Kabuto tightened the straps on Itachi's wrists. As uncomfortable as it was, he was truthfully relieved to have time off from spying on his clan. Torn between acting in the best interest of his family, his clan and the village… this research study might be a nice reprieve.
"Comfortable?" Kabuto asked. Itachi nodded. He never knew how to handle interactions with the other shinobi. Kabuto could be difficult to read. While he came across as genuine, Itachi knew he wasn't to be trusted.
"We'll start by watching some videos of things you know. Then we'll switch to things you're unfamiliar with. The goal is to eventually plant a false memory in your mind."
"How will we reverse it later?"
"If," Kabuto stressed the word, "we manage to plant a false memory, I'll explain to you later that it didn't exist. You'll remember these conversations, so that will help solidify the explanation."
Itachi nodded. Another thought occurred, "why not attempt this in prisoners first?"
Kabuto chuckled. "Well they wouldn't be as willing to confirm familiar and unfamiliar scenes or events. We can't guarantee the result wouldn't be tainted. You, on the other hand, have the potential to be quite powerful with your genjutsu. You'll report dutifully as an ANBU operative and, if this works, we'll know that the barrier to the mind through even the strongest shinobi can be penetrated."
Itachi nodded again.
"Ready?"
"Yes," Itachi answered honestly. He would take this over murder, violence and espionage any day. The less people who suffered at his hands, the better.
"With all due respect," Kakashi's friendly tone was quickly shifting, reflecting his concern, "I'd like to know why I, as his squad leader, can't know anything about where he is. Nobody has to tell me what he's doing."
"You're correct," Danzo replied. "Nobody does owe you that information. Consider Itachi permanently removed from your team. His current objective gives him no need for a team."
Kakashi was stunned, but attempted to not show it. "But surely he'll need a team when this mission is over. Will he be reassigned to my squad then?"
He didn't miss the way Danzo smirked and he felt ill. Some crucial detail had slipped past him, an unknown moment between Itachi and Danzo that left Kakashi feeling concerned. What was Danzo planning for the Uchiha?
"Yes, of course. We'll reassign him later. Now," his face went back to its general apathetic look, "if that's all you came here for, you may leave now."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
Itachi sprinted alongside Kisame, retreating from Konoha. The mission had failed, but they would regroup and try again. The failure wasn't what bothered him. The man that had suffered at the hands of his tsukuyomi, that was the problem.
Kisame kept quiet, allowing Itachi's mind to wander. He appreciated how well his partner could read him at times. He also appreciated that Kisame hadn't pushed back when he stopped him from killing the white haired shinobi. It may have looked suspicious, or not. His only hope was that Kakashi would see his warning for what it was. Itachi couldn't guarantee he'd be able to persuade a murderous Akatsuki member if the opportunity came up again.
His thoughts drifted back to his old friend… or acquaintance. At a time, what seemed like ages ago, he had felt only admiration for his fellow ANBU operative. Now, he wasn't sure his old squad leader thought Itachi even had a heart. He certainly deserved that assumption. His actions had been deemed unforgivable and he was well aware of the story that spread after. Still, thinking back on a time before was relaxing. He needed the distraction anyway, needed to forget what he'd just done to one of the few men he'd ever truly trusted.
"Why me?" A fourteen year old Itachi questioned his eighteen year old friend.
"Not many other sharingan users around here that don't despise me for having it…" Kakashi grinned, indicated only by his visible eye creasing shut. "But you do realize you don't have to agree, right?"
Itachi took his place across from Kakashi. "Of course."
"So," Kakashi removed his hitai-ate and let it fall the ground beside him, revealing the sharingan, "why'd you agree?"
Itachi smirked, "maybe I feel sorry for you?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "me? I'll master the sharingan with or without your help. I'm a prodigy, remember?" The tone was light and teasing and Itachi knew that this was one of the reasons he agreed. Sparring with his old mentor? This was one of the few moments he felt as though he had a life again. He could just be. No moral challenges awaited him. No cutthroat decisions. No senseless murder. Nothing was expected of him. Except maybe some light banter, of course.
