Sozen the Ghost Shinobi

Chapter Seven

✦ℝ𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕀𝕥𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚✦

Sozen left early in the morning after leaving a note that he has left pinned to his door. As Sozen makes his way into the forest, he comes across two shinobi. One he recognises in an instant. He stopped as the two stopped their approach.

"Been a while, Itachi," Sozen called out.

Itachi just peered at him from under a massive straw hat. The two men wore straw hats with black cloaks detailed by red clouds.

"The Akatsuki is it? I never thought I'd come across some here," Sozen shrugged.

He longed to talk to Itachi, to hit him, to cry for him and to blame him for the nightmares his emotions left.

"Kisame, I'll meet up with you shortly," Itachi told his partner.

"Eh? This brat a friend?" Kisame raised an eyebrow, his shark-like features coming to light.

Itachi remained quiet before Kisame continued down the path.

The two stare at each other for several seconds before Itachi sighs.

"Go home, Sozen, you're too young to venture off alone," he mutters.

"Too young, huh? Well, that's crap coming from you. You know the repercussions of what you did right?" Sozen was starting to let his emotions get the better of him.

"I left you because you slowed me down," Itachi answered.

"Then what about the bond? Itachi I could feel your emotions that night."

Sozen started to feel the memory of the emotions. He was quickly losing his will just to stand here and talk.

Itachi approached him, standing an arm's length away.

"I'm sorry, Sozen," Itachi flicked Sozen's mask, making him tilt his head back.

Itachi was about to start walking past Sozen when the boy let out a whimper. Surprised at the uncharacteristic notion, Itachi turned around and watched as Sozen grabbed his head in pain. Sozen tried to speak, to cry for help. But he couldn't.

As Sozen started to cry behind his mask as his head felt like it was going to explode, Itachi took the mask off his face and assessed what he could.

Finding an odd sense of chakra radiating from the boy's stomach, he lifted his shirt to find the seal markings. Recognizing the chakra from the seal to be Orochimaru's, Itachi used his Sharingan to view the situation.

He didn't expect to share in the memory that Sozen was witnessing. It was a disgusting situation to have to re-live in any situation but the two came to a quick realization when Orochimaru called out Sozen's name.

Sozen's mind shut down and the last thing he recalled happening was vomiting with a yell before he fell to the side.

Itachi was in shock. How was he supposed to react to what he witnessed? Sozen's abilities had developed since he saw him last. People would become even more interested in Sozen if they knew and something told Itachi he was struggling to be under Orochimaru's gaze.

Itachi had to follow Kisame but he also wasn't comfortable with leaving Sozen unconscious on the ground outside of the village. Itachi frowned at Sozen before hauling him over his shoulder. He had to talk to the boy more before he could figure out what he was going to do with him. Damm Sozen getting into messes again.

But, how did Orochimaru come into all of this? Surely he knew the risks of even coming into contact with Sozen yet here is his antagonizing him... Itachi had no idea what to make of the situation as he caught up with a more than confused Kisame. The two carried on silently, Itachi planning to leave Sozen in Konoha as Sozen had people there that would aid him.