Forged Beyond

The Bird is CAUGHT!

Sasuke could feel a strong pulse in his eyes. It had been throbbing for the past two hours, the pain sharp and relentless. It felt as though his eyes might burst into a million pieces at any moment. The headache that followed was unbearable—all of it because of him, because of Itachi's genjutsu.

There was something rough around his wrists. A rope? His fingers flexed, testing its strength. He shifted slightly and realized he was seated on something hard. Wood? A table? No...a wooden chair.

As consciousness returned in fragments, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. The light stung, making him squint. When his vision adjusted, he saw him.

Itachi was sitting in front of him, his expression shadowed. His brother's face, so often cold and unreadable, now looked...troubled. Worried?

Sasuke scanned the room. It was unnervingly clean. Gray-painted walls enclosed them, a large couch sat to his right, and a worn rug covered the floor beneath his chair. To his left, a window let in faint streams of light, diffused by curtains.

"Itachi..." Sasuke hissed, his voice low and dangerous.

"You're awake." Itachi's voice was calm, though his eyes flickered with something unspoken.

"Why...did you do this?" Sasuke's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms as rage boiled inside him.

"Father wanted you back." Itachi's gaze dropped to the floor, his voice soft with a strange guilt. "And Lord Danzo...he believes you'll be better off in the village."

"Then why tie me up?" Sasuke snapped, his voice rising with anger.

"They...believe it'll take time for you to forget about your friends." Itachi closed his eyes briefly, his face tightening with guilt. "Until then, they want to ensure you don't...run away again."

Sasuke's jaw tightened as his fury surged, but before he could reply, the door burst open.

An ANBU member stormed in, a captured messenger bird struggling in his grip. Its feathers were ruffled, and a scroll was tied to its leg. The ANBU's voice was urgent.

"Itachi! Follow me. Lord Danzo has summoned us. There's a problem."

Itachi glanced at Sasuke, his eyes softening for a brief moment before he stood and followed the ANBU.

Sasuke tilted his head, straining to listen. Voices drifted in from the hallway outside.

"The Legendary Sannin are with the three kids!" the ANBU exclaimed, his tone sharp.

Itachi's voice was calm but carried a note of concern. "That could complicate things. But Orochimaru hasn't left his hideout in over a decade. Why would he get involved now?"

"Good point," another ANBU chimed in. "But we can't underestimate Tsunade and Jiraiya. If they come after the boy—"

"They won't." Danzo's commanding voice cut through the air. "Tsunade has no reason to return to the village. She's severed her ties. As for Jiraiya, he's unpredictable. But even if he comes, Itachi and the ANBU squad are more than capable of handling him."

Itachi's voice lowered, and Sasuke struggled to catch his words. "Still, we can't afford to underestimate them. Jiraiya may act alone...but the kids are his priority."

Inside the room, Sasuke's rage was bubbling into something else. His heart pounded. He clenched his fists tighter, twisting his wrists against the ropes. Do they think I'll just sit here and wait? Let them decide my fate again?

A surge of chakra flared in him, spurred by his anger. He focused, channeling it into his bound hands. The rope burned and snapped under the force, the heat of his chakra searing his skin slightly.