Whispers in the Rain - Bleach X Naruto - Uchiha Itachi Love Story

Chapter 26 - Team Hebi

This chapter is dedicated to Sabaku_no_Setsuko! Happy reading! :3

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Saya pov:

I groaned as consciousness returned to me. My head was pounding and my body ached from the weird position I was sitting in while leaning against something hard and bumpy.

It took me a few moments to peel my eyes open and look at my surroundings. I was blank and I couldn't quite recall as to why I was sitting in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. I don't remember falling asleep while camping here....

I pushed off the tree trunk I was leaning against and winced feeling a throb in my head. I caressed my head with one hand and looked around to figure out where I was. As I did, I noticed a folded sheet of paper lying on the ground next to me with a pebble on top of it to prevent it from flying off in the breeze. Frowning slightly, I picked it up and opened the sheet so I could read its contents.

Saya,

Forgive me for leaving after everything I said to you and promised to you. To ensure the safety of Konoha, you and all the other innocent people of the world, it is my duty to stay with the Akatsuki and fight from the shadows. To ensure your safety even more, I have placed a seal on your chakra – you won't be able to use your Blue Flame Release jutsu and shinobi up the level of ANBU will be able to sense your chakra unless the seal is broken by me. However, you can still use your sensory abilities to its maximum.

I promise to continue living and doing what I can to help the people of the Shinobi World and pay for my sins. If the time comes when we can meet again, I hope it is pleasant and happy, if not entirely favorable. Till then, I wish that you be safe. I love you.

Itachi.

My breath got stuck in my throat as I finished reading the letter. Everything that had happened before I passed out came crashing down on me. How long has it been since Itachi forced me unconscious? Where was he now? How would I track him down?!

From the looks of it, I had been unconscious for more than half a day. I couldn't sense Itachi's chakra within my five kilometer sensing boundary. I had no idea in which direction he had gone but perhaps if I retraced the steps we took when we ran away from the Akatsuki, I could find him.

I clutched the fabric above my chest and breathed heavily. I felt suffocated from the turbulent emotions that went through me. How could Itachi just leave me like this? How could he apologize like I should understand and let him go? How could he put the lives of other people over his once again? How could another person once again be ripped away from me??

I shut my eyes and took deep breaths through my mouth to calm down. No....he wasn't ripped away from me. He had just gone to fulfill his duty of protecting innocent people. He had said that he would uphold his promised to me that he would live no matter what. He said that he hoped we would meet again. This bond wasn't broken yet....and I wouldn't let it be broken either. Even if it meant having to go full out and fight against the Akatsuki so Itachi could stay by my side, I would do it without holding back.

And the first step in ensuring that was to find the Akatsuki.

I looked up, my eyes sharp and my mind focused on that one goal now. I stood up, holding my katana firmly in my hands. I took another deep breath and closed my eyes to sense the chakras that surrounded me. I couldn't pick up any of the Akatsuki members' chakra so I decided to retrace my steps and then follow possible clues that would lead me to any member of the Akatsuki, and in turn, Itachi.

I used shunpo to cover the distance quickly and I soon landed in the clearing where I had fought against Tobi and Deidara. I touched the ground sensing the lingering chakras of the members. I looked in the direction they seemed to have gone in and I began to head that way too.