One
A Walk Among the Leaves
-October-
Kakashi had been in the village for two days on rest when he was summoned by the Third.
It was brilliant timing — he was getting rather bored just sitting around and doing nothing. Literary porn aside, all he did was mope around his flat or spend time at the memorial, because there was simply nothing else to do. He had trained, sure, but not hard, because there was no telling when he was to be brought back for another mission and he had to make sure his chakra was high enough for emergencies.
Gai was out on a mission, so there were no impromptu challenges from his so-called rival. Ibiki and Anko were busy with a few wartime scragglers that wouldn't take 'The War is Over' for an answer. Genma, Yūgao, and Kurenai were also out on a mission, so his drinking buddies were out of commission. Iruka was god-knew-where, maybe on a mission or maybe just attempting to devise a master plan of retirement. Again. Kakashi debated on finding out, but then decided that if Iruka wasn't intentionally visible, then he probably wanted to be left alone.
So there was nothing but training and reading, and talking to his dead friends and sensei when he felt like it. Sometimes he did feel like it, but mostly he didn't; going to the memorial meant that he would be gloomy and depressed without anyone to take his mind off it, and it was going to rain later anyway.
So it was terrific timing, if not for the ominous clouds over his head. He was staring out the window, smelling the rain and ozone that signalled the appearance of a thunderstorm, and he could see the chūnin coming towards his apartment with intent. He watched the kid, probably no more than fifteen, walk up the wall to his sixth storey window, and smile brightly.
"Kakashi-sama, a scroll for you," he said, his chirpy voice in contrast to the deeply gloomy sky that swirled behind him. Even as he watched with his one good eye, he could see the streets and trees go dark with the impending downpour. He wondered why the kid was so upbeat and carefree despite the weather. However, not everyone got irritable with a drop in pressure and thunder. And they called Kakashi the odd one.
Lightning was okay. Rain, cold, and booming noises that blocked out the noise of potential enemies was not okay.
Kakashi accepted the scroll and he watched as the chūnin immediately took off, rather quick on the rooftops. Maybe he wasn't looking forward to getting soaked to the bone after all, for he was really making a run for it. When he was out of sight, Kakashi sighed and unsealed the scroll, unrolling it.
Then he was up and moving after slamming the window shut, hurriedly putting on his ANBU uniform, complete with mask and his white Captain's cloak. It wasn't because the summoning was entirely urgent, per se, because it wasn't, but he didn't want to be caught in the rain. The storm, just like any mid-October storm, was probably going to last for days, and he figured that the earlier he moved out the better. Maybe he would get lucky if the briefing didn't take a long time and he was scheduled to leave immediately, because he'd be able to outrun it. Yeah, he'd think along those lines (even if it never worked out that way) and feel better about the situation. At least he'd have something to do, because the boredom was sure to be the death of him.
He bolted from the apartment building when he had reset his traps, not knowing if he was returning. In a way, he didn't want to. If he spent more time twiddling his thumbs, he was going to end up throwing himself off the mountain. He was pleased to note that it hadn't started raining yet, but the smell of rain was permeating the air around his sensitive nose. Even behind the two masks he could smell it as if it already raining, and he increased his speed.
He made it to the tower and received authorisation to enter the Hokage's office before the tell-all plink of raindrops hitting the roof started. The window in the old man's office was open, and Kakashi could see out the corner of his eye-slits that it was a mere sprinkle. It was still rain though, and perhaps he should've brought a black cloak instead. Then again, did it really matter? His clothing underneath was black and grey metal, and the fabric was thick and semi-waterproof (as much as a cloak could be, anyway). He'd take it as it came, when it came.
He stood in front of the Hokage, just as stiff-backed as before, and he said in a muffled voice, "Hound, reporting in for assignment." He didn't much like his code, honestly, because it was rather obvious. Members of the Inuzuka Clan didn't usually join ANBU, and there was no one else really in the village who was known for ninken. Another way that people could point him out in a crowd, other than his rather distinct form and his recognisable silver hair. Well, and the Sharingan, but there were plenty of Uchiha in ANBU. Not enough for the Police Corps to really fuss about it, but plenty. It was a highly prestigious position after all.
Case in point: beside him stood Raven, who was young, a Sharingan user, and had all the classic Uchiha characteristics, like a broody attitude and the usual stubborn refusal to acknowledge another superior other than themselves, even if they were new-blood. Perhaps that was taking it too far though, because at least Raven could obey a direct order from a commander. Most Uchiha couldn't, somehow believing that they were better than every other shinobi in ANBU just because of their dojutsu. It was rather sad, considering that most of them weren't. Kakashi himself had a better understanding of the Sharingan than most of the Uchiha, and he wasn't even a compatible user. Maybe it was just that he was exceptionally good at everything he did — which was not really a good thing, really, despite what anyone said about being a genius — but he reckoned it was that he had to work extra hard to compensate for his shortcomings, namely not being born Uchiha.
There were only two others that had an understanding like he did, in a practical sense instead of a studious sense. Uchiha Shisui was in ANBU too, and was rather stubborn himself. He had a good heart though, and was a good shinobi, much more than the rest of the rather bitter Uchiha. The other was Uchiha Itachi, ten-years-old and already in ANBU himself. Kakashi didn't know much about the kid except that he was a prodigy that rivalled Kakashi himself. They were constantly being compared against one another despite their different social circles.
Kakashi had graduated from the Academy at five, Itachi at seven. Kakashi had gained chūnin status at six, Itachi right after his tenth birthday. On the other side of the spectrum, though, Itachi had him beat. Kakashi could've joined ANBU at ten himself, but he had gone for jōnin instead. Itachi had joined ANBU only two months after being advanced to chūnin, which had been another two months ago. He'd probably be a captain by twelve, thirteen tops.
Itachi was a damned good ANBU, though. His hair didn't seem to get in the way when it clearly should've, and that was a feat all in itself.
