Three Kunai

Thank you all for your support of this baby story! I didn’t expect all the reviews and story alerts so quickly!!! Sex isn’t coming for a while (no pun intended). This story really snuck up on me and I had to go with it despite all the other projects I’m still writing.

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Sasuke couldn’t sleep anymore, but Itachi was beyond tired. Itachi had been up all day contemplating what he would do that night, then he methodically slaughtered the most talented clan in Konoha—perhaps the shinobi world—gone through the mental anguish of confronting and mentally attacking his precious little brother, then fleeing none stop with Sasuke in his arms or on his back for hours on end with little rest. The fact Itachi could move was remarkable.

Sasuke huddled in front of glassless window and watched the open plain while Itachi slept. He was only eight years old and his entire world was gone: his home and his entire family. Except Itachi. Part of him wanted to pummel his brother, but he was all he had left now. And he did love him more than anyone. He pulled the blanket closer around himself. He was still in shock, but one look over at his brother’s sleeping face and he was in tears. He tried to keep quiet so as not to wake Itachi.

Why? He didn’t know Kakashi, but Itachi seemed to think he could be trusted. He willed Kakashi to hurry. Itachi had to explain what’d happened eventually and Sasuke hoped he would explain when Kakashi arrived.

The full enormity of his situation hadn’t fallen on him yet, but just the knowledge his parents were dead left him quietly sobbing. Luckily—though Sasuke didn’t see that—he’d had no time to make friends in the academy; all that they had left behind in Konoha was dead.

Sasuke calmed and drank the water Itachi had brought with them up to this barren and weathered room above the walls of the Sky District. He liked the feeling of the wind on his face as he scanned the plain for any movement; it cooled his skin and dried his tears.

Sasuke was beginning to nod off and Itachi was still in a deep sleep. He wished he had something of home, anything, like his stuffed dinosaur.

He shook himself awake as he began to doze and immediately saw movement in the distance.

“Nii-san!”

Itachi was awake in an instant, but his overworked muscles were still stiff. He looked out the window. Two figures were approaching: a man and a dog.

“Stay here.” Itachi jumped out the window onto the roof, to a lower roof, to another, until he gently reached the ground. He ran out to meet his sempai, with all his armor on and his weapons ready. He took an attack posture that his overworked muscle wouldn’t be able to deliver on. He truly wanted to believe Kakashi was here as a friend, however, he wrapped himself in a similar persona as the one he confronted Sasuke with, though he let some of his vulnerability show, just a little.

Kakashi stopped two meters away. “Itachi, is it true?”

Itachi swallowed. “Does it really matter? If I said yes, what would you do?”

Kakashi’s shoulders fell. “It’s true. Why?”

“What will you do? Kill me? Drag me back to Konoha? What will you do?”

“Where’s Sasuke?”

“He’s safe. Stop trying to avoid the question!”

“I won’t kill you and I won’t take you back to Konoha. Even if I find your reasons weak and I can’t stay with you, I won’t take you back there. I can never harm you. Unless you attack me.”

Itachi hesitated a moment then relaxed, kneeling on the ground. Kakashi realized just how weak Itachi was and how close to an emotional breakdown. Kakashi approached him slowly, couched in front of him and took him in his arms.

“Sempai,” Itachi sobbed.

Kakashi signaled to Uhei to leave.

Kakashi held Itachi tightly and let him cry. “I would never abandon you, turn on you, or harm you, my little raven. I love you.”

Itachi couldn’t respond for a while, still sobbing into Kakashi’s chest. “I’m sorry I doubted you. I know I can trust no one else from Konoha.”

“Will you trust me enough to tell me what happened?”

“Yes, but not now.” Itachi pulled away and started wiping away his tears, keeping his head down to hide his tearstained face. Kakashi gave him his canteen. Itachi drank and he felt better. “Thank you.”

“I’m certain I wasn’t followed, but all the same, we should get undercover.”

Itachi nodded and led him back to the ruins.

-----

Sasuke watched from his high, distant perch. He wanted to go to his brother and make sure he was alright, but he stayed. He didn’t like the fact Kakashi was so close to his brother, but if he was going to kill him or take him back, they would not be crouched there together so long.

The pair soon came toward the ruins. Itachi stiffly jumped back up to where he left Sasuke. He gathered everything. “Kakashi can be trusted.”

“Who is he?”

“My friend and sempai in ANBU.”

