You may thank my incompetent internet provider for this. I had little better to do while stuck in hold because my internet was down...
Edited 23/3/16: Shisui's name is now consistent. I still keep calling him Sushi in my head though.
-/-
The glass hit the bar with a thud, and Ibiki signalled another glass over. Kakashi eye-smiled at him and drained his own glass before disappearing. Still, he left a couple of bills on the bar, so Ibiki didn't storm after him. The slouching figure of the Jonin Commander weaving his way over towards where they were was enough.
His eyes were as sharp as ever and Ibiki quirked his lips into a grin. Shikaku had been attempting to corner Kakashi for a good few days now. It was a testament to Kakashi's skill that he hadn't been trapped yet.
"Ibiki. Enjoying your date?"
Ibiki did chuckle at that. Anko had taken great delight in cackling over all the rumours. "Free beer and free food. He hasn't dumped me with the bill once."
Shikaku hummed thoughtfully. Ibiki could see the wheels turning in his head and the conclusion he came too. He kept his face blank. Kakashi had been clear. There was no way to know who had been compromised, but the Jonin Commander was a very likely target, as was Tsunade-sama. For the good of Konoha, he could not reveal anything.
Shikaku's eyes narrowed.
Ibiki took a slow drink of his beer, not taking his eyes off the man.
Shikaku glanced away first. He turned casually, noting how many people were in ear shot and determinedly not paying attention. His jaw ticked.
"You know Ibiki, how long has it been since you caught up with your old senpai? Inoichi was just saying the other day how it's a shame none of the younger generation have time for us old foggies anymore. You should come for tea sometime."
Ibiki did. Not. Flinch.
-/-
Kakashi was lounging in front of Itachi's cell when Ibiki caught up with him later, a packed lunch by his side. It looked a lot like the ones Shikako sometimes bought in so Ibiki didn't ask where it was from, instead, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Not hungry?"
Kakashi shrugged. "I have other food." He looked briefly disgruntled, before swiping the bento up and passing it to Ibiki. "Ready?"
Ibiki hummed but nodded. Kakashi slipped his headband up and slouched after him, his eyes blank. Ibiki recognised it as his deep thought face. Not surprising. This was a complicated and difficult scenario.
"Ibiki."
Ibiki smiled, "Itachi. How are you doing?" Itachi glanced at the seals crawling over his skin and raised an eyebrow, Ibiki ignored the jab. "Very well, shall we get down to business?"
"I can't help you."
"Whether you help us or not, we will not allow Danzo's manipulation so to continue."
The words were said gently, a mild rebuke. Itachi's face twitched in what would have been distress for a lesser ninja. It was the only approach that seemed to gain any results with him and it was not a tactic that Ibiki was very experienced with, however...
"I can't..."
"Do you think he won't target Sasuke if you don't help us? That no one your brother cares about will be hurt?"
Itachi's dark eyes stared up at him, his Sharingan was blocked by the seals, but he still had a penetrating gaze. Ibiki sensed victory was close though. There was a seed of doubt behind that solid conviction. One that was growing.
"Danzo has already targeted Sasuke, Itachi. Whether you are free to challenge him or not, he has shown that he does not care." He paused, just long enough for that thought to sink in, but not long enough for a response. "He is a danger to this village, to Sasuke, to every true Konoha ninja. You are a loyal Konoha ninja whether you act the part or not," Itachi opened his mouth slightly to contest this, but Ibiki overrode him. "Why won't you help us?"
Itachi fell silent and looked away. Ibiki waited patiently. Behind him, Kakashi was doing a very good impression of silently melding into the background. Ibiki could barely sense him himself, though he knew Itachi could. He tried anyway. Attempting to sense him was a suitable distraction to the pins and needles growing in his left leg. The usual response of flushing his leg with chakra wouldn't be appropriate given Itachi's own sensing skills and the point of waiting was to let Itachi stew.
-/-
When Itachi did begin to talk, slowly and haltingly five minutes later, Ibiki's patience was well rewarded. Itachi told them everything.
"Danzo... Danzo approached Shisui first. He was already in ANBU, unknown to my clan. He said he had heard rumours and was concerned. The rumours were that there was unrest... because Uchiha had gone missing and the Village hadn't acknowledged this. There were others too; about how Uchiha were being skipped over for promotion because copied jutsu didn't count... How the taxes we paid were the highest out of all the clans and this was unfair. Those... Those weren't true. We knew they weren't true, we had people working in the Hokage tower who saw the finances and mission reports. We knew who was in our clan and who wasn't. We knew where everyone was."
He swallowed, his eyes going distant.
"What was true, was that the police force was being deliberately understaffed, that increasing demands we being placed on our patrols and the Hokage refused to let us recruit among non-Uchiha shinobi. This forced more and more Uchiha to join the police force instead of serving the village in other ways. Non-combat personnel were pulled in first, and we lost our eyes and ears in the tower, in the different departments. Then our Chunin were called back by the clan head to boost the police force numbers, then our genin and a few of our jonin. We were increasingly isolated and the council refused to listen to our complaints."
His lips twisted slightly, hinting at a deep bitterness. "That was when unrest began to show in our clan. And it was when Danzo began to take further steps. He sabotaged the negotiations with the Hokage. He piled more and more restrictions on our clan. The Hokage, Shisui and I tried to keep the peace, but it wasn't working. We came up with a plan. One that would have forced the Uchiha elders to listen. It depended on Shisui."
He fell silent and Ibiki considered him for a few seconds. " Shisui's sharingan."
"Yes." The word was little more than a whisper. "Danzo found out. He stole Shisui's eye. Shisui... Committed suicide. Danzo... Turned to me. He gave me a choice. Either my clan could die at my hands, or those of his 'Foundation'." He fairly spat the last words, before swallowing. "I... I chose mine, at least that way Sasuke could live."
Ibiki considered whether it would be appropriate to lean forward and place a fatherly hand on Itachi's shoulder. He decided it wasn't. "There was no one else you could ask?"
"There was no time. It was then and there... Or not." Itachi dropped his age to his hands. "I went to the Third after. I asked him to protect Sasuke. He said he would."
Ibiki nodded calmly. "Tell me about Shisui's eye? Are the genjutsu it can cast truly undetectable? Unbreakable? What is the extent of the effects of each genjutsu?"
Itachi answered. He was speaking now, and Ibiki took full advantage, wringing out as much information as he could. The situation wasn't as bad as they had feared. Only specific decisions could be affected, and while yes, a decision could be 'will I or won't I trust him completely?' with the possible exception of the other elders, none of those kind had been made. Tsunade certainly didn't trust the Old Warhawk that much and she didn't consult him on everything.
Exactly what decisions he had influenced over the years would likely remain a mystery, but the clean up after this was over? It would be a lot less complicated than they had been fearing. Konoha might get through this with an intact government after all.