My light in the dark

Chapter 23

We all turned out attention to Shikamaru who was sitting on the side of the couch that Karin was napping in. Just like Karin he was exhausted. He had large bags under his eyes and it was taking everything he could to stay awake. Nobody had worked harder than Shikamaru this past month and he had gained the trust and respect of everyone, Itachi and myself included. We would not have been able to get so far, so quickly without his skills.

"I think it's time for you to come back from the grave and for us to attack."

"Shouldn't we wait until we know where the young master is first?"

"Perhaps we just need to draw Madara and Sai out using you and the idea of the young master returning."

"No."

I shook my head at Suigetsu.

"We might have already placed Naruto in danger with the rumours. I don't want to keep using that."

"Then what do you we do? Where do we attack? We need to find the young master, his safety comes first."

"I can help with that."

I looked up to see Kakashi standing in the door way, breathless and with his good eye sparkling.

"I have received word from a friend I had thought long dead. He was an old comrade, someone I had trained together with under the old boss. He was been alive all these years, tracking down the culprits of our boss's murder and is currently among Madara's group. He knows were Naruto is."

The room burst into shouts of joy and questions but I stood up, raising my hand and the room quietened down instantly.

"We move tonight. Have all the groups ready for war and tell the people to stay inside tonight. Gather everyone you can."

Everyone in the room filed out leaving only Kakashi, Itachi, Shikamaru and the rest of my captains.

"How did you get the message?"

Kakashi moved inside and placed a note on the table in front of me.

"When we were younger we played at this park. There was a large old oak tree there and we turned it into our hideout. As we grew up it became a safe place for us and we began to leave secret notes to each other, especially once we started our lives in the family. We would tie a ribbon to the top branch and leave a note in code inside one of the holes. I was walking past when I noticed it today and I found the note. That's the decoded message. Naruto is being kept at one of the brothels in the slums."

I looked at the map and found the place that Naruto was being held and Shikamaru leant over my shoulder to stare at it, his eyes taking in everything. He slapped his cheeks to wake up and met my eyes.

"We will start by slowly infiltrating our men into these few hotels."

He indicated some spots around the map.

"We don't want to spook them, so make sure we space them out and make them inconspicuous. Let's get Karin up so we can derive a plan."

The captains helped Karin up and they all filed out of the room, leaving Itachi and I alone. I sat down and touched the piece of paper in front of me, my fingers lingering on the words, the young master. I heard the door close and looked up to see Itachi leaning against it, crossing his arms as he looked up at the roof. Outside we could hear the men shouting as they got ready to move.

"At last we have found him."

"Yes."

"Things will be different now. Too many people know his secret he won't be able to avoid his rightful place as the young master now. You won't be able to stay by his side anymore."

I felt my chest tighten as Itachi said those words and I rested my head in my hands, trying to not think as the pain numbed my body.

"This changes everything. You will both have responsibilities that take precedence over your love. I am sorry Sasuke. I truly wished that you would both find happiness together.

His voice was quiet and I sensed, for the first time, that this was Itachi's true feelings. I didn't want to hear it. The words and the truth that I had been pushing down and trying not to think about came rushing into me in a painful flood.

"I just need him safe. Let's concentrate on that and think about the rest later."

I heard the door open and close as Itachi left and I let out a shaky breath, my eyes burning with unshed tears. We would save him but when we did I would lose him forever. I bowed my head and let the tears I held back for so long stream silently down my face. The world already looked darker to me.