07:

OOO

The first night wasn't completely unpleasant. The light switch was by Itachi's bed and he slept with it on - either out of paranoia or to make sure he could properly familiarise himself with his surroundings. He didn't sleep of course, but he managed to occupy the time with reading one of the books, putting his body through a little bit of light training and then meditating the rest of the night away.

Itachi imagined how the scene would play out when the demon came back, finding Itachi cross-legged on the floor, silent and calm and not at all like a half-deranged werewolf-minded animal.

The demon surpassed expectations when a tray of something like breakfast was left at the top of the stairs - the door opening and closing in the space of five seconds. The demon didn't even come down to see him, or to talk, or to try and make him talk. In wonder, Itachi stared at the tray at the top of the steps for a good ten minutes before braving the scarcely lit section to retrieve his meal.

The food wasn't bad, he even thought it could rival his mothers cooking but that was a bit excessive when he presumed the demon had probably bought it all.

He ate it sparingly, not wanting to become sick because of it, and continued with his minimal training. He did stretches, some light tai-chi manoeuvres and then prepared his muscles for a work out.

He had no sense of time other than when the demon came and 'dropped off' his second meal, the door opening and closing just as it had when breakfast had appeared. Did the demon have something more important to take care of? Surely he could tell, could hear that Itachi was in no way, shape, or form a crazed lunatic of an animal. He'd be slamming into things if he were.

His evening meal came and went in the same way, and Itachi - having collected the trays - presumed that the demon would have to come down to take them all away. He supposed he was meant to put the tray back at the top of the stairs for the demon to pick up and replace, but he seized control of that situation by hording the three he had so far at the bottom of the steps.

Somewhere inside him, he registered the night of the full moon causing his senses to heighten. He felt stronger, more powerful, and it wasn't just down to his healing. He couldn't do anything about it - having all of those adrenaline bubbles surging around his body with a need for him to run, to be free and clear and just away and out of the box he was in.

So he did what he usually did on those nights; he meditated.

The demon came back the next morning and left his breakfast at the top of the steps - not a single look down into the basement to assess the possible damage, or even to see if he'd somehow managed to kill himself with all of the silver circulating the room. The door shut, another tray left, and the demon was gone.

Itachi was irritated. One more night, he told himself. The demon would surely then have to believe that he was not at the mercy of his 'inner-wolf' and could indeed control it. The evidence was everywhere, in the fact that there wasn't any at all.

Only that day passed in the same way, and Itachi's stack of trays weren't going anywhere. He resorted to washing them himself in the small sink he had, leaving them to drain in the corner where the chains and shackles were. He'd feel dirty were it not for the shower he'd been allowed before they'd left the other place, but being in the confined basement was making him feel grubby. And there was also the matter of using the toilet… a glance at that made him deny needing to use it. He could wait.

He trained his way through the night, feeling his strength gather up and his usual determination return. When the demon brought him breakfast the next morning, he was waiting at the top of the steps, hand on the rail, ready.

"Do you have enough proof?" He asked, but the demon simply put the tray of food into Itachi's other hand and closed the door in silence. Itachi might've kicked the door - it was something Sasuke would do in anger - but he was more concerned about falling backwards. He shuffled his way back down the steps and ate his breakfast on the bottom one, growing annoyed at his confinement.

Surely he'd proven his point. The demon couldn't argue. Itachi wasn't a threat, at least not of the wolfish kind. He prepared a whole argument in his mind, ready to fight the demon off intellectually instead - perhaps that would work - but then the demon didn't show up with his lunch, or his evening meal.

Itachi read through the night, growing hungry now that he'd readjusted to eating regularly, and hid the taunting trays somewhere out of sight. He resigned to the small toilet and spent the next hour washing himself at the sink with the soap, thankful that the towels were rather soft and new.

The demon didn't return with his breakfast, lunch or his evening meal for the next day, or the day after, and Itachi wondered if something was wrong. He wouldn't very well call for the demon, but he did try the door again and was concerned to find it still locked. Or perhaps this was some kind of further punishment, though he wasn't entirely sure what he'd done to deserve it.

You did torture him, he reminded himself. Perhaps he's simply getting his own back. But even that seemed slightly out of character given that the demon had every opportunity to exact equal retribution while Itachi lay half-dead from poison.

He was having trouble trying to figure out the demon's motives, but he refused to die of starvation in captivity from a demon. He'd rather die by his fathers hand, poisoned and tortured.

He drank the tap water to keep the hunger at bay. He read or trained through the nights and occupied his time with regaining his strength and practicing his close-combat with invisible enemies - with the imaginary face of the demon.

