{Accord}
{Chapter Two: Acknowledgement}
Hatake Kakashi was a splendid shinobi, and while his skill was exceptionally beneficial to both Anbu and Konoha as a whole, his perceptiveness could be quite irritating in his sensei's opinion. The grey-haired man's impressive attention to the minutia of human behavior made it easy for him to determine that there was some ripple in the consistency of the Hokage's typical demeanor. And Minato knew that this was likely the reason why his former student was awaiting his evening departure from the office, leaning lazily against the wall with his arms folded across his chest as he read one of his smutty novels with a bored expression.
"Sensei," he hummed, the book disappearing somewhere into his vest.
"Kakashi? I thought you were on a mission."
"Hai, I was. We just made it back."
"Did it go well? You took a few of the younger Anbu members with you this time, right?" the blond questioned, beckoning for the younger man to follow him as he walked down the hall, his Hokage's hat clutched loosely between his fingers.
Kakashi nodded, curiously assessing the elder man's expression out of the corner of his unconcealed eye. "Hai. They did very well."
"Excellent," Minato replied, allowing them to stumble into a slightly awkward silence as they stepped through the building's main doors and into the village streets. The weather was pleasant, and the citizens of Konoha were savoring the loveliness of the evening as they milled about, laughing and enjoying the company of friends and neighbors. Strolling casually with no apparent destination, the pair was greeted respectfully by each person they passed, and the blond acknowledged them all with kind words and gentle, feigned smiles. "So tell me, Kakashi. What's on your mind?"
"Nothing at all, Hokage-sama."
"Is that so? Come on, Kakashi, let's sit and talk. I'm sure you're hungry after your mission; how does barbeque sound?" Minato asked, a small but genuine smile flashing in his cerulean eyes. The younger man nodded in grateful acceptance, fully aware that the offer bordered more closely on a command than an actual question, but was pleased with the opportunity nonetheless.
"Arigatō gosaimasu. But what about Naruto?"
"No worries," the blond replied, ushering the grey-haired Anbu into a restaurant, smiling and thanking the hostess for her generous service as they slid into an isolated booth. "He's with the Nara boy, Shikaku's son. I'm just glad that he's managed to make some friends despite how obnoxious he is."
"He's a good kid, though. Reminds me of Obito."
The Hokage laughed heartily, a glimmer of his past self shining through the dark façade that he had been concealed by false happiness as of late. "Yeah, he's a screw up, exactly like Obito. But he's not as stupid as he seems. And he has so much of Kushina in him, especially her loud mouth and big heart."
Kakashi nodded sorrowfully, assessing the other man intently. "So, how is Itachi as a guard? Performing well?"
Minato tensed slightly, grateful that their waitress reappeared, giving him a valid reason to divert his gaze away from his former student's scrutinizing stare. There's that word again, he thought bitterly, though his smile never waned, "performed".
"He's an excellent shinobi, but I wonder if his potential is being wasted by standing around and babysitting me. Perhaps I should transfer him back into your division, Kakashi – where he can truly be of use."
"Sensei, may I be frank?" the grey-haired man questioned, his gaze narrowing as the blond hummed in acknowledgement. "I think it would be best for him to remain at his current post. I think that continuing to have an Uchiha in such close contact with the Hokage would promote improved relations between the clan and Konoha as a whole. Though I'm sure such a thought has already occurred to you."
"Close contact" is a bit of an understatement, Minato mused with an odd combination of smugness and discomfort, nodding as he agreed with Kakashi's assessment. Suddenly, he felt a familiar churning in his gut, vicious arousal inspired by nothing more than the mental image of the Uchiha prodigy sprawled over his desk, lips pink and parted as he awaited his lord's orders. Dammit, no. Not now.
"Uh, sensei? Are you alright?"
"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine," he responded, his eyes wide and panicked as if he was lost. Knitting his brows together in frustration, the Hokage excused himself and rose quickly from his seat, turning to address the Anbu captain's suspicious stare as he placed payment on the table. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I need to go back to the office; there's something important that I forgot to do. Please, enjoy dinner on me. We'll get together soon, since I'm sure Naruto would like to see you. He really looks up to you, you know – Konoha's infamous Copy Nin," he chuckled awkwardly. "Just come by the house or something, okay?"
"Sure, Hokage-sama."
"Hokage-sama?" Minato teased as he rushed out of the restaurant, calling quick goodbyes over his shoulder and darting back to the central administrative building, careful to remain concealed from the residents of the neighborhood. It would be shameful for their noble Hokage to be seen scurrying through the streets like a criminal, flustered and winded as he struggled with the ache of arousal.
