Chapter 2: Karasu II

"Emotions are ugly."

"Tuck them away, do your job, and clean yourself up."

But what happens when the dam cracks and the water spills out at over a hundred miles an hour?

You can try to stitch up the damage—one crack at a time. Or you can give in and let the waves wash over you. And try your best to swim against the current.

Swim, and pray to god you don't drown.

"You're late."

Shisui yawned, rubbing his eyes with clenched fists. He'd never been one for punctuality, and Itachi really shouldn't have been surprised.

Being late was practically the most reliable thing about the older Uchiha.

"Sorry," Shisui murmured. "You know how things go—there was this huge sale at the mall today, and I just couldn't pass up the—"

"We don't have a mall," Itachi interjected stiffly.

"Oh?" Shisui scratched his cheek, shifting his gaze awkwardly to the office door. "That's news to me."

"Somehow I highly doubt that," Itachi replied sardonically.

"If you're going to make excuses, at least put some effort into it," a familiar female voice echoed through the hallway chamber.

Karasu appeared from the corner of the corridor, wearing a casual black yukata tied at the waist with a white obi. Her bangs were pinned up with a clip and her long dark hair was tied up in a loose bun, strands of hair framing her pale face. After registering her appearance, Itachi bowed slightly as a general greeting, still unsure of where their relationship stood (Were they friends? Was she their employer? Would they be reporting to her?).

Shisui pouted, "Not you too, Karasu-chan~ Of all people, I thought you'd be on my side."

"I am!" The girl protested, "Also, Utatane-sama will see you now. Just you alone, Shisui-san."

He sighed, scratching the side of his head, "Wait for me after I'm done?"

She nodded while he opened the door to the office alone.

When the door clicked shut behind him, Karasu spared Itachi a small smile of acknowledgment.

Itachi continued watching her from the corner of his eye discreetly. Karasu seemed simple enough. Her frame was rather petite, and there was something almost fragile about the way she looked.

He frowned, sensing that she seemed to be struggling with the teapot she was carrying in her hands.

The weight wobbled from one hand to the other, and he was almost sure she was straining herself physically from the burden of such a simple task.

Instinctively, Karasu cocked her head to the side, "Do I have something on my face, Itachi-san?"

Apparently, he'd spent a little too long observing her. A tinge of pink formed on his cheeks and he looked away, only managing to utter a simple, "No," in response.

"Oh, well. You were staring, so I thought there might've been something there."

The pink tinge on his cheeks darkened immediately into a blush. He never thought she'd be so damn straightforward.

Still, she kept her dark eyes on him curiously.

Suddenly, a smile broke out on her face, "Did Sasuke-kun like the flowers?"

After Fugaku decided to skip out on Sasuke's graduation, the younger Uchiha was disappointed, as expected. The flowers Karasu brought managed to brighten up his mood, if only temporarily.

For that, Itachi was grateful.

"He did," he finally answered, after a moment of brief contemplation. "Thank you again."

Karasu brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "You don't have to be so formal with me, Itachi-san."

He arched a brow in confusion.

Apparently, she was more observant than her disposition led him to believe. Itachi had a tendency to compartmentalize his life (one of the habits he picked up since he decided to become a shinobi), and the fact that he couldn't pinpoint which box she belonged in troubled him. He wasn't quite sure how to act around her. Not yet, anyway.

"You always look like you're thinking," she said with an anxious smile. "Just say what's on your mind, okay?"

It took him a moment to digest the fact that she was essentially asking him to open up.

It was certainly ironic, considering the line of work he was in.

"And don't worry too much about the whole shinobi must never show emotion thing," Karasu winked. "Personally, I think it's a pretty outdated way of thinking."

"It's something that could get us killed," Itachi replied dispassionately.

"Maybe," she said, "but I don't think that rule has to apply to real life."

"Being a shinobi is my real life."

Karasu looked flustered, a blush forming on her face.

Everyone in his line of work did, but Itachi was one of the few that couldn't really fathom having a "regular" life, whatever the hell that meant. The truth is, being a shinobi came easily to him. Although it wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, he was good at it. He excelled at it.

And that wasn't something he was willing to give up so easily.

When he grew older, he could consider the luxury of a regular life. Get married, settle down, and have a few kids. Itachi always imagined having a rowdy household. The thought of it made him smile.

He glanced back at Karasu, who seemed to be struggling with the teapot in her hand.

Itachi reached a hand out, "Do you need-?"

The doors opened suddenly to reveal Shisui. He stifled a yawn, gesturing for Itachi to come in, "Utatane-sama is asking for you."

Itachi lowered his hand, taking back the offer to help her out.

Karasu beamed and they walked through the doorway, one right after the other. She poured some tea into the elder's empty teacup and took her place at the corner of the room while Itachi and Shisui stopped right in front of the panel desk. Today, they'd only be meeting Utatane Koharu.

The seats reserved for the Hokage and Danzo were, unsurprisingly, empty.

"Shisui. Itachi. Your next mission."

