Unanticipated Reunions and Alliances

We've got some Uchiha history here you probably already know, so you can skim that part.

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Kakashi returned two days later with more food and fresh water. “Thank you. Could you help me with my jutsu? Just stand next to me and tell me if it’s effective? I need to be able to defend myself.”

“Alright.”

The jutsu lacked focus and aim of course, but it didn’t lack any power. “I still fear fighting you.”

Itachi smiled. “You never really needed to fear me, sempai.”

“You seemed serious.”

“I didn’t know what you felt about me. Self-defense.”

“I don’t want you going off without me. If you have to fight Sasuke, I’ll take you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’d rather you didn’t go after Sasuke, you won’t stand a chance.”

“That’s the point. Maybe my death with give us both peace.”

Kakashi wanted to ask again, but he resisted. “How will you find Sasuke?”

“I’ll have to move soon. Now that Sasuke’s free of Orochimaru, he’ll start investigating Akatsuki. I was planning on leaving clones in our bases and wait for Sasuke to find one. Then I’d tell him to meet me at our clan’s hideout.”

“I’ll help you. I don’t want you to die, but I don’t think there’s any other way to bring Sasuke home. And you seem to be suffering yourself. I’ll help you.”

The hand Itachi rested on Kakashi’s shoulder tightened. “Thank you, Kakashi.” Itachi looked like he wanted to say more, but he said nothing.

“I’ll make clones and transform them into you. Just tell me where to send them and what to say.”

Itachi accented.

-----

Sasuke was coming. Kakashi sent his clones and lost sleep keeping them active, but Sasuke found him. Kakashi delivered Itachi’s message. Sasuke would come to the Uchiha hideout.

Kakashi was able to take Itachi to the Uchiha hideout more out of luck as there were no missions for him and he could take the time. He deposited Itachi and left. He got two miles away and stopped. Sasuke was coming and he could just go back and capture him. And Itachi was there. He loved Itachi more than anything, could he really crouch there and let him die?

After thinking for some time, he turned back.

-----

Sasuke entered the main room to find Itachi sitting on the throne-like chair before the wall bearing the kanji ‘kitsune.’ Itachi was dressed in his Akatsuki robes and kept that same stoic expression on his face and would not open his eyes as Sasuke approached.

Sasuke stopped a safe distance away. Itachi opened his eyes when the footsteps ceased. He looked blindly toward the center of the room, meeting Sasuke’s eyes by accident.

“It’s been a long time, Sasuke. Have you finally awakened the Mangekyô?”

“No, but I don’t need it to destroy you.”

Itachi stood. He could sense Sasuke’s chakra and his hearing was excellent. He took a chance and leaped toward him with two kunai ready. Sasuke jumped away and started to suspect something when Itachi would not look in his eyes anymore. Someone of Itachi’s power should have no fear of a Sharingan without the Mangekyô. Itachi’s eyes seemed to settle on Sasuke shoulder. Itachi threw the kunai, but they went wide. Sasuke was certain Itachi could not see him.

Sasuke created a shadow clone with the same amount of chakra as his real body. They separated and Itachi’s eyes seemed to follow the clone. Itachi’s Sharingan should have been able to see which was the real one and which was the clone.

Sasuke’s clone attacked, but Itachi’s counter was clumsy, imprecise. Sasuke’s clone had not attacked with much desire to do damage, only testing his theory. Itachi was pressed back, but not hurt. The clone vanished. Itachi looked confused and his eyes turned to Sasuke, but they seemed unfocused and looking at Sasuke’s hip.

“Pathetic,” Sasuke sneered. “You’re blind, can’t fight back, and you want me to put you out of your misery. You’re not worth killing.”

Itachi couldn’t deny it. Sasuke turned to leave.

“Sasuke!” Itachi wanted to force Sasuke to fight back. He unleashed the Fire Phoenix Jutsu in the direction of Sasuke’s voice. He heard the clang, clang, clang of the shuriken striking Sasuke’s sword. One deflected shuriken sliced through Itachi’s cloak, grazing the skin of his upper arm.

“If you want to die so bad, fall on your own sword; don’t expect such a kindness from me.”

And Sasuke was gone. Itachi collapsed in despair.

Sasuke really intended to just leave, but he felt a familiar chakra as he walked through the forest back to his team.