Slamming his office door, the blond leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, running his fingers aggressively through his hair and sighing, attempting to fight away the darkness that was beginning to descend on his thoughts. Warring against his own bitterness was nearly impossible. It was grasping and tugging him towards the oppressive nothingness as he was stretched thinner and thinner, his will weakening with each passing day – with each passing moment. He groaned and feebly fought against the rip current of the void which housed his depravity, a tempting depthless pit that coaxed him to it with sweet whispers of freedom from agony and want. Though he knew that he would hate himself for succumbing to the enticement, he also knew that this way would be far easier than continuing to suffer through his personal living hell. If he were to simply let go, to simply give in, everything would cease to matter as he was pulled into the black hole that had seemingly replaced his heart; a chasm filled with violence and uncertainty and the horrifying ability to shred light with its intensity. It was a vile thought, but Minato considered stooping to beg Kushina for forgiveness yet again, merely so that he could continue to transgress against her memory with his selfishness.
The Hokage bit his lip and succumbed, his pulse pounding wildly as he ceased to suppress his growing arousal, allowing his mind to wander and grinding the tautness in his hips against his open palm. Groaning quietly he shuddered at the dearly craved pleasure, the urgency of his need increasing as he imagined his muse begging beneath him, all pale skin and dark eyes and lithe muscle. That delicious voice hazed by desire and sweet agony, asking for his approval, pleading for more as he took exactly what he wanted, fingers tracing the lines of that slender body and the Anbu tattoo etched into pearlescent flesh.
Unconsciously, the blond allowed his head to fall back against the wall, the name of the object of his desire slipping from between panting lips. "Itachi."
A gentle knock on the door caused Minato to freeze, his cerulean eyes sharpening as they flew open, lust dissolving from his features as a polite, elegant voice reached his ears. "Hokage-sama? Did you call for me?"
"Itachi?"
"Hai."
Fantastic, of course he's here, Minato remarked to himself snidely, huffing and biting his cheek in attempted restraint. The bastard's diligent; but I can't fault him for doing his job.
"Come here, Itachi."
There was a slight moment of hesitation before the office door swung open silently, a poised figure slipping inside and closing it again, the latch clicking with an eerie sense of finality. The younger man knelt respectfully before his lord, his long ebony ponytail falling gracefully over his shoulder as he lowered his head, the porcelain mask obstructing his face revealing as little as his expressions ever would. "For what am I needed, Yondaime-sama?"
The Uchiha prodigy's low, sultry voice made Minato squirm at the appealing nature of the sound, and he reached out to slowly remove the concealing garment, allowing the weasel visage to clatter unceremoniously to the floor. Itachi never raised his eyes as his master tugged his hair free from its confines, dragging his fingers gently through the silken strands that seemed entirely impervious to tangles. The blond was surprised by the serenity of his own tone as he spoke, the words not matching the urgent, violent desire throbbing throughout his being. "I need you. That is all."
I need to be inside you, he thought as he urged the younger man's lips to address the need in his lap after a brief kiss. Yet… the last thing you need is me. Doing this to you.
Following a fleeting moment of hesitation, Minato shoved him away and onto his back, leaning over the smaller figure and ridding him of his clothes, his gaze studying the welcome sight of the body beneath him. His lips began to explore and his strong hands, calloused from years of weapons use, began to knead easy circles into the miniscule divots above the guard's slender hips. The action, coupled with a soft yet passionate kiss inspired a slight, but noticeable gasp to escape from Itachi's mouth, the sound beautiful and, for once, wholly genuine. The Hokage savored the little crack in the young Anbu's other, more permanent porcelain mask and sought to encourage the reaction again, finding that it was far more arousing than any previous whimpers of pain.
"Hokage-sama," the smaller man sighed, "How may I pleasure you?"
"Itachi, say my name. Minato. Say it."
Drawing in a shaky breath, he conceded to his lord's orders reluctantly, his voice trembling slightly as if it pained him to speak. "Hai, M – Minato."
"Again."
"Minato."
Though the darkness was beginning to claw at him more persistently, the Hokage felt some slender thread of light holding him fast to his humanity; the tether both pleasant and searing with contradiction. He was letting himself go at last, finally allowing himself to drown in selfish whims and carnal desire – but he was bound by some inexplicable restraint, refusing to concede to his long-awaited abandonment of morality. Perhaps it was the product of some emotion that he believed had long ago perished, purged wholly from his heart. Or perhaps it was Kushina, informing him that he was allotted some degree of self-regarding depravity considering the position in which she had left him upon her death, but refusing to permit him to lose himself entirely. The thought gentled his hips as he pressed himself into Itachi, savoring the nearly silent groans parading through the younger's thin lips.
