Notes: "They say the sea is actually black and that it merely reflects the blue sky above. So it was with me. I allowed you to admire yourself in my eyes. I provided a service. I listened and listened and listened. You stored yourself in me." ― Anonymous, Diary of an Oxygen Thief
"I hear you're going to have a sibling soon," Shisui conversationally states.
"Why—" Itachi huffs, "Are you—" Huff, "Talking while we're sparring?"
Shisui dodges the katana with ease. "Because you need to get used to multitasking when fighting. Sometimes you can win battles with more than just weapons." He critically eyes the katana Itachi holds. "Especially when those weapons are as tall as you are."
Itachi's lips turn downward, shifting Shisui's gaze away from the weapon that was almost half his size. "Kaa-san is an expert in katana kenjutsu — I'll be expected to learn it anyway."
Shisui smiles. "It's still best if you wait a bit before using weapons that can take off your own legs. C'mon, let me treat you before I head off on a mission tomorrow," He says, lowering his tanto and gesturing into the distance. Itachi critically eyes him for a moment before copying him, sheathing the katana and dusting off his clothes as best he can before following Shisui's steps out of the training grounds.
"So," Shisui says as blurry scenes of a pregnant Mikoto flick through his memory, "You're going to be a big brother, huh?"
"I suppose so," Itachi answers, voice neutral.
Shisui glances down, spotting the furrowed brows on the younger's face. He brushes his shoulder against Itachi's, making him look up at Shisui's friendly expression.
"You don't need to look so morose about it. If there's something bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?" Shisui rhetorically asks. Their steps lead them to a small food cart on the side of a road, its broken wheels and fading paint suggesting years of use. All the same, the owner smiles as she spots them in the distance, Shisui answering with a similar one of his own.
"Hello, Yūjō-san! One spicy tempura and—" He looks towards Itachi, eyeing him in contemplation, "An ice cream for my friend here," Shisui confidently states, Itachi remaining silent at his questioning gaze until the owner turns her back to them, her focus solely on preparing the food.
"It's just—" Itachi starts with a small huff, "I don't know what to do now. What does being a brother even mean? Kaa-san says I have to care for them, but—" At this, his voice softens, tone turning uncertain, "I've never taken care of anything before. What if I mess up?"
"Well," Shisui says after thanking the vendor, "Despite your worries, I hope ice cream can make things feel better." He passes the strawberry treat to his side, Itachi's body language suddenly turning attentive, eyes fixed upon the dessert.
"Thank you," Itachi says, voice quiet. Shisui smiles and nudges his head towards the horizon.
"Let's walk over to the Naka for a bit," He says, holding his spicy tempura in hand. They spend a few minutes like that, worn sandals treading the soft ground as the birds sing around them. It isn't too long before their legs bring them over to the familiar bank and Shisui wastes no time kicking off his shoes and plunging them into the river, tempura safely tucked into his arm.
Itachi carefully sits down next to him, taking off the velcro of his shoes with ice cream gently elevated in the other hand. They spent a few minutes like that, watching the ripples of water Shisui's legs create as the sun settles into a muted orange and pink sky.
"Shisui, why are you so nice to me?"
Shisui pauses from digging into his spicy tempura. Itachi's eyes dart between his melting ice cream and his right, attention split between the treat and Shisui.
"You're stronger than me, stronger than a lot of people, but you're still kind. You gave me food and training even though you didn't have to. Why?" Itachi asks, eyes big and unblinking.
Shisui manages to swallow the remaining food in his mouth before answering. His eyes pass over the small, white spots of healed scars on Itachi's hand.
"I dunno, why is anyone nice to anyone?" Shisui asks, curious about Itachi's response.
"You said you wanted the clan heir's favour, didn't you?" Itachi asks rhetorically. "People are nice because they want something, but I don't know what you want. You haven't asked," He states, petulant tone as clear as day.
