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154Chapter 48

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto or any of it's characters. Kishimoto Masashi does. I do not make any type of profit from writing this fanfiction. This is strictly for my and my readers' pleasure. The Japanese language used in this fanfiction is translated by Google.

CLAIMER: I OWN Yami Uchiha. Do NOT steal.

RATED: R and is subject to change.

WARNING: This is an YAOI/MALE+MALE story.

BETA READER: None; so there will be errors that I miss.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The scenarios involved in this fanfiction are fictional. The main character may also strike readers as a Mary Sue/Gary Stue. If this fact bothers you, turn back now. Construction criticism is welcomed. No flames. I also have this story posted on my Mibba account titled Kumo no Su De.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

Hand Signing

A/N: Sorry for the late update...I am beginning to think that I only update on the weekends. What am I saying?! I do only update on the weekends! Anyways, enjoy this longer than usual chapter. Thank you all so very much for commenting and voting! I enjoy everyone's feedback as much as the next writer.

~oOo~STORY START~oOo~

After two devastatingly long days of suffering through rampant death-driven pain, Itachi awoke to a dull soreness in his limbs. Murky ebony pools blinked through the dawning sunlight pouring through the open blinds of a solid white room. It took Itachi a moment to realize where he was and a few seconds longer to see that he was not alone. A large bodily figure glowing with green chakra shifted from above the Uchiha, the soreness in his limbs fading as the large arachnid moved away.

"Yami-sama will be most pleased that you are awake, Ita-chan," The large spider voiced gently. "How are you feeling?"

Itachi's eyebrow twitched at the sound of his nickname Yami had the habit of addressing him as. He pushed himself up on his elbows, clearing his throat to speak in the process.

"I am…feeling a lot better," Itachi stated, slightly surprised that he felt as if he was years younger.

He glanced around the room, but only Iyasu was present.

"Yami-sama went home to check on the young ones as they were not allowed to witness your…experience," Iyasu told him.

"Hn. Did Itoko mention when I would be able to go home as well?" Itachi asked quietly, murky pools reflecting inside eight glassy black orbs.

The forest green arachnid's entire body moved up and down in a nod.

"Yami-sama was very adamant on transferring you to the Uchiha Compound once you woke up," Iyasu answered.

Itachi opened his mouth to ask another question, one about his health, when the door to the room slid open. Murky ebony pools locked onto a widening pair of mocha brown orbs. He recognized the red fang tattoos marring the brunette's cheeks as a member of the Inuzuka clan. The recognition shining in Hana Inuzuka's eyes were enough to tell Itachi that the henge seal Jiraiya had drawn on him was out of chakra and he appeared just as he always looked to anyone. Mocha melted when the eighteen years old Inuzuka snarled.

"Ita—"

Hana was cut off by a large forest green leg reaching out to cover the girl's mouth while another wrapped around her waist to yank her into the room. Another leg slid the door shut.

"I apologize, but you must not call attention," Iyasu spoke quickly, but her tone remained calm.

She could feel her master's chakra signature entering the hallway along with the blonde haired healer. Hana struggled in Iyasu's hold, glaring fiercely at Itachi as her KI filled the room with vengeful intent. Seconds later, the door slid open and Tsunade entered the room with Yami. The two blinked at the sight of Hana and Yami sighed while scratching the side of his face. Tsunade pressed her hands on her hips, eyeing the daughter of the Inuzuka Clan head with a frown.

"Hana-chan,"Yami started.

"Tsume's daughter?" Tsunade asked, earning a nod from Yami.

Hana's KI vanished and she was filled with confussion. Why was Itachi Uchiha, rogue ninja of Konoha who massacred his entire clan, in Konoha's hospital? And why in the hell were Yami and Tsunade standing there like she was the one who was not supposed to be here? Did Yami just speak?

"Mmhm Hhhnnn!" Hana shouted unintelligently, her words muffled by Iyasu's leg.