"Again," the blond ordered as he began to move.
"Minato."
On the verge of discarding restraint for pleasure, he stilled, lost momentarily in contemplation. The Uchiha beneath him displayed a miniscule flicker of confusion when his master spoke in a haunting, somber voice. "Itachi. What are you thinking about? Right now."
"I will think about whatever you wish me to think, Hokage-sama."
Dammit, just answer me! I want to get inside your head!
"Tell me," Minato warned, thrusting roughly into the younger man, savoring the slight gasp that he conceded as his back arched up from the floor, his body pressing against the sturdy frame above him.
"Hokage-sama, my mind is clear. I will think of whatever you wish."
"Are you thinking of your brother? Of protecting your precious Sasuke? You aren't thinking of yourself, are you? Answer me, Itachi."
Obsidian eyes widened slightly, snapping free from the artificial haze of lust that the Anbu had so easily donned as he stared blankly past his lord at the ceiling, his expression betraying only the slightest tinge of concern. "Hai. I was thinking of him."
The Hokage sighed and laid his lips against the younger's throat, carefully considering his words as he continued to take him at his own discretion, his mind too occupied to mark the slender body with bites and bruises as he normally did. Nearing his peak, Minato slowed his pace, acting on the inexplicable urge to kiss the other man deeply, passionately, pressing their lips together with miniscule force. Remarkably, Itachi replied with what seemed to be a genuine response, his hands cautiously tangling in the mess of blond hair above him, willingly tying their tongues in sensual knots. The elder man ensured that the Uchiha prodigy was the first to climb to climax, seeking his shortly after and admiring the radiance of the figure sprawled openly across the office floor. Pale flesh tinted with blush from exertion, ebony hair splayed wildly yet still inexplicably free of tangles, dark eyes softened by release; that body enhanced in its splendor by the atypical lack of marring brands of possession.
He's beautiful, Minato thought contently, but not perfect.
"Go home, Itachi. Remind your brother of how much you love him. Dismissed."
Rising from the floor and redressing himself, the guard bowed respectfully before departing. "Hai, Yondaime-sama. Good evening."
Tugging his clothes back into their rightful places, Minato laid back against the ground lazily, savoring the pleasant chill of the hardwood flooring beneath his skin, cooling his body as he slowed his breaths and his thoughts. His mind drifted to his conversation with Kakashi earlier that night, smiling slightly at his former pupil's perceptive assessment of the village's current situation regarding the Uchiha clan. It was almost as if he had been present during the meeting between himself, Shimura Danzō, and Sandaime Hokage-sama earlier that day, wherein a discussion regarding such clan relations was begun. Danzō had been advocating taking drastic measures against the Uchiha and the rumors of a possible coup d'état originating from within the clan, mostly surrounding the current clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku.
Itachi's father, Minato noted to himself, internally questioning his reason for even making such a connection, as it was irrelevant to the issue of village security.
Following extensive debate, confined largely between his elders – who had been rivals since the days of their youth when both were serving beneath Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama – a conclusion was eventually reached regarding the Uchiha dilemma. Reluctantly, Minato had conceded to allowing Danzō to issue orders to Itachi and Uchiha Shisui, directing the future clan leader and his cousin to perform reconnaissance against their own relations in order to preserve peace. Later, in a private aside, Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen had expressed his concerns regarding his former teammate's methods of operation, indicating that Danzō should be monitored closely in the following days. The Foundation founder was well known, among those privy to such information, for his drastic and controversial actions, which often bred further unrest and suspicion about his apparent knack for scheming. Though he shared his predecessor's fears, the blond was relieved that he was not required to express his doubts to the elder man directly.
Minato could not determine why, but a sense of foreboding had been knotted somewhere in his chest all day, beneath his heart and between his lungs. Perhaps he was truly concerned for the safety of the village… or perhaps, though he detested admitting to such an idea, he was truly concerned for Itachi. Reconnaissance against your father was undoubtedly unpleasant, but the Hokage knew that the young Anbu would fulfill his mission exactly as he was ordered to do, and would perform his duties flawlessly, as per usual. Yet the knowledge that the Uchiha was held firmly beneath Shimura Danzō's thumb made Minato uneasy. There was a distinct possibility that Itachi would be commanded to take drastic action against his own people – action that would be taken without the Hokage's consent. His concern was entirely warranted, but the blond scolded himself for even considering the feelings of a single Anbu member, who essentially served as a glorified assassin and puppet, over the wellbeing of the village as a whole.
Sighing, he folded his hands behind his head and wrenched his eyes closed desperately as he spoke aloud to the silence of his office. "What do I do, Kushina?"
