Well I was very unhappy with the way I had Remorse and Retribution going so I revamped it into something much better. I hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: This literature is purely for recreational purposes. I gain no profit from the story. I do not own any rights to 'Naruto'.

The search was coming to an end, he made sure to inform them that. Sasuke's eyes bore into the operation's notes on his cedar oak table. He remembered when he had got this table, over three years ago. Naruto had joined him at the store, glad that his friend's incarceration had ended. So Naruto deemed it appropriate to go furniture shopping. Sasuke shook his head, ending his minds inner ramblings with a sigh; he knew he was just trying to distract himself. Sasuke looked over the table at his old teammates and the few he picked up along the way.

Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura Haruno. Hatake Kakashi. Hyuuga Neji. Nara Shikamaru. Sai. These six jounin and ANBU aided him all throughout this process. Now as it was reaching its end he couldn't help but feel grateful. He roamed his eyes over each ninja, wondering who would be the first to speak after such crucial information had left his mouth. Of course it was Naruto.

"Hell yea! Let's go get him!" his palms slammed loudly on the table top as he yelled excitedly, eyes shining as they gazed into Sasuke's onyx eyes. Sasuke took his eyes off Naruto to glance at Sakura, shocked to find her eyes so hardened with determination. That was when he realized everyone was looking at him in such a way. He swallowed hard to smother the emotion that tried to bubble up from within.

"When do we leave?" Neji asked quietly, his milky white gaze focused slowly on the head of this operation. Sasuke took a moment to respond as he looked up at the white ceiling in his small apartment. He closed his eyes and breathed in. He exhaled up, toward who or what he did not know.

"In three hours," he finally said. There were murmurs and shouts of agreement all around.

Sasuke stood as straight as he could and made eye contact with his old teacher, as if expecting him to add something to his previous statement. Kakashi looked at him blankly.

"Understood," that statement was all Sasuke needed to hear before he said sharply,

"Dismissed!"

Five hours later found the six shinobi racing through the trees. The distance grew more and more from Konoha as they traveled in companionable silence.

Sasuke was in the front of them all with Sakura and Naruto following side by side then Sai and Neji, leaving Kakashi to take up the rear. Sai felt a jolt in his chakra as an unfamiliar presence made itself known. He decided to notify his traveling partner.

"Neji," the Hyuuga did not falter at the abrupt address.

"Yes," he inquired.

"Do you-"but Sai was cut off by Naruto.

"We found 'im!" Neji smirked and glanced to Sai, who was now facing forward. Neji enjoyed Sai's apparent annoyance but it was put to a halt when he almost collided with Naruto's back and Sai almost into Sakura's. Sasuke had suddenly came to a stop, he was way ahead of the other's but very much visible enough for them to see the clenching of his fists and the shine of his Sharingan.

He closed his eyes and breathed in. Breathed out. In. Out. Once he had calmed himself he opened his eyes back up. This was it. His teeth clenched before he bit out.

"I…appreciate everyone's dedication in this operation. Now that we are about to initiate the final step I need to know if anyone is having doubts. We cannot afford any mistakes…" he paused and still saw the determined looks he had grown so fond of over these past months.

"We're behind you 100% Sasuke-kun" Sakura assured. The Uchiha nodded to her gratefully, he just realized how bad he needed to hear that.

"Then…lets go" with that the six shinobi dropped down and raced the two miles to the cabin Neji could so vividly see.

Once they reached the door to the small wooden cabin Sasuke didn't hesitate as he ripped the door of its handles using his Chidori Nagashi. The shinobi stormed in after him, brandishing their weapons just in case the worse would befall them.

What they were greeted with was quite a surprise. Uchiha Itachi lay peacefully on a small cot in the corner of the one room cabin. He was curled up a tad on his side, causing his hair to obscure their view of his face. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan as he stepped closer to his elder brother. He kept his distance but checked all of the vital points that would signal if he was breathing or not. The steady rise and fall of Itachi's chest told him that his elder brother was indeed alive.

"Sakura," he ordered. His teammate immediately understood and approached Itachi warily. The oldest remaining Uchiha didn't even flinch, just continued sleeping on. She crouched in front of his chest, with her hand glowing green. A quick check up confirmed her initial thoughts.

