A few of you have mentioned on the fact Itachi commented on being ANBU. Remember, these people are not from Konoha, and thus have absolutely no idea what the hell it means. They just assume, from his discussion when he first got there and explained things, that it was the name of his schooling.
Also, despite my shitty drawing ability, if you go to my deviantart gallery in the scraps section (mistress-dragonflame.deviantart) you'll see a drawing I did of the previous chapter. God, I loved that scene so much.
Ps. Whoo! Over two hundred reviews in ten pages! I'm so proud of myself.
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They went down to the Christmas meal later that day, with both Hermione and Sasuke (who ate a bean, but had the misfortune to get a sludge flavored one) being sulky.
The meal was everything to be expected, and more as there were a few dishes Itachi hadn't seen since leaving Konoha. The two ninja—and one ninja in training—jumped violently at the sound of the cracker, but otherwise didn't react (as in, kill everyone at the table). Itachi smirked widely at seeing the hat that had come out of Snape's, to the man's displeasure. Sasuke promptly wore one of the hats, putting one on each of the ANBU's heads as well. The teachers, who knew that they were trained killers, were highly amused by this. Dumbledore had accio-ed Kakashi's book mid-way through the meal, forcing him to be social, though nothing could be done to the mask, which stayed in place even though he was eating, if one based off the food disappearing from his plate and his chewing, to the immense puzzlement of all but Itachi and Kakashi. Professor Trelawney had joined them to Itachi's displeasure, but thankfully she seemed almost normal. Conversation persisted, and Kakashi was asked a few questions, translated for everyone's enjoyment. Team Six seemed shocked that the man was only 21. How can he be so young but with such white hair?
Soon the meal was over, and Itachi wiped the large smudge of food off his brother's face. Ron and Harry got up to leave, but Hermione said she had something to discuss with Professor McGonagall, causing irritation to flare up in the young ANBU. Itachi closed his eyes and sighed, before first shooting a look at Hermione and then looking the teacher in question. "Harry received a broom, a Firebolt, from a mysterious donator. I have already examined it, and deemed it to be perfectly safe." Ron, Harry, and Hermione gaped at him, and the staff all blinked at him.
"You sure about that, Itachi-san?" Dumbledore said, a bit hesitant.
"I'd ride it as it stood."
Dumbledore smiled, knowing Itachi's hate and suspicion for flying. "Then there will be nothing else too it. Harry may keep the broom."
"B-b-but Dumbledore!" Hermione said, eyes wide in disbelief. "How can Itachi know?"
"His eyes are special, Hermione. And Konoha has different methods then we do. They have ways to be able to detect things in moments it'd take weeks for us to. Why, Itachi-san unlocked a magical game I had been working on for quite some time the first time he ever saw it."
"B-b-but—" Hermione had stood, and now clutched at her front and danced on her feet. "I think Sirius Black sent it to him!"
The table went deathly silent, the only remaining other student—the Slytherin who didn't look too sullen now—shifting nervously in his seat, openly gaping.
"Well," Dumbledore said, but then didn't continue. How could he if he didn't want to reveal Itachi?
But then Sasuke, who no one noticed had left, suddenly came running back into the hall, the Firebolt clutched in his hands. He was panting lightly as he came up, apparently having run both ways, but was grinning happily. "I brought it, Older brother!"
With a quick glance to Harry—who nodded, but looked a little miserable over it—Itachi took the broom and hopped onto it, kicking off. He zoomed through the room in a single loop, before landing easily back where he was.
"Then we must thank Black for this very fine broom if we see him." He said plainly, handing the broom over to Harry.
"Wow! Older brother! How did you do that! That was amazing! Can I try! Please?! Oh, I want to fly too!" Sasuke said, his eyes gleaming. He had missed what happened, and he still didn't know the language, so there was nothing wrong with the situation for him.
"No."
"Aw, you suck!"
Hermione stood red faced, before she finally turned and bolted from the room. Itachi watched her go coolly, ignoring how Harry and Ron thanked him for 'telling her off.' Itachi excused himself saying he was going to show Kakashi and Sasuke around the Castle and grounds, and Harry said they would take the Firebolt back to the common room. Itachi nodded and handed over the broom, saying a passing goodbye to the teachers at the table, and that he was sorry for causing a disturbance.
"Come on, Sasuke." Itachi tugged on the younger boy's sleeve. "I will show you the castle first."