Shisui hums. "But that favor isn't guaranteed, nor do I expect you to always grant me favors. It's not a contract, after all. Maybe one day you'll even be stronger than me, and then you don't need to let me do anything." Shisui's eyes travel to Itachi's pondering face, wondering what was tinkering in that brain of his.
"But…" Itachi begins, voice hesitant, "The Hokage is supposed to be the most powerful of them all, and he listens to people who are weaker than him all the time."
Shisui sits in silence, letting Itachi work through the question on his own.
"If being strong isn't everything, then what is?" Itachi genuinely asks himself, frown focused on the innocent cone in front of him.
Shisui can't help but smile at the sight, giving into the urge to ruffle his hands through Itachi's sweaty hair as the younger balks in surprise, not unlike his crows.
"That's a question you'll have to answer yourself," Shisui says, winking at the pouting face across from him.
Shisui spots a glint in the water under their feet and gasps in astonished glee. He shoves the remaining tempura to Itachi and dives in, taking silent delight in the other's sputtering surprise before plunging into the water for his prize.
"I've got it!" Shisui proudly announces a few seconds later, holding up his claim in victory.
Itachi looks at him, water droplets dripping down his surprised face. "You dove in for a bracelet?"
Shisui squints at it. "It's a nice bracelet. My Kaa-san says the Naka river gives things to us, so we should take what we see. It's rude to refuse a gift."
"Really?" Itachi asks, voice perplexed but intrigued.
"Nope. I think she just said that because she didn't want me asking questions when we found 300 ryo in it one day," Shisui says, breezily waddling back to the bank in his wet clothes.
"Ah," Itachi neutrally comments.
Shisui grins and shakes his head, letting the water spray out around him. "Speaking of, let's fulfill my end of our bargain. Crow—" He starts up, dramatically flipping through jutsu handsigns, "Summoning Jutsu!" He slams his hand down into the ground, intricate sealing pulsing out of his hand like a macabre spiderweb.
Tomodachi and Ahō poof out, one of Ahō's downing feathers fluttering to the ground as she flaps her wings, still not used to being summoned.
Tomodachi looks at Shisui, eyes blinking and head tilted, before flapping over to Shisui's shoulder, making him grin. Shisui extends a hand, softly rubbing it over Tomo's feathers as he subtly hides the bracelet in one hand.
"Crows are an intelligent species," Shisui starts to lecture to Itachi. "They're not hard hitters, but they're perfect for infiltration, diversion, and genjutsu."
Itachi tilts his head, staring at Ahō as she looks back with unnerving similarity in their eyes. "Why are there two?" He asks.
"Crows are social creatures, like us. They need to be around other crows or their health starts to fail," He answers, continuing to indulge in Tomodachi's rare cuddly mood. The black eyes of the crow become lidded with affection, making Shisui smile.
Itachi crouches down to Ahō, who shuffles back, clearly uneasy with Itachi's presence. Itachi offers up a piece of his ice cream cone, but Ahō just looks at it, eyes still wary.
"You can't expect them to be so trustful after only one session, Itachi-chan," Shisui says, amused at Itachi's efforts.
Tomodachi lets out a throaty caw, hopping off Shisui's shoulder to land on top of Itachi's head.
Itachi blinks. Shisui awkwardly laughs, hands brushing the back of his hair in embarrassment. "Well, there are exceptions, I guess!"
Tomo starts preening Itachi's hair, digging out a spare leaf stuck in it. Shisui smiles, even as the faint disbelief and bitterness threaten the edges of his thoughts at his bonded bird's easy trust of a stranger.
"Well, you already have Tomo-kun, but Ahō-chan will be harder. Here," He says, holding out his hand. Itachi cautiously stares at the closed fist before reaching out his own open one.
Shisui's smile turns mischievous as he deposits the fished bracelet into his hand, making sure it's quick enough for Tomodachi to not catch a glimpse.
"Go on," he says, gesturing to Ahō, who shuffles nervously on the rocky beach.
Itachi gets the hint, softly nudging Tomodachi to the side, where he puffs up in indignation, but soon occupies himself with a few shiny pebbles on the bank of the river.
