Author's Note: And we're back to Shisui's POV. Get ready folks, we're starting to move faster toward the climax. No warnings that I can think of for this chapter besides the general angst that's been life for a while now. These Uchiha boys just can't catch a break.

Something isn't right. There's someone else in the room with him. Shisui wakes up instantly. He's pinpointed the intruder before his eyes are even open. The subtle, almost silent rustling of fabric gives them away. They're standing just inside the doorway, next to his desk. In the pale moonlight he can just barely make out the silhouette of a relatively short, dark clad individual. Instinct kicks in and he's rolling out of bed. One hand on his weapon, the other throwing his duvet over the intruder's head, clearly catching them by surprise.

He's on top of them before they have a chance to react, pinning them to the floor with his knee, greater size, the blanket itself. His left hand presses their sternum into the ground while his right digs the knife into their throat, through the comforter. He can tell the moment they notice it as they immediately stop struggling.

That's about the time he's able to assess the situation and realize how odd it is that this would-be assassin was skilled enough to sneak in without triggering any of his or Itachi's traps, and yet not skilled enough to kill him before he woke up. Which means there's a two in three chance this is a friendly.

Shisui's not sure if there's a way to release his prisoner that is both moderately dignified and unlikely to get him stabbed if it turns out they're hostile. This has the potential to be mortifyingly embarrassing if they're a runner from the tower or someone here on official business. While some level of paranoia is expected in high level ninja, this feels a bit too far. On the other hand, if his instincts were right and he's killed by an assassin in his own bedroom, not even little Sasuke will ever respect him again.

"If I get off of you, do you promise not to try to kill me?" He's pleased with how gruff his voice sounds. It's firmer than he expects, the sleep deprivation actually making it sound rougher. However, now that the adrenaline is starting to fade again, he just wants to collapse somewhere and sleep for a month. His arms are shaking slightly from the exertion of holding himself up and he has to focus on his breathing to keep it even.

The ninja in his duvet tries to say something, but the blanket proves to be too effective of a gag and after a moment Shisui hears two careful taps on the floor. It's a toss-up whether they're meant to be tapping out, like in a spar, or just general agreement. He carefully shifts his weight, never fully removing it from the intruder. He's able to manipulate the blanket so it's still pinning their arms to their sides and entangling the legs, but the head and mouth are pretty much free. He keeps them facing away from him in a sitting grapple, just to be on the safe side.

That's about the time he recognizes the black hair that's worked its way into his mouth and up his nose. It's the smell of his own shampoo that really does it, and Shisui almost falls over trying to disentangle himself from Itachi's limbs as he asks, "Why the hell didn't you say something? I could have killed you!"

Itachi just snorts a little, shrugs and hugs his legs to his chest, letting the blanket pool loosely around his shoulders and onto the floor. "Like you could," he says quietly, though it lacks any sort of bite.

He's not in uniform, but that doesn't mean much. Itachi's too much of a stickler for the rules to ever wear his ANBU uniform when he's off duty. "Did something happen at the tower—" Shisui pauses. That can't be it, Itachi left before him. Today was Sasuke's "—No, you were at your parents' place." Suddenly images of Sasuke hurt or dead run through Shisui's mind. "Is Sasuke alright?" He's already standing up again, feeling along the top of his desk for his discarded pants and thigh holster.

"Sasuke was fine, last I saw him." Itachi doesn't bother lifting his head from his knees. He's talking into his arm and his voice is muffled, but audible. Shisui lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

He nods. That's good. That's very good. Even putting emotions aside, if something happened to Sasuke, there would be no containing the fallout. Itachi would break like so much dropped glass and depending on how it happened, the clan would likely follow. With a sigh, he sits back down, next to Itachi shoulder to shoulder, like he used to do when Itachi was much younger.

He manhandles a mostly unresisting Itachi to wrap the blanket around them both. "You ready to tell me what's wrong then?"

Itachi shrugs again but doesn't protest when Shisui pulls him closer, so there's almost no space between them. Shisui looks down, toward his younger cousin's face, though it's too dark to make out much detail. "If I guess, will you let me know if I'm right?"

Itachi mumbles something into his arm and Shisui rolls his eyes. He's just as communicative now as he was in his pre-genin days. "Brat," Shisui says, nudging Itachi hard enough with his shoulder that he has to sit up more to keep his balance. Itachi glares at him with all the indignant fury of a younger brother before the melancholy sets in again and he slumps down, his head flopping onto Shisui's shoulder.

"So you said Sasuke's fine," Shisui begins, "which means this is about something else." He can feel Itachi nodding in agreement against his arm. "I would have heard if something had happened to Fugaku or Aunt Mikoto, so they're okay." Itachi tenses a little at his mother's name, but hums in general agreement to the statement. Shisui files that away. He'd known Itachi was having trouble with his clan but hadn't realized that it was more with Mikoto rather than Fugaku. Growing up it had always been the reverse.

