Behind every man lay the potential for good or evil, the main mistake that people made though was thinking that there was no in between. Few were capable of seeing the shades of grey between the black and white definitions, a definite fault because people were not so simple. In these shades of grey was where he now found himself, his path treading ever closer to that darker and more twisted avenue with each day that passed. The very same path that Madara himself had gone down an age ago.
How long could he weave between the lines before he stumbled and fell? It was a mystery to him and he could only guess as to when that time would come and pray that it never did. Thinking over it made him wonder how hard Madara had fought against his inner demons before being swallowed up by them. Had he struggled valiantly for many years or had he given in the moment they first reared their heads? He had no way of knowing and he dared not to ask knowing that he would likely not gain a response and perhaps a dark look or strike for his boldness.
"Cursed clan?" There was a bitter laugh that almost escaped his lips. "Always has it been the curse of our blood has it not? Understand, you may but only a fraction." His voice almost seemed to have a breaking point all on its own, perhaps one that lacked the sanity. Yet at the same time he was sane.
"Perhaps it is simply our fate from the very beginning." The sound of the other man's laughter sent a chill down his spine, it reminiscent of the madness that lurked just beneath the surface. "It seems hardly fair for all of us to pay the price for the wrongdoings of our ancestors, but life is hardly fair. And I do not claim to understand it all, just that I might know more than you give me credit for Madara-sama." The break in his master's voice only further put him on edge knowing how close the other man was to indulging in the freedom that was provided by insanity.
Had he unwittingly touched a nerve as well?
"You were a child of war, and yet, the understanding of war and chaos is far different than my own. It's a vicious cycle, one born out of love. The idle protection of it, the need to care, creates a spark of war. That hatred, it's the flames of being unable to protect the thing that your heart holds dear."
Truth rang in the elder Uchiha's words as much as he hated to admit it. So long as love existed there would always be hate. It was a delicate balance and one could not seem to survive without the other and it had been his goal to try and find some way to break that vicious cycle, but so far he had found no way. That outcome had him question if it were possible, which was something he had to keep telling himself that it was or else he would be lost.
Itachi could not allow himself to fall, at least not completely. Already he was tainted, his childhood and innocent view of the world ripped apart before his eyes at an age most people could not fathom, but still he tried to put faith in people. It was a very hard thing too when it would be such a relief to give in and have all of his struggles, all of his woes fall away.
"You never forget the pain of losing it either." The prodigy had lost so much and the damage done to his heart was irreversible. Each beat was painful, each breath agony of the kind that had nothing to do with the physical but the emotional and psychological damage that had already left him a shell of his former self.
How much more could he lose before he could not even recognize himself?
The younger Uchiha's entire body stiffened a fraction at the other man's touch, his hands placed upon his shoulders without a bit of hesitation. There was no reason for him to, Madara having done this ever since he'd taken him in and Itachi couldn't help but see it as a show of power, intimidation, and perhaps possession over him. It was a strange and twisted relationship that they shared, one that bordered on respect, fascination, and disgust and Itachi would never be able to sum it up in simple words even if he tried.
"I'd watch your tongue, if I were you. You are trending on water."
As the gentle pressure of the other man's fingers was applied to his neck the prodigy knew to be careful. Madara had just given him a silent warning with that touch, a warning that stated: 'Go too far and I will not hesitate to break you'. He would be a fool to ignore it and yet he did nothing to pull away from the touch, to escape the potential threat because he knew it was all but useless doing so. No matter what happened he stood little chance of surviving if the other Uchiha was intent on killing him and they both knew it.
"Forgive me Madara-sama, I shall be more mindful of my words." Itachi then did what many people would probably have thought madness in his position, but you had to be a little mad after living the way he did and he leaned his head back into the touch. It was his own silent way of saying he understood the elder male's power and that he would provide no resistance. But deep down it was also a small form of defiance, showing that he was not afraid of it either. "I suppose I was swept up in my own thoughts was all."