"Raven and Hound, I have a mission for you both if you should choose to accept it," said Sarutobi, his expression intense and deep. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, something Kakashi couldn't put a finger on, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. "However, before I can give you the details, there is one rather...delicate issue." After a beat of silence, where he stared back and forth between Kakashi and Raven, he said, "It's an S-class undercover mission."
That peaked Kakashi's interest, and he could see Raven stand up straighter in response. "Forgive me if I don't particularly understand the perimeters for such a mission, but those are usually carried out by experienced jōnin that don't need to be anonymous," said Kakashi.
The Third sighed. "Yes, well, like I said, this is a delicate mission. It's not customary for ANBU to be sent out on such assignments, which requires your anonymity to be forfeited, but this mission is very important and you both fit the criteria. It requires utmost precision and to be entirely honest, I don't really believe that this mission will succeed without perfection, something both of you can offer. I can assign another two-man cell if you do not wish to accept, however."
"What is the basic outline of this mission?" asked Raven, his voice even and betraying nothing.
Sarutobi frowned, and then said, "It's a long one, and is listed as infiltration. I'm estimating about half a year, but it's a guessing game on that front and it could be longer. Henge might have to be utilised if needed, especially for Hound, but it won't be to the point of chakra exhaustion. Failure to eliminate the two targets, and anyone who is also involved, could bring war to our country. Failure to keep complete anonymity about Leaf's involvement will bring war to our country."
Kakashi didn't even need to think about it. If his village wanted him to be another person for around half a year, then he would do so. The henge would be to cover up the Sharingan, since he wasn't able to turn it off, and even the scar would have to go. He could do that almost constantly unless he had to do battle, and infiltration never consisted of conflict until the very end (and sometimes not even then). Losing the flimsy anonymity between Kakashi and Raven was no problem either — he knew who Raven was, and he would eat his left hand if Raven didn't know who Kakashi was. It was rather obvious on both sides.
"I accept," Kakashi said, still staring at Sarutobi through the slits in his porcelain mask.
It took Raven a lot longer to come to a decision. Kakashi could understand that, because Raven had a family and a clan and a life, really, so leaving for a long but undetermined amount of time was a big decision to make. Ignoring the selfish, personal reasons, though, it was clearly a mission of strong importance, because two rather exceptional shinobi were being taken off rotation for something that would take ages to complete. That in itself was a big deal, and Kakashi couldn't imagine Raven denying the mission.
"I accept," Raven eventually said, after minutes upon minutes of silence. The rain by that time had picked up heavily, covering the village in a fuzzy haze of water. Kakashi hated rain, because it cut off visibility and he didn't care much for being cold, but that was his upbringing talking. Fire was a warm place, consisting of thick forests and dense rainforests both. There were tropical beaches in the peninsula, but that was humid and the crime was terrible.
"Very well," said Sarutobi, and that strange flicker of emotion reappeared in the Hokage's eyes. It lingered for a moment before Sarutobi sighed yet again and said, "Take a seat and you might as well take off your masks. It's safe to assume you know each other's identities."
Kakashi whipped his off rather quickly, because it was stifling beneath it. He shrugged out of his white cloak and draped it over the back of one of the chairs, eventually plopping down in said chair rather ungracefully. He wasn't undercover as an ANBU any more, and no one really appreciated his level of social decorum anyway. He was late to everything and read porn in public, and his posture was normally terrible as it was. No use putting up a front for any longer, especially since the front was flimsy at best. His hair stood out, and his fighting style stood out more. His ninken, on the other hand, was the give away.
With a bit more hesitation, Raven took off his own mask and revealed the young features of Itachi, who seemed to be blank as usual. Itachi glanced at Kakashi with unreadable eyes, the orbs a deep ebony-brown that were rather warm due to the long lashes surrounding. He looked like a six-year-old girl, really, because he was short for his age and rather thin too. It was the hair and the eyelashes, mostly, but he moved like a dancer too, and that was girly. Or like a shinobi, but that was only a civilian perspective. Shinobi all moved differently, from Itachi's dancer-like movements, to Kakashi's feline gait, to Orochimaru's slithery sneaking, and to Asuma's block-like force of nature. Among other descriptions, of course, but that was that.
Sarutobi seemed amused when Itachi sat down much more gracefully than Kakashi's lazy posture. He handed them two files, which they immediately took in hand and flipped through. Watching them, Sarutobi said, "As we all know, during the Second Shinobi War, a very technologically advanced nation called the Land of Sky emerged. Because they sought to destroy the Five Great Shinobi Nations, they had to be neutralised for our own safety. Konohagakure declared war, and we obliterated them. I'm sure you both had relatives involved within the annihilation of the Land of Sky."
Massive understatement and Sarutobi knew it. Kakashi's mother had fought on that front, and Kakashi was pretty sure that Itachi's mother had been a young chūnin involved as well. The latter was speculation, but it was safe to assume that there were Uchiha present within that particular conflict. Uchiha tended to gravitate towards massive battles like that. As a whole, they were conflict-loving bastards. They were also a bunch of inbred bastards as well, but clans tended to take that route in the irrational need for blood purity. Kakashi was pretty sure he wasn't any different by genetics, because the Hatake had been a massively powerful clan back before the Second War and inbreeding came with the territory. At least Kakashi didn't gloat about it, though.
Then they all had the nerve to keel over. Figured. Geniuses as a whole never had much of self-preservation instincts, as any true genius shouldn't.
Sarutobi continued, "There are are a series of targets that need to be eliminated, but we need as much information from them as possible. There might be additional targets that will need to be taken out as well, to prevent any future conflict for this village and others in the sake of peace."
"Sounds like a relatively easy mission that's going to be a pain in the arse," said Kakashi honestly, flipping through pages almost as fast as his cohort Itachi. The Sharingan was a wonderful thing for all of its chakra-draining evil, namely that he could read about 25,000-ish words a minute. He didn't even want to imagine what Itachi could take in. It made his brain hurt.
