An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Return of the Kazekage

I walked toward them until I was standing directly in front of Sakura.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Three years.

Three years since I had left the village.

Three years since we had stood on the same side.

Slowly, I knelt down and placed a scroll on the ground between us.

Performing a hand sign, I released its contents.

Two thick binders appeared in a puff of smoke.

One bore the Akatsuki symbol.

The other carried the Uchiha crest.

Without hesitation, I picked up the Uchiha binder and held it out to Sakura.

She stared at it.

Then at me.

"What is this?"

"Everything."

She blinked.

"Everything?"

I nodded.

"Every rumour I've heard. Every confirmed sighting. Every encounter. Notes on his training. Notes on his habits. Things he's said. Places he's been."

I looked down at the binder.

"Two and a half years of searching for Sasuke."

Slowly, Sakura accepted it.

Her hands tightened around the cover.

"I was supposed to go with Sasori to Tenchi Bridge," I continued quietly. "Looks like I'll be going alone now."

The words hurt more than I expected.

Sasori.

Gone.

The cave suddenly felt far emptier than before.

I forced myself to continue.

"I'll arrive before the meeting. Find me before you make your move so I know the plan. I don't want any surprises."

Sakura studied me carefully.

"Do you know who Sasori's spy is?"

I shook my head.

"No."

It irritated me more than I cared to admit.

"He never told me."

The silence stretched.

Then an explosion echoed through the distance.

The ground trembled.

I sighed.

"You should probably go help your friends."

Another explosion followed.

"Trust me. Deidara has absolutely no impulse control. If blowing up the entire continent would help him win a fight, he'd consider it."

For the first time all day, Sakura almost smiled.

Almost.

I turned to leave.

Then she called after me.

"You're not even going to pretend to fight us?"

I glanced back over my shoulder.

"Why would I give you that binder if I planned on killing you?"