Recovering Sands

(AN: I’m going to assume that since they have television and video recording capabilities, that a few other modern tastes aren’t unlikely. Also... As more of the chapters about Gaara’s capture come out, I might change this to AU, depending on what happens. In other words, I don’t want to claim this sort of follows the events in the Naruto manga (though much further than the series currently is) when something may happen to Gaara or Itachi that might prove otherwise.)

The closest friend... those words echoed in Itachi’s head as he lead Shisui down to the river. Six months ago, he was led to the Nakano shrine and into it’s secret sanctum. The Uchiha clan’s secret meeting place, the place where those words were written, explaining the real purpose behind the doujutsu of their clan. It was something he had to test, to know if he could be stronger.

The fight between them didn’t last long; despite Itachi’s young age he was far more skilled than Shisui. His closest friend stumbled back into the river, the drug he had slipped him taking effect. If this were to work, it couldn’t be an outright murder or people would start to suspect him. That meant no bruises, no sign of struggle. Itachi already had the suicide note written, having used the sharingan to copy Shisui’s style of writing. Everything was working according to plan, all that was left was to kill him and gain new power. To end the life of someone who took the time to understand him... when no one bothered to. Someone who was close to his heart...

“Don’t... don’t do this.... Please, Itachi...”

Attachments wouldn’t make him stronger. Everyone died eventually... “Why not? You’re usually willing to do anything for our clan, Shisui. Consider this helping further the strength of a clan member...”

“My best friend...”

Itachi paused, flinching a little. “You are...” He pushed Shisui back, leaning over him. The drug gripped his nervous system, refusing the signals to travel properly from his brain to his limbs. Shisui couldn’t move to fight back. Slowly he submerged his friend, holding him under the water. Shisui’s eyes shot open, pleading for air. Itachi patiently waited, knowing his friend well and how long he could hold his breath. His eyes... that was how he could tell his friend had died... They still plead to him, even in their glassy appearance. No life lit those eyes. A small ping of guilt hit his heart, but Itachi coldly pushed it away. There was no time for feelings or reminiscing. He had to finish the job. Taking out the note, he tied a bit of string to it then tied the string to Shisui’s kunai. Itachi lifted the dead man’s hand. He dried it off and then wrapped his fingers around the kunai and touched his fingers to the note as he would have done had he held it. He used a bit of chakra to erase his own incriminating fingers prints then threw the kunai against the nearby bridge. It wouldn’t be suspicious for him to have touched the kunai, they trained together often. Everything was complete and his friend’s body drifted down river a bit in the slow current, getting stuck in some cattails. The shrine wasn’t far... they would be able to find him quickly.

Rushing off he made his way home, testing to see if he had attained the mangekyou. It’s power caused his body to buzz for a moment, chakra adjusting to it. He smiled to himself, wishing to test out his new found gift soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A damp coolness was placed over his forehead, driving away the dreams brought on by a high fever. The older couple were murmuring in the background as he felt the bandages being lifted from his chest, the large square of gauze carefully being peeled back. It stuck to his skin; dried blood replaced by fresh as the gauze was pulled away. He heard someone click their tongue then sigh, a feminine voice muttering something about men and their reluctance to seek medical aid. Being generalized irked him, but he stayed quiet. It wasn’t as if he could explain his circumstances, he’d let her think what she wanted to. The bandages on his arm were lifted away as well, the smell from it making him vaguely nauseous. He could barely feel fingers on the deadening skin around the wound. They traced lines down and up his arms then prodded at his shoulder. Both chest and arm were left bare as she unraveled the gauze strips on his leg. Itachi held back a hiss, his leg pulsing in pain with every strip unwrapped from his thigh.

“Well?” Kanata asked, voice heavy with worry.

“You did well, don’t worry.” The healer mumbled, examining Itachi’s thigh.

“That’s not what I was worried about... Will he lose either of his limbs?”

“Not now... Hmm...” Itachi heard a clank of metal hitting metal repeatedly. “I don’t have any patients who desperately need me today, so if I used most of my chakra healing him it should be okay. Worse comes to worse, I’ll call in some medical nins that are on break.”

Kanata sighed in relief, “thank you very much. I’ll be happy to pay you, if the boy has no money.”

“It’s fine, he’s young and I’m sure he can work off his bills. Now go home and rest, I’m sure you’re both tired.” The healer rose from Itachi’s side and walked toward where he assumed the old couple were. “I’ll see at dinner tonight, mom.” They said their good byes and he heard two people walk away. “Awfully quiet, aren’t you? Or are you just polite?” She dragged a stool to his bedside. “I can tell you’re awake, by your breathing. Only barely though, you’re good at masking it... My parents are kind, and take in people when they probably shouldn’t. I’m sure it never crossed their minds that you could be an enemy nin, injured by one of our own.” Itachi remained quiet. “Speak, or I’ll assume you are an enemy and call for the Anbu.”

