Itachi spent the first night in the office. Hatake's place was out of question. Despite being liked and respected, he didn't have anybody else beside the jounin he could turn to in the hour of need. It was not unusual for him to work late at night so the duty officer welcomed him without question or even any surprise. Did he hurt his otouto, startling him with his aggression? And these seals, he couldn't get their image out of his head. After all what did a minor beating mean in face of that harm?

It was beyond his grasp, such evil! Long solitary hours at night brought him devastating comprehension, as he tried to draw the image imprinted in his brain. The intricate patterns on Sasuke's beloved body were not standard blocking seals he had thought were used on him. These, which he saw today with his Sharingan, was something double layered, imprinted deeper. Ironically he discovered them only by sheer chance. A year ago Itachi had been under strict supervision himself and wasn't allowed to meet Sasuke as much as he liked and nowadays otouto wasn't in a sharing mood either.

He couldn't complete the drawing but that was enough to understand. He threw away the pencil and hid his head in hands, shaking on verge of hysterical cry. How could he overlooked so much? This was his fucking responsibility to look after Sasuke! Still he was on a losing side right from the beginning. Root had always been one step ahead of him, messing with the things most important to Itachi. Kuso!

There was even no telling whether the seals were like this from the start or Root added the second layer later, before otouto got to prison, as the boy probably continued to scream a list of people he intended to kill.

Later Hokage sent Sasuke to one of the ANBU-controlled detention place, that only she and a few trusted people knew about, so Root had no chance getting him there. Older Uchiha was not trusted at first with the exact location, and later there was no chance to visit Sasuke without endangering him. The boy was brought to "official" Konoha prison only for his release.

The sole thought about it became unbearable. Especially that older brother couldn't see any way to makes thing better. Sasuke was wrong about many things, his attitudes so childish, but apparently Itachi, with all his experience and wisdom, also was not completely right.

[***]

First person who found Itachi was Nishida. However, seeing his distress she didn't tease him or smirk at him as usual. Without words she disappeared and came back with a mug. She pushed the hot drink into Itachi's hand and observed him from the other chair.

"You're an early bird, Mikami-san," Itachi joked bitterly, trying to bring some normalcy back. He straightened in the chair and hid his drawings in a drawer.

"So are you," the woman's features didn't relaxed." I haven't seen you before 8 a.m. if it wasn't an emergency and it's five. Mind telling me what are you doing here? There is nothing to do at work now so it's about Sasuke, isn't it?"

The man sighed. He was so tired that he was afraid he would burst in laugher in the worst moment like some kind of maniac. How did she even know it is about little brother? Why was she even here?

"What are you doing here so early?" he repeated aloud.

"Do you need me or Kikuta to go and bring Sasuke here?" she continued seriously.

Itachi ran a hand through his face.

"Mikami-san. Everything's fine. Sasuke's home. I just couldn't sleep so I went to the office."

Nishida pierced him with her look but finally she sighed, as if she came to the conclusion the situation wasn't an emergency.

"Why don't you go home, or to my place, you know it is the nearest, and get some rest?"

"I need to talk to Hokage."

"Do you want me to go with you? Or Kikuta to pay an official visit?"

"No, thank you Mikami-san. It's a personal matter."

"Just for your information. POD has something to say in matters concerning Konoha. If there is a need, we - whole organization - will stand by your side." Uchiha propped his head in his hand and said nothing to this bold statement. "So, if you don't mind I'll sit in your office till you have to go. I'm waiting for my subordinates to show up either way." she added a silly excuse just to stay with the man. Itachi himself would never muster the courage to ask for comforting presence of another person.

[***]

When the proper time came Nishida walked Itachi to Hokage's private mansion, where they hoped they would manage to catch the Sannin as she was to leave to work.

Soon he found himself in Lady Tsunade's private cabinet. Not many people had a chance to see the mansion from inside and even fewer were asked to sit at a ornate oak table, at which Tsunade's grandfather and Itachi ancestor signed Konoha Agreement. Itachi was one of them though, but the serious vibe of the historical inferior didn't bring much comfort for interlocutors.

"Hokage-sama" he nodded his head, but soon there was a gulp in his throat. Speaking about Sasuke to the outsider proved to be more difficult that he had expected. Probably because he was the one who failed to protect his little brother.

"Itachi-san, what are you doing here so early in the morning?" she raised her brows in astonishment but politely encourage him to speak.

"I have an urgent matter to discuss with you, Hokage-sama," he repeated.

"Sasuke, isn't it?" she sighed. How did she know? First Mikami-san, now her.

"Uchiha Sasuke cannot be under the supervision of Yamato," he just stated in one breath.

"Could you elaborate more?"

