It had been a while since Sasuke woke up and thankfully the two had made it into the land of Sound before Konoha could spot them.
The Bad news?....
Well...
"Ahh, Sasuke, how kind of you to come to me" Orochimaru hissed.
The two boys were asleep in a cave until Sasuke shot up because the curse seal in his pocket went hot.
Next thing he knew there was a Roach in the cave.
Haku could only sigh, these next three years were going to be anything but easy. Especially if people are always after them.
It hasn't even been a full week since they had left Konoha and Sasuke was already prepared to just go home and sleep.
Unfortunately, Sasuke is much too aware that Orochimaru would definitely be able to kill him at this moment in time.
He still needed to train his body back to when it was before.
However, this wasn't what Sasuke cared about right now. What he wanted to know was how the hell did Orochimaru find them. It's not like they made massive explosions while walking to indicate their arrival.
Orochimaru also had full control of his new body, so Sasuke was guaranteed saftey for the next 3 years.
"What do you want? You've already swapped bodies and without Kabuto it will take you a lot longer to prepare the Jutsu again" Sasuke stated.
Orochimaru could only grin.
"Ahh, but that's where you're wrong. I managed to find myself a new assistant, who is more than happy to help me." He hissed.
Sasuke was very confused at this, at this moment in time no one other than Tsunade was a great enough medic nin that would be willing to work for Orochimaru. It was one of the many reasons as to why Sasuke wanted to kill Kabuto off earlier.
So who else was a great medic nin at the time? No one really, if anything the Medic Ninja were in short supply and were usually kept inside their respective villages.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, Orochimaru was probably just lying then.
Now thankfully Sasuke had placed a hirashin seal not too far from the cave allowing him and Haku a quick escape.
"Hn, well when I see this acquaintance of yours I'll be sure to kill them also." Sasuke grunted before grabbing Haku and teleporting away.
Orochimaru stared at the spot they had just been with a massive grin right as a cloaked person walked Into the cave.
"So was he willing?" They asked.
"Of course not. I'm not sure what your plan is, but it appears that Sasuke has a plan of his own. One I'm sure he won't appreciate you interfering." Orochimaru stated, he turned around to face the cloaked figure.
"Sasuke will appreciate my work when he comes to realise that this is what is best for him" they said.
Orochimaru chuckled at that before walking up close to them.
"Best for him? Or best for you. You may want to be cautious, I'm not sure what type of person you think he his, but Sasuke can be merciless." Orochimaru chuckled, patting their shoulder with a grin.
The person tenses slightly and pushed his hand off them.
"I know more about Sasuke than he does about himself" they replied.
But Orochimaru only grinned wider before grabbing their hood.
"So you say. But let's see how merciful he his if your plan succeeds. Now shall we be off... Sakura." Orochimaru pulled off the hood to reveal the cherry blossom hair beneath and the sharp green eyes that glowed with envy and determination.
"Don't get ahead of yourself snake, this is for Sasuke." She stated walking off.
Sasuke and Haku were speeding off from where they had landed. They didn't know if Orochimaru was following and if they were being honest they didn't care.
They had a mission to complete.
It thankfully didn't take too long for them to reach the Uchiha hideout, now all they had to do was wait for Itachi.
"Oi brat! Naruto will be leaving the Village soon. One more thing Sakura is nowhere in sight" Kurama's voice echoed.
Sasuke was very confused at that.
"What do you mean Sakura is nowhere in sight?" Sasuke asked.
"Obviously he meant what he said dumbass!" Shukaku shouted.
"I meant no one has seen her since their attempt at trying to retrieve you" Kurama replied.
That wasn't good, was she dead? No that seems like the obvious choice. Did she abandon the village to find him?
If so why now? She never did that before, and I'm sure if she asked Tsunade would have taken on two students. So why would she leave?
Sasuke couldn't decide if this was good or bad. Things were already beginning to stray too far from the original for him to guess what was happening.
Sakura never left the village last time. So this was different, and with the way she was acting before he left... it just felt like a red flag. A red flag for what he didn't know. But something in his gut was telling him to keep an eye out.
Haku was off to the side Mediating.
"Hey Haku..." Sasuke started.
Haku looked at him from his spot across the room.
"If Isobu agrees to join us.... then I want you to be his Jinchuriki" Sasuke stated.
"Why?" Haku asks.
"Your Chakra natures are Water and Air, mine are Lightning and Fire. Mine don't match up to his but yours do. Learning a new Nature can be annoying but improving one you already have control over is a different ball game. Besides I think you and him will match perfectly." Sasuke explained.
He knew about Isobus more peaceful Nature, it's why he was a tortoise, Shukaku calls him a pussy, but Sasuke knows he just prefers to go on the defensive more.
Haku is very similar, he doesn't like to fight and will only really do it if his life is in danger or if Sasuke asks him to.
"Very well" Haku stated.
"It will also allow you to be added to the mind link" Sasuke finished which allowed Haku to grin.
"Sasuke" a deeper voice called.
The two boys looked up and saw Itachi standing at the door.
"Let's talk"
Sasuke looked up and saw Itachi standing at the door, he was still wearing his Akatsuki cloak, and still had his mothers necklace on.
Sasuke and Haku stood up and both when to greet the man but upon arriving Sasuke punched Itachi in the stomach sending him flying back out the door.
