WITS-27: Secrets and Lies

"So you know who I am," Itachi said. He was smaller than Neji had expected, and strikingly handsome, like all the Uchihas. Neji could feel his heart beating fast, too fast. He reminded himself that Itachi was also Akatsuki, and an enemy of this village.

"And you are Hyuuga Neji," Itachi said, "the pride and heir of the Hyuuga clan."

"Not exactly," Neji said wryly. Apparently Itachi was unaware of the Hyuuga class system.

"You are not Hyuuga Neji?"

"I am, but –"

"But you have become one of them now?" Itachi's tone sharpened. "Look at you – you even look like them."

Neji flushed, feeling a moment of shame at his childhood hero seeing him here, dressed in the immodest clothes of the South. Then he crossed his arms defiantly. "Look at yourself. You are a member of the worst criminal organization in the land. You spread pain, suffering and fear everywhere. I don't think you're in a position to criticize anyone else."

Emotion flickered in Itachi's eyes, and he looked down. "I – it is more complicated than that. But please believe me when I say I am not in sympathy with Akatsuki's goals. I am here on a personal mission, not for Akatsuki. My allegiance is to Konoha Village."

"Your brother –"

"Yes."

"What do you mean, it's more complicated?"

"I will tell you something no one else knows," Itachi said, looking at Neji gravely. Although he was a young man, his eyes had an old, world-weary sadness. "My clan, the Uchihas, are second to none as fighters –except perhaps the Hyuugas, of course."

Except definitely the Hyuugas, Neji mentally corrected.

"But there is a darkness in my clan, a hunger for power and vengeance. They have always competed with the Senju clan for control of the village. When the Senju were dominant, the Uchihas plotted against them. Several years ago, they planned to stage a coup. I was thirteen at the time, and a member of Anbu." Itachi drew a deep breath. "The village elders ordered me to kill those members of my clan. I did. And then I left the village. Also on their orders, I joined Akatsuki as a spy. The head of Akatsuki is my clansman Uchiha Madara."

Neji stared at him, appalled. "They ordered you to kill members of your own clan? Couldn't they have gotten someone else to do that?" Hearing his own words, he felt a searing pang of shame. He had been ready to kill a member of his own clan, not for the good of the village, as Itachi had, but for personal gain.

"My brother found out about it, and he became bitter. It turned him against the village."

"And he let himself believe Orochimaru's lies," Neji said.

Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly, in a look of wordless understanding.

"I was also bitter, once," Neji said quietly. He realized in some surprise as he said it that he no longer felt that way. That life seemed very far away.

"That is why I am here," Itachi said. "I am going to free my brother, and you as well, Neji-kun. But I need your help."

"Of course I'll help you free your brother," Neji said grimly. "I loathe Orochimaru and his entire clan. But you don't need to worry about me. My life isn't so bad here."

"You are a slave."

"It's not like that. I have friends here now, I –"

A hawk screamed overhead. Itachi melted deeper into the shadows. "Neji-kun. Please listen to reason. These people hate us here. They hate us because they fear us and because our fighting skills are superior to theirs."

"Some, yes, but Suna is not Otogakure."

"Do you know what they think of us?" Itachi said. He bent down to the basket Neji had carried for him and extracted a small book. "This is a book for children. I bought it right here in the marketplace, in Suna."

Neji stared at the book, which was called Little Brave Hiroshi and the Savages. The cover depicted a young boy with tan skin and yellow hair on a road heading into a strange-looking patch of trees. Several pairs of ghostly red eyes glowed out of the darkness.

He opened the book and flipped through the pages. In it, Little Brave Hiroshi set off to seek his fortune with his trusty pet fox by his side. He soon came to the Forbidden Forest, which was very odd indeed. It looked like a forest as imagined by someone who had never seen a forest. Instead of the majestic trees and dappled patterns of light and shadow of the Konoha forests, this one featured the gnarled, scrubby trees of the desert, only much taller and closer together. It was very dark in there, so that it looked like Hiroshi had crossed from day into night by entering it. Also, although there was no snow on the trees, the ground appeared to be inexplicably covered with it.

