Chapter 7: The Drug in me is You

The disappointment in his chest was strong at the realization that he was awakening to life. Strapped down to the bed with metal cuffs across his wrists and multiple leather belts across his body including his head, the discussion going on out of his view made his heart heavy with defeat and a fear of the incoming unknown.

He had failed at dying by Sasuke's hand and was at the mercy of a harsher Kage.

Though he didn't recognize the voices, he did recognize the names. Sakura and Tsunade Senju were reading off a report they must've put together of his health as a whole.

"Sakura, leave us." Only hearing Naruto's teammate leave the room, the report that had been tucked under the busty woman's arm was practically dropped on his chest. The unimpressed and demanding look left him unsettled. "Do you know what that is?"

Staring at her blankly, she didn't care that he didn't respond.

"That is your ANBU file. Do you remember what happens when you become an ANBU?"

Still uncaring as she flipped it open, papers that obviously didn't belong there were set further down on his body. Instead she flipped through the medical reports taken during his time as a member of Konoha's elite shinobi. "After passing the test, when one becomes an ANBU, you of course receive the tattoo. Connected to my personal seal as the leader and ANBU headquarters, it acts as communication and identification amongst them. Then you endure medical checks to ensure you won't self destruct or collapse, and to further identify you."

Unsure of where this was going, her honey eyes only turned into daggers at him. "I may not have been there when your mother gave birth to you boy, but I still have your chakra signature on file." Flashing him the sheet, he could barely understand the lines that made up the large box at the bottom. The seal beside it was emitting and pulsing in the familiar sensation he felt when he focused on his own however. Barely able to recall his first exam, his elemental affinities were listed underneath.

"So imagine my surprise when one day, I overhear my pupil and Naruto talking about guys. Bunch of details I didn't want to know, but it made me curious. I had to ask Jiraiya of course on who it is she met, is he apart of his spy network, or if the little gaki was creating her own. He had no clue what I was talking about, other than the guy who helped her find her affinity and was apparently talking dirty to through letters." Feeling the Hokage unlatch the belt that strapped his head firmly against the mattress, she sat down in the metal chair beside his bed.

"I sent Kakashi to figure out what was going on," grabbing the papers she threw on his legs earlier, he resisted the heavy sigh, finally knowing what was going on. "I made copies and had him return the originals. Your chakra signature was all over the originals. One of his summons even observed a crow picking up her letters when she wasn't around. Why is the mass murderer of his family, part of the fucking organization hunting my gaki down, helping her train?"

Turning to stare at the ceiling above him and ignore her as he processed his own feelings, the exact situation he feared was coming true. Instead of letting the past die, he was being forced to either spill the details of corruption that he was sure would die from its own self-destructive methods or to endure any experimentation and torture that would come.

The control he had given himself by being in such a tight spot of the Akatsuki had been ripped away. Uncertain of it was due to his recklessness with his favorite jinchuuriki or Madara not rising to the usual opportunity to cause trouble for the last two Uchiha's and ensure he was truly dead, Itachi wished he had the motivation to fight. To run away, to put the image of being a selfish monster who wanted to further cause misery back up.

But the drugs in his system were too strong.

"You choosing silence doesn't bring you closer to a death sentence, it brings you closer to becoming my experiment. I know about your illness."

The woman once afraid of blood and death had overcome it. He knew it was because of a certain Uzumaki. Making his heart ache as he wondered if Sasuke was truly back in the village and if Naruto was delighted or not about it, he tried not to think of her again. Knowing the Hokage was channeling her ruthlessness, it reminded him of Orochimaru on a good day.

"A lot of people could be saved if I decide fuck all morals and do what it takes. Don't worry, before that, you'll get some pleasure."

Blinking once immediately caught her attention at the suggestion. "Do you really think we'd let the Sharingan die out with you or that brat Sasuke? Even if we couldn't convince him to rejoin the village peacefully, as long as he was captured with his junk functioning, he will be useful. Did you expect me to be as nice as Hurizen-sensei with criminals?"

Two folded pieces of paper had came out of her pocket and she waved it around. "This is a list of women I had already drawn up who would have no problem becoming surrogates, some that wouldn't mind raising the spawns themselves and some that are interested in adopting the babies from the surrogates. Your illness is not hereditary though it may act as if sometimes. Do you want to know who is all on it? I personally chose them for your offspring."

Not waiting as she unfolded them, he knew she was getting satisfaction at his discomfort. Being the world's best doctor and a kunoichi that survived two wars, psychology was on the top of studies that she was good for, though she never used any of the wisdom on herself. The drugs in his system made it easier for her to know what would dig under his skin.

"Kurenai Yuhi, Yasumi Hatsu, Akari Kaya, Megumi Mei, Harue Fumi, Ichigo Anzu, and Naruto Uzumaki!"