Itachi, cautious, a focused stare in his eyes, slowly opens his hand, letting the bracelet shine in the glow of the setting sun.
Shisui watches with a soft smile as Ahō cocks her head in interest. She gives a little hop forward as Itachi remains still, his hand still outstretched and the object alluringly open for her beak. She snaps it once, as if considering, and then grabs it in one smooth motion before snapping the bracelet and swallowing.
Itachi gasps, mouth open in shock. "She swallowed it!" He accuses, pointing at Ahō as he stands up.
Shisui chuckles. "My crows have throat pouches. She'll keep it in there until she's back at my family aviary in her nest, where Tomodachi is less likely to steal it," He brings his gaze back to Ahō, who looks at him as if understanding that she was the subject matter. "But well done. That's a big step for her," Shisui congratulates, pulling his eyes back to Itachi's contemplative figure.
"You need to build trust, huh?" Itachi mumbles, looking at Ahō with something akin to awe and trepidation. He looks back at Shisui, determination coating his expression into something more serious and mature. "I want her," He says, blunt.
Shisui lifts an eyebrow. "What, you think I'd give you our family scroll that easily? My mom owns it, not me." He grins, face turning wild and excited as he dismisses Ahō and Tomo with a flare of his chakra. Itachi takes a small step back, concern showing on his face.
"You're gonna have to fight her for it," Shisui finishes.
Itachi swallows.
Homare looks at the both of them, eyebrow quirking upwards as her gaze flutters between Itachi's stone-cold expression and Shisui's expectant grin.
"I'm not fighting you, Itachi-chan."
Shisui visibly deflates as Itachi's shoulders relax.
"But Kaa-san," He almost can't help how his words form a whine, "You said that anyone who tried to get the scroll from you would 'get their ass beat up.'"
"Yeah, for enemy-nin, Shi-chan," She answers, amused. Shisui colors pink at the babyish nickname, trying to stealthily sneak a glare at Itachi whose lips are suspiciously tight.
"Do you have your parent's approval?" Shisui's mom asks, voice much more serious. Itachi straightens, nodding.
Homare grunts. "Stay here," She says, turning to head inside.
Shisui jabs his fingers into Itachi's ribs as soon as her back turns, causing Itachi to hiss as he glares back at Shisui's face, the older's eyes looking forward innocently. Itachi makes an obvious move to shove him as Shisui holds up his hand for a block—
"No fighting in the house! That includes the porch!" Homare yells from down the hall. Shisui and Itachi immediately stop, guilt freezing their muscles and forcing them back into a rigid posture.
"How did she know what we were doing?" Itachi asks him in a hushed whisper.
Shisui cranes his head backwards, eyes searching for the culprit.
"There," He whispers, nudging his body's position to the direction of the crow he can see hiding in trees. It blinks, then gives a mirthful caw. Shisui scowls. "I found out that Umi-chan guards the perimeter and sends signals to my parents about me. Snitch!" He yells the last word loudly, Umi giving out another quick caw in mirth as Itachi mortifyingly looks around for any witnesses.
"Stop yelling at the air like a weirdo. We already get enough rumours," Homare amusingly says as she emerges onto the porch. She's carrying a large scroll with her, the edges singed and yellow where the white peaks out. It's almost half as big as her body. "This," she begins, triumphantly holding it up, "Is the summoning scroll for the crow summons, passed down from my lineage."
The atmosphere turns serious as Itachi and Shisui pick up on the gravity of the situation, both silent and focused on the words she says even as Shisui self-consciously remembers his damp clothes and dirty sandals.
