When Kakuzu finally arrived, the bounty collection went without any issues they were no words were exchanged, nor were they any formalities observed beyond the exchange of the ryo as he was the regular. And he would decided how much they should pay.
And yet, his mind was on something else: of the stakes that had brought him here to collect the bounty of Chiruku and each heart he had taken, each life he had ended and only to replace it with a better was not merely sustenance... it was to prepare for the one who destroyed his heart and settle the score.
He walked away from the bounty station after he had counted every single ryo bill only that bought him the satisfaction. The Fire Country lay silent post aftermatch, the streets were empty save for the occasional patrol that missed him. Kakuzu's mind was already on the next bounty, the next heart to claim.
The horizon began to pale with the first hints of dawn, but Kakuzu remained unbothered for him, there was no pause or rest. He thought, it is time to collect some kekkei genkai user hearts. He had yet to try it, as the strong ones were rare. His strength would increase leaps and bounds. "The next I see that hyuga kid, I will kill him."
--
The dawn was pale as its light bleeding over the treetops. The forest stirred slowly, dew clinging to leaves, the faint cries of morning birds carrying across the valley. In the hollowed-out cave where they had stayed, silence lingered other than for the periodic clattering sound of bonfire remains.
Itachi Uchiha sat cross-legged before the last of the smoldering embers, his fingers moving with precision as he sealed up the final scrolls and adjusted his gear. Every item he touched had been accounted for; Shuriken, storage scroll, blade, wires, chakra pills and ration had its place. Itachi left nothing behind. For him, every trace he left behind was asking for the enemy to follow them.
Yet one scroll remained.
He reached for which had his careful record of everything he had gathered to inform Hokage Hiruzen: the Uchiha's weapons caches, the secret contracts with Mugen Company, the gambling house of Hidden Flames, and the list of operatives embedded across Fire Country. It was evidence and undeniable proof of treason. Proof that would end his clan, if he delivered it to Konoha.
He was caught between duty for village and clan as his fingers tightened around the scroll. And now, with Neji asleep only a few paces away, he realized the scroll was a death sentence to uchiha clan.
No.
He lifted the scroll, tossed it gently into the air, and formed the seals faster than an eye could follow as the cavern burst into orange light as his chest expanded, and with a steady exhale as the small fireball jutsu bellowed out. The flames devoured the scroll instantly, curling it into ash before scattering it among the currents of wind.
The scroll was gone. The truth he had painstakingly put together and now he only erased its existence.
Neji moved at the blaze, his blind eyes turning toward the source. His brows furrowed faintly as his senses caught the shift in air, the spike in energy at a certain location. He had learned to listen to the smallest changes: the crackle of leaves, the last hiss of bonfire and Itachi moving few meters away.
"You burned something," Neji remarked calmly with curiosity.
Itachi did not reply as his gaze continued to linger on the drifting ashes, the remnants of his betrayal to Lord Hiruzen. His silence was deliberate, as he had no words to answer Neji.
As he turned away, another memory struck him: the body of the nameless Uchiha boss which was charred beyond recognition, his chakra network punctured in patterns too familiar to dismiss. Hyūga strikes. Gentle Fist precision.
And then, Neji. His body had carried similar scars, the faint burns of an explosion still evident and the subtle bruises over his chakra points. A puzzle with too many matching pieces.
"Was it him?" Itachi wondered. "Was Neji the one who ended that man?"
The question burned, If Neji had killed an Uchiha involved in this scheme, there was no certainty of guilt... he did what he had for the survival and Itachi knew better than most.
He tucked the thought away, putting back in his mind where countless other doubts already existed. He would not confront Neji. If he ended the nameless Uchiha boss, that is for the good.
They left the cave at first light. The forest stretched endlessly, the undergrowth damp and slippery with morning mist. At their pace, it would take a full day to return to the outskirts of Konoha. Itachi could have only needed a quarter of the time if he traveled alone, but Neji's pace was slower. Every step he took was a lesson in adaptation... each stumble and bruise was another piece of information feeding into his growing perception of the world.
Itachi observed quietly as Neji brushed against branches or tripped on stray roots, never once complaining. Instead, Neji's expression tightened as his body learned.
"You're processing faster," Itachi noted at one point, watching the boy right himself after colliding with a low-hanging limb.
Neji exhaled catching his balance. "I can sense the shift in air when something moves. But if everything is still, I have nothing. I need a way to create my own signals."
He paused tilting his head toward Itachi. "Itachi-san, Please make me a stick about my height and as thick as my fist."
Itachi blinked. "A stick?"
"Yes," Neji said firmly. "If nothing moves, I will move the air myself. The staff will echo against what I cannot sense. Every swing and tap will be another clue. With this I can see even if they are unmoving."
For a moment, Itachi simply regarded him. The idea was striking, most shinobi in Neji's place would despair at blindness, but the boy was already turning weakness into weapon.
Without another word, Itachi leapt toward a nearby tree. His blade gleamed briefly as he cut a nearby sturdy tree branch. He continued to shape into what Neji asked for.