Inside the forest, Hiroshi encountered a number of demonic "savages" – ghostly-looking fiends with bulging, dead-white eyes, and monkey-like creatures who shot fire from their eyes. We will suck out his spirit to put in our spirit jars! the pale-eyed savages chanted. We will cook him for supper and drink his blood for soup! the red-eyed ones hissed.

"So we are the savages?" Neji said sharply. "We are not the ones who eat scorpions and keep slaves!"

Naturally Little Brave Hiroshi made short work of the demonic ones, trapping them all in a pit before going on his merry way. Neji handed the book back to Itachi in disgust.

"What do you need me to do?"

"First, do not betray me. No one can know I am in this village. No one can know of our plans."

Neji nodded. "You can count on me." Although Shikamaru could probably help with your plans, he thought. "What is the plan?"

"We will go to Otogakure tonight,. I know where my brother is being held; I know how to get into the village. I have a strong poison which we will put into their water supply. We wait a few hours until many of them are sickened or dead, and then, under cover of darkness, we will finish the job. My brother Sasuke is an excellent swordsman, as are you. Between the three of us we can finally rid the world of this evil clan."

Neji felt his pulse racing. The chance to unleash his sword skills slaughtering Orochimaru and his cursed clan, to fight alongside his hero – it was sweeter than his wildest revenge fantasies.

But…he had made a promise to Shikamaru.

"I want to help you do this," he said slowly. "You don't know how much. But I made a promise."

Itachi regarded him impassively.

"I have friends here in Suna. If Otogakure falls, Suna is vulnerable to –" he broke off suddenly, realizing.

"Akatsuki?" Itachi said dryly. "Did you forget that I am part of Akatsuki? And that my relative is the leader?"

Neji was silent.

"Look," Itachi said, "I have no love for any of the South Country. But I have been in this village for a week now. If I wanted to attack it, don't you think I would have done so?"

A hot dry breeze gusted through, blowing Itachi's hair across his face. He combed it back with his fingers. Neji saw that his fingernails were painted a dark purple. To aid in his disguise as a woman? Or was it an Akatsuki thing?

"What if I told you," Itachi said, "that Akatsuki would not attack Suna? But you will have to help us."

"I've already said I will help you."

"There is a reason Madara is particularly interested in Suna, and the Nara clan. There is a sword, called the Moon's Eye."

"The Masamune sword?" Neji asked, his pulse quickening. "Yes, I know it."

"That sword belonged to Madara. He wants it back. I believe he will not attack Suna if you return it to him. I need you to get it for us."

"That's impossible," Neji said, shaking his head. "I can't take that sword. Because –" Because that sword belongs to Shikamaru. It's his inheritance, his destiny. Showing him that was my gift. "—because there is a seal on it. Only the Nara clan can remove it."

"You are his Pet, in actual fact, are you not? That means you are considered not only the property of the Nara clan, but also a part of the Nara clan. You should be able to remove it."

Neji blinked. He had no idea if this was true or not. But he couldn't just – "Let me tell Shikamaru about this. He will help us; he hates Orochimaru and slavery. He helped me; he will help your brother as well. We can trust Shikamaru."

"Ah yes, Nara Shikamaru… your 'Master'." Itachi gave the word an edge of derision and distaste. "While I have been in the village, I have found out quite a bit about him."

Neji crossed his arms. "I'm sure it was all good."

"Good?" Itachi said, fixing him with those unsettling red eyes. "That depends on your perspective. After all, a place looks very different when you are standing in the streets than when you see it all laid out from above."

Neji shrugged impatiently.

"He is not a particularly strong fighter. His taijutsu and sword skills are just average. Where he excels is as a long-range strategist. It is said he is always thinking ahead, not just to the next move or two, but the next two hundred moves."

"I know all that."

"Of course," Itachi said. "Tell me, do you think he would make a major life decision – for instance, taking a Pet when his family has publicly opposed such practices for a hundred years – without thinking through all the ramifications of such an act?"

"He did it to save my life! They were going to send me back to –" Neji flushed with shame at the realization that the man before him had defeated Orochimaru at the age of 13, while Neji had required Shikamaru to save him.

