At least the noise distracted him from his thoughts that were inundating his mind with the strength of a tropical storm, leaving him adrift.
That wicked child, he could hear his father taunting voice in his mind, haunting him. Wasn't that how he used to call her? No, Itachi refuses to determine that Fugaku was right, in any sphere, never. He doesn't regret what he did. However, Mei was revealing herself as a sly woman, and he, Itachi, was the last one to assimilate it, how humiliating. He should have known, that woman was constantly disgracing him, and he loved her, he was undeniably in love with that fucking bitch.
It was unacceptable, degrading even. How long has she been planning this farce? He couldn't stand the possibility she has been laughing at him while he did everything in his power to have her. Doing the impossible to keep her close, keep her happy, helping her achieve her fucking dreams.
On an impulse, he clutched the cup in his hand, breaking it. Drops of blood ran down his fingers and joined the pieces of ceramic and sake spilled on the floor.
He was going crazy. He could recognize that.
The love he felt for this woman for so many years was slowly fueling the growing hate. When did he stop understanding who he was without her by his side? He couldn't remember, it's been too long. His duty to the Empire always came first, he is now the Emperor of the Four Kingdoms, and yet he devoted himself to this woman with all he could be, even shamefully using his position on her benefice. And now funnily enough, in return, she - egocentric as she was - betrayed the Empire, betrayed his brother, and betrayed him. How humiliating.
Itachi's head throbbed, his anger overwhelming him; He needed to hear the confession come from Mei's deceitful lips, to see if she would dare to keep her blatant lies, or if she will finally take off the now visible mask she uses as a face.
The noise outside finally stopped. Maybe Sasuke finally saw reason.
Itachi brought his bloodstain fingers to his lips and sucked out the blood, coldly getting up and heading to the door. When he opened it, he found Sasuke sitting with his back on the wall, his chin resting over his clenched hands and staring at nowhere.
"What are you doing, Nii-san?" Sasuke barked, not moving. He just looked up at his brother, expression sour with criticism.
"Foolish brother, you always become weak when that woman is involved. She betrayed us. Prison is the least."
Sasuke jumped to his feet; he could not recognize his brother.
The gentle, onyx eyes were cloudy, full of anger and hatred.
"Itachi, what's happening to you? You're not thinking straight. You have to liste-"
"I finally see things as they are. It was wrong of me to give her so much. In the end, she betrayed me in every possible way." Itachi interrupted Sasuke. Already half of himself was still defending Mei, he didn't want to listen to his brother trying to fool himself either.
She was his, she has always been his. How dare she betray Itachi so blatantly, reducing him to a fucking stepping stone — that despicable woman.
"You're blind Nii-san" Sasuke raised his voice "You've always said that the truth and the correct are ambiguous concepts; that we create illusions and call it a reality because it's more comfortable. Itachi, your arrogance is making you blind. You're stuck in your own illusion. "
Itachi's expression remained the same, arrogantly blank. Sasuke was wrong; it was the opposite, he was finally free from Mei's illusion. He turned his back on his brother and headed down the long corridor toward the prison cells.
"The child is mine." Sasuke stated perforating.
Itachi stopped immediately.
No.
"You must not invent lies to protect her." Itachi turned his face to Sasuke, expression still blank.
"The child is my Nii-san," Sasuke insisted, locking his determined eyes with his brother's, the thick air bringing the message that stabbed Itachi's back with unbearable strength.
No.
Itachi's head throbbed again, the phrase repeated cyclically in his head The child is mine.
No, it couldn't be.
How?
"Sasuke" Itachi growled. His intense eyes seemed to burn with crimson red. Instinctively Sasuke backed away.
Mei's betrayal was somehow expected; Itachi always suspected she would be his destruction. Now ... Sasuke?
Itachi closed his fists tightly, trying to manage the uncontrollable anger that was rising on his chest, making his body feel heavier and his mind obscure. For the first time in a while, he felt something different from emptiness.
When did they all get so cruelly away from their own wills and intentions?
"I can't deal with you right now, I need to see that woman."
Down the stone staircase in the east wing of the palace -after crossing a long, dark, unventilated corridor- is a large, cold, smelly underground courtyard. The three other walls that define this courtyard contain five wooden doors each, with a small square window at the top. Itachi approached cell number 4.
"Your Majesty" The guards responsible for the prison smashed the base of their weapons on the floor in reverence.
Itachi waved his hand to of the guards, he needed to be alone with her.
One of them remained.
"You're dismissed," Itachi said in his laconic tone.
The boy, who didn't look older than 16, didn't move. He looked confused.
"Sorry, Your Majesty, but Sor. Naruto Uzumaki has ordered me to personally take care of Lady Namikaze's safety while he is away. " He replied enthusiastically.
Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
"Konohamaru Sarutobi Majesty, Uzumaki's squire."
"Oh. If you're his squire, why aren't you with your knight? "
The boy was astonished, then red. He raised his head and narrowed his eyes. "Since Naruto-niisan is not here, it is my duty to protect Lady Namikaze. He's trusting me, "Konohamaru stated in a louder tone than necessary.
Humor gleamed in Itachi's eyes, it took a lot of courage to talk to him so honestly. Naruto's influence was visible in the boy's way. However, something was bothering Itachi. Naruto might be noisy and impulsive, but he didn't do unnecessary things. Even if he is unpredictable, the blonde has a minimum of strategic thinking. So why exactly did he leave the squire behind on such a journey?
Naruto's departure for the Kingdom of the Shadows was arranged at the last minute and with little information revealed, including to him, who is the Emperor.
One obvious - and worrying - reason is that Naruto is hiding something he doesn't want even his squire to know. The second reason would be that Naruto really believed that Mei was in danger and that she needed to be protected, but from who? From Itachi? He wrinkled his nose. Just the prospect of Naruto being involved made him nauseous.
"You are dismissed. Let Naruto know that the Emperor has released you from your services. "
The boy remained motionless, as if in doubt which order he should follow.
"Leave" Itachi's face remained steady, and his gaze fixed with an air of authority. Konohamaru sighed in defeat and retreated quickly.
After all, between him and her, just a wooden door.
The tension in his face compressed his lips, and a strange sensation of emptiness dominated his body again, he felt numb.
"But it's not just a door, behind it is the difference between what I have to be and everything I know I can be. Even though it's just wood, it's the heaviest of doors."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Itachi turned the key in the lock and, harder than necessary, pushed the wooden door open.
The cell was claustrophobic, so dirty and stuffy as the stone courtyard - maybe even more. A small round window was the only weak source of light and ventilation in the place. In the left corner of the darkroom, piercing amber eyes were aimed straight at him, magnetic and disconcerting. She had her back against the wall, her arms pressing her knees to the body, her head tilted slightly to the side. The long, wavy strands of hair were tied in a low, shaggy ponytail. She was wearing a shabby gray dress and was barefoot, her feet dirty. At some moment, they must have changed her clothes.
It was the first time he had seen Mei in this state, and it didn't surprise him that she still looked strong nonetheless. Everything in Mei's body language yelled confidence and audacity, not fear and regret. As if the situation didn't affect her in any way. He hated himself for missing that confident look he felt in love with. He was weak, laughably weak.
Mei didn't make any movement to acknowledge Itachi's presence, but her eyes remained locked on him - almost as if they doubted his courage to approach.
Itachi took four firm steps into the cell in response to the insolent look.
"Mei." His deep voice echoed in the small cell, her name vibrating in his throat. "Do you understand the reasons you are here?" Seemingly unaffected, Itachi asked.
"Hm. I wonder. Maybe you finally realized you can't manipulate me to do things your way and decided to try a more direct approach? " With her hoarse voice, Mei spoke with humor.
Itachi frowned and faced her with ominous eyes.
"In the end, I'm all yours." She tilted her head and smiled with the corner of her mouth; Growing up with them made her immune to the Uchiha stare.
"You are accused of treason and conspiracy against the Crown and the Empire."
She laughed softly through her closed lips.
"Oh? I didn't know that getting pregnant of a man who isn't you is now considered treason and conspiracy against the Crown and the Empire." She scoffed.
Itachi slammed his fist into the wall; he was losing his temper. Mei's flippant manner always had that effect on him - in fact, she was the only person who drove him to the extremes of his emotions.
"Do you deny meeting enemy Kingdom leaders without permission?"
Mei's eyes widened, her body got tense, and her posture sober.
Itachi couldn't have this information. Only three extremely trusted people knew where the girl had really go. She was discreet, took every possible precaution to cover her steps, so .. How?
A shadow of understanding crossed Mei's face. She wrinkled her nose and got up on her feet.
"You sent someone to follow me." Her voice was no longer humorous. It was dry, cold. Her face was contorted with anger. "Unbelievable," She said, walking slowly in his direction.
"You were seen crossing the border and meeting leaders of enemy kingdoms. Do you deny it? " He insisted, looking down on her.
"Where's Naruto?"
"Do you deny sharing confidential information with the enemy? Answer me! "Itachi shouted, grabbing her by the collar, in a fury impulse, bringing her angular face to his, their nose almost touching.
Mei narrowed her eyes in defiance, daring him to lay a hand on her, pursing her lips to make clear she wouldn't talk anymore. Itachi pierced her amber eyes, searching for an explanation, anything that gave sense to what was happening. But he could only find a weird and misplaced hurt.
How dare she feel hurt, as if he was the one betraying her.
