Inevitable
Chapter 19

Itachi looked at thesky as he sat on a bench in the middle of the town, waiting for Amejisuto tomeet up with him. He had already been there for twenty minutes, making it ahalf hour since they had separated. "I wonder if something's wrong, or if Kakashi’sbad habits have finally rubbed off on her." After trying to sense herchakra anywhere nearby and not succeeding, he started to get really worried. "Ibetter go look for her...”

He got up and startedrunning towards the place they split up at and saw a pale brown haired man withgold eyes that he had seen looking around suspiciously earlier. "Excuseme, but have you seen a girl dressed the same as me? She has long, dark brownhair and purple eyes," he described.

"Oh, yah I ledher to a guy that knows something about a group called the Akatsuki. Are youher partner or something?" he guessed, looking Itachi up and down.

"Yes I am. Canyou take me there please? I have a bad feeling that she's in trouble," theUchiha said, worried for her safety. He knew she could take care of herself,but still, he didn't trust anyone that knew anything about the Akatsuki otherthan Jiraiya, of course. This could be the person they had to kill andaccording to Gaara, he was a strong ninja. If Amejisuto wasn't careful, shecould’ve been caught off guard and hurt.

"This way,"the man gestured for Itachi to follow him. "By the way, my name's Damasu.What's yours?"

"I'm ItachiUchiha," he replied, following him.

"W-wait...”Damasu stuttered, suddenly looking afraid. "You're an Uchiha?"

"That's what Isaid. Why do you ask?"

"Do you know SasukeUchiha?"

"He's my littlebrother. Why?"

The man lookedslightly scared. "He's one of the ninja that helped get rid of Zabuza andGato a few years ago."

"Oh, that'sright! He told us about it when he came back from that mission. Anyways, can weplease hurry up? I don't want my fiancée in any trouble." Itachi grewimpatient.

"She was your fiancée?Nice catch," Damasu grinned. They got to the forest and he started walkingquicker. Itachi followed closely behind. Eventually they got to the smallhouse. "She's in there. Probably talking to Muryo."

"Thanks," heran to the house and opened the door cautiously, holding his breath and lookingaround for any sign of a trap. There was none. He slowly breathed in and thenbreathed normally once he determined there was no strange knockout gas oranything. It was a small house, but it seemed pretty bare. There was a chair, alamp, a fireplace, a kitchen area and a bathroom. Otherwise, there was no otherdecoration or room. "Why would anyone be here?"

"Why, to lurepeople here, of course," he heard someone say. He spun around and was faceto face with Damasu.

"What's goingon?" he activated his sharingan. Another man - one that looked almostidentical to the deceiver except with black hair - stepped out of the bathroomwhere he was previously hiding.

"You were lookingfor that girl? Well we'll take you to her then," the stranger chuckledbefore Itachi fell over, paralyzed from the shoulders down.

"How did youmanage to immobilise me? I don't sense any traps," Itachi looked around asbest as he could, trying to figure out his mistake.

"You didn'tsuspect me at all. While I was leading you here, I put a jutsu on you thatslowly stopped your muscles from functioning. Don't worry; I didn't do anythingto your organ muscles so you will live. Well, for now at least," Damasuchuckled sadistically.

"I was beingcareful and yet…" Itachi mumbled.

"You weren’tcareful enough. Don’t feel bad, this jutsu is fairly unknown. Pick himup," the stranger ordered the other man, who did as told.

"Who areyou?" Itachi growled.

"I'm Muryokuna.Damasu here is my little brother," the man who wasn't holding him answered.The raven was helpless and slightly confused as he was carried to the kitchenarea. Muryokuna opened the fridge andItachi's eyes widened as instead of shelves, there was a hidden staircase. Thedeceiver started a small fire in his palms, keeping it steady as the mencarried Itachi to the basement.

An unseen girl startedshouting from the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, jerks! Let me go or myfiancé will kick your asses back to Sunagak-"

"Shut up. Wealready captured him," Muryokuna growled. Damasu reached the bottom of thestairs and kicked someone out of the way. "Tie her up," the olderbrother ordered. The Uchiha's eyes widened as he finally caught a glimpse ofthe girl - not that he hadn't guessed it was her already. He recognised hervoice almost right away, but seeing was different than hearing.

"Amejisuto!"

"Itachi!"

"I'm so sorry, Ican't save you. I'm paralyzed," Itachi said, still disappointed in himselffor being trapped so easily.

"I'm sorry Ididn't go to you right away when I heard that someone knew about theAkatsuki." He heard her start sobbing. "What are you doing to me? Getaway, you asshole!"

Dim lights flickeredon, revealing Damasu lifting the pale brunette's arms over her head. He tied upher wrists with one end of a rope, swinging the other end over a low supportbeam. He pulled on the free end and Amejisuto was slowly raised in the air,hanging by her wrists. She cried out in pain as she felt her arms detach fromher shoulders.

Itachi felt helplessas he was forced to watch. "Stop! Please, stop! I'll do anything, just lether go," he begged.

