chapter 4
Right after school, Sasuke went to the library to get the next batch of books. The librarian was looking at him suspiciously when he turned in the old ones.
“You didn’t have them long enough to read through!” she sounded like she was accusing him but she was only a civilian so Sasuke wasn’t nervous.
“I’m doing a personal project at home so I only need to look a couple of things up instead of reading the whole book.” He repeated the practiced lie. She continued to glare at him and he was starting to get nervous. What would happen if he were caught now. Even at his age, he knew enough about what his family was doing to know they would all get into a lot of trouble if anyone found out what they were doing.
He did remember something Shisui told him. When someone is acting like the librarian was, the best way to get them to trust you was to act innocent and change the subject. Sasuke didn’t know how to act innocent when he was guilty but he did know one of the books he got was an action book that he did actually read. He had been bringing home some action books and fantasy because he loved to read and didn’t want to read boring books all the time.
His mom copied them with the rest, even if she gave him a look the entire time she did it. Sometimes she would even comment on a book she had read before or a common book for kids. He didn’t think she was mad at him for bringing them or she wouldn’t copy them. He felt like she was more upset with the need for the extra work.
Thinking quickly, he continued the conversation “I was really interested in the different kinds of fire jutsu there is.” He tried to act extra excited about the book that he only flipped through but figured he knew enough about the type of jutsu to fake it. “I wasn’t sure what some of the words were but finding out there are other types of fire besides what my family uses is kinda neat.”
His act must have been working because as he rambled on about things that he thought were in the book, the woman’s face relaxed and she checked them in. “I know one you might enjoy if you liked it.” She commented and looked around. “It will have to be our little secret though if I let you check it out.”
“Like a super secret mission!” Now Sasuke was excited again. He knew he was doing great on his current secret mission and now he was going to get another one.
“Yes!” She whispered. “Come with me.” She led the young boy towards the restricted section of the library. “Usually, I wouldn’t do this for anyone but you’re such a bright young man and we don’t get many young readers anymore,” she explained as she opened the restricted rope.
“Usually the only people that come in here are looking for better ways to ki…” She stopped herself before shaking her head with a small laugh. “Anyway, anyone looking for knowledge shouldn’t be denied it simply because of their age.” She grabbed some older books off the shelf and handed them to him. “Put these in your bag. You can return them with your other books. You might enjoy them.” Now that she was talking, she grabbed several scrolls as well.
“Also, you can take these to look at but don’t use them. They are very valuable and don’t need to be used. Looking at them may help with your project.” Sasuke quickly put the scrolls and books in his bag without even looking at them.
“Thank you!” He was grinning ear to ear at the older woman’s kindness.
“It’s no problem. Just pick out your regular books and you can return all of it when you get back. Just make sure you give them to me when you get back.”
“Okay!” Sasuke happily responded before going over to another bookcase and picking out some complicated looking books on medicine and even seals. “I’ll have to have my mom help with these.” He commented and the librarian smiled sweetly at him.
“You come by and show me when your done.” Sasuke didn’t know what he did to make her trust him so much but he promised he would show her before he realized it. When he walked out of the library, he groaned when he realized now he would have to have a project to show her.
When he walked home, it was so busy that he wasn’t able to talk to his family until dinner time. By then, he forgot all about the conversations he had with Shikamaru and the librarian. His mother was talking to Itachi about Shisui though. “He’s getting antsy being stuck in the shrine with no visitors.” Itachi justified.
“I know but it won’t be for much longer.” Mikoto had refused to let anyone in the shrine for fear that someone would find out that’s where Shisui was hiding. Itachi had spoken with him some in a comm unit but he had to be careful. Every time he called his cousin, he could hear the still unnamed child in the background. The voice sounded familiar but it wasn’t really important right now.
Itachi was originally going to go to the Hokage when he found out what his family was about to do but the more he thought about it, the more conflicted he was. If they left, he wouldn’t have to choose between the two awful things that the Hokage said he would have to do. They could disappear in the night and he could stay and report they were gone. It was a great plan until Shisui showed up from an assassination attempt.
Shisui never wanted anything but peace and someone ordered him dead because of it. If they were so quick to betray someone who would never hurt anyone, would they have turned on him that quickly as well. How much of what he was told was a lie. He decided that night that he couldn’t ride on the fence anymore. He had to choose a side and as far as he knew. Only one side would never betray him like he almost did them.
It was a tear jerking apology when he told his parents about what he was going to do. His mother spent the night holding him and telling him everything was going to be alright. His father glared at the wall and apologized as well. He told Itachi he didn’t want him to feel that way and thought he was doing what was best for them. At the end of the night, the three shared a bed and an understanding. Itachi hadn’t shared a bed with his parents since he was very young but God couldn’t move him from that spot that night.
The next morning, he packed his things and started helping with the planning. He even gave a false report to the Hokage about what the Uchiha were doing. He didn’t think they could stay much longer. It was still cold but not bad enough that the roads were blocked off but a few Anbu had started poking around the borders. Mikoto was right. They would have to leave soon.
The next morning, Mikoto had kept Sasuke from school again. She sent a message to the teacher that he was going to be learning from his father today. It wasn’t unusual for clan children to stay home to learn clan secrets and even if the Hokage didn’t like it. He had to respect this rule or he would have to answer to all the clans. The last of their things were packed and Fugaku started recalling the Uchiha clan back home slowly.
By afternoon, everything was packed and loaded into the carts on the other side of the village wall. They were still on Uchiha land so they would be difficult to spot. When everyone was there, several of the clan volunteered to stay to set up a genjutsu to hide them leaving as long as possible.
They would be traveling south towards where Ushio used to be before it was burned down. It was warm and isolated because of what had happened there. It was also in water country and close enough to the Ocean that they could sail away if they were attacked. The Hokage would chase them but could only do it until they reached the border. Any official Konoha shinobi entering another country could be an act of war.
The Uchiha didn’t think this would stop the Hokage and Anbu but they hoped it would slow them down long enough for them to get their bearings. After they set up a shelter and a defense. The Hokage would need an army to get to them and to get that army. They would have to explain the the daimyo why the Uchiha ran in the first place.
Fugaku didn’t have a lot of pull in the village but the Daimyo did have a copy of the treaty that the two clans signed when they made it. There was no clause that said they had to stay there. Technically they weren’t doing anything wrong. That wouldn’t stop the village from destroying them if they thought they could though.
Itachi, Fugaku, Shisui and a few others that were known for their speed chose to stay and maintain the genjutsu for as long as they could. It would be easier for them to escape than for the entire clan to try their luck.
Sasuke saw Shisui put someone with blond hair into one of the wagons as he was ushered into another one. “Be careful,” he almost felt like crying. A few others were saying tearful goodbyes as well and Sasuke hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he saw his father and brother. The Sun was beginning to go down as they set out into the night.
Sasuke watched from the back of the wagon as the air almost shimmered in the dusk and people started to appear in the home he was leaving behind. He thought he saw himself running home from the woods but couldn’t be sure with how blurry his vision was. When he looked at his mom, her eyes were dry and looking only forward.
Almost as if she sensed his eyes on her, she spoke. “Don’t worry, dear, we’ll see them again in a couple of days.”