"Is that so? Well," Itachi activated his sharingan, both eyes as opposed to his trainees one, "unfortunately for you, I've earned the same reputation myself. I guess the real question is, which prodigy is better?"
"Did I mention I'm also a genius?" Kakashi whispered from behind his opponent, but Itachi had seen him leave his earlier position. He turned, kunai raised to strike. Too late, he saw then, a substitution jutsu, only visible when he laid his sharingan eyes upon it.
Kakashi was in front of him now, but still too slow. Itachi brought his arm back to attack the real form, but was met with a clashing of metal as his own kunai was blocked by another.
"You're also cocky, arrogant, self-assured and avoidant," Itachi spoke calmly.
"Oh no," Kakashi whispered before he jumped back. He tsk'd and shook his head, "avoidant? Are we really ready to start delving into our childhood traumas? And here I thought we had a silent understanding."
"And what would that be?" Itachi
eyed him carefully, anticipating his next move.
Kakashi shrugged, "we both got screwed out of a happy childhood. So instead of healing the old wounds of our hearts," he ran at Itachi again, nearly catching him off guard with a direct attack, "we create new wounds of the flesh." Itachi braced for the frontal attack just before Kakashi crashed into him again. "Ya know, something to distract from the pain."
Kakashi was close now, as they had clashed again. Itachi effectively blocking Kakashi, but his old mentor didn't seem interested in retreating. He only leaned in closer, their forearms pressed together painfully hard. "We're kindred spirits, Itachi. You really don't see it…?" With a twist of his arm, gentle fingers were suddenly stroking pale skin, tucking raven black hair gently behind an ear.
It was Itachi's turn to jump back, his face flushed. "That isn't fair!"
His anger was rewarded with a chuckle.
"You can't just," he was too flustered to string together a coherent sentence. "It's psychological warfare."
"Oh and the genjutsu you practice isn't?" Another smirk. He wanted to see it without the mask, wanted Kakashi to open up to him the way he only ever teased about.
"I'm only saying you can't do that in a real fight."
"Well maybe I don't want to fight you," a quick wink and then Kakashi was gone again. Itachi wasn't used to him being so quick, but with his eyes, Kakashi's only real hope at a decent attack was to stay out of direct eyesight and move quickly.
"Then what do you want, little wolf?" He knew Kakashi hated when he called him that. If nothing else, maybe that would get him to surface.
Arms wrapping around his waist, pinning his arms at his side, proved him right and his brain was misfiring so badly he couldn't register a defense. He was definitely not in an active fighting mode or Kakashi would've been dead already.
Pale, finely toned arms squeezed gently, "maybe this lonely, avoidant, little wolf just needs a hug?"
"I don't think I'm the person for that job…"
"I beg to differ," Itachi could feel warm breath against his neck through the mask. "You see, I can't help but notice… this stoic, quiet little Uchiha. The one everyone thinks is serious and dramatic all the time? When he's around me, he never seems to shut up. I think he's starving for attention. And I'd be more than happy to oblige." He was gone by the time Itachi turned around. The only reason he was "winning" was because he was a pervert, a distracting pervert. At least that was the Uchiha's reasoning.
"Stay still and stop touching me," he said, wishing the words had more strength behind them.
"Fine," the white haired shinobi stood several feet from his sparring partner now. "Train me."
"I will, you pain in the ass. If you'd stop running in circles like one of your dogs about to get a treat-"
"Are you my treat?" A raised eyebrow and no hint of a smile.
"No, I-I… You're exhausting. Stand still and let me help you."
"No fun…," Kakashi sighed, "but I guess mastering the sharingan so I don't die in battle is just as important."
Itachi breathed a sigh of relief. While Kakashi may have pointed out the difference in Itachi around him, he failed to notice how playful he became in the young Uchiha's presence in return. Unlike his mentor, Itachi wouldn't point it out. If Kakashi felt like he was weak or somehow visible, even for a moment, he would retreat back in on himself. Itachi only ever wanted to feel normal, and he could only wonder if Kakashi yearned for the same.