"We can't dothat. Of course, we can lessen her pain," the brunet said, making his handglow with chakra. "I know basic medical ninjutsu."

"What do you wantfrom us?!"

"Just someanswers," Muryokuna dropped the raven roughly, making him smack his headagainst the cold dirt.

"First of all, whoare you really?" Damasu glared."There's no way you're Itachi Uchiha. Everyone knows that the Uchiha clanis selfish and cut off. You came looking for this girl, and you're still concerned for her safety."

"She's myfiancée! Of course I would be concerned!"

"Future wife ornot, if you were a true Uchiha, youwouldn't care."

"You don't know anything about the Uchiha's, do you?!You question me on being one, which I am,but you wouldn't know at all!"

"Shut up! Damasu,you're an idiot! This is the famousItachi Uchiha! I would know him anywhere. Besides, you couldn't have missedhis sharingan," Muryo slapped his brother.

"S-sorry,"the younger looked completely saddened for a few seconds before making himselflook menacing again. "Alright, who is this?" He jabbed his fingerinto Ameji's side, making her squeak.

"I'm AmejisutoIshi," she whimpered as the poke moved her, making her arms even morepainful.

"Why were youlooking for us?"

"It's a secretmission. I can't give any details," she said, trying to stay strong,though her façade was slowly slipping the longer she stayed hanging from herwrists.

"Give us the detailsor we will cut your organs out from least important to most," Damasuthreatened, taking out a kunai.

Itachi's chesttightened in fear for his companion. "No! We're here because-"

"Don't tellanything. It's none of their business. Even if I get even more hurt, that'sjust another day for a ninja," Amejisuto shot a sad smile toward hermentor before screaming as the younger man opened her cloak and slashed a deepcut across her stomach. The older brother decided that torturing them was goingto be more fun than interrogation, so he put tape across Itachi's mouth to nothear his protests anymore and watched the torture with sick pleasure.

"You know what,this cloak gets in the way too much," he sliced it off and it fell to theground.

Itachi felt slightpower crawling through him again, fueled by rage, as he watched his future wifeendure shallow but painful cuts across the most sensitive parts of her arms,stomach and legs. He looked at Muryokuna, who was looking pleased as he watchedhis little brother cut the younger girl, and then at his fingers. He could feelthem moving, and he knew that he would soon be able to move his body again. Heconcentrated for a moment on gaining a surge of chakra and activated hissharingan.

"Itachi!"Amejisuto gasped as she saw him get up. The other men turned around in surprise,all of them knowing that the Uchiha wouldn't fall for their paralyzing jutsuagain.

"You shouldreally pay attention to any identifying factors on your victim's bodies,"he said, pointing to the Ishi's fallen cloak. The men looked terrified as theynoticed the red clouds on the black cloak.

"Y-you're part ofthe Akatsuki?!" they both yelled, suddenly terrified as if their opponentshad just grown stronger with the title.

"Yes, and nowthat I have my body functioning again, we might even get to show you true fear,"he took the kunai from Damasu, who was frozen in place, and cut the rope thatheld his partner. "Heal her now,"he demanded. He held the kunai to his neck, forcing him to work as fast as hecould.

"Just because welearned they're Akatsuki doesn't mean they're any more powerful than a minuteago!" Muryokuna hissed.

"Well you caughtus off guard. Good technique," Amejisuto complimented bitterly, hissing atthe dirt getting into her wounds before they healed. "But now it's ourturn to fight back." She started whistling, giving their eyes small,painful cuts, making them scream in agony.

"My turn,"Itachi pointed to both of them, casting a genjutsu, and they collapsed,twitching as they lay on the cold ground.

"Wait, we need toask if they know Maku," the Ishi said, healing a few stray cuts that theman missed.

"You know medicalninjutsu?"

"Lady Tsunadetaught me a bit," she admitted. "But seriously. You should make themtalk."

"Just give them asecond," he said. Right away, they sat up, screaming again.

"Where'sMaku?!" Itachi asked harshly.

"H-he lives in ahuge house the next town over. You can't miss it," Damasu started to tryto heal his wounds.

"Thanks.Goodbye," Itachi pulled out two kunai and his eyes turned normal again ashe threw them into the brother's skulls, killing them instantly.

"What did you do that for?!" Amejisuto hissed, notliking his methods. Itachi grabbed her and kissed her harshly but sweetly,anxiety, anger and worry evident in it; the Ishi could practically taste theemotions. He pulled away and wrapped her in a tight hug, laying his headagainst the side of hers and snuggling into her shoulder.

"From now on, youwill not leave my side," he said firmly once he was done with his shortbreakdown.

Ameji smiled, slightlyproud at being the only one that could make Itachi Uchiha freak out like this."Sure. I'm sick of being kidnapped anyway."

They walked up thestairs and out of the house, taking it easy and walking to the main town againto get a room for the night. They were exhausted and needed to heal up. Theywould go looking for Maku tomorrow.