’re here, how about we let ourselves in through the window?”

It was quite a conventional method of entering a building but a village? Sakura thought as they scaled the side of the village wall. As it turned out, the floor below the lookout level did have windows. They hadn’t seen them from the ground but as they had gotten closer, medium sized panes of glass came into view.

Jiraiya explained it to them immediately, “The Mist nin are very prideful and their strength is almost at par with Konoha’s. They are not people to be trifled with so we must be careful. I’d recommend henges but we would be detected instantly. Disguises would be our best option.”

“Do you have any contacts in this village?” Sakura asked.

Jiraiya took a moment to think it over. He was sure there was someone but...

“Nope. She died a while back.”

“I’m sorry,” Sakura amended.

“Don’t worry about it, Sakura-chan,” the white haired man smiled softly, “She lived a full life.”

The group didn’t speak again after that. They had a mission to complete and their time was running short far too quickly.

-----

It was quiet in the room. He could hear the sound of someone breathing; sleeping. The warmth and familiarity radiating beside him could only be Naruto. The chakra was different, but for some inane reason, Itachi could tell it was him.

Finally opening his eyes, the Uchiha glanced around the moonlit room. It appeared that Naruto had gotten them to a town. And from the smell, the blond must have taken them to a ‘more reasonably’ priced inn. The room was musty and old but seemingly fit to use in their situation. Naruto had probably not wanted to take him to a hospital.

Itachi shifted a bit and grunted with the effort it took to move. His body was still sore and he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. It took longer than it should have to sit up but it was enough to inform him that he must have been out for a few days. He certainly felt a lot better than he had after his fight with Naruto. He vaguely remembered forcing himself to stay awake long enough to check Naruto’s condition after the merger. Then he must have blacked out.

Itachi rolled his neck to stretch out the tense muscles there and repeated the process with his shoulders and arms. His loosened hair fell across his face and he looked at it with distaste. From what he could feel and just barely see, he needed a bath. Looking over the rest of the room, there were two other doors and it was obvious as to which of the two was the adjoining bathroom.

He gripped the headboard as he lifted himself up. Itachi’s legs were a bit shaky but he managed to stand and make his way over to the bathroom. After he shut the door, the black haired man turned the light on and found, to his irritation, a shower. The room was much too small to host a tub, there was barely enough room for the shower stall, sink and toilet. But, it would suffice.

Itachi was pleased that Naruto had not put a shirt on him. It would have made undressing somewhat taxing. The bandages around his torso and arms were easily removed. There was a lot of bruising – now coloured a slightly green – marring his pale skin. And the wounds were healing well; most of them scabbed over and slightly itchy. He would have scars. That didn’t really bother him. He’d had his fair share of injuries over the years just...not this many. Naruto had done quite the number on him.

He slipped his pants and undergarments off and studied his weakened body in the mirror. It was a rare thing to look at himself in such a state. He noted that his chakra was still low when he attempted to activate the Sharingan. A few more days of rest was all he needed for it to be fully restored. However, Itachi was not sure if they had enough time for that.

There was still the matter of the extraction.

The removal of Kyuubi had yet to be dealt with and Itachi had not yet received word from his colleagues. Even if Naruto and the nine tails had merged, the rest of the Akatsuki did not know that. Nor did they know that removal was impossible at this point. That is, if the remaining members of the group were still alive. Itachi had not received any indication that they had survived the fight with the four tails. Even so, as planned, he brought Naruto to the Water Country for the final extraction.

Now it was all a matter of time and he wasn’t completely ready to give that up yet.

Itachi turned the faucet and allowed the water to warm up before entering the shower. The pressure was not nearly enough to ease his muscles but at least he was finally clean. Like the blood, dirt and grime being removed from his body, Itachi allowed the water to wash away his concerns about everything. For now.

He hadn’t realized how long exactly he stayed within the confines of the shower but it was dawn by the time he stepped out of the bathroom. And his skin had wrinkled considerably, much to his irritation.

Naruto was sitting at the edge of the bed – waiting. He looked up and their eyes met briefly before the blond turned away.

“You’re okay.” It wasn’t a question but Naruto seemed to be asking anyways.

