After a very spirited review from a loving reader I have picked up The Catalyst again instead of working on a new one.

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

But I'm hoping at the gates,
They'll tell me that you're mine
Walking through the city streets
Is it by mistake or design

It was raining when they got the news a week later. Why did it always have to be raining? Was all Ed could think as he followed the two Sharingan users out into said rain towards the hospital. The urgent call over the phone from what Ed could understand out of it was that something went terribly wrong with the mission and all four young teens were in serious condition. Kakashi had looked so pale his face was black and white with his mask on it. Itachi just about broke the door off of the hinges on his way out it.

Ed couldn't help but remember all the times he was put in near death situations looking for the Philosophers stone with Al. Sure he had his brother there but there was only so much medical know how that patched up critical wounds and what not. Plus he was about Team 7's age when he got started on all those little outings. His world might have been dangerous for the last few months, okay about the last year, but it was nothing like the constant struggles here in this new one.

From everything Ed had been reading this place was constantly fighting each other for power. The four major countries sent assassins after important people, rouges started civil wars in their own countries and it just went on and on. While his military had frowned upon young people joining ranks these people encouraged it. The younger the better to them apparently.

Just that fact really pissed Ed off.

Now the kids he had slowly grown to like were all injured and laid up in hospital bed two of them were in surgery right that second.

His thoughts were interrupted as the hospital came into view. Kakashi and Itachi barely waited for the automatic doors to open before they were charging through them and Ed figured if it was Al, Winery, Granny, or hell any of his comrades from the military he would have done the same. As he followed the two further into the hospital he thought off all those people still in his world. Greed was dead, he had no grantee Al was okay, Mustang was blind, so much had happened in that last fight with Father that he wasn't sure what his home would be like anymore. Part of him was almost afraid to find out.

The other part knew he had to find a way back to them.

Itachi had already activated his Sharingan and could see where the members of Team 7 were being treated. The red chakra could be seen throughout the hallway even without his Sharingan and it burned him as he passed through it. In the back of his mind he noticed Ed and Kakashi struggle to get through it with gritted teeth. Something was very wrong here. Before he could enter the wing Team 7 was being held in Itachi was stopped by three ANBU.

"No one past this point."

One of them monotonously stated. With his eyes spinning with power the Uchiha considered just knocking them out and going past. The only thing that really stopped him from doing so was that he needed answers and it seemed these three could give them to him.

"Team 7 is past those doors now let me by."

He demanded first hoping to intimidate them into letting him pass. Kakashi was behind him on his right, and Ed was to his left.

"How are they?"

Kakashi asked as the ANBU pointedly ignored the enraged Uchiha. The one in the middle turned slightly to face the Jonin.

"We cannot say. Lord Hokage called for us to guard as she works on the nine-tails child, and Uchiha boy."

Ed realized they avoided using first names early on but it was kind of frustrating with all of these half answers they were getting.

"Just let us through."

He added as the other two seemed to be thinking of something to say to get them by.

"No one is permitted past this point until Lady Hokage says so."

There was a shift in the air as Itachi went completely still. His body not moving in the slightest he let his chakra leak out until the pressure was over bearing in the small hallway. The ANBU made the mistake of looking at his face when he raised his hand to eye level and within seconds they were on the floor. As they dropped Itachi stepped over their bodies to the entrance.

"I've has enough of this."

He muttered as he went straight to the operating rooms. One quick glance and he was throwing open the door with all of that chakra seeping out of it.

There Tsunade, Shizune, and a few others stood around and thrashing Naruto Uzumaki as they tried to keep him restrained. He was bleeding from various placed, and his body seemed to be healing and reopening his wounds repeatedly.

"What the hell?"

Ed uttered as he stepped in behind Itachi to see the same thing. At the voice Tsunade turned to see the three men standing there. For a split second she was about to scold them for being in her operating room when an idea hit her.

"Itachi!"

She yelled over the literal roaring of Naruto.

"The Kyuubi has gone AWOL help us contain it!"

Without needing to be told twice Itachi shoved the useless medic nin's out of his way and forced Naruto down by his shoulders. Gazing into his red eyes he entered the teens mind. There he saw a large cage in front of him where that red chakra was coming out of in waves.

"Uchiha."

A voice so dark and spine chilling it could only belong to one being. Itachi then noticed the blonde teen next to him.

"Itachi? How did you get here? Wait, what are you doing here?!"

Naruto questioned in shock and confusion.

"Let the others heal him before you tear him to shreds Kyuubi."

Itachi demanded of the red beast in the cage.

"What?!"