"To be sold as a Pet. And so he saved you – by having you sold as a Pet…to him."

"It's not that way! I am not actually his Pet, I…we are…friends."

Itachi let a moment pass as if expecting Neji to say something more. Neji stared at him defiantly.

"The other area where your Master excels," Itachi went on, "is with animals. It is said he has a way with them."

Neji nodded, unsure where this was going. Shikamaru did like animals and he was good with them, that was quite true.

"He can take a wild horse, one that has always run free and has no intention of letting humans even touch it. He doesn't use the whip or spurs. Even so, in a short time, it will let him put the harness on and take him wherever he wants to go."

"A human being is not an animal."

"Of course not," Itachi agreed, with a slight edge to his tone.

"And I am not actually Shikamaru's Pet!"

"And yet you are. You fight in tournaments as his Pet. You could make him a great deal of money as a Pet."

"He doesn't care about money."

"No, I'm sure he doesn't," Itachi said. The slight derisive edge was more pronounced this time. "Tell me, would you give your life for him?"

"Of course. We are friends."

"Friends who share a bed?"

Shocked, Neji felt the blood rush to his face. "You have been spying in our bedroom?"

Itachi's eyes widened. Too late, Neji realized his mortifying mistake. Itachi had meant the words as a taunt, and probably expected a vehement denial. Instead, Neji had made it seem as if they really –

"Not like that! We don't – he is not – I – we are friends!"

Itachi looked away and down. Neji too stared at the ground, his cheeks flaming. A long minute passed as his words hung in the air.

"I had a friend like that once." Itachi's voice was soft and his eyes held a distant sadness. In that moment he looked very young, and Neji realized with a small start that Itachi was only four years older than he was.

"You – ?"

Itachi raised his chin. His tone regained its steel. "But when the time came when it was necessary to take his life, I did not hesitate. You must do the same."

"Take Shikamaru's life?"

"Yes. Get the sword, take his life, and then meet me at this spot tonight. I will give you some of the poison; it will be less conspicuous. By the time they discover he is not just sleeping –"

"Wait, wait, no. I'm sorry, I would like to help you, but I will not do anything to harm Shikamaru or the Naras. And I will not do anything that might start a war between Otogakure and Suna."

"So you are more loyal to this village than your own?"

"Of course not!" Neji snapped. "But I owe the Naras a great deal."

"A Pet," Itachi said, "is a cat or a dog. You are a son of one of the most respected clans in Konoha; one of their finest warriors."

"You don't know much about my clan," Neji said.

"I know a little about your clan. So you are a Branch Hyuuga."

"That's right," Neji said. "I can never be a leader of the clan."

"So because you can't have what you want, you turned your back on your clan and your village? You would rather live as a South person's dog than a free man in Konoha?"

Each time Itachi said Konoha, Neji felt as if sharp rocks were being ground into his heart. Suffused with shame, he bowed his head and stared down at the rust-colored sand.

"Perhaps it's better you don't get involved," Itachi said after a long moment. "You are a wanted man in Otogakure, and I can slip in and out without attracting attention. But if you can get us the sword, I think Madara will not attack your new village."

Neji flinched at the words your new village. Itachi's disappointment in him seemed tangible and inexorable, like Kidoumaru's fist in his hair.

"If you cannot even bring yourself to do that, at least do not betray us –"

Neji could stand it no longer. "No," he said, lifting his chin. "Konoha is my village. I will come with you."

Itachi studied him for a long moment, as if trying to gauge Neji's trustworthiness. "You are going on a mission tomorrow?" he asked finally.

"I – yes, we were…"

Itachi pulled a folded square of paper from his pocket and spread it out on a rock. Neji saw that it was a map of the South Country.

"Toward Wakaremichi," Neji said, in answer to the unspoken question in Itachi's gaze. "We are stopping at a couple of smaller villages along the way." His heart was pounding. Was what he was doing right or wrong? Was he helping an Akatsuki criminal, or his childhood hero and fellow countryman?

"Okay," Itachi said, tracing a line with one purple-nailed finger, "you will be heading this way, and probably stopping…here?"