He made a game out of putting his hand to the silver strips that lined the walls, seeing how long he could hold it there before he could pull it back. He monitored his recovery time now he was almost back to full strength, and was glad to see the burns faded within hours.

After four days with no appearance from the demon, the door finally opened. Itachi hadn't expected it, but tossed one of the trays right up the staircase with perfect trajectory in reaction. The demon caught it and put it behind him, walking down the steps and crouching at the bottom one, another tray in his hands. On it was a small feast of meats and salads and breads and dips - a glass of something that wasn't water at its side. The demon put it on the floor and Itachi remained where he was, standing opposite in possible rebellion.

"It's an apology" The demon nudged the tray forwards. "For doubting you, and for leaving you that long. It wasn't intentional" The demon appeared unharmed, just tired. There was something in the way he held himself that made Itachi almost pity him - something had clearly happened - but he had no wounds to show for his disappearance. The tray was nudged again and the smells drifted over. Itachi chewed his lip and the demon stood up and left.

The basement door was left open.

0-LINEBREAK-0

He ate his tray of food in the basement out of habit. He'd give the demon some space and preserve what little he could of his pride by not running out like a feral animal.

He washed the tray, gathered it with the others and the glasses and then cautiously made his way up the steps. He was familiar with the corridor facing him because he'd walked that way to reach the basement, but he didn't know where the demon would be in the house, and he was quickly getting the feeling that he'd become very turned around if he wasn't careful. He hovered in the doorway, unsure. Was the rest of the house Sealed too? Or would Fugaku be able to track him somehow if he left the basement? He hadn't given it much thought.

"Here" The demon appeared, hand out expectantly. Itachi frowned, "The trays", and then he handed them over. The demon turned and walked away assuming Itachi would follow.

"The Seal" Itachi called, and the demon turned back to look at him.

"The whole house is Sealed" Kisame frowned. "I thought I told you that" Itachi wondered if he had or not, or if he'd just over thought the situation. Maybe he'd convinced himself that was why he was better off in the basement. "The only reason you were down there was because of the full moon; you're hidden as long as you stay inside this place" The demon turned and kept walking, obviously in a hurry. Itachi followed, ending up in a kitchen area.

The trays were placed on the side and Itachi took the hint, putting the glasses he held beside them. "I have to leave; I'm trusting you to stay here"

He waited for the demon to continue because he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say. The demon had let him out of the basement, only to leave him again? Trusting him to stay in the house? Why not just leave him locked in the basement for another four days and not tell him?

"This place is protected - nobody else will be able to find it. You'll be safe here as long as you don't leave"

Itachi couldn't remember the last time he'd been in someone else's home, never mind alone in one. Was he supposed to mind? Or not like it? Did the demon expect him to choose the opposite, and plea to stay at his side? No, Itachi thought. That'll never happen. But why tell him, this time? Why let him out, only to leave him again? Unless, it really had been some sort of accident - he did seem apologetic.

"You're a fast healer - that's good. Don't over exert yourself - that's not a recommendation. I'm assuming you've got your strength back?"

Itachi had a fleeting thought that perhaps the demon was trying to convince himself that Itachi would be alright on his own. The thought made him rather happy; the demon was clearly underestimating him, and that - like fear - could be twisted into some form of respect.

"You forget," Itachi said quietly, helping his voice to not sound so raspy. "I'm used to fending for myself" The demon scowled at him again and set his jaw.

"No," He uttered. "I didn't forget that" He stalked into the other room and came back with the ridiculously large sword, lifting it effortlessly to his shoulder. Itachi watched with slight admiration, wondering how the hell he'd done it. How the hell he carried that thing around like it weighed nothing more than a bag pack. "I'll know if you need me - and don't do anything stupid. Human realm, okay? Human laws - human manners - human shit. You can shower and change - there's clothes around somewhere" The demon said, turning and walking out of the room and leaving Itachi alone.

"Wrong one" The demon appeared again, putting the sword back against the wall with care and picking up the bag from the floor. "Watch him for me; I'll only be an hour or so" He pointed at the sword and then left via shadow-portal.

Itachi then began wondering how the demon expected to do anything out in the human realm whilst looking as he did. Would he use a spell, or a potion? As far as he knew, demon's looked like they looked and couldn't change their appearance unless by magical reinforcement. Itachi was good at sensing that kind of thing and he'd sensed nothing of the kind from the demon.

It was odd. He'd never minded being alone before, it was more the fact that he knew Sasuke hated him being isolated from everyone else that made him angry. But it was happening more and more, that alone feeling, and it was beginning to reoccur every time the demon had come and gone.

0-LINEBREAK-0

It was longer than three hours that the demon was gone.