Itachi knew well the expression on her face, how could he ever forget such a pained face. The exact same look she wore at all of his weddings, full of accusations. However, at those times, he savoured that expression, getting drunk on it, a declaration of her love, on display for everyone to see.
Instinctively his eyes dropped to her reddish bow-shaped lips, the ones he was deeply familiar with, making his mind wandered through now forbidden territories. Tainted memories he should forget, but knew damn well he wouldn't. How he misses biting the soft flesh of her lower lip until she moans in delight. The last time was still imprinted and hot on his skin. It's been too long, and he found himself stubbornly craving them. He clenched his hands tightly in her collar, trying to control himself, running back to her eyes, that were sharp but with an irritant smugness - She knew the effect she had on him.
The two remained silent for a while, the only sound being their sharp breathing and the unspoken ever-present longing.
"Sasuke told me," Itachi finally said, "That he is the father." His voice betrayed him, revealing more than it should, a mixture of bitter and disappointment, exhibiting the ache in his chest.
With a serious look, she raised an eyebrow. "He said that?"
"Yes," he paused, letting her go. "Is it true?"
Mei adjusted her dress. She seemed weirdly pensive, looking at his face searching for something, tanking her time to answer a yes/no question. She could only be doing it on propose.
"Yeah." She finally said in a whisper with a face that revealed nothing.
Itachi took a deep breath that burned the spongy walls of his lungs. So it was true. Sasuke. She was sly enough to go for his younger brother, the man she swore the nature of the close relationship wasn't romantic and would never be.
She could only have tricked his brother somehow; he couldn't have done it willingly. He couldn't.
Why Sasuke
Mei did that because she knew it was the most efficient way to hurt Itachi. That should be the reason. Or, or could she actually have felled in love with his brother? Since when were they sleeping together behind his back? Itachi's hands were shaking slightly with the adrenaline that was running inside his body. He needed to get a hold of himself.
"Of all people, why Sasuke? " Itachi asked in violence, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to bleed.
"He is my husband, who else could the father be?"
"Don't play me."He howled between teeth.
"Six, Itachi," she said bitterly. "Six daughters. Six times, I witnessed the pregnancy of your wives. And you brazenly come here to ask me for reasons."
Itachi's patience level was dangerously low. He clenched his hands into a fist.
"Itachi. Do you know what gave me the most pleasure in all this? After all these years, I got pregnant the day your heir was born. The humor of the gods is really nasty, isn't it? Well, you have your heir, and I will have mine. Nothing fairer"
He didn't know how he should react or feel about what he was hearing. He never had so many emotions submerging at once. Even if he was proud of his expertise in bury feelings, his abilities were failing him right now. How did he not notice? This woman blinded him.
"Your eyes shine when you inflict pain. Now I finally see the sickening human being that you are." His choked feelings were emerging as words that held him, making Itachi talk unstoppably. "How can you feel such joy in causing people pain? Like how you treated Izumi. Such a sweet girl when I first met her, she didn't deserve the things you did to her, turning her into what she became. Out of what, jealous, proud? And I foolishly defended you, like the clown you make me be. I don't understand how I fell in love with a cruel woman like you." He continued now with his usual flat voice. He wouldn't lose his composure in front of her anymore.
Itachi could see her jaw tensing and her breath getting stronger.
"I must say, I am impressed by the act you put on. Aren't you the most efficient whore, getting wherever you want by fucking all the men in the imperial fami-" Mei's hand flew out, and she backhanded Itachi across the face before he could finish his calculated words.
Mei had her eyes winded in disbelief, destroyed by what Itachi was implying. He went low, he knew that, but so did she.
Itachi closed his eyes, and with dilated nostrils, filled his lungs again, in an attempt to compose himself. He shouldn't waste more time with her. She was dead to him.
"You will stay here until your judgment day. If found guilty, the sentence will be death. " He turned his back and, without looking back, closed the wooden door. A unique and final tear was running down his face. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing it. _
"Majesty," Sarutobi repeated. Itachi blinked back from his thoughts, now in his office again.
"Yes?" He crossed his legs and leaned his back on the chair
"We have more news about Mei's case. However, that's not good news." Itachi waved a hand at him to continue. "It looks like she was seen crossing the Rain Empire border with a man. They didn't manage to see the face, but they believe him to be an Uzumaki."
"Naruto?" Itachi asked, surprised, almost desperate. He couldn't take another betrayal.
"I don't think so. The man looked older than her and had the characteristic red hair. I'm so sorry, Itachi. I'm shocked too, I never expected that from Mei. She was always such a dedicated girl. I am trying to find evidence of her innocence, but it seems that she indeed turned against the Crown."
"Sasuke already know the details?"
"Not yet. Of all of us, he will probably be the most devastated. "
"I'll talk to him"