Another reincarnation story

04.

"So, what exactly did you do to Danzou-sama?" Shisui asked over a plate of delicious dango. He chewed happily, eyes curved into a blissful smile. "Mhm, they taste good! Thank you!"

"Happy birthday," Itachi replied, tilting his face to bathe in the autumn sun. It was a beautiful day, not only because of the weather. It was because in the world he left behind, Shisui had never lived long enough to turn seventeen.

"Thanksh," his cousin mumbled. "And don't change the shubject. I ashked you what you did to Danzhou-shama."

"You changed it first," Itachi took a bit of his own sweet and leaned back against the porch.

"Come on, what did you do?"

"Who said it was me?" His cousin always was persistent when it came to annoying Itachi over long period of time for an answer. It has almost been two years since Itachi started controlling Danzou.

"Hey, it's me you're talking to," Shisui poked him in the arm. "I know you talked to him. I have my sources, remember? I know you did something to him."

"I used my eyes."

"A genjutsu?" Shisui swallowed hard. "You used a genjutsu on him?"

"More or less."

"Don't go vague on me! It's my birthday, you have to answer my questions!"

"That's not how birthdays work, Shisui."

"Why not?" His cousin whined. "Consider it my birthday gift!"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Fine, I tortured him."

"With a genjutsu," Shisui gave Itachi one of his don't-bullshit-me-glare. "You want me to believe that the old, stubborn, suspicious, evil head of Root, Danzou-sama suddenly started his campaign of we-all-love-the-Uchiha because you used a genjutsu to torture him?"

"Pretty much," Itachi nodded and shrugged. He even chuckled because of Shisui's colorful description.

"Unless you have powers I don't know of, I can't make myself believe it."

"Sometimes, it's better off not knowing."

"Says the one who has the compulsion to know absolutely everything."

"Nonsense," Itachi took another dango into his mouth. He wanted to know how many he could fit into in there. He should try it, he thought. Preferably without anyone looking. "There's a lot of things I don't know."

Shisui sighed. "I understand that you don't want to tell, fine by me. Just know, I won't judge you for whatever you did. I realize it is necessary, otherwise we might be at war."

"I know, but thank you."

"But can you at least tell me what you did to convince your father?"

"Pretty much the same."

Shisui was lucky he wasn't chewing, or he would have choked again. He swallowed the little bit that was stuck in his throat and gasped. "You tortured your own father?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Itachi shook his head. "I had a talk with him, which I might have enforced with a little genjutsu. Just to make him more willing to listen to me."

Shisui was silent after that. He finished his dango and remained staring at the wall. Itachi wanted to know if his cousin was suddenly frozen, but enjoyed the lull in conversation more. Watching the leaves fall from the trees, Itachi finished his own sweets. That was when Shisui decided to talk again.

"How does it work?"

"What?"

"Your eyes."

Itachi tensed. He hadn't told a living soul that he had achieved the Mangekyo Sharingan, not even Shisui. He turned to see his cousin, realizing that it was the first time he saw Shisui's Mangekyo and feared them being used on himself.

"Tell me the truth," Shisui commanded, suddenly serious. "Don't worry, I won't use them on you."

For a moment, Itachi didn't believe his cousin. Even though he had been here in this peaceful world for almost three years, the constant vigilance deeply anchored in his being responded with the activation of his own Sharingan. He stared into the four-bladed star in Shisui's eyes. On impulse, Itachi poured chakra into his own eyes and made them turn into what so many had learned to fear.

He heard Shisui gasp and saw those eyes widen.

"As I thought," his cousin's voice was shaking. "You achieved it."

Itachi nodded.

"Who was it?" Shunshin No Shisui narrowed his eyes.

"Too many," Itachi lied. "And you. I saw you die in my dreams. Over and over again."

"Alright," Shisui let out a shaky breath. "Still creepy. What do they do?"

"Genjutsu is my strongest ability."

"Yes, no less people call you a master of it."

"I can create a world where I control absolutely everything." Itachi explained. He noticed, he had never described the power of his eyes to anyone before. It was weird, trying to put his strongest ability into words. "Even time. Once Tsukuyomi is activated, there is no escape. It cannot be broken, not even by the power of the Sharingan. In my genjutsu, I can stretch one second into infinity, using it to do whatever I please."