"Yes…that village, then we will journey on and hope to reach Wakaremichi before nightfall."

"This is the road from Otogakure. As I said, it's probably better I go there alone tonight. You get the sword, act natural, and go on your mission as planned." Itachi opened his pack and drew out a small vial of liquid. "This is a very strong poison. When you stop to make camp tomorrow, slip it into their food, then ride up and meet us here, by the Spike Pass bridge. From there we will head North."

Neji drew back from the little vial. "Poison Shikamaru – ?" And Kankuro, but Neji was not so troubled about that.

"It is the only way."

"But – but – why?" Neji demanded desperately. "Why would it be necessary to take Shikamaru's life? Shikamaru has promised to give me my freedom. He wouldn't pursue me, and he could probably talk Kankuro out of –"

Itachi looked at him as if he was an idiot. "There is no need to pursue. They will activate the Pet Mark."

"Activate it -?"

"You do not know what activate means?" Itachi inquired dryly.

"Of course I know what it means! But how would they activate a mark?"

Itachi was frowning at him now. "You do know the purpose of the Pet Mark, don't you?"

Neji flushed slightly. "For identification, to show what clan you…work for."

Itachi ignored the euphemism. "Yes, of course, but that is not the main purpose. Mainly, it is used for control."

Neji stared at him blankly. Itachi's frown deepened.

"When activated, it causes excruciating pain and makes it impossible to think clearly. The Master can activate it any time he wishes, to discipline a Pet or prevent one from running away. Your…Master…did not tell you this?"

"That is ridic –"

Neji stopped dead. The image of Uchiha Sasuke writhing on the floor, screaming and clutching his head, flashed through his mind.

"He did not tell you. I wonder why."

Neji looked at him wordlessly.

"These people are not our people, Neji-kun," Itachi said softly. "This land is not our land." He leaned close and took hold of Neji's hand, surprising Neji, then pressed the little vial into Neji's palm. "We will be waiting for you at the Spike Pass."

Neji headed slowly back down the path and through the market. After what he had just seen and heard, it now seemed as foreign and hostile to him as when he had first arrived in Suna. He felt dazed; he could not remember any of the things he was supposed to be shopping for.

Could he trust Itachi? Had Shikamaru really been keeping a terrible secret from him?

Or was this some Akatsuki trickery? He couldn't really believe Shikamaru would do a thing like that.

Maybe he should tell Shikamaru about this, warn him the Akatsuki was in the village. But…if Itachi were captured, Neji knew all too well what would happen to him.

He would be put to death…or, more probably, tortured for information, Neji thought. Which would amount to the same thing, really, because someone like Itachi would never crack, no matter what they dished out.

And if Itachi were caught, what would happen to his brother? Neji felt a visceral revulsion at the thought of anyone spending a lifetime as Orochimaru's Pet, whether the Uchiha had chosen that willingly or not.

As annoyed shoppers jostled by him, he became aware he was standing in the middle of the market, blocking the path. Feeling foolish, he shook his head and started to move on again, then stopped dead once more as he caught sight of a familiar figure at one of the stalls wearing a distinctive red and black cloak and high blond ponytail. Deidara.

Deidara was a Pet. If there was any truth to this Pet Mark thing, Deidara would be able to give him some answers.

Deidara waved gaily as Neji came up and began his spiel about his clay creations, but Neji interrupted him, cutting to the chase.

"What is the Pet Mark used for? What does it do?"

Deidara's almond eyes lit up with interest. "Oooh…what'd you do?"

"It can be…activated? For punishment?"

"You had a little something on the side? Or blew something up, yeah?"

"Did your – Master ever – use it?"

"Just once, early on." Deidara gave a little shudder. "I kept him waiting over an hour. He hates that."

"Was it really bad?"

"Yeah," Deidara said with another shudder, eying Neji speculatively. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing…I was just wondering."

"Yeah? Well, my advice is, don't do it." He leaned closer, then said with a wink and a cheeky grin, "Unless you can do it without getting caught, yeah!"

So it was true, Neji thought as he walked back to the Naras' house. But could he trust Deidara? He would believe it, he thought, when he heard it from Shikamaru.

