9. Sting

"You must remember, my dear lady, the most important rule of any successful illusion: First, the people must want to believe in it."
― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing

April 10, 6.13 PM

"This is…a little public, don't you think?" asked Naoko, brown eyes flickering around doubtfully. Military training had provided her with a questionably healthy amount of paranoia – anyone could be a spy of the Akatsuki. The local, yet popular, restaurant was immensely crowded – the movement rate of a waitress was determined by the size of their waist. This was most likely why Itachi picked this spot to meet, it also proved nearly impossible to catch every detail.

She barely recognised him – the disguise of choice for the day was a brunette businessman with some grey streaks in the short strands of hair. To a bystander this might've seemed like a dinner between a parent and his daughter. The thought sent a pang of guilt through Naoko's stomach.

This man who called himself Itachi smiled in a fatherly manner, "You know how to control your body language, Shimotsuki. There's nothing to worry about, for now."

Naoko held back a snort, the look didn't suit the notorious killer at all, "You need to learn how to smile," shot back the soldier. She stubbornly leaned back in the chair and leafed through the menu absentmindedly, "it doesn't reach your eyes. People will look away from a face like that."

"Are you labelling me a sociopath?" he asked without skipping a beat, sounding almost genuinely amused.

A smile grazed her lips and Naoko raised her eyes to meet Itachi's lensed blue irises, "I doubt your heart rate ever goes above sixty, so a sociopath by choice," and with that her pool of small talk had run dry, "but I know you didn't drag me out here to talk about you."

He met her gaze head on, "Indeed, but one last question before we deal with more urgent matters?"

She shrugged, "Ask away." There wasn't much point in declining, it's not like she was in a hurry. A part of her wanted to know this man and befriend him, but Itachi was so accustomed to closing himself off that it was oddly difficult to establish mutual ground with him.

"How's Sasuke doing?"

There was a strain in his voice; Naoko's ears caught it right away, despite his best efforts to hide it. A feeling of urgency, mixed with a healthy amount of curiosity…so there was indeed a way to get a rise out of Itachi, but something held the redhead back from pointing it out. This man had missed nearly six years of his brother's life…precious time that can never be recovered.

"He's…" her voice trailed off before Naoko continued with a smile decorating her features, "he's absolutely brilliant. Top of his class, just like you were. He's perhaps a little rough around the edges," was her answer, entirely truthful.

Itachi met her with absolute serenity and a small smile had crept on his lips, a genuine one. It shone through the layers of plastic that covered his face and reached his eyes and for the first time Naoko caught a glimpse of just how beautiful he could be.

"Good," was his only verbal acknowledgement, and the moment vanished as his features set back to the mask of politeness that Itachi had grown so accustomed to wear, "What worries me is Kakashi's tardiness." He slinked back to business as easily as a weasel.

Naoko smirked, "You'll get used to it, he'll be here. I'm getting dinner while we wait." Truthfully Naoko couldn't figure out just how was it humanly possible to be late every single time. Unless he was attacked, which would be worrisome.

It was hard to discern if Itachi was irritated, disappointed or uncaring about the matter, but he remained silent while Naoko waved over a waitress and ordered a plate of honeyed scorpions. Her eyes kept returning to Itachi, wondering what kind of a person is hiding under those features. What did he dislike? Did he have any strange habits like eating apples with the core?

Perhaps he had scraped it all away after going undercover. How much of Itachi was still left? Trackers loved patterns and repetitive actions, in order to remain hidden and anonymous he'd have to hide everything.

It took her a few seconds to understand that Itachi was looking right back at her.

"What?" she asked defensively at Itachi's peering eyes, "I might as well try something weird while I'm here!" exclaimed the soldier defensively.

Silence settled between the pair while they waited, the sound of chatter nearly suffocating them both. Naoko leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms across her chest, "Since we're being honest I have to ask - how much of this is your doing?" Finally Naoko had gathered the courage to ask the question that had been gnawing her from the inside for days, ever since learning Itachi's identity.