Without his permission, his expression twitched in surprise.

"I bet you want to know that story of how Naruto ended up on this list, hm? Well, considering her brush of death against Kakuzu and the twisted realization that she may never find a lover thanks to her jinchuuriki status, the only person she wanted to settle with obviously unable to, she had pursued on my students insistence, to find other alternatives if she wanted to create her family. She was evaluated on my request, to see if it was something she really wanted and if she'd be capable to join any list for it in the future and she was approved, though she's not interested until she's safe from the Akatsuki, of course." Offhandedly explaining it as she looked over the other, she whistled lowly.

"Wow, I never looked it over until now, but Naruto has amazing genes. My other student Shizune took the initutive to run some other tests on her, and whatever child she has will inherit her quick regeneration, massive chakra reserves, and long life levity! Imagine having a loyal Uchiha with all that."

"Are you done?" He asked, trying to resume to staring at the ceiling. Wanting to hide away and kill his emotions further, she smacked the paper on his chest and laughed.

"No. I find this quite hilarious, actually. I normally would have thrown you to the wolves for experimentation by now but you've fallen for the girl that you're supposed to capture. You've approached her and you've trained her to protect herself against you. I couldn't believe for a moment that it could be you trying to entice her to giving her life up because you never revealed your identity, you didn't hinder her training, and you didn't try to convince her that your organization was good! Your reaction to knowing she was on the list of becoming a mother through a sperm donor just gave you away." Watching her lean into his view over his body, there was a combination of emotions that she wasn't bothering to hide.

Amusement was the strongest, but suspicion was second. Some kind of twisted excitement was last however, and it was clear to him that she caught him - she knew there was something deeply wrong with his story and intentions. He wondered on if there were files left around or if she had her own suspicions.

"You didn't kill your brother, by the way. We haven't confirmed you dead nor alive with him, considering Inochi Yamanka had revealed that the last thing you had done was poke him in his forehead, like when you two were children. Which of course, makes me wonder. What are your motivations?"

Glaring at her harshly in response, knowing he had no choice until the drugs wore off but to sit there and be scrutinized, she clicked her lips and faced the door. Her order of bring him in made him freeze.

Inochi Yamanaka was a master of his clans jutsus and was still one of the top best interrogators in the T&I division for it. Able to enter ones mindscape and walk through their memories for a brief time, there were only a few exceptions that left the man incapable to do so. Being a jinchuuriki was one, split personalities another, and understandably dead individuals the last.

Warily glancing at him, the blonde almost relaxed at the explanation of the drugs in his system.

Considering if struggling would work - the drugs erasing some of the logic from him, by the time Inochi had approached his bed, it was too late.

For what felt like eternity, memories had played back with increasingly reality. Feeling as though he was experiencing the disappointment, orders, and the struggle to make the decisions himself with the very little he was given once again, his heavy breathing began as exhaustion took his hold of his body. Without any kind of medication to keep it at bay, the symptoms hit at a fast pace as he relived his memories in excruciating detail, the feeling of being drained after difficult battles sending him coughing fits and pain across his body.

He felt himself tense, his heart skip beats, and his heart ache the way it did when he was forced to relive meeting Naruto in Lightning Country once more. Watching her eyes light up, have their first kiss together, memorizing each detail about her to never forget, assisting her in her training and watching her thrive. Of writing his letters, hidden as best as he could be from his leader.

Of wishing he could say he loved her too.

Feeling the spasms of pain rock his body, the solace of reliving his time with her only temporarily distracting him from the pain of phantom experiences encouraging the disease, Itachi tried to lay as still as possible. Knowing the delayed effects of the Mangekyou's usage was the cause of the burn in his eyes, the long look Tsunade gave him at Inochi's expression made him close his eyes in defeat.

"Hokage-sama.. I don't know what to say."

"If he doesn't admit it all to me himself, you can summarize for the good parts and make it into a best seller novel for my eyes only," she announced, her voice as cold as ice. "Leave us for now."

Listening to him leave and to her sitting in the old chair once more, she sighed heavily. "I will find out one way or another, boy. Would you like to explain yourself or give another the chance to tell your story and further endanger you and those you've loved on your behalf?"

She didn't give him a choice and knowing two dangerous men wanted both Sasuke and Naruto in some form, he told her everything.

There was no window in his cell. He didn't know how much time had passed, being interrupted frequently with questions, his admittance had softened her up towards him. Given water and having her study the disease when it acted up, Itachi only began to choke up when he had explained what all happened in Lightning Country.

Before she left, his restraints were undone. Free to walk around his cell as much as he wanted, he was fed regularly. Deprived of any real food that did not go past basic nutrition, besides a small bowl of ramen every other time.