Shikamaru was upstairs in his bedroom, to Neji's relief. He didn't want to have this conversation in front of the older Naras. Shikamaru looked up eagerly at Neji with a strange smile; a very unusual expression on his face that Neji was too agitated to decipher.

"Shikamaru." He got right to the point, pulling off his headband. "This Mark – what is it used for?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru seemed dumbfounded by the question.

"The Mark – what does it do?"

He saw it then, the awful moment of realization on Shikamaru's face, Shikamaru's eyes sliding away from his. "Who told you it – does anything?" Shikamaru said, overly casual.

Neji felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. Up until that moment, he hadn't really believed this could be true. Yes, Itachi had said it and he had seen the young Uchiha and Deidara had confirmed it. But who knew what Orochimaru had done there, and Deidara and Itachi had been together in Akatsuki; it had seemed like they disliked each other but maybe that was just a ploy. The whole thing might have been some kind of Akatsuki plot. But now he was seeing it on Shikamaru's face. It was true.

"Deidara," he said numbly.

Shikamaru nodded.

"The better question is, why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" Shikamaru shrugged in a helpless way. "I would never use it that way, so I didn't think…"

"Didn't you think I had a right to know this before I became a – " Neji felt rage growing in him. Keep calm, keep calm. "—before we went through with this?"

"Neji, I didn't even know!" For the first time Shikamaru met his eyes. "I just found out that morning – while Iruka was telling you about Suna, Aoba was telling me about – this."

Neji stared at him. Was this the truth, now? As he thought back to the Pet Ceremony, a new and horrible possibility occurred to him. "That morning – did you use this on me? To try it out? That's what happened, isn't it?"

"No!" Shikamaru's shock and revulsion at that suggestion looked genuine. "No – I would never have – I don't know what happened to you! I wanted to get a doctor, remember?"

Neji remembered, all too well, that day. He paced the room, wanting to punch something, knock down a wall. But he knew it would do no good. The walls that held him were invisible and unyielding.

###

Neji was pacing, in a fury, as he had when he first arrived in Suna. Shikamaru tried desperately to think of what to say. How had this happened, so suddenly, that it seemed they were back at the beginning, full of mistrust and suspicion?

Freaking Deidara. Why couldn't he keep his big mouth shut?

But he knew Deidara was not really the problem. Sooner or later, Neji was bound to find out about this.

"All this talk about me being free," Neji said. "But all the time, you had me in a cage anyway. I just couldn't see it."

"Neji, no…it's not like that."

"It's easy for you to say that – when you hold the keys to the cage."

"I would never use it!"

Neji stopped pacing and met his gaze full-on. "Really? What if I tried to kill you?"

"I would take my chances against you in a fight."

"Because you are such a great strategist? That will only take you so far. You found that out on your mission."

Shikamaru felt blindsided. "That's a low blow," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"What if I just left the village?"

"No, of course I wouldn't try to stop you, but I think it would be better if you –"

Neji looked at him scornfully. "Or how about that girl you like, the old Kazekage's daughter?"

Temari? Temari was formidable against anyone. "She can take care of herself," Shikamaru said with a little smile. He was trying to lighten the mood, trying to bring them back to being friends. But his smile only seemed to enrage Neji more.

"Or what if I tried to kill your mother? Yes, she's tough, but she wouldn't be expecting it. Or your horse? Or Chouji?"

Shikamaru felt the blood drain from his face. Neji had become a stranger, a dangerous, unpredictable stranger. "I don't believe you would do that," he said. His voice shook a little on the words.

"Oh, you don't? What if I attacked you right now?"

Shikamaru had no doubt that he meant it. He tensed his muscles in readiness. But still, he felt an unshakeable certainty. "No. I wouldn't use it. I don't even remember the hand signs to do it."

"Bullshit," Neji said. His eyes were cold, so cold. "You remember everything; you never let any advantage go to waste. Don't stand here and lie to my face, Shikamaru. You think things out to the 200th move…well, you must have thought of this."

"No," Shikamaru said. It was true and it wasn't. Yes, he did remember the hand signs. But not by design; because it had horrified him when he heard it. And no, he had not thought of this – that Neji would find out, that Neji would look at him like that.