"Easy isn't a word that I would use," said Sarutobi, putting his chin in one upturned palm. "I know that you have accepted the parameters of this mission, but I want you to fully understand what is needed of you to complete this mission before you sign. Of course, while we know a great deal about what you will have to subject yourself to while in Sky, a lot of it is up for tentative interpretation. There's no way to know until you get back from this mission when it's completed."
Kakashi closed his folder about a minute after Itachi had closed his. Still slumped lazily in his chair, he said, "Alright, then let's hear the facts that aren't in the file. The sooner the better, I suppose."
Sarutobi didn't seem amused. "If you weren't my best ANBU Captain, I'd have you arrested for your sheer cheek." Kakashi, fully aware of the emptiness behind the comment, just smiled genially beneath his mask, his mismatched eyes curving closed. Sarutobi sighed yet again and started rummaging in one of his drawers, eventually pulling out a pipe and lighting it. When he had inhaled a rather hearty lungful of tobacco smoke, he began to speak quietly.
"As we all know, Sky was obliterated by Konoha forces during the Second War. Most of the nin affiliated with the village were killed or fled into other countries, especially the surrounding nations. Quite a few of the survivors were killed anyway by the Iron samurai when they tried to infiltrate the country through the border. Regardless, despite our best efforts to neutralise the threat of Sky, naturally a few of their more talented shinobi evaded capture."
"Of course," said Itachi quietly. "Survival of the fittest." Fitting, really, Kakashi couldn't help but think, sending a long look towards the ten-year-old. He had a bad feeling about this.
"Indeed," conceded Sarutobi, frowning. "Because of the threat that Sky was to us, the Leaf obviously sent out the best intelligence operators that the village had to offer. This has been a constant for years now, and not just in Sky. As ANBU, you are familiar with infiltration, especially within non-allied nations."
This was true. Every nation had spies of the Leaf, even in allied countries, and for good reason. The more information the better, and those spies had averted more wars than Kakashi would probably ever know about. It was a terrible job in itself as well, requiring an ungodly amount of patience and loyalty for the village, considering that once deployed that shinobi was never going to go back home. Ever. Not even to be buried with family members after death. Once they moved to another country, they lived there — usually as civilians, a travesty in itself — they died there — usually from natural causes, but sometimes from suicide due to being caught — and they decomposed there. It was just how it happened, and it was an honour in its own way.
Kakashi would never be involved in such missions. He could blend in with a crowd and could pass as a civilian when he was undercover, thanks to a meticulous henge and extensive knowledge on sufficiently suppressing his chakra, but there was no way that they would put him off rotation. Kakashi didn't like to brag, but he was one of the best if not the best assassin in the Fire Country. It wasn't exactly a good thing, but it was fact. The idea of Konohagakure pulling him off the rotation to gaggle around as a weak civilian instead of being a single-handed unstoppable force of nature was almost too insane to comprehend.
"Five of our shinobi were deployed there after the destruction. There is one couple that is posing as Sky shinobi for the sake of military intel, another couple that is posing as a wealthy pair involved in politics, and another single kunoichi that deals with criminal posts. They've been collecting information on Sky for years upon years, since before either one of you were born, and as of now we have enough information to determine that they're planning for retribution."
Kakashi wanted to roll his eyes and huff under his breath, because it just figured, but he decided to stare out the Hokage's open window at the downpour instead. The thunder hadn't started yet, but flashes of lightning illuminated Sarutobi's office occasionally, putting a strange shadow on Itachi's young, effeminate features.
Sarutobi continued, "The details of the mission are thus: a man named Kujimo Susumi, a powerful shinobi who currently has control over the military functions of the Land of Sky, must be eliminated. Also, a man named Narita Ichiro, a wealthy daimyō who controls the political regards of the nation, must also be neutralised. Furthermore, they must be killed within a few hours of each other. Both of these men are within close business arrangements with each other, but the two of you will be coming in from different angles during the mission to ensure optimum success."
"How so, Hokage-sama?" asked Itachi, soft and respectful.
"Narita Ichiro has five children, and one of them is around your age, Itachi. It has already been arranged for you to join the undercover civilian family as a newly orphaned nephew, as they are in good terms with the Narita family. You will play the role, you will get close to this family, and you will gather as much intel as possible within a justified boundary. You will be allowed to manoeuvre within your justified age range as much as you deem necessary, so if something unexpected happens you are permitted to respond in the best possible way that ensures success. Of course, you aren't to use the Sharingan or jutsu whatsoever, and only basic taijutsu is allowed in response to stamina when the assassinations must be done. Do you understand the parameters of this mission, Itachi?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Itachi, his face impassive. Kakashi was moderately pleased, for even though there were so many factors that could go wrong with such an assignment, Kakashi knew that he would be relatively comfortable. Well, as comfortable as Itachi could be, pretending to actually be ten-years-old instead of forty like he currently sported on a day-to-day basis. Then again, Itachi was one of the best shinobi that Kakashi had ever worked with, ten or not, so he would make it work regardless of the situation.
Sarutobi turned to Kakashi, and that emotion reappeared for the third time in his eyes. With a stiff and vaguely uncomfortable air to his posture and voice, he said, "Kakashi, you've been assigned seduction missions, correct?"
It was a pointless question, as the Third knew the answer just as well as Kakashi did. It explained the odd expression on Sarutobi's face, for sure, a mixture between...well, he wasn't going to think about that since it wasn't important. Kakashi carefully avoided Itachi's face, even though it was doubtful that the young Uchiha was even marginally interested. It was relatively common for shinobi and kunoichi to be assigned such missions, multiple times in fact. Kakashi wasn't sure if Sarutobi would even allow someone like Itachi to do one, since he was the heir of his clan and god forbid Itachi got someone pregnant. ANBU was a force separated from the regular shinobi ranks and the Police Force, but that didn't mean that Uchiha Fugaku couldn't manipulate things.
