TWENTY ONE
Tsunade looks down at the open file on her desk, her mouth pulling into a frown. Her eyes flick toward the label on the corner of the folder. Uchiha, Itachi.
She eyes the faded ink for another moment, before turning back to the file's contents. She riffles through the papers in front of her, her scowl only growing more pronounced. She scans each mission assignment, each report, and by the time she's two-thirds through it, she has to resist the urge to throw the entire folder across the office.
There has to be something here. There has to be.
She continues to look through the folder, growing increasingly frustrated with each page she finishes. Each page closer that she gets to the end of the file. She doesn't know what she expected when she requested the file be pulled from their records, but all she's found is an average ANBU record.
The missions listed in the file range from mundane to gruesome. Most ANBU records are dark and bloody, and Itachi Uchiha's is no exception. His hands were soaked in blood long before he turned his sword against his own kin.
She frowns as she reaches the end of the file—the last page an official declaration of Itachi's status as a missing-nin. She leans back in her chair, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.
Nothing. There's absolutely nothing.
Blindly, she reaches out and pulls a random sheet from the pile. It's a document dated about six months before the massacre, promoting Itachi to a captain position. Danzo's signature is at the bottom, and Tsunade narrows her eyes at it.
So he promoted Itachi himself, did he?
It's not unusual. Danzo's power over ANBU used to be almost as great as the Hokage's. Still, something about seeing that signature makes her uneasy.
You're playing a dangerous game, Danzo had said to her. She hadn't liked the tone of his voice one bit.
She sits up straighter, pulling the file closer to her. She begins to go through it again, but she reads each page more carefully this time, taking in every word. It's possible she missed something. Maybe if she looks closer…
The door clicks open. Tsunade doesn't look up at the sound of footsteps, already knowing who it is from their gait.
"What are you looking at?" Jiraiya asks. He looks down at the file on her desk, and a frown pulls at his lips. "Itachi's ANBU file? Why are you looking at that?"
"Learn to knock," Tsunade says, instead of answering.
Jiraiya scowls. He plucks the current report she's holding from her fingers.
"Hey! Jiraiya!"
"Seriously." His eyes scan the document before returning to her face. "What are you doing? I doubt whatever answers you're trying to find are in here."
Tsunade reaches out, snatching the paper back from him. "Well, I have to start somewhere, don't I? And who's to say there's not something here?"
"Do you even know what you're looking for?"
Tsunade purses her lips. It's embarrassing to admit, but no, she doesn't know what she's looking for. Not specifically. But this whole situation with Itachi reeks of secrets, of shadows and deceptions that seem to go far deeper than anyone knows, and she needs to get to the bottom of it.
Danzo is connected to this. If it turns out he's wrapped up in the Akatsuki somehow… wrapped up with someone like Itachi Uchiha…
"No, I don't know what I'm looking for," she admits. "But there's something going on here. Danzo is involved in some way, I just don't know how. And until I can make Itachi talk, this is all I have to go on…"
She trails off as something catches her eye, near the very end of Itachi's file. She narrows her eyes on the dates listed on the reports. The last mission assignment is listed as being in the month of March. That's four whole months before the massacre took place. Why are there no other reports from between that time?
This can't be right. ANBU operatives are given a constant influx of missions, especially members as skilled as Itachi Uchiha. So why is there such a large gap of time unaccounted for?
She leans forward in her chair, a frown at her lips. "Jiraiya, look at this."
She beckons him closer, pointing out the dates on the file. He looks down at them, then back at her, not getting what she's trying to point out.
"The massacre took place in July," Tsunade tells him. "But this file claims his last mission before he fled Konoha was four months before that. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
Jiraiya frowns slightly, though he doesn't look convinced. "Maybe he took time off."
"He never put in a request for leave," Tsunade says. "If he had, it would be in here."
"Then maybe some reports fell out of his file and were lost. It happens sometimes. Are you sure you're not trying to see something that isn't there?"
Tsunade grits her teeth, remembering Danzo's visit to her office. Remembering her talk with Itachi. She knows she has no proof that there's something more going on here. But her instincts are telling her that she's stepped into something, and she knows better than to ignore them when they are trying to tell her something.
"I know it seems like I'm reaching," she says. "But I know I'm on the right track here. I've never trusted a word that's come out of Danzo's mouth."
