Tattered and Torn:

Something ached in Naruto's mind.
As for him, Itachi's laugh was related to the Tsukyiomi – and in Naruto's mind its remains – some black bad things – were still slithering.
Itachi turned and looked him, and Naruto reacted – hiding his eyes.
The elder Uchiha had etched in his mind the emblem of his Mangenkyou.
Itachi laughed again.
"Don't worry, I must avoid it.
I stopped here to wake you up. But you can't walk the same. I must carry you.
Hey, Jinchuuriki" he smiled blinking – it seemed he winked at Naruto.
"I can't use the Tsukyiomi again, my eyes hurt.
Talk while we go"
He grabbed Naruto and put him on his shoulders – like a papoose.
Then he turned his head to look at him – his sunken, detached eyes.
Naruto suddenly thought that he didn't look like Sasuke – at all.
The shape of his chin – the shape of his eyes – even his nose – no.
He hadn't Sasuke's slanting eyes, cutting chin, straight nose.
Itachi's face was quite round – regular, Asiatic.
His eyes were bigger than Sasuke's – and even the colour, they weren't properly black.
It was a blackened brown – like his hair.
Even his complexion – Sasuke was much more white.
Though, at first glance, he looked like Sasuke.
That's what brotherhood is, thought Naruto.
He then realized that Itachi was still gazing him, and started, gulping and asking:
"What's up, then?"
"No…what's up with you, Jinchuuriki.
You mean 'what do we do now'?
I bring in a better place where I can somewhat heal you.
You don't even feel it – but you ain't perfect control over the demon.
I affected the seal with Amaterasu. Not my intention, I swear.
He could break out now – I must heal some wounds.
About your mind – I can't do it. You must.
YOUR ANSWER?"
Naruto was baffled.
No, he hadn't felt it. He looked at his belly and - the seal was out and enlightened.
He touched it and felt – it burned.
He grabbed Itachi's face and turned it to watch him, anxiously.
"You say you can mend it, alright?
You say there's no danger?"
"NO, there isn't, Jinchuuriki. Huh…what a child you are.
Your answer?".

"Better we start from the beginning.
Why were you alone in the forest, running like an idiot? You neither saw me.
You were upset, Jinchuuriki.
Around that place – you were there to take us Shukaku.
I left the others when I saw you had left your peer and ran – it was a good chance, and a good choice.
Now, Jinchuuriki. I know that Orochimaru is looking for you – too.
I know he wouldn't come there, he's intelligent enough. Sasuke isn't.
Was my brother there?"
"Yes."
"…That's why you were running?"
"…Yes."
Itachi glanced him and saw – a depressed face and dull eyes.
You can't really tell after a sidelong glance.
But Itachi was pretty sure, his practised eye told him – here, the Kyuubi wasn't involved.
"What's got my brother to do with it?"
"Your brother did it all, Itachi. He could let me be - in peace. No, no Kyuubi.
Just shut up. This has nothing to do with you."
"No Kyuubi? It means he isn't doing what I do?
You know I'm going to kill you.
And you trust me, since I don't want to do what he did?
WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO?
It is my business, Jinchuuriki. He's my brother"
"You won't believe me".
Itachi stopped walking, turned his head and stared right into those blank eyes.
"Die, you will die" Naruto goggled.
It was so difficult to keep it in mind.
"I can blow your mind up through Tsukyiomi. And I can torture you in any other way – while you're in it.
Tell me – willingly".
Naruto was wordless, pop-eyed – he looked him and then laughed lightly.
"Die, I'll die. Do whatever the fuck you want.
Anyway – you're not worse than Sasuke. But please, no. Maybe later – before you kill me. Before I die.
Not now, Itachi".
Itachi smiled, surprised. He ticked his headband on Naruto's one, turned back and went on walking.
Naruto laughed.

