Light our Shadows

Ch 6: The search

"Naruto!" Kid Sasuke yelled through cupped hands. As if his voice even needed any added projection. Him, his brother and Shisui were scouring for the blonde in the woods near the compound. Kid Sasuke insisted on checking here first. Just about threw a fit and a half when Itachi was going to make them head for the village instead. Shisui had patted Itachi comfortingly on the shoulder. What harm would checking do? He'd proposed. So Kid Sasuke got his way. Much to Itachi's displeasure.

"Shut up, Sasuke. This is a waste. He didn't go this way." Itachi was tired of his brother at this point. Truly, he was. The elder Uchiha beyond annoyed with both the young and old counterparts respectively. They were collectively responsible for his current headache he was sure. No one had ever thrown him for a loop like that. To think it was Sasuke who had done it. His foolish little brother, older or not.

That eye his brother had, it was a Rinnegan. There was no mistaking it. Such visual prowess. There were legends that rumored a sharingan could evolve into such an eye, but Itachi had never thought such a dojutsu was possible to achieve and Sasuke of all people had...Itachi couldn't wrap his mind around it. He watched the small boy in front of him. So determined in his search.

His headache grew worse.

"You don't know that!" Sasuke stamped his foot, stubborn as ever. The boy completely defensive of his decision. "I'm telling you he went this way!"

"Sasuke, why would he go into the woods in the middle of the night?"  Itachi was at his wits end. Truly he was. His head felt like it was ready to split open.

"Because he's an idiot, obviously." Kid Sasuke insisted, "Naruto's always getting himself in trouble!" The comeback came to him as easily as breathing. But he couldn't tell his brother the real reason he thought Naruto went this way. He couldn't tell Itachi that he had this...this tugging feeling in his chest. That it was like he and Naruto had the same rope wrapped around them and they were stuck at opposite ends. When that feeling wasn't tight, Sasuke knew they were going off course.

"That's not a good enough reason for us to be scouring the wood. We've spent enough time here. We're going to the village."

"No!" Sasuke protested, "That's the wrong way! He's in here somewhere! I'm telling you! He's just being an idiot and won't answer me!" He curled his fingers to his mouth again. "Naruto! Come out you loser!"

"Sasuke..." Itachi was really ready to strangle his little brother. It wouldn't be hard. He just had to grab his throat and squeeze. The little shit would shut up. Maybe his head would stop pounding.

"Lets give it another few minutes, 'kay 'tachi?" Shisui squeezed his shoulder. "Put Sasuke's mind at ease before we move to check somewhere else."

"Sasuke's mind never rests." Itachi crossed his arms. "It's one of his worst qualities. We'd have a better time calming a wild boar. Honestly, Shisui, Sasuke doesn't even know what real worry is. Why keep humoring him? This is completely ridiculous."

"Maybe, but they are friends, Itachi." Shisui tilted his head. "Wouldn't you be worried if I was missing? What does it hurt letting him look around here some more?"

"My sanity." Itachi rubbed at his forehead.

Shisui watched Sasuke scamper along in front of them. The kid bent down to peer into a bush scaring a squirrel. "It's crazy to think he's gonna be a kage someday."

"Please don't remind me." Itachi begged. That thought wasn't good for his sanity either.

"Okay, I won't."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

It was silent for a moment between them before Shisui opened his mouth and said something that made Itachi's blood run cold. "Should we tell him?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Itachi caught shisui's arm. "He's still too young to know about that. No. Absolutely not. We can't tell him about his own future."

"I wasn't talking about that. I meant...you know...the other thing..."

"Shisui. No. Sasuke stays out of it. Completely."

"He might be in it already."

"He isn't." Itachi insisted. "I've made sure of it. He can't know, Shisui."

"You heard what his older self said when he got snappy with us yesterday. He knows somethings wrong, Itachi. You can't protect him forever."

"I can damn well-"

"My shoe!" Kid Sasuke exclaimed holding it up over his head like he'd just won a prize. "See? I told you he went this way!"

Itachi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Had his little brother just found an actual clue? There was no way. And yet, Sasuke had.

"Ugh, what did that idiot do?" Sasuke rubbed at the shoes side with his shirt. It was caked with something dark. It was all bright red when he smeared it. "He probably had a midnight blackberry feast. This stains never going to come out." Sasuke's nose scrunched. "He's so messy...!" Sasuke trailed into a grumpy grumble as he tried to polish it off.

"Uh, Sasuke..." Shisui was hesitant but somebody had to tell him. Itachi was too horrified at the sight to speak.  "Thats uh, that's not a berry stain. That's blood."

Kid Sasuke froze. It was...blood? The shoe suddenly felt so very heavy in his hands at the revelation. Little wheels turned in his head. No, no it couldn't-his pupils danced wildly at the shoe coated in red-but it was. It was blood.

Naruto's blood.

His best friend was missing. Bleeding. Alone. He could be dying. What if he was already dead? No. No. He wasn't...Kid Sasuke gripped the shoe tighter. He couldn't be dead could he? He would feel it wouldn't he? Yes, he would feel it. He absolutely would. And-and he didn't now.

Kid Sasuke's eyes welled with tears. He felt in his heart that Naruto was Alive. At least he thought he did. No. He had to be. He just had to be. Sasuke...he still had to chew him out for wrecking his shoes. Throw him to the ground for stealing his orange crayon. Punch him for running away in the night.

He held the shoe to his chest. The thing was disgusting. It felt gross and sticky. His eyes scrunched closed. Stupid Naruto. He shook his head roughly. Dumb idiot. Bangs shadowed his eyes. Tears fell. His lower lip quivered. Usuratonkachi. He opened his eyes again. He couldn't understand it. How the ground suddenly looked so bright and colorful as he stared at it. How could anything be filled with color when Naruto was missing? Was the world mocking him? It should be just as hurt! He wanted his friend. He just wanted his friend back. Safe. In one piece.

"Sasuke look at me." Itachi put his hand on his shoulder. "Everything's going to-" Itachi's words stopped abruptly as he locked eyes with his brother. Little Sasuke stared back at him through tearful sharingan.

Behind him the only helpful thing Shisui had to say was: "Shit Sasuke." Which really meant that Shisui wasn't helping at all.

Itachi's head felt like it was cracked open. This really was the worst morning. Dread filled Itachi as he felt the older versions of Naruto and Sasuke appeared behind him. Because that's just what he needed in this moment. Now there were two of his brother again. He was already having trouble with the little one. Now he had to deal with the old one again? He hated his life. He didn't get to eat breakfast. He was definitely going to miss his actual mission for today too. Sasuke was such a pain.

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And that's where this chapter ends! Stay tuned for more! Any theories on what happened to kid Naruto? Thoughts on lil Sas unlocking his sharingan? How do you think their older selves will react to the bloody shoe? Let me know in the comments!