"I can still finish my mission." the dark-haired boy shook his head, calm despite the uncertainty that swelled in his stomach. Eyes drifting between the two senior shinobi, he pressed, "I'm not technically a part of this village anymore. No one will expect me to return, so it won't reflect poorly on the village if I proceed."

Tobirama quirked a brow, crossing his legs and leaning forward as he spoke in a steady tone. "I am well aware that you could, in theory, continue on with your mission. That is not the point. The point is that these changes are being made for a reason."

It felt as if there was a fire kindling in his chest as he objected, one that should have theoretically been stomped out by the clan and Danzo long ago. "To help the current and future villagers and make sure they are ready in both times of war and peace." he nodded, "But there's no way to do that without someone to do the dirty work."

"It's true that the life of a shinobi is gruesome," Tobirama spoke steadily, watching Itachi with careful eyes without a waver to his voice. "However, it is unrealistic to place all of this darkness on one person. The more a person holds, the easier it is for them to crack. That was the point of the ANBU - to spread the suffering that was inevitable with this lifestyle across the many. Not to pile as much of it as possible on each person until they're unable to operate. You have had more than your fair share of darkness."

His words made sense, and yet, Itachi found the thoughts uneasing. "The possibility of leaving the darkness was destroyed the moment I decided to kill my clansmen." he shot back. That dreadful night had killed every Uchiha in one way or another. His clansmen were dead, right alongside Sasuke's innocence and his own light. "The only light that remains in my is that of my mangekyou, and even that will someday fade. The only thing I want from this life is to be used to my fullest capabilities by the village and Sasuke. That is the only light I will ever be able to enjoy."

"Does it really bring you joy? Or have you convinced yourself that this is the best you'll ever have?" the silver-haired shinobi prompted, red eyes focused intently on Itachi's darker ones. "It brings you joy to know Sasuke cries at the thought of his lost family? To know he cries in his sleep each night, whether he realizes it or not? Or that he can't manage to meditate for longer than ten minutes without fleeing the room? The way he can barely look me in the eye due to its hue?" he mused, "Or perhaps it's the cold ground you find yourself laying on each night, hidden behind an abundance of traps and waking at the smallest shift? The way you keep your sharingan active almost all the time, adding to your already damaged body."

"No." Itachi's tone sharpened despite his passive posture, strained as he kept the bark from his voice. "I enjoy the thought of Sasuke growing old and being able to fulfil himself. Of a future for our clan, if Sasuke so chooses, where the young can grow to be a part of the village without having to be shrouded in the darkness of old grudges. It brings me peace to be able to act as a stepping stone for my future nieces and nephews; for my village to be safe from war, even if only for a little while longer."

Tobirama pressed his lips together, not commenting on the young Uchiha's defensive tone. "You want Sasuke to live a long and fulfilled life at the expense of your own. To die as the last Uchiha to know of your clan's darkness?" he shook his head, "Sasuke is no more deserving of those things than you are. You both deserve to see your clan become one with the village, to have a safe place for any heirs you may produce. Neither of you should be drowning in darkness; it's the village's fault that you are, so it's up to the village to bring you up for air."

"I'm his big brother and a shinobi of Konoha." Itachi tried to put things into perspective, though even in his objections he didn't dare to bring up the founder's lost siblings that so many scholars had brought up over the years. "It's my duty to make sure they both prosper."

Without his brother or village, there was no point in living.

"I'm your senior shinobi and a former Hokage." Tobirama frowned, unrelenting as he seemed to drill holes through the boy with his eyes. "In the same way you have a duty towards Sasuke, I have a duty towards you as a child of the village."

Hand reaching up to lightly press against the spot between his sore temples, Itachi frowned, "I'm not a child. I'm a shinobi." he argued, hand lowering as he saw the way Tobirama stilled with his words. A heavy silence filled the air, Hiruzen glancing between the two as the silver-haired man exhaled deeply.

"Itachi. Hiruzen tells me you've shown a deep interest in the past." he finally spoke, resting his arm on the chair and curling his fingers into a stiff fist. Itachi's brows rose at the change of subject, nodding hesitantly. "Allow me to tell you an account, then. Are you familiar with the shinobi Kawarama Senju?"

The name did seem familiar, and after a moment of searching Itachi's memories that could be related to Tobirama, he found it. His voice lost the slight sharpness as he gave his quiet reply, fingers rubbing against each other as he sat them in his lap. "Your brother, a casualty in the warring states period."