"He's low on chakra and he seems to have some internal damage," she relayed to the other 5 ninja. They stood still, each still tense from their previous battle stances.

"Try to wake him," Sasuke said quietly. Most likely Itachi was unconscious but they needed to try anyway. Above all, Sasuke wanted to avoid a fight. Sakura put her chakra infused palm to his temples. She leapt back in shock as Itachi sat up abruptly, pulling a kunai from under the pillow that his head had previously been resting on. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight his brother presented them with.

A very peculiar sight indeed, Itachi's Sharingan was not activated nor was his eyes quite focused on anything.

"Itachi, I'll need for you to drop that weapon," Sasuke said slowly and carefully. The addressed ninja froze up, his eyes widened slowly and the kunai slipping from his loosened grasp.

"How…do you know my name? Itachi…that's it…" the man murmured softly still a tad unfocused, his eyes trained on a corner in his small cabin.

"It's me, Itachi. We're going to take you back to Konoha ok?" Sasuke spoke carefully, unsure why his brother looked so confused but highly aware that Itachi seemed to be pointedly avoiding Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke figured it was Itachi's way of playing dumb.

"Well then, kind stranger. Since you seem to know where I come from, I believe it only custom that I follow you," Itachi stood, holding out a hand that was shaking slightly. A kind smile spread across his face.

"Welcome to my home. I'm Itachi," he introduced. Sasuke frowned, slapping his hand away. Itachi recoiled, looking highly offended.

"Itachi, what's wrong with you? Why are you pretending to be so stupid?" Sasuke began to get angry, apprehension all but gone. Itachi frowned along with him.

"Excuse me?" Itachi asked, unfocused eyes taking in the shinobi gathered around him.

"I…we know the truth about the Uchiha Massacre. Your name has been cleared…" He stopped when he saw Itachi's head snapped toward him sharply. Itachi's eyes widened. He fell on all fours, breathing heavily.

"Uchiha? Itachi Uchiha…Murder. I…murdered them?" Itachi kept muttering nonsense to himself, through his heavy breathing. Itachi let out a small noise before he pitched forward. He lay still for a moment, causing the gathered ninja to hold their breath, before Itachi started to heave. His hand clutched his chest tightly as he noisily inhaled and exhaled at random intervals.

"He's hyperventilating!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Shit! Sakura!" Sasuke hollered.

"I'm on it!" first Sakura regulated his chakra and gently pushed him up.

"He needs to calm down!" Neji told them in urgency unheard of from himself at the heaving man on the floor. Everyone but Sasuke and Sakura shot him an incredulous look until they realized what he was referring to. Itachi's chakra was flaring and dipping erratically, uncontrollable but due to the small amount Itachi had, it barely affected any of the other ninja. Sasuke was focused solely on the Uchiha on the floor as Sakura worked to calm Itachi.

Kakashi oversaw his two students, pride blossoming in his chest as he watched them take control of the situation. Then he was damn near knocked off his feet as Naruto shot past him. He realized why almost too late. Sasuke's chakra was flaring dangerously, electricity sparking up around him as he watched his brother writhe on the ground. Naruto clasped a firm hand on his shoulder, calming the erratic chakra pulsing around them. Sasuke snapped his head toward the ninja beside him in livid annoyance; Naruto shook his head.

The other ninja glanced at the two past rivals, interested vaguely at the interaction.

"Stop Sasuke, that isn't helping," Naruto told him softly. The Uchiha sneered at him and reluctantly worked on cooling himself down to everyone's surprise and relief. The shinobi redirected their attention to the cot when Sakura sighed heavily.

"He's unconscious now. We should head back to Konoha," she stated.

"It's time to leave," Sasuke ordered, taking his eyes off his brother.

"Should we tie him up?" Sai asked. Sasuke gave him a murderous look but any biting response was cut off by Kakashi.

"That would be idyllic but it seems Itachi is unclear about our motives. Tying him up would cause panic on his part and distrust. He is not our prisoner." Sai nodded, a tad stung by Kakashi's version of a parent's admonishment. Sensing this, Kakashi tilted his visible eye up in a smile before turning to Sasuke.