"You are seriously creepy, you know that?" Shisui commented.

"You promised not to judge me." He did feel a little betrayed by Shisui's reaction.

"I'm not. I'm just stating a fact." Shisui placed an arm around him. "You're still my adorable cousin."

"Do you want to know the rest or not?"

"Go on, Master of Illusion."

"Furthermore, I have developed a technique mimicking yours." Itachi explained. In truth, it came with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, which amplified his own power tenfold. "It was said that the Sharingan has the power to see the future, I started from there. I have the power to predict a possible future, based on the line of thought of my target."

"That's incredible!"

"It's like I can see their thoughts. They unfold before me." The genius took a sip of his tea. "My target does not know of what I can see. They accept what I choose to show them and take it for truth."

"It gives you the power to manipulate them," Shisui continued.

"Indeed. I can change it and edit it by will," Itachi swallowed. "It's like I show them a dream and direct their thoughts afterward."

"And added with a little careful acting..." Shisui sighed. "You truly are powerful. Is it what you did with your father?"

Itachi nodded again. "I let him know of the fate of our clan should he rebel against the village. I let him believe that doing so was to condemn us to extinction. I let him believe that if the Uchiha want to survive and regain strength in the village, we have to reach out to the people we had shut down. That's all."

"I would have done the same," Shisui's comment eased Itachi's mind. "You don't have to blame yourself. If you didn't, I would have."

"I know." Itachi gave his cousin a small smile. "But you shouldn't use your eyes too often. I'm sure you know of its side effect already."

"Yeah, I might need some glasses soon. Luckily, I don't have the need to use them anymore. Peace is restored and Danzou is your dog. The threat from within is eliminated, for now."

"New threat would always arise."

"Don't be so negative!" Shisui gave him a hard claps on his back. "I forbid you to brood on my birthday."

"It's not how birthdays work, Shisui. You can't just go around and demand things."

"Of course, I can!" Shisui jumped down from the porch and took a deep breath in. "And I have lots of other plans for today."

"Such as?"

"Celebrating!" Shisui opened his arms and stretched his limbs. He breathed in, as if to banish the darker thoughts. He smiled at Itachi and winked. "I want to eat until I can't move and drink until I'm wasted. And maybe, I'll get laid."

Itachi almost choked on his tea. His eyes went wide. Not one day had Itachi forgotten the kiss he shared with Shisui and the promise his cousin made him. He stole a glance at Shisui and prayed that Shisui wasn't referring to the vow he made years ago. He really didn't want to be on his hands and knees tonight.

"Oh, look who's blushing."

"It's not funny!"

"It is!" Shisui grinned at him. "I barely mention it and you flush like a maiden. Oh, I forgot, you are a maiden."

"Shut up!"

"How rude! What's the matter with you?"

"I'm not ready!" Itachi blurred out, too desperate to form something dignified.

"What?" Shisui's face changed from teasing to tensing. "Are you referring to yourself?"

Itachi could have died of embarrassment right now. "I didn't forget what you said."

"You didn't!?" The expressions playing on his cousin's face was both comical and serious. "Yeah, about that..." Shisui suddenly radiated nervousness. His hand went to scratch the back of his head as a sheepish smile appeared on his face. "I thought you forgot."

"I never forget a thing."

"But you didn't respond to me, not for years now." Shisui whispered. "I'm sorry. I took your reservation for disinterest and thus I... I made that promise in rash back then. I didn't think it through."

"And now?" Itachi could hardly breath.

"I'm turning seventeen today, and I thought..." He voice died while a furious blush deepened his cheeks.

"Oh," Itachi found his breath again. "You weren't referring to me?" His voice sounded so soft, as if he was about to faint. "You're talking about someone else?"

"Itachi..." Shisui hurried over to him, as Itachi placed a hand on his own forehead, just like a maiden. "Itachi, I'm so sorry."

"No, no," the genius gasped. His heart was pounding beyond reason although he should be relieved. "You found someone else. You're in love?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you, not at all!" Shisui sounded close to tears from desperation. He tried to help Itachi, but didn't really know what he should do. "I love you, I still do. Just not the way I used to."