Koharu shifted the manila envelope sitting on the panel desk forward. There was some awkward tension sitting in the air before Shisui walked forward to retrieve the document.

Itachi wondered what the elder wanted to talk to Shisui about earlier on.

Clunk.

Itachi shifted his gaze to the floor, where he found the remnants of the teapot Karasu was holding earlier.

From what he quickly surmised, she must've dropped it onto the ground, which probably explained the broken fragments that'd spilled everywhere. Then, he averted his stare to her face, which was turning a dark shade of scarlet. In the back of his mind, he relayed a short I told you so, somehow knowing something like this was going to happen.

"Oh no," she uttered, quickly bending down to her knees to pick up the broken pieces.

Itachi meant to open his mouth to protest, but the first bit of blood spilled onto the ground, as a particularly sharp shard pricked her fingers.

Utatane Koharu clicked her tongue distastefully, sparing a glance to the young girl, who was still scrambling to pick up the broken pieces. Then, the elder moved her gaze back to Itachi.

Shisui walked forward, bending down in front of the young girl.

Without hesitation, he removed the blue cloth banding wrapped around his waist, transferring the broken pieces to them meticulously. The cloth was part of the Uchiha brand—an insignia of a red and white fan etched onto the back. Itachi frowned, slightly disturbed that his cousin had decided to give away the banding so carelessly.

"Thank you," Karasu said gratefully, as Shisui handed her the broken pieces wrapped in the cloth bag.

With a slight bow, she whispered an apology to Utatane Koharu, who stared at her with disdain. Then, she departed the room in silence.

"She's rather clumsy," the elder stated, once the door clicked shut.

"At least it's one of her charms," Shisui interjected without missing a beat.

Quickly, Itachi stamped his foot down on Shisui's left foot. His elder cousin turned slightly red in the face, stifling a grunt of irritation. He shot Itachi a glare that probably could've killed a man.

"We'll need you to keep an eye out on your clan," Koharu stated. "We have intel to believe that coup may come quicker than expected."

So that's what she called Shisui in earlier for, Itachi thought silently to himself. He must've told her about the clan meeting.

After receiving their a more thorough explanation of what their mission would entail, Shisui convinced Itachi to spar with him by the Hanako Riverside.

He'd mentioned being out of shape (which Itachi highly doubted), wanting to improve his mechanics (something else Itachi also doubted), and practicing a few jutsus he'd done some reading on (Itachi doubted—nope, he knew this one was definitely a lie).

The first two rounds went in Itachi's favor. Shisui had a tendency of being rather predictable, especially when he was distracted.

"Oi! Fancy meeting you two here."

…and as fate would have it, Shisui got distracted.

Itachi's fist met Shisui's jaw and a bit of blood spilled into the air. The latter fell onto the grass with a thump, wiping away the coppery substance away from the corner of his lips.

Karasu appeared from the distance. She ran towards the older Uchiha, concern wavering in her eyes, "Shisui-san! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Nothing's hurt except my pride. I always look so uncool in front of you, Karasu-chan," he stated with a mock sigh. "Anyway, how's your hand feeling?"

Instinctively, she glanced down at her bandaged finger, "Oh, it's was just a small cut. Should be fine. Thanks for helping me out earlier."

"Where are you headed right now?" He asked.

"Off to school. I'm running late," she stuck out her tongue, motioning to the briefcase she was holding in one hand.

At least they have tardiness in common, Itachi thought to himself.

"Where's Kakashi-san?" Shisui asked nonchalantly.

"He usually doesn't escort me around until later in the day," Karasu admitted sheepishly. "He's really busy, so I don't like to bother him too much."

Then, she shifted her gaze to the reflection of the kunai stuck in the ground. Itachi caught her gaze; something about weapon made her hesitate, but she managed to shake it off and turn back to the duo with a smile, "Anyway, I'll be on my way. Have fun sparring. Try not to hurt each other!"

With that, she turned around and walked off.

"It'd be best if you didn't fool around so much, Shisui," Itachi stated calmly.

"Her hand..." Shisui trailed off.

Itachi watched as Karasu vanished into the distance, her figure shrinking smaller and smaller until it was no longer visible.

"What is it?" Itachi asked.

Shisui met his gaze, "The cut on her hand already healed."

In the later rounds, Itachi began to lose footing.

Stamina had never been his strength, and he was usually better at hiding his own weakness against his opponents. All of them except Shisui. Despite Itachi's misgivings, Shisui knew and understood the most intimate aspects of his life—including the things that made him tick, and the weaknesses that could cost his life.

"How's that? I've got more wins than you now," Shisui stated with a smile while gesturing to himself with his thumb.

Itachi grunted, attempting to even out his breathing while kneeling on the ground, "I guess I lose." Deactivating his sharingan, his eyes faded from red to black.

"Well, if you hadn't been so lost in thought, then this might've ended differently," Shisui stated airily.

"I really don't think you should be talking," Itachi stated, "considering how enamored you are with that girl."

Shisui blinked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should be more wary of outsiders," Itachi's said stiffly, eyes half-lidded. "We're not here to waste time."

