Chapter 7: The Itch

It must have been over two weeks. Two very long weeks. Sasuke was amazed Itachi hadn't brought it up yet; this was by far the longest stretch of time Sasuke had ever dared to avoid school for before. Yet he just couldn't face Naruto's hurt expression, not even in his memories. It was the look of rejection that did it. Sasuke knew that look well. He was no stranger to rejection. He lived with Itachi, after all.

Sasuke's gaze wandered through his too-neat, too-empty bedroom (like no one lives here) before finding his window. He examined the sky silently. Gray of course, but pretty in a strange kind of way - a way that reminded him the earth was a planet like any other, with its own self-contained ecosystem. A tiny, unique space terrarium that manufactures and recycles its own weather - what a strange, amazing phenomenon. Gray days were good days for the movies maybe? It had been a while...

Sasuke backtracked. Was that a normal thought? Did he usually consider the gray sky to be...pretty? Or was that the kind of thing Kakashi would say? Kakashi, whose hair was gray as the ceiling of their bizarre space terrarium...but not exactly something Sasuke would call pretty. It looked too much like a tangled mop cemented into a gravity-defying updo. He smiled slightly at the thought.

As if on cue, a sharp tap caught Sasuke's attention. Another tap, and Sasuke noticed a small stone hit the windowpane. He rolled his eyes and threw open the window.

"What the hell, Kakashi? We don't even live on the second floor. Why can't you just knock on my door like a normal person?" Sasuke grunted, trying to keep the corner of his mouth from twitching upwards and betraying him.

Kakashi, naturally, saw right through the grump front. "It's nice to see you too, Sasuke. Now are you gonna move aside or do I have to climb in over you?"

Grumbling, Sasuke backed away so Kakashi could scramble in through the tiny window like a ninja or a cat, as though he couldn't care less about what should be physically possible. Sasuke arched a petulant eyebrow.

"Why do you always show up at my place to hang out? You never invite me over to yours."

"You never invite me over to yours either," Kakashi pointed out. Sasuke offered a flat look in return but let it go. It was true, though Kakashi was a man who needed no invitations.

"Well. Surely you have some kind of ridiculous plan for the day. Let's hear it." Sasuke sat down on his bed with a thump, expectant, trip to the movies all but forgotten. To his surprise, the older man's face remained carefully neutral.

"Naturally. But today's antics are to be a little more serious than usual. I think it's time you made some changes, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked on in mild curiosity. "Like what?"

Kakashi grinned.


"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Do you care?"

"Isn't that how prisoners do it?"

"Couldn't say. Haven't been. Yet."

"Well, I heard that's how they do it in prison. Since they don't have any equipment or whatever."

"Well. That's how we're gonna do it, if you really want me to do it. Since we don't have any equipment. Or whatever."

"But—"

"On your butt? Are you sure? Why Sasuke, I would never have imagined you—"

"No! I mean, I just—"

"Changed your mind?"

"No! Shut up, damn! I just wonder if you even know what you're doing!"

Kakashi's hand paused. "Do I seem like the kind of guy who goes through life knowing what he's doing?"

Sasuke stared.

"Does it matter to you?" Kakashi asked again, brow lifting.

Sasuke scratched his nose irritably. "Fuck. No. I guess?"

"I'm reassured to hear such a clear, well-thought out response. I'm glad you've given a permanent change like this the careful rumination it deserves." Kakashi picked the sewing needle up, once again checking the tightly wound thread securing it to the butt of a pencil acting as the rig's handle. Sasuke eyed the simple homemade device in silent speculation.

"So where do you want it then?" Kakashi queried.

"Um. I dunno. My back?"

In the mirror on the bedroom door Kakashi wordlessly indicated a spot on the pale skin near Sasuke's left shoulder blade. Sasuke nodded his acceptance before settling down onto his stomach on the tidy, bare floor of his bedroom. Kakashi dipped the sharp endpoint of the needle into a paper bowl of black India ink and leaned forward over Sasuke's body.

Sasuke swallowed. "Wait. I didn't even tell you what I want."

"I didn't ask."

"What are you gonna do?"

"It's a surprise." Sasuke caught a glimpse of Kakashi's crooked smile in the mirror on his door. A mouth full of white teeth.

Sasuke shivered and closed his eyes.


When Sasuke next opened his eyes, the sun had set and most of the light had bled out of the bedroom save for the single bright beam of the desk lamp carefully positioned over his back. Kakashi switched it off with a click.

"All done."

Sasuke sat up groggily, slightly dazed, left shoulder aching dully. The sudden dimness was disorienting, and his eyes groped through the space around his room in search of Kakashi's face.

He met Kakashi's cool gaze, his black and red-brown eyes each gleaming oddly in the low light.