"I don't trust that man, either," Jiraiya says. "You know that. But sometimes files go missing. It doesn't mean there's some kind of conspiracy."
"It doesn't mean there isn't, either."
Jiraiya looks at her for a long moment. He sighs in resignation, inclining his head. "Alright, fine. What do you need me to do?"
"Just keep an eye on him," Tsunade says. "Keep me informed on his activities. Whatever he's up to… I've got a feeling it goes far deeper than we know."
That night, after Sasuke wakes up from his coma, Kakashi dreams of red eyes. He dreams of a crimson sky and a street filled with bodies, a child curled up in the corner of a room.
He dreams of a sword repeatedly stabbing him. He dreams of a boy in an ANBU mask.
He wakes with the feeling of blood on his hands, his heart pounding against his ribs. He walks to the sink and scrubs at his hands until his skin is raw.
That morning, Naruto and Sakura ambush him on his way down the street. They demand that he let them see Sasuke, and they refuse to take no for an answer. Kakashi isn't sure it's the best idea, but in the end, he agrees just to shut them up.
He's beginning to develop a serious migraine.
They walk toward the hospital, taking the familiar path to Sasuke's room. Kakashi wonders how his student is doing—he hopes he's doing better than he was yesterday.
He hopes, but he doubts it. What Sasuke's been through isn't the type of thing someone just shakes off.
He remembers how Sasuke looked yesterday—pale and shaking, struggling to hold onto the present moment. The mix of fury and fear that Itachi's name ignited.
He thinks about the boy he saw in the genjutsu—seven years old and backed into a corner. He remembers what his student had said to him yesterday.
("I know how it works. I've been through it before.")
So he was right. Itachi had used this same genjutsu on Sasuke before, during the massacre. Thinking about it makes Kakashi's jaw clench.
Kakashi is a grown adult, and that same mental torture nearly broke his mind. Sasuke had been seven. It's a miracle he was still functional after that.
Kakashi tries to parse out Itachi's motives, and he's at a complete loss. I don't get it. He doesn't want Sasuke to die… yet he puts him under a genjutsu that had every chance of breaking his mind?
It doesn't make sense. None of it does. Itachi doesn't make sense.
They reach the correct room. Kakashi turns to his students with a firm expression.
"Remember, no yelling. And no throwing yourself at him."
The first part is aimed at Naruto. The second is for Sakura.
Naruto scowls, but Sakura nods. "We know, Sensei."
They forget his words the moment the door is opened.
"Sasuke!"
"Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura throws her arms around Sasuke's neck immediately. Sasuke grunts slightly at the impact.
"I'm so relieved you're awake!"
Sasuke doesn't hug her back. But he doesn't shove her away either, which Sakura seems to take as a win.
"How are you?" she asks, pulling back. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine," Sasuke says. "What are you doing here?"
Kakashi takes a second to look at him. There are dark circles under his eyes; he clearly didn't sleep at all last night. He's pale, too, paler than his normal pale.
"Obviously, we came to see you," Sakura says. "We heard you woke up yesterday, but we weren't allowed to see you then."
She turns around to glare at Kakashi when she says this. Kakashi holds up his hands.
"Don't glare at me. I was following orders." He looks at Sasuke. "You sure you're doing okay? Did Tsunade check you over?"
"She did."
Predictably, he ignores the first question. Kakashi refrains from sighing.
"Everyone's been so worried," Sakura says. "For a while, we weren't sure if you were going to wake up. It really scared me."
Sasuke doesn't respond.
"Even Naruto missed you," she adds.
Kakashi watches in amusement as Naruto's face flushes. "Wha—I did not!"
Sakura looks like she's resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Boys," she huffs. She looks back at Naruto. "Is it really so hard to admit that you were worried?"
"I wasn't worried about that asshole! You were the one watching him sleep like a creepy stalker!"
This time, it's Sakura's turn to flush. "Naruto!"
Kakashi shakes his head with a sigh. Clearly, they've completely disregarded his instructions not to yell. It's useless to try and quiet them. And if he's being honest, he's actually missed their childish bickering.
"Shut up," Sasuke mutters. "Both of you are so annoying."
Naruto huffs, crossing his arms across his chest. "Unbelievable. You're still such a bastard. You know, I think I liked you better when you were asleep."
Sasuke turns to Kakashi. "When can I get out of here?" he asks.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me!"