"Shimoda Tenzou, operating under the name Yamato, abusing his position as the supervisor of the parolee, has been exercising physical violence on Uchiha Sasuke," he related as it was another criminal report he wrote, formality of speech allowing him to continue.

Hokage stood up in surprise. She looked into Itachi's eyes, as if waiting to hear it again.

"Itachi, these are serious accusations. Are you sure? Yamato is a trusted man."

"I 'd like to be wrong this time, but I'm not," he averted his gaze.

"What did really happen?" Uchiha melted under her gaze. So here he was, relating bit by bit a story about a bruise, Kakashi, and Sasuke's claims it happened more often. The presence of the woman, so focused on his words, frowning eyebrows to conceal her anger, made him feel small. It was his responsibility and he failed.

The most important matter didn't manage to escape his tighten throat though. Fortunately or not, the chime clock behind Tsunade stroke to announce half past five and the proper moment to tell her slipped away. Hokage realized the time and needed to rush to her duties. She thanked Itachi for informing her and promised to investigate the situation. Uchiha escaped the mansion relieved a bit and headed to hospital entrance. He yet needed to see Sasuke, to make sure he was ok.

[***]

Next days Itachi circulated between hospital gate, work, pub, his flat, and cheap hostels at the outskirts of the town. Sorry conditions were just enough for his foul mood.

He cared for otouto, but he didn't want to come back home. He told himself that he couldn't trust his own actions anymore. What if he started pressing Sasuke for answer, had another fight or even forced him to show the seals again?

Or worse, otouto would ask him for help and he could not offer him anything valuable.

Sasuke was so dismissive, refusing to make up, rejecting even simple gestures of care, and there was no way Itachi would impose his presence at home against Sasuke will.

Little brother had every right to punish him this way. The whole time he was an asshole brother, that hadn't manage to help him. Had Itachi been ever any use for him at all?

For the hundredth time this week he thanked Kami, he still had his job. Mixture of guilt and emptiness was devouring him from the inside, making him want to lie all day in the rented bed and wall himself from problems. Only the responsibilities keep him moving on. Work allowed him to bury himself in useless actions and get a temporarily relief. But as soon as he left the threshold of his office, awareness of reality came back.

The feeling manifested in bunch of physical conditions. Constant gulp in his stomach, shaking hands that had problems lighting a cigarette after cigarette or bringing yet another glass to his lips. Everything was void. Like his mind when he waited for hours before their flat imagining how little brother was doing. Like bottles under his bed, that hadn't brought him any respite. Like Kakashi's scolding words, carrying no meaning for Itachi. Whatever he would do, he just couldn't see the way to win this.

[***]

"Dozou," Nishida entered his vision and put an object at his desk in front of him. Itachi blinked at her, his chin dropped. He was in his office and yet again he let his mind wander instead of working.

"Itachi-kun, that's not how you thank a lady," Uchiha's head followed the voice and he saw Kikuta, leaning against a door frame.

"Oh, boss, Nishida-san, I am sorry," he bowed his head apologetically.

"No need to be," the woman smiled, "So do you like it?"

Itachi looked down at the object. Before him stood a frame with a photo. Two similar, raven-hair figures, hugging each other, were smiling at him. Right, Mikami had taken a picture of him and Sasuke. He moved a hand to grab it, but the woman pulled it out of his reach.

"Ah, ah, ah I didn't say it is for free," she smirked. Uchiha looked puzzled at his bosses. Mikami finally handled him the photo and she and Kikuta sat in front of the man. "High time we talk, Itachi-san. You owe us some explanation," she added.

"So Itachi-kun," the older man started, "Where are you staying these days?"

"Mhm."

"Itachi, don't make it hard on the old man. Just asking as a friend would ask a friend, right? We're friends, aren't we, Itachi-kun," he reproached him slightly.

"At Yama's."

"You sure have a particular taste. Why not your flat?"

"Mhm, I can't. I don't feel like to."

"Itachi-san, how long do you plan to live like this? I mean you don't lead, let's call it, the healthiest lifestyle right now," Mikami cut in.

"I just have some things to think on my own. But don't worry, it will not affect my work performance," he quickly said to end the conversation, despite the obvious facts he was already barely fulfilling his duties.

"It is not about the work! Itachi, we are just worried about you. So just stop beating about the bush and stop treating us just like we were only your bosses. By the way we are equal, remember?"

Itachi sighed but remained silent.

"Ok, let us all calm down and start again," Kikuta said, "You don't want to talk, so let us tell you how things look from our perspective. Something has happened to unnerve you so much, that you don't live with your brother. Yeah, Kakashi-san has told us. I would guess you've quarreled, and you both are too stubborn to say sorry to each other. Whatever, things happen in the family. The point is that you are drinking and smoking yourself to death and your brother, in his current state, needs more attention than just 10 minutes visits from his older brother."