Itachi nodded his head once before making his way over to the bed. There were clothes already laid out for him and he wondered how long Naruto had been waiting for him. He could feel the blond’s eyes on him – studying – as he slowly dressed. It was not until Itachi sat down on the bed to pull his shirt on did Naruto finally reach out and trace his fingers over one of the larger injuries.

“You heal quickly,” Naruto mused aloud as he followed the layer of dried blood to another bisecting one, “You won’t need to bandage them as long as they’re not reopened.”

Itachi permitted the action as Naruto continued to explore the wounds.

“How long was I unconscious?” Itachi asked over his shoulder.

“Almost four days,” the younger man responded as he picked up the hair tie he left out for Itachi and pulled the dark hair back and into a loose pony tail, “I’m glad you took a shower, you were really starting to stink, Old Man.”

Itachi shot a glare at Naruto who only laughed in return.

“Your chakra is still pretty low but it’s a hell of a lot better than when I first brought you here.”

“Here?”

“The Hidden Mist Village. It was easier to slip past the guards at the walls than I expected. This village is supposed to be a fortress,” Naruto frowned.

“It has its weaknesses like any other village,” the Uchiha informed the blond as he pulled his shirt on.

There was a short moment of silence that Naruto found somewhat uncomfortable. They had a few complications between them at the moment and it was evident in their forced conversation. Naruto was surprised when Itachi spoke first.

“You’re still here,” he stated.

“I am.”

“You could have left.” Itachi had yet to turn and look over at his lover.

“I chose not to.” It came out as a whisper as Naruto kneeled behind Itachi and leaned forward to brush his lips against the exposed pale neck. Tentatively, he slipped his arms around Itachi’s shoulders and used his hands to turn his lover to face him.

Itachi stared at Naruto wordlessly. He knew exactly what Naruto wanted from him. And as soon as the blond’s tongue flicked out – moistening his lips – Itachi closed the distance between them and crushed their mouths together. An insistent tug brought Naruto onto Itachi’s lap. Naruto adjusted his weight so that he didn’t put too much pressure on the dark haired man. He had to continually remind himself that they could go no further than this – for today – because Itachi was not yet fully healed. It would be quite troublesome having his injuries reopen.

Itachi’s hands moved to slide underneath Naruto’s shirt to feel the warm skin there. And Naruto figured it was a good time to stop. He pulled away from Itachi’s demanding mouth and kissed a trail along his strong jaw to nip lightly at his ear.

“We should get some breakfast. You haven’t eaten in days.”

The logic in those two sentences had Itachi realizing that he was, in fact, very hungry. Reluctantly, he nodded and let Naruto stand up before getting off the bed.

“I gave you water every now and then so you wouldn’t dehydrate. I doubt that was even enough but you’re still alive. So that’s a good sign,” Naruto turned away to hide the blush that suddenly bloomed on his whiskered face when the other man arched an eyebrow.

Naruto was completely taken aback with what Itachi said next. His eyes widened considerably and his jaw dropped in complete shock. When he came back to his senses, Itachi had already walked out the door and a small smile carved its way over the blond’s features.

“Thank you.”

-----

Sai followed Gaara through a slightly crowded street. Their group had split up and much to Gaara’s chagrin, Sai had elected to go with him. He knew it was for obvious reasons as they both suspected that Naruto was very much alive. However that may be different after discovering the remnants of the large battle just over three days prior. Still, Naruto was not one to die so easily.

“This marketplace is rather busy in the morning, don’t you think?” Sai asked feigning his cheerfulness.

Gaara didn’t even bother to turn around when he responded, “Indeed.”

“I don’t suppose you can sense him here either,” Sai dropped the facade and spoke seriously.

Gaara didn’t have to answer for they both knew there was nothing. The Village Hidden in the Mist was – despite their own entry – very well guarded. It would be foolhardy to slip into a place undetected where you were most definitely not welcome and use your chakra carelessly. Shinobi knew that rule all too well.

“We should regroup now, there’s nothing...” Sai’s voice broke the redhead’s thoughts, “Gaara-san?”

Gaara looked up to see the other man staring to their left. He followed Sai’s gaze with his own and spotted a patch of blond hair amongst the crowd. A sudden rush of hope washed over him as he instinctively walked towards the retreating figure. A strong hand gripping his arm prevented him from proceeding.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gaara growled.