"Correct. A very talented young shinobi, one far above average for his age. He spent years training alongside our other brothers, working hard to protect our clan. He swore that he would do anything to protect us, just as we would do anything to protect him." Tobirama mused, words calm and restrained.

"He was sent out and into battle at age six, dying by seven. He proclaimed many times that he would give his life for the clan, lined up right along with the elder shinobi as we went into battle. Carrying the weight of the clan's old burdens, he died exactly as he wished to; right alongside many others twice his age. Do you think he deserved this fate?"

While the automated response of, 'no', rested on Itachi's tongue, he did not voice it. He was well aware of what the man meant to say, the story filtering through his mind on a loop. There was no world in which a seven-year-old deserved to die, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. There was so much he was sure Kawarama missed out on - times of peace he probably couldn't have imagined. Instead, he died unbearably young, acting as one of the bases of Konoha's inspiration. Even so... "Of course not. He had a future; I'm sure there were many things he could have accomplished if he had lived longer."

"So do you." Tobirama sighed, "You don't need to bury yourself for this village or Sasuke. You're only twelve; in this day and age, shinobi can live beyond what was imaginable back then. Turning thirty is no longer an exceptional feat. There are many who make it to fifty or even sixty these days. You've barely reached half of twenty-five, let alone any real milestones. You still have much time left."

"To do what, exactly?" Itachi finally let out, eyes drifting to his fingers. "Sasuke wants me dead. My clan is gone by my hand. My former friends will only ever greet me with a kunai from here on out. Strangers fear me and want me eliminated. Even if I did leave the Akatsuki, there is nowhere for me to go. The organization could target the village if I stay here, but there would truly be no point in existing if I went into hiding. If I'm with the Akatsuki, at least there will be some significance to what I'm doing."

"You can have significance outside of the village." Tobirama's tone seemed to soften ever so slightly, the seriousness of it smoothing over just a bit. "There is significance in giving Sasuke the joy of an elder brother and your friends the happiness of being with you. Existing is significant on its own. It may not be easy, but we will find a way to make it possible for you to leave and start a new chapter. We aren't saying you need to quit your life as a shinobi- we only want you to take a step back and rest, if not for your sake then for the sake of others around you. You can't help anyone if you're dead."

Lips pressing together, Itachi eyes the man, uncertainty swelling despite his straightened back. Worth outside of the village. Outside of his clan. Itachi knew it was possible on some level, and yet it conflicted with the flashes of his own blood-covered body he saw in each of his dreams. With how far he'd gone, was it really possible to return to the light? Did he even deserve to at this point?

He wasn't sure, though he did know one thing was for certain.

If this man was telling the truth and he truly did plan on doing everything in his power to prevent more suffering for the villagers, Itachi should help in any way he could. Even if he wasn't quite sure his contributions would be nearly as large under the shelter and restrictions of the village.

He would also be lying if he refused to acknowledge the yearning that came at the mention of being able to hold his little brother once more. To be able to apologize for all he'd done and pull Sasuke close would be unreal, to say he was sorry to Kakashi and Tenzo for not saying goodbye. To visit Shinko at her teashop or chat with Himuka at the fruit stands once more.

"The Akatsuki's intel gatherers are quite skilled. It would be difficult to stay hidden here for long. Staying would paint a target on Konoha. The Akatsuki knows I've gathered at least a bit of intel on them. They'll send someone after me, whether it be to silence me or as retribution." the weary words left his mouth, throat unbearably dry.

Tobirama pressed his fingers together against his striped chin, quiet for a moment before musing, "Not necessarily. Depending on how we do this, we may find a way to end this without excessive bloodshed. After all, beyond needing to remove you, the group is an issue that will need to be dealt with eventually."

Fingers drumming against his pale skin, the man glanced towards Hiruzen. "Sending a spy out to scope the organization has given us some very important intel: That their goal is supposedly world peace. Since they've been marked as a suspicious group, I can only presume their methods are questionable. Perhaps there is a middle ground we can find. One that will help both of us reach our goals. I'd say it's safe to say peace talks have not been offered nor made yet?"

"No, they have not to the best of my knowledge." Hiruzen shook his head, "Though I can look through Danzo's office to see if he has anything in his documents. He was the one to bring this group to our attention, after all, so it's possible he will have something that could help." turning towards Itachi. "From what you've seen thus far, do you believe these talks are worth the risk of alerting them of our knowledge?"

Itachi thought back to Pain and Konan, a small frown lining his lips. "From what little I've seen, I believe there is a possibility that they could go well. Though, as I said, my knowledge surrounding the organization's leaders is not very far-reaching. I can't claim to know what is motivating them nor how they'll react to such an offer."