"Have you noticed something wrong with Sasuke?" the man had Itachi's full attention now.

"Your brother has been through a lot. Truly, he seemed so traumatized when you brought him to the headquarters. I know it's delicate political matter..."

"Maybe it's time to let somebody else help you two," the woman said seriously. "There is no reason for you to bear it all alone."

"He's angry with me. Or he's afraid of me. I've... I've failed him," Uchiha choked, not able to bear the look of his bosses on him, who would judge him, or worse - pity him.

"Itachi, it's ok, you can tell us," Mikami pressed him delicately.

Uchiha realized he is holding the photo in a tight grip, his spider-like fingers now white from the effort. Little brother look fragile but happy in that very moment.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you recently but it is obvious to me that Sasuke loves you and needs you," the woman continued, " You have to pull yourself together. For his sake and for your own sake too."

Itachi couldn't snap at his bosses nor he could leave. He was too moved to speak either. The only thing he could was to listen. Kikuta and Nishida spoke a lot. They referred to their own problems and how they overcame them, to Itachi emotions, sense of duty, anything that could sparkle a fire back within him.

[***]

Being exhausted and drained of his own will, he found himself sitting in the unknown living room with Mikami, Kikuta and his wife Umi, over the vaporizing plate with hot food, and then it was well dark outside and he was lying in the guestroom, inhaling the calm atmosphere. For once it was not the sound of alcohol-poisoned blood rushing through his ears that brought him sleep, but cricking of fire from a chimney. It was so long since somebody took care of him. As stupid as it sounded, he missed them, but he doesn't deserve kindness, after all he was the one to took them away from himself and from Sasuke. Even the awareness that he had managed to save the most precious person then, didn't lift the burden of guilt out of him.

[***]

The words of this punk hadn't wanted to leave his mind for days, or exactly for weeks now, whatever Tenzou, was doing - working, going out with his friends, laying down to sleep. Although spoken in some kind of frenzy, and aimed to spite him, he couldn't deny there was some logic behind them. Something he was suspecting forever, but was too afraid to bring it to consciousness. Even this week he was summoned to assist one of Naruto's training outside the village, just in case.

Tenzou tried to delicately get some more information from his parolee, but the kid ignored him, shrugged his shoulders or just gave one-syllabled answers. Normally he would give the teen a good lecture on etiquette, but he need him to cooperate. There was actually no one else he could openly ask about his origin.

It was then really unfortunate that Tsunade found out that he lost his temper. He got suspended and no longer had a chance to talk to Sasuke. Uff, he had barely survived the scolding, and really was ashamed that he disappointed his Lady so much.

Frustration flooded his veins and seethed with every breath. Punk finally got his vengeance on him, ruining his carrier. Yes, he lost this game. But Yamato was not a bad person. He really tried his best to keep an objective eye on the parolee, and most of the time he did his job perfectly, right? No one would tolerate such arrogance. He bet that Kakashi, acting so chivalrous now, wouldn't stand a week if he was the one dealing with the kid.

However, the punishment gave him extra time to dig through old reports. Being still the trusted man of Hokage, as any news concerning Sasuke were kept under the hat, nobody asked him a reason why he was spending all days looking through confidential files.

Yamato confirmed what he already know. He'd seen these documents already. They said that he was found as the only surviving child at Shiranaya - secret Konoha research facility. Orochimaru and a few of his followers were held responsible for the atrocious deeds. They apparently ran these experiments as a side project to the official one, concerning transplantology and regeneration. There was high probability that Yamato was created in a purpose to control the tailed-beast. But could it really be just one person plotting? How that was possible that nobody checked on the lab team or didn't question their funding that were boldly high?

The Snake always desired power and had designs for the position of Hokage. Well, at least that was the official narration. Controlling a bi-juu would definitely turn odds to his side, but seriously, was Orochimaru willing to wait 15 years until there would be any use from adult Tenzou? But who knows what the fucker was thinking.

Later on Tenzou was placed in a ninja family with strong ties to the Sarutobis. The archives still didn't answer what happened with him before experiment. A crippled child, the punk has called him, right?

He came to the conclusion that only Orochimaru or his followers might give him some answers. Reaching the Snake was out of question, and he already tried talking delicately to Anko-san, but it turned out she was just a naive child back then. That brought Tenzou to stand outside a three-floor tenement house at the corner of the park, mulling over how close to the Snake was his parolee and how far his knowledge truly reached.

After the long break I'm back at ff. Thanks for all of you who still read my story and have been supporting me, what helped me keep writing. Did you like this chapter? Leave a comment, it will surely motivate me to work harder and faster. Cheers :)

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