"I…didn't want to think about it," he whispered, but the words went unheard, because Neji was leaving, turning with an angry sweep of his hair and striding away.

He had been an idiot. He knew Neji thought he was a liar and maybe in a way he was. But what else could he have done? And about the most important thing, he had not been lying. Even if Neji had attacked him in this moment, he had meant what he said. He would take his chances in a fair fight. He would not use the Pet Mark. Even if Neji beat him to unconsciousness, he knew, he could not bring himself to use it.

###

Neji's threat to attack Shikamaru had been serious; he had been on the verge of it, but he could not bring himself to actually do it. He strode quickly through the streets of Suna, his mind ablaze. He didn't know where he was going, and then he did. It was where he always went when he was upset, where he felt most at home. The training grounds.

It was where he had gone in Konoha as well, on his last birthday. He shook the memory of that awful day out of his mind. He could not waste time wallowing in emotions. He had a huge decision to make.

He could leave Suna, go with his countrymen, and once again be a free man of the North. As free as he could be within the rules of his clan.

Or he could stay, tell Shikamaru about Madara and the sword, and wait another six months to be freed.

He had always preferred action to waiting.

But if he did go with them, he had another decision to make. Would he use the poison, or take his chances that Shikamaru would not pursue him?

Could he trust Itachi?

Could he trust Shikamaru?

As he drew near to the training grounds, he saw that he was not alone. There was one other person who trained as much and as hard as Neji did. Naruto was there, trying to run up a sheer stretch of cliff and grab a branch about 10 feet up. As Neji watched, he almost succeeded several times, only to tumble back down onto the sandy ground each time.

"Hey," Neji greeted him.

Naruto turned, breathing hard and wiping sweat from his brow, and gave him a cheerful smile.
"Come to train?"

"Yeah. No." Neji had a better idea. He pointed to the Pet Mark. "Do you know what this is used for?"

"What, your head?" Naruto looked at him quizzically.

"The Pet Mark."

"Umm… so you don't forget where you live?"

"Very funny. No." Neji repeated what Itachi had told him.

Naruto stared at the Pet Mark with a kind of appalled fascination. "Wow… I never knew that."

"Me neither. Until today. In all this time, Shikamaru never told me."

"Why not?"

"Exactly," Neji said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "Why not?"

Naruto frowned. "You think he hid it from you on purpose?"

"It's always good to have a weapon up your sleeve, isn't it?"

"A weapon? You and Shikamaru aren't enemies! You guys are close, you're practically –"

Neji flung a rock against the cliff opposite. The rock exploded in a shower of pebbles and red dust. He thought he understood a little better now why Deidara liked to blow things up.

"Listen," Naruto said after a moment, "Shikamaru's got his faults for sure – he's lazy, and he complains all the time, and sometimes he acts like he's smarter than everyone else – but I've never seen him try to hurt someone. Maybe an enemy who attacked the village, but never a friend." He stood up and stretched. "I'm sure Shikamaru had a good reason. He is a genius, you know."

"So am I," Neji said coldly. "At the very least, I'm smart enough to be entrusted with whatever reasons Shikamaru had for keeping this from me."

"Well," Naruto said, "I guess you guys need to talk." He retrieved his backpack from where it lay in the shade. "I'm gonna go get some ramen, want to come?"

Neji shook his head. "Next time." Would there be a next time?

He sat on a slab of rock at the training grounds after Naruto had left. Ostensibly he had to decide what he was going to do. But, he realized, he had already decided. He just needed to get his emotions under control and formulate a plan.

It was for the best, he told himself. The proudest clan of the North should never live as a slave to the South. He would be helping his hero Uchiha Itachi. He would just be doing now what he would be doing anyway six months from now – going back. At least this way he would have company on the journey – and not just company, but Konoha's finest warrior and his brother. Not only would they be a fearsome team, it would mean a chance to get to know Itachi a little better.

And it would wipe Orochimaru and his vile clan off the face of the earth.

At any other time in his life, he might have been excited, elated, energized at this possibility. But he felt only a soul-deep heaviness as the shadows lengthened around him. He walked slowly back through the streets of Suna. After today, he would probably never see the village again.