"You forgot to bring a host gift to your brother's birthday dinner and now the whole clan knows you're stingy with money." Itachi mumbles something that could be a denial, but doesn't react much beyond that. Shisui tries again. "Sasuke is allergic to whatever that hell spawn of a plant you bought him is, and now you're going to be forced to take care of it as some form of karmic retribution." That one is a little more pointed, but in his defense, that plant's sap stings if you accidently rub against it. Itachi's shoulders shake a little in repressed laughter and Shisui feels himself relax a little as well. "Aunt Mikoto said you weren't allowed to use her hair style anymore and now your honor demands that you cut your hair as short as mine."

That one actually gets Itachi to verbally scoff and pull away a little to shake out his legs. Shisui doesn't stop him, figuring that if he's well enough to care about circulation or personal space again, he might be willing to use his words and explain what's going on.

"Sasuke's fine. He liked the plant, it's called a Cape Sundew. It's in his room now." Itachi says quietly and Shisui sighs, getting ready to drag him back out of his head. "I also brought a host gift, a wine that the Sarutobi-samma recommended." Shisui thinks about that. He hadn't realized Itachi and Sarutobi knew each other that well, let alone were friendly enough to offer gift advice. He thought he'd known everyone Itachi associated with. Shisui pushes down the small feeling of resentment at the thought of the two of them talking behind his back. He trusts Itachi.

Itachi draws his legs back up to his chest and pulls fully away from Shisui. "Going back home was a mistake. I knew it would be." Shisui had known it would be too. He's spoken to Fugaku enough to know the other man's concerns about Itachi's loyalty. It's only a matter of time before the man makes his play. Itachi turns to look directly at Shisui and the moonlight catches on his eyes as he moves, making them reflect with a watery sheen. He looks so young. "But I had to go." Itachi's voice doesn't waver, but Shisui can hear what he isn't saying. He can hear the plea for understanding. "Sasuke asked, and he doesn't know any of what our family was going to do—would still do, if given half a chance. How do I tell him no?" And suddenly the last few pieces slot into place. His parents—primarily Mikoto, based on Itachi's earlier reaction—had trapped him at Sasuke's birthday dinner and demanded some show of loyalty. They probably threatened to take away Sasuke, or at least Itachi's access to him. He feels his pulse quicken at the realization that he could be losing Itachi. He may have already lost him. Shisui's known this was coming for months. He's honestly a little surprised it hadn't happened earlier. But that doesn't make dealing with it any easier. Fugaku is neither a particularly patient nor a particularly clever man, but that doesn't mean he isn't effective. Shisui needs to know if he's already lost. He needs to know whether Itachi came to him for advice or absolution.

"Of course you had to go. Sasuke is more important than any power plays the clan might make." Shisui can feel as Itachi relaxes and leans back into him. He lets him resettle himself before asking "What happened next? What did your parents do?" He needs to know exactly what he's working with. The fact Itachi is even here is a good sign, but Shisui is hesitant to read too much into it. Itachi is at his most unpredictable when forced into corners.

"They were courteous hosts. I spent some time with Sasuke, showing him how to focus his chakra to water walk. He hadn't learned that yet." Itachi sounds honestly baffled that such an important skill wouldn't have been covered in Sasuke's first year. Shisui doesn't remember water walking ever being formally taught. He had picked it up around the time he started at the academy by watching others. He can't remember a time Itachi didn't know it. The fact that Sasuke hasn't learned it though, is hardly surprising.

"Dinner went reasonably well. However, after—," Itachi cuts himself off. He starts to say something several times, before pulling himself away from Shisui to sit up straighter and taking a breath. "It was implied that one cannot be loyal to both the village and the clan. Protecting one is betraying the other. The clan deserves a leader who will always put it first. Because of this, the heir cannot have any implied conflict of interest, such as holding an active commission with the village." Shisui nods. That's more or less what he'd expected. The question is, did Mikoto or Fugaku finally overplay their hand? Itachi has been torn by his conflicting loyalties for years, but it's never been out of true allegiance to the clan. And they ruined any chance of that when they demanded his participation in their coup. Itachi cares about Sasuke, Shisui and Konoha.

"I was informed that I have twenty-four hours to either resign from ANBU and the ninja corps or else repudiate all ties and association with the clan." And that's what he needed to know. Itachi is here for guidance. Shisui turns his head away and smiles with relief. He isn't going to squander this opportunity that Aunt Mikoto was kind enough to give him. This is his chance to cement Itachi's undivided loyalty once and for all. Itachi is his. No one knows him like Shisui does.

"You do realize that's a load of crap, right?" he starts, "Clan heads serve as ninja all the time. Your father is probably one of the only ones that isn't active duty right now."

Itachi sighs and nods before collapsing back into Shisui's side. "Somehow, I doubt Mother or Father would find that a convincing argument. An Uchiha cannot waste time on unnecessary skills. Uchiha are born exceptional and as such must excel." Shisui's folks hadn't been around much, but he'd spent enough time around Aunt Mikoto growing up to recognize that bit of wisdom. It was frequently used as justification for the rather brutal and single-minded training regimen Uchiha tended to favor as well as the almost unreasonably high expectations they were held to. Mediocre ninja, like poor cousin Obito, became outcasts and laughingstocks simply for their failure to excel.