Kakashi knew from personal experience. He had almost gotten his Sharingan eye ripped out of his socket by the man when news of Obito's gift had reached the Uchiha Clan. It had taken physical force from Kakashi's sensei and the Third to keep it from happening. He had been lucky that civil war hadn't broken out because of it, honestly, because Minato-sensei had been furious.
Instead of going into the seven seduction missions he had been assigned since becoming a jōnin at thirteen, he said, "Yes." He was thankful that Itachi didn't seem to respond; although Itachi was almost ridiculously loyal to the village (and to his itty-bity brat of a baby brother, but that was beside the point), he most definitely was not naïve about his job. He knew what happened underneath the happy-go-lucky exterior of a Hidden Village, and he wasn't going to question the village on that regard.
"Kujimo Susumi is quite well-known as a law unto himself. In accordance to my information, despite having a wife and children, he regularly takes male consorts, some more beloved than others. From the intel, after being a consort to him and accompanying him in his life, they are killed by Kujimo as a way to insure his secrets or perhaps because he enjoys it. Because you are such a talented shinobi with an unparalleled knowledge of chakra suppression, you should be able to hide your own Sharingan, the scar, and your ANBU tattoo with a henge. This way, you can have eyes on the inside that even my spies can't breach, and you'll be able to gather information that could benefit future generations on technology or jutsu they are developing."
Kakashi didn't really give the idea of being the male consort to a dictator any thought. Instead, he said with a hint of confusion, "I can maintain such a basic henge for a long time with non-existent chakra use, but you said that this could take six months if not longer. Isn't it a bit risky, considering what such a position entails?"
Sarutobi sighed, and Kakashi mentally swore that if it happened again, he'd smack the old man upside the head. Obviously, he wouldn't, but it made him feel better to think it. "Naturally there is risk to the entire operation. Out of everything, you keeping up such a disguise is the least of my concerns. You might be a shinobi notorious for being laid back and almost lazy, but you are also one of the most diligent and talented men I've ever seen within ANBU. I feel as if you are the best person for the job, and the same goes for Itachi."
Kakashi was satisfied, even if there was a tinge of apprehension in his chest. Months upon months of light sleeping to make sure his henge didn't drop, months upon months of scrutinising every movement and word to make sure that he acted his part perfectly, and maybe even months upon months of rather...well, he wasn't going to think about that either. It was going to be taxing. Sarutobi was right though; there was no way in hell that something like a small henge on such small areas was going to ruin the success rate of the mission. He was better than that.
"I accept this mission," said Kakashi, waving his hand half-heartedly in the air. Sarutobi nodded and handed him a pen and the formal mission scroll, in which he grabbed. He wrote down his name and rank in his rather uncharacteristic elegant script, all slanted symbols and perfect precision. Sure, his mission reports were terribly written and often went on tangents about weapons or porn, but at least his script was nice and legible.
Itachi, however, wasn't quite finished. "So since there is no definite time restraint on this assignment, when will we know that the other has collected enough information to warrant the dual assassinations?"
Kakashi paused while rolling up his mission scroll and said, "Uh, yeah, that's a good point. I'm sure you've already thought of a solution, but...oh, yeah, ninken, gotcha." He continued rolling up his scroll as if that entire speech hadn't happened.
"I see," said Itachi. "How many summons do you have that can suppress their chakra ties?"
"Five," Kakashi said proudly, "and I have three more that are almost there. Obviously, I won't be able to use them in this mission because they aren't perfect. However, the five that are ready could be used for intel as well as sharing information between the two of us. They can slip into places we won't be able to, and their hearing is excellent. They're also loyal by contract, and they're pretty damn good familiars too on simple principle."
Sarutobi smiled. "Undercover dogs...I can't say this is uncommon, considering Konoha houses the Inuzuka Clan and many of them are jōnin, but I can say that I'm not averse to this idea. You're absolutely sure that they won't be tied back to you and compromise your position?"
Judging by the smile, Sarutobi was already convinced that allowing Kakashi's ninken to roam around in Sky was a significant advantage, but the last living Hatake entertained him anyway. "Naturally. Konoha isn't the only hidden village or independent clan that uses dogs as shinobi familiars, and if one of them was discovered as a ninken, all they would have to do is dispel before any incriminating evidence was discovered against us. Security would probably get ungodly tight, and people would start getting paranoid, but it would work if I stay undercover completely."
"Then how will Itachi know if you are both going to commence with the mission?" asked Sarutobi, the smile being replaced with a light frown.
Itachi dead-panned, "I'm sure I'll hear about any assassination regardless of whether or not it's Kakashi-senpai that informs me, if desperate situations call for desperate measures. If something does not go according to plan and either one of us is forced to resort to premature escalation, I can assure you on both our accounts that the situation will be dealt with considerably."
That miffed Kakashi a bit, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulder and handed Sarutobi the mission scroll with an eye crinkle, because Itachi was correct. They would both find a way to counteract the escalation indeed. He just didn't want a ten-year-old to say so, because he was perfectly capable of saying it himself.
After Sarutobi nodded, Kakashi handed the pen over. Itachi's statement had pretty much reeked of acceptance, so there was no point beating around the bush about it. Itachi gave him a blank stare and then took it, saying lowly, "I also accept this mission." He signed his name and rank, and Kakashi was amused to see that Itachi's kanji, hiragana, and katakana was a scrawled mess, readable but also seemingly uncharacteristic. It was hilarious to see that the pampered perfectionist was the one with the shit writing and Kakashi of all people wrote like an artist.