Or Shikamaru, his treacherous heart whispered.

He shook himself firmly. Yes, they had been close friends, but it was a friendship based on lies.

He was almost back at the Nara house when a sudden strong impulse struck him, making him turn down a different road. There was one more thing he wanted to do before he left Suna forever.

Kakashi-sensei looked surprised to see Neji knocking on his door. "Well, hello."

Neji wasted no time with formalities. "I want to see Sai, please."

"Is there some trouble in the village?" Sai said from behind Kakashi.

Neji shook his head. "No, this is a personal matter." Kakashi nodded and Sai followed Neji outside.

"Buy your freedom," Neji said, as soon as they were out of earshot.

Sai stared at him with those opaque dark eyes.. He didn't look that much like an Uchiha, Neji decided. The Uchihas were beautiful, but Sai had something they lacked. Innocence, that was it. No Uchiha had ever been innocent.

"You're not property to be owned. You're not a tool or a weapon or whatever crap they told you in Root. You're a human being. You're an artist. You have feelings for someone other than your Master. Life is short, Sai. Don't live yours in a cage."

"Neji-kun…"

"If your brother was here, I think he'd tell you the same thing."

Sai's pale cheeks flushed, and Neji saw that rare flicker of emotion in his eyes. He wished he could tell Sai that he too was choosing not to live in a cage, but to do so might jeopardize Itachi's plan. Itachi had entrusted him with that information – which was more than Shikamaru had done, he thought bitterly.

It was dark outside when he reached the Nara courtyard. Instead of going into the Nara house, he turned and headed into the other building, where the kitchen and training rooms were. He knew what he had to do. First, he stopped at the kitchen. The young woman cook who was always friendly to him had gone home to her family, and only the older couple who disliked Northerners were still there. They looked up at him with hostility and suspicion when he strode into the kitchen.

Putting on his snootiest, most arrogant tone he said, "We will need food for the mission tomorrow."

"I know that," the old man growled. "They already ordered it –"

Neji cut him off imperiously. "I am going on the mission tomorrow. So none of that vile superstitious peasant fare like scorpions or other bugs. Make something fit for humans of noble birth."

"Lord Kankuro is going," the old woman said spitefully. "And he enjoys the scorpion."

"Well," Neji said scornfully, "what can you expect from someone who wears cat ears?"

Seeing the fury on their faces, he wondered if he had gone too far. It would be ironic if he angered them so much that they decided to poison all the non-scorpion food. He had been deliberately goading them to ensure that they did in fact put in scorpion. It was strongly-flavored enough to hide any other tastes, should he need to use the poison, and it would not seem suspicious if he did not eat any.

He continued down the hall to the training rooms. No one was using the sword room at this late hour. His heart was racing as he walked across the room to where the magnificent sword hung. Was Itachi right; would he be able to take it down? His hands were shaking. He realized he was half-hoping Itachi was wrong, and that he would not be able to do it. There was a part of him that still wanted no part of any of this.

Taking a deep breath, he reached up and grasped the handle. It slid free of the wooden scabbard and sat in his hand as if it was meant to be there. Neji stood frozen for a moment, shocked by how easy it had been. But he could not waste time. The sword he usually used was in the cabinet. Removing it from its scabbard, he slid the Masamune sword in, then put his own sword into the scabbard on the wall to replace the one he had taken. The handle of the replacement sword was wrapped in leather cord, like the Masamune sword, so from a distance it would not be immediately obvious that there had been a switch. Doubtless Madara would have preferred to have the original scabbard as well, but that would arouse too much attention and make it obvious the sword had been stolen. Madara would just have to have another one made.

He entered the Nara house, removed his sandals, and made his way up the stairs. Shikamaru was still awake, sitting on his bed. He looked both relieved and anxious when Neji walked in.

"Where have you been?"

Neji wanted to snap, None of your business, but he needed to play it cool now and not arouse Shikamaru's suspicions. "Taking a walk," he said shortly, "and training a little." That was believable, and would also explain why he had taken a sword with him.

