The Trouble With Itachi [On Hold]

22; Preparation

Chapter 22- Preparation

 

I opened my eyes gingerly, my eyelids feeling heavy with exhaustion. I didn’t take in anything but a grey landscape- covered in thick fog. This must be a dream, I thought.

I couldn’t move. My arms and legs seemed to be bound by something, and I didn’t have the energy to search for it or fight it.

I was still so tired. I needed more sleep.

So I let myself sink back into the arms of unconsciousness, letting the darkness take hold of me once again.

 

*   *    *

Konoha

“So he really was telling the truth,” Gai scoffed.

They sat hunched over their ramen, speaking in muted tones after their long meeting with Tsunade.

They had taken Uchiha Itachi to the Hokage and he related his story. They maintained intense eye contact with other the whole time. At the end, Tsunade had solemnly confirmed that he was telling the truth. She had used a jutsu to make sure he wasn’t lying.

At first they had wondered if Itachi had been able to use some kind of genjutsu to influence Tsunade, but the technique that Kakashi used to bind him was of the highest calibre and blocked any jutsu of any kind- genjutsu, ninjutsu, doujutsu and even the most obscure bloodline limits.

So Itachi was granted temporary stay in the village, watched over night and day by a rotating squad of ANBU.

And the townspeople were not to be notified. If there was even a hint of a rumour that Uchiha Itachi was in the village it would likely spark a riot. He was viewed by all as a traitor and he was wanted by other countries as well.

“Isn’t it ironic?” Kakashi asked in between sipping his ramen, “Itachi was the traitor, and now he’s back to save his brother who’s now betrayed the village.”

“You don’t know that yet,” Gai retorted.

Kakashi glanced up at him, taking a slurp of the ramen, “Oh, I’m pretty sure. Sasuke was my student after all. I know him pretty well. The fact that Itachi is back for the sake of Sasuke proves he’s got himself in pretty deep with Orochimaru.”

Gai sighed, unable to think of anything to say back, and they sat in thoughtful silence for the rest of the meal.

*    *    *

“I can’t believe our mission got cancelled like that,” Naruto sat and pouted while sat cross-legged on the floor of his modest room.

Sakura, Rock Lee, and Shikamaru had accompanied him back to his apartment to come up with a strategy after they were summoned back to the village. Kakashi and Gai had refused to go into the details, but promised to gather for a team meeting later on that day.

Shikamaru shrugged, “It happens. I’m not sure why this one was cancelled so suddenly though.”

“What are we going to do about Sasuke?” Sakura asked.

“We still have to go after him obviously,” Naruto replied.

“But now we have no help, no leads, nothing.”