RIYE Chp 19: Discord

Hikaru’s steps were measured and careful, as though he was walking to the gallows. Aster led the way up the stairs, holding a change of clothes for him. The Uchiha home was large and had 3 extra rooms for her brother to choose from, but tension made the walls close in. She decided the unused room at the end of the second story hall was best. Her room with Itachi was on the other side of the floor, at the top of the stairs. Opening his door, Aster stepped aside for him to enter.
Still in scrubs, Hikaru seemed bewildered when Aster handed him black crapis, a fishnet top and a grey t-shirt. He surveyed her again, unsure what to do.
“Is…” he stopped, searching for the words he needed. “Can he hear us?”
A look of sorrow overcame her as she remembered the scene in the cell. “Itachi, you mean?”
He nodded.
“No,” Aster locked her eyes on her feet. “He’s out. He’s not going to be listening in, if that’s what you think.” Indignantly, she added, “He respects me and my privacy.”
Sighing, disapproval weighed heavily on him. “Just tell me… Why?”
“Why what?” she snapped.
“Do you even know what he is?” Hikaru gave her a meaningful stare.
Aster returned it with a ferocity he had never seen in her before. “Do I know what? Do I know he murdered his family? Do I know that he was part of the criminal organization Akatsuki?”
Gaping, he took her by the wrist. “You must not understand.” Unable to accept what he was hearing, he shook it off. “You know. But you don’t understand the depth of what he has done.”
“I understand something you don’t,” she jerked her hand away. Pausing and letting him ponder, she set the clothes on the small bed. Turning back to him, “You are more alike than you seem to realize. You killed for me, just as Itachi killed for his own brother. Akatsuki was a means to the end of protecting Sasuke, just like how you hoped you could protect me using them.”
‘We are not the same,” Hikaru spit. “He murdered women and children asleep in their beds.”
Heart sinking through the floor, Aster faced him with quaking hands. “Those murders were based on orders given by an evil organization. Those ‘innocent’ people were plotting with Akatsuki. Itachi was a child himself. He was put through a horrible ordeal and saw no other way out.”
He walked to the window, bittersweet feelings filling him. “I’ll never forgive him for his sins. And I’ll never accept your union or your child.” Putting his face in his palm he continued, “Aster, you are my little sister. I love you and wants what is best for you. This is not…” Hikaru turned slowly to find the room empty.
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Wandering feet led her back to the training grounds. Aster let her tears fall, not bothering to wipe them. Is he right and I’ve just been blinded by memories of a young Itachi I thought I knew? Her hands found her rounding belly. The feel of his lips on her forehead when she’d told him about the pregnancy lingered. This doesn’t feel like a lie or an act. He is happy that he will be a father. He seems happy that he will be with me. He appears to be hurt that Sasuke still doesn’t accept him. Itachi is human and breakable just like anyone. The tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving warm trails. I don’t understand what Hikaru sees. I don’t know if I want to.
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Moving slowly, Sasuke was lost in thought as he approached his home. Suddenly, the sound of running feet came to him. He looked up to find Itachi approaching. A large purple bruise covered half of his jaw.
“Sasuke!” he called out, motioning for him to turn around.
Bewildered, he responded, “W-what happened?”
Coming to a halt, he touched his face and winced. “I’m actually here to explain that.”
“Well? Let’s go in.”
Itachi shook his head. “No, we can’t do that.” He paused, eyeing the house. “I don’t sense Aster. It may be better to have her with us while we discuss this.”
Frowning, Sasuke took his turn surveying the two story wooden house. “Someone is in there. But you’re right, it doesn’t feel muddled like Aster’s chakra.” Realization dawned on him. “You don’t mean…?!” He broke into a hesitant smile. “Is she…?”
A look of betrayal passed over Itachi. “Let’s find her and you can ask her yourself.”
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Trembling, Sakura tried to hide her fear and look confident and poised. Tsunade sat across the desk, the back of the chair facing Sakura and hiding the Hokage. Languidly, the blonde swiveled the chair so that she was in profile against the setting sun.
“I think you know why you’re here.” There was a bitter confidence in her sentence.
Swallowing hard, Sakura nodded, unable to speak.
