Celebwen Telcontar: JBear and Danvingar were both correct. The bird is an Ivory-Bill Woodpecker. And Danvingar, you are very astute. I thought of the swamp to be a place set apart from time itself. And SeanHicks4, I was wondering if anyone would get that reference!

Balrog: Smart reviewers.

Celebwen Telcontar: As for the lateness, my grandmother just passed away, compounding my great-grandmother's death and my dog Jake dying, all three of whom I was very close to. Hopefully the quality of the chapter didn't suffer.

"I think it's long past time you stopped being unhelpful," McGonagall snapped. It had been three weeks since Itachi had woken up, and he had been trying to stay out of everyone's way. The students had just been let out for Summer Holidays, and the castle was quiet, mostly, save for Irritant.

"Who's being unhelpful, kitty-cat?" Irritant asked.

"Shut up, bird. I'm taking you to Diagon Alley tomorrow, Itachi."

"Alright," the Uchiha said.

"Woo-hoo! Finally! A trip!"

"Can you ever be quiet?"

"Nope!"

McGonagall sighed. "Get ready. We leave at nine tomorrow morning. Until then, meditate. Look deep inside yourself. You'll find a wellspring of power and within that power is your inner self. Find him. Speak to him, get to know him. Tell me tomorrow how far you are."

"Hahahaha!" Irritant crowed. "That'll be easy, kitty-cat!"

"Not you! Itachi!"

"Fine, fine. Don't teach me magic!"

"Teaching you magic would be like giving You-Know-Who a nuclear warhead."

"A nuclear warhead! That sounds like fun!"

"Irritant, not now," Itachi muttered. The Discord Phoenix shut up, finally.

"Thank you." McGonagall left for her quarters, and Itachi went to where his own quarters were, on the Third Floor near Dumbledore's old office. Itachi and Irritant passed the globular seal Flitwick and three Gringotts goblins had placed on the former office entrance, ignoring the bizarre and muffled sounds emanating from it.

"Mangyeko," Itachi stated, and the portrait of a blonde man exploring a garden filled with sculptures.

"Hm. Uchiha, my man," the blonde connoisseur stated, turning to scowl at Itachi, glaring at him and Irritant but allowing them in the quarters. As the door closed, Itachi and Irritant felt the walls and ground tremble.

"Stop it," Itachi snapped at the guardian picture. "I will admit that your art is… intriguing." Itachi's statement seemed to calm the guardian picture down, going by the fact that the tremors subsided. He was unsure what the resulting picture would look like in the morning; the guardian picture was so unpredictable.

Irritant fluttered over to his perch, spotting a bowl of dried persimmons Itachi had asked the House Elves to keep full.

"Mmm! Dried persimmons! Mmm-mmm! Delicious!" Itachi smiled at his Familiar, watching the bird stuff himself silly with dehydrated fruit before going into his bedroom and getting ready for bed, crawling under the covers and beginning to meditate.

When he closed his eyes, the first thing his mind saw was the Uchiha compound. He had lived there his entire life before Madara decided to destroy the Uchiha Clan through him. He walked through the front gates, listening unconsciously for any signs of life. None were present.

When he got to the manor house, he saw the windows glowing. He walked up the steps, cast off his sandals and walked inside.

Sitting at the table was a copy of himself. He beckoned Itachi to join him, pouring the former Kanohagakure ninja a cup of tea.

"So, you finally arrive," the other Itachi said, taking a sip of the steaming beverage. Itachi tested the tea for poisons and tricks. As far as he could tell, this was genuine Jasmine tea. He still didn't drink.

"Hn."

"Alright. I'm your inner self. You are not only a Shinoubi, but also a Wizard."

"Hn."

"Stop it. You might be an Uchiha, but you don't need to keep the high-and-mighty attitude around me. I'm you."

"Tell me something only I would know."

"Uchiha Madara is alive and masquerading as a madman named Tobi who has a far grater talent for raw irritation than your bird."

"Yes. Alright. What do you have to speak to me with?"

Sasuke lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling. Naruto had left with the fox that constantly followed him around, Anko and Harry had gone to the hospital for Harry's eyes and hadn't returned yet, and Copperhead, Cottonmouth and Diamondback were who-knew-where.

"Hello, Sasuke," a voice said. The Uchiha turned his head, seeing Cottonmouth curled up on a small table. On the table was a Western chess board, set up for playing. "Do you play?" the dark snake asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Yeah. With a few friends from the Clan. My uncle taught me."

"Black or white?"

"Hn." Sasuke went to the table, crossing his legs and looking at the board. "Black." Cottonmouth nudged a pawn forward with the tip of his tail. Sasuke moved one of his own.

"It may not seem like it, but Anko cares for you. She has only loved three people in her life: her Sensei, before he betrayed her; Harry; and Naruto. And now she is feeling very protective of you, too."

"What about Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, moving a bishop. He remembered the woman dragging the white-haired Jonin into her bedroom from time to time.

"Lovers, you mean?" Cottonmouth asked, wrapping the tip of his tail about a knight so he could move it. Sasuke nodded. "She enjoys them well enough, Kakashi and Iruka most, but she's only in it for a good time. She once loved her Sensei, and when he betrayed her, she left for five years, swearing never to love anyone ever again. It took her over two years before she realized she loved Harry and Naruto as her sons, and Copperhead had to talk her out of dumping them in the orphanage and running off Outside again."

"Where is she now?"

"Dawn Swamp. It's a place… apart from time, I suppose. It's where the Summon Snakes live, as well as many other creatures, including the Ancient Ones."

"What are the Ancient Ones?" Sasuke asked, capturing Cottonmouth's pawn with his bishop. "Check."

"They are… giant, powerful lizard-like creatures. Some are herbivores and others carnivores. They were driven out of this world by a dark storm covering the sun for many years." Cottonmouth moved his knight to capture Sasuke's offending bishop. Sasuke moved his queen into position.

"Check. Why are Anko and Harry in the Dawn Swamp?" Cottonmouth considered the board, before moving one of his pawns into Sasuke's queen's path.

"So Harry can get his eyes fixed without Manda-sama being accidentally Summoned. He ate a few doctors by mistake this morning." Sasuke paused in moving his knight to capture Cottonmouth's pawn.

"Check. How did that happen?"

"Harry has a severe phobia of green light. The Healing chakra scared him, and he panicked, accidentally Summoning Manda-sama. Manda-sama misconstruted the situation, thought the doctors were attacking Harry, and ate them. He only learned later that they were trying to help him. I wouldn't be surprised if Harry and Anko aren't allowed in the hospital again." Sasuke looked at Cottonmouth. "Harry is probably talking with Isis-sama now. She is Manda-sama's mate, and is known for her wisdom, compassion and Healing."

"I… see." Sasuke watched as Cottonmouth observed the board. The snake moved his King one space. Sasuke moved his rook.

"Check, and mate."

"You're good," Cottonmouth observed, toppling his king with the tip of his tail.

Celebwen Telcontar: Please review, everyone.