Chapter four of Mechanical Heart is out. I think this chapter is a little bit shorter than the others, I'm not really sure. Anyway, hopefully I can think of new ideas. This story is taking a really long time to write. Enjoy!


Itachi tried shaking the hand off but it would not let go. Apparently, the robot didn't want to let him go. Itachi thought it was strange. At first the AIR was all motionless and unresponsive but now it was moving of it's own accord. The dark onyx eyes stared at Itachi's crimson red ones and he couldn't help but wonder at what the AIR was thinking. Those thought were cut short when Kakashi came back with the wires looped over his arm. He looked at how the robot was holding Itachi's hand and was about to say something when he saw the look in Itachi's eyes saying 'Don't Ask.' He shut his mouth.

"I got the wires you needed," Kakashi said instead.

"Good," Itachi answered him and held out his hand to take the wires. The AIR, seeing as though Itachi was not leaving anymore, decided to let go of his hand. Itachi walked over to the computer, turned it on, and plugged one end of the wire into the input transmitter on the computer. Then, he kneeled down to the side of the AIR and took the robot's left hand. He flipped the hand up-side down so that the palm was facing up. Itachi slowly used his fingernails to pry open a cover on the robot's wristband.

The top part of all wristbands contained a touch screen that the robots could use to alter their directions and imputed instructions. The bottom part was a series of transmitter plug-in openings. Itachi knew this. After he got the cover off, Itachi took the other end of the wire an plugged it into one of the slots on the wristband. He let go of the robot's wrist and sat down on the swivel chair facing the computer. On the monitor was a sign saying that the robot was plugged in. Itachi typed some things on the keyboard and the sign disappeared. What popped up was a page that displayed a vast amount of information about the robot, such as it's serial number, manufactured parts, and so on. As his fingers danced over the keyboard, random things seemed to pop up. They looked like ordinary numbers to Kakashi but to Itachi, he knew them to be more.

As Itachi watched the pages jump from numerical code to alphabetic code, he couldn't help but think back. Everything he was doing right now made him remember things. Some things were good but then they would turn bad, just like how his life went in the wrong direction. Even after all that has happened, his abilities haven't faded all these years. 'How long has it been anyways, three years, since I've ever touched a computer. You would think that I would at least forget about basic technology, after what happened.' Itachi lowed his head, letting his bangs and side-locks cover his face. This was not the time to be contemplating on the past.

As Itachi typed away on the computer, Kakashi was watching him. He saw the nimble fingers as they pressed the buttons at a rapid pace. When realization dawned on him, Kakashi's only visible eye widened. Itachi was not looking at the keyboard as he typed. He was just looking at the screen. Somehow, he knew just what keys to press and where they were all located. It was as though Itachi had memorized all the keys on the keyboard.

Itachi, however, paid no attention to what Kakashi was looking at. He was staring at the screen, analyzing the data. He used the mouse to click a few things. 'This computer's too simple, there's not much information here.' He opened another page and analyzed it's contents. The robot's serial number was listed there. 'I see, so that's his name.'

Itachi steered away from that page and moved onto another. 'This would be much easier to understand if I was working on a VHIC. Virtual Holographic Interframe Computer, built with a holographic screen and a series of touch receptors that trace motion on the imagery projector. I could also use.. no, stop thinking about it. You promised yourself never to use it or even consider using it.'

Thankfully, the absence of a certain link of numbers he noticed brought Itachi back from his reminiscence. He looked more closely and indeed, the most important area of code was missing. 'That confirms it.' He was about to exit the page when he saw something else. A more closer glance and Itachi realized it was a numerical sequence in the place where the area of code was supposed to be. 'I recognize this.' He had seen it before. 'So it's not erased, but blocked off. Why would someone block off his memories? Damn, if I had the VHIC instead, I could figure out the password.'

Itachi exited the page. "It's just what I thought," he said.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"This AIR's memories are gone," Itachi answered. "There's nothing inputted in him."