The Konoha citizens made their way through the castle. Itachi pointed out and explained things as they went by, and Sasuke took them all in with more openness then he would have before their dinner. Perhaps it was because he still wore the wizard hat from the cracker, but no one really knows. Kakashi was still unnerved by most everything, but he didn't do anything. In fact, he didn't even talk, instead just read out of his book that he had retrieved before leaving the Great Hall. Of course, it was not to last. Soon, Sasuke spotted a ghost drifting lazily across the large, expansive hallway they had just entered, and he was quick to run up to it, having heard Itachi speak of them previously. It was when he was out of ear shot that the elder ninja spoke, not looking up from his book to his companion who stood next to him in the hall entrance.
"You're going to regret doing that."
"Doing what, Kakashi-sempai?"
"Berating the girl so harshly."
"She was in the wrong, and was undermining my abilities. I will not coddle her." He spoke plainly, watching as Sasuke and the ghost (the Fat Friar, the Hufflepuff ghost) attempted to talk to one another.
"She was only worried for her friend's safety."
"I am their safety."
"She doesn't know that."
"She knows about my eyes, and Dumbledore even vouched for them."
"She's thirteen." Kakashi finally turned to him, glaring with his one eye as he jerked his book down.
"I'm thirteen." Itachi tore his eyes from Sasuke (Nearly-Headless Nick had shown as well, and both ghosts were trying to decipher the boy in front of them.) and turned to face Kakashi as well, passively looking into the angry gaze. "This is my mission, and I'll handle it as I see fit. This does not mean I will baby anyone who is in the wrong. I've told off both Ron and Harry just the same before, and nothing bad happened because of it, instead things turned for the better. To do it to them and not her would be favoritism, and I brook for no such thing."
"Itachi, you and I are about the same in strength and wit. We have many things in common, despite our vast differences in personality. But one thing for certain is I am still eight years your senior. Eight years more experience means a lot. And I speak from that experience that you will regret it dearly if you let her be like she is. Girls are different then boys are in the way their mind works. You humiliated her today in front of her teachers and friends. This will cause animosity and suspicion between you and her. Even if she was in the wrong and nothing comes of it that is also unacceptable to do as a person and not regret it. I at first thought this place changed you for the better, made you less of a heartless bastard. Apparently I was wrong."
"You and I are both ANBU. We are 'heartless bastards.' ANBU have no friends, no connections, no emotions. We only have our mission, to be completed in the best manner possible."
"You can't be in ANBU forever!" He snapped, "You have to become a person again at some point in your life, whether if it's now or when you get eventually killed, is up to you. I've sold my soul to the ANBU long ago, and only recently have I gotten it back. I'm only trying to help you regain yours before it's too late to be able to. You can be in the ANBU and still have a soul, it's difficult, but you can. You can start by being a person while you have the ability to do so." Kakashi spat, furiously turning back to his book before he took a deep breath, calming himself. "This mission is the perfect opportunity. Take it with both hands—for your own good, my friend." He said, his voice calmer as his shoulders loosened.
But Itachi continued to look at him, the air stilling around them as time wore on. "You've left the ANBU?" He finally asked. Look underneath the underneath, Kakashi-sempai always said.
"This is my last mission as ANBU, a supposed 'vacation.' I've already broken my mask."
Itachi looked back to make sure Sasuke, who was gesturing wildly and thankfully out of hearing range, was alright. Another ghost had joined the conversation, the Ravenclaw ghost, and they all watched as Sasuke made some weird, extravagant movements as if trying to say a hundred different things with his body.
The two ninja stood in relative silence for a while, Itachi digesting the fact Kakashi was leaving ANBU. Kakashi had been Itachi's teacher in the use of the sword, and they were frequently paired together for strenuous missions that required less then a single four man cell. They were friends, everyone knew that, but their main connection was ANBU. Now Kakashi was leaving it...
"I used the emergency scroll." Itachi said in a small voice, breaking the silence. No one more then absolutely necessary was told of the use of emergency scrolls; simply for the fact the people who used them were highly embarrassed because they had to use them.
Kakashi glanced at him, before turning a page with a flick of his thumb. "There was a genjutsu here?"
"No. A creature called a boggart was the cause. It shows you your greatest fear, and I had a very bad reaction to mine. Upon the after math of seeing it, I used the scroll. I contacted Sasuke."
Sasuke, now being surrounded by five different ghosts, apparently gave up, and was currently walking sulkily up to them while the ghosts looked confusedly at his back. Kakashi turned around to leave, but placed a hand onto the smaller ninja's shoulder. "There's still hope for your soul left, Itachi. Please don't give it up."