Homare kneels down, letting her gaze become eye-level with Itachi. "We were gifted two nin-crow from Yatagarasu-sama long before we became part of the Uchiha, in defiance of the warnings of Amaterasu-sama in meddling in our affairs. But Yatagarasu-sama, the Crow Ruler of their Realm, was moved by our small clan's struggles, and sought to help us with this gift. Eventually, those two crows grew into hundreds, and as Amaterasu warned we attracted the attention of her patrons. The Uchiha, wanting protection against the threats of the world, sought us out and took us from our land to their own, displacing us from our crow's nests," Shisui stays silent as the story is told. He had never heard this part before. "But a passing Uzushio fell in love with one of our people, and in hearing the grief in their voice over their bonded crow who could not make the journey, brought back a summoning scroll that could bring any crow we knew back to us in the blink of an eye, from anywhere in the world."
Homare gently smiles and holds out the scroll nestled in her arms. "And now we give it to you."
Itachi looks shaken, his teeth digging into his lower lip. "My parents worship Amaterasu," He quietly confesses.
"I know," Homare simply answers. She gives a quick glance towards Shisui, who blinks at the uncharacteristic fondness in her eyes. "But Shisui-kun brought you in. You're family now," She determinedly states, "And not just as an Uchiha."
Homare takes a moment to unfurl the scroll, showing rows upon rows of dried blood in the shape of handprints and a crow's feather pressed upon each column.
Itachi seems to come to a decision as he pulls out a kunai, biting his skin with it as Shisui looks at him in silent contemplation. He didn't mean for his fickle words to become so serious a year ago, but as Itachi presses his hand into the paper with finality, a sense of rightness courses through Shisui's body.
"Welcome home," Homare says, giving Itachi a warm, crooked smile as her eyes twinkle with genuine joy. Itachi shyly copies it, his smile smaller, but no less affectionate.
"Thank you for welcoming me," He quietly says. The moment is ruined once Shisui gives his hair a quick ruffle and Itachi squawks with indignation that could rival Tomodachi.
"Shisui-kun! What a pleasant surprise," Mikoto says, "Are you here for Itachi's training?"
Shisui gives a charming grin. "Sort of, Mikoto-obasama. My team's mission got canceled today, so I'd thought I'd head over and see if Itachi-chan would be up for experimenting on a new jutsu I've been modifying," Shisui expertly answered, the half-truth coating his tongue with a familiar taste.
Shisui didn't want to label it hope, but the new interactions with Itachi gave him something resembling it as he broke into the records storage room and burned his team's future mission to Kirigakure. Time would only tell if death would come for them anyway.
The Kyuubi's release would certainly be a grand test for that.
"A new jutsu?" Mikoto rhetorically asks. A kernel of disbelief flavors her tone, but patronization never reaches it. She smiles. "Well, that's wonderful. Unfortunately, Fugaku and I have to head out tonight while Itachi-chan watches Sasuke-tan, but you are more than welcome to join them as long as no jutsus are performed within the building and gardens." Mikoto levels him with a stare. "And I do mean all."
Shisui does not show weakness and gulp. He forgot that Mikoto and his mother were friends until his mind flickers back to his house's broken shoji and plates from playing with his modified version of shinshuin.
"Of course, Mikoto-obasama," He says, bowing low. If Mikoto had been a different kind of person, she probably would have snorted at the quick change of tone like his mom, Shisui muses.
Mikoto only develops a twinkle in her eye and walks past him to the opening. "Itachi-chan!" She calls out, voice raised, "I'm going out with your father now. Please welcome Shisui-kun while he's here," She orders to the dark hallway.
"Yes, Kaa-san," A soft voice behind Shisui says. Shisui jumps, hand quickly going to his tanto before falling just as fast. Itachi blinks at him, doe eyes flickering to his blade with curiosity as his hands grip a small bundle attached to his chest with cloth. Shisui resists the urge to grimace at the unspoken question. Purposefully bringing weapons into the main branch's house was downright rude, even for Shisui.
It wasn't only him who was surprised at Itachi's sudden appearance, but Mikoto quickly smoothes out her startled expression with practiced ease. "Stay safe," She says as her feet pad along the floor, her skirt moving as she puts on her shoes by the porch. "It's going to rain in a few hours, so don't spend too much time outside," She advises, giving Itachi a soft look as she passes and a pointed look towards Shisui.