The man being interrogated raised an eyebrow, "You'll have to be more specific." He said with the utmost tranquillity, causing Naoko's eyebrow to twitch.

"Did you know that I was Kino's daughter beforehand? Did you pull some strings to make sure that Kakashi and I would be sent to Earth? This seems like a really…opportune coincidence."

Her face remained polite throughout the sentence, though her tone had taken a cold edge. Sure, Itachi was under official orders from Konoha, but that didn't make him trustworthy. Trust is earned, who is to say that he wasn't going to throw her under the bus with Kakashi? Years can change people and one man's will isn't unbreakable.

She was met with silence from across the table, "Well?" she demanded firmly, hands still frozen in the same defensive position, as if it would make her seem more assertive.

"Naturally I keep an eye on my brother; therefore I knew who you were beforehand and when your mission was taking place. I pretended to receive a tip from the broker and volunteered to take the job."

His answer was truthful, and very carefully measured out. Each word held weight and thought behind it as Naoko listened patiently, her lips pursued. He gave her the bare minimum necessary to answer the question, no more or less.

"Why? You weren't there in person to contact us, so it was far-fetched that an alliance could be born out of the ordeal and there was a real chance of injuring your brother. Was it worth the risk?"

Naoko regretted her last remark as soon as it flew from her lips. It was an unnecessary jab, like rubbing salt on a wound. Suddenly the clattering of dishes sounded a lot more distant as tension between them grew and strained the air close to the breaking point.

"Keeping him safe was your job. My job is to complete the task given to me by the third Hokage, so please keep your criticism relevant."

It was hard to believe that this was the same man that had smiled so gently just minutes ago. Anger and disappointment was veiled by an iron mask that obscured everything from the outside world. Naoko could only guess what was going through his head at that moment. Just then the waitress arrived with her dinner, but she found herself lacking an appetite.

She stared at the black mass of food on the plate before sighing, a little empathy was not too much to ask from her, "You're right…I'm-," but Naoko's sentence was cut short when her eyes caught sight of Kakashi entering the restaurant. The woman wanted to groan – the man who's always late also chooses the worst time to show up. Kakashi found them with ease and walked straight to them, manoeuvring through the mass of people with startling precision.

Apologies had to be postponed until later. Naoko had been with Kakashi long enough to know that teamwork was imperative for the success of this mission. They would have to learn to synchronise and establish trust to…make it out alive.

Kakashi took one look at the scorpions and cast the same look, a mixture of disgust, amusement and bewilderment, towards Naoko who snorted, "Not you too. Where's your sense of adventure. Sit down so we could get this over with." She snapped and moved over in the booth to let Kakashi sit down. He cast a benevolent look at Itachi, "Pardon my tardiness, there was a bridge collapse so I was forced to take the long way here."

Naoko had to bite back a groan, literally, opting to shove a spoonful of the scorpions to her mouth. She noticed both men studying her as she crunched the sweet mass and swallowed, brown eyes flickering back and forth between the two.

"It's…tastier than it looks." She admitted finally before shaking her head frantically, "Okay, we're all here. How are we tackling this?"

Kakashi was first to speak up, "I think Naoko and I should get an extended order for your mission. Inform Tsunade about your mission, it'll possibly give us more freedom, better resources…"

Itachi nodded firmly, "Agreed, and after that I propose that we use Naoko as bait." The preposition was so straightforward that Naoko hadn't even managed to process Itachi's words before her partner spoke up.

Naoko felt the temperature drop several degrees as Kakashi's voice resonated in their little cubicle, "Your grand plan is to sacrifice her?" he asked coldly.

The other man remained unfazed, opting for logic, "Hoshigaki is already interested in her. Let her investigate the broker, ask Kisame for help and feed him the illusion that he is corrupting Naoko to garner trust."

