Pakun had reported the exact location of the Kazekage to Kakashi early in the morning. Which meant it was time to leave.

I strolled into the room of my genin, intending to inform them of the situation and bid them farewell.

"Wake up brats, it's time for my departure," I said, flicking on the lights.

Three groggy genin were up instantly, aware of the situation at hand. "You're leaving already?" Aisa asked, worry lacing his voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, baka. This is the Kazekage we're talking about," I addressed all three of them at this point. "A team of ANBU will be here within a day's time to escort you back to Konoha. Behave. I won't get yelled at for your stupidity when I get back," I glared at them. "And lastly, once you return to the village, take a day off. Rest. I want you three to report to Ibiki Morino every morning at 8am sharp. Tell him exactly that, he'll know what to do. And listen to whatever he says. Because he will assess all three of you and report back to me, and I better like what I here. Got it?"

I almost smirked. They were going to have so much fun training under Ibiki.

And Ibiki would be pissed to, which was a plus. But he owed me for that one time so I figured he'll train them while I'm away.

A barrage of complaints surfaced but one glare shut them up.

"Alright knuckleheads, cya," I waved to them as my back was turned.

I could tell that they wanted to say more, especially Aisa, who's anxiety was emanating off the charts, but I ignored those mixes of emotions and left without turning back.

They were probably worried that I wouldn't come back alive, given the previous day's' situations. It was a totally possible outcome, of course.

No one was safe in this profession.

I exited the village gates, joining Team Kakashi, sand ninja and granny chiyo, the old woman and one of the honored siblings.

"Ready to leave?" Kakashi asked, shooting a worried glance at me. I rolled my eyes at that.

"Yeah, whatever."

I assessed the old woman who would be accompanying team Kakashi and I on the mission. She was strong, there was no denying that.

But having her here could compromise the mission. She had a personal connection to the enemy, who wouldn't hesitate to use this weakness against her.

Who, I wasn't sure. But after all her years of sitting back she just cared about this mission too much.

We started running.

My eyes drifted half shut against the glare of the sun as we ran. Naruto and Sakura were panting, but I reveled in the heat, soaking it into my bones. I could come out here, I mused. The desert was nice. The heat. The sun. I could get used to it.

Except for the damn sand that got everywhere.

I looked up into the empty blue sky, watching a single vulture circle in wide, lazy arcs. My head tilted slightly. I remembered a time when vultures were circling me. I thought I was going to die. Maybe I did die, a little.

The air was getting colder around me, goosebumps rising on my skin as the temperature seemed to drop. I realized my mistake and shook my head sharply, coming back to the present. It was burning hot, not cold. It was an oven out here. The air wasn't getting colder. I was on a mission.

Kakashi must have caught the movement because he casually angled his run so that he's next to me. I could barely keep the sigh and rolling eyes contained; he would want to talk. Couldn't he see that I didn't want--didn't need--to talk?

"You alright?"

This time a short sigh did escape. "Don't ask stupid questions," I snapped.

"You got attacked by two Claws of the Rising Phoenix," Kakashi replied quietly. "Two ANBU died. One was injured badly. You yourself were stabbed. It's okay if you're not okay."

I raised an eyebrow. "Eloquent," I replied dryly. "But I'm fine, Kakashi."

He studied me out of the corner of his eye. "Cashile--"

"Kakashi," I cut him off. "Is this really the time for... whatever you're trying to do? Sharing and caring? Don't forget that we're on a mission."

He looked at me for a long moment before nodding. "Well then, listen up, everyone! There's some information we should go over before we have to confront anyone."

I listened closely, filing the information away inside my head.

Bijuu are the uncontrollable demon spirits with mass amounts of chakra.

Jinchuriki were human bodies used to contain these spirits for villages in need of destructive weapons.

The Akatsuki were seeking all of the jinchuriki to attain mass amounts of power.

And finally, we couldn't let that happen.