Brown eyes locked on the girl. “I entrusted you with high level clearance information, and you leaked it. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Heart racing, she averted her eyes. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”
Tsunade sighed, disappointment sitting on her shoulders like a mantle. “Then you leave me little choice. I am removing you from your duties at the hospital and taking you out of active duty as part of team seven.”
Despair and relief mixed in her stomach. My shinobi career is over in disgrace, but at least I’m not declared as a rogue ninja. This is exceptionally light punishment for what is essentially treason.
“Instead I have a new assignment for you in the village.”
Shocked, Sakura looked up.
“You will be reporting directly to me still. I found an exceptionally negligent error you made in Aster’s lab work.” Irritation showed in the Hokage’s posture.
Biting her lip, the girl turned red with shame. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied…
“In case you didn’t know, that baby is the first in recorded history to be born to parents with two different kekkai genkai. I need you to study Aster’s pregnancy and document everything.” Grabbing a file from her desk, Tsunade took a moment to sift through it. “Right here, I have her white blood cell count. It’s high. That means the woman carrying a child that could make history is sick. There are no other indicators of ill health, which makes this especially troubling.” Tsunade handed Sakura the folder. “This village needs her and that baby alive and healthy. Their lives are in your hands. Don’t falter again.”
Terror of failure and the weight of her responsibility paled her face. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”
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The feeling of addled chakra reach the brothers as the entered the training grounds. At first, Aster appeared nowhere in sight. Suddenly, Sasuke spotted her in a tree. He legs were hanging, crossed at the ankles and her upper body slumped against the tree, head in her hands. In a flash, Itachi was in the tree, crouched next to her.
It was then Sasuke realized she was crying. What could have happened? She isn’t with her brother, but instead hiding here to cry? Hesitant, he approached cautiously.
“Nee-chan,” Sasuke called softly, trying to get her attention. Itachi was silent, rubbing her back.
Eyes rimmed red, she looked down at him and forced a smile.
He gave her a disapproving frown. “What’s the matter?”
Despair covered her and she look to Itachi for help.
The elder Uchiha sighed and then pointed to the bruise on his face. “This… This was how Hikaru greeted me.” Disgust filling his voice, “My reputation precedes me.”
Horror filled Sasuke’s eyes. “No, he must understand… Things are different. Everyone knows the truth about your motives.”
Raising his eyebrows, Itachi was surprised his brother would defend him. Maybe there is hope for us. “He doesn’t believe or trust me, and likely you too, by extension.”
“No,” he muttered. “He must at least be happy to see Aster. That was the point of all this.”
Aster shook her head, fresh tears falling. “I’m a shameful sight to him. He hates my husband and won’t accept my child.”
Itachi and Sasuke exchanged looks that spoke a thousand words. Aster continued to cry quietly.
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A week had passed slowly. It felt longer. Sakura hadn’t seen or spoken to Sasuke. She wasn’t even sure he was looking for her or realized she was ignoring him. However, duty drew her  back to the Uchiha household. She was on thin ice as it was; she couldn’t risk anymore in her life with disobedience.
Raising a heavy hand, she knocked on the door. Sasuke answered.
“Oh, hi Sakura.” he said, looking confused.
“I’m here on business,” she explained coldly. “I need to talk to Aster, not you.”
He seemed unphased and untroubled by her jab at him. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he warned. “She has been very upset lately, and we all know how she feels about you.”
Unsure if he was trying to irritate her, or just being unwittingly honest, she kept her face blank. Holding out the file she had been carrying, “I’m here on the Hokage’s business. This visit is not for pleasure and not optional.”
Appearing to catch the hint, he stepped aside wordlessly.
She quickly spotted Aster and Itachi at the small dining table in the open floor plan. Their conversational came to a halt as they laid eyes on Sakura.
Vexation was clear in the redhead’s demeanor. “What do you want here?”
Still trying to hide her growing discomfort and annoyance, she responded, “I was sent by the Hokage on official business.”
“Does Hokage-sama know?” Itachi asked. He seemed to be the first person to show concern for her. “Does she know what you did for us?”
She could tell his gratitude was false; why, she did not know. “Yes.”
He sighed in relief.