Itachi walked for hours, then stopped, put him down, left his sword and Akatsuki uniform on ground and sat beside him – to rest a little.
"I'm there in a minute" he said.
"I will survive another minute" laughed Naruto. "Anyway, what's exactly happened here?" he meant the seal.
"Oh, it's simple.
The Amaterasu burned it, partially. Now I can try to Kai it – but you must be careful about your getting angry.
The demon would break out in the blink of an eye, Jinchuuriki"
"Anyway, I have a name.
Naruto. Uzumaki. The next Ho-"
"YES, fourth Hokage's son, I knew.
And now"
"HOW COME YOU ALL KNOW THINGS ON ME THAT I DON'T KNOW?"
"That's why I liked being in Anbus, dear. Now. Naruto. Okay.
You got what I said?"
"Yes."
They shut up.
Naruto mumbled – after all, death wasn't such a big problem.
He hadn't killed himself since he lacked – not courage – but the nerve to do it.
It seemed a shame, and so – in some way it was.
It already was and he felt it – it already was, even if he didn't know why.
"Sawy?" asked Itachi.
"Sawy I brought you here? Neither the Akatsuki knows these places. I wish they won't find me.
I need to make it clear before they get hands on you.
You have to tell me what's happened".
"Your brother has done it.
He's really it when it comes to do shit"
"Going to Orochimaru and let him reincarnate, you mean? Oh, dear Christ, Jinchuuriki.
Orochimaru is so stupid – he will teach him enough – Sasuke will be able to kill him. And he will.
Didn't you understand it?
And Sasuke will get something for Orochimaru's spoil, then, I think – he will get out stronger than he was.
What's up?"
Naruto's face was the emblem of FEAR.
Then he suddenly calmed down – he had decided to do it.
He reflected for some minutes, then replied with a question:
"Uchiha's ethos is what you did? Or – what he did?"
Better to TELL HIM or avoid giving him the hint?
"Well…killing is…our tradition…ethos, you say? Yes, killing is proper to our blood. Why that?"
Naruto gaped at him.
"You, who are a slaughterer…you've more ethics than him…also Orochimaru has, but you…"
"Oh, you know, in the Anbus you forget feelings.
In the Akatsuki you should forget wholly ethics etceteras. But I didn't. I don't want to tell you why"
"It's true the same".
Itachi was puzzled.
How old was he?
The experienced, detached eye with which Itachi saw him – granted him that Naruto was far older than his biological age.
And Itachi thought – 'He's older, not half-dead – like I am.
More old and less young - not
more dead and less alive.
There was another way, then? Could I also make it – like he did?'
Itachi's soul had been slaughtered – his itsy-bitsy heart couldn't give more than a sparkle – it hardly remembered that he had loved, before.
He was it, when it came to lies – to kill – to murder – to end.
Itachi was a killer, and this was the only identification he had – the only coordinates he had to find himself.
A killer and a deceiver.
He was the non plus ultra of killers.
He killed – to kill.
Without any justification, without a sense – to kill.
Wayward, properly wayward killer.
As far as anyone else knew – he scratched his best friend's eyes out – he killed his own family – he left his little brother survive to make him a killer like him.
He was the itch of that village.
He was considered as the contagious doggish itch to eliminate.
He was the one who scratched – where Konoha's politics itched.
Nine years before – when he killed everyone from the Uchiha clan.
Ethos?
Yes, killing was Uchiha's ethos.
No, his way wasn't Uchiha's ethos.
He was involved in a war – a civil war – or well, the preparation to a civil war.
Someone in Konoha had itchy fingers – and someone else had too.
Itachi's life in the Anbu wasn't acceptable nor appreciable, anyway – maybe, he egoistically chose to kill them all – because this left him the chance to escape.
He had always been itching to get off – safe from those dangers and killings ad wars and – so forth.
How is it called?
Break out from the oppressor.
You would ask him to love Konoha now?
You wish a human being had Stockholm Syndrome?
Pay a visit to a psychiatrist, then. You're not – not normal – it's – you're not acceptable.
Change it.
Itachi tore simply himself apart from the things that made him hurt.
Konoha tattered and torn him – and his only defence – reply – was – etching Konoha's symbol on his headband.
Or well, Sasuke etched it – that night
Don't think that Itachi's mind was made of diamond, working as shit would will.
Itachi's mind was human.
He was obsessed by that night's images – he continued to see it.
His wit was trapped in a black hole – like the Tsukyiomi – but he couldn't switch it off.
Yeah, Itachi Uchiha was it.
He had always been exceeding expectations.
He was IT.
He had only chosen to be in an item with death.

Now, he suddenly vented – came out of the ocean of his thoughts and remembered – Naruto.
Who was thinking of him right then, and said:
"You know, I wish I could work on my mind like it was my Tsukyiomi!"
"Idiot. You can!" laughed Itachi.
Naruto thought and replied:
"That's it!" laughing.
Itachi told him to take off the shirt – he'd try to Kai him.
Naruto couldn't help rattling.
But he did. He trusted him.
That was strange – he, cold as he was – like he was dead.
You couldn't sense his feelings – but he was – concrete.
Stable.
Firm.
Reliable.
Naruto KNEW he would kill him. And stop.
No, Sasuke – NO.
'I really can't picture it – that they are brothers. Yes, Kakashi is right.
Who is Sasuke's father? I may barter the information…'
"Itachi…talk to me and I talk to you."
Itachi didn't let him go further:
"What do you want to know?"
"Who is Sasuke's father".
Itachi sprang up and shouted:
"WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU ABOUT? You…" he took breath. He cleared his throat and said:
"It's not a father matter, Jinchuuriki…"
"If you don't stop calling me Jinchuuriki, I'll call you IT"
"All right, JINCHU.
I said – not of father. His father IS MINE.
It was a different thing.
Of course you don't know – I knew it happened, when I was little.
But I didn't know WHO was involved.
I understood it when I saw Sasuke last time. Now that he's growing up, it's on and on clearer"
He kaied the seal, while he spoke.
He made it – the seal worked again, completely.
Itachi went on kaing everything he found – even a pair of caries.
"Now, see. Orochimaru himself did it.
I think he really wanted to prepare his own future body. I think he even tried to do it to me.
I think Kakashi was involved – when they fought Orochimaru, that time.
Kakashi told m something that could also mean this" looking Naruto's face, he said "You know, Anbus and information" smiling. He then went on:
"Genes. Orochimaru put someone's cells in Sasuke.
And I now know whose cells.
But I'll tell after you tell me".
Naruto was thinking about - and looking at – his healing.
"You know? You're really different from him.
You aren't that bastard we think you were"
"That habit you have – talking when you don't know…"
"The same thing Sasuke always said"
"You know him well"
"In a way he's similar to you"
"Is he so badass?"
"Three years ago. It happened three years ago".
"More or less. I knew.
What happened?"
"He – can't you step in my mind and have a look around? It's – impossible – to say."
Itachi did.
Then he put a hand on his eyes and forehead - he lowered the head and gulped – three or four times.
He couldn't cry.
But he wanted to.
"You must fight the fear. You know?
How's going – psychologically, I mean.
How are you?"
Naruto looked him, grinned his teeth, screw his eyes up and shook his head.
He didn't want to cry. He had enough of it.
"…I won't tell you whose cells they were. Stop."
Naruto nodded – he suddenly realized that he didn't give a fuck.

Cross my heart – I wear no disguise