Ikigai

Chapter 9: Meeting You

THE DAY BEFORE

"I can't let you have Naruto...," Jiraiya furrowed his brows, eyes glinting with murderous intent.

They were in the middle of the inn's old hallway, the tension in the air waiting for some little word that would light it, and the floorboard creaks from their shifting weight welcoming the four people that now seemed to add wood to the fire. 

Itachi and Kisame would have found him eventually, but the rather specific tip from Kintsugi had sped up their search. 

"I wonder about that," Itachi said apathetically, eyes ready and fingers twitching. 

"You know, this is perfect...I'll get rid of you two right here," Jiraiya said determinedly. "Don't butt in Naruto."

He was confused, to say the least, and despite knowing he wouldn't be able to just stand by for long, he nodded slightly in response.

Guarded and still, the two parties watched for the other's slightest movement, eyes narrowing in anticipation. 

"The one that's going to kill him... is me," suddenly appearing in between the two groups, his face was flushed from the run as moisture dripped from his face.

"Sasuke...," Naruto whispered, his eyes wide with surprise.

Sasuke paused to look at his brother recalling his hollow praises, his smiles allied to sneers, and despite this, some part of him still wished for a time before things had gone horribly wrong, a time when meeting up with his brother didn't feel so wrong. 

"Revenge, I see..." a sad, faint smile came across Jiraya's face.

"Right now, I have no interest in you...," Itachi's voice was toneless, face blank, fists clenched underneath his cloak. 

"Don't mess with me!"

A strong kick hurdling him to the end of the hall was enough to stop whatever attack Sasuke had planned to do as he had leaned forward with a punch, cracks forming on the concrete wall from the impact.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he started to run towards Itachi. 

"Naruto! I told you not to butt in!"

Naruto's eyes were wide and shallow as he looked to Jiraya seeming to plead to him to let him fight. 

"I've lived only for this very day...for this very day!" Sasuke leaned forward as he rose to his feet, the dust from the concrete falling off his shoulders in gentle waves, his focus only on Itachi. 

He ran towards his brother with renewed anger, his ears ringing and his face beginning to swell from the impact of Itachi's punch that propelled him to the wall one more time. 

"Sasuke..." Naruto said into the silent depth of anger and hurt that seemed to fill the hall.

----

Jiraya had intervened, to Sasuke's chagrin.  

Attempting to trap them had proved futile. Black flames licked the wall of flesh Jiraya had created, evidence of the two Akastuki's surprising escape.

You are weak...because you don't have enough hate, Itachi's word's echoed in Sasuke's mind as one breathing his weakness to his ear. 

Blood flowed freely from the edges of his lips, the darkness of the flesh around him the only comfort to hide the pain he felt within and without.

But I begin to know what thing hate is. 

Being gently laid on the ground by familiar hands, he drifted off to sleep, a sad sick dream awaiting him as his lids slowly shut. 

----

Running through the water, the clapping of their feet against its surface gave voice to their hurried movements. 

"Why must we retreat? You would be...," Kisame began to say, stopping as he turned to take a better look at the Uchiha.

Drops of sweat framed Itachi's face, the wind wiping them behind him, the lines against his face deepened from exhaustion as dark circles rimmed his eyes. 

"We have no reason to rush to get Naruto in the current condition."

Their figures bobbed on the water as they continued forward. 

Now would be a perfect time for that safe house, he thought.

"Besides, I have to rest my body somewhere for a while," his breathing was labored as he continued, "Not just Tsukuyomi, but he also made me use Amaterasu as well...," 

His red eyes turned to black, each step bringing another drop of sweat as he hurried further and further from the town, leaving it as one more dim memory he would rather forget. He felt pain. Although he wasn't sure if it was physical. 

"Then I guess it's a good thing we took up the girl's offer," Kisame commented with a sigh.

Itachi stayed silent, thinking back to the familiar look in her eyes, a look of an emotion he had carried throughout the years. An emotion he thought he needed to live with if he wanted a better life for Konoha and his brother. 

Seeing his reflection against her mask the day before, he didn't regret what he had done to get where he was. 

Not yet. 

That girl, what she did to deal with that emotion only brought him mild curiosity, but he could tell their paths weren't completely different. Her willingness to work with them proved that. He was no fool to believe she was a good person, but she also wasn't one of them. 

There were times he wished he were home again, to wake up one morning, see his brother, freely find his way through the streets of the Leaf Village, visit his favorite Dango shop, and just be at peace with himself.

He wished to wake up and find the reason he chose to get up in the morning was one he wasn't forced to choose.

And yet, meeting his brother he knew he could not afford to think this way. There had been no other way. He would do what he had done all over again if it promised Konoha and his brother's safety. 

What happened to him because of it didn't matter. His brother could avenge what he had done. 

"Maybe," Itachi responded as he looked towards the brightening edge of the horizon, the dark clouds above disappearing into the approaching night. 

He wouldn't think about his future. For now, he had a promise he needed to make sure was kept.

----

Picture Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/296393219232628909/

A/N: I have the next chapter mostly written and I should have it ready much sooner than I had this one, I just wanted to get this one published before I got swamped again.