Pain was something that Itachi had grown accustomed to over the course of his short and violent life, the prodigy coming to expect it as the only constant. Everything else was lost to him or cruelly taken by others without the slightest hint of hesitation. Why should they or anyone else care? It was a cycle that had begun from a time beyond memory and that would continue long after he was dead and gone, one compose of those who used others and those that were used.
He was a fool to think he could break the cycle on his own and while he never expected to he still had hoped to see some change in his lifetime. Reality was far more cruel though, this encounter yet another reminder of it and the fact that all he could expect in this life was pain. It was something that his master was all too glad to bestow onto him too, the man beyond the point of return and no longer capable of being appeased by his show of submission.
Again the man closed the distance between them and sank his teeth into the damaged flesh, the prodigy gritting his own teeth at the renewed assault. His entire body screamed at him to resist, to fight back in some way but his mind knew better. The moment that he actually fought the worse it would be for him and if he thought he was in pain now he would be in for far worse later on. So all he could do for the time being was endure and hope that Madara eventually grew bored with him and left him alone to pick up the pieces all over again.
"You were foolish, and you shall learn."
Itachi would certainly learn, he was not called a prodigy for nothing and pain made for an excellent teacher. The main issue at hand was that he had no idea what he said in particular that had struck the man so, setting him off like a time bomb that he now had no control over. Whatever it was the younger Uchiha vowed never to touch upon any of the subjects they spoke of today ever again as he bit back yet another pained sound and squeezed shut his eyes. Try as he might though he could not help the tension that filled his body, winding it up as if it were ready to snap.
Hot blood spilled down the prodigy's neck, the coppery scent filling the air and turning his stomach. Oh how he hated the smell of blood, flashes of old memories filling his mind of that old battlefield from long ago that had so scarred him.
"Have you given in to the shadows of your heart already?"
Dropping his head the prodigy took in a shuddering breath, trying to push back the pain that continued to wrack his body. However, this breath came out in yet another sharp hiss as he felt the other man's hand leave his hip only to push up under his shirt and rake his nails down his pallid skin. The action had Itachi sink his teeth into his own lip, trying to keep still and not give Madara further reason to pursue his destructive tendencies. Maybe it was a futile task, but all he could do was hope for the best as his own crimson eyes opened and met those of the elder Uchiha.
"F-forgive me," the words came out barely above a whisper, blood trickling from his lips now from where he'd bitten through the flesh. "It will never happen again, I promise you that. I have learned and I have learned well Madara-sama."