A/N: The White Sage Snake at the Ryuchi Cave is so classy. I'm curious how it would perceive Orochimaru in his true form – a cross between human, snake and spirit. Would they smoke, chatting about senjutsu like it was the weather? Haha. In manga chapter 579, when Ryuchido is mentioned, Itachi is surprised Kabuto found it so I'm assuming he's heard of it.

Soundtrack: Itachi's theme (Senya)

Chapter Ten – Layers

"To think that we have to trudge through this feculent place..."

Itachi resisted the urge to laugh at Orochimaru's expense, keeping his features perfectly schooled to blandness. While he was of the same opinion towards the Land of Swamps, there was no reason to voice his thoughts; Orochimaru seemed to do so eloquently on his behalf with added flair.

Ever since the moment atop Amegakure, he had started to look at Orochimaru in a different light. Suspicion still existed, wariness that the snake could strike at any moment, however it coexisted with something else. With Orochimaru's tangible revelation of making inconceivable choices, Itachi felt like he had peeled a layer of the man beneath the monster. The verisimilar space between them seemed closer than ever.

So close.

It was so intriguing. If Itachi had been curious before, his interest was now piqued with his enigma of a partner. Orochimaru had been part of Root, reflecting the cold, clinical nature of the sect to do what was necessary, yet he had turned out differently. Behind him, Orochimaru was dramatically kicking up a fuss about the swamp, deigning to walk more than anything. Root shinobi were supposed to be dead in emotion. Orochimaru was full of it, even if he was a bit dark and sarcastic though with good reason.

The trees seemed to beckon with gangly fingers, swaying to and fro with the cold, biting wind. Grass was so thick that there was probably something living in them, watching them with predatory eyes, just waiting for them to make a wrong move and slip. There was so much water that it appeared impossible for civilians to pass. The only consolation was the dirt path but even then, with the wet climate, the chances of sinking into the soaked earth was a dangerous possibility.

It was feculent indeed.

"This is what we get paid for," Itachi said calmly as he channelled the precise amount of chakra to his feet. Head held high, back straight, he retained the appearance of someone supremely unconcerned as he stepped over the dark lake. "Do not fear."

Trust Itachi to make everything look so casual. "Fear?" Orochimaru repeated derisively, chuckling humourlessly. The humming sound echoed eerily in the marsh. As if he feared anything like this which was just plainly disgusting. "If that was an attempt at humour, it was a very poor one, Itachi-kun. Besides," he gathered chakra to his feet, mimicking his partner's movements, "our pay is meagre. That's not how Akatsuki works."

"Akatsuki gets tasked with missions." Itachi knew this to be true, their first mission evidence of this. Akatsuki was very much like a village; they took care of their own, with Amegakure as the acting base of operations. "We get compensated for our efforts."

Orochimaru chuckled lightly, amused by how ostensibly close his partner was to the truth. It pleased him to know things Itachi did not, how knowledge was indeed power. "How little you know, Itachi-kun," he remarked in between laughter, musing over Itachi's blindness. "Akatsuki does get tasked with missions but that's only because they undermine everyone else. Cheaper labour."

Itachi, who had been in the act of producing a kunai from his cloak, stilled at the new information. "Superiority through the economy?"

"Precisely," Orochimaru confirmed smoothly, pausing to unsheathe Kusanagi. Once it was out, he followed Itachi's lead by slashing vines blocking their way. "If the majority of missions are completed by Akatsuki, there is little business left for the Five Great Shinobi Countries. They become stagnant, just like that body of water over there." Said pool a short distance away was indeed stagnant. "One could argue that it's dead."

"There is something you're not telling me."

So clever, Orochimaru thought with a small smile. In spite of his blind shortcomings, not knowing much, the other man was quite the shinobi with a sharp, agile mind. "Tailed beasts," he explained shortly, deliberately keeping his answer vague, experimenting to see just how perceptive Itachi was. Judging by how Itachi abruptly halted, his kunai falling to the side, Orochimaru knew his hypothesis was correct.

Life was an experiment, producing interesting results with different choices; Itachi – even as his desired first vessel – was no exception. Every time he spoke cryptically, Itachi would react in a telltale way, resembling not the merciless killer rumoured by the Uchiha Clan Massacre but a human being. Curiosity was part of human nature, a driving force hungering for answers.

And Orochimaru had those answers.

Smirking at his trump card, Orochimaru walked up to the other man, leaning forward intently to ask, "Did you think the ring was ordinary?" There was a brief moment of hesitation before he ventured into dangerous territory. It was another experiment, anticipating Itachi would stop him along with a warning like last time. Although he had touched Itachi's face atop Amegakure, one tender moment in the void didn't change anything – not when they were part of Akatsuki.