I knew most, though not all, of that information already. I was well informed of major organization and criminals and major players in the ninja world. I needed to be, as a Claw. Didn't want to piss off someone stronger than me.

Like a member of the Akatsuki.

Speaking of, we came to a halt.

A strong presence had stopped us in our tracks. Dull emotionless red eyes met mine, and I knew. I'd seen those sort of eyes before.

And those were the eyes of a broken man.

"Itachi Uchiha," Naruto ground out, glaring at the man, who I immediately related to none other than the Sasuke Uchiha.

Of course. That explained so much.

Granny Chiyo, Sakura and Kakashi stiffened. "Careful," Kakashi warned gravely. "One glance in his eyes and you'll be stuck in his genjutsu."

Well dammit. My first run in with the Akatsuki would be a genjutsu user.

I immediately adjusted my eyes elsewhere, but Naruto, idiot he was, gathered mass amounts of chakra into his palm and ran forward. "Rasengan!" He drew back his arm and aimed, making contact with... the air.

And suddenly he was stuck in a trance. I connected the dots almost immediately. Of course. Someone as powerful as the infamous Itachi Uchiha, slaughterer of the entire Uchiha clan (save one), would in no way be satisfied with such limited power.

And I'd bet you gold that he could cast genjutsu with much more than his eyes.

If I could get a hit on him fast enough, while he was entertaining Naruto, then maybe... I flashed in front of the Uchiha in preparation to strike with my twin blades, and within milliseconds found myself in an empty space.

It was genjutsu. I knew it was genjutsu. I was never bad at recognizing a genjutsu. In fact, I would say I was better than most.

It was creating them and getting out of them I still had trouble with.

The Rising Phoenix had never specialized in ninja skills. They had to have some way of keeping their Claws in line. Therefore my ninjutsu and genjutsu were definitely lacking. Genin level.

Well. My genin level. Though most genin could probably escape a genjutsu better than I. A thought that infuriates me.

On the bright side, my assassination skills and techniques were top notch, which more than overcompensated for what I was lacking in.

Ibiki would have a fucking field day with my lack of nin and gen jutsu.

But those more recently acquired skills wouldn't suffice in a fight against an opponent, especially one strong in ninjutsu; such as none other than Itachi. I'd just have to rely on my old skills—or, I'll admit, lack thereof—to get me out of this situation.

"Itachi Uchiha," I said his name as he appeared in front of me. "Fine genjutsu you've trapped me in."

He said nothing, which I had already anticipated. But I was okay with that; his facial expressions and body language spoke volumes more than his words ever could.

With no other option viable yet to rattle him, I attacked. I knew it would be no use. I knew that any attack he willed would harm me. It would hurt, but my physical body would not be damaged. And pain was something that I could tolerate.

He evaporated instantaneously into multiple crows. The sky darkened, turning into a violent shade of violet. Storm clouds brewed above and thunder echoes across the skies. Lightning streaked in a form that singed the ground near my right foot.

"Scary," I muttered, analyzing the genjutsu clone that had formed in front of me. He seems to recognize the slight sarcasm.

And suddenly I was in a small metal cage, knee deep in ice cold snow.

Panic rose from my chest, radiating from my heart outwards.The cold bit  into me and I could feel myself slipping as the memories came  surging forward. He knew. How could he know? How could he--

I narrowed my eyes at the shadow clone of Itachi Uchiha, reminding myself that this was a genjutsu. I harshly drag my mind back to the present. Of course he would try to use my haunting past against me. Nothing less from the infamous Uchiha. Itachi played mind games. My specialty—and I wouldn't let him beat me at my own game.

So I did what I do best. What I was always best at, even as a Claw: I observed him. I studied him briefly, watching his every movement, his posture, his facial expressions which said so much about his character. I knew of him, of course. His past. His actions. Everyone knew of him and what he'd  done. I'd gone and studied his case with more depth than most; the entire  situation had seemed slightly... off. I never did pinpoint what was wrong with the entire story that sat so wrong with me.