Sasuke crawled onto Itachi’s back to take the quicker way back down to the ground. Itachi’s legs nearly gave out when he landed, but he tried to hide it. Kakashi came up to them.

“Hi, Sasuke. Your brother’s told me a lot about you.” Sasuke shied away a bit. “I brought something for you.” Kakashi pulled out Sasuke’s stuffed dinosaur. Sasuke’s eyes lit up and grabbed it happily. Kakashi’s eyes smiled.

“Thanks, Kakashi,” Itachi said.

“Thank you,” Sasuke said.

“You’re welcome. I thought you might like something from home.”

Sasuke hugged the stuffed animal tighter.

“Let’s get below,” Itachi said and led them both back down to the sewers.

-----

Kakashi forced Itachi to at least lie down. He helped him half strip and brought out the contents of one of his pouches. He felt a little self-conscious with Sasuke in the room watching them, but there wasn’t really a reason, this would be a perfectly chaste massage.

“You over did it. You’re going to be sore for days.”

Itachi didn’t answer.

Kakashi warmed some liniment in his hands before rubbing it into Itachi’s legs. He rubbed down all his muscles: his arms, legs, back . . . everywhere the younger man was stiff.

Sasuke lost interest in watching and played with his dinosaur, mostly just petting it to smooth out it’s furry surface and straightening it’s soft teeth and ridges on its back.

Kakashi finished with Itachi’s back and pulled the blanket over him. Itachi sank into the deepest sleep he had in two days, feeling completely safe and the massage making him feel physically good for the first time in a while.

Kakashi came over to Sasuke. “Can you sleep?” he whispered. Sasuke shook his head. “Why don’t we leave your brother to sleep?”

Sasuke looked over at his brother, afraid to leave him, but he nodded and stood up to follow Kakashi out.

Itachi woke up a few hours later feeling much stronger, the massage and uninterrupted sleep rejuvenated him. He sat up and looked around for Sasuke. But Sasuke wasn’t there. Itachi panicked. He threw a shirt on and ran out into the corridor. He ran to grandma cat’s common room to demand the cats help him find his brother, but he found Sasuke there with Kakashi. He nearly collapsed in relief. Sasuke ran to his brother seeing his panic.

“I was afraid I lost you,” Itachi said as he held his brother tightly.

Kakashi stood and looked down at the brothers. It never occurred to him before just how young Itachi was until now. He always knew how old Itachi was, but not until now did he see it as the thirteen year old knelt holding his eight year old brother in his arms. Whatever had happened in the Uchiha compound, Itachi couldn’t have done it out of maliciousness. And he never felt so guilty for his own actions than he did now.

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After Itachi ate, he asked that all the cats—sentient or not—leave the three from Konoha alone with Grandma Cat.

“Kakashi doesn’t know everything and Sasuke knows almost nothing at all,” Itachi began. “It goes back to the Great Sage and the beginning of the shinobi world.”

Itachi told the whole story, stopping to pull Sasuke to him and apologize for what he was about to say before he talked about Madara taking Izuna’s eyes. He continued on to the attack of the Kyuubi. He was hesitant to talk about Kakashi’s sensei’s death, but he did so as delicately as he could. He told them how the Uchiha resented being accused—publicly or privately—for the Kyuubi’s attack. He also told them that it was indeed Madara who had done it. Then about the clan’s planned coup and his own role in it as a double agent.

Kakashi listened stoically even though his chest was in turmoil. That was why Itachi was so distracted and sad in the last few weeks. He couldn’t believe anyone would put this kind of pressure on a thirteen year old.

“I was ordered to kill everyone. Even my brother.” He looked down at Sasuke in his arms. “When I heard you come home, I called out for you not to come in because if you did I would have to kill you too. And you would see our parents. But you opened the door. I decided in the space of a heartbeat that I couldn’t do it. I decided to make you hate me, use desire for revenge to make you a strong shinobi and I would plead and blackmail the Hokage to let you live and protect you.

“But when you came after me . . . the intensity of you anger . . . I realized what it would do to you. And I love you so much, I couldn’t leave you.”

Sasuke began to cry and pressed into Itachi’s chest. Itachi gripped him and Kakashi could see the glint of tears through his long bangs.

Kakashi looked over at Grandma Cat. She was watching the young brothers with an unreadable expression. Soon she met Kakashi’s eye. They were in perfect agreement: Itachi couldn’t be blamed, he may or may not have made the right decision concerning Sasuke, and Itachi was probably hovering over the line between sanity and oblivion.