Naruto screamed and Itachi turned to look at the hyper boy.

"You and the rest of Team 7 were injured and Tsunade can't even begin to fix you because this thing here is causing chaos in the operating room."

He leveled his eyes with the younger's as Naruto realized everything he was saying.

"That's right we were attacked in Sand by some guys who were dressed like you with those black coats that had red clouds on them."

"What happened?"

Itachi pressed for answers since this would probably be the only time he got any out of one of the Team 7 members.

"We were just supposed to escort this person on the council back in Suna. He was some old guy with a bad attitude but the higher ups were worried he would be targeted with everything that happened a few weeks ago."

Naruto paused and I realized the Kyuubi had retracted from his body in the hospital room. Making seconds seem to stretch on I kept myself in Naruto's mental world for a little longer to hear the whole story.

"Once we passed the Suna boarder we were ambushed. There were explosions all around us and a guy with long blonde hair who kept going on and on about his artwork kept the bombs coming as he dodged them. At least we tried. While Sasuke and I were trying to knock him out of the sky since he was on this huge white bird thing, Sakura and Shikamaru were guarding the Councilmen."

He stopped again as his face grew pale.

"Then this older guy with short red hair attacked them and distracted Sasuke and I. One of those bombs landed right next to Sasuke and he just barely jumped out of the way when the red haired guy used this weird jutsu and stabbed Shikamaru in the arm."

Naruto rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes tight as he tried to recall everything that happened.

"Shikamaru and Sakura fought with him for a few minutes before they were both defeated and I wanted to go help them but Sasuke."

His face was contorted in pain as Itachi understood the youngers desire to help the fallen but not leave those he knew didn't have a chance without him.

"I couldn't leave that Teme to fight the blondie all by himself we had a better chance taking him out together than him alone. But he yelled at me to keep the Councilmen alive. What was I supposed to do?! I mean Sasuke and Sakura and Shikamaru are my friends but protecting the Councilmen was our mission I couldn't let us all fail because I was worried about Sasuke getting hurt. So I listened to him. I went to protect the old man and fought with that stupid red haired guy. I don't know how long Sasuke and I held out before they finally killed him."

Itachi watched as tears slid down the teens face.

"All I had to do was protect him and the others but the guy went after Sakura and I had to protect her too I thought the clone could hold out long enough! I thought I would make it back to save them both! But it was too late he shoved some kind of blade through my arm instead of in Sakura's chest and that was when Sasuke fell out of the sky. I don't even know how he got up there to fight the bomber but he had and when he fell the guy he was fighting dropped bombs on the Councilmen."

Naruto got real quiet for a second as his eyes widened as if he could see it all in front of him once again. Sasuke's body falling out of the sky and bombs landing on the Councilmen they were assigned to protect.

"All I remember was seeing the pieces that was left of the Councilmen, and Sasuke falling and getting closer to the ground. I begged the Kyuubi for help and everything went dark from there. When I came to Shikamaru and Sakura had Sasuke and me and were running in a forest they were being attacked but I couldn't move a finger to help them. I blacked out again and then I was here."

Itachi nodded as Naruto cried harder.

"Tell me they're not dead Itachi! Are they okay?"

Itachi looked into the blue eyes of the Uzumaki child and wondered how someone could be treated like shit his whole life and still care so much for other's lives.

"I don't know for sure only that the four of you are as of right now alive but I'm not sure of your conditions. Sasuke was also in surgery when I came in here and I'm not sure about Shikamaru Nara or Sakura Haruno's states."

Naruto nodded and Itachi activated his Sharingan to the next level. He altered their surrounding and placed a hand on the younger teen's head. He had intended to send Naruto to a place he liked and felt safe but it seemed Naruto's safe place was a dirty apartment the size of Itachi's room from the Uchiha compound.

"Rest Naruto. We'll take care of the rest."

He reassured him as Itachi left the child's mind.

He was once again standing in the hospital room with his hands pressing Naruto's shoulders into the operating table he laid on.

Not even two seconds had passed since the blonde haired teen had stopped going wild and Itachi inched away from him. The world swam in front of him and only years of practice did Itachi stay on his feet. It was getting harder to use his Sharingan without it effecting him. His body was quickly breaking down on him and Itachi prayed to any God that would listen that it held out long enough for him to finish what he needed to.

Without saying anything he left Naruto to Tsunade and the others as he headed to the other operating room. Even if Sasuke hated him he still needed to make sure his younger brother was okay. And once he was able to he would tell Tsunade all he got from Naruto and what he knew of Sasori and Deidara.

The Akatsuki was going to regret making an enemy out of him.