"Like do you mean his memory chip is missing?" Kakashi asked. Itachi shook his head. "Damaged?" he asked again. Again a shake of the head.

"I mean his memories are all gone. There was no problem with the memory chip when I repaired him but when he refused to answer me, I thought that something was wrong. It's confirmed, he's an AIR but without any knowledge of what he is," Itachi said professionally.

"So basically he doesn't know anything. Is there a chance you can recover his memory," Kakashi asked.

Itachi just said, "I said his memories were gone; I didn't say they were erased. There is a chance he can recover them. When I looked at his data, I saw that his memories were blocked off. There's a certain password that can recover them but this computer is not advanced enough for me to do so. It's thought activated though. As soon as that password flashes through his mind, he would be able to remember everything."

"Wait, when you said that it's not advanced enough for me to do so, do you mean that if you had a more advanced computer, you would be able to decode the password using all those serial numbers?" Kakashi said.

Itachi only said, "Yes."

"You came from Konoha, didn't you," Kakashi declared. He was almost certain of it. All of the things that Itachi had said and did just now only proved it. Only a technological scientist from Konoha would have been able to do all those things. And only from Konoha, the most advanced nano-technological city ever.

Itachi said nothing. He again averted the other man's gaze but Kakashi was not giving up that easily. The white haired man said, "Look, I'm not going to help you with that robot if you're not honest with me. I know that thing needs supplies and the only place you can get them is in Konoha. I know for a fact that you won't go there yourself." He then softened his stern face and said in a more kinder tone, "I'm your friend. Won't you trust me?"

Itachi looked at the man wearing the eye patch and the mask and finally, he said softly, "I came from Konoha." He didn't say anymore.

Kakashi didn't ask anymore. He just nodded. He knew that that was all Itachi was ever going to tell him but inside, he was kind of happy that Itachi would share this information with him. That meant that Itachi trusted him and he smiled but unfortunately, Itachi could not see it as the mask was hiding his mouth.

Itachi turned back to the monitor and opened something up on his computer. Kakashi had never seen the program before. It seemed as though Itachi knew more about computers than he did. He continued to type and while pressing the keys, said to Kakashi, "This might take a while. You don't have to continue standing there if you're tired."

"What are you doing," Kakashi asked curiously.

"I'm going to input some things into the AIR." Before Kakashi could ask he continued, "Trivial things like words and information. He should at least know what he is and how to answer and do things." Itachi brushed some of his hair behind his ear. The long black ebony locks were dry now. He could tie it back but too bad he didn't have his hair tie. 'Must have left it at home,' thought the long haired man.

"Does he have a name," Kakashi said. "We can't keep on calling him 'he' or 'AIR' or 'robot.' All robots have names."

"His name is Sasuke, I think," said Itachi as he continued on typing on the computer.

Kakashi became confused. "How did you know his name? I thought you said his memory was blocked."

"I did. His memory is blocked but his serial number isn't. It's 19-1-19-21-11-5. S is the nineteenth letter in the alphabet, A is the first, S again, then U, then K, and lastly E. It spells Sasuke." Itachi continued on typing, his red eyes glued to the screen.

"Ah, I see. Are all robots named like that," Kakashi asked.

"Most of them," was the reply he got. Kakashi looked at the AIR or, now, Sasuke. He was looking at Itachi, absorbing all the information that Itachi was putting into him. As basic knowledge and words flowed into his mind, Sasuke found the first word to describe Itachi. Sasuke studied the man who was now typing away on the keyboard, his blood red eyes, his long black hair that he apparently forgot to tie up because of all the things that just happened, and his small fragile looking body. Yes, that word fit him perfectly and Sasuke smiled. What was that word you ask?

Beautiful


Sasuke thinks Itachi is beautiful. Isn't that sweet! Next chapter, Sasuke and Kakashi will have a talk. That's all I can say. I still haven't planned it out. Review, I love reading your reviews.