But then I knew. Having him there in front of me, watching him, it all suddenly clicked. I visibly raised my eyebrow in a chastising manner. "Itachi Uchiha, you selfish bastard," I started my read on him. "Selfishly sparing Sasuke's life to nurse your own guilt? Do you know how much pain you've caused him?"

It wasn't much, but for a brief second his expression changed to that of a man who was utterly... Broken.

It was there, if only for a second, encouraging me to continue. He hadn't expected this, I could see clearly. He hadn't expected me to be smart. He wasn't prepared for this and I had to press this advantage, no matter how small. I visualized the metal cage starting to crack.

It did nothing. Yet.

"I've heard all about you, you know," I said. "Slaughterer, murderer. Extinguished your entire clan, all in a night's work. It's almost... Admirable. It was very well put together. Must have been planned meticulously. I still don't understand how you alone managed it." There's no flinch, nothing at all to judge in his reaction other than a lack of one. So I continue.

"Maybe you're just smarter than me. Unlikely. I probably am still missing a key piece. You did well. Almost perfect. But there was a mistake." He didn't react, but I knew he would soon. "The mistake, of course, was Sasuke."

Cold chains wrapped painfully around my wrists, spreading my arms outward, while Itachi Uchiha entered the cage.

"You are..." His dull sharingans said much more than he himself spoke. "Insufferable."

He shoved a kunai into my abdomen, about 6 inches deep. I sucked in a deep breath but held the pain. I had dealt with much more in the Rising Phoenix. I didn't have to last much longer. Soon someone would release me from this genjutsu.

I gritted my teeth and spoke through the pain as he twisted the kunai inside of me. "Don't like facing the truth, huh? Coward. You didn't spare Sasuke for Sasuke's sake. You spared him for yours. It's hard to believe that you actually ever loved Sasuke. You destroyed his life by leaving him alive. It would have been the act of a merciful man to take his life." He's twisting the kunai again and I can't help but lose my train of thought for a moment, squeezing my eyes shut.

The cold harsh metal. The chains. The cold. The pain... Bad tool bad tool—

"The real question, I suppose--" I cut myself off with a gasp but grit my teeth and continued. He might have me in a genjutsu but I'd be damned if I didn't win the mind games. "The real question," I repeated. "Is whether you're truly a monster who did the cruelest thing possible to a young boy, or if you're just another selfish human, who, even when you killed your mother and father and clansmen, couldn't kill your little brother. Either option is rather terrible, for you."

He showed no emotion, but showing no emotion is an emotion in itself.

"Maybe," I theorized, "Just maybe, though... you do love Sasuke. Maybe--"

I was yanked from the genjutsu before I can finish the thought. But I saw Itachi's eyes. They made me wonder about the validity of the story we had been told all our lives, of Itachi the monster, Itachi the murderer, Itachi, the killer of the Uchiha.

Because his eyes were past devastated. Past heartbroken. Past depressed.

They were broken.

__________________________

Hey guys!

Finally got another update out to you! How do you like it??

Please comment long and beautiful comments!

I play soccer and my team is in districts now for soccer! We play our rival tonight. Wish us luck!!!

WOOSH BACK FROM THE FUTURE WE WON!!!! 1-0 we have another game tomorrow so pray for us! Wish us luck!

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Please please please go read my friend's story, Songbird's Cage. It's really really awesome and deserves the support! Also, when you go check it out, comment on the first chapter,

"Russian music is the best music. #Vitas"

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gaara119

Hey guys!!

IM A GRADUATE WOOHOO!
No more calculus for me. Until next year. Hah.

Anyways! Finally got that update out, eh? Comment!! So we can read what you lovely people have to say and be inspired.

On another note, go to Netflix and watch "bob Ross, beauty is everywhere" it's very calming when you're angry.

And he has three very qt pet squirrels aw.

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