Where We Belong

Prologue

Konoha

A beautiful, middle-sized and gracefully thin woman with straight short bluish hair with a curious origami flower adorning it and even more curious orange eyes tried to sit up slowly on what appeared to be some kind of soft yet makeshift bed. When she could partially do so, Konan looked around trying to identify the place she was in. Though that wasn't what shocked her the most actually but other two facts. One the one hand, the clearly obvious; she was alive when she was supposed to have been murdered by Akatsuki's leader Madara Uchiha. Otherwise known as Tobi. On the other hand, her eyes opened impossibly wide at the sight of the man laying scarce metres to her left whom, like her, was supposed to have been killed at an even younger age than hers (Konan was physically 35) and none less that at the hands of his only surviving kin. That was, his younger -and only- brother Sasuke Uchiha. At that latter realization an involuntary gasp escaped Konan's lips, effectively catching her companion's attention and thus making her realize that Itachi Uchiha had been actually awake for a while at the very least. Before the blue-haired woman asked anything, the man whose eyes remained closed for some inexplicable reason sat up and stated as low as a whisper:

- We're in Konoha if you'd like to know... And no; I am not blind. Not anymore in fact... Has he ever mentioned to you that it is possible, albeit rare, for two brothers to get the ultimate Mangekyo Sharingan?

- Wait... Just wait a second! I heard from him that Sasuke has taken your eyes... Tell me he hasn't...

- Kept Sasuke's? He did, Konan. I don't recall having explained to you or anyone else in Akatsuki the true nature of a Sharingan though...

The sound of visibly rusting hinges distracted their attention from their conversation and they immediately turned to the door of that small cabin. The newcomer, a well-built tall man with silvery-white hair and, as it was his custom, the lower part of his face covered with a black mask opened his black eyes in mild surprise upon seeing them awake. Both former Akatsuki knew that man well though from different circumstances and thus both reacted accordingly. Konan however and to the long straight ebony-haired man stood almost protectively before Itachi as if ready for any attack Kakashi might intend on launching on them. The taller man despite his slenderness and to certain extent feebleness laid a hand on his companion, shaking his head as if asking her to retreat. Konan wouldn't explain herself what prompted her to do so, but she finally agreed to the black-haired man's request, immediately standing next to him.

- I apologize for such abrupt intromission, but I bring a message from the Hokage. Actually, from both the Godaime and Nanadaime*...

Again, both rogue shinobi reacted their own particular manner at the news or, rather, at the last two titles rather than words. Both Itachi and Konan recalled Legendary Sannin Tsunade Senju having assumed as Konoha's Fifth Hokage after the last until that moment, her own master and Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was assassinated by another one of his students, Orochimaru. Himself, a former Akatsuki member. On the other hand, both had known from their first encounter with Naruto Uzumaki (the Yondaime Minato Namikaze's only son) that he wished to become a Hokage one day. As a matter of fact, both Akatsuki had entrusted Konoha -and in Itachi's case, also his brother Sasuke's- welfare in his hands. None of them would be surprised if that whom Kakashi referred to as the Nanadaime was in fact Naruto. However and quite against his usual demeanour, Itachi felt almost compelled to relieve that question in their mind. Kakashi's answer was as simple as it was concise:

- You must know the answer better than myself. A man very close to you served my Sensei after all...

- He actually served under Hiruzen, yet I do know. Shisui would drag that secret along with his dead corpse for as long as necessary... And you must have realized that he didn't exactly commit suicide...