Sasuke doesn't even twitch, continuing to ignore Naruto completely. Kakashi pushes off the doorframe, finally entering the room properly.
"You didn't ask Tsunade-sama when she was here?"
Sasuke glares at him. "When can I leave?" he repeats.
Kakashi sinks into the chair by his student's bedside. He studies Sasuke with a narrowed eye. There's an intensity to his expression that Kakashi doesn't like—it's the same as yesterday, when he demanded answers about his brother.
"Why so eager? You're not seeing Itachi, I hope you know that."
Sasuke flinches, his hands shaking against the sheets. Emotion sparks in his eyes. "I need answers. You can't stop me—"
"Watch me," Kakashi tells him. "You're not allowed to see Itachi. Those are the Hokage's orders, and I agree with them. He's being interrogated as we speak."
"I have a right to know—"
"You do. But getting answers from him isn't your job."
Sasuke looks at him furiously, his hands fists against the sheets. His breathing has sped up slightly, and there's something unfocused in his eyes. They've gone slightly vacant.
Kakashi recognizes the look. He's seen it on the faces of dozens of shinobi. He's having a flashback.
Sakura frowns in concern. "Sasuke?"
Before Kakashi can warn her not to, she reaches out a hand to touch his cheek. Sasuke startles violently, and his Sharingan activates. He slaps her hand away.
The sound echoes through the room. Sakura pulls her hand to her chest, her eyes wide.
The two tomoe in Sasuke's eyes are whirling. There's a tense silence, and then Naruto yells, "Hey! Bastard, what the hell—"
'Naruto," Kakashi says, "don't."
He doesn't raise his voice, but there's enough steel in his tone that Naruto falls silent immediately. Kakashi approaches Sasuke slowly, bending down when he reaches him. He doesn't touch him.
"Sasuke," he says. "Can you hear me?"
There's a slight pause. Sasuke's eyes focus slightly, and he nods.
"Good. Try to breathe."
Sasuke does. It's a tense few moments, but the Sharingan fades from Sasuke's eyes, the red returning to its usual black. He comes back to himself, and Kakashi recognizes what looks like embarrassment on his face before his expression goes blank.
"You okay?" Kakashi asks.
(He knows the answer is no. He also knows Sasuke will never admit this.)
"Fine," Sasuke says. "Back off."
Sakura is still holding the hand Sasuke slapped away to her chest, though now she looks more concerned than she does hurt. Even Naruto looks worried, his previous irritation nowhere to be seen.
"Sasuke…" he whispers.
Sasuke prickles immediately at the soft tone. "Don't look at me like that. Why are you even here?"
Naruto draws back, clearly offended, and Sakura frowns.
"Sasuke," she says softly, "you're our friend. We just want to help you."
Something complicated flashes through Sasuke's eyes, a mixture of emotions. His jaw tightens, but he doesn't speak.
Kakashi watches him, and tries to figure out the right way to approach this. He wants to know how his student is doing. But the moment he tries to pry into his feelings, he knows Sasuke will shut down and lock them out. He needs to do this delicately, carefully—
"So, your brother," Naruto says. "What's up with him?"
And then there's Naruto, who has all the subtlety of a large, blunt hammer.
Sasuke flinches, his hands becoming fists. Sakura whips her head around to glare at him. "Naruto."
Naruto shrugs. "What? He says he's fine. He says he doesn't want us tiptoeing around him. That's what I'm doing." He turns to Sasuke, asking, "So, that genjutsu he put you under. What exactly was it?"
Sasuke is tense for a long moment. But to Kakashi's surprise, Naruto's words seem to help. There's no pity in them, no hesitance. Naruto's words are as direct as they always are, and Sasuke seems to actually respond to it.
He still looks like he'd rather they all leave, but he looks less like he'd scratch their eyes out if they refuse.
"I don't know too much about it," he admits, his lip curling in a way that shows he's displeased. "And I don't know how he managed to trap me in it for so long. But it's an extremely powerful doujutsu that's specific to only Itachi. It's called the Tsukuyomi."
A look of realization flashes across Naruto's face. "That's right! Tsukuyomi! That's what that shark guy with Itachi called it!"
Kakashi shoots Naruto a sharp glance. "And you didn't think to mention this before?"
Naruto scowls. "I forgot! He threatened to cut off my legs, you know! It was a bit distracting!"
"Oh please," Sasuke says with a scoff. "Distracting? More like you're simply incapable of remembering a word longer than three syllables."