Maybe it was because his father had forced him to be right-handed, like was customary in society. Being left-handed was considered unnatural, and people looked down on anyone who used their left, shinobi or otherwise, so Itachi wasn't any different. The younger generation tended to be a bit more...relaxed about it, sure, but it was seriously a problem, especially for clan heirs. Perfection was key, and being left-handed was supposedly unnatural, in harshly truthful words. Kakashi thought the old generation were composed of idiots, but whatever; learning how to be ambidextrous wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because all shinobi did that in small, moderate ways. Itachi could write chicken scratch all he wanted with his right hand for all Kakashi cared, because the kid was still a deadly little bitch and it didn't matter otherwise.
Well, maybe not. Itachi was a ridiculously talented shinobi. He probably wrote just as shitty with his left as he did with his right, because Itachi seemed the type that perfected every imperfection to exhaustion and if he wrote shitty with his right, well then, that was that. Itachi probably didn't practise enough with his left to be a calligrapher, because he knew what his family would say about it and being constantly told that being left-handed was an abomination, so...
Who cared? His mind was a traitorous thing. Who gave a flying fuck what Itachi wrote like and if Fugaku was the reason behind his terrible penmanship, honestly? Kakashi sure didn't. All Kakashi knew was that he didn't have a lick of affection towards Uchiha Fugaku, regardless. That man could suck Kakashi's white, well-endowed d—
"Very well," Sarutobi said, nodding. "You leave the moment the storm passes, because travelling in a rainstorm of this magnitude wouldn't be advisable. I expect you to modify your appearances and go completely civilian after leaving the Fire Country, and I also expect you to be as inconspicuous as possible until you reach Sky. There, you can go your separate ways. Remember that Sky is a hot climate, and that where you will be stationed is a tropical area, so dress and prepare appropriately. I expect updates on the first day of every month, and I'd like you both to come home without causing an international incident or compromising the identities of the spies. You know what information I expect you to gather, yes?" After a mumbled affirmative, he continued, "Alright, Itachi, you are dismissed. Kakashi, I'd like you to stay a bit longer, please?"
Funny how framing it like a pleading question didn't make him feel any less like he was being ordered around.
Kakashi fought the urge to roll his eyes again and said to Itachi, "Meet at the bridge when the storm passes, alright?"
Itachi replaced his ANBU mask after a small nod, bowed respectfully to the both of them, and then raised his hands in a jutsu. With a small cloud of smoke, he disappeared, and Kakashi turned back towards Sarutobi. He didn't like where this conversation was going either, but his boss was Hokage, there was nothing Kakashi could do to evade it. He could diffuse the uncomfortable situation though.
"Kakashi," he started in a rough voice, but Kakashi raised a hand.
"This isn't my first foray in seduction missions. You sent me on one when I was thirteen, and I came back with a perfect report, not to mention six other perfect reports after that as well. If you are having misgivings about sending me out on this, then you shouldn't even bother. I'm good at my job, and I won't let you down. I won't let this village down for something as mundane as my virtue, because that disappeared when I first killed a man, or when I first accepted a mission like this. I accepted this mission, and that's the end of it."
If my village wants me to be a whore again, then I shall be the best whore the village could ask for, he didn't say.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his eyes tiredly and said, "Fine. You're dismissed. Good luck, Kakashi."
Kakashi replaced his mask, bowed and disappeared himself, thankful that he didn't have to walk through the rain and his mind already on his Icha Icha novel.
"Nii-san, you're home!"
Itachi held a bundle of persimmons in his hand, a gift from an aunt that was watering her flower box in front of her shop. That wasn't uncommon, getting presents from members of the Uchiha Clan, because he was the heir no matter how young. People treated him differently, and he didn't much care for it.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing, living it utter anonymity for a while. It was unlikely that the couple he would be living with would really know much about him, and he wasn't going to tell them, so in a way it would be...refreshing. To be someone besides 'The Prodigy Heir of Uchiha' was something he had never allowed himself to ponder, because unless he denounced his title or went missing-nin — or both — he would never be allowed such things.
The five-year-old bundle of pent-up energy and enthusiasm was the only drawback. He had already accepted the mission, but leaving Sasuke and telling his father was a feat all on itself. Sasuke would be devastated, but being young he would find other ways to entertain himself until Itachi returned. As for his father, well, that would be much more complicated.
Looking down at his baby-faced little brother, he said gently, "Let's go outside."
His chubby cheeks scrunched up as he grinned. "Sure, but we can't get wet! Mother says that dinner will be ready soon."
Itachi smiled softly. "Silly Sasuke, we're not going to play in the rain. We'll just sit on the porch and spoil dinner with a treat from Auntie, okay?" He waved the bag of dried fruit enticingly, and Sasuke giggled mischievously, as if they were committing a crime or something equally horrendous. Itachi knew that their mother would be only mildly cross with the gesture, but would understand when his mission came to light. It was only fair that he got to spend time with Sasuke before he left for an extended period of time, and she wouldn't fault him for one misgiving. It was just a simple dinner, after all, not a political party.
After Itachi had taken off his gear, left in just his comfortable underclothes, they sat on the edge of the porch, letting their bare legs swing absently. Occasionally they would stretch out their legs past the awning keeping them dry, Sasuke with more difficulty, and wiggle their toes in the chilly rain. They each took turns digging out one persimmons, Sasuke snickering and Itachi smiling softly at the sight, and munched rather delicately on their candy.
Then Sasuke's expression grew sombre. "Are you leaving on another mission? You got summoned by the Hokage and I was just wondering."
Itachi sighed and ruffled his brother's jet black hair. "Yeah, they've given me a really important mission that will save a lot of lives, Sasuke."
Sasuke grinned. "You're awesome, nii-san!"
Itachi didn't like bursting the kid's bubble, but he couldn't just leave without telling him. "Sasuke, it's going to be a long mission."
Sasuke looked confused. "But your last mission was long too." Yeah, long as in a week, but that was child's play. That had been long on his normal standards, yes, but a week in comparison to six or so months was a bit of a drastic jump.