"Oh, heh, of course," Shikamaru said, giving a weak grin. He was trying to act like everything was fine and normal, but Neji could see he did not feel that way. He turned from Shikamaru and headed into his small room.

Have I upset you as much as you have me, Shikamaru? Good. Good. Screw you.

He laid the sword down carefully, then placed his weapons pouch and other gear in front of it, to hide it from Shikamaru's eyes. Ignoring Shikamaru's hopeful look, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door. In the mirror, the Pet Mark stared back at him from his own face, ugly and menacing. It felt like a viper embedded in his skin and bones, waiting to attack him at any moment. There was no way to kill it, no way to escape from it.

Except one.

He leaned on the sink. When the time came, would he be able to go through with it?

###

Shikamaru sat on his bed, waiting. He heard water running briefly, then a long period of silence from the bathroom. The image rose in his mind of that terrible scene from six months ago; Neji lying in a pool of his own blood. He willed his thoughts not to go there.

Neji came out of the bathroom. He walked past Shikamaru without a look and headed into his own little room. So he would not be sharing Shikamaru's bed tonight. Shikamaru felt a sharp pang of loss.

"Neji…you're still welcome to sleep on the bed…"

In answer Neji slid his door shut with a decisive clack.

Shikamaru sat on his own bed, gazing at the shut door. How had it all gone so wrong? They should have been lying here together, excitedly planning for the mission. Instead there was emptiness, and silence, and Neji not trusting him again.

But what could he have done? When would have been the right time to tell Neji? Before the Pet Ceremony? Neji would have backed out and Kabuto would have tried to take him back to Otogakure – and Neji would have never let them take him alive. Then there had come the whole crisis and slowly getting Neji to trust him.

He had thought of them as equals. He had never wanted to bring up this horrific reminder that they were not. So he had tried to pretend it didn't exist.

And then they had become friends. And then…

He pushed his emotions away. He couldn't afford to think of that now. They had a mission tomorrow and he had to get some sleep so he would be sharp.

But the bed seemed big and cold, and he could not seem to get comfortable. Even the stars were obscured by clouds. He heard a slight rustling from the other room, telling him Neji was awake also. Impulsively, he rose and crossed the room to kneel at Neji's door.

"Neji," he called in a low voice. "I'm sorry. I never meant to deceive you."

Silence.

"What I said was true…that I wouldn't use it…but it wasn't the whole truth of why I didn't tell you. The truth is…when they told me this…" His voice faltered and he took a deep breath. "I was so ashamed of my village and this whole practice of Pets. I knew…I knew you already thought the South was barbaric and I didn't want to admit…how barbaric it really was."

Still no sound from Neji, but Shikamaru had the feeling he was listening.

"And also…I wanted you to trust me, Neji…and I thought you never would if…" He heard his voice crack and drew another deep breath. "You were so scared when you first came here…you didn't trust anyone or anything…and I couldn't stand the thought that you would feel that fear every time you looked at your face in the mirror…"

"Go to hell, Shikamaru," Neji hissed from behind the closed door.

Shikamaru flinched at Neji's tone. Neji sounded like he hated him. He clenched his teeth to hold back his emotions and pressed his hands against the tatami mat. He had never felt lonelier in his life.

###

Neji clenched his teeth to hold back the fury he felt.

Shikamaru had taken pity on him? As if he were a frightened child! Did he expect Neji to actually believe this crap?

In the best case scenario, Shikamaru had condescended to him. For all his talk about them being equals, he had not treated Neji as an equal in this. And at worst, he had been setting an elaborate trap. Now here he was, sniveling at the door, trying to pretend he cared so much.

"You are the one who should have been scared, Shikamaru!" he burst out, forgetting that he had meant to remain silent. "You do know I killed a man. It wasn't that difficult." It had been way more difficult than he imagined, but he wouldn't let Shikamaru know that.

Shikamaru was the one not speaking now. Neji didn't know if he was still right outside the door, or if he had lazily given up and gone back to his own bed. Neji didn't know which possibility made him angrier. He had to grip the edge of the futon to keep himself from leaping up and physically attacking Shikamaru.

Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow...

###

Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!