A/N: Happy new year! As a git and that I failed to update here as well (again) you get two chapters at the same time. Have fun.

Another reincarnation story

20.

Itachi's head collided with the metal surface of his locker where he had just put his mask. The last team of Ge-nin really took forever to get to the center of the forest. And all for nothing. They didn't have the right scroll and were disqualified immediately. And for that, Itachi and his team were stationed at the forest for more than 24 hours straight.

He was given the choice the watch the preliminaries but declined. As entertaining as it would be... No, actually Itachi would be bored out of his mind. Some of the Ge-nins might have been interesting, but not worth Itachi's notice. Also, he had no real interest in the drama of the other young adolescents. His own drama was enough to keep him awake at night.

"How does it feel to know that they are your age?" a certain silver-haired captain said, occupying a large amount of space on Itachi's bench, in his locker-room.

"We live in a cruel world," Itachi said dryly. Some of his team chuckled as they continued to change out of their uniforms. "What are you doing here, Taicho? Don't you have some places to be?"

"Just like you?"

"Just wanted to give you a head-start." Itachi massaged his stiff neck and retrieved his wallet from the locker. "Though you could get the lunch started."

"I would if I could." Kakashi said, his voice muffled by the open book on his face. It was especially disgusting considering the porn between those pages. "But your cousin is laying siege to my apartment."

"You've got to be kidding me." Itachi sighed. Shisui could be really stubborn, if he set his mind to it. Apparently, he didn't consider their conversation to be over.

"I'm afraid I'm not," Kakashi sounded way to cheerful after an equally long shift and not being able to return home. "I don't know what happened between you and I don't really want to know. But as your current landlord, I have to tell you to remove him."

Itachi knew better than to fall for that. "Well, that's a lie." If he enjoyed anything it would be calling Kakashi out on his bullshit. "You're just hoping that my cousin and I would provide you with entertainment."

"Busted," he grinned, his one gray eye peeking over the edge of his book. "I really enjoy drama of the highest quality and nothing amuses me more than watching you and Shisui-san bicker."

"We do not bicker," Itachi denied, heading straight to the exit. "We have eloquent arguments."

Kakashi didn't seem to be listening as he followed. "I'm more of a dog person, but I do like good cat-fights from time to time. Two lions fighting for domination is just majestic."

"Enough already!" Itachi rolled his eyes. "I'm too tired to fight with Shisui right now. All I want is food, a bath and then four hours of sleep."

"I second that, but you do understand the concept of a siege, right? He was there an hour ago, and he's still there right now." Kakashi gestured. "I have Pakkun on watch. I doubt he'll just leave because your ask nicely."

Itachi weighted his options. "It just so happens I'm a genius."

"So am I," Kakashi shrugged. "What's your plan?"

Itachi smirked. "We bring out the secret weapon."

"You want me to do what?" Tenzou's face was comical. He was completely flushed, his hands waving in front of him. As if denying his relationship to Shisui would do him any good.

"It has come to my attention that you and my cousin are quite involved lately," Itachi said. "I believe this task wouldn't be too difficult for you?"

"No, not really," Tenzou nodded dumfounded, then flushed another shade of crimson once he realized what he just said. "I mean it's not like that! Shisui-kun and I... we're not like that."

"Have I mistaken the nature of your relationship?" Itachi tilted his head. Tenzou wouldn't dare lie to him.

"No, it's just..." he sweated, clearly not knowing how to escape Itachi's trap. "Senpai, are you in on this?"

Kakashi shrugged from behind his book. Perhaps a change of strategy was needed. Itachi turned to face Tenzou again, looking up at him from his position. He knew that Tenzou was a man of great integrity who valued friendship gravely. And if Itachi wasn't wrong, he counted just among that.

"Please Tenzou, I could really use your help." He said, allowing just the tiniest bit of helplessness to blend into his voice. "I know your feelings towards my cousin is sincere and I'm aware of the ways he feels about you. But he can be unreasonable and difficult at times. For that I apologies."

"Uhh," Tenzou laughed nervously. "Runs in the family I guess."

"The thing is that he can be very stubborn if he wants. And it's Kakashi-Taicho's apartment he's guarding and I really wish to resolve this dilemma without hard feelings. Please Senpai, help us out." He bowed before Tenzou, something he had never done before. And so, the trap snapped shut.

As they jumped over the roofs of the two buildings that separated them from Shisui, Itachi caught Kakashi winking at him. He smirked. When they were safely hidden behind the corner watching Tenzou approach the brooding Uchiha who was firmly rooted to the floor just outside Kakashi's apartment, he heard his one-time captain whisper in his ear.

"You weren't kidding about the secret weapon. Any special reason for this overkill?"