To Orochimaru's surprise, he was allowed to touch Itachi's right hand. Much like the moment in Amegakure, nothing stopped him from lifting Itachi's hand such that their palms were pressed together, each with their respective rings. For someone so cold and distant, Itachi was surprisingly warm, radiating heat in spite of the wet climate.

"These rings contain sealing properties to extract the power of tailed beasts," Orochimaru murmured, tilting his head to the side as he observed the man mirroring him. The curiosity, the shroud of darkness, the slender build of their hands... Sometimes, during times like this, he felt like he was looking into a mirror, seeing not their different facial features nor varying length of their nails but shadows of haunting familiarity. "Not everything is as it seems."

"Of course," Itachi agreed mildly, as though he considered the matter unimportant, however his raised hand said otherwise. "Reality is subjective just like a mask. Perhaps there's more than one layer to the mask."

It seemed he had chosen his first vessel well. Orochimaru silently marvelled at the man before him, touching not only his hand but also his mind, capturing his attention with insightful words alone. Itachi was quite young, that was much was visible at a glance, yet he somehow appeared older for his age. It was startling to see, looking into such black eyes that housed a supposedly even darker soul.

Oh, how Orochimaru longed to peel the mask away, removing layer upon layer until he had Itachi in the palm of his hand. Normally, he was the one to tempt, dangling the apple as the snake, but for some reason it seemed like the opposite was happening.

It was exciting to say the least.

"Mmm, I quite like these little moments with you," Orochimaru admitted, licking his lips at the sudden dryness he felt. "I find them rather," leaning forward further into dangerous territory, he placed his lips against the sensitive shell of Itachi's ear, nothing stopping him which only fuelled his excitement when he whispered, "stimulating."

Indeed, Orochimaru mused as he drew away, laughing simply because he felt like it, he had chosen well. Itachi was like a stimulant – a drug. It was only a matter of time before he became addicted.

Perhaps he already was.

The estate in the Land of Swamps stood out from afar.

From the cover of bushes, Itachi scrutinised it closely, searching for signs of human passage. There appeared to be not a single soul in sight which was odd. As a former ANBU Captain, he knew better than to lower his guard at the observation. If anything, the lack of guards heightened his wariness, simply because the protective measures were latent as far as he was concerned. As powerful as the Sharingan was, it didn't grant the incredible sight of the Byakugan.

Certainly, he could use his Mangekyo Sharingan if necessary but it was only as a last resort. Susano'o put an excruciating amount of stress on the body, intensifying the ache at his chest. The pain was remedied with rest, however it was only temporary; prolonged use of the more devastating abilities in his arsenal would eventually render him blind and he still had his duty to carry out.

It was disheartening to think of his sealed fate. Saddened by the thought, Itachi glanced over his shoulder, daring to hope that Orochimaru's strong pull of curiosity would draw him from his brooding. Sure enough, it did.

Orochimaru had his back turned, bent low in a crouch, the ends of his cloak flaring out around his slender form. Similar to their first mission, the Sannin didn't care for scouting, seemingly above such tasks. Given his partnership with Sasori – not to mention how long he had lived in Konoha – there was no doubt Orochimaru had completed his fair share of missions. The thought brightened Itachi's mood somewhat, begging the question regarding Orochimaru's age.

Itachi was still thinking about it when he approached the Sannin who – for once – didn't acknowledge him when he usually adored putting him on the edge. The question on the tip of his tongue died when he glimpsed the focus of Orochimaru's attention.

There, hidden in the bushes, was a small snake. It would have blended in well with the dark surroundings if not for its unique colour. Scales were white, so pure in colour that it seemed precious amongst the darkness. The snake's coiled position made it seemed so much smaller than it actually was. No wonder Orochimaru's attention had been stolen – the white snake was beautiful.

"Beautiful," Orochimaru remarked softly, his silken voice hushed in awe, unknowingly iterating Itachi's thoughts.

Silently agreeing, Itachi lowered his body to a crouch next as he gazed at it unblinkingly. Never before had he seen a white snake, nor did he recall ever particularly wanting to. He was usually indifferent to them, just like every other animal, but there was something about this one and the circumstances surrounding its discovery. In the back of his mind, he had a sneaking suspicion it was also due to how Orochimaru was staring at is so reverently.

Itachi found himself tensing when Orochimaru reached out suddenly. The Sannin always seemed to have him on edge, testing him as some sort of experiment to see whether he would react, and this was no different. He looked on with a slight frown, torn between fascination and anticipation as Orochimaru extended his hand. The movement caused Orochimaru's sleeve to slip down his left forearm, revealing white skin that matched the snake.

But it wasn't the only thing.