"Inuzuka-chan, calm down. This room is under an S-rank secret. You will not leave this room and repeat what you saw inside of it, am I clear?" Tsunade voiced; her face hard and her tone serious.

Hana glanced at Itachi and then back at the other two shinobi in the room.

"All will be revealed in due time, Hana-chan. I ask that you keep this quiet until the Hokage is well and able enough to address the village," Yami said softly, midnight orbs piercing Hana's stunned mochas.

Knowing of Tsunade's and Yami's reputation within and outside of the village, Hana nodded her head in understanding even if she was still confused and suspicious about Itachi's presence. Iyasu eased away from the brunette, giving her attention to her master.

"Yami-sama, Ita-chan should be well enough to leave for the compound. He will be sore for a few days, but his health should be as it once was before his illness struck. Do not hesitate to summon me if something arises, Yami-sama," Iyasu explained to the older Uchiha.

"Thank you, Iyasu-chan and tell Kōhō that I owe him a life debt," Yami said, voice serious.

"Y-yes, Yami-sama. Of course!" Iyasu stuttered, understanding the significance of a life debt between a master and their summons.

The large arachnid vanished with a poof, leaving the four shinobi in the room. As Tsunade stepped over to check Itachi's vitals for one last time before helping Yami get him to the Uchiha Compound, Yami went to Hana's side.

"I…I want to ask what all of this…all of this is about, but I…"

"You can ask," Yami stated.

Hana's brow rose and she shifted her weight from one foot to the next.

"But will you answer?"

Yami's smirk reflected in his dark orbs. Hana sighed.

"I thought as much."

"Oh, Hana-chan, what were you doing here to begin with? I thought you worked at the animal clinic on your clan's compound," Yami questioned with a tilt of his head.

Hana's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of rose, suddenly remembering why she was in the hospital. Slipping her hand into her front pocket, she pulled out a folded envelope and held it out for Yami.

"Kaa-san asked me to find you and give you this. She said that I would find you here. I smelt your scent the strongest around this room and thought…well you get it," Hana huffed and waited for Yami to open and read the envelope's contents.

Whatever the letter said, caused Yami to sweat drop. To be on the safe side of understanding the Inuzuka Clan Leader's message, Yami re-read the short and blunt message.

Yami,

You're in the CRA (clan revival act) and my daughter is single. You obviously belong to Kakashi. Sasuke is too young for Hana and he apparently has his scent all over that pink haired teammate of his. The Uchiha's need children, Hana needs a husband, and we both know there is one possibility you are hiding.

Your future Aunt-in-law,

Tsume

P.S. You should be more cautious walking around smelling like Itachi. I'll see you tonight. Ja (bye)!

Crinkling up the letter and stuffing it quickly into the front of his hanten, Yami's eyes glanced from Hana to Itachi and back again. Biting the inside of his cheek, Yami debated on whether he should tell the two or not. Shaking his head and deciding that latter, Yami proceeded to help Tsunade prepare Itachi for the joint shunshin to the Uchiha compound.

~oOo~

~(Day of Summer's Last Full Moon)~

Jiraiya traveled at a fast pace up the side of Rai no Kuni's (Land of Lightning) tallest mountain. He veered off towards the eastern side, hoping that the raising moon would give the Gama Sennin (Toad Sage) more of a chance to find the rumored plant needed to save Itachi Uchiha's life. The white haired man had less than six hours to reach the peak of the mountain and find the plant before it supposedly blooms. Night was falling and the temperature was dropping dramatically, posing danger to the difficult journey upwards.

Only last week did Jiraiya's network of spies inform in of the location in which the heaviest of rumors about the plant existed. The mountain in Rai no Kuni was not only the tallest, steepest, most dangerous to climb out of all of the mountains in the Elemental Nations, but it also happened to house Kumogakure (Village Hidden by Clouds) on the western side of the mountain. Jiraiya needed to find that plant and make it off of the mountain without alerting any of Rai no Kuni's shinobi. The last thing Jiraiya needed was a conflict that delayed him from getting to Konoha.