Not that Itachi minded, or was counting, or even cared. Not at all.

In those three hours, he managed to unleash his curiosity and walk about the rooms. He'd stayed in the kitchen after the demon had left, simply because it was a light and open space in which he could see and it was somewhere he knew. He didn't have any idea of the size or space of the house, and he could guess it was larger and older than the previous one. With his near-perfect memory, he doubted he'd get lost, but he'd rather absorb the information a little bit at a time.

He began sifting through the demon's things in the kitchen cupboards and then wandering back to the windows where he enjoyed light and a small view. It was mostly garden, but it was a sight that Itachi didn't see much of. After a while, he kept to the walls as he braved a conquest around the demon's 'home' to find the shower and those spare clothes.

The place was ridiculously big. It had an old feel to it, a history to its skeleton, but the furnishings appeared to be rather planned. He wasn't too keen on the Human Realm's history, didn't care much for learning it so he couldn't identify in what time period that the original foundations of the house had been laid. Things like that intrigued him.

The furnishings were different depending on the area of the house. Some rooms were dark and he couldn't find the light switch, prompting him to close the door and give up - he'd conserve his energy and try again without strain to his eyes.

Other rooms were lighter and easier to move around. Everywhere seemed spacious enough to fit a family of six and more - cosily, Itachi thought. It wasn't a mansion by any means, but the space was well used to every advantage. The kitchen had plenty of surfaces to work on and a few seats to sit at.

But everything was also rather minimal, nothing was there that wouldn't be used, or come in handy.

There was a separate dining area near a real fire place, a long table with ten seats - all pushed in. The oak-wood table itself had no table cloth on it, and all of those ten chairs were carved to perfection - each with a unique design on the back. His eyesight couldn't make it out completely, but the craftsmanship was definitely to be admired. The living area was smaller and more compact, but every space was utilised. There were open bookcases that ran around the top half of the walls, the central focus was another stone fireplace that was ready to be used and fit with logs.

The space was set for more than one person, evidently - the house was too large for just one man - and Itachi remembered the kid's photo in the bathroom of the other home. Had the demon simply stolen another place?

Itachi found himself annoyed.

The demon was stealing homes, bribing him with food in order to stay compliant and leaving him completely (and uselessly) to his own devices. What was his purpose? Why was he here?

Why haven't you left? Itachi didn't like that thought, and couldn't seem to answer it.

In rebellion at being abandoned (bribed with the meat-feast and then left alone, again), he tried to think of a way to get the demon back. The thought stunned him, he'd never done something so childish before. He'd always accepted his situation because it was always Fugaku who had put him there - therefore it had to be of some use.

But the demon, ah, he was rapidly wasting Itachi's time, and something had to be done.

The demon still wasn't back so he took his venture up the stairs. It was discreet and hidden with a number of surprises. There were five steps up to a small landing, where an alcove was set back and a small reading nook placed there.

Following the staircase around, another ten steps led him up to the first floor - where he saw more steps going around and up and presumed there to be more than one level. He stayed on the floor he was on, turning left first of all and debating whether to open the doors or not. He did need to find the bathroom, and something to aid him in his plan to annoy the demon.

When he plucked up the courage to open a door he was disappointed. It was meant to be a bedroom, clearly. There was a bare bed, a wardrobe, a small dresser and a bedside table with a lamp on it. The curtains were closed over, but it was a thin material and let the light in. The walls weren't painted, the floor uncarpeted, and the light fittings weren't complete.

He felt rather let down. After the care taken to the rest of the house, this being the first bedroom he came to had put a chip against his opinion.

He found a few more rooms like this, but was glad to see that most of the others rooms had been decorated and furnished in weird and uniquely individual ways. It clearly belonged to more than one person, and Itachi couldn't imagine the demon sleeping in the room with all the plants, or the one with the fairy lights tied around the bed posts.

There were two bathrooms alone on that floor, one with a small and compact shower, toilet, cabinet and sink and another with more space to house a bath, another shower, a toilet, and a larger surface space for the sink and various other bits. He found a pile of clothes on one of the counter tops and assumed that was what the demon had been talking about.

Although he wasn't likely to forget where the bathroom was placed, he figured it was best to shower while he had it within his time to take one. After a bit of fussing and trial-and-error, he got the shower working and warm and decided briefly that wasting the demon's water bill would suffice. He spent an hour in the shower before he felt entirely wasteful and pruned, eventually having to get out.

After he changed into the new black T-shirt and too-big jeans, he opened the last door - the closest one on the opposite side of the staircase - and found it much more likely to be the demon's room, if indeed any of them were.