“My shinobi career is over,” she added, unable to hold back her growing rage any longer. “I am shamed and dishonored. Hokage-sama, however, still sees a use for me. I have been reassigned.” Sakura dropped the file onto the table with a soft thud.
Pity showed in Itachi’s eyes, Aster appeared unphased, and behind her, Sasuke’s eyes were wide and his mouth agape. “And your new task is…?” Itachi prompted.
“I am here as a medic. I am here to monitor Aster’s pregnancy.”
Aster jumped up. “I don’t need that! Why would Hokage-sama think my pregnancy health was of any importance to you?”
“Not to me,” Sakura shook her head. “To the village.”
The Uchiha couple exchanged looks.
“Your baby,” she continued, “Is the first on record to come from parents with two different kekkai genkai. We don’t know how this will play out. There could be complications. Preventing what’s about to happen is why families strive to keep bloodlines pure.”
“What is about to happen?” Itachi asked.
Kneeling down, Sakura opened the file. “We don’t know. That’s why Hokage-sama wants me here at all times.” Pointing to a line in the middle of the page, “See this here? Aster’s white blood cell count is high. Her body is fighting something.”
The blood drained from Aster’s face and she sat back down. “Am I sick? What am I sick with?”
For the first time, genuine sorrow for her showed on Sakura’s face. “I can’t answer any of those questions. This blood work could mean anything or nothing. That’s why you need to be monitored.”
“So,” Aster hissed, “You don’t actually know anything? You’re just trying to scare me?”
Sakura glared back at her. “I’ve told you what I know and what I don’t. Being hostile with me is pointless. My assignment is to keep you healthy. If anything happens to you or that baby, I’ll be kicked out of this village. I have every reason to keep you safe. Don’t you dare be aggressive with me.”
Rebuked, the redhead sighed in frustration. “If this were any other circumstance, I would never tolerate this.”
“Trust me,” Itachi added in displeasure, “Everyone here knows. You’re an open book.”
“This arrangement,” Sakura began hesitantly, “means I will have to live here temporarily. I trust you have a spare room in a home of this size?”
“Two actually,” Itachi answered. “One is next to Sasuke, second door on the left; one is next to us, second door on the right. Take your pick.”
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Sitting on the floor with his back against the door, Hikaru took deep, slow breaths. He didn’t know or care if the Uchiha brothers or Sakura had noticed he had been standing at the top of the stairs listening. The conversation had only given him one more reason to hate Itachi. The child he had fathered could make his sister sick, or worse. Something had to be done. But what can I do? She won’t listen to me about him or that baby. I couldn’t … I couldn’t force her hand. Maybe if she falls ill she will lose the baby. That would be a step in the right direction.
A hard knock from downstairs echoed through the house. Hikaru could sense Aster and Itachi in the garden, Sasuke in the dining room, Sakura unpacking in her new room, and now a new presence at the front door. The Uchihas are popular. Curious, he stood, opened the door, and made his way down stairs.
He could hear Sakura’s footsteps as she followed him; she was also intrigued by the newcomer. Passing her only a quick glance, he stopped short at the foot of the stairs. Itachi was at the door, Sasuke and Aster close behind, straining to be part of whatever was happening.
“Here,” Shizune bowed. “This is the latest mission and team roster. Hinata, Kakashi, and Naruto have already been informed and given a copy of this as well.”
Itachi nodded in acknowledgement and the messenger left quickly.
Taking it to the table, the whole group sat, except Hikaru, who stood leaning against the back of the couch.
“The mission has to do with the information Naruto gathered on Orochimaru.” Itachi said just loud enough for everyone to hear. “It looks like the usual roster, team seven and team SAI with Hinata as a stand in for Aster.”
Sasuke reached across the table, “Wait a minute.” He tried to grab the scroll and Itachi snatched it back. “Wait- I can’t read it upside down. Team seven looks like it still has three names. Will Sakura still be sent out?”
Hope welling in her, Sakura perked up.
Itachi looked over the names again and his face fell. “No, it’s not Sakura listed.” He paused, looking worried. Then he turned and met Hikaru’s scowl. “It’s you listed. You will be coming with us to catch Orochimaru.”
Surprise took him. “I…” He stopped, shocked at the appointment. “Actually, I would enjoy that. That bastard kept me imprisoned for 10 years. I’d like to capture him and bring him some justice.”
