𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐑𝐄 | sasuke uchiha

Safety

"... daddy?"

Itachi hushed his son as he scooped him up in his arms, dressed in his shinobi gear with a backpack strapped on and ready for the journey ahead.

Still sleepy, Yuta rubbed his eyes as his father bundled him up and slung him over his shoulder, remaining quiet the whole time. After lulling the little boy back to sleep, Itachi stepped out of the room and down the corridor, swiftly covering their tracks.

On the way out, he paused outside of his and Izumi's room, where she lay oblivious to what was happening.

As the months progressed and the Senju circled in on the main compound, tensions had begun rising within the clan. It had also caused a rift in Itachi and Izumi's marriage, to the point where the couple could no longer see eye to eye.

Don't be a coward, Itachi! We have to fight for our family! We were born Uchiha, not Senju!

We may have been born Uchiha, but we can still choose our own paths in life.

What would your father do if he heard you talking that nonsense, huh?! Are you really going to betray our clan like your brother did?!

Convincing Izumi to leave the clan with him had proved futile, so Itachi decided that he could only do one thing. If she wasn't ready to save herself, he was at least going to save Yuta. Itachi's life at home was slowly deteriorating; his mother was long gone, her grief at Sasuke's so-called "death" having turned her into a recluse who now refused to let anyone see her. His father was as stubborn as ever, and had only grown more irritable now that he possessed a fraction of Sora's power. Izumi was gradually being absorbed by her father-in-law's views and ambitions, her loyalty to the clan now obviously exceeding her love for Itachi.

It was by a stroke of luck that Itachi knew where he needed to go; according to an intel report, the Senju's main forces weren't too far from the main compound. They had just captured a base that had been dedicated to training young shinobi, and it was a base whose existence was known only by those who worked there, and the council.

As long as Itachi followed the Senju, he could easily find a way back to Sasuke.

***

Getting out of the compound undetected was no easy feat for Itachi; since Tera's escape, security had been ramped up, and it had become near impossible for anyone to leave without being cleared.

"Itachi-sama?"

Itachi froze as he heard a female voice behind him, and looked over his shoulder to see a pink haired wall guard staring at him curiously. Knowing that she wasn't going to do anything to stop him, Itachi merely said, "Tell no one."

His disappeared into the night with Yuta in tow.

***

"... I'm telling you, some of those kids are the best!"

Sasuke groaned as he and Naruto were left on night guard one night, left to defend their most recently captured Uchiha base. A portion of their squad had been tasked with escorting the captives back to the newly liberated Land of Rivers, meaning that the others would have to wait for their return before they could advance towards their next conquest.

"Right," said the Uchiha wryly, finding little interest in the Uzumaki's rambling.

"Anyways, what do you think Tera and your kids are up to now?" frowned Naruto, rubbing his chin as he leaned against the entrance to the base and looked up at the sky. "I'm sorry we can't keep in touch with them. It must be rough for you guys, having to be separated again."