Itachi raised his head, but kept Sasuke pressed against him. Once again Kakashi was struck by how small he was and how young. He was flooded with shame and self-loathing. What role did his actions play in all this? Had he pushed Itachi closer to the edge? He was ordered to do what he did, but still . . .

“Kakashi,” Itachi said in a tremulous voice. “You should get back now and you can’t tell anyone the truth. Go home; they’ll be suspicious if you stay away any longer.”

“I’m not going back.”

“Wha—?”

“I’m staying with you. I left with no intention of returning.”

“No. Even if the Hokage knew, he can’t give you clemency; you’d be a missing-nin, just like me. Forever exiled from the village.”

And Sasuke. The thought must have echoed in Itachi’s mind as he looked down at Sasuke.

Itachi swallowed a few times. “Go home, Kakashi. And take Sasuke with you.” Sasuke started in his arms. “He ran after me and you recovered him.”

“No!” Sasuke pushed away from Itachi to look at him. Itachi wouldn’t look at Sasuke. “I’m not going back!”

“It’s too dangerous for you to come with me. I must join Akatsuki and I can’t bring you with me. I wasn’t thinking when I brought you.”

“Itachi, he has nothing to go home to,” Kakashi said as gently as he could.

Tears escaped Itachi’s eyes. Because of me.

“I’ll stay. I’ll look after Sasuke while you’re gone.” Itachi’s eyes were wide and glistening when he raised his gaze. “At least out here you can see each other periodically. I can see you. I won’t be dissuaded. You cannot convince me to leave. And you can’t expect Sasuke to leave you.”

“I’m so sorry, Kakashi.”

“Nothing is your fault.” Kakashi turned to Grandma Cat. “We can’t stay here, can we?”

“It would not be wise,” she answered. “We will remain here and continue to serve the Uchiha clan; that is, you two kittens.”

“Thank you, ba-chan,” Itachi said.

“When do you have to rendezvous with Akatsuki?” Kakashi asked.

“I have a few days. I’m not supposed to let on that Madara even exists, not even to the rest of Akatsuki. I’m supposed to decide to join them and seek them out now that I’m an outcast and a criminal. S-class, I have no doubt.”

“We should find another place to live. A place you can return to whenever you have the time. I’ll take care of Sasuke and begin training him.”

“He’s not as green as you believe he is. I agree.”

-----

The Hokage, Mitokado, and Utatane congregated in the Hokage’s office while an ANBU reported to them.

“The only Uchiha not accounted for are Itachi and Sasuke.”

“What?” Utatane asked.

“That little fool!” Mitokado said.

“What about the people we sent out after Itachi?” the Hokage asked. “Have they all returned?”

“All but one: Hatake Kakashi.”

“Kakashi of the Sharingan?” Utatane asked.

“So we don’t have a single Sharingan in the village?” Mitokado demanded.

“Would Itachi kill him?” Utatane asked the Hokage.

“Definitely out of self defense, but they worked together in ANBU,” the Hokage explained.

“What are your orders?” the ANBU asked in the silence.

“There’s nothing to do, but send another team out to look for Hatake.” The ANBU acknowledged and vanished. The Hokage walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” Mitokado asked.

“For a walk.”

No one but his ever present—though invisible—ANBU guard followed him. He ended up inside Kakashi’s home. It as scrupulously clean. There was only one telling detail: the photograph of Team Minato was missing; the Hokage could see the imprint in the thin layer of dust by the bed. Kakashi was not planning on coming back, he left to join Itachi.

The Hokage inclined his head. Itachi had taken his brother with him. It was probably good that Kakashi went as well to help the young man raise his little brother. He did not approve and hated losing two skilled members of ANBU and a potentially very powerful shinobi, not to mention three Sharingan users, but he recognized what kind of life he had doomed Itachi to.

He’d send this last group to find them, but if they succeeded in evading ANBU, he’d let them go.

-----

Itachi’s ravens and Kakashi’s hounds searched for somewhere secluded near a stream so they would have a ready supply of water. The cats did nothing. Well, at least when it came to searching; they watched for any intruders looking for the fugitives.

Above in the ruined streets, Sasuke faced Kakashi with a few yards between them. Itachi sat on a broken piece of concrete between them, closer to Sasuke.

“Show us what you can do, Sasuke,” Itachi prompted.

