This was written for the Itachi's Secret Club Swap over on y!gallery. I hope you enjoy this and the liberties I took with a steampunk world.
~*~
A cloud of steam puffed from the train, creating a tail that floated above the main body of the large vessel as it trudged over the tracks. Trains weren’t the most preferred method of travel in the 1930s with dirigibles and cars lining the streets. But it was the safest method to travel through the Rocky Mountains this time of year. Winter was in full swing and the snow capped mountains had captured the attention of the passengers. The romantics in them were awed by the beautiful sight and they were captured in their fantasies as they bustled about.
Itachi Uchiha was a guest on his own train, having designed it and wanting to ride it for it’s first journey. It was the state of the art as far as the engine went and the luxury cars were as posh as possible. Itachi wouldn’t allow his guest to suffer the substandards of some of the trains his competitors had produced. They were spartan in design and offered little comfort to the travelers as well as dismal service. He had taken a journey on one just to see what it was like and was abhorred at how the people were being treated.
His family had immigrated from Japan ten years ago and started up their own business regarding travelling. They produced steam powered cars, trains, and dirigibles that were the latest and best of their kind. The competition had only held on because those of lower class could afford to ride on their trains. Itachi knew it would be some time before he could make his trains affordable to those lower than his station in society. It was all a matter of making enough money to be able to support such a drop in price.
He swirled the brandy in his glass, watching the amber liquid swirl as the train continued its route. Itachi wasn’t a businessman, he left the numbers up to his little brother who was great in driving sales and selling their products. The economy in America was declining, the first world war had taken its toll on the people and they hadn’t recovered all that well. Itachi had served his time in the war when he turned eighteen in 1917. It was only a year of service, but Itachi had done his time with pride and defended his country. There were some problems with his Japanese heritage, but he had proven himself to his fellow soldiers time and time again.
That was a box best left for later since he didn’t want to delve into the war and what it had done to his leg. The shrapnel from an explosion had shattered muscle and bone, making it necessary for his leg to be amputated. He had been lucky to survive the crude act of having his leg hacked off with a saw below his knee. The leg he had now was one of his own design and he shared his knowledge with his father. The family business had many facets due to Itachi and his intelligence and ability to adjust with the times. Survivors of the war had received their automail legs for free since Itachi felt a connection with them. He knew they would need to provide for their families once they were back on American soil and his father had never argued.
Itachi had felt it was time for a vacation, he had been working for weeks on end not taking much of a break on his new project that was sure to produce jobs for millions. The coal mines weren’t needed for much anymore and soon the dangerous occupation would be obsolete. Itachi knew the dangers of such a job, the high-death rates weren’t worth the pennies the workers made. Itachi felt like he was doing a service to the workers in giving them more time with their families. Coal towns were drying up and the people were moving onto the better jobs that were available, unfortunately there weren’t many.
He set the glass down on the table and gazed out of the window at the cold sunset that spread over the snow. The hues of pinks and purples reflected on the virgin snow and Itachi wished he had a camera that could capture the image in all its glory, black and white wouldn’t do it justice. A sigh left Itachi’s lips as he turned away from the image, feeling as empty as the cold air. He hadn’t taken a lover in over a year, his preference was slightly different from society’s and he wouldn’t be ostracized for it.
Dark eyes widened when the train gave a mighty jerk, the action slamming Itachi into the table and sent his brandy rattling to the floor and breaking. When the train stopped, he rose immediately from his chair and stalked out of his room, making his way to the end of the car. He found several stewards and barked at them to check on the passengers and to make sure that they were fine. He didn’t allow anyone to argue with him as he made his way to the front of the train, not caring that he looked quite the sight.
Arriving to the steam car, Itachi found his mechanics who had their goggles sitting on their heads. Steam was the preferred method of this world and it influenced fashion as well. As the world changed, the style of clothing went with it, but the influence of steam was still there. Itachi ignored the two men as he looked at the equipment, it was fine since the mechanics were able to stop the steam from overpowering the engine. They wouldn't have been able to move if the engine had been damaged and the next town was more than a hundred miles away.