It was passive aggressive. He knew she didn't approve of his involvement and was rubbing it in. Having ramen become one of his comfort foods after their time together when he missed her the most, he knew it wasn't an instant cup. Though there was no label, he wouldn't be surprised if it was from her favorite restaurant. Each bowl was a reminder of how badly he had messed up with her though, no painless solution now. Whether he was given a chance to restart a life in Konoha or sent to return his missing nin life under new orders, Naruto would never forgive him if she knew.

It would be easier if he was killed, he figured. But it would leave the biggest two enemies of Konoha alive and without a witness to their crimes as well.

During the one other visit from Tsunade in which he had given up the exact details that he knew of ROOT and Danzo's artwork in exchange of knowing Sasuke was in Konoha, a flash of spiky white hair and red past the small door that his meals went through was no surprise. He knew that when he was asleep, ANBU were continuing the administration of drugs to keep him weak. Exactly every 24 hours on the dot he assumed, Itachi knew it was out of his system by that time and was naturally woken up by the feeling of their chakra.

But it was too late. Him escaping would do nothing but run Sasuke out of their village. If not to complete the revenge, it'd be to ask him questions on who to get revenge on properly.

With nothing to truly do to pass the time, unknowing of how much was truly passing besides the countless administrations of sedatives, Itachi made do with daydreaming of the other options he could have taken advantage of over the years. Further and further of the details he could change, it was odd wanting to go back much further than Lightning Country and change it all.

Knocked out of his imagination when the door was politely knocked on twice. Staring at the door from his place on the bed, the person knocked twice more.

Knowing he was a prisoner, he couldn't help but wonder why didn't they just barge in like Tsunade.

"Aa, can I come in?"

"You can, Kakashi."

Wearily watching as the other former ANBU captain strolled in with a take out bag, the Hatake casually kicked the door closed with his foot. Standing awkwardly though, he scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I heard some interesting things about you. Thought you could tell me over this meal."

Blankly staring at the lanky man, Kakashi shrugged and hid the bag behind him as he entered the room more.

Not knowing what to say to him, Itachi wondered on his relationship with Naruto. He could accurately Kakashi didn't care much for Sasuke after he proved to be a disappointment with defecting despite his teamwork teachings and was only putting in effort for Naruto's sake, but with the said blonde, it was almost a mystery. They were almost in the same predicament, he mused. Friends with her parents in some form, to the point where they'd be there from the start if they had survived.

Maybe it was the unrealistic daydreaming and the side effect of his sedatives that he felt a spike of possessiveness.

And he knew for sure it was the sedatives at the rise of the lone eyebrow. Settling in for a long awkward meeting, he was correct.

Beating around the bush, he heard Naruto once describe several of her teachers doing it and he could reconfirm that she was right.

Giving small nods or pointed stares in place of answers, some of the questions about the sights of the countries he's seen and who he must have battled, Itachi felt the change in the air as the topic did.

"Hmm, did you run into any familiar faces?"

Staring as blankly as he could, in a blink Kakashi was in his face. Feeling the steel against his adams apple and witnessing the normally relaxed man raise his headband. Knowing he had drawn out the battle worn and paranoid shinobi underneath with his lack of communication, the familiarity of the Mangekyou the man had summoned gave him a clue, the threat almost going over his head in the meanwhile.

"Your sacrifice to the village was incredible for one in your situation, but my students are not your key to redemption. Inochi had told me what you and Naruto had done exactly."

Focusing on his grey eye, he felt his own eyes widen slightly. Wondering on who all knew now and if she did, he knew he didn't hold the power the to read his thoughts.

"She doesn't know it was you behind a genjutsu, yet. You have not walked away from the Akatsuki clean just because you had not personally injured Konoha nins and I do not believe you are incapable of hurting her for some other greater purpose, as everything you had done to hurt Sasuke was to help him in the long run." Feeling him put pressure on the blade, Itachi could only hold still. "I will personally lead the next squad to ensure your death if you hurt my student any further."

He backed away slowly, pocketing the kunai once more. Cautiously watching Kakashi's every move, Itachi wished he wasn't full of the sedatives to think and react clearly.

Wanting to scoff at the accusation and announce he never had any intentions to hurt the gorgeous blonde, he only could bow his head slightly as she ran through his mind. Figuring which student he was referring to about hurting further, he thought of all the ways he could attempt to explain to her to make it hurt less for her.

Handed the bag of take out, he gave a minuscule nod of thanks.

Understanding that it was a guise to scare him and to see the truth - the lack of restraints and the sedatives holding back any need to place up a image to hide what could be seen on his face now, the curious part of him wondered what Tsunade was planning to give Inochi permission to confess what he had seen in the older Uchiha's mind. Manually handed weak wooden chopsticks, Kakashi turned to leave the room.

Watching him leave as his mind drifted off once again, he later would be surprised that he was not awoken by another injection.

Posted: 03/14/2019