Damn Water Hole [Complete]

[narutimate]

Character(s): Naruto, Itachi, Zetsu, Deidara and Haku.
Content: Both Naruto and Itachi are suffering from the water contamination and Zetsu comes to visit, bringing along with him two surprises.
Setting: Actua Are {F3}
Time: Morning.
Warnings: None?

Comments

[redeyesatnight]

Surprised lighted on Itachi's face to hear Naruto speak of the Sharingan and the Mangekyou in such a manner. He never considered that he would be so familiar with such things. After all, it was regarded more as a family secret. Not even all of the Uchiha knew about it, and about Madara's grand intention... The ANBU captain considered himself lucky to have even considered such things.

"Mangekyou is a special case," he told Naruto. "It isn't the advanced form that damages the eyes, but the jutsu used with it. Or so I've read. I think it was the undue stress it causes upon the user's eyes.

"Zetsu-san is coming?" Itachi seemed surprised by the notion. "I wasn't aware that you had been in touch with him." He hadn't seen Zetsu in at least a week. It had been that long since he had met up with Naruto, he knew. "Perhaps he can. I think a Hyuuga would be a better bet, if we could find one..."

[narutimate]

Naruto nodded to Itachi's explanation, it wasn't like he knew that much about it just what others had told him. Although he was probably more knowledgeable on certain things then he realized himself.

"Yeah, I spoke to him on the journals just now," he averted his eyes to the floor as he spoke, the reluctance even sounding in his voice. If it were Naruto's choice he probably wouldn't have talked to any Akatsuki member at all but Zetsu had seemed reasonable enough.

"If Neji or Hinata were here, either one would have found me right away," he smiled at the thought but at the same time felt quite sad about the fact they weren't here. But perhaps that was for the better, they were more needed at home anyway.

[redeyesatnight]

Itachi couldn't see Naruto's nod, so he had no true measure of the blond's understanding of his words. He just had to trust that the older shinobi understood. The Uchiha didn't know how well Naruto comprehended things, nor was he actually aware of the blond's shinobi level.

"You did? So he's definitely coming?" Itachi would have been glad to see Zetsu. Except that he couldn't see. He wasn't even sure that the plant-nin would be capable of fixing the problem.

"You have no guarantees that they would be the same Neji and Hinata that you know, Naruto. After all, I'm far younger than when you know me, right?"

[narutimate]

"Yeah, he is," Naruto told Itachi grudgingly. The Uchiha seemed happy enough about it whereas Naruto just felt angry, mostly at himself. This entire situation was just so frustrating. First Itachi had gotten amnesia and now he'd gone blind! On top of that he had a cold for the first time in his life and couldn't use any chakra at all. Naruto's grip on the bed tightened, wishing there was something he could punch.

"True, but at least Hinata would have." He had known Hinata for as long as he could remember. Much like everyone else from the Rookie Nine. Neji was a different story though, if he had come from a time before the exam....Naruto didn't even want to think about it.

He abruptly stood up, all this negative thinking was starting to effect him. He had gotten a headache and was even starting to feel feverish, although he couldn't quite identify the feeling himself. "Do you want tea? I boiled some water."

[redeyesatnight]

The tone to Naruto's words was caught easily by the ANBU Captain, and Itachi frowned, considering the blond. Of course he seemed happy. He was a shinobi, wasn't he? And all shinobi knew how to mask their emotions. Itachi was just really good at hiding them with other emotions, usually ones he wasn't actually feeling.

"You don't like Zetsu-san, do you?" he asked, the question deliberately blatant. "It's because of the Akatsuki, right?"

He offered Naruto a smile. "Tea would be fine." Sadly, there wasn't much that he could do to help the blond. As it stood right now, Itachi was rather dependent upon him. And that was a situation that the Uchiha wasn't very fond of.

[narutimate]

Naruto froze for a moment at the blatant question, looking back at Itachi with a small frown. If there was one thing Naruto failed most at as a ninja, it was masking emotions. He never quite saw the point of it, ninja or not you were still human. He crossed his arms and averted his gaze to the ceiling before answering.

"Yeah, they've done..terrible things..." he trailed off, thoughts drifting back to Gaara and Asuma and the god knows how many other Jinchuuriki they got their hands on.

"Okay," he nodded and returned the smile, although a sad one, despite the fact Itachi couldn't see. He disappeared back into the kitchen and returned again later with two cups of tea. "Here you go," he said as he gently pressed one of cups against Itachi's hand. The tea here was very different from the tea they had back in Konoha but it wasn't too bad.

[weeatbodies]

Speak of the Devil and he comes, naturally. Zetsu had left the room not too long after he'd finished speaking with Naruto over the journals, and had even left his cloak behind after taking whatever scrolls he thought he might need; hopefully the gesture would be seen as it was, a peaceful, non-intrusive assertion of the fact that he was doing this outside of his own affiliations.It could even be interpreted as a sign of vulnerability--he couldn't exactly wear a shirt, after all. He was showing up with nothing from the waist up but a scratched hitai-ate tied over his chest, the roots of his flytrap plainly visible where they burrowed into his arms and shoulders

[redeyesatnight]

"They probably act out of necessity, perceived or otherwise, as most shinobi do," Itachi stated. "You can't really hold that against them. Not anymore than you could against me the slaughter of perceived enemies of Konoha. There is no wrong or right in our world, Naruto. There's only the struggle of power and people trying to get by with the means they have."

The Uchiha was grateful that the blond had placed the tea directly into his hands. Otherwise, it probably would have ended up on the floor.

"Thank you." He raised the cup and took a careful sip before cocking his head and turning slightly toward the door. "We have a visitor."