No sooner did Jiraiya make it to the top of the mountain peak, did the full moon reach its apex in the night sky. Narrowed eyes scanned the frozen crevasses quickly, searching for any type of plant that decided to bloom at that given moment. Silver beams of moonlight washed over the peak, washing over the dark surface. Shuffling of movement behind Jiraiya had him twisting around with a kunai in one hand and the stasis scroll in the other. A dark skinned man with combed back blonde hair and goatee stepped into the moonlight, seven red hilted swords sheathed on the man's back. Despite it being dark, sans the full moon, the obvious Kumogakura shinobi wore a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Bakayarō! Konoyarō! What are you…doing out here, yo?"

Jiraiya faltered in his tense fighting stance at the man's rapping question. If he took the time to think about it, he would remember one of his informants telling him that the Raikage's adopted brother was adamant about being a great rapper. Not wanting to waste anymore time, because he still had to find the plant, Jiraiya opted to tell the man the truth…or some of it.

"I am looking for a plant that blooms around this time of night," Jiraiya stated, lowering his drawn kunai but his eyes remained locked on the man's relaxed form.

The man crossed his arms, taking on a thinking pose before gesturing wildly with his arms.

"You mean that vine-like plant…creeping open this moment, yo? Bakayarō! Konoyarō!"

Jiraiya took his eyes off of the man, searching quickly for the plant the man was talking about. He spotted a cluster of vines peeking out of a dark crevasses, the blooms bursting outwards as if reaching for the moonbeams. The small flowers were a white as the moon itself with a center halo of yellow pollen that sparkled in the light. Thin, spiky leaves surrounded the delicate blossoms of the plant. With the man long forgotten, Jiraiya shakily opened the stasis scroll and began to gather as much of the plant he dared to.

"Please let this be the plant. Please let this be the plant," Jiraiya muttered over and over as he sealed the plant away.

A crunching footstep had Jiraiya freeze and slowing turn around to face the forgotten man who was frowning at him.

"That plant belongs to Rai no Kuni," The dark skinned man voiced sternly, his rapping tone missing.

"Listen," Jiraiya started, tense all over again, "A friend is sick and this plant may be their only chance."

Blonde brows furrowed.

"He doesn't have much time, so I can't fight with you over it," Jiraiya said, tucking the stasis scroll into the sleeve of his haori.

Surprisingly, the man nodded and smiled.

"Bakayarō! Konoyarō! Using the plant to help a friend…is better than selling it, yo!" The man said happily.

Jiraiya wanted to sigh in relief, but the tension in his shoulders remained. He felt as if someone was boring their eyes into his back. When the man in front of his made the move to unsheathe a sword, Jiraiya leaped up into the air to miss the kunai aimed at him. A humorless chuckle sounded through the night air.

"Itachi-san must be in a bad way if you are desperate enough to explore rumors."

The words were followed by appearance of Orochimaru's apprentice.

"Kabuto," Jiraiya sneered.

Before Jiraiya or Kabuto could move to strike one another, the shinobi from Kumogakure lashed out first. His swift blade slashed through Kabuto's side like butter, only to reveal Kabuto as a shadow clone. A pair of glowing blue hands burst through the rock surface where Jiraiya stood just seconds before, giving away the real Kabuto's location. The tip of Kabuto's Chakra no Mesu (Chakra Scalpel) grazed the sleeve of Jiraiya's red haori, cutting a piece of cloth away. Jiraiya's eyes widened, realizing Kabuto's true target as the stasis scroll.

A/N: bunnyguest...you are too good at guessing. I had to take a minute after reading your comment...swearing that you were reading my mind. This makes me wonder whether I should continue on with my not-so-secret jouney or develop a new one just to keep the readers on their toes. Smh.