"The prospect of a warm bath and charming company." Itachi replied and set his eyes on the show.

He didn't know what he should expect, but this wasn't it. He had seen seduction many many times over the years and performed it even more often himself, but watching Tenzou flirt with Shisui let him understand that seduction was an art and clearly not in the arsenal of every shinobi. The scene before him was downright terrible, border-lining on gruesome. It was almost like watching a lump of wood grinning at a campfire. He felt bad for Tenzou. In Shisui's bad mood, he could devour the seasoned ANBU in one bite.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly, his eyes not leaving the door.

"Ah," Tenzou laughed nervously. "Just passing by, Shisui-kun. Everything alright?"

"Why?"

Tenzou scratched the back of his head and hesitated. "Any reason you're waiting for Kakashi-senpai?"

"I'm waiting for Itachi." Shisui explained and finally turned to face his boyfriend. "The Ge-nins are already at the preliminaries. He's due to be back soon."

"Knew I shouldn't have given you classified information. That never ends good." Tenzou sighed.

For a moment, Shisui looked unsure. "I'm not getting you into trouble, am I?"

"Who knows," Tenzou sighed even louder. "He'll know it was me. But that's my fault. Shouldn't have talked in the first place."

"No, the fault lies with me!" The concern was all over the place and Itachi wondered why it took him so long to realized this. "Shouldn't have pressured you. Forgive me?"

Now's your chance, Tenzou! Itachi begged. Shisui was leaving himself wide open. One careful word and his cousin was bound to leave momentarily. But instead of directing the situation away from their position, Tenzou actually was busy apologizing himself and reassuring Shisui. It was almost as if he got burned by the fire and still apologized to the fire for getting too close. And his cousin was no better. If he didn't want to burn Tenzou, he should have controlled himself.

Itachi shivered. Until now, he had never understood why Shisui was so vocal against him and Kakashi. Now he knew. The way they interacted with each other made Itachi want to vomit. He pressed a hand over his mouth to smother the sound. Kakashi's body was pressed tight against his back, shaking with silent giggle.

"Shut up," he hissed.

"I didn't say anything!"

"It's like watching a cart-crash."

"And mules running around each other," Kakashi completed for him. "I though they would have more grace at it. Excellent entertainment indeed."

Down in the hallways, the conversation had become more imitate. Shisui had actually a hand on Tenzou's arm, stroking it up and down. The attraction between them was thick in the air, out there for everyone to see. Itachi wondered if they had made love to each other yet and banished the thought as quickly as it came. He did not need to think about his cousin having sex with his former team-mate or how much wood-style jutsus would be involved.

"You're a good friend, Shisui-kun," Tenzou was saying, his hand slowly sneaking its way up to Shisui's shoulder.

"I was so worried," Shisui admitted. "If you didn't tell me where to find him, I would never have known how much trouble he's in."

Tenzou laughed with embarrassment. "Kakashi-senpai isn't that bad. He's actually quite caring."

"I didn't mean Kakashi," Shisui rolled his eyes. "Never mind, they should be back soon."

"Debrief could take a while. Mind if I keep you company?"

Shisui blushed slightly. "You don't need to ask, I always appreciate your company."

Itachi was caught by another wave of nausea. He could barely watch as Tenzou nudged them closer. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment and then Itachi had to look away. But he could still hear them kissing and as mature as his mental self was, he could not bare to witness Shisui smoothing. That was just too much.

"About the other day," Tenzou was whispering, "I thought it was really nice."

"Yeah?" Shisui's voice was shaking, his face probably blushing. Itachi knew that it would only be a matter of time until they were both overcome by lust and leave. All he needed was patience. So Itachi gathered himself and resumed his watch. He did keep his eyes on their feet though.

After a while, Tenzou grinned down at Shisui. "Care to repeat it?"

His cousin didn't reply, only grinned at his boyfriend with what was clearly desire. Itachi though maybe he deserved this punishment. In no realm on this earth and no time in the cosmos did he need to know what Shisui looked like when strongly aroused.

He nearly gasped when Shisui suddenly pushed Tenzou against the wall and started biting at his neck. The genius covered his eyes with both hands and wished Kakashi would cover his ears as well. He could still hear their muffled moans and what sounded like hands moving under clothing. Had they no shame, getting on like that in a hallway? What if someone walked by and saw them? What if they were discovered?

The hushed words under their kisses were coming off quickly now, sounding more desperate by the moment. Itachi repeated a mantra of peace in his head, over and over again until Kakashi tipped him gently on the head. The silver-haired captain sounded way too amused when he chuckled. "You can look now, snowflake. The grown ups doing dirty things are gone."