Kakashi stopped and perched in a tree, looking down at Sasuke, obviously torn between what he was here to do and confronting Sasuke. Sasuke stopped as well and stared up at him. When Kakashi did not move, Sasuke just continued on his way. That prompted Kakashi: he went about his own business. But he was headed to the Uchiha hideout. What business did he have there if it wasn’t to confront Sasuke?

Sasuke suppressed and concealed his chakra and followed, entering the hideout from another point. What he saw was the last thing he ever expected.

Kakashi ran in, despite his fear, or rather knowledge, that Itachi would be dead. He was relieved and confused to see Itachi crumbled on the floor, his back heaving as he sobbed.

“Itachi!” Kakashi knelt next to him, unskilled in medical ninjutsu, but ready to do what he could for his former lover. He forced him to sit up and found no wounds on him besides a small scratch. “You’re not hurt?”

“Sasuke wouldn’t kill me,” Itachi sobbed. “It’s all for nothing.”

“What do you mean? Why are you so intent on letting Sasuke kill you? Tell me the truth, Itachi; what happened that night?”

“I guess it doesn’t matter now. I’m blind and Sasuke would not fight me. I intended to give Sasuke some of my power so that when he approaches him, Sasuke’s eyes would act on their own and kill him. But that’s impossible now. Konoha must do it.”

Kakashi was about to ask for an explanation, but Itachi stopped him. “I’ll tell you everything, but not now. I just want to go home.”

Kakashi had to smile a little at this: home was a rundown ruin in the middle of a forest. He thought about summoning Bull again to act as horse, but he decided to carry Itachi himself, wanting the reassuring feeling of Itachi’s body pressed against his where he could feel his breathing against his back. Kakashi knelt properly next to his lover, took his hand and guided it to his shoulder. Itachi climbed up, closing his arms around Kakashi’s neck and allowing Kakashi to hook his arms around Itachi’s legs.

Itachi caught his breath as Kakashi carried his outside. Sasuke followed, anxious to hear everything Itachi had to say.

“It began long before that night,” Itachi began. Sasuke used his chakra to increase his hearing so he could hang back far enough not to be seen or sensed. “Uchiha Madara wanted to be the First Hokage, but Senju became the leader of Konoha instead. Madara wanted our clan to fight for his right to lead the village he and Senju created, but they turned their back on him and he lost to Senju in the Valley of the End. But Madara did not die.

“The attack of the Kyuubi sixteen years ago was not a natural disaster. There were some who knew, remembered, that the Uchiha could control the Kyuubi. Our clan was accused of summoning it and attempt to destroy the village. They believed it was part of a coup the Uchiha were planning. That suspicion lead to the Uchiha truly planning a coup.

“When I became an ANBU captain, months before the massacre, I was taken aside by the Hokage. I had shown great loyalty to him and village and he felt he could trust me. He could see the burden I was under. I confessed to him why my father pressured me to become a member of ANBU, even at such a young age: I was a spy. I confessed to the Hokage what they were planning. He already knew. I became a double agent. I was feeding information to both sides.

“The Hokage tried to negotiate, but it was pointless. I could see what was coming: civil war. I saw enough of war by the time I was four. The Uchiha would win, I don’t think anyone had a doubt about that. But so many would die in the fight on both sides. Konoha would be seen as unstable and the other villages would swoop in. My clan was too arrogant to consider that. It was decided that it would be best if the Uchiha were to be slaughtered. Only another Uchiha could hope to defeat any number of Uchiha. I was already loyal, skilled, and a member of ANBU, so I was chosen. It was going to be done whether I agreed or not. I would be killed along with my clan, as would Sasuke if I refused.

“I had one condition: spare Sasuke. I threatened that if any harm were to befall Sasuke, or if he ever learned the truth about our clan, I would use what I knew to destroy the Hokage, the elders, and that vile Danzo. And if they denied me this one request, I would go home immediately, reveal the village’s plan and fight with my clan, all to protect Sasuke. They agreed and kept their word.

“Two weeks before that night, I discovered Madara was still alive. He knew I was the eldest son of the current head of the clan and that I was considered the greatest geniuses of the clan since himself. He took me under his wing. My intention was to learn what I could, then alert the Hokage; I was a member of ANBU after all. I realized he still intended to destroy Konoha. I made a deal with him; he and I would destroy the clan that turned its back on him and in return, he would not harm the village. He agreed; he could bide his time.