"Hey! Are you calling me an idiot?"
"You said it, not me."
Naruto growls and makes a sudden movement to lunge. Kakashi's eye widens, and he catches the ratty fabric of Naruto's jacket just in time, holding the boy back.
"Naruto. Sasuke is still injured."
"He's pissing me off like it's his damn job!" Naruto yells. "All I've done is show concern for him, and he won't stop jabbing at me!"
"Forgive me," Sasuke says. "I wasn't aware I had to cater to your delicate feelings."
Naruto attempts to lunge at his teammate again. Caught between them, Sakura squeals, pulling into herself.
"Naruto!" she yells. "What is wrong with you?"
"Me? He's the one being a bastard!"
Kakashi sighs, realizing quickly that they aren't going to work this out themselves. And Naruto is right—Sasuke has been purposely goading him since they walked into the room. Kakashi didn't think much of it at first, because he knows Sasuke is in a bad place right now. And when he feels vulnerable, he's prone to lashing out in order to hide it.
But Kakashi realizes now that it's only Naruto it's directed at. Sakura hasn't received the same treatment. And though he's clearly annoyed at Kakashi for not letting him see Itachi, he's still not showing him the same disdain he's showing Naruto.
This isn't just Sasuke acting cold to hide that he's hurting. He's angry, and that emotion is being aimed at Naruto specifically.
"Okay," Kakashi says. "Maybe the two of you should go. Let Sasuke get some rest."
Sakura frowns. "But we just got here. And what about you?"
"I'll stay for a moment. I need to speak with Sasuke."
Naruto huffs, crossing his arms across his chest. "Fine with me!"
Kakashi waits until the two of them leave, Sakura lingering reluctantly in the doorway. He closes the door behind them, leaning against it and turning to face Sasuke.
"What was that all about?" he asks.
Sasuke's jaw tightens. "What was what about?" he snaps.
"Don't give me that. Naruto was right. I know that fighting is pretty normal for you two, but you started snapping at him from the moment he entered the room. Why?"
Sasuke is silent for a long moment. His head is bowed, his hair shadowing his face.
"Why was he after him?"
Oh, Kakashi thinks, realization immeduately hitting him with that one question. Of course.
Kakashi doesn't know much about Sasuke and Itachi's relationship from before. But he imagines that Sasuke must have adored him—a genius older brother, perfect in almost every manner. It's not too hard for Kakashi to imagine a seven-year-old Sasuke, looking up to his brother and constantly trying to prove himself to him.
And despite Sasuke's absolute hatred for the man, that part of him hasn't gone away. Sasuke wants to kill Itachi, yes. But there's still a small part of him, deep inside, that is still that same little kid. Vying for his brother's attention, desperate to get him to lookat him.
To have Itachi return after all this time, and dismiss him completely? To learn that he's there for Naruto?
Kakashi can't begin to understand how much that would hurt.
Kakashi bites the inside of his mouth. He doesn't know how to answer this question. He can't tell Sasuke the real reason the Akatsuki are after Naruto. But if he doesn't, then Sasuke is left feeling worthless.
He remembers Itachi's voice when he looked into Sasuke's head. You're not even worth killing. Sasuke is usually so confident, often bordering on arrogant. But where Itachi is concerned, he clearly has some deep-seated issues with his self-worth.
And Kakashi can't do anything to fix it. He can't tell Sasuke about the Kyuubi.
"I don't know," he tells him instead, hating himself as he says it. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I wish I did."
Sasuke bites his lip. His hands are shaking, and he fists them into his sheets. There's a darkness in his eyes, a deep hatred. It isn't the first time Kakashi has seen it, and it isn't the first time it's worried him.
"What I said on the rooftop that day," Sasuke tells him, "I meant every word. I'll do anything to make it happen."
Kakashi remembers Sasuke on that rooftop, the day they first met. He recalls the way the boy stapled his hands beneath his chin, the cold anger in his eyes. What I have is not a dream. Because I will make it a reality.
But he also recalls that seven-year-old child, curled up in a ball deep inside his own mind. He recalls the ice-cold fear that flashed through his eyes, before the rage hid it. Before he choked it down.
There's a fury and a vengeance in Sasuke Uchiha. But beneath that, there's an irrational, implacable fear—that even in the last circle of Hell, Itachi will still have him by the throat.