Sighing with relief Itachi traded a hopeful look with Aster. So far her brother had not used the chance to disparage him.
“So who’s leading this group anyway? A six man team is large, even for this.” Hikaru crossed his arms.
Turning slowly, Itachi held Hikaru’s condescending gaze. “I am. I’ve been leading the missions.”
“I don’t like it,” he shot back, not seeming to care that he was surrounded by people that sympathized with the Uchiha. “I don’t trust you at all. I’m going to make sure you don’t try to plot something.” Standing tall, he pointed one accusing finger at Itachi. “I’ll cooperate with you so long as I believe you’re working to keep my sister and her home safe. I have no allegiance to you or Konoha, so don’t push me.”
Itachi nodded. “I know where we stand, Hikaru-san,” he said bitterly.
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It was just before dawn, and Itachi sat on the edge of the bed, the small of his back against Aster’s. His full gear was on and a backpack of camping gear at his feet. Knowing there was always the chance he wouldn’t return, he gently shook her awake. Sighing softly, she curled and turned her head towards him.
“You’re leaving?” she asked quietly. Glancing at him and then burying her face in the pillow, she pulled her shoulders in.
“Please don’t cry.” He rubbed her back and took her hands. “I’ll be back.”
She sat up with a speed he’d forgotten she had. “You think I don’t believe you can handle yourself? I know you’ll come home.”
Tears were still streaming down her face and he no longer knew what to make of them.
“You don’t even understand do you?” She continued. “I’ll never be able to leave this village again. I’ll live out the rest of my days in mind numbing monotony and try to forget I used to be useful. All the while, I get to watch you do things that matter.”
Glaring at her, he shot back, “You’re being disgustingly selfish. You don’t want to say goodbye, even though I could die out there. You’re not thinking of our child either. If both of us were killed in action, that baby would be an orphan. Is that what you want?”
Cowed, she grasped the sheets to her chest and bit her lip. “No, of course not. And I never said I didn’t want to see you off. I… I just wish so badly I could go with you.”
Standing and turning his back to her, anger colored his voice. “You just don’t get it. Staying here is a privilege. One I’m willing to kill and be killed for.” He hoisted his pack onto his shoulders and made towards the door.
“Wait!” Aster jumped up in her underwear to stop him at their door. “Let’s not part like this. Please.”
Scowling, he replied, “You know I’ll come home. It doesn’t matter how we leave this.”
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All six ninja stood at the assigned meeting place by the river. Early morning sun reflected red and orange off the ripples. Shadows were still long and reached into the waning night.
Itachi cleared his throat and the group met his stare. “I trust everyone has read the briefing scroll?” Everyone nodded. “Then we are ready to take out Orochimaru, assuming he is still in the area. If not, we do not return to Konoha until we have a fresh lead, no matter how dubious the quality may be.” Surveying the team again, he noticed the intensity about Hikaru and the alternate withdrawn demeanor of Sasuke. The two most affected by this mission handle it in opposite manners.
At his signal, team SAI and team seven set off.
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Sakura still couldn’t get used to the emptiness of the house compared to before the Orochimaru mission. Frequently, she woke through the night. It didn’t surprise her when she found herself staring at the ceiling in the wee hours of the morning.
That was when a strange sound reached her. It was muffled and she didn’t quite comprehend what she was hearing. She realized it was coming from the other side of the wall next to her bed. The wall on her left was shared with Aster and Itachi. Their room had a private bathroom, which was on the other side of Sakura’s wall.
The sound of running water reached her. Then she heard a thud. Oh no- please tell me my pregnant charge didn’t just slip and fall-! Leaping out of bed, she burst into the room and flung open the bathroom door. Aster was sitting on the floor, staring up at Sakura, both girls in their underwear and t-shirts. Water was running in the sink to the left of Sakura.
Kneeling down, “Are you alright?” Sakura asked.
Aster glared at her. “I’m fine. I… I just fell, I guess.”
Worry covered the younger girl’s face. “I’m going to make sure you aren’t injured. And I’ll just do your daily check up at the same time.” That way we can see each other less.
The other seemed to understand what was unspoken. “Okay. I’ll dress and meet you downstairs.”
