Sehnsucht [Naruto Fanfiction]

Chapter 2 - Home

Chapter 2 - Home

Although Konoha had been his home for many years, he still felt strange walking through the gate for the first time in so long. Even when he had been away with Akatsuki for so long, Konoha was still his home. That fact had not changed; a tiny part of him had always hoped he could live out the rest of his days in the village he grew up in. Said village was on edge with his arrival, but as he walked in with Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Sai, the people around them seemed to relax. He was in cuffs, but it was more or less a formality. Tsunade had already told him that her plan to clear his name was sorted out, and she needed him here to iron out the creases. However, the tension was still thick in the air.

He supposed that he was lucky to still be alive after all this and shouldn't expect much, but his heart didn't listen, no matter how hard he tried. When Itachi had awoken in a facility belonging to Madara, he knew that he had to escape even if he died in the process. If he didn't, he would undoubtedly be used for whatever sinister machinations the elder Uchiha had in mind for him. So he had used every ounce of his strength and dragged himself through the scrub and forest, through places he didn't recognise until he had reached an abandoned hunting cabin.

Barely alive, he had laid down in that cabin and not expected to wake up again. It was only by chance that he was found. Team Seven had tracked him down somehow after following a lead for someone who was suspected to be an Akatsuki member. The Uchiha gathered that they had found the compound Madara had 'stored' him in and tracked his presence from there. Since the war was still so clear in the rearview, they hadn't been able to ignore such a lead and Team Seven had followed the trail to deal with whatever was on the other end.

It just so happened to be the mostly dead Uchiha.

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3 Weeks Earlier...

Itachi stirred after hearing muffled voices arguing nearby. His first thought was to try and figure out where he was. He cracked his eyes open and was glad the room had minimal natural light. He tried to pay attention to the voices he could hear, but it wasn't clear enough for him to figure out if they were male or female or how many there were in total. His chakra was depleted, and he had no idea how long he had been unconscious. Maybe he had died, and this was the entrance to the afterlife; he didn't know. When he focused his vision, he recognised the surroundings of the small cabin he had found after dragging himself away from Madara's clutches.

Carefully, he moved a hand to his throat, placing two fingers over his pulse point to ensure he was alive. Though it was weak and slow, it was there, and he took a controlled breath to try and figure out how on earth he was alive. He felt absolutely ravenous and so dehydrated that he was sure his jaw would fall off if he tried to open it. His head thudded with the effects of dehydration, and his eyes felt like they would fall out of his skull. The smell of dried blood was thick in the air.

A feminine gasp sounded from the corner of the room, but they dashed away before he could see them, allowing his eyes time to focus. He saw a flash of colour, and then his ears picked up another whispered argument. Finally, a more authoritative voice sounded louder, telling them all to be quiet.

Hatake Kakashi, son of the White Fang, stepped into the room with a purposely non-threatening gait as he walked toward him. This was the last thing he expected to see after being unconscious for however long he had been out, and he wasn't quite sure whether he should be glad to see the Copy Ninja right now. Although he had always respected the elder shinobi, the fact that he was here could mean that he had been sent to assassinate him. If he was going to die, though, at least Kakashi would make it fast.

"Sakura. Would you come here, please?"

The Copy Ninja asked his female student, who snapped her head toward him with fury in her eyes, but her kind heart gave way moments later after seeing something that Itachi must have missed on Kakashi's face when he looked at her. Naruto had a strange expression regarding Kakashi's request, but a quick look from his team leader made him relax immediately. Itachi didn't see it, but he could instantly feel the room's mood change. The other boy, Sai, Itachi recalled, placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder as they walked out to give Naruto some space. Although they knew that Itachi had helped turn the tide of the war, they still didn't know what side he was truly on. Just because Itachi had tried to help them against Madara didn't mean he was a good guy.