"The ambassador…he did tell me that I'd be good at politics," mumbled Naoko out loud. Itachi wasn't wrong with his approach, it was all that they had for the time being. Had that suggestion been bait? What was Hoshigaki Kisame thinking…

Itachi nodded, affirming the idea that was forming in all of their heads, "You pretend to betray the military and be under Kisame's influence, your worth would be guaranteed by your relationship with Hatake. Inside information about Konoha's Intelligence branch is valuable and hard to obtain."

"He's unpredictable, so if this is the way you want to go," asked Kakashi while casting Naoko a meaningful look, "then I suggest we take this slowly. Let it simmer. Loyalty to the military is hard to break and he knows it. One misstep and he'll see through you right away."

"Which is why it has to be Naoko. You, Kakashi, have already made a name and a career for yourself," explained Itachi. Once Kakashi had brushed his initial emotions aside it was clear that Itachi had approached the situation from a completely tactical viewpoint.

Kakashi agreed from the standpoint of a captain, but worried as a friend. It was the best course of action they had for now. Itachi had managed to run himself into a dead end where he was too far in the Akatsuki to take it down on his own.

Naoko sat up straight in an effort to seem more assertive, "But that's what allures him, no? I'm not stupid, I know I seem, and probably am, idealistic and loyal. Itachi, you know him best…Sure, he'll see this as a challenge, but what do you think he will plan to do with me?"

The broker rested his arms on the table, fingers crossed in front of him elegantly, "It's possible that he'll aim to merely gain another puppet, but he'll kill you on the moment he senses anything strange."

Kakashi rubbed a gloved hand over his chin, "That's no use to us, taking down only the ambassador is the same as cutting off a lizard's tail. Is there a way to get her closer to the Akatsuki?"

"There is," said Itachi truthfully, "If you commit a crime eloquently twisted enough to garner the leader's curiosity then you might get a shot at meeting him."

Her brown eyes widened as she searched Itachi's eyes for any sign of a joke, "You're kidding right? What, you want me to bomb Konoha or something!?" she demanded, voice rising slightly.

Itachi cast a quick glance around before resuming their discussion, making no mention of the lack of control the woman had just displayed, "That is up to you, but don't expect to walk out of this with your hands clean."

Her eyes flickered again between the two men before Naoko inhaled a deep breath to calm herself. This was her choice. There was still time to back out…but how could she? With so many lives at stake, with Itachi's future and the peace of the kingdoms at stake…this wasn't the time to think of herself. Not that she could go back to day-to-day teaching.

"How did you get in?" she asked suddenly, "What did you do?"

Pictures, scenarios of the endless possibilities of the nature of Itachi's crimes flashed before her eyes. It hadn't occurred to her that Itachi's hands were possibly drenched in blood. Six…seven years, what else did the Akatsuki have him do? What will she be coerced into committing?

He smirked, as if reliving the years of his youth again, "I became the broker…I dealt information to anyone and everyone, including them, until the leader contacted me. Or someone working with him. Either way he proposed I join, but keep my persona as the broker a secret. 'Let's see if any of those fools figure it out on their own', were his exact words."

Kakashi caught the glitch in Itachi's plan right away, "But there was no meeting, and so you ended up in a cycle." There was even some sympathy in his voice. Just like Naoko, it seemed that Kakashi found it foreign to trust Itachi. For years they had lived with the knowledge that the man in front of them was a traitor, fraud and a rogue.

Yet in front of them sat Uchiha Itachi – brother and a loyal servant of Konoha.

"Yes," he nodded, "So my mission remains uncompleted."

Naoko deliberated every exchange of this night. Could she really afford to back out now? In front of her sat a man who had sacrificed years of his life, just to fulfil one mission. Perhaps when this is over then Itachi can even meet Sasuke…The possibility was there, dangling in front of Itachi's eyes. Family and state were quite possibly the only motivators that he had left to keep his sanity.

The redhead brushed away Kakashi's touch and nodded, "Alright…pretend to allow Hoshigaki to stray me from the path of righteousness, commit a heinous crime to meet the leader and then proceed to take down the Akatsuki…"

Her silver haired teammate chuckled next to her, "It sounds quite daunting when you put it like that."

Itachi had to bite back a smirk, "It's a waiting game, initially."