Shisui paused before sending a fist through the air.

Without much effort, Itachi managed to catch the punch, arching an eyebrow in confusion at Shisui's sudden outburst.

"Why do you have to be so uptight?" Shisui snapped.

Shisui grabbed Itachi by the wrist, twisting his arm behind his back, "Just because you don't want to make friends—doesn't mean I have to do the same!"

Shisui turned, aiming a kick at Itachi's chest, which he barely managed to catch in time before he was interrupted by a strike to his gut. Itachi keeled over, skidding backwards, causing a wall of dust to fly up into the air.

Shisui might've been easier to defeat, but his perseverance always increased by miles, surprising Itachi almost every damn time. It made things difficult, since Itachi's stamina would never be up to par. And even when he did find an opportunity to retaliate, Shisui would come back twice as strong. It was really the only reason why he avoided pissing off his elder cousin.

"She's not just another game for one of your mindless flirtations," Itachi replied, standing up slowly from where he'd fallen. "She's happens to work for your employer."

"Karasu-chan isn't just a game to me," said Shisui.

Arching a brow in confusion, Itachi asked, "Don't tell me you've become attached to her already."

"It's not like that," his elder cousin replied, shaking his head.

Itachi frowned, "Then what is this about, exactly?"

A pause of silence filled the air. A breeze swept through, causing some dust to crop up once again. But Itachi didn't remove his gaze from his elder cousin, trying to gauge some kind of reaction. Between the two Uchiha, Shisui had a tendency to wear his heart more often on his sleeve.

"She's important to the village," said Shisui softly, shifting his gaze to the Hanako River.

The fact that Shisui was being all vague and mysterious meant there was a part of him that refused to trust Itachi. The younger Uchiha knew this, and the realization made him clench his fists in irritation.

After all they'd been through, Shisui was still carrying some unknown burden alone.

"There you are, nii-san! I've been looking practically everywhere for you!"

From the distance, Sasuke ran over, unable to mask the big smile on his face. When the younger Uchiha noticed Shisui, he shifted his gaze, "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt your training session?"

Despite the earlier tension, Shisui managed to put on a smile for show, "Yo, Sasuke. It's cool. No worries."

"Sasuke, what're you doing out here?" Itachi asked, narrowing his eyes at his younger brother.

It was getting late, and there was no reason why he should be out alone. More importantly, he'd interrupted a rather important conversation.

But the younger Uchiha disregarded his elder brother, looking towards Shisui with an expectant stare, "What were you two talking about? C'mon—tell me! I want to know."

Itachi smiled weakly, "Grown-up stuff. You wouldn't find it interesting."

Sasuke frowned, "Aw…that's not fair. I'm not part of the group now?"

With two fingers, Itachi poked his younger brother in the forehead, "Gomen, Sasuke. Maybe next time."

The younger Uchiha covered his forehead and pouted, "You always say that, nii-san. And there's almost never a next time."

Itachi and Shisui never brought up the argument again. Even after walking home together to the Uchiha compound, both seemed to silently concede defeat, bidding farewell to one another with courteous smiles. Still, Itachi knew that belied an uncertain sense of security.

Shisui was hiding something; that much was certain.

Sasuke and Itachi watched the sun set until they were called in for dinner. For the most part, the family chatted about Sasuke's new chapter at Ninja Academy and what that would entail. Kaa-san looked on with a soft smile, and Sasuke gestured eagerly, unable to stop talking about the new jutsus he'd show off to his academy friends.

"And I'll have a leg up on the others," he said excitedly, "thanks to you and Shisui!"

"I expect full reports when you return from your mission," Fugaku stated suddenly, interjecting Sasuke's stream of thought. "You and Shisui—"

"What kind of jutsus do you want to learn before your first day?" Itachi asked, completely disregarding his father's orders.

At least for the time being. It wasn't a conversation he wanted to have at the dinner table, and it certainly wasn't a conversation he wanted to have in front of his younger brother.

The younger Uchiha started boasting, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. It was rare for Sasuke to sit at the center of attention at the dinner table, but when it did happen, he lapped up the time eagerly. It was one of the rare instances that managed to make Itachi feel genuinely at peace.

By the time dinner was over, Sasuke was asked to excuse himself, while Fugaku and Itachi remained at the dining table.

"Has Shisui been influencing you?" Fugaku asked plainly, straight to the point.

"What do you mean, Tou-san?" Itachi responded nonchalantly, even though he knew exactly what his father meant.

"Why have you been missing our meetings?"

"I'm busy," Itachi replied noncommittally, "with the Anbu."

A pause.

"We have new information," Fugaku stated, "about the pureblood Senju."

After all this time, the Uchiha clan was still unable to severe their past with the Senju Clan. Even after all these years, there was still ill will and hatred. Itachi could understand it, and the fact alone probably contributed to his wariness to outsiders—but he'd never participate in it willingly.

After all, he was the kind of boy who preferred peace over conflict.

"We have a name," Fugaku continued.

A pause.

"It's Karasu."