Inky black lines twisted around Orochimaru's forearm, winding around in a slithering pattern reminiscent to a squeezing snake. The black ink contrasted with his white skin, compelling Itachi to stare. He followed the intricate lines with his eyes, unable to look away as another layer of Orochimaru had been stripped, peeling away to reveal this strange tattoo.

Yet another layer was removed when Orochimaru moved to pick up the white snake calmly. Itachi's frown deepened at the sight, narrowing on the way the snake shrank back. If he didn't know any better, the snake was going to attack Orochimaru. While they weren't friends, merely partners with different masks, he had no desire to see Orochimaru dead. Losing him would mean never being able to harvest the gold mine of knowledge.

It was with a startling sense of relief when Orochimaru succeeded. The white snake slithered around Orochimaru's wrist, matching the twisting pattern of the tattoo. Itachi released the breath he didn't release he was holding until now, setting his mind at ease.

"Can you speak to them?" he questioned quietly, masking his relief with his usual stoicism.

Gold eyes shone with amusement as they met black. "Don't be silly, Itachi-kun," Orochimaru said with a laugh, shooting the other man a pointed look before eyeing the white snake. A smile graced his lips at his good fortune. "Snakes in the wild are different to summons. They do not reside in the Ryuchi Cave so their communication with humans is underdeveloped."

The Ryuchi Cave.

It echoed in Itachi's mind, conjuring memories of hearing the name in passing, hazy with his childhood of hearing tales of the Second Shinobi World War. Almost everyone knew the Sannin as well as their respective summons, however the line was drawn at their renown status. There was little information on the Ryuchi Cave about its exact whereabouts. Few people cared enough of such folktales pertaining to war heroes, only that legends existed.

Association. It was just like his clan, seeing not the greater picture but themselves.

Suddenly, Itachi became highly aware that Orochimaru was next to him, as though well and truly grasping the actuality of it. His eyes roamed over Orochimaru's pale features, flicking briefly to the white snake now draped around his shoulders before returning back to his partner. The Sannin was such an enigma, a war hero who had defected from the village Itachi would give anything to protect.

Orochimaru was formerly the student of the man he had begged on behalf of his little brother. From what he had heard, Hiruzen had intended to make his prized student his successor and would have if not for his twisted ways. Things like that went around as gossip along with their legendary titles. What if things had been different? How would events unfold if he was begging Orochimaru to protect Sasuke instead of Hiruzen?

Itachi tried to imagine it, an image forming in his mind of Orochimaru adorned in the traditional Hokage robes; layers of fine detail overlapped, becoming vivid like a painting. There would probably be some added touches to his outfit, something with flair that matched the strangeness of his long nails, the tattoo, and his earrings. Orochimaru would have looked quite striking, standing before him that fateful day with his back turned, highlighting the long flow of his hair.

What could have been...

The image faded when Itachi blinked, coming to face the reality of Orochimaru treating the white snake as a friend. "Have you found the Ryuchi Cave?"

All Itachi received was a mysterious smile as his answer.

"You seem awfully curious about snakes," Orochimaru mused, smoothly avoiding the question, one eyebrow creeping upwards in mockery tinged with amusement. "Are you interested in making a contract?" His voice lowered, taking a sensual cast of a purr when he stated rather than asked, "Or perhaps you're interested in me, Itachi-kun."

Orochimaru laughed at the stony look Itachi was giving at him. It never ceased to amaze him at how cold someone could be, wanting nothing more than to melt such ice. "Sadly, I cannot converse with them on a level of language," not yet at least, "but it matters not." In emphasis, he stroked the white snake curled around his shoulders. "They are no different from people. All it takes is a degree of understanding their needs to manipulate them."

Itachi said nothing, switching his gaze to the white snake. Indeed, the snake was being manipulated to treat Orochimaru differently. If it were anyone else, they would surely be dead by venom, handling the snake differently and thus sealing their demise.

"Would you like to hold it?"

The question was so out of the blue that Itachi tensed. Slowly, he dragged his eyes from the creature, regarding the more dangerous snake. Gone was the fond, almost pleasant smile. Now, Orochimaru was looking at him intently, baring his teeth in a wicked grin. It was another game, one instigated in the way Orochimaru was taunting him. As always, the game was dangerous; with the venom from the snake, the challenge had risen to an all new deadly level.

Itachi eyed the bigger snake out of the two coolly, unwilling to play with such high stakes. His flat, "No," was unnecessary, only serving to drive his refusal home as his expressionless face said everything.

"Do not fear," Orochimaru quoted silkily, using Itachi's earlier words against him. It was only fair he returned the favour since Itachi had quoted him atop Amegakure. When he received no response, black eyes boring into his own, he decided to switch tactics. "I'm disappointed in you, Itachi-kun." He sighed in a wholly dramatic fashion, his disappointment a palpable thing. "And here I thought you weren't a coward. My mistake."