Mortified and shocked deep into his bones, Itachi removed his hands from his face. His eyes hardened into an unforgiving stare when he replied. "If you say one word about this!"

"Who am I gonna tell anyway?" The Copy-nin joked, swirling his keys around his fingers as he made way for his home. "Come on now, time's wasting."

Itachi had the courtesy of letting Kakashi take the bath first. Not wanting to wait for the other, who had the most annoying habit of cleaning his bathtub immediately after he was done, thus taking much longer than necessary, Itachi went to sleep first. He was awoken by Kakashi an hour before sundown with a bowl of cup noodles in front of his face. Itachi hated cup noodles by now but nonetheless devoured it.

By the time Itachi was done with his bath and covered in fresh clothing again, he had somewhat recovered from his mental scarring. Yet, he doubted that he could ever forget his cousin making out with an ANBU in the middle of the shinobi complex. Perhaps it was best to avoid Shisui for a few days and when he was at it, Tenzou as well.

"Feeling better?" Kakashi asked over a cup of tea, his mask still covering his face. "Guess a long bath can cure just anything."

"I did not need to see that," Itachi said, brushing his newly dried hair. "I wish they would be more discrete."

"Clearly you have no idea how Jo-nins work."

"Do not elaborate."

"It's a stressful job," Kakashi said, not looking away from his book. He must have read it a hundred times by now. "No better way to vent some heat. Not that different with us, which surprises me that you haven't noticed."

Itachi didn't dignify that with an response. Of course he noticed. Most of those who joined ANBU had a reason to do so. Once upon a time, Danzou explained to him why he excelled at his task. To be an ANBU agent wasn't only to be good at what they do, but to accept the darkness of everything they did. It was a quality not trained or learned, but found. Those who would give up their identities to become shadows, nameless, shapeless, hidden behind masks were seldom those with the hearts for healthy relationships. As a side effect, most ANBU only sought pleasure without attachment. It somehow had become a common thing not to enter closed doors around HQ without knocking. You never knew who was getting down with whom behind it.

Just because Itachi respected their privacy didn't mean he remained blind to it. He had a complete mental file of the carnal activities of his team-mates, former and present. But Kakashi didn't need to know that. Besides, Itachi had dealt enough with the sex-life of others for one day. Now, he'd rather concentrate on his own.

To the task a hand, then.

He moved towards the bag of belongings he kept in one corner and started rummaging through it. Kakashi had offered a part of his drawer, but the younger didn't want to make the impression that he was here to stay. Also, it wasn't that much. Just some clothing to get by the short hours outside of his duty, a few toiletries and scrolls upon scrolls of sealed weapons.

By now, Kakashi must have realized that Itachi had no intention of returning home. Day after day, he brought more necessities with him on his way back, all bought at a store around the corner. It must also have been obvious that Itachi had unofficially renounced his status as the Uchiha heir. Not wearing his Clan shirt ever since he shrugged out of it would be the first clue. That shirt was still at the bottom of Kakashi's laundry basked. Itachi preferred his ANBU uniform anyway.

But not right now. Right now he was sitting on the floor, looking between two pieces of clothing he brought the other day. One was a white long sleeved shirt with a deep collar, the other a black turtleneck with mesh for sleeves. They were both simple in design, without any print of embroidery. But at the same time, they fitted him perfect, allowing the defined lines of his body to show. In his other time, Itachi never wore white. It was too unpractical and conspicuous. He had always wanted to try, knowing that the color complimented him. Well, as for the other, he just liked mesh.

"Need a new pair of eyes?"

"What?" He startled from his concentration, snapping around to stare at his friend. It took him a moment to realize that Kakashi was merely addressing his dilemma in fashion and not offering his actual eyes. "Oh yes, actually." He held up both pieces and showed them to Kakashi.

The captain whistled. "A date?"

"You could say so."

"Need me out of the way?"

"I would never impose." Itachi shook his head and returned to his decision.

"Not a problem, I could always crash at Ten..." Kakashi hesitated. "You know what, you're on your own."

Itachi chuckled. "I figured." He went with the white one, tossing the other back into his bag.

Itachi emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, having given his best to make his appearance inviting. He wasn't given a lot to work with, though. He was still too thin, too short and too female. The bags under his eyes would never leave and there was nothing he could do against them. He just hoped that his new outfit and open hair were enough.

"He's a lucky man," Kakashi said from the comfort of his bed, buried under an enormous pile of dogs. He gave Itachi a thumb up and winked.

"Not bad," Pakkun commented for his master. "Don't forget to use protection."

Of course Itachi needed advice from a dog. "That won't be necessary."

"He means when adult people do dirty things," Kakashi added and his ninken laughed.

