Unanticipated Reunions and Alliances

DarkAngelJudas: LOL! I'll pass the message to Sasuke.
Posting on this story will slow down. I had most of it written up to this point, but after this chapter, I just have bits and pieces.

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Everyone overslept, but Juugo let them; it had been an exhausting night. The leader of the five former captives, Shin, came to their room. The door was left open so they could hear or smell intruders.

“Should I begin breakfast?”

“Yes, thank you.” He woke everyone separately. Sakura knelt on the bed next to Sasuke with supplies she’d prepared during her own watch and unwrapped his eyes before any more lights were lit. As she peeled away the poultice, she asked, “Can you see anything?”

Itachi was sitting up, his head turned toward her voice, anxious to hear his brother’s response.

“Everything’s blurry, but yes.” He turned his head toward his brother. “Itachi.” He reached up and was able to find his face. Itachi put his own hand over Sasuke’s.

“I’ll cover them up again; they need more time to heal.”

Sasuke’s hand fell away, but Itachi held onto it as Sakura wrapped Sasuke’s eyes again.

Then it was Itachi’s turn.

When the bandage was taken away, Itachi laughed.

“Itachi?” Sasuke asked.

“I can see you.” He looked right at Sasuke and smiled.

Sasuke didn’t answer and it was apparent he was holding back strong emotions, probably forcing himself not to cry.

Sasuke got a hold of himself as Sakura replaced the bandages. “Thank you, Sakura.” None of them had ever heard more sincerity and relief in Sasuke’s voice before.

-----

Sasuke and Itachi remained perched on Sasuke’s bed as they ate. Suigetsu and Juugo sat on their bedrolls, Sakura and Karin on the sofa, and Kakashi leaned back against a wall. The five others had left them alone to eat. After a prolonged silence, Sasuke said, “We should send a message to the Hokage explaining the situation and asking for her forbearance. You’re her student, Sakura; she’ll be worried about you. We could tell her you’re here willingly, but she’d never believe it.”

“She might believe since it’s you.”

“All she knows and all she’ll be willing to believe is that you are with Kakashi and Itachi. If those others who chased us figured out our numbers, she may believe I’m here. But I doubt she’ll believe anything, especially that Itachi and I are together and not trying to kill one another. And our Sharingan will make her unwilling to even believe you, Sakura. Or you Kakashi. You’re either a traitor or under Itachi’s control. But we have to communicate with her.”

“What about using a summon as a messenger?” Karin suggested.

“Katsuyu would be able to tell I’m not under genjutsu,” Sakura said.

“Orochimaru told me all he knew about Katsuyu. She is loyal to Tsunade and would probably betray our location, numbers, and any other information she may gleam.”

“Pakkun?” Kakashi suggested.

“Is he more loyal to you or the village? He like several other Konoha summons wear the leaf headband, a sign of loyalty to the village.”

“My hounds are loyal to my family, only to me.”

“But Pakkun can be easily intercepted being on the ground,” Itachi said gently.

“As can my snakes or the Uchiha cats,” Sasuke said.

“My raven can easily fly straight to the Hokage mansion, can stay a little further away to avoid a seal, and like any summon can disappear rather than be captured. And he has no loyalty but to me.”

“I can vouch for that,” Kakashi said.

No one made an argument against this. “Very well.”

-----

Tsunade was more than concerned. Not only was Kakashi gone, but so was Sakura, her own apprentice. If that blind woman was Itachi . . . Was he attacking Sasuke through his old team? Kakashi had either thrown his lot in with Itachi—she found that highly unlikely—or he was under the Uchiha’s control. To think Itachi had been in her office and she welcomed him to Konoha . . .

When Guy was wakened by passersby on the street, he went to Kakashi’s home and found the coop flown. Then he went to the Hokage. Tsunade sent a team to find the team that went after Kakashi’s group. They were found alive, but unconscious on the forest floor. They were returned to her office. She berated Guy and the eight shinobi.

“You should have reported your suspicions to me! This could have been handled more delicately and they would not have escaped! You put your lives in danger and Sakura and Kakashi’s!”

“Lady Hokage,” Hyuuga Katsuya said contritely. “There were more than three people. I believe there were six or seven. Itachi must not have been alone.”

That disturbed her. “If you hadn’t chased them off, we might have been able to find out who they were. If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed, but I will think up an appropriate punishment later.”

They left.

She was ruminating about this when a large raven landed in front of her outside her office window where she was looking out.

“The roof,” the raven said, “alone.”

The raven fluttered away. Tsunade didn’t really think; she rushed to the roof where the raven was perched on a railing. She approached. “Stay there,” the raven said. “I’m a messenger from Itachi and Kakashi.”

“Are you saying Kakashi is a willing participant in this, kidnapping his own stu—”

The raven cawed, to stop her. “The truth and what you will believe are different things. Hear me speak, then make your judgments on what is truth. They don’t expect you to believe. Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Itachi have joined forces, they will strike at Akatsuki. Naruto must not know of this; if he knows Sakura and Sasuke are together and fighting Akatsuki, he will want to join them. He must not since he is a jinchûriki. Keep him ignorant.

“They intended to form an alliance with Konoha against Akatsuki. Sakura has gone with them willingly. Itachi was indeed blind. Itachi and Sasuke confronted each other. The end result was they reconciled. I cannot say why. Itachi is no longer blind, he and Sasuke having exchanged eyes, they are now incredibly powerful. They needed Sakura and she agreed to perform the surgery. She was there the night they were attacked; she decided to flee with them even when they told her to go home before she was seen with them. She is not a hostage.