“Two days before the massacre, I did as Madara instructed: I killed my closet friend, my cousin Shisui. He’d been spying on me for a while and I knew it, but it didn’t make it any less painful; he would die in two days anyway. I awoke the Mangekyô Sharingan.

“I used it to kill everyone and to make my brother hate me. I wanted to give him a goal, a reason to become a great shinobi and not try to come after me out of love, but out of hate. I wanted him to believe the Uchiha were an honorable clan and I wanted him to become strong, then seek me out, kill me, take my eyes to make his own power permanent, and return to Konoha a hero. I would also implant a power into his eyes to kill Madara when he came to seduce Sasuke the way he tried with me. He thinks I was on his side; I did join Akatsuki and do his bidding up ‘til now.

“Konoha must stop Madara. He’s gathering the biiju to enhance his own power to take control of the entire world. He must be stopped.”

“You were willing to help your clan destroy the village you so wanted to protect, just to protect Sasuke?”

“Yes. To me, his life is worth more than the entire village.”

That rocked both Kakashi and Sasuke back. Sasuke had to control himself or he’d let them sense his chakra. He started to remember things he saw and heard and they made sense now. Even Itachi’s words the day before the massacre made sense now. It took all his discipline not to crack right there.

“Now you know everything. If not by Sasuke’s hands, let me die by yours, Senpai.”

“Fool. I’m not going to let you die. I came back to stop Sasuke from killing you. When I saw him leaving, I thought you were dead. I’m not going to let you die.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? Back to that abandoned building in the woods, relying on your charity? Waiting for Akatsuki to find me?”

“You could come home with me.”

“To Konoha? Are you mad?”

“A simple jutsu and you could become something else. A stray I’ve brought home to nurse back to health.”

“I’m not one of your hounds.”

“I didn’t say you were. An acquaintance who recently went blind and has no one to help them. Come home with me. If you transform into a girl, I could even marry you.”

Itachi blushed and Sasuke nearly lost control of his chakra.

“And you can tell me everything about Akatsuki and help us defeat them and Madara.”

“Alright.”

“And I’ll find Sasuke and I will tell him the truth.”

“No! You mustn’t!”

“Danzo is an evil bastard that must be removed from power, we all know that. Your love for the village, everything you sacrificed for the village, you would make the best Hokage. Let Sasuke have pride in you rather than in your clan. You’re all the family he has left.”

“I guess I have little choice. I agree. I don’t think there’s any other way to save him and bring him home now that my plans have failed.”

Sasuke ran as fast as he could. He needed a minute to sort through all he heard with holding back his chakra. Then he remembered: he chased after Itachi that night. Itachi looked back at him; he was weeping. Everything Itachi had just said was true.

The breakdown he expected did not come. He felt . . . relief. The love of his brother that he suppressed came out and he wept, but the metal breakdown he predicted, never came. It took several minutes to compose himself, then he followed Kakashi.

They were silent now, Itachi seemingly sleep with his head leaned on his own arm. Sasuke got closer. Itachi raised his head. “Sasuke?”

Sasuke froze. Kakashi looked over at Itachi. “What?”

“Is Sasuke there? I can sense him.”

Sasuke suppressed his chakra even more than before. Kakashi looked around and felt for chakra, but he found nothing.

“He’s not here.”

“I feel him. Maybe it’s wishful thinking.”

“He was headed in the opposite direction when I saw him.”

“You were that concerned for me? You saw him and you didn’t go after him? If your other students knew.”

“Naruto would kill me. So would Sakura. But you’re more important to me right now. I’ll go after him again once you’re settled in my home, in Konoha.”

“Are you sure about this Kakashi? If I’m discovered—”

“I love you.” Sasuke nearly fell off his branch. “You’re worth the risk. Maybe once Akatsuki is destroyed and Danzo killed, we can convince everyone of the truth, that you were our spy in Akatsuki and either tell the truth about the Uchiha, or say that it was actually Madara. If Sasuke can forgive, the rest of the village will follow suit, I’m sure. And you’re sort of harmless now,” Kakashi said lightly.

“I leave it up to you then. Are you sure you don’t sense Sasuke?”

“I don’t.”

“I must be imagining things; I swear he’s following us.”

“I doubt that.”

“Hmm.”

They were silent the rest of the way beside Kakashi’s queries as to Itachi’s comfort. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but Itachi didn’t complain, though the pain in his arms was evident even to Sasuke.