"We will, Obasama. Have a nice night!" Shisui waves from the doorway as Itachi's eyes follow his mother's distant figure, his small hands clutching the sleeping baby in a grip normally reserved for important mission scrolls.
Shisui winces at his poor choice of words, reminding himself of the events of tonight with a mental slap. He doesn't even fucking know if Mikoto will survive tonight. The thought sits with him grimly as he looks back at his clan heir's morose expression; although, that could just be Itachi's default.
"C'mon," Shisui says, pushing levity into his voice, "Let's go use your dad's shogi set. I bet I could beat you in under ten minutes." Itachi turns away without a word, letting Shisui follow him to the master bedroom on soft steps as Sasuke lets out quiet, sleepy breaths that Itachi lets Shisui coo over for a few minutes, his lips twitching with quiet pride over Shisui's compliments.
Shisui does not, in fact, beat Itachi in under ten minutes, due to the fact that the house shakes and splits over their heads right as they set the board.
"Fuck!" Shisui exclaims just as a dark, thick chakra crawls down his throat and into his eyes. He whimpers, his throat sealing with fear as his eyes dart towards Itachi, who has nimbly dodged a stray plank of fallen wood, his body shielded over Sasuke's as wooden splinters rain from above the cracked roof.
The baby is wailing now, his loud screams not deafening enough to drown out the overwhelming rush of blood running past Shisui's ears. Itachi's shocked eyes quickly slide into mission mode as he grabs Shisui's hand and makes a run for it, bare feet weaving past fallen rubble to the Konoha shelters on the outskirts of the village. Shisui can't even feel embarrassment over a boy three years younger than him guiding him past a disaster as Shisui feels the phantom pain of boiling eyes and the sensation of bones ripping out of his skin as Toshiro holds him with a wail that bleeds into Sasuke's screams.
He's breathing heavily, far too heavily for the pace that Itachi has set, but it isn't long before they reach their destination.
Fugaku looks at them in shock, but quickly schools his expression as he barks out an order to an idle policewoman. He turns to them and nods, as if expecting their company.
"Go past the corridor entrance and into aisle seven. Stay there until the alarms are quiet," He commands. Shisui's flashbacks break as he shivers at the grim, intimidating voice of his clan head. It was a tone he hadn't heard before.
Itachi nods and lets go of Shisui's hand, sparing him a concerned look as he grips Sasuke tighter and walks into the cave with confident steps.
Shisui follows much less confidently, his eyes looking at everything in a panicked daze, not really comprehending what he sees as he pushes himself to at least follow the Uchiwa emblem in front of him. The suffocating chakra does not let up, but there is a weird comfort slithering through him as he gazes at the dim, confining walls of the cave's shelter.
A haggard chunin redirects them to their places, a large group of stressed civilians and children looking at them with either tears or fear in their eyes. Most expressions settle into curiosity and exasperation as Sasuke continues to yell his lungs out in front of Itachi.
"Shisui-kun! Itachi-chan!" Someone yells from the back. Some disgruntled people move out of the way as Mikoto pushes forward, black hair framing her face like a veil. She kneels down in front of Itachi and Sasuke, frantically roving her eyes over them and gripping Itachi's arm. Deeming the results satisfactory, she looks over at Shisui and gives a small nod.
"I'm glad you three are safe," she says, giving Itachi's arm another small squeeze. "Once I realized you weren't here already I was worried sick. Fugaku was just about to send a search party for you all," She confesses. A few people close to them shift their feet. Mikoto tightens her grip, but quickly lets go and stands up, her face turning into a strained smile. "Come on, let's get away from the entrance and wait it out. It will all be fine," She lies, guiding them to a spot along the wall. Itachi and Shisui say nothing as Sasuke's whimpers settle down into nothing and the rumbling of the walls petter out into a terrifying stillness.
And then, after what feels like hours, a chunin barks out that they can all leave, and they step out into a new, fundamentally changed world.
Notes:
See you on the 23rd!
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