Crow's feathers - Naruto fanfiction

Chapter 11 Renegade

The room was empty except for the person in the bed. Taryn sighed sadly and sat down on the bedside. Itachi had used his Mangekyo Sharingan. Kakashi would be out for a while. He would need a medic. She hoped Jiraya would succeed in finding Tsunade and that he would convince her to come back to Konoha. Not that she liked the woman overly much, but she was a medical genius. Taryn gently brushed Kakashi’s hair aside.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she was apologizing for. For being such a trial to him probably.

“Still huh…”

“… Always...”

He knew. He had known from the start. That she loved Itachi. Still loved him.
     The door opened behind her, but she ignored it. Gai stepped into the room. He glared at her for a moment, but then checked on Kakashi. Asuma came in after him.
“You okay, Asuma?” Gai asked.
Asuma nodded. “Yes. I wasn’t hurt. Neither was Kurenai.” He glanced at Taryn. “Any luck with tracing them?” Gai glanced at Taryn too.
“No. Apparently he was gone before we could locate them.” There was sarcasm in his voice. 
        “Are you suggesting something?” Taryn asked.
Gai was about to answer when Sasuke glanced around the corner. “Kakashi-sensei?” He looked confused when he found the Jounin gathered in the room. “What’s going on? Why are you all here and why is Kakashi-sensei in bed?”
Before anyone could respond, the door was thrown open again and another Jounin ran inside. “Is it true that Uchiha Itachi showed up in town and that he’s after Naruto?!”
Sasuke tensed. His expression grew cold and he dashed out of the room.
“Oh great,” Gai said and scolded the newcomer.
“I’m sorry,” the ninja muttered.
“Gah,” Gai said and hurried after the boy. 
“I’m sorry,” the ninja said again and walked away.
Asuma sighed and looked at Taryn. “You’re not going after him?” he asked.
“Why should I?” she asked angry.
“Sasuke is just a child,” Asuma said, “you well know Itachi would kill him. Are you that cruel Taryn?”
“I’m not his keeper. He want to go after Itachi. You think I could stop him?”
”You can damn well try!”  Asuma snapped at her. “Kakashi is out cold. Do you really want that to happen to Sasuke as well?!”

“Little brothers are sacred…”

Taryn clenched her fists and pushed past Asuma as she darted out of the room.

***

“Why don’t you step out of the room?” Itachi asked.
Naruto stared at the two unfamiliar men. One had a face like a shark. And the other one, the one that had spoken to him… he had the Sharingan eye. Only this one was different from Sasuke’s Sharingan. 
A shiver ran along Naruto’s spine. Slowly he stepped onto the hallway. The rest of the inn was silent.
“Hmm,” Sharkman said, ”Itachi, it would be bothersome to have him wandering off. Perhaps we should cut off his legs or something.”
Itachi didn’t answer.
A smirk crossed Kisame’s face. Naruto tensed.
Suddenly Itachi’s head went up a little. “Long time no see… Sasuke,” he said without turning around.
“Uchiha Itachi”, Sasuke hissed.
Naruto looked confused. ‘Uchiha?’
“My my,” Kisame said, “today is truly an unusual day. To be able to see other Sharingan. Not just once, but twice.”
Sasuke glared at Itachi. “I will kill you.”
Kisame’s smirk turned amused. He glanced at Itachi. “Sharingan huh. And he looks an awful lot like you. Who is that kid, Itachi?”
Itachi still had his back on Sasuke. “He’s … my brother,” he said emotionless.
Naruto gasped.
Kisame had a thoughtful look in his eyes. “That’s funny, cuz the whole Uchiha clan was wiped out the way I heard it… by you.”

***

She would find him. She always found Itachi. His chakra was so familiar to her that she could find him anywhere. ‘Stupid kid,’ she thought, thinking of Sasuke. Why did he have to be so stubborn? As if she didn’t have better things to do than run after him. She didn’t even like him overmuch.

“Little brothers are sacred.”  

Well, this one was incredibly stupid. She sighed. Itachi’s chakra had led her to a town a little ahead of her. Finding him there would be more difficult, but she could manage if she concentrated. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she found him. Why had she let Asuma get to her? She sighed again.. ‘Why did you do it, Itachi? And what do you want with Naruto?’