Itachi would not let himself be mocked by dogs, ninja dogs or not. What had his life become. "Thank you for the unnecessary explanation. Now if you excuse me, I'll see you at HQ tomorrow."

"Not returning tonight? Then I agree with Pakkun. Use protection!" Kakashi shouted after Itachi just as the door snapped close.

The night outside was chilly, with the proclamation of a cold winter in the air. As he walked through the brightly lid streets of Konoha, Itachi's heart pounded harder with every step. Thinking about it, he had never been on an actual date before. Not with two people coming from two different locations, meeting up at the same just to spent time with each other and then returning to whence they came. The prospect was exciting. At the mental age of twenty-five and physically thirteen, Uchiha Itachi was finally going on his first date.

Of course absolutely nobody must know about it. He would never hear the end of this should he be recognized, though the chance of that was next to none. Not many people had seen him outside of his ANBU Uniform and even less without his distinguishable Uchiha garb. Without his hitai-ate, he might not even be a shinobi. To them, he was just another fashionable youth enjoying a simple stroll through town.

Yet, the Uchiha genius did not take any chances. He divided his route equally between crowed streets and back alley, making confusing turns along the way. He remained standing at a takoyaki stand to let the thick fragrance of the treat mask his own and only resumed his trek when he was sure no one followed him. As Itachi's feet carried him further away from the center of Konoha, Itachi began masking his chakra presence, not wanting to alert any chunin that might be on patrol nearby.

When he reached the outskirts of Konoha, night had fallen. The rundown establishment he chose for tonight's meeting had a special reputation Itachi could count on. For an inn ran by an one-eyed ex-chunin inside a shinobi village, this place enjoyed the freedom of loose loyalty. In exchange for the right amount of cash, the middle aged woman would even close her one good eye. In fact, Itachi suspected that she just had enough of the shinobi world and couldn't care less about the dealings of her customers, may they be S-class nuke-nin or the Hokage himself.

When Itachi placed a roll of bills on her counter, the old woman didn't even bother to look at him. She grabbed the money, gave it a loose count and produced a wooden bamboo plate from her sleeve with the name of a special room written on it. He handed it over to Itachi and asked with a bored tone. "Anything else you need?"

"A warm bottle of Sake, if you please." Itachi said, already heading towards his designated room. "My name would be Karasu."

"As you wish, Karasu-san," the woman muttered, continuing with her book.

Itachi didn't mind. He found the room easy enough and was satisfied by its remote location. Paranoia was not an illness within a village full of ninjas. It was a commendable trait that was drilled into them since birth. Itachi felt no shame in checking his surroundings for bugs or traps. He wasted no name in securing the perimeter, noting where the other patrons were. Fortunately, they were far enough away that Itachi would not disturb them tonight.

When he was done with the preparation, the bottle of sake was brought by a young girl with soft arms and legs. She placed the drink on the floor and retreated out of the room without looking at her patron. Very good manners, indeed. Seeing that everything was in order, Itachi finally shrugged out of his jacket and removed the scarf he borrowed from Kakashi.

He placed his hands together, forming the signs of Dog, Board and Ram. Accompanied by the whisper of "Henge no Jutsu!", Itachi finally became himself in a shroud of chakra and smoke.

Miles away in the Konoho Shinobi complex, an ANBU captain groaned from under his pile of dogs. He dragged himself out of their clutches and reluctantly laid his favorite book down. He glared at the door as if the power of his will could make the intruder stop. No such luck though. The person at his door continued knocking.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Senpai, it's me."

Kakashi was at his door in one long stride. "Tenzou? You here?"

"Just wanted to check in with you," Tenzou smiled. "Everything alright with you and Itachi?"

"Where is Shisui?" Was Kakashi's first instinct.

"Oh," his friend's face darkened with a flush. "He said there's something he needed to check, so he left."

"When?"

"About an hour ago," Tenzou's brows were lifted in question. "What's wrong?"

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Nothing, only that it was important and he needs to do it alone."

"Dammit!" Kakashi was suddenly on high alert. If his instincts were to be believed, Itachi had depended on the fact that Shisui would be occupied the whole night. Kakashi had never really asked and knew Itachi would never have told, but when he added all the clues and hints together, the picture was more than clear. He cursed his friend from under his breath. After all the near scandals they adverted, Itachi just had to go and involve himself in the worst kind.

In a moment of impulsion driven by his deep loyalty to his fellow captain, Kakashi grabbed his weapon pouch from his wall. He turned towards his dogs, all standing at the ready knowing Kakashi's behavior better than anyone. "Pakkun, take Itachi's scent and lead me to him. Rest of you, find Shisui!"

"Senpai, what's going on?"

"Just a feeling," he dragged Tenzou into his apartment towards the window. "that something big will go down. We might have to stop an international incident."