“There are others on their team, but I will not reveal anything about them. They will go after Akatsuki. Their intentions after they are defeated, I do not know. But they wish an alliance with Konoha. They ask you send one or two shinobi to them, to work with them against Akatsuki. They must agree to come, not compelled.

“Whether you believe or not, whether you send help or not, they will destroy Akatsuki. That is all.”

Tsunade considered. “Alright. I will send them two of my shinobi.”

“I will be summoned tonight. Ask them and I will relay the answer. They do not want them to come for a few days however. I will come for them when they are wanted.”

“Who is in charge of this group?”

“Sasuke.”

“Hmm. I will send shinobi he and Sakura are familiar with. But I do not trust the Uchiha.”

“That is understood. I will remain until summoned, threatened, or you give me the names.”

Tsunade descended and summoned the most elite of Sakura’s generation. They agreed to go. Tsunade gave their names to the raven who vanished immediately.

-----

Karin and Suigetsu led Shin’s group through the nearest portions of the hideout, disarming traps. Suigetsu’s watery body was not easily affected by the traps, so he was shoved into rooms to find traps they couldn’t see. By the end of the day, they had cleared several corridors with enough rooms for them to spread out a bit. They didn’t want to spread themselves too thin. For the moment, Kakashi and Sakura stayed with the brothers, Karin got a room to herself until Sakura was no longer needed to stay with the Uchihas, Suigetsu had a room to himself as did Juugo, though one of them would have to give up their room when Kakashi and Itachi moved to their own room. Shin’s group split into two rooms.

Only two rooms in this section of the hideout were left alone: Kabuto’s and Orochimaru. Shin told them that Kabuto had come through here to collect some things from his room and lab. Sasuke did not trust these rooms so naturally the others did not either.

They cleared the kitchen and a seldom used dining room. Sasuke said they normally ate by themselves in their rooms, this room was sometimes used as a meeting room, but rarely for eating.

Just after they all ate dinner together in the newly cleaned dining room, the shinobi congregated in Sasuke’s room again and Itachi summoned his raven.

“She doesn’t like the situation at all,” the raven reported to the entire group. “But she will cooperate. She will send shinobi. Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji.”

“A bloody Hyuuga,” Itachi sneered.

“She’s either serious about helping us defeat Akatsuki or serious about destroying us,” Kakashi said. “I think it’s the former. Those two know Sakura and I and they were among the shinobi who went after Sasuke three years ago.”

“She’s sending shinobi we’re familiar with,” Sasuke said. “It’s uncertain if it’s to lead us into complacency or because we’d be able to trust them to help us. We’ll accept their help, but not until Itachi and I heal.”

“As much as I’m loathe to trust a Hyuuga, it might show our trust in them and prove that no one is under our genjutsu if we bring them in while we’re still blind. We’re surrounded by capable shinobi, we shouldn’t be in much danger. Except perhaps from the Hyuuga.”

“Shikamaru is a strategist and uses the Nara shadow jutsus,” Kakashi said. “On his own, he is not much of a threat to us. But he can hold all of us while Neji renders us completely helpless. I don’t really approve of them sending Neji, but he is the most talented and powerful Hyuuga. Sort of like you two are to your clan.”

Both Uchiha smirked. “Itachi’s right about trying to inspire some trust and loyalty. We’ll send for them the day before we can remove the bandages. There’s no harm in staying wrapped up for an extra day or so. That way, if they do attack us, Itachi and I can rip the bandages away and possibly use our doujutsu. If we can get Neji to trust us, we’ll be able to take down Akatsuki with no problem. I look forward to sparing with him.”

Itachi obviously did not like the idea of a Hyuuga being among them, but he made no objections, neither did anyone else.

“Itachi’s raven will guide them here, but I want someone to meet them part way to make sure they’re alone. Karin would be ideal. But I don’t want you to go alone in case their intentions are hostile. Kakashi or Sakura should go with her; they know them and will not automatically attack them.”

“They don’t have to know when send anyone extra,” Suigetsu said. “They can stay hidden.”

“No one can hide from the Hyuuga’s Byakugan,” Kakashi said. “In terms of field and distance of their vision, the Byakugan is superior to the Sharingan, but their doujutsu is limited to that, being able to see everything, including internal chakra points. In terms of power and variety of jutsu, the Sharingan is superior.”

“That’s why we’ve been rival clans since the beginning,” Itachi said. “But it’s true, if the Uchiha and Hyuuga can work together, we’re nearly unstoppable. He will be a great asset. If we can trust him.”

“Brute strength and will can overcomes the shadow jutsu, right?” Sasuke asked.

“Yes,” Kakashi and Itachi said together.

“And someone like Rock Lee who can fight without chakra is immune to the Hyuuga’s gentle fist.”

“Yes.”

“Juugo and Suigetsu. you will guard them while they are here, at least until we can trust them. You have the best defense against both of them. Until then, I want all of you to train together. I want you all able to fight together in case this is an attack. Especially Karin and Sakura; if we’re sending you two out alone in a few days.”

Karin and Sakura had realized they were rivals and looked at each other angrily, but they did not object. This would be a test, a way to prove to Sasuke they could obey him and keep their tempers under control.

“Kakashi, until Itachi and I are able to see, you are in charge of everything. Suigetsu, be respectful at least until I’m healed.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Kakashi frowned, but Sasuke seemed to take that as an improvement.