The walls were a dark, navy blue and his carpet lightened the room with it's sandy shade. The high, white ceiling helped and the headboard of the bed, the mirror surround, the fireplace surround, and the bookcase were all painted white. There was a pointless space where he supposed a bookcase might go, or a closet, but he also saw it made a perfectly shadowed space no matter where you looked at it from. Ideal for a shadow-porting demon.

The huge bed seemed rather excessive and he supposed had the possibility of fitting two people in, but when Itachi imagined the demon asleep in it, he could probably take up most of it by himself.

When the fifth and sixth hours came and passed, he wondered if the demon had been captured. He instantly thought of Fugaku - perhaps he'd known that the demon had taken Itachi and now held the demon in the cells back at the Facility again. It wasn't uncommon for the UCF to track portals in and out and around of the Arcane Territories that were irregular - perhaps they'd tracked him to the Human Realm now, too.

Not that Itachi was worried, of course not.

He only saved my life, he thought. It's not like I owe him anything.

But a tiny voice whispered that he did, for his freedom - temporary as Itachi was imagining his freedom, and really, not at all that free, what with the demon tugging him from here to there and locking him in basements.

He'd all but abandoned him in the Human Realm with no way to get back should anything happen to him. He needed the demon to get him back home. Eventually. And it was also that thought that prompted him again to question why he hadn't tried to run away.

There must be contacts in the Human Realm - but then he'd need time to find those, and he doubted he'd be able to do that and keep the hounding demon off his back at the same time. Perhaps some places were weaker and Itachi could try opening a portal by himself - but he'd need to heal and conserve his energy for that - and he'd always been weaker at creating portals to exact places, he could never work out if he was jealous or proud that Sasuke could do it better. Nobody could do it as clean cut and perfect like the Witches, but as Uchiha's their Sharringan gave them an advantage.

He'd have trouble doing anything while outrunning the demon. Every argument he came up with was countered either by his need to get his full strength back (which wouldn't be too long now) or to stay and gather intel on the demon's activities. For what reason, he wasn't sure - he couldn't imagine his father taking him back into the family home, or even back to his job at the Uchiha Corps Facility even if he came back with the demon's head.

He'd already convinced himself that trying to leave the demon now would only result in angering the demon and for some reason, that would be a bad thing. It would also be futile and pointless and Itachi would have wasted the better half of a week trying to do what exactly, with the demon? Nothing. Nothing of importance had happened and it had been an entire waste of his time - and Itachi could only remedy that if he found something worthy to take note of.

Logic said that a weak Itachi wouldn't be able to outrun a strong demon, and survival instinct reminded him that Sasuke needed him alive. A brother needs a brother. A non-angered demon was a manageable one, but demons were incredibly stubborn and usually temperamental. Another argument against him running away.

But what he couldn't figure out was why he was trying so hard to justify staying with the demon. Itachi's soldier-self was telling him to get away from the demon and go home, regardless of his punishment, while his Itachi-self was reminding him that he had nothing to go home for (other than Sasuke, who's safety had been assured) and had a sort-of-possibly-almost ally in the demon now... Fugaku had made it quite clear with the attempt on his life that he wanted nothing more to do with his failure of a son.

It wasn't a terrible situation to be in, other than the fact that his father had wanted him dead and the demon was probably going to be hunted because he'd interrupted that plan. Itachi would only end up in the crossfire - but even that didn't seem like a bad place to be if Fugaku wanted him gone.

He needed something to do, he realised. It wasn't as if he had nothing to live for, because he needed to live for Sasuke. But having nothing to do was going to drive him insane quite quickly, and the demon was clearly not going to let him in on any of his plans. Why would he? Itachi was the enemy - he'd captured and tortured the hulk - why would he-….

Why is he even doing any of this?

He hadn't forgotten that the demon had originally wanted to be in the Kennex part of the facility. His reasons were unknown and Itachi wanted to find out the plan - whatever the plan had been. He was usually quite brilliant at making something good out of a bad situation, and while the being around the demon was definitely a bad situation of some sort, he refused to believe it would be worthless.

He could learn something, anything, from the demon - about him, his kind, the kids in the picture and the (pretty homely, very nicely done up, not at all a cave) house that the demon had brought him to.

Another hour took him on a reconnaissance mission - but the demon had no files, papers, or indeed any information on anything useful. The drawers that he'd checked for anything on the ground floor and the first floor had nothing in them - there was no documentation at all. There was plenty of sketch pads and note pads and pens, but no actual information.

Perhaps he might've found something in the draw back at that other place, but Itachi had no idea if there was anything there and had no possible way of getting there without the aid of high-class magics or a demon - neither of which were likely. The demon he had access to, yes, but he was sure the argument would be shot down rapidly. So what to do?