Haku was slightly shocked but watched as Itachi dissapeared into crows.
The two turned around and Saw Itachi sitting on the throne.
"Was the attack necessary foolish brother" Itachi asked. His head was tilted slightly.
"Oh very necessary. A few minutes in the Tsukoyomi doesn't explain shit no matter how much I care for you. So riddle me this Itachi! Why!? Of all the solutions, of all the reasons, of all the actions! Did you have to kill Every Member of our clan? It never made sense to me. If you had just killed the elders and allowed the youngers to take over the coup could have been solved. If you killed Danzo then Shisui would have been able to help! So why!?"
Sasuke was frustrated beyond belief, these where questions he had always wanted to ask Itachi but never got the chance. Why? Just why?
Their mother use to tell them both the same thing everytime the pair were faced with a tough decision.
"No matter how bad things get remember there is always another way"
It was something that Sasuke threw to the pits of his mind when he went after Itachi, and by the looks of it it was something Itachi threw to the pits of his mind when he became a rouge.
"It was to protect you from Danzo. Danzo wanted the Uchiha dead, he feared the power they held and believed it would do the Village more good if someone under his control held the power of our Dojutsu instead." Itachi answered.
Sasuke froze, he went rigid, he knew. Itachi Knew Danzo had the Sharingans on his arm, he knew Danzo stole Shisui's eyes and he knew that Danzo was behined everything....
Yet he killed his own clan instead.
Sasuke's eyes burned a bright red.
"What! So you knew! The whole time you knew Danzo was behined it all! Our clans missing eyes! The coup! The isolation! Shisui's death! You knew! AND YOU LET IT HAPPEN!?" Sasuke shouted, his eyes began to spin at his rage.
All this time and he knew it all.
"I was 13 at the time Sasuke, what was I supposed to do take on the whole Village. Ro do so would have put you and our clan in more danger than necessary. It The clan was too riled up from being isolated, and Danzo was going too far with his hunger for power. But with the Hokage backing him up what was I meant to do!... I was just a child." Itachi replied.
Sasuke looked at his brother in the chair, he seemed so exhausted, so tired... so Ill.
"If I may intrude, wouldn't it have been easier to report to the third Hokage about your findings? Surely he would have done something about Danzo?" Haku stepped in.
"No, Lord Third was too delusioned to believe that Danzo would willingly do this. He even knew that Danzo had attempted to assassinate him and he knew he only did it to become the Hokage... but the third let him go. Like he let Orochimaru go even after catching him red handed" Itachi explained.
He took a deep much needed breath, this was all too much, Sasuke was never meant to find out like this, he was supposed to find out after he had killed him and then be able to defend himself and the Village.
This was too much for him.
Sasuke watched as Itachi gripped the shirt over his heart and began panting heavily, it was only then that Sasuke noticed that Itachi wasn't actually looking at him, his eyes were on him but they weren't fully focused.
Sasuke then held up three fingers.
"Itachi.... how many fingers am I holding up?" He asked.
Itachi's breath stilled for a second.
"Excuse me?" He said.
Haku decided to observe Itachi a lot more and began to notice what Sasuke was doing.
"I said.... How many fingers am I holding up?" Sasuke repeated.
If Sasuke was right and Itachi was using Chakra to sense where he was going he shouldn't get this right.
"..." Itachi didn't respond, instead he gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his head.
"You're blind... or almost blind at least" Haku whispered realisation hit him hard.
"And he's ill" Sasuke grunted. Of course he was ill Sasuke could only assume it was worse when Itachi was fighting him.....
Oh god.
"Dear Kami... I tried to kill my almost blind, deathly ill brother" Sasuke said. So he wasn't stronger than Itachi... Itachi let him win that fight... Sasuke should have lost.
The realisation hit him hard, was it like that for all his fights? Did his opponents just let him win?
Sasuke leaned against te wall and slid to the ground. Was it like that even up against Naruto??
What was he thinking of course it was. Naruto wasn't trying to kill him in their final fight. If he was... then Sasuke would be dead.
"Woah hey chill, what the fuck does it matter, you're not trying to kill Naruto this time around, so fix up before I sand Coffin your ass!" Shukaku yelled.
Annoyingly he was right, this isn't about beating Naruto, this time it's about saving as many loves as he can.
"Alright then it's decided. You..." Sasuke started pointing at Itachi.
"You're coming with us. We're going to find Isobu and get him to join us, hunt down all the Jinchuriki's and give them a pre-warning about them being killed before the end of this year, and you will help train Haku and I. Ok..." Sasuke stated.
Itachi raised an eyebrow at that.
"Hn, very well. But after this year I need to return to the Akatsuki to continue handing information to Jiraiya" Itachi informed while Sasuke only rolled his eyes.
"You're a double agent, of course you are..." Sasuke grumbled
Itachi smiled at Sasuke before standing up and walking over to the pair.
The three then began their journey to an Island over by Kirigakure.
It was time to get Isobu.
______________________________________
Sos this took a while I had writers block, and was really busy.
But here you go, it's a lot shorter than I would like but believe once this get rolling it will become catastrophic.
Also yes, Sakura has gone rouge.
Hope you enjoyed!
Ja ne!
(Edit!)
Ok so I was annoyed by myself that I made you guys wait for so long for something so short so I made the chapter longer.
I hope you guys enjoy this extended chapter because I really felt bad so here you go!