Hidden Rain
"Was that necessary?"
"If you mean getting the last word in and threatening Itachi, I do think it was necessary. Losing three members before we have commenced with our plans? Unacceptable."
"And what of Madara's agenda? He's been clear about his intentions to recruit Sasuke. You heard his reasoning - the boy's potential, the bloodline, the—"
The red-haired man knew what his counterpart spoke was the truth. "Madara's promises are as hollow as his mask. We cannot take everything he tells us at face value. Even if Sasuke were to be proven a more powerful ally than his brother, it would still be a waste to let one of our most integral and loyal members perish this early in the game. Itachi has executed all his missions perfectly – it would be a disservice to let such greatness go to waste."
Purple eyes blazed with unconcealed fury. "And there is also the fact that he threatened the Akatsuki... inexcusable. Such blatant disregard for a child to show in front of his superiors cannot go unpunished. If anything, his actions have proven him far harder to control than Itachi – would you not agree, Konan?"
Konan inclined her head. "You have no arguments from me here. Madara, however, will most certainly disagree. I only hope you have what it takes to deal with him."
"Let him. The Akatsuki answers me, not to a relic who hides in the shadows. They have all heard the eventual fruits of our labor - every single member has already come to terms with our plan, not his plan. After all..."
The man closed his eyes as if in remembrance of something emotionally distressful.
"...true Pain is the only path to Peace."
_________________________________________________________________________
Hidden Grass - South-West Border with the Hidden Rain
Large, overgrown trees of the thick, lush green forest rushed by.
"You know Itachi-san, I know you like to keep to yourself, but I am quite interested – your reaction to your brother's rather... fascinating way of getting your attention was very uncharacteristic. Never seen you so surprised, even in the most dire situations."
There was no reply. Samehada's wielder grinned widely.
He had never seen this side of Itachi. From the outside, his partner looked completely and utterly focused on the mission assigned by the leader—his face kept in a cold, impassive mask—but Kisame would like to think he knew Itachi better than most. If the years of working with the Uchiha had proven anything, it was that the calm that Itachi portrayed was far from his usual composed self, if the occasional nervous eye glance was any indication of the kin slayer's true feelings.
"Hide it all you want, but it is very clear to me that you have some ulterior motives – contrary to the Akatsuki's plans. You should know that I despise liars, and I don't want you, one of the only people I respect, to be amongst them."
For a moment, only the creaking branches and rustling leaves could be heard as the two infamous rogue ninja jumped from tree to tree, intent on reaching the assigned location.
"Kisame," his partner spoke up. Finally—finally! "I understand your grievances and I assure you, I shall execute the mission assigned by the leader perfectly – as I always have. You have nothing to worry about."
Then Itachi suddenly stopped, halting Kisame in his tracks. Unusual.
"What's wrong, Itachi-san?"
The Uchiha performed a series of hand signs—the same signs for the Summoning technique Kisame detected. He tightened his grip on Samehada, the sentient sword responding to his unease. If his dearest partner was truly intent on escaping, the Monster of the Hidden Mist knew he would have to resort to more extreme measures to prevent him from slipping away.
In a puff of smoke, a crow materialized, replacing the haze that had initially enveloped the area. Kisame watched with fascination as Itachi engaged the crow in a genjutsu, evident by the distinct Sharingan present in place of the usual black eyes of the summon. The Uchiha proceeded to hand the bird a scroll.
"This crow will grant us the advantage of flight to reach our destination faster," Itachi explained calmly, then pulled out a kunai and a small glass vial from a hidden seal marking on the underside of his sleeve. Kisame's gaze never wavered as he observed the process. With practiced efficiency, Itachi made a small cut on his hand, allowing a few drops of his blood to flow into the container before sealing it shut and handing it to the crow. "Once I receive a signal from my summon, I shall link your chakra to mine, enabling direct teleportation to the intended location."
Was this a joke?
"Are you suggesting we are not fast enough to reach the Outpost before this... crow...? Do you truly have such little faith in our abilities, Itachi-san?" Kisame questioned his partner's reasons for pulling such a stunt.
"Yes. You are free to have your reservations, but there is no doubt we will reach there in time," Itachi responded, his tone blank as always. The crow, whose eyes were now black, flew away with a flutter of its wings. "Come, Kisame, we have delayed the mission enough as it is."
"And exactly whose fault is it?"
Itachi didn't respond, choosing instead to body-flicker away to the destination.
As usual, so closed off Kisame thought, performing his body flicker to catch up to his partner.
_____________________________________________________________________
Bounty Hunter Outpost 47
Sasuke stood tall and composed on the back of his hawk summon, Garuda, as clouds floated lazily above, casting fleeting shadows over large expanses of land. The forest floor looked like a patchwork of vibrant greens and earthy browns, with occasional streams snaking their way through the dense vegetation.
The breathtaking view of the Earth below him never failed to captivate Sasuke's senses. The beauty of nature was undeniable, and in any other circumstance, he might have taken a moment to appreciate the marvels of the world around him. However, today was different. Today, he had a far more critical objective in mind.
Blackmailing the Akatsuki to force them into sending his brother had also been a front to disguise his primary objective. His actual motive was to lure out Obito—the man who possessed the most slippery space-time technique he had personally witnessed, barring the Fourth Hokage's jutsu and Kaguya's portals—and Black Zetsu, the true mastermind behind the despicable schemes that had destroyed the Uchiha clan.
Killing the two was not just to save the world, but also to satiate his vengeful desires. He remembered how the black, slimy filth had smugly described how he had manipulated his clan to do his bidding until they were no longer needed for his plans.
Sasuke would decimate him and the pretender who dared associate with the name of the Uchiha clan. He would eviscerate, burn, and eradicate any evidence of their existence until they were nothing but wisps of smoke or sealed away, just like they had done to his people.
As the wind ruffled his dark hair, Sasuke's mind drifted to the past—memories of his family, their strength, their honor, and their reputation. The once-proud Uchiha clan, reduced to mere ashes by the treacherous plans set in motion. His right eye, the Sharingan, swirled with the intensity of his emotions, the unique starburst pattern of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, the likes of which the world had never seen since the late Uchiha Madara.
He would never forget his mother's gentle smile, his father's stern yet loving presence, and the camaraderie among the Uchiha. He would never forget his promise to avenge them, to undo the injustice done to his people.
He would never forget.
"Sasuke," the voice of his summon jolted him from his musings. Sasuke shook his head in annoyance. He needed to stop distracting himself by entertaining his darker thoughts. "There are two people about 30 degrees to your left."
"Describe them for me, Garuda," He ordered.
"One of them is wearing a black robe with an Orange Mask to cover his face – his mask has a single eye hole. The other is... not human. One half of his body is black, the other... white. It also looks like he has been partially devoured by a Venus flytrap."
So, they're here before elder brother and Kisame... Good.
A smile danced on his lips, full of excitement at the prospect of killing the two. Just the feeling of knowing that he was the one to end their lives sent tiny electric bolts coursing through his body. It made him feel so... alive.
"I see. Thank you for your assistance, Garuda. Feel free to undo the summoning jutsu."
Using the power of the Rinnegan to form a single large black rod, Sasuke jumped off his summon, intent on sending the two to the pure lands.