Naoko held back the urge to roll her eyes and she flashed the impostor a toothy grin, "Aren't you a ball of joy. How about you help me finish the scorpions so we could all go and grab a beer? We can't really plot much else without getting Tsunade's consent."

Their eyes met and Naoko picked up none of the negativity from before. Everything was good, they were good, Itachi knew that she hadn't meant it like that, right? To their surprise Itachi did pick up the spoon and scooped a mouthful of the black mass into his mouth.

Kakashi chuckled, "How is it? I don't trust Naoko's sense of taste."

The criminal, disguised as a fatherly businessman shook his head, "It's unique." He deadpanned, causing Naoko to groan, "It's not that bad!" she argued.

This felt wrong. Switching from discussing their mission to jolly bicker about food…but perhaps this was another method of Itachi's to keep his sanity. When was the last time that he had spoken freely with another human being?

"Good to see that some things never change…" mused Kakashi, swiftly dodging Naoko's smack that threatened to land right on his shoulder.

Itachi cast them one last look before rising, "Contact me if you know Tsunade's stance. Good night, Shimotsuki, Kakashi," he said with a respectful bow towards them both before resuming his personality as a mediocre businessman with a strange limp in his walk.

Kakashi watched him leave before glancing at Naoko, "Are you going to finish those scorpions?" he asked with the utmost seriousness, earning another attempted smack.

April 11, 6.23 AM

The Hokage was in a foul mood, no day should start before 7 in the morning, yet here she was. Perched high in the sky in her glass tower with the hangover of the century, and already someone was rapping on the door. Tsunade pinched a pressure point on her hand to keep the headache at bay and prepare her to meet this early visitor.

"Come in!" she called, trying to supress the grogginess in her voice. In truth she wanted to slam the chair across the room and tell the person to bugger off. Actually, it was still a tangible possibility, one that was tempting her greatly.

Her eyes recognised the spiky silver hair in an instant and the Hokage was momentarily befuddled. Hatake Kakashi, the man notoriously late every single day was several hours early. He would be at home sleeping were this not serious…no, judging by the look of him the man hadn't slept the entire night.

"Kakashi," growled the Hokage, "This better be good." She snapped at the man before sinking down into the large leather seat. Tsunade's initial plan had been to down a few painkillers and douse off until someone comes to wake her, but apparently this was going to be ruined. Instead she had to rely on this grotesque chair to make her presence known because frankly, Tsunade was lacking the energy to do so right now, but last night had been completely worth the fatigue she was going through.

A thick folder was clutched in Kakashi's hand that he gracefully dropped on Tsunade's crowded desk before stepping back to a respectable distance, "We should change protocol, I know you will never read this…" the man grumbled, "Hatake Kakashi, requesting an extension to both I and Shimotsuki Naoko to be included into mission F87PPS10. The details of our involvement and possible outcomes are written in the folder in front of you. I suggest you read it and burn it to avoid any leakage."

Tsunade frowned, she didn't know of any on-going mission with that code, but Kakashi didn't make mistakes with details concerning the military. The manila folder was left untouched for the time being and instead she pushed away the mess of files to gain access to the keyboard.

Her fingers hastily typed in the mission code into her computer, drawing up a mission protocol dated several years back. The Hokage frowned, just what piece of old garbage had Kakashi dug out this time?

Old garbage that demanded Tsunade to verify her identity with her fingerprint…Ranked S-class.

The blonde slid her eyes over the first page of the mission protocol before freezing in her position.

Impossible. This had to be a fraud, some sort of scam or a practical joke, but one look at Kakashi solidified her fear that this was not the case. He was completely serious and determined to do this.

The further she read, the more implausible the situation seemed to be, yet suddenly it all made sense. Itachi's betrayal, disappearance…everything was connected after all, Shimotsuki had been paranoid, but apparently rightfully so.

Tsunade eyed the protocol that Kakashi had written up, most likely the night before and pushed it back towards him with the tips of her manicured fingers, as if information could be transferred through touch.