Itachi looked to the ground slightly, not responding, even as the weight of the large hand lifted from his shoulder.
"Hey, Itachi, what were you talking about with Kakashi-san?" Sasuke asked as he came in Itachi's line of vision.
"...Nothing, Sasuke. What were you trying to say to those ghosts?" Itachi gave a small smile down to his brother, and they turned to walk out of the hall together. "It looked... Interesting."
"Bah." He scowled, looking put out as he trudged along, catching up with Kakashi who had paused to examine a picture with scantily clad water nymphs a little too closely."I was trying to see how they can become ghosts and if they knew of any around Konoha."
"Really..."
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Hermione sat in the library, avoiding her friends, like she had since yesterday. Early that morning she left the seemingly deserted common room, only to glance behind her and see Itachi watching her. He was clad in nothing but his pants and button up white shirt, with a white, fluffy towel draped across his shoulders and partially over his head, his long black hair wet, showing he had just finished showering. Embarrassment and shame riding high again at the sight of him, she ran all the way to where she was now, a table located in the back of the library where rarely anyone ever went, her head buried in her arms. She sniffed loudly, letting her breath out in a slightly defeated moan.
Books were scattered across the circular table, open to certain pages she needed to read. But she couldn't seem to gather the will to start studying.
Why had Itachi been so mean to her? She was only doing what was what's best. Why couldn't anyone see that? Why did everyone hate her for not wanting Harry to get hurt? Was that really so wrong? And what was up with him anyway? How can anyone do the things he can do? And what type of profession does he need those abilities for anyway?
"Hermione."
Hermione jumped violently, head whipping to the spot where the voice had appeared from no where. Itachi sat calmly across from her, his hands clasped and resting on the table. When did he get there? Was she so lost in thought she couldn't hear him approach and sit down?
His slanted, pitch black eyes held no emotion, like always, but they seemed to accuse her, shun her, and she had to look away.
"Go away." She said, flinching as her voice was thick and raspy.
"No."
"What do you want then?" She put her head back down, avoiding his gaze but still feeling it, making her skin crawl. "Confirmation? Ok; you were right, I was wrong. Happy now?"
The silence dragged on and she was almost certain he had left when he spoke again. "You seem to be confused as to why I did what I did yesterday."
"To prove your claim!" She snapped, shoulders shrugging angrily, but didn't raise her head. "It was obvious."
"Partly, yes." There was a pause, and she snuck a peak though her brown, curly hair, seeing him leaning back into his chair with his interlocked fingers under his nose, eyes looking down. "One of the reasons why I did that with everyone present was because I felt you were trying to discredit my abilities. I had already told you there was nothing wrong with the broom, yet you still felt the need to report it to a higher authority. When they agreed with me, you still seemed determined to prove me wrong and I became angry. I flew not only to prove my point to the teachers, but to show you wrong in retaliation to what I perceived you attempting to do to me. To make matters worse, you were doing it in front of my friend and my brother, even if they didn't understand the conversation."
"I thought ninja don't have emotions." She said snidely and wrinkled her nose, knowing she was being petty and low but didn't care. "Surely such a thing like that couldn't have changed it."
"I may be a ninja, but I'm still just thirteen years old."
Her shoulders slumped at the steady, rational voice, not affected at all by her rude tone. Itachi was always calm, clear minded, and didn't talk a lot, causing her to sometimes forget he was the same age as her. Silence settled on them again, and she sniffed, trying to regain her composure. Hot tears came to her eyes, but she refused to start crying again. Instead she finally sat up; keeping her head bowed, and wiped them away using her sleeve of her robe. She let her hair block her face and her undoubtedly red, swollen eyes, not wanting him to see them.
"I just was worried about Harry's safety. Black's out there and he's out for him! And-and now there's suddenly a b-broom showing up unexpectedly?" She felt even more ashamed at the fact she was starting to sob, and took deep breaths attempting to calm herself. She stared at her hands, which twisted and writhed in her lap nervously, not wanting to look at him to see the disgust and annoyance surely there because she was crying, showing her weakness and stupidity.
"I know. I understand." He said in his smooth voice, and she hiccupped, snorting lightly at that. "Believe it or not, those were my initial thoughts when I saw the broom as well. That's why the first thing I did was examine it closely with my eyes, my most effective method. Had it proven to have a hex or curse cast on it, or even a suspicion of one, I would have taken it directly to the headmaster, regardless what Harry and Ron would have done or said."