The porcelain of Itachi's masked cracked at that, venom seeping in through the cracks. He considered himself a true shinobi, one that protected peace from the shadows, doing whatever was necessary even if it killed him inside. Unlike his duty, though, this was different.

Just what was this?

No one had ever challenged him to such an extent before. Few dared to approach him, believing him cold and distant. Sasuke and Shisui had only ever been the exceptions. As Fugaku's son, the future leader of the Uchiha Clan, he was unapproachable, burdened with so much responsibility it warded people away. It was primarily the reason he trusted only himself, disbelieving that there was an alternative to massacring the Uchiha Clan.

But what did he want with Orochimaru?

The Sannin had gone well beyond approaching him. Where others glanced at him before looking away, as though afraid to meet his eyes, Orochimaru openly stared – if anything proud of how unsettling his intense looks were, deriving a sense of twisted pleasure from it. Lines had been crossed several times, from how a dainty would often trail suggestively over his arm to the way Itachi – a spy by all rights with his mask – had been spied on instead.

Itachi sometimes felt like he had died with his clan that fateful night. With Orochimaru, though, he felt oddly alive and on edge.

The venom in his system was bad in nature, drawing feelings of hatred in how Orochimaru would one day attempt to destroy Konoha; it wrought unhealthy curiosity to want to delve into that complex mind. The desire to want and strip the monster bare, giving into the pleasure he could only imagine with that abnormally long tongue was so wrong; and, yet, Itachi could not deny that Orochimaru made him feel something.

Cold as ever, masking the conflict within, Itachi made his choice. He recalled the way Orochimaru approached the snake – confident but not overbearingly so. The observation was planted firmly in his mind when he reached out to the white snake, placing his hand against Orochimaru's shoulder.

The snake seemed to sense his courage and resolve, deeming him worthy. Itachi watched it slither onto his hand in cool satisfaction, making sure not to flinch at the unfamiliarity of scales against his skin. Doing so would be jarring, setting the snake on edge. More importantly, it would be prove that he was weak. In Akatsuki, he needed to keep up appearances, acting the part of a cold-hearted criminal lest Orochimaru see right through him – that is, if he hadn't already, as daunting as it seemed.

Speaking of which, Orochimaru was gazing at him with a quirked eyebrow, obviously impressed. Itachi was struck by how open Orochimaru was with his praise, clearly not above giving credit where it was due. As arrogant and cruel as he was, the Sannin evidently respected power, recognising it in others and in different forms with how he was handling the snake. It seemed another layer was stripped away.

"Snakes are fascinating creatures," Orochimaru commented fondly, smiling at how his two interests were getting along. "They will not accept just anyone who wants to make a contract. Their selection alone should tell you how dangerous they are." Manda immediately popped into his head, causing him to chuckle. "My greatest summon desires to devour me."

Even though Itachi was no expert, he knew snakes were not as powerful as Orochimaru hyped them up to be. "But even snakes have their natural enemies," he pointed out, alluding to the cycle of life. "There are more dangerous animals that exist."

"Brute power will only get you so far in life," Orochimaru countered with an edge of finality, as though that settled the matter – which it did. It was something he knew well. The strongest power in the world was knowledge, capable of being utilised in a variety of devastating ways or simply through the strength of truth. "Snakes are special. They have something that is unique."

Itachi considered the words carefully before venturing, "Which is?"

"The ability to shed their skin."

Confused, even though he didn't outwardly show it, Itachi remained silent, unmoving when Orochimaru leaned forward.

"If you look closely at it," Orochimaru was saying as he pointed to the white snake's head, "you can notice a glassy texture over its eyes. It will shed soon."

True to Orochimaru's observation and prediction, the white snake did end up shedding its skin right before their eyes. Itachi lowered it to the ground, watching it attentively as it slithered to a patch of uneven rock. The rough texture of the earth was used in conjunction with force as a makeshift pin. For a mere creature, it was resourceful, not so far separated from shinobi. After a while, the white snake was gone, leaving nothing but its shed skin.

"To shed skin, forgetting things, leaving remnants of yourself behind..." Orochimaru gently scooped up the shed skin, tracing it lovingly just as he had done so as a child. "A very special ability indeed."

Smiling faintly, he took hold of Itachi's hand, placing it palm facing upwards. "Keep it," was his firm order as he deposited the shed skin, serpentine eyes narrowing for good measure. "It is a symbol of good fortune and rebirth."

As Itachi carefully pocketed the precious item, he wondered if Orochimaru was shedding his skin with him, leaving behind this moment for a reason.