“Don’t get so testy,” Sai was ‘smiling’ again, “Look at the person ahead him.”

The Kazekage turned his heated glare from his companion back to the blond head amidst a crowd of dark haired Mist villagers. Naruto was following a man with long black hair. When the taller man turned to say something to Naruto, Gaara saw that he was unmistakably Uchiha Itachi.

Neither of the two men said a word to each other as they followed the pair through the throng of morning traffic. It was easy to catch up to them and remain a safe distance to ‘observe’ and ‘formulate a plan of action’. Gaara noticed that the Uchiha was walking slowly, almost carefully, as if every step was calculated before taken. Itachi was injured and healing. He was vulnerable. Naruto, however, seemed perfectly fine. More so than Gaara figured he would after all this time spent with Itachi. But what irked him the most, was the look Naruto was giving the older man. It was the same look he had seen Sasuke give Naruto countless times.

His eyes widened at his next thought.

‘Did Naruto care more than he should for that man?’

“They seem to be enjoying themselves,” Sai stated, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say they’re being a little more friendly than they should be.”

“You don’t know any better.” Was Gaara’s annoyed response.

“Are you jealous?” Sai motioned towards the pair who found a restaurant and appeared to be ordering food. He wasn’t one to butt into other people’s problems...okay, maybe he was. But the dark haired nin was rather curious as to why people – Sasuke and Gaara in particular – felt so strongly about the blond. He understood that those two shared a bond far stronger than his own with Naruto. But, he could not interpret that look in Gaara’s eyes as they watched Naruto and Itachi eating. There was relief that was blatantly obvious and then there was something more; an emotion that Sai had yet to comprehend.

“Do you love him?” It was a very personal question that Sai could not help but ask and he was surprised with the redhead’s answer.

“I did.”

Sai tipped his head in thought, “But you don’t anymore?”

Gaara gave him a look of indifference, “He is my friend.”

“Well, shall we?” He gestured towards the pair across the street.

“No. It will cause a conflict that is unnecessary. We will wait.”

“And the others?” Sai inquired.

“We will inform them later.”

-----

Itachi did not like the feeling of foreboding that had not dissipated since their departure from the inn. He deduced it was a result of his weakened state and vulnerability that he had already come to despise. But still, something was off which was why he was now keeping a keen eye on their surroundings.

Naruto had not seemed to sense anything either, or so he assumed. He had yet to be fully informed on the status of Naruto’s chakra. To say he wasn’t curious about it would be a lie. He supposed that Naruto would end up talking to him about it even if he didn’t ask. Not that he would ask anyway.

He slowed his pace to allow the blond to walk alongside him. Receiving a bright smile in return, Naruto led them to a restaurant he had said ‘served the second best ramen he’d ever eaten’. Itachi wasn’t looking forward to having ramen so early in the day nor was he looking forward to having to watch Naruto eat the food. To say the least, he would not be enjoying his breakfast.

“Is it vital to eat ramen for breakfast?” Itachi inquired with a sideways glance.

Naruto snickered and replied, “I like ramen.”

“I am aware of that, but is it absolutely necessary to eat first thing in the morning?”

Naruto frowned in thought, “Well, it’s all I’ve been eating for the last few days. It’s fast and easy once it cools down. Plus, it’ll give your ‘old’ muscles some much needed energy. You’re barely at par with your usual strength and ramen might give you a boost. Also,” Naruto added with enthusiasm, “This particular ramen is so damn good it’ll have you asking for seconds in no time.”

Itachi doubted that but there was no point in arguing with the matter or the ‘old’ comment. He had already discovered back in Mikageishi, that Naruto’s mood can shift from depressed to happy with just a mention of his favourite food. It was odd to come across someone entangled within so many emotions. He found it even stranger that he was coming to care for this particular person; that he already did care.

By the time Itachi had been roused out of his thoughts there was already a steaming bowl of ramen sitting in front of him. The slurping across from his could only be Naruto and he refused to look at him. If he had, the Uchiha would not have even bothered eating his own; abhorred by Naruto’s lack of tact and manners. However, it was something that could only be Naruto and as irked as Itachi was about it, he had already accepted it.