Still had to break the news gently. He had signed his contract, and there was nothing he could do to get out of it. He didn't want to either — if leaving for six-ish months was necessary to prevent a war, then he would do it happily, because otherwise Sasuke would know the terror and horror that came with war. He was hand-chosen by the Hokage for such an important mission, and it was an honour. The experience was a definite plus, but keeping Sasuke safe was the major relief. Clan be damned, the reason he continued to be the shinobi he was because of Sasuke, and perhaps they would have a better life free of war and death. Maybe Sasuke could grow up normal, instead of like Itachi. That made all the difference in the world.
That was the future though; this was the present, and he couldn't be overly harsh with his little brother. "Sasuke, my last mission was for a week. This one is significantly longer." Sasuke tugged on his sleeve, giving him a look of curiosity, and Itachi said in a cautious, placative tone, "I'm going to be gone for a long time, not weeks but months. I might even miss your birthday."
Sasuke jerked in shock. "But nii-san, my birthday is...is..." He counted on his tiny, stubby fingers. "My birthday is in nine months! You can't be gone that long, and you can't miss my birthday because then I'll miss your birthday! This isn't fair, nii-san!"
Something painful clenched in his chest, but he didn't outwardly acknowledge it. "It won't be forever, Sasuke, and it's an important mission. The Hokage himself assigned me, and I can't refuse even if I wanted to." Better for Sasuke to not know that Itachi had signed it himself, because misplaced anger was better than thinking his brother had willingly left him for a long time. Sasuke wouldn't understand, because he was young and innocent of the under-dealings of the village. Sasuke wouldn't see the Hokage anyway, and probably wouldn't meet the man until he graduated the Academy, whenever that would be. "Besides," Itachi added, "I could be home in only a few months, and so you should just be happy that I'm going on a mission to help people."
Sasuke burst into tears and tackled Itachi in a hug. The half-empty bag of dried fruit dropped to the grass below their feet, but that was probably a good thing. Sasuke usually didn't like sweet things unless Itachi was behind it, and their Father didn't like his sons even breathing next to them due to their nutritional content (or lack thereof). Itachi, who did like sweets, would probably end up eating the entire bag by himself, and that was inadvisable.
"I'll miss you so much, nii-san!" Sasuke sobbed loudly, and Itachi could hear his mother walking towards them at a slow, but insistent pace. Mikoto, despite now being a dutiful housewife, was still a jōnin, and she had probably overheard the entire conversation since Itachi had walked in the door. That probably was a good thing, so they didn't get in too much trouble for the persimmons, but Itachi couldn't help but feel a small twinge of annoyance that he couldn't have a moment with his brother alone unless they all but fled the compound.
"I'll miss you too, Sasuke," he said softly, burying his nose in Sasuke's jet black mop. He smelt like dewy grass and fresh parchment, with a tint of his supposedly unscented shampoo, and this was so uniquely Sasuke that he just breathed. He didn't know when he'd be able to just cherish the feel of his little brother in his arms — he was a shinobi, and there was always the chance that he would never get to see his brother again. He had to just hold the moment for as long as possible, because he could never come home.
He didn't want to die, and he didn't ever want to be separated from his brother, but he had to be a shinobi of the Leaf for Sasuke too, to keep him safe no matter what.
It was a double-edged sword, but he wouldn't complain.
He pulled away with great reluctance when his mother finally stopped at the shōji door, watching them silently with a small frown on her face. He glanced at her, catching her curious and slightly worried gaze, and then said, "Come, Sasuke. It's time for dinner, yes?"
Sasuke, still sniffling, pulled away from Itachi's shirt, wiping his eyes roughly. Mikoto tore her eyes away from Itachi's and knelt down, running her hands through Sasuke's short hair in a way that Itachi had never been shown. "Your brother's right. Dinner's ready, and your father should be home soon. Let's all get cleaned up and meet at the table in five minutes, okay?"
"Okay, Mother," Sasuke said, and Itachi stood up, heading toward the back-end of the house. Sasuke followed him from a distance, but eventually turned into the bathroom while Itachi made way to his room. He dumped his handful of gear on his bed, not really in the mood to put it all away since he'd have to get it out again, and sat at the end of his bed, burying his fingers in his hair. It was getting long, and his mother kept lightly imploring him to cut it. Maybe he should cut it, really, because he was going undercover and he wouldn't have shinobi clothing to prove that he wasn't a girl. People tended to mistake him for one outside of the village, from the hair to his eyelashes and big eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to chop it all off for the sake of masculinity. He was ten, and if he could do his job with perfect precision regardless of his ponytail, then it didn't matter. He liked it — liked the length, liked the way it flashed while he was spinning in the air away from kunai, liked the way people always underestimated him because they thought him a fragile china doll instead of a deadly shinobi. Maybe he'd keep the hair, because it did have the added bonus of making him look like said fragile china doll. Underestimation was a shinobi's greatest asset during infiltration missions, and the more physically unimposing the better.
Something would have to be done about his body though. He would have clothes on, but it was still a tropical area. Acting like a civilian ten-year-old would be difficult when he was physically fit in a way that civilian children just weren't. He wouldn't be able to go swimming on the beach or even wear shorts and a light top without drawing attention to the fact that he was built like a shinobi, regardless of his age.
It took...two days to reach the outer peninsula of Fire using chakra, but when they hit Tea, they would both be undercover. He had to stay strong and keep his cardio up, but he didn't have to be inhuman either. He was going to lose so much definition on the mission, whether he wanted to or not. Perhaps he could talk the 'civilian' shinobis that would be watching him to let him join a dojo. If they even had those there.
Then again, perhaps not. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, and practising badly was even worse than not practising. If he did do martial arts properly, he'd probably get spotted by Sky shinobi and would end up being thrown into their training. The last thing he needed was to be...well, maybe not. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to join whatever Sky's version of the Academy was, to become a mock Sky shinobi, but he didn't want to do something that would be considered treason either. Besides, political jargon between children was always the fastest way to hear truths. Children tended to talk more freely about their parents and things they overheard between friends, and the children of the Narita man would complain about their father and his business dealings freely with another child of the same upbringing.