Shisui shakes his head. "This is your life we're talking about," he says, "your future. Not some random hobby." He takes a moment to make sure he's pitching his voice sympathetically without overdoing it. "Ultimately you're the one who's going to have to live with this decision, Itachi, so you've got to follow your heart." It's probably the most useless bit of advice people love to offer, but it's also cliché enough to be useful here. The more he can get Itachi to focus on his feelings, the less likely he is to look deeper into Shisui's words and the easier it will be to make sure Itachi makes the right decision.

Itachi hugs his knees and whispers, "I know." His shoulders slump and Shisui thinks about how young he looks. Hell, how young he is. Itachi hasn't even finished puberty yet. He only turned 14 a few weeks ago. Shisui can't even remember if he'd wished him a Happy Birthday. Sometimes, he feels like a terrible friend.

He probably is a terrible friend. But he's man enough to admit, within his own mind at least, that he can't do this alone. He can't run an entire village that spends half its time worshiping everything he does and the other half hating him with equal passion. Itachi needs to choose him. He'll make the decision for him, if he has to. But he doesn't think it'll come to that. Itachi wouldn't have come if he hadn't already made up his mind. He just needs help justifying it to himself.

"Let's think about this logically," Shisui says, poking Itachi gently to get his attention back. It earns him a rather predictable scowl that makes Itachi's nose wrinkle up like a kitten's. Shisui doesn't smile. "Pros for doing what your parents' want."

Itachi doesn't respond, so Shisui pokes him again. It's important he feels involved in this discussion. "Sasuke," he says, eventually. That was a given. Shisui rolls his eyes and nudges him in the ribs. "I'll still be the Uchiha heir? Mother and Father will probably continue to let Sasuke be himself?" Itachi sounds frustrated. "I don't know what you want," he whispers, "I'll be able to help Sasuke out more, since I'll most likely have to move back in with Mother and Father. But I already said that." Shisui doesn't respond to the undertone of dread in Itachi's voice at that. This might be even easier than he'd thought.

"Anything else?" He keeps his tone light and even. Itach shakes his head. "Alright then, what're the pros for choosing our village?" This one should be pretty easy. Loyalty is drilled into all ninja from day one. The fact Aunt Mikoto or Fugaku even thought for a moment they might win Itachi is almost baffling. Sasuke is the only ace they have. And while he might mean the world to Itachi, Itachi came to Shisui for advice. And Shisui plays for keeps.

"I could remain a ninja and protect the village. I wouldn't be betraying my oath of loyalty. I...," he trails off, "I probably wouldn't need to attend any more clan meetings."

Shisui laughs, "True, although you probably attend more meetings with me each week than you do for the clan in a month."

Itachi dips his head in acknowledgement, "I've been avoiding the elders since you… were named Hokage anyway. It wouldn't actually make much of a difference." Shisui doesn't comment on Itachi's hesitance to mention how he became Hokage. That's a secret the two of them will probably take to the grave and one he's just as happy not to dwell on right now.

"Cons of choosing the clan?"

"I would be giving up my rank and betraying my oath." Itachi's voice is much more sure. They're back on familiar ground.

Shisui nods in agreement, "That right there is probably the worst of it. Even with ANBU running external missions, you know how short we are on personnel." He pauses for a moment and tilts his head back to make his next words sound less calculated. "The biggest con for me of course, would be giving you up." He laughs self-deprecatingly, "Your dedication is probably the only thing that gets me up in the mornings to face another day of dealing with bickering old men."

Itachi doesn't respond, but Shisui knows him well enough to see the words had the desired effect. His cousin mulls them over for several long minutes before saying, "If I pick the village, I'm giving Sasuke up to Mother and Father. They'll put him through what they put me through or worse. He's a lot older than I was, so he won't have as much time to learn."

"That's true. By the time you see him again, he may very well hate you for the choice you made. The question is, which is worse? Leaving Sasuke to take up a role he will be miserable in, or walking away from your duties to Konoha and ANBU while the village is still vulnerable?" Shisui wants to flinch, that was very heavy handed. Luckily Itachi is still trapped too deeply inside his own thoughts to notice.

"Even if I refuse to choose, that will be a choice," he says, eventually. That's true. If Itachi can't bring himself to decide, Shisui wins him by default. He wonders if Aunt Mikoto had thought about that when she made her move.

"You have twenty-four hours," Shisui says. "You can sleep on it if you want. Your options won't be any worse in the morning."

Itachi shakes his head sharply. His hair is a tangled mess behind him. "What options," he whispers bitterly. And with that, Shisui knows he's won. Itachi hugs his legs even tighter, buries his face in his arms and cries. At first he tries to suppress it, but there's no one else there and Shisui has never judged him for being human.

Shisui listens silently as Itachi whispers apologies To Sasuke. To the village. To Shisui even. They come out as a mantra between sobs and gulps of air and all Shisui can do is listen. He offers what comfort he can, but this is something Itachi must learn to live with on his own. They stay that way, side by side, for the rest of the night. Shisui isn't sorry for what he did, he's just sorry he had to do it.