Itachi let himself fall back on the porch, stretching his limbs apart. He felt a freedom he should not feel. He gasped, while tears of relief and joy entered his eyes. He heard Shisui clench his teeth and then whimper in guilt. Was his cousin thinking that he cried because his feelings were hurt?

"Itachi, please don't cry," Shisui begged. "I really didn't mean to. I'm so, so sorry!"

"What? No, I'm happy for you!" Itachi caught his hand and smiled. "I really am. It eases me to know that we can be friends without... this standing between us. I want you to be happy."

"Really?"

"Why so confused?" Itachi chuckled. "I told you how I feel, it hasn't changed. But I blamed myself all the time that I was denying you happiness. Knowing that you've found someone else is great! Shisui, you deserve that."

Tears rolled down Shisui's face. It almost broke Itachi's heart. But only almost, because Shisui was grinning like a fool.

"You're the best best friend I could ask for." Shisui lunged forward to catch Itachi in an embrace. "I'm so happy you understand."

Itachi shook his head and padded Shisui's back. "Of course I do." He let Shisui sniff on his shoulder, all the while rolling his eyes.

Until another chakra signature entered the perimeter. Itachi promptly pushed Shisui off himself, but not fast enough to escape the intruder's eye.

"What do we have here?" The masked shinobi said from the top of their courtyard wall. "Little Uchihas cuddling in broad daylight?"

"Taicho!" Itachi gasped and tried to free himself from under Shisui.

"Kakashi-san," Shisui turned around with his cheeks blushed furiously "That's private property you're standing on."

A second figure jumped from the roof of the house and landed right next to Kakashi. He waved his hello at the two cousins and smiled at them fondly. "Happy Birthday, Shisui-san."

"What's with you ANBU never using doors!" Shisui barked, his face darkening in tones within the seconds.

Itachi scrambled to his feet and stepped off the porch. "What brings you here, Taicho?"

"We came to see your cousin, Itachi." Kakashi grinned. "Yo, Shisui-san, your team asked us to find you."

"Why don't they just come here themselves?"

"Who knows?" Kakashi shrugged. "They want us to get you to the barbecue house down the road. The one owned by your aunt."

"Which aunt?" Shisui asked.

"Forgot you're all related." Kakashi lied. "The friendly one. The one that's nice to non-Uchihas. Your friends are planning a party for you."

"Senpai, it's supposed to be a surprise."

"What, really?" Shisui beamed, but caught himself quickly. "A party, for me? Great! Itachi, you're coming, too."

"I suppose you won't take no for an answer."

"Excellent," Kakashi said. "We'll see you there, then."

"You'll be there, too?" Shisui choked.

"It would be rude to ask us without inviting us, Shisui-san." Tenzou laughed. "I hope you're not offended."

"No, of course not!" Shisui replied, just a little too quickly and a little too loudly. "I'd be happy to have you there, Tenzou-san, Kakashi-san."

"See you, then." With that, the two ANBU disappeared just as quickly as they came.

It didn't escape Itachi's notice, that Shisui stared at the spot his two ANBU team-mates had been a moment before. It also didn't escape his sight, that Shisui was still blushing furiously.

"The one you're in love with," Itachi started. "It's still a boy, right?"

"I wouldn't call him a boy, Itachi." Shisui said, grinning to himself.

"Please tell me, it's not Kakashi-Taicho."

"That arrogant bastard? No way!" Shisui narrowed his eyes and turned towards Itachi with a grin the genius didn't like. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"No," Itachi said nonchalantly. "I just prefer you don't date Kakashi-Taicho."

"Why?" Shisui's tone grew in intensity. "Are you in love with him?"

"Not this again." He turned towards the house, leaving Shisui in the yard.

"You know, you can tell me."

"I'm not!" Itachi called back.

"I won't tell, Itachi, I promise."

"This conversation is over!"

While he closed the door behind him, Itachi could clearly hear Shisui laughing outside. Now, he had to prepare himself for a night out with some of the most annoying, intrusive and ludicrous shinobis in Konoha.

How was he to survive this?