The Dark Side of Akatsuki. Chapter 30

Title: Isn't There Someone Else We Can Talk To?

With little argument, the two Konoha ninja returned to an out of the way inn, which Sasuke deemed necessary since they were both exhausted, and simply passing out in the middle of the street might arouse suspicion. Naruto had been shocked that his partner hadn't planned on reporting the encounter to their village immediately, since Sakura and Sasuke both had drilled that particular habit into his head after years of effort. Not that he minded this exception.

After waking up the next morning, Sasuke began the lengthy process of smacking himself in the face for each mistake he had made last night.

There was pushing to go off on this mission in the first place so he could disappear, then getting discovered by that pirate woman, then running off after an S-rank ninja without backup, then using the Tsukuyomi on a whim. It was still slight, but he could tell that his eyesight in that eye was just a bit blurrier than it had been. This was the one heirloom he had left from his brother, and he was wasting it on half-baked plans.

He was so stupid. He even knew what the problem was. He'd seen it so many times before. When a ninja acquires a one-shot-kills-all technique, they throw themselves into situations they would have backed down from before because suddenly every problem seems like it can be solved with their new trick. They say that when all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail, but there was still no reason to go around looking for the biggest nails you could find. Sasuke had madde a solemn decision not to use the Tsukuyomi unless the danger was dire, but now he also resolved to avoid using it if running away was a more reasonable option.

Speaking of running away, to put the cap on all of his failures he had wasted his best chance to leave the village in the chaos because of poor planning. He just plain shouldn't have gotten involved in that fight at all.

Actually, his traitorous brain reminded him, fighting a dangerous member of Akatsuki all alone would have been the perfect opportunity to fake my death.

*SMACK*

The problem was that, while Sasuke was well aware that a good friend would tell his team that he was leaving forever, he was an Uchiha. One of ANBU's secondary duties was hunting down the bodies of any Konoha ninja who possessed abnormal characteristics, whether natural or artificial. One man's trash, so to speak, was another man's treasure, and the body of an Uchiha, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, or Aburame clan member that was left to rot was paydirt for any enemy nation. Danzou's actions were proof enough of that.

ANBU took their job very seriously. They wouldn't just trust any first-hand reports of his body's destruction; they would verify it for themselves, and Sasuke could be sure that if his eyes were unaccounted for then they would keep watch for decades at least. Naruto, and even Sakura, wouldn't hold up to that level of scrutiny if they knew the truth.

He couldn't say anything to his friends before he left, but he couldn't leave without saying goodbye, either. He could tell Naruto he was leaving to hunt down Danzou, even though he had decided to avoid the man as much as was possible, but Naruto would come with him in a heartbeat.

He felt rather guilty about that.

Eventually, he decided on his course. Now was the time. He'd leave a note and stow away on one of these ships. Writing at his desk, he said his goodbyes and discouraged Naruto in the strongest terms from coming after him. He'd hunt down Danzou and return when he had succeeded, or so he wrote.

He felt even more guilty about that.

Setting it on his bed, Sasuke slipped out in the morning, saying his silent goodbyes. If all went well, he'd never see any of his friends again.

-Urasoe no machi-

-Ten Minutes Later-

So it was that Naruto met him at the port, flagging him down as if he had been impatiently waiting for his arrival.

"Yo, Sasuke! You finally got here! Also, dude, what the hell are you looking at me like that for?"

"Wha- you… I… No, no reason."

"Alright, if you say so. You ready to go?"

"Go? Why do you-? Oh, you mean going back to the village," Sasuke said, as Naruto gave him a strange look. Looks like he'd have to delay his departure a bit. "No, I can't call this mission over yet, Naruto. We've got to find out some more information about what Akatsuki was doing here. I think you should return immediately to report everything that happened here while I finish up the investigation."

Now Naruto was looking at him with a deeply furrowed brow and slack-jawed mouth.

"The village? Who the hell cares about reporting to the village right now?! We're going after them, right?"

"After Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked, in disbelief, "I mean, sure I want Danzou dead, but that's a personal matter. I can't drag you into this kind of family business."

"You think this isn't personal for me?"

"He didn't kill your family, Na-"

Before he had even finished that sentence, Naruto had stepped in and hit him with a right hook straight in the jaw. Sasuke shouted in pain, landing on the stones of the dock. A few nearby workers stopped what they were doing and looked over in concern. Naruto waved them off, then turned and kicked Sasuke again in the side.

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