A box of tissues was pushed into her line of sight, and she reached to grab a few, sniffing loudly and mumbling a small thanks. She wiped away at her tears and nose, before dropping her hands and allowing them to start tearing apart the tissue. Her throat was swollen, but she forcefully swallowed, licking her dried lips, waiting for him to continue.
"That was the other reason I did what I did. When you challenged my claim, I also felt as if you were challenging my thoughts to Harry's well being. I felt like you were discrediting my regards to Harry's safety, as if I didn't care for his life. But I do, I do care if Harry, Ron, or you are in danger. If I suspect something, I will always check it out. Where I come from, it is not unheard of for friends to suddenly disappear, to be killed. Konoha is in a peaceful time, but it still is very dangerous. Everyone there has to be cautious, and it is engraved into our children when they are young. My training in ANBU only heightened my paranoia, though I like to think of it as 'walking on the safe side of life.'"
She glanced at him, to see him slightly smiling at his slight joke. She gave a brief smile back, but swallowed again, dropping her gaze. "What exactly is ANBU for? You never really said. I mean, I know it's some type of training, but... Not what it's for."
"ANBU is the best of the best. Very few get selected for it. There are the police, like what my family does, and then there is ANBU. ANBU are the ones that actually protect the city, the police just regulate it. We are under no ones command but our leader, the current Hokage. Kakashi-sempai is also ANBU, however, he is leaving it once he returns to Konoha."
She nodded and raised her head, glancing shyly at him. He smiled slightly, before closing his eyes and sighing dramatically (for him), his hands in his lap. "Of course, now you know too much and I'll have to kill you."
Suddenly, she snorted and started laughing. She laughed and laughed, clutching at her side as if that single sentence was the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life.
"No, seriously, I'll have to." He said, smiling still, and she just laughed even more. He stood from his seat and grasped her arm, helping her up. "Come on, I'll take you to a nice field and do it quickly."
By the time they gathered her books and left the library, heading back to the common room, her mirth had died down to bubbles. They walked down the halls, Itachi as unruffled as ever, but seemingly gave off an air of amusement. She smiled at him, sighing as she finally calmed. "Thanks, Itachi, for cheering me up and apologizing in your own indirect way. Had it been Ron, or Harry..."
"You'd probably spent the next few weeks miserable." He turned his head to her, eyes still blank. "But there is no thanks necessary. It was my fault for making you like that in the first place."
"Still..." They walked the rest of the way in silence, only broken once by Sir Cadogan who tried challenging them drunkenly.
The others had awoken and were doing their own things as the two walked in the room. Well, Kakashi sat lazily in a plush chair with his feet propped up into the fireplace while Ron, Harry, and (surprisingly) Sasuke stared lovingly at the hovering Firebolt.
Ron immediately tried to get onto the girl's case, but Itachi sent him a withering glare that had even Sasuke take a step away. Hermione set up her books on a table and began working, this time actually able to. Itachi set up the game of living chess and taught Kakashi how to play, and soon Sasuke was drawn away from the Firebolt to watch the interesting match where the ninja poked the figures (they didn't understand Japanese, so the two couldn't order them to move) with kunai until they took the hint, complaining and cursing loudly. Ron and Harry spent the rest of the morning just watching the Firebolt from every direction. They didn't take it outside as they didn't want to get dressed for the cold just yet—but they would after lunch, first thing.
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Itachi watched with a small smile as he stood on the stone steps of the entrance. Sasuke and Kakashi waved merrily at him through the window as their coach started to travel off. But as Kakashi sent an air kiss back to him, winking suggestively, the man had to quickly ducked his head back into the coach as a kunai imbedded itself into the wood were he once was. He will never learn, will he?
Soon Sasuke also ducked back into the window and out of sight, and a light snow was starting to fall. Itachi didn't move, just continued to watch the coach as it disappeared with his bottomless black eyes, breathing out small, white puffs into the bitter air. He blinked, and they were gone.
The smile, which had always been present in some way on his face since his brother first arrived, slowly melted off, his face becoming completely impassive, almost cold, once again.
Silently, in a flurry of pure white snow, he vanished back into the castle, resuming his mission once again.
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MDF: Yeah, just two chapters for Sasuke. Sorry for the short one, but I had to end it here. I really liked the ending scene, with Itachi just standing there and breathing, and I don't know why. Would anyone care to draw it? Please?