Chapter 12
Chapter 12: The Strange Group Part 2
Itachi was relieved when Minato, sensing his growing concern, asked him to shadow the group. It wasn’t often the Hokage gave such an explicit task, but this situation called for caution, especially with Sasuke’s unexplainable reactions to these strange individuals. Minato subtly pointed at Itachi, a silent gesture for him to follow them.
At first, the group followed Sasuke around the village. The woman, with her strange "smartphone," was particularly fascinated with the sights, taking pictures of the Hokage mountain and the various landmarks around the village. Itachi watched from a distance as she clicked picture after picture, muttering excitedly about the technology.
Megumi just shrugged, clearly indifferent to the woman’s enthusiasm. Gojo, as always, seemed nonchalant but his eyes were sharp, scanning everything around them. The pink-haired man yawned tiredly, clearly not interested in the sightseeing as Sasuke continued his explanations.
It wasn’t until Sasuke led them to the Uchiha district that Itachi’s suspicions deepened. The area was quieter than usual—most of the Uchiha were either working at the police station or out on missions, leaving behind mostly the elderly and a few younger Uchiha in their chunin vests.
Itachi, hidden in the shadows, noticed that the strange group was acting...oddly. The way they looked at the Uchiha members—it wasn’t just casual observation. Their eyes widened, and they seemed to be staring at something invisible, something that wasn’t obvious to anyone else. Itachi felt a chill crawl up his spine. What were they seeing?
Gojo, walking behind Sasuke with his usual carefree attitude, whistled loudly. "Ma, Sasuke, your clan really is... special," he said in a tone that seemed to mix amusement with something else, something darker.
Sasuke didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked away, a sad expression crossing his face. "Too special, if you ask me."
Itachi frowned behind his mask. What did that mean? Why did Sasuke seem so down? The exchange between him and Gojo was curious, but Itachi had little time to ponder it before they continued their tour of the district.
The group followed Sasuke to the Uchiha shrine, a place sacred to the clan. Sasuke retrieved a strange pouch from behind a statue, securing it around his left arm, and then lit a candle. He muttered something under his breath, but Itachi couldn’t hear the words, even with his enhanced hearing. Something about the whole situation felt...off.
Before Itachi could process it, there was a commotion behind him. The pink-haired man, who had been mostly uninterested, suddenly spoke up. "Uff, this is... at least 2... ouch, sorry! I’ll keep quiet!"
He was elbowed sharply by the woman, who scolded him, "PSST, Itadori, you idiot!"
The playful argument seemed out of place, considering the somber mood surrounding Sasuke. The group watched as Sasuke knelt before the candle, his face serious. His eyes closed, and for a long moment, Itachi was unable to read his expression, but the weight of the moment was palpable. When Sasuke stood up, he left the candle burning, but he didn’t say anything more.
Itachi stayed hidden, watching as Sasuke moved to their house. His younger brother seemed to be in a trance-like state, entering his room and carefully placing his forehead protector down on his desk. Itachi had seen Sasuke’s room many times before, but today, something was different. Sasuke changed into an outfit resembling the strangers, and Itachi's curiosity grew.
Then, Sasuke did something completely unexpected. He moved the floorboards of his room and pulled out an old, purple suitcase. Itachi’s eyes widened. He had cleaned Sasuke’s room countless times—how had he missed this? What was in that suitcase?
Sasuke closed the door behind him, and for a moment, he lingered outside, his eyes locked on the house. Itachi couldn’t help but feel the weight of the unspoken goodbye in that simple action. It was as if Sasuke was preparing for something far bigger than he let on.
Gojo, sensing the moment had passed, spoke up with his usual lightheartedness. "You know... never mind. Lead the way, kid!"
Sasuke didn’t respond, just turned and led the group toward the village gates. Itachi, still hidden in the shadows, followed them quietly, his mind racing. He’d keep an eye on the group, but he had a bad feeling about all of this. The strange group, Sasuke’s odd behavior, the mysterious suitcase—it all felt wrong.
He made a mental note to confront Sasuke once he returned. He would get the answers, no matter what. But when Sasuke would return, he didn’t know.
A week passed, and Sasuke never came back.
Itachi grew more concerned with each passing day. His younger brother was missing, and not a word had come from him. The Hokage’s office had heard nothing from Sasuke or the group. Itachi began to question what had happened during that week. What did Sasuke get involved in? What had those strangers done to him?
He had to find out.
Itachi’s mind churned with worry as the days dragged on, and his protective instincts toward his brother intensified. Whatever was going on, he wouldn’t stop until he had the truth.
And if it meant confronting Sasuke, even if it hurt, he would