Itachi stood up and began walking towards the kitchen. The worst part about undercover missions was staying undercover, in his opinion. He had done undercover missions before, but always as similar characters: penniless children, orphaned children... Actually pretending to be another person for an extended period of time was something he hadn't tackled before. He knew he could do it, because he had been successful in similar missions and he was a perfectionist, but it just seemed daunting. He knew that the character he was playing was a child from the Land of the Moon who had been recently orphaned due to a house fire. His fake parents were aristocrats, sort of like the Uchiha themselves, so he could channel some of the self-entitled superiority that the Uchiha had in spades. He could pretend to be a stuck-up brat who complained about everything that didn't go his way, yes, but still...he was ten. Ten-year-olds had ways of acting, ways that Itachi had never been allowed to acknowledge before. Ten-year-olds giggled and made up silly languages and played ball and ate candy all the time. Itachi could do it, but he'd be miserable.
Well, if the mission had been easy, then genin would do it, Itachi thought glumly, entering the kitchen and heading to the sink. His mother was moving the dinner plates into the dining room, so Itachi quickly washed his hands and went to help her. He could feel his father in the other room with Sasuke, so he would say something when Itachi walked through the door, and Itachi grabbed as many plates as he could carry to compensate. He balanced them as only a shinobi could, smiling lightly when Sasuke giggled at his predicament. He was balancing plates on his arms, hands, shoulders, and head after all, so perhaps that was warranted.
"Itachi, put those down and take a seat," said Fugaku, sounding exasperated, but there was a slight hint of amusement. His father wasn't all bad, no, and it wasn't right for him to assume such, but it was difficult. His father was stern, and spent every moment of his life working on ways to advance the power of Uchiha. He didn't spend enough time being a father, and he spent too much time working and scheming, which wasn't exactly the best combination.
He was a good man, a one-track-minded leader, and a terrible father.
When Kakashi had been given the Sharingan by Itachi's uncle, Itachi had been four. It was one of his first memories, and it wasn't a very good one either. Sometimes, when Itachi was lying in bed trying to forget the horrible things he had done for the village, he could remember his father grasping Kakashi by the hair and trying to gouge out the gift with his fingertips. There had been blood, and there had been screaming, and there had been jutsu and threats, and not once had Kakashi attempted to defend himself. Itachi could still remember how completely boneless Kakashi had been, just being tugged around like he had been a toy that children were fighting over. Itachi had been four, watching that with wide eyes and colourless cheeks, wondering why the village prodigy wouldn't at least try to not manhandled like a bag of bones.
Itachi figured his father should've been arrested for that, but considering the already towering animosity between the Third, Danzō, the Council, and Fugaku, it was probably better that he hadn't been charged with anything. Fugaku, as far as Itachi knew, still despised "the White Fang's bastard child" as he was still aptly named. Kakashi also wasn't allowed on the Uchiha compound, nor were any of the Uchiha permitted to acknowledge his existence, let alone train him on how to use it properly. The fact that Kakashi was known as Sharingan no Kakashi within the Bingo Book at nineteen was momentous, really, something Itachi could only barely comprehend. All of Itachi's life, he had been constantly shoved full of information about the honour of the clan and all the Uchiha secrets. He had known how to use the Sharingan to utmost performance through theory before he had even gained use of it himself at eight-years-old. He had known what to expect, and how to use it, even before Sasuke had been born.
Kakashi had developed infamy with the Sharingan based on his own hard work and dedication. He had flown blind, and had still mastered it. Well, as much as one without the natural affinity of the kekkai genkai could, anyway. He hadn't had a lick of help from natural Sharingan users, like Itachi had, so being impressed by Hatake Kakashi was just something he felt while in his presence. Of course, he'd never tell anyone that, especially his father, but he still felt it.
"A mission?" asked Fugaku, his voice far away because of Itachi's thoughtful contemplation. "And a long one assigned by the Hokage himself? Care to tell me about it, Itachi?"
Speaking of things to not tell his father...
"It's classified." A flash of something bitter crept into Fugaku's eyes, but he didn't respond to it. Fugaku would find out eventually that his partner was Hatake Kakashi, but only after Itachi was long gone and away from Fugaku's meddling schemes. Until then, he'd keep that little tidbit of information to himself, to save everyone a bit of argument. He continued in a blank tone, "However, I can tell you that it's the most important mission that I've ever undertaken by far, and will greatly advance my rank when I complete it."
An almost invisible smirk popped up on Fugaku's thin lips. "That's my boy. You'll be Captain soon, no doubt about it. You're doing this clan proud, Itachi."
"Yes, Father," he replied back mechanically.
His mother, on the other hand, had different concerns. "Perhaps we should talk about this later, when Sasuke is in bed."
Sasuke opened his mouth to complain hotly, but Itachi just waved his hand to silence him. Ignoring his brother's pout, he said, "Mother is right. I leave when the storm passes, so let us eat and converse about different things."
They all dug in. Well, Sasuke dug in, taking a bit of everything, but Itachi got only as much as he needed to function properly. He didn't react to the steak at all, despite his disgust of the food, and ate until he was satisfied. They spoke of lighthearted things, mostly for Sasuke's benefit, and smiled when the five-year-old laughed about playing ball with his friends. Shisui was briefly mentioned by Mikoto, who volunteered the information that he had come back from his ANBU mission in Wave, and had brought back a gift for his betrothed.
"Will you bring me back a present, nii-san?" asked Sasuke excitedly. When Itachi nodded and ruffled his hair, Sasuke giggled with glee. He probably wouldn't buy anything in Sky for Sasuke, but he didn't have to know that. A present was a present, and there was always the slim chance that he would be able to find time during his mad escape from the country to buy a trinket of some sort.