Nodding, Sakura left to gather her kit. Aster changed quickly, wearing her comfortable white dress. As she came down the flight of stairs, Sakura motioned for her to sit on the couch.
Starting with a small blood draw, she held Aster’s hand and pricked inside the elbow quickly. The two vials were full in seconds. Afterwards she checked her for swelling in the extremities and discoloration. Everything appeared fine. Next she tested reflexes. Her arms appeared normal, but her legs were slightly slow and showed less range of motion. It was something only visible to a well-trained eye, easy to dismiss. Sakura trusted her instincts and wrote it into Aster’s chart. Finally she weighed her.
Sakura frowned as she looked between the number on the scale and the one in her file.
“What’s wrong?” Aster asked.
Sighing, she replied, “Probably nothing. You’re seven pounds less than before.”
“I did just throw up; that has to affect it, right?” She shrugged.
Sakura blinked. “Morning sickness? That’s a good sign. But still, you should be gaining weight.”
“So is something wrong?” she responded, urgency creeping into voice.
Shaking off the rising doubt, she said, “No, no. I probably just wrote your old weight down wrong. You’re still a healthy weight. I wouldn’t worry.” Yet…
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Team seven and team SAI slowed their pace through the forest suddenly, but didn’t come to a halt. It was sunset; the dappled light was fiery blood orange. A massive chakra flooded the shinobis’ senses.
Radioing his team, Itachi said, “It’s not a person. It’s a barrier, and we are close to it.”
“I don’t see anything,” Naruto chimed in.
Hikaru beat Itachi to a response. “It’s a genjutsu barrier, designed to camouflage the village.”
Sighing to himself, the older Uchiha continued, “A barrier this strong likely has stone seals, which can hold chakra to feed the illusion and be replenished. Those seals need to be destroyed. We should locate all the seals and destroy them in unison. It’s likely that breaking even one of those stones will alert them to our presence. Be ready to move as soon as the barrier drops.” With a flick of his wrist, he sent the team to scour the perimeter.
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Standing close by, Naruto watched Hinata using her byakugan. There was no time to waste. It was a moment before she pointed. Wordlessly, the pair ran in that direction. In minutes they found the seal. Sure enough, it was a stone, round and just larger than Naruto’s splayed hand. A spiral was carved into it and sharp kanji radiated out from the center. The blonde radioed in their find. Then they waited for the signal to destroy it.
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Sasuke and Hikaru ran side by side, the Uchiha using his sharingan to scan the area for the seal. Both could feel the pulse of chakra strengthening, but neither had yet spotted the origin.
“You need to back off.” Sasuke didn’t even turn around.
Hikaru made to effort towards eye contact. “From Itachi? You’re the last person I’d expect to defend him.”
Frowning, he glanced back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about and you don’t know him. I don’t like him, but he must be a good person.”
“You don’t sound so confident.”
“I have to be honest,” Sasuke sighed, “I don’t really know him anymore. I know why he did what he did, and I still can’t fully forgive him.”
Hikaru smirked.
Scowling, Sasuke continued, “But… Aster seems to think the world of him. And she’s a good judge of character and probably the best person I’ve ever met. If she can love Itachi, then maybe I could at least forgive him.”
Shaking his head, “Aster is clearly not a good judge of character. She thinks Itachi will protect her and that I’m the bad guy.”
“Maybe,” Abruptly, Sasuke came to a halt, “Maybe you are.”
Shock played over Hikaru’s features, but he ignored the comment. “There’s the seal,” he pointed to the base of a tree.
Sasuke sent in word and they waited for the confirmation to break the stone.
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Itachi sped up and Kakashi matched his pace. The rest of his team had found seals and were waiting impatiently. Sharingan activated, both men kept look out.
“Strange that they are no sentries?” Kakashi said.
Puzzled as to if it was a question or statement, Itachi responded. “Now that you mention it, a little. But with a system like this, they hardly need them. No intruder, except a group like ours, could penetrate this barrier.”
“So you weren’t worrying about sentries the whole way here?” he raised an eyebrow.
Scowling, he replied, “Why do you even bother asking? You know I don’t want to discuss it. Also, this is hardly the time Kakashi-san.”
