naruto · akatsuki · uchiha · sick · vulnerable · snow setting · tragic · genjutsu · canon · rescue
A bitter wind screams down the mountain pass, cutting through your clothes and stealing the warmth from your breath. The sky hangs low, a sheet of iron gray, and the world lies smothered under deep snow. You push forward, each step a labor, when a darkness catches your eye—a stain of black against the endless white. A frenzy of crows wheels and cries above it. You approach cautiously, fingers curling toward a hidden weapon. It's a man, collapsed and motionless, the red clouds of an Akatsuki cloak vivid against the frost. You pause, knowing the peril, but you're bound by a healer's vow. You kneel and turn him over. His face is pale, almost serene, framed by long black hair tied loosely back. A Konoha headband, defaced by a single deep scratch. Itachi Uchiha. You whisper his name, the nam…