Fugaku was the first to leave, claiming paperwork that needed to be done, so Itachi took the time with his father away to help his mother in the kitchen. He quite liked housework, really, especially washing dishes. It was methodical, and it gave him time to absently think. It was a mundane chore, sure, but he liked getting his hands in the warm, soapy water, making things shiny and clean while staring out the window and letting his mind wander. He didn't often get to help his mother, or even really spend time with her, so he took his time as they worked in a comfortable silence. Occasionally, they would speak about trivial things, mostly pertaining to Sasuke, and again something in his chest clenched when she fully smiled. He didn't get to see his mother smile very often, not one of those big ones that lit up her eyes, because she didn't smile as much any more. Perhaps that was because she was lonely, since her best friend Uzumaki Kushina had died, but it was probably because being a housewife meant that she was stuck at home doing nothing.
His mother was a kunoichi, and she had loved her job immensely when she had been active duty. Sometimes, Itachi wondered if she resented him because he had been the reason for her early retirement.
He eventually left after the job was done, heading back to his room. He packed everything he would need in his journey through Fire, namely a few changes of clothes and spare bandages. He knew that he would have to go buy more suitable clothing, things that an aristocrat from Moon would wear, while on the journey to Sky. He packed a few kunai and shuriken, even though he would have to lose them after leaving Fire, and added a few medical supplies. The southern borders of Fire were thick rainforests, and the last thing he needed was to be unprepared should something terrible happen.
He kept his ANBU equipment and hitai-ate out. He would have to ditch it before leaving the village, but he didn't need his father knowing about his mission. The less he knew the better.
After he had showered and dressed, he picked out a book and read until the darkness forced him to light a lamp. Later, when Sasuke had already hugged him good-night and good-bye, his father's chakra flared out, summoning him. He pushed himself up with a small sigh, making his way past Sasuke's room and eventually into their in-house dojo. He sat down on the tatami mat in front of his father, staring impassively into his father's blood red eyes, and breathed, running over the lies and half-truths that he would tell instead of the whole-truth-and-nothing-but. Only fools told the whole-truth-and-nothing-but, and he was no fool. He hated to repeat himself, even internally, but the less Uchiha Fugaku knew about the mission — and his mission partner — the better. He didn't need any interference.
The rain continued to pour outside.
"Tell me about this mission, Itachi," his father stated, voice stern and full of no-nonsense. His tomoe spiralled within the Sharingan, ready to catch any and all lies, and perhaps Itachi should've been hurt that his own flesh and blood father didn't even trust him to not tell the truth. Then again, Itachi was planning on lying, but at least he had good reason.
So Itachi mixed lies with truth. "I was assigned a mission that requires a great amount of stealth and patience. I am being assigned to watch over a very accomplished shinobi in—" First lie. "—Iwagakure who is not affiliated with the Tsuchikage, and has a personal vendetta." Truth-and-nothing-but. "It is infiltration at its finest, as the Hokage is worried that they are planning an attack to make up for their casualties in the Third War." A half-lie. "It is a partnered mission, through ANBU, but I will not know who my partner is because of the anonymity." Another lie, but Father doesn't need to know that this is undercover work, not just information gathering through infiltration. "I am to gather intel and then when we have discovered the culprits of the attack and assassinate them in a way that does not tie the deed back to Konoha." Half-truth again, and thanks to a twisted sort of shinobi pride, no Sky shinobi or Stone shinobi would willingly admit to being infiltrated. It's a matter of pride and national security.
Fugaku pondered his words, the Sharingan swirling, and then he nodded with the same almost invisible smirk from before. "Well done, Itachi. Soon you'll be a Captain of ANBU, and you'll be one of the Hokage's right hand men. We'll have Uchiha watching every move that man makes, and it's all thanks to our hard work. You will make a fine Hokage yourself one day, my son." He sounded so smug and happy with that, but Itachi didn't see why. He didn't want to be Hokage, never as in never. He would be content with just being the Clan Head one day, revolutionising the way that the clan functioned.
In a way, he didn't really think anything would come of the never-ending Senju verses Uchiha feud that had been raging for decades upon decades, but his father wouldn't make a move until Itachi was at least Captain. It was all hypothetical, and there had been whispers amongst the Uchiha about a revolution due to the mistreatment of their clan after the Kyūbi attack, but it was rumours. If it happened, then Itachi would find a way to smother it, if only for Sasuke's sake.
The last thing the village needed was civil war, but he'd think about that if it ever became less rumour and more reality.
"Thank you, Father," he said mechanically, the tone of voice normal for him during these father-to-son conversations. He didn't really have anything else to say, so he just waited for his father's dismissal. When he got it, he stood up and bowed respectfully before heading out, making his way back towards the living quarters. It had gone smoother than he had hoped for, and he would be thankfully out of the village when Fugaku received word that Kakashi was his partner. He luckily wouldn't be there for that inevitable explosion due to his father's irrational dislike of the last living Hatake.
He paused by his door, his left hand reaching to open his door, but then turned on his heel, heading back to Sasuke's room. His little brother was sleeping, his mouth wide open and his little arms flung out, taking up as much space as possible. Itachi sat down at the foot of Sasuke's bed, watching his brother sleep so peacefully and without nightmares, and eventually fell into a light sleep himself, holding his brother's small hand in his larger one as a source of grounding.
When his sharp ears heard the rain stop, he forced himself to wake up. He pressed a soft kiss to his brother's forehead, took off his necklace, and clasped it around his brother's little neck. Itachi wouldn't be able to wear it while undercover, and he didn't know when he'd see his brother again, so a temporary parting gift was in order. Sasuke would take care of it while he was gone, and it would give him something to remember him by when he was gone.
He left Sasuke to his dreams, dressed in his uniform, and slipped silently into the night towards the meeting point.