With the mask over his face, his expression was unreadable. “There’s never a good time with you.”
Itachi sighed in frustration. The seal they were tracking still felt a little ways away. “Fine,” he conceded. “If you must pry, Aster is very upset because she thinks her shinobi career is over and -”
“It is,” he interjected. “The majority of women never see the battlefield again, often not by choice. Children are demanding and they need at least one parent around.”
Frowning, he continued, not wanting to face the truth he spoke. “And her brother hates me.”
“You understand why though?” His voice was chiding.
Growing more irritated, Itachi snapped, “Yes- I know why he hates me. But there’s more to what happened than he seems to know. It could all be remedied if he would just talk to me.”
Kakashi sighed and his eye roll was almost palpable. “Would you give anyone a chance if you were in your shoes?”
Grinding his teeth, Itachi fell silent, not wanting to answer. That was when he finally spotted it. “There it is.” He tapped the radio button behind his ear. “All units in place- move to take down the barrier.
Simultaneously, all three seals were shattered. Naruto used a rasengan, Hikaru used mizu kamikiri, and Kakashi used a chidori. The peaceful forest in front of them rippled. Slowly, the image dispersed and revealed nothing but barren, red hued dirt. The group found themselves standing together on the edge of a clearing smaller than they had expected. There was no sprawling village or gate reaching towards the sky. Instead there were steps leading down into what appeared to be a giant cave. The entrance was ringed with two intertwined snakes, their heads resting at the bottom of the steps, fangs bared.
The village Hidden in Sound was underground.
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It felt as though they had been wandering tunnels forever. All of Orochimaru’s hideouts were carved into rock faces or underground. But this one was massive. The halls were wide enough for all six of them to stand shoulder to shoulder. Itachi and Kakashi led the charge, Naruto and Hinata with her byakugan activated in the middle, and Hikaru and Sasuke at the back. So far they had not encountered a soul.
Itachi raised a hand to halt the group. “He knew we were coming. Our new task is to gather a lead. I doubt Orochimaru is still on the premises.”
Glaring at his feet, Sasuke said softly, “If we find him, that bastard is mine.”
Hikaru shot him a dirty look. “No- he’s mine. He captured me and kept me imprisoned.”
“He gave me this,” Sasuke turned, pulling the shoulder of his shirt and revealing the cursed mark.
Mouth agape, Hikaru asked, “You were meant to be his next vessel?”
Sasuke nodded. “Yes. And he turned me against Itachi. He led me astray. I will never forgive that.”
Consternation set his features in stone. Hikaru looked away. “I didn’t know we had this man in common. I would like to take him down myself, but if you do it, I will not feel regret.”
The group continued to move, slower now, looking for clues. Torches burned in sconces down the halls, as though they had just missed Orochimaru. The halls curved and met at strange angles. The stone was scaled like a serpent. There were no doors, no openings, only winding tunnels it appeared. The shinobi moved deeper and deeper into the maze.
Suddenly there was a loud crash behind them, the sound of rocks flying and being crushed. Everyone turned around. Horror filled Itachi’s face. Orochimaru was half serpent and had burst through the floor. His movement was quick enough to grab Sasuke, one hand over his mouth and another around his torso, pinning his arms.
“Let him go!” Itachi cried out, brandishing a kunai.
The snake sannin cackled. Sasuke struggled with him in vain. Wearing a wolfish grin, Orochimaru slipped back into the hole he’d crawled from with Sasuke in tow. The whole corridor began to shake.
“He’s going to bury us alive!” Hikaru yelled. “We can’t go back the way we came- there’s no time!”
Hinata grabbed Naruto’s wrists. “Use your rasengan! Tunnel upwards and get us out!”
The kyuubi boy nodded and wordlessly began crafting the largest rasengan he could. Holding chakra in his left hand and gathering some in his feet, he tore through the rock above them. The other shinobi followed. As they leapt to the surface, the ground beneath their feet  began crumbling, filling in the tunnels they had been wandering. The now five man team landed on the edge of the crater that had one been a clearing.
“Goddammit!” Itachi screamed. “It was a trap- he just wanted Sasuke!”
Watching terror for his brother contort the Uchiha’s features, Hikaru stepped forward. “We’ll get him back.”