Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me.
Author's Notes: Because at least two people liked this story enough to want to read the next chapter, and because it's a story I really, really want to tell, I forged on with it. Thank you to those two people; you made all the difference to me.
Into the Dark
by Kristen Elizabeth
And I held my tongue as she told me,
"Son, fear is the heart of love."
It surprised Itachi how little being engaged changed his life. Even with a wedding looming in the future, his days proceeded as before: training, missions, apologizing to Sasuke and clan meetings, with just enough sleep thrown into the mix to keep him alive.
He hadn't seen Akane since the day of their yuinou, but thanks to his mother's efforts, he had learned a bit more about her. She was his age, but had enrolled in the Academy the year after he'd graduated, which explained why they'd never crossed paths before. According to Mikoto, she was a gifted student and had already accessed her Sharingan, a considerable feat for a woman at all, especially one so young.
It was little wonder then why the match had been made, but even understanding the reasoning behind it couldn't make Itachi stop thinking about the other girl at the yuinou. He knew it was unfair to his future bride, and he had every intention of carrying through with his duty, but even the mighty Uchiha clan couldn't control his mind or his heart.
Still, he endured the congratulations on his engagement, as if he'd had some part in it, and he tried to smile when clan members he barely knew slapped him on the back and made blatant insinuations about the importance of him having strong sons as soon as possible. It wasn't the first time in his life that he'd felt like the property of his clan, but it was a fresh level of dehumanization. In some of the elders' eyes, he was no better than a prize stallion.
Itachi found solace in only two things: his ANBU missions and the small amount of time he got to spend with his little brother. Sasuke had grown at least two inches in the four months since the engagement. He soaked up knowledge like a sponge, determined to be equals with Itachi, something Itachi hoped he never settled for.
He didn't want Sasuke to be the same as him; he wanted his brother to be much better.
As for the ANBU, he'd been aware that the unprecedented success of his missions wasn't going unnoticed by the Hokage, but he hadn't expected, when he was summoned to the old man's office, that he would walk out with the heavy responsibility of being a captain.
Anyone else would have been elated to share such news with their family, but Itachi waited until the very end of their nightly meal before telling his father about his promotion.
Fugaku lowered his chopsticks and stared at his son. "They made you a captain?" he repeated.
Nodding, Itachi sipped his cooling tea. "Effective immediately."
His mother turned around at the sink, her hands full of soap bubbles. "Itachi!" she exclaimed. "That's..." She trailed off upon seeing the look on her husband's face. Subdued, she finished, "...quite an accomplishment at your age."
"Yes." The intensity in his father's eyes could have bored holes straight through him. "It is."
"I'm going to be a captain someday, too!" Sasuke declared. "Just like you, nii-san!"
For the first time since receiving the promotion, Itachi smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke." His brother's determination to emulate him was just the boy's way of expressing congratulations. He looked back at his father. "It's an honor for the Uchihas, not for me."
As he'd expected, Fukagu's expression relaxed upon hearing this. "The elders will want to know right away." He paused. "You understand the responsibility that comes with this, yes?"
Itachi met his father's stare with one of his own. "Yes."
While Sasuke tried to tell their father about his own accomplishment, how he'd almost managed to create a clone of himself during class that day, his excited chatter was lost to both men for whom it was intended.
As a member of ANBU, he'd been expected to report on the village's innermost workings, effectively making him a spy for the Uchihas, but this promotion changed things. Itachi knew it, and he sensed his father knew it, too. It meant that the Hokage trusted him and believed in his loyalty to the Hidden Leaf.
The Uchihas might not have agreed with Sarutobi Hiruzen or even liked him, but even the most loyal clan member would have been hesitant to dismiss the Hokage's instincts out of hand.
If he had faith in Itachi...it was only a matter of time before the Uchihas no longer did.
A week passed without incident, and while Itachi wasn't foolish enough to let down his guard, he did wonder if perhaps his fears had been premature. He was still invited to clan meetings and only two days after the promotion, one of the elders had remarked that if Itachi was old enough to lead an ANBU squad, he was old enough to head his own household.
Itachi could feel the yoke of his engagement, his duties, and his very future bearing down on his shoulders. Instinctively, he knew he needed a release. So when Sasuke begged to be taken to the Tanabata festival in the village, Itachi found himself unable to say no. They set out at sunset, Sasuke with warnings from their mother to behave himself, and Itachi with enough money to buy whatever his little brother wanted.
It was a good distance from the Uchiha compound to the center of Konoha and Sasuke spent the entire walk talking about his classes and complaining about how Iruka-sensei had asked him to help Uzumaki Naruto after school.
Itachi gave no indication that he recognized the name, but he did gently rebuke his brother. "It's an honor to be asked and a true ninja helps those in need."
Sasuke mulled over this until they reached the festival and his attention was torn away by the paper streamers, colorful lanterns, and crowds of people. Food and game booths lined the streets and the mingled scents of takoyaki and yakisoba sparked Itachi's long-absent hunger. He bought a plate of each and the brothers sat down on a bench to share their snack.
In the middle of slurping down a pile of noodles, Sasuke pointed out a goldfish scooping booth. "Go ahead," Itachi told him when he was done eating. He smiled and handed the boy a couple of coins. "Just don't wander off."
Grabbing the money with a grin, his little brother took off running. When he was satisfied that Sasuke had gotten to the booth without incident, Itachi sat back against the bench and looked up at the sky. As night approached, the blue of twilight turned darker and darker, bringing the stars out in a brilliant, twinkling display. Itachi took a deep breath and expelled it slowly.
"Uchiha-san."
Lowering his chin, Itachi was surprised to see Hatake Kakashi standing in front of him. Although a former ANBU himself, Kakashi had quit the Black Ops years earlier, but his reputation proceeded him. Even if he hadn't possessed the Sharingan of an Uchiha, he would have had Itachi's respect.
"Hatake-senpai," Itachi returned the greeting. "Are you enjoying the festival?"
With his hands in his pockets, the older man nodded as he looked around. "It's a good night for one." A moment passed. "I suppose I should congratulate you on your promotion."
It didn't surprise Itachi that the Copy Ninja was still in the loop when it came to ANBU. "I'd be honored if you did."
Kakashi's gaze finally returned to him. "Then...I'm sorry I can't."
Itachi nodded his understanding. "Many people believe I'm too young for the position."
"I'm not one of them." He thought he saw Kakashi smile sadly underneath his mask. "But I don't envy you, either." Pulling one hand from his pocket, the silver-haired jonin waved as he walked away. "Good luck, Uchiha Itachi."
As he pondered the strange and random conversation, Itachi suddenly remembered his brother, but when he looked at the goldfish scooping booth, Sasuke was gone.
"Sasuke," he called out, hoping to see a dark head of spiky hair peek out from behind a bush or a post. There was no response, not even a mischievous giggle. Itachi stood up. "Sasuke!"
Not completely alarmed, but a little concerned, Itachi made his