Three Kunai

When Sasuke woke up, he thought he’d just had the worst nightmare in his life. But he was warm and safe in someone’s arms. He could smell his brother. He was safe. But the memory of the nightmare wouldn’t let him relax and fall back asleep. He heard the crackle of a small fire. And he smelled something else. The smell from the nightmare. Blood.

Sasuke pulled away. Itachi was too surprised at his brother’s sudden movement to stop him. Itachi was dressed in most of his ANBU gear, just his chest plate missing. They were in the forest.

“Nii-san?”

“Come here.”

Sasuke back away. “It wasn’t a nightmare, was it?”

“I’m sorry, Sasuke.”

Sasuke started backing away again. Itachi leaned forward to bring him back, but Sasuke ran. Itachi went after him. The eight year old had no chance of outrunning a trained member of ANBU. Itachi caught him around the waist. Sasuke struggled, but Itachi wasn’t going to let go.

“I’m sorry, Sasuke,” Itachi kept repeating. When he realized Itachi was sobbing, Sasuke gave up.

“Why?”

“Please, just trust me. I’ll tell you later. I was supposed to kill you too, but I couldn’t. I wanted to make you hate me, but I couldn’t leave you. Just trust me for now, please.”

“Are they really all dead?”

“Yes.” Sasuke started to cry. “We have to run, Sasuke.” Sasuke nodded.

Itachi ran back to the fire—it wasn’t enough to be called a camp—put Sasuke down, and grabbed his armor. He spooned the chest plate and back plate and then fastened it to Sasuke’s back. He crouched and Sasuke climbed up on his back. Itachi kicked dirt into the fire to put it out and set off again. Sasuke tightened his grip around his brother’s neck and wept.

-----

Itachi wasn’t actually sure if they were being pursued, but he thought it likely. He’d only stopped for ten minutes when Sasuke woke up. He was pushing his body to the limit to get somewhere safe before anyone could catch them. Sasuke had fallen asleep again thankfully.

Itachi was seeing double and the sunlight was hard on his sleep deprived eyes. They were only a few miles from the ruins of The Sky District, the Uchiha supply base. One more hour and they would be safely underground. But he couldn’t make it anymore. He missed a tree branch and was barely able to use his chakra to attach to a tree trunk and control fall to the ground. Sasuke woke up, but trusted his brother’s skill. Itachi let him down and collapsed on the ground panting. Sasuke lay next to him and Itachi put an arm around him.

“I’ll keep watch,” Sasuke said. “You haven’t slept at all.”

“I just need a little rest. We’re almost there.”

He only got a few minutes when he sat up in alarm; someone was coming. He tried to stand, but couldn’t. “Sasuke, hide.” Sasuke froze. “Go.” Instead, Sasuke pulled out two of Itachi’s kunai and stood to guard his brother.

Their pursuer appeared. Sasuke lowered his weapons. A dog?

“Uhei?” Itachi asked completely surprised.

“I almost gave up following you. You’ve thrown off all other pursuit. I am the fastest of the Ninken and I nearly failed.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Kakashi is worried about you.”

“Worried or sent to kill me?”

“Worried. He was one of those sent to find you, but he doesn’t believe you really did it. Let me bring him here.”

“I don’t want to stop yet. And forgive me, but I can’t quite trust even Kakashi right now.”

“Kakashi will not betray you.”

“Dogs are loyal,” Itachi murmured, but the smile on his face took much of the insult from his words. “Come with us the rest of the way and then you can lead him to us. No one else is following?”

“Only the Inuzuka clan could probably follow at this point, but none were sent after you. I barely made it. You had a good head start; it was morning before anyone realized anything had happened.”

“Let me sleep for a few minutes then. Forgive me if I say, I wish you were Bull.”

The dog laughed and jumped down to sit on watch next to Itachi.

“Sasuke, I think we can trust him.”

Sasuke nodded and put the kunai in his pocket. Itachi lay down and passed out.

They let him sleep far longer than Itachi wanted. It was night when he woke up on his own. He picked up Sasuke and Uhei ran beside them. His body was stiff and weak, but he forced himself on. Itachi heard his brother’s stomach growling as they came out onto the empty plain.

“Sorry, Sasuke, I brought nothing with me. There’ll be food when we arrive.”

And they were soon within sight of the city ruins. Itachi didn’t stop to speak to Uhei because he was sure he wouldn’t be able to get going again if he did.

“Uhei, you better not get any closer. Bring Kakashi here. We’ll wait in these ruins.”

Uhei made a U-turn back for Konoha while Itachi ran on. They reached the door down into the sewers of the ruined city. Itachi let Sasuke down and they walked in. It wasn’t long before a pair of cats greeted them.

“Dinka! Hina!” Sasuke ran over and hugged them. They were surprised by Sasuke’s joy at seeing them.

Dinka wiggled away and looked Itachi over. “You look like hell, Itachi-kun. We’ll wave the catnip this time.” They lead the brothers to Grandma Cat.

At seeing the brothers looking so disheveled and Itachi ready to collapse, Grandma Cat called out for Tamaki. “Bring these boys something to eat! What’s happened?”

Itachi shook his head, not ready to tell her. He wanted to ensure at least some food and rest for he and Sasuke before he told her.

“Hina, go to Konoha and—”

“No!” Itachi panicked. “I’ll tell you everything after some sleep. Just let us recuperate first, please.”

“If you two are here in this state . . .” Both brothers looked down. She spotted the few blood drops on Itachi’s clothes. “Who did it?” Sasuke got closer to Itachi as if to protect him. She understood enough. “Is there no one left?”

“Did you know Madara is alive?”

“I thought he might be.”

“He helped. We’re the only three left.”

“You can tell me why later. You’re still Uchiha, you are safe here.”

“Thank you.” Itachi bowed. Sasuke mimicked his brother.

“At least you two kittens are safe.”

Tamaki returned with food. The brothers ate ravenously.

“A possible ally will be coming to this city soon,” Itachi said in between mouthfuls. “He doesn’t know about this place. I’ll make sure he’s loyal to me before letting him in.”

“Very well.”

“I’ll wait up in the building above for him.”

“I’ll stay with you,” Sasuke said with his mouth full.

“You should stay down here and rest.”

Sasuke shook his head. He was frightened Itachi would turn into the demon that spoke so coldly to him a day before if he let him out of his sight again.

“Alright.”

They finished eating and were shown to a pretty bare room and slept for several hours. Itachi gathered up bedding and his brother and went up above to wait for Kakashi.