Tortured Uchiha [CURRENTLY EDITING]

The Proud Weasel and Stubborn Thorn

I didn’t have time to wait around for the recon squad Tsunade had haphazardly put together after finding Sasuke’s location. I planned to head out an hour earlier, but Kakashi decided against it, he wanted me to be beside Naruto for at least another sixty minutes before cutting myself out of everyone’s lives forever. I had no intention to come back to the Leaf, I never did.

A team of eight shinobi, all faces that knew me and others that only knew of me stood around in a circle deliberating their moves on the rooftop of the Phoenix Temple on the outskirts of Konohagakure. Sakura made it quite clear that we were in ‘pursuit’ of Sasuke and Itachi, having figured out why I was so hostile to the idea of capturing Itachi for information.

“We’ll start by searching everywhere in a five kilometre radius using this roof as our centre,” Kakashi said. “If we don’t come up with anything, we’ll relocate and search another five kilometre area and repeat until we find a clue.”

I crouched on the phoenix carving at the northern point of the roof, not wanting to deliberate with the Leaf Nin. Their entire focus was on little Sasuke, little Sasuke that could do no harm to anyone, little Sasuke who didn’t mean to leave because it was all Orochimaru’s fault, little Sasuke that loved the village just as much as he loved his beloved Nii–San.

“Five kilometres?” Sakura griped. “Our wireless equipment won’t work if we split up that far! And we’ll be in danger if we’re alone when something happens!”

All Sakura had talked about from the village gates to the temple was the probability of finding Sasuke, going on the assumption that he wouldn’t use the Chidori to kill you first. To Sakura, Sasuke never had the intention to leave the village at all―it just had to be some other motive to make him leave, to her, Sasuke could never be in the wrong. She blamed the elder brother, the bastard Uchiha, Itachi. Oh how warped her mind had become in pursuit of unjustified love.

“We should go in teams of two at the very least,” Sakura clenched her fists. “That way, if we encounter any enem―”

“Relax, Sakura.”

A new voice, one I hadn’t heard for four years, cut the pink haired Haruno off. Tenzo aspirated onto the tiled roof with his red striped cloak, matching the rest of the eight personnel squad. He’d cut his hair short and donned a hitai-ate that matched Tobirama Senju’s. Without the ANBU mask, I could see the strange almond shape of Tenzo’s eyes, the pupil-less orbs that stared through your entire being. 

To avoid any further arguments, Kakashi slammed his fist against the tiled roofing. The black summoning pattern extended across the ceramics and a cloud of swirling smoke produced a pack of eight hounds varying in breed, shape and size. They were tracking summons, however, their view would be limited to the ground.

“The echoes of your voices will reach our ears just as fast as wireless gear,” announced Pakun. “And our noses will detect danger well enough in advance to back the closest person up.”

“Here’s how our patrols will work. Each person on patrol will have two of my Hound Nin as bodyguards,” Kakashi smirked beneath his visor. “Alright, Naruto since you’re a Jinchuriki, you’re an obvious target. The Akatsuki might attack you first so you’ll be going with Yamato for backup and Hinata for her scouting abilities.”

“What about her?” Naruto nodded his head at me.

“Ets―Shinkoshoku will be surveying by herself, we’re merely backup if trouble arises. Since she has a summoning of her own, she won’t need the help of my hounds. Is that okay with you Naruto?” Kakashi queried.

Naruto bit his lip, “Fine.”

“Okay guys, remember that trailing Sasuke takes priority,” Kakashi said to the majority of the group before his lone eye trailed on me. “The Akatsuki comes second along with Itachi, though his scent must also be trailed. Regardless of which target you find, your mission is only to determine their location and report back here.”