Sasuke wanted to show off to his older brother and his superior in ANBU, so the first thing out of the bag was the Grand Fireball Jutsu. Itachi’s eyes widened as Sasuke made the hand signs. He motioned for Kakashi to back up. Sasuke released a perfect Grand Fireball at Kakashi, but Kakashi had backed far enough back. Sasuke finished and smiled broadly at the fact he was able to do it perfectly. He looked over at his brother. Itachi was staring at him, astonished.

“Who taught you that?” Itachi asked.

“Father taught me last week.”

Something flashed in Itachi’s eyes, but it was gone quickly. He looked proud now. “It was perfect. You’re almost as good I was at your age, but father forced me to start training when I was younger than you are now.”

“You bloody Uchiha,” Kakashi said as he approached, “even an eight year old can use the Grand Fireball jutsu.”

“He’s awoken his Sharingan too,” Itachi said. “I saw it that night.” Itachi turned to Sasuke again. “Can you activate your Sharingan again?”

Sasuke tried without knowing what he was doing, then admitted it.

“It’s alright,” Itachi assured him. “You awakened yours in a fit of anger. When you get really angry or in danger, it will come back. Show us what else you got.”

Of course that was the most impressive jutsu Sasuke knew.

-----

Itachi made Sasuke sleep by himself that night.

“I’ll be leaving soon and you have to get used to me not being around so much anymore. But I’ll be in the next room, okay?”

Sasuke nodded and clung to his dinosaur.

“Just knock first. I’m a little jumpy; I don’t want to attack you if you try to wake me up, okay?”

Sasuke nodded again.

Itachi shut the door and hesitated for a moment before going to the next room where Kakashi was stripping for bed. He made sure the door was shut, but not locked so Sasuke could come to him if he needed him. He started stripping as well then joined Kakashi in the nest-like bed. Itachi snuggled up next to the older man.

“Thank you for coming and deciding to stay. I would never ask you, but I wanted you to stay.”

“I know.” Kakashi pulled Itachi closer. “You going to tell me what that flash of anger was when Sasuke used the Grand Fireball?”

That flash of anger flared up again. “Father taught him that jutsu after I lost my temper when I was accused of Shuishi’s murder. The Hokage probably wouldn’t have liked that, but I couldn’t help it. They were accusing me, but not saying it. I ended up ranting against the clan. Everything I had been holding in for months just poured out of me. I threw a kunai into the crest on the wall.

“His eldest son was not going to be of use anymore, so he turned his attention to Sasuke. He knew he lost me. He knew it. He was going to replace me with Sasuke.” Anger was boiling up in his voice though it stayed low. “He was probably going to postpone the plan and train up Sasuke to take my place as the vanguard. I was to assassinate the Hokage, the elders, and as much of ANBU as I could.

“He must have known that I would turn on them, just not so soon. He waited to see if Sasuke had my talent and if I would repent, but I never did and Sasuke did master the Grand Fireball. Father was planning to kill me. I know it. He was going to have me killed so I couldn’t betray them.” Kakashi held him a little tighter.

“But you’re alive and Sasuke wasn’t dragged into it.”

“Wasn’t he? He has no home and no family but me now. He has been dragged into it.” Itachi turned his face into Kakashi’s chest to cry.

It amazed Kakashi that all his grief, all his suffering was purely guilt over what this all was doing to Sasuke. He had to smile at his little raven, so unselfish, he only thought about his little brother.

“Itachi, it’s all right; Sasuke adores you, you’re all he needs. I’ll train him to become a great shinobi. We’ll survive.”

“As outcasts and criminals.”

“Perhaps when your mission to infiltrate Akatsuki is finished, maybe then we can go home.”

“Not likely. But I hope so.” Itachi shifted in his arms. “Kakashi, would you make love to me?” he asked in a meek voice.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight.”

“Why not?” Itachi’s voice was back to its normal strength and was a little offended.

“I’ve been reminded how young you are and it makes me feel guilty.”

“But I need it.”

“And I’m not going to be the means of your self punishment.” Itachi sulked. “Anyway, you never know when Sasuke will come in.” Itachi had to agree.

“Fine.”

“I do still desire you, Itachi. I love you.”

Itachi was silent for a minute. “I love you, sempai.”

Sasuke snuck away from his brother’s door and returned to his room, unsure about everything he just heard.

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Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura are the two elders that are always nagging Tsunade.