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Meanwhile. Karin kept tabs on Sasuke’s chakra. She sensed one headed toward Sasuke and nothing waiting at little further away. Sasuke and the one headed toward him did not meet or stop. Then Sasuke made it to the hideout. A few bursts of chakra, then nothing. Sasuke was returning. But the other figure was headed back toward Sasuke. The two stopped, but continued on their way. The figure Sasuke had left was still alive, but not moving. And now Sasuke was doubling back. Karin was confused. She described it all, but the other two couldn’t make much out of it either.

“Is it Kisame?”

“How should I know?”

“Is it a monsturous chakra?”

“No, the third person had chakra about as strong as Sasuke’s.”

Then the pair was on the move, Sasuke following. She reported that to the others.

“Should we go after them?”

“We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be separated from Sasuke,” Juugo said.

“Sasuke may want us to keep away,” Karin said.

“Let’s follow and keep him at the edge of your perception,” Suigetsu said, “so if he needs us, we can back him up.”

They all agreed and followed at a distance.

-----

Sasuke watched as Kakashi settled Itachi down in his shack. Sasuke felt shame and anger seeing his brother living in such squalor. He realized even if he hadn’t known the truth, his Uchiha pride would still have been indignant to see any Uchiha living in such conditions.

“I have to get back to the village,” Kakashi told Itachi once he was settled. “I’ll come back for you as soon as I can. I’ll think of story to get you into the village in the meantime. We’ll perfect a transformation and if you stay in the house enough, you should be safe enough.”

“Being blind, I won’t have much desire to walk about the village. I’d be too afraid anyway.”

“I’ll be back for you.” Kakashi kissed Itachi briefly on the cheek.

Itachi grabbed at him. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“I doubt you want the company of any of my hounds.”

“They’re not too fond of me at the moment.”

“I can make a clone and he can stay with you for a while.”

“Thank you.”

Kakashi made the clone and left him there.

-----

Kakashi was flying through the forest on his way back to Konoha. It was dark now. Kakashi was thinking, a little more oblivious to his surroundings than was safe, but he had a lot to think about: everything Itachi had told him, that Sasuke had let him live—albeit out of contempt—and how he was going to smuggle his lover into the village.

He was lost enough that he never sensed his attack until he made impact.

Kakashi was knocked solidly to the ground. The shock made him lose the focus needed to maintain his clone. Two miles away, Itachi heard the clone disappear. That worried him.

Kakashi got up, preparing to defend himself, but he was shocked to see who it was who attacked him. Sasuke. Kakashi had not seen him since that night he tried to make Sasuke give up on his revenge, the night Sasuke left the village three years ago.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Sasuke’s voice was like his brother’s, no emotion, but there was anger in his eyes.

“Tell you what?” Kakashi knew there were a lot of things Sasuke could be talking about, but he didn’t know what exactly Sasuke was talking about.

“You knew my brother.”

“What could I have said to you?”

“How much of what he said to you today did you know?”

“You were following us.” Not getting an acknowledgment, “Nothing. That was all new to me. Believe me, Sasuke, I believed Itachi betrayed your clan. I had no intension of stopping you from getting your revenge on Itachi back then; I just didn’t want you to throw your entire life away for it.”

“But you wanted to stop me before you found out what really happened.”

“Will killing him really bring you any peace?”

“Not now.” Sasuke stiffened and turned, then Kakashi felt it, Itachi was coming. “I wasn’t here.” Sasuke disappeared.

Kakashi ran over to where he felt Itachi coming.

“Kakashi!”

“I’m here.”

“I was worried, your clone disappeared.”

“Sorry, I tripped in the dark, lost focus. You shouldn’t have come out here like that.”

“I didn’t, I’m a clone.”

“Oh. Good idea. You better dispel so the real you knows I’m okay. I’ll send another clone back to you.”

Itachi vanished in a puff of smoke. Sasuke was gone. Kakashi created the clone who left and Kakashi made it back home, a little disturbed by Sasuke’s presence so close to Konoha and Itachi.

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DarkAngelJudas: Your review made me laugh!!! As you can see, I never intended for Sasuke to harm Itachi. THank you for reviewing within an hour of my posting two stories!!!! Thanks so much!
disembodiedvoiceofthedying, smint45, qwerty: Thanks for your support!!!!!