UchihaSavior

unwrittenjourneys:

Neji reports his findings to Kakashi. The encounter lingers on his mind a few days afterward. Though soon his missions take his attention that he files away the encounter. He forgets for the time being.

Until Kakashi summons him and delivers the news he’s to track Uchiha Itachi and report on his status. 

Neji doesn’t question why, just nods his understanding of the objective before leaving to prepare. 

It’s been a week since then. His latest lead has taken him to the Land of Fire’s North border. 

Still no sight of them. According to his mission scroll, he has one more week before having to report back. He sits down on the branch and retrieves one of his rations as he ponders where to head next. 

It starts with a bird.

Crows are an exceedingly common bird in almost all the nations. 

Most people think nothing of them, and it is how he is watching his tail. The bird perches, and begins preening. Nothing out of the ordinary. This ANBU member has been trailing him for some time. Eight years of traveling and avoiding bounty hunters have attuned him to tracking methods, from differing nations. He’s been leaving crumbs here and there, and it has proved effective, assured he’s the target. 

“Could he simply not request an audience with me?” That, he wonders. It isn’t as if Akatsuki’s still around for Itachi to start trouble with. Itachi will remain enough a distance away that he won’t be immediately attacked in panic. 

unwrittenjourneys:

“You have not transcended death to most of the world Uchiha-san.” 

Neji wonders just how many individuals Hokage-sama is going to share this information with. This was just a very perceptive hunch by Kakashi after all. Well he’d be naive to believe that. There was more to his superior’s thinking, but that has not been divulged to him. 

He’s simply an agent on a mission. Whatever personal thoughts he has on this matter are irrelevant. Once he reports back to Konoha, the information will be for them to handle. So there is no need to stick around. 

“I suspect he will try to keep in touch. Until then I must be off,” he says stiffly. 

San.

This– and the statement that he’d be in touch. It told him more than the ANBU had possibly planned on giving away. How much information was Kakashi in possession of? More than he should. And through other means, of course. This wasn’t something just laying around in a folder in a desk, somewhere, else the Godaime might have reached out to him. 

But he understands the struggle to follow orders as opposed to doing what one believes is right. 

Itachi makes no move, and allows the ANBU to leave completely safely. 

unwrittenjourneys:

Behind his mask, Neji observes their turned back. He didn’t believe when Hokage-sama mused out his suspicions, but here is the truth before him. Sasuke really did not release his brother. Would this pose as a threat? Even when Hokage-sama spoke about this, he seemed undisturbed by the possibility. Already seeming to know. 

“Hatake,” he answers simply. Finding no threat in revealing such information, it is known throughout. He thinks to add a first name, but tosses the notion out. No need. Although now he’s accomplished his mission. There were no directives to do anything afterward, so he must wonder if Hokage-sama has other ideas in mind regarding this information.

Kakashi Hatake, huh? A fitting choice. Maybe it was not time yet for Naruto. 

What to do, what. To Do. He could try to continue on with his fake persona, but it was unclear just how much this ANBU knew. The fact he hadn’t immediately attacked was a good sign, but then again, ANBU should be smart enough to not dive in immediately. Especially not against such a powerful genjutsu user. 

Itachi won’t give signs to. Not if he can help it. Outside of outright asking, and giving away there’s more of him unknown to most, he can maneuver the answer out carefully.

“Does a bounty transcend death?” Curious.