"I'll carry him," Sasuke answered the silent question floating around everyone. It was silent as Sasuke crouched down in front of his brother took the cover off his brother's still body. It seemed as though Itachi was wearing civilian clothes, although they still looked similar to the outfit he wore underneath his Akatsuki cloak.

Sasuke lifted him onto his back, letting Itachi's top half fall down his back while he held the unconscious Uchiha's thighs close to his chest.

"Neji," he addressed, "look for any belongings of his. Anything else will be set afire," he looked at Kakashi at the last request.

"Understood," Neji stated calmly, as he reactivated his Byakugan.

"Alright," Kakashi said as if it would be a strenuous activity. The rest of the group exited the cabin into the surrounding forest. Sasuke had already jumped up onto a branch. He was just itching to get back to Konoha and get proper help for his brother. He waited impatiently until the cabin went up in smoke and Neji and Kakashi had landed on either side of him on the branch.

"Let's go," Sasuke readjusted Itachi until he was comfortable and they launched forward through the foliage. The other ninja followed suit as they resumed the travel formation they had on their way to Itachi's cabin.

Four hours later found them at Konoha's front gates. Luckily, the trip back to Konoha had been uneventful besides a few scares. Sasuke heard a groan from his burden; it seemed as though Itachi was beginning to wake. Sasuke hardly stopped to check in, just allowed the guards to see his face before his speed picked up toward the Hokage tower.

Once they had allowed Tsunade to look over Itachi she admitted the oldest Uchiha into the Konoha Hospital.

Tsunade was currently drafting up Itachi's citizenship in her office. Sasuke and Naruto were sitting on opposite sides of Itachi's hospital bed as Sakura mended the newly found wound in Itachi's side. It wasn't that deep, and it was obvious a kunai did the damage. A strangled shocked sound exited her mouth when her wrist was suddenly grasped harshly. Sharp black eyes locked with hers as she fought the grip.

"Uchiha-san!" she lowered her voice once she realized he was only startled, "I'm only trying to heal you."

Itachi glared her down, grasping her arm even tighter

"Uchiha-san!" only once the reprimand left her mouth did she realize that Itachi's head was craned to the left of himself. He was staring straight at Sasuke, his mouth open a tad as he took gentle breaths. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Let Sakura-san heal you Itachi," he ordered calmly, eyes never leaving his brother's. "Why am I here, still alive? The Akatsuki will most likely track me within the hour." It was dead silent. The three Konoha ninja looked at the oldest Uchiha. Akatsuki had been nonexistent for more than a year.

"Itachi," Naruto was the one that spoke, "we aren't killing you. Old Granny Tsunade is getting your Konoha citizenship ready right now."

For once, Itachi did not have all the answers nor did he know how to approach a situation such as this. Sasuke spotted it first, the slight tremble of Itachi's hand; he reached over and held his hand over Itachi's.

"Calm down Itachi. You know you have better control then this," his brother jumped at the contact and quickly snatched his hand away.

"Do not touch me," Itachi snapped, as his mind raced. Sasuke looked properly offended.

"Uchiha-san, how much do you remember?" Sakura asked him calmly. Itachi refocused his eyes away from her. Stubborn.

"Enough Itachi. We will talk after you rest," this was said with vague annoyance. Itachi did just that with a little aid from Sakura's quick hand to a pressure point.

What was wrong with his brother? He seemed so calm and confused when they had found him. Now he was anything but; Itachi seemed as if he was four years in the past!

Sasuke sighed in annoyance, thankful that Sakura and Naruto weren't talking right now. They all sat in Itachi's hospital room for hours.

Sakura hoped they could keep Itachi's state of being a secret, just for now. Who knew how dangerous the man was. Naruto kept staring at his friend sadly. Sasuke stared at his brother's still form. His face was as blank as always. Though it was paler than usual and the cheeks were a bit pronounced. Sasuke saw his brother's chest rise and fall unevenly. Apparently, his Itachi had just woken up.

Itachi slowly opened his glazed eyes. The three ninja looked at him warily.

He said something but none of them were able to catch it.

"What?" Sasuke asked blankly. Itachi smiled and the three shinobi gathered around him felt their stomachs drop.

"Oh it's not important," Itachi held out his hand, "pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sasuke stared at the outstretched hand and personally, felt like crying.

Well if you read it, enjoyed it, had a suggestion or just wanna say hi! Review :)