"Take it, I want to know nothing about this." She replied tersely, shaking off the remnants of her sleepiness, "The less people involved, the greater the success rate of your mission. Possibility of a leak or betrayal is too great to take the risk, even if it is me."

Kakashi seemed relieved as much as he wanted to burn that stupid protocol right then and there. It was Naoko that demanded that they complete it the same night, despite not knowing how to compose one of those files that often proved to be as useful as the terms of agreement contracts that came with software. It was out of the warmth of his heart that Kakashi let his teammate sleep in while he himself showed up to deliver the wretched file in person.

"I take it that you will grant us the extension of orders and temporary leave from our teaching positions?" asked Kakashi, sounding nearly amused. The latter condition was for Naoko, who would no doubt worry about such a detail. What if she comes back and her teaching position is gone? The redhead would go insane and drop their mission entirely.

The Hokage gripped the edge of her table, "I don't want to even know how you stumbled upon this mission, but the fact that you did already proves that you have some head start, something to base your speculations on. What you're asking me if I'm willing to gamble the lives of two amazing Intelligence agents?"

"With all due respect, Hokage, I don't think that your permission could sway the decision. It would merely provide us with better resources and more liberty to act as we see fit."

This seemed too bizarre to be true and Tsunade sure as hell wasn't equipped to deal with it this morning, but it was tempting to grant them permission. It was possibly the same as signing their execution orders, but the sliver of success was still there. What if they succeeded?

She would have to put her emotions aside and think as a tactician. True, those two were valuable, but if they succeeded…Konoha's dominance would be solidified and they would have one less enemy to deal with in the future. One less threat to muddle the waters. Tsunade's eyes flickered to Kakashi, her voice resonating like iron.

"Do you realise the risk factors involved? Things may play out in such manner that it isn't the enemy to put a bullet through your head, but one of our own."

"I know that."

"Do you?" demanded Tsunade, "Does Shimotsuki realise that as well? You're dragging her down this path as well."

The mention of Shimotsuki drew a smirk from Kakashi who ruffled his hair out of habit.

"This was her own initiative, Shimotsuki is why we're even having this conversation."

This was a twist of events that Tsunade hadn't anticipated.

"Truly?"

"Indeed."

"Have you been taking your medicine properly?" asked Tsunade suddenly.

"Is this relevant?" deadpanned Kakashi who was just about as enthusiastic about the morning as Tsunade was.

"Yes," snapped the Hokage, "You never showed up for a follow up. Perhaps you're not fit for this mission. Then again you're not cackling up a lung, so I guess this is an improvement."

Kakashi recognised that she was merely stalling to garner a few more seconds and think this through. Tsunade had never been one to ponder on decisions long, instead relying on quick thinking and first instinct to guide her through the years and so far it hadn't failed.

"More or less, I think." Replied Kakashi dryly, playing along with Tsunade merely because he was equally tired and yearning to get that figurative permission slip from the Hokage.

"Fine, I shall make the necessary arrangements and provide you with higher level access. You will also receive codes to shut down all access to military files should it prove necessary. Permission granted, it will take me a few hours to make necessary arrangements…"

"Thank you, Tsunade." Kakashi yawned mid-sentence, before bowing lazily and turning to leave.

"Hatake?"

He stopped and looked lazily over one shoulder with his visible eye.

"Make sure you two come back alive, I don't care if it takes you a month or ten years, I want this to end with a positive result. That's an order, dismissed."

"Yeah-yeah," he waved lethargically to the Hokage before changing his course to the teacher's lounge. There was a lovely dark blue sofa there, perfect for his morning nap.

Hello all!

This chapter was so much fun to write. I was/still am quite worried about how Itachi is turning out. Yes, he's a sweet-sweet man who is absolutely broken and doesn't display much emotion, but at the same time I believe that he would gladly embrace this chance of having some normal, honest conversations that don't involve murder and terrorism. I do find him one of the hardest characters to write properly.

Until next time (which is hopefully quicker than several months!)

Lilyholics