"Did it hurt?" the elder asked with interest.

"Yeah," Sasuke admitted.

"Good," Kakashi replied. Sasuke just looked at him, so he continued. "Change is supposed to hurt."

"Hn," Sasuke answered absently, toying with an earring.

"Well? Don't you want to see?" Another flash of white teeth. A smirk or a smile?

Sasuke craned his neck around to examine his shoulder in the mirror. Even through the dimness he could recognize the small dark shape immediately. He'd know it anywhere. Even in his dreams.

"…it's hideous." But Sasuke's face was curiously devoid of expression as he stared at the crude crow tattoo. He tilted his head slightly in contemplation.

Suddenly Kakashi was close. Staring at Sasuke's crow in the mirror through mismatched, half-lidded eyes. Intent. "Really?" he murmured softly, raising gooseflesh on the back of Sasuke's neck. "I think it's beautiful."

Sasuke blinked once. In slow motion, as if disconnected from his brain, Sasuke's hand reached up, trailing lightly across his own neck and over the white flesh of his shoulder, cold fingers ghosting down along his back to gently stroke the dark pigment. Immortal. Eternal. His own pale skin, soft somehow, marred black, and yet...

"It suits you," Kakashi whispered.

Sasuke gazed on thoughtfully.


"Sasuke? Are you home?"

Sasuke's eyes opened wide in panic at the sound of Itachi's voice. He had lost track of time, Kakashi was still here, and if Itachi found him…

"Sasuke?" Itachi called again, knocking on his door.

"My brother's home! Hide!" Sasuke hissed at Kakashi, diving for a shirt to cover his new tattoo with.

"But Sasuke—" Kakashi began, sitting up from his sprawl across Sasuke's bed.

Too late. Too late. The door swung open and Itachi stepped inside. "Sasuke? Why is it so dark in here?" Itachi asked, moving to flick on the overhead light.

"DON'T!" Sasuke shouted. To his surprise, Itachi's hand froze before returning to his side. But his brother's black eyes bored through the dimness like laser beams, piercing Sasuke. Seeing everything anyway. Caught, frozen, Sasuke could only stammer helplessly. "I-Itachi. I can explain—"

Itachi cut him off. "There's no need. Two weeks is unacceptable. You will attend class tomorrow. That's all."

Bewildered, Sasuke resisted the urge to glance back at Kakashi, undoubtedly still lounging on the bed as though he owned it. "W-what? But…"

"There is no room for argument. This cannot continue. You will go tomorrow," Itachi reiterated firmly. Confused beyond words, Sasuke's eyes darted in Kakashi's direction, though he kept his head carefully straight forward.

"What do you keep looking at, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, brow furrowed suspiciously. "Are you listening to me? Do you understand?"

"W-well, yeah…" Sasuke hedged awkwardly. Itachi's continued stare prompted him to add, "I mean, yes. Fine. I'll go to school tomorrow."

Mollified, Itachi nodded once before unceremoniously taking his leave. Sasuke stared as the closed door clicked shut behind him.

"What in the…" Sasuke turned to Kakashi, feeling lost. "Didn't he see you? It's not that dark in here...I thought he would freak out," he tried to explain. "I've never had anyone over before, and it's not like I asked permission, and honestly you look like a weirdo and you're older…but it's like he either didn't notice, or didn't even care…" Sasuke trailed off, feeling equally baffled and relieved and…disappointed?

Kakashi cleared his throat delicately. "I see you two have some—ah—communication issues."

"We've got a few more issues than that," Sasuke confessed.

"Well. You could tell me about it. If you wanted to," Kakashi offered.

Sasuke actually considered it, much to his own surprise. "You know, maybe I will. But not right now."

"Sure," Kakashi shrugged. "You've probably been traumatized enough for one day. Or more accurately, un-traumatized. De-traumatized? Hmm, perhaps there is no good antonym for trauma. What an interesting—and telling—language problem."

Sasuke suppressed a tired eye roll. "Whatever, Professor."

"'Whatever Professor: Professor of Whatever.' I kinda like it," Kakashi flashed a quick lopsided grin as he lept lightly to his feet. "Anyhoo, be sure to apply enough lotion on your shoulder to keep it moist, but not too wet. And don't scratch it even if it itches. Which it will."

Sasuke snorted under his breath. "Is change supposed to itch too then?"

"Of course! Now you're catching on," Kakashi chuckled, leaping gracefully through Sasuke's still-open window. "Oh, and Sasuke?" Kakashi called over his shoulder as he walked away. "Good luck tomorrow."

Sasuke remembered school with a grimace. "Thanks," he replied softly, watching as Kakashi's back grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Hesitantly, he reached over his shoulder to brush the tips of his fingers over the swollen patch of skin on his back.

It really was beginning to itch.