When he did finally eye teh blond warily, Naruto had finished a few bowls – nowhere near the amount in Mikageishi – and was looking at him questioningly. Or rather, he was looking at the half empty bowl in front of Itachi questioningly.

“Is it not good?” Naruto asked.

“It’s fine. Are you finished?” The Uchiha responded, noticing a small piece of a noodle on his companion’s lower lip. An insistent impulse had him putting his chopsticks down and standing.

Naruto nodded his answer and placed some money on the table for the waitress to pick up. He followed Itachi’s example as they prepared to head back to the inn – he assumed. When Naruto turned to follow the older man, he was surprised to come face to face with his lover. The blond hadn’t even noticed him move. And, to Uzumaki Naruto’s complete shock, Itachi leaned down – closing the distance between them – and made a wet, hot trail of saliva across his bottom lip. Their proximity brought on a warmth Naruto hadn’t felt since the night they had slept together.

And just as quickly as it happened, Itachi had turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. Naruto stood there, dumbfounded and sporting a bright flush over his whiskered cheeks. When he realized that people were staring at him – most likely from the earlier display with Itachi – with curious expressions, Itachi was already well on his way back to the inn. Stupid bastard.

“Get back here, Old Man!” Naruto shouted as he moved to follow the Uchiha, “And you better damn well finish what you start, you hypocrite!”

The blond was just about to chase after his retreating companion when he sensed two familiar chakras approaching him rather casually. The moment he figured who was standing behind him, Naruto could tell immediately why they had walked up so nonchalantly. Well shit. He hadn’t expected this to happen so soon. Hell, he hadn’t expected it to happen at all. He had been so preoccupied with everything else, he didn’t even consider a rescue party from Konoha. Stupid fool.

“Gaara,” he greeted, “Sai.”

“Uzumaki.” Gaara sounded livid and that was saying something about the redhead.

Sai smiled, “You seem to be having a good time, Naruto.”

-----

Itachi was not surprised to find that Naruto had not been following him. He supposed that feeling of foreboding turned out to be in Naruto’s favour. Seeing as how it was quite possible for the rescue team to catch up to them. They had wasted a lot of time after all. The injuries they had received during their time together had caused them to stop more than they should have. He had been careless.

The Uchiha had reached the inn a short time ago and was sitting on a chair by the window in their rented room. He had opted to look over their remaining supplies in case they would need anything for the last stretch of their journey. If things went according to the pre-laid out plan, Itachi and Naruto would reach the northern most part of the Water Country where the final extraction will take place. If they didn’t, then what?

Itachi had never come across a situation such as this. He loathed to acknowledge it, but he cared a great deal more about the blond than he did when this mission first began. He had grown accustomed to Naruto’s presence, his personality, everything. Naruto was his, now, in every way imaginable. Both had yet to admit such a thing but thus is the result of two stubborn and prideful men finding something in the other. What that something was, Itachi did not know. He was still trying to figure that out. Possession was all he knew and it was the only thing he could describe his feelings for Naruto with.

However, that one ideal was not enough to explain everything that lingered between the pair.

Itachi’s thoughts were suddenly disrupted when he heard light knocking on the window pane next to him. The glass was stained and somewhat blurry – a result of the poor upkeep of the seedy inn – but the dark haired man could see what was waiting for him behind it. And for the same reason he had been attempting to figure out his situation with Naruto, he was not pleased with its appearance.

Placing the scroll on the side table as he stood, Itachi unhooked the rusty latch and opened the window. A white, clay bird flew inside to circle the room a few times. The incessant flapping was already irritating Itachi but he could do nothing until it landed. He was well aware that Deidara’s ‘art’ was very volatile and had to be handled carefully. He refused to risk an explosion in their room.

The bird began to descend and landed on the bed farthest from the window. A small scroll was deposited from its mouth as the bird seemingly made itself comfortable, awaiting Itachi’s command for the return to its creator.

Itachi picked up the scroll and deactivated the seals that had been placed on each end of it. The paper glowed a dark red before loosening to allow Itachi to unroll it. Itachi’s look of indifference changed to something darker as he read the contents of the scroll.

The message was short and clear:

We await your arrival.