“I’m not...” His voice was harsh with disuse and thirst. “How I got... these wounds and how... I got here is my business.” He cleared his throat then swallowed, voice more of his normal tone. “All that’s important is that I’m no threat to the sand.” It was true; killing anyone now would be useless. If he had to eliminate those in his way when the time came, then so be it. He’d deal with that when he had to.

“Hm... I guess that will do for now.” She placed her hands over his chest and he could feel her chakra flowing out, manipulating his cells into repairing themselves. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened his eyes, resisting the urge to watch with the sharingan, something that would expose who he was instantly. His chest itched a little, new skin puckering into a pink scar. The healer wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “The other two will be more work.” She placed her hands on the wound at his thigh, the strain visible as beads of sweat began to form on her face. The wound must have been worse off than he thought; while she almost literally poured her chakra into it, nothing visible or anything he could feel happened. The wound itself as well as a lot of the skin next to it was black, vicious yellow oozed from the parts that had been ripped when the bandage was lifted. Angry red lines radiated out from the dead skin, each following a vein. Deep in his thigh he felt as though tiny needles were massaging the flesh, the red lines slowly fading. It hurt, but he kept it from his expression. The blackened skin bubbled and peeled off; it made his stomach churn but at the same time, was slightly interesting. New skin replaced the black, paler and shinier then the rest, devoid of the small soft hairs on his leg. Itachi sighed, the pain from his leg completely gone and the new patch of skin sensitive and damp. The healer spent more time catching her breath than before, using a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the sweat from her brow. “One moment...” She rose and walked from the room.

Itachi sat up, cool compress falling into his lap. He mistakenly twitched at the sudden coolness on the new skin of his thigh, wincing at the pain in his arm caused by the sudden movement. The foul smelling gouge looked similar to the one on his thigh before she healed it. His clothes were nearly in rags; blood, mud, sand and various other unidentifiable items were splattered across the fabric. The original color had been obscured by his rough use. Clothes weren’t important... moving was. Slowly he flexed his thigh muscle, it responded, albeit weakly, to his order. At least walking wouldn’t be a problem for long.

“Tch, lay back down. I’m not done with you.” The healer waltzed back into the room, more energetic than before.

“Soldier pill?”

“Meh, nothing that drastic. Just a little pick me up that we’ve been working on perfecting. While my chakra is replenished, it doesn’t last very long. The side effects are a bitch too. Ah well, that’s life as a medical nin. You put others lives above your own well being.” She smiled and sat at the stool next to his bed. “Lay down again, then I’ll show you to a room you can stay in overnight.”

He hesitated a little then nodded, laying back down. “Alright.” She leaned over him and went to work on his arm, spending more time on it than his leg. The end result was the same; instead of the blackened, red streaked skin, there was new skin, lines completely gone. The healer sighed and leaned back, stretching her arms over her head. “Done! In time for dinner too. Can you stand?”

Itachi used his good arm to prop himself up, swinging his legs over the edge of the table. He rolled his shoulder, testing the newly healed arm. It responded better than his leg, to which he was grateful. The healer brought him a crutch and he waved it off, easing himself onto his feet. “I can walk without aid.” She rolled her eyes then shrugged, turning to slowly walk from the room. While his movements were stiff, he kept up with her.

“The infection ate away a large chunk of muscle on your leg and a bit on your arm. While I accelerated the growth of new muscle and flesh, a little physical therapy will be necessary to restore full range of motion to both limbs. The muscle won’t be fully replenished until a week or so.”

“Fine.”

“Hmph...” She opened the door to her right, and gestured for him to enter. “You can stay here until you’re good as new. My name is Uraisu Yisou.” The healer bowed politely.

“Thank you, Uraisu-sensei.”

“Bleh, Yisou-sensei sounds better.” She winked at him. “Or just Yisou.” Itachi ignored her flirting and proceeded into the room. If she was going to be annoying and hit on him while he recovered, he’d leave, healed or not. “Oi, what am I supposed to call you?”

“Your patient.”

Yisou rolled her eyes then shut the door. “Fine fine, I can take a hint.”

“That’s a blessing...” he murmured and opened the curtains of the one window in the small room. The sun was setting behind the cliffs that surrounded the village, the light casting a red-ish glow over the many buildings seen from his vantage point. It was a decent sized village, one he wasn’t familiar with enough to tell exactly where in it he was. Or how close he was to the one way out by foot. Three stories from ground level, he guessed, and the other structures reached higher than the one he was in. People went about their daily lives below as children played in the street. It was too domestic for Itachi’s tastes, having been used to the quiet reprieve of the Akatsuki’s recluse accommodations. Backing away from the window, he retreated to the bed, sitting crossed legged on it while keeping his eyes on the darkening scene out his window. Now that his mind was clear of the constant pain in his limbs and chest, it was time to plan his next move.

~~~~~~~~~~


A knock on the door roused Gaara from boredom, a welcome relief from the seemingly endless paper work. “Come in.”

The door pushed open slowly, a blonde head poking through. Shyly she stepped into the room, halting a short distance from his desk. Yisou bowed respectfully, “Kazakage, I have something irregular to report to you...”