“Stay here and keep an eye on it. Use only enough water to keep the car compartments warm. It’s below thirty out there and I won’t have my passengers freezing.” Itachi ordered, moving onto the front to speak with the conductor.
Itachi found Nagato Uzumaki, his preferred conductor, glaring out at the scenery. It wasn’t often that something bothered the man, but it seemed whatever it was had him fuming. Stepping beside him and cocking his head out of the window, Itachi saw the problem that plagued them. There was at least five to ten feet of snow in front of the train and it stretched out for miles, making it impossible for the train to plow through it.
Growling, Itachi ran a hand through his hair at the predicament he was in. While he always prepared for misfortunes on these excursions, snow wasn’t one of them. It would be hard work to melt the snow that surrounded the train and use it to keep the train warm. But it was better than nothing at the moment and there was enough food to last them at least a month. Itachi cursed at not taking the unpredictable weather of Colorado into consideration. He hadn’t been west of Arkansas and only had one friend who lived in California, a former war buddy who had invited him to stay. Itachi should have waited until at least June to travel, but his stubbornness and pride had clouded his judgment.
“How long until we can plow through this?” He asked Nagato, who had been a conductor for near fifteen years.
“Hopefully by afternoon tomorrow. The wind might pick and could either drift the snow away or pile it higher. If the sun comes out tomorrow and melts at least three feet by late afternoon we’ll have no problem getting through the rest of the range.” Nagato answered as they brought their heads back inside.
“That doesn’t sound like the best option, but it’s all we have right now. It is safe to stay the night here?” Itachi was worried about the safety of his passengers, he knew all too well the danger of coming to the West. There were still bandits who held onto the ideal of the old West and kept their way of life alive by robbing the unsuspecting passerby.
“With this weather I doubt anyone will come by. It’s too dangerous for the bandits to be out, they’d either freeze to death or lose their lives and bounty to others.” Nagato was well accustomed to the wildness of the West that still held strong even to this day. He had been on this route more than any other he travelled and was used to the rough territory.
“That’s good to know. Keep me updated, we didn’t plan for this and don’t have much in the way of protection if they do decide to show up.” Itachi said, waving a hand as he left the compartment.
Itachi dutifully did his rounds around the train, explaining to his customers that they would be stopping for the night and that they should take advantage of the beautiful scenery outside. The snow capped mountains were beautiful with the setting set and certainly a sight that would be remembered for the rest of their lives if they should go to take a glance. He received smiles and understanding since his staff had already explained the situation.
He was lucky that there weren’t any patrons who argued with him and demanded a refund. Itachi’s customers were enjoying the “romantic setting” as they called it and left him about his business. There were papers to pour over and numbers to crunch, a task that was never done for Itachi. He was always right on top of everything and wanted to make sure that everything was running smoothly.
Late into the night Itachi worked on balancing his books. His candles were just flickering since they were running out of a wick to burn. A lantern would be better to use but Itachi liked watching the fire sometimes. It soothed his soul for some odd reason to work by candlelight, perhaps because he had grown up with it. His leg ached as the cold seeped into his room. Itachi didn’t bother to stoke the fires since it was such a hassle. He had already taken his prosthetic off and had his crutches by his desk in case he wanted to move to his bed.
Itachi leaned back in his chair and looked to the ceiling. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander over his life. He was thirty-one and the only thing he had to show for his life was his company. There were times Itachi wished he had someone waiting for him in his bed. The idea of having someone there would certainly put him to bed sooner than the late nights he pulled on a daily basis.
Taking advantage of the low light, Itachi stood uneasily and doused the candles with one hand. He grabbed his crutches and used the light of the moon to make his way to the comfortable bed. Itachi pulled his pocket watch from his vest and his hair from its queue before sitting down on his bed. He rubbed his stump to stimulate blood flow so that it wouldn’t ache. He hated the phantom pains he got sometimes since they made him think sometimes that his leg was still there.
Itachi sighed when he quit rubbing his leg, or what was left of it. He hoped that his dreams would be pleasant tonight instead of the nightmares that sometimes plagued him from the war. His parents had put him in the far wing of their home, not able to withstand the blood curdling screams that sometimes echoed from his room.
Pulling his other leg to the bed, Itachi settled down for the night. The covers were warm with the added bear pelt. His father had taken him hunting in the mountains before he took off for Europe and Itachi had taken the animal down with a single shot. It was the rush and thrill of being so close to death that had his blood boiling. He wanted to experience it again but with his prosthetic leg it wasn’t possible.
Banishing the thoughts from his head, Itachi tried to fall asleep. It wouldn’t come until late in the night. His mind was working overtime and wouldn’t allow him the blissful abyss of sleep. Scenes from the war wouldn’t leave Itachi alone as they flashed across his eyes. It was annoying since they were occurring more often now than they had in the past.
Itachi tossed and turned in his sleep the whole time, his lips in a frown as he tried to dodge the dreams that were playing out in his mind. For hours he was tortured in his own mind until a warm hand on his shoulder woke him. He sat straight up in a hurry, his eyes searching the faint dark for the person who had disturbed him.
Dark eyes landed on a face that had the lower half covered by a bandana. It was a bandit and his train was being robbed. Itachi had no choice but to shift his body to the edge of the bed and grab his crutches. When the man pointed a gun at Itachi, he pulled the cover back to reveal the pant leg that was flat from not having the lower half filling it.
Not a word was said as Itachi stood and he was led out of the room with a gun to his back. His passengers were all lined up in the luxury compartments, huddled together as they sought comfort from one another. Itachi gave them a reassuring smile since it was all he could at this point. He hadn’t thought to bring along some extra security and was cursing himself for the mistake. It was one he would not make again if he lived through this.
Itachi was placed in front of the man who had to be the leader. It was evident in the way he held himself and how the other men acted around him. An orange bandana covered the lower half of his face and the brim of his hat shadowed his eyes so Itachi couldn’t guess what shade they were. Itachi felt as though he were being placed under scrutiny as those indiscernible eyes roamed over his body.
The gaze of the stranger was intense as though he thought Itachi would try to pull something. If he had his prosthetic instead of his crutches, Itachi probably would have. But there was no way he was endangering the lives of his passengers and crew for a chance at a gun. There wouldn’t be much to do other than get himself shot for the attempt. He was outmanned and outgunned from the looks of it. It didn’t matter that he had been a damned good sniper in the war, these men were from the mountains and as such had numbers.
“Itachi Uchiha, never thought this would be one of your trains.” The man’s voice was deep almost indiscernible as to what part of the country he was from.
“Well, what a coincidence then,” Itachi said, his pride still intact even though this whole fiasco was going down. He wouldn’t be weak in front of his passengers, that wasn’t what they needed right now. They needed someone who would brave this and not let them down.
“Well then, you’re coming with me.” The man was smug was about this whole thing and it made Itachi uneasy. This couldn’t mean that they were the target, the bandits were more than likely robbing the train and then noticed something to connect the train with Itachi.
“If I do you will leave my passengers unharmed.” Itachi demanded, knowing that he wasn’t really in the position to negotiate such a thing. His body posture was straight as his cool gray eyes watched the leader in front of him. Itachi wouldn’t bow to someone like this man who used terror to get what he wanted, but he would comply to the best of his ability.
“I believe that can be arranged.” The man gave a signal to his henchmen and Itachi had a man on each side of him. His hands gripped his crutches tightly as he grit his teeth. He was going into this blind, he didn’t know what would become of him but his passengers would be safe at least.
“Nagato, please take care of our passengers while I’m gone and please tell Father that I did this willingly. Tell Sasuke that he shouldn’t be a brat and come looking for me.” Itachi said, knowing that Nagato would follow his orders right down to the letter.
It didn’t matter to Itachi that he would probably be killed, Sasuke was still alive and could run the family business. Itachi didn’t have a significant other to return to and it was probably that fact more than any why he was complying. He didn’t grand delusions as to what would happen to him once he left the train. Itachi knew how bandits were especially when they were desperate like these men seemed to be.
Itachi hobbled along behind them on his crutches and left the train down the steps that he had placed on the train specifically for those who were disabled. The snow crunched under his crutches as they sank down into the drift. There was four feet like Nagato had said and Itachi could feel the cold seep through his clothes. The bandits hadn’t allowed him to grab a coat and the biting cold of the Rocky Mountains went straight through his cotton.
“Go in there and get him a coat!” The man in charge barked at someone. Itachi wasn’t interested in looking to see who was going back on the train to retrieve his jacket. He was too busy trying to stay warm and balance himself on his crutches in the snow. There was a slight wind that blew the snow around to create even deeper drifts.
It would be a bitch to walk through this snow and Itachi had no delusions that he would get his own horse. Prisoners were meant to walk to the bandits hideout, it was a well known fact that had been around for years. Itachi was given his coat a few minutes later and he had trouble getting it on. It was almost impossible trying to stand in the snow with his crutches and he could see the bandits shifting around him as though they were uncomfortable with the situation.
With some manoeuvring Itachi was able to shrug his coat on. He had faced tougher challenges than this since the loss of his leg. He was led under the moonlight to a small alcove where the horses had been stashed. They were silent as their masters approached them and pet their muzzles.
“You’ll be riding with me.” Itachi was told by the ringleader with the bright bandana. Even with a little light it was glaringly bright and almost like a beacon in the dark.
Itachi raised an eyebrow as he led to the horse and was helped up onto the saddle. It was awkward with only one leg and he hadn’t been expecting the help. It was hard to settle onto the horse without his leg there to grip the sides of the animal. There wasn’t much that could be done about it though. He watched as his crutches were thrown into the snow.
“Why are you throwing those away? I need them.” Itachi hissed as he turned in his saddle and pinned the bandit with a scathing glare.
“You’ll get new ones once we get where we’re goin’. There’s no need to fuss.” The man said before gently kicking his horses hindquarters and setting the animal off on a trot.
Itachi felt his chest constrict as he watched his train disappear from sight and they rode off into the night. This wasn’t what he wanted but there was little he could do about this situation. Itachi was one who rolled with the punches if he needed to and his brilliant mind was only an added bonus when it came to being in binds. He knew his mother would weep about him being taken by bandits and that her wild imagination would get the best of her while his father would pace his office and think of a way to save his son.
Sasuke would be the worst since he was still a teenager and had an imagination just like their mother. But unlike Mikoto, Sasuke would act on his thoughts and attempt to bring his brother home. His brother was foolish and stubborn to a fault that bordered on being mental. Sasuke was special to Itachi and he did everything in his power to protect his little brother from the horrors of the world.
~*~
The valley hidden in the mountains would have been beautiful if it hadn’t been for the shanty town that was built in the lowest part near the small river that flowed with water. It was a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and there was no access to any sort of phone or electricity. Itachi felt like he had stepped into one of the romance novels his mother read. He snorted in amusement at the idea of him being a damsel in distress. It was a ridiculous thing to think of but it certainly helped him handle this situation just a bit better.
The horses made their way down the mountainside like they were familiar with the terrain. Of course, it could be that they were since it seemed like this town was settled by a wide range of people. The man behind was silent like he had been through the whole trip. Itachi knew if it weren’t his body heat he would have frozen to death.
The people here were in bad shape with winter in full force. They were barely clothed and what they did have was old and was probably all they owned. The thought didn’t set well with Itachi, especially when he saw how dirty they were. Itachi was seeing too many dirty faces and thin bodies for his liking. The whole situation just didn’t sit right him as he was taken deeper into the tiny shanty town.
There were eyes on Itachi and he couldn’t understand what they wanted. Some were glaring at him while others seemed to be a bit hopeful. Itachi wasn’t sure what he could for these people or even what he had done to them to warrant such a reaction like this. As far as Itachi knew he had never met these people nor had any impact on their lives.
They came to a stop at a house, it was better built than the others that littered the town. This building had to been a jail of some sort since the windows were small and the door seemed to be heavy. Itachi slid from the horse and used it to prop himself up. Without his prosthetic or crutches he couldn’t stand on his own and he wondered just how he would function without them.
“Don’t just stand there, c’mon.” One of the men teased, knowing full well Itachi couldn’t move from the horse or else he would fall into the snowy mud.
“Can it and help him in.” The leader said, not moving from his horse. “I have to go get Naruto. Don’t let anything happen to him while I’m gone.”
Itachi watched as he coaxed the horse to turn around and head off into the town as someone grabbed his shoulder and steadied. He had almost fallen to the ground and glared at the man who had waited until the last moment to hold him up. He was dealing with people who didn’t care for him and Itachi wasn’t sure how to act in this situation.
He chose to be indifferent as he was led into the house and warmth immediately hit his face. It brought blood back to his skin and his body began to warm up. There was a small fire roaring in the fireplace and it reached the whole room. It was one room with a jail separating the middle. Itachi was led into the barred part of the room and sat down on the crudely made cot. Itachi watched as he was locked in and the bandits stood in the other part.
Itachi leaned back against the wall with his head resting on it. He closed his eyes and waited for this Naruto. The name alone suggested the man was at least partly Japanese. Itachi knew it wouldn’t help him with whatever was going on. This was a stumble into unknown territory and Itachi wasn’t sure if he could keep his head about him. He didn’t have anyone to support him here and if worst came to worst, he would never see his family again.
He wasn’t one to mourn over his decisions and this was no exception. Itachi had no regrets whatsoever about his life and what he had accomplished during his decades of life. His parents knew this but Sasuke wouldn’t understand and Itachi knew he never would. That’s how different they were when it came to their personalities. He hoped that one day his brother would grow into someone that could understand Itachi’s actions.
Half an hour later the door to the building opened and a man with bright blond hair and sparkling blue eyes entered. Itachi was stunned by how handsome he was and how clean he seemed to be in spite of the mud that was everywhere outside. He grinned and greeted the bandits like they were old friends of his. The way he patted them on the shoulder and talked intimately to them had Itachi’s curiosity peaked.
When they were done greeting each other, serious blue eyes turned to Itachi. There was a fire in those eyes that burned Itachi right down to his soul and made him shudder. This man was different from the bandit, he was warmer it seemed and more pleasant as he smiled when he approached Itachi. He frowned at the bars and held a hand out for the keys which were handed over immediately as though Naruto was important. The door to the jail was opened and the man stepped in as he pocketed his keys.
“I would stand, but as you see I’m missing a leg,” Itachi said when a hand offered to shake. He shook it and noticed the strong grip right off the bat.
“Sorry about that, Kyuubi told me that your crutches had to be ditched so you could ride a horse. We’ll find some for your around here somewhere. We like to keep extra.” Naruto’s voice was deep and had a timber to it that sent shivers through Itachi’s spine. It was a perfect bedroom voice and Itachi had to push those traitorous thoughts out of his head.
“I’m Itachi Uchiha as you more than likely know. Are you Naruto?” Itachi asked, wondering if this was the man Kyuubi had been talking about when he left before.
“Forgive me! I’m Naruto Uzumaki, the sorta mayor of Little Konoha.” Naruto said rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “My parents said I never had any manners.”
“Well, Naruto,” Itachi said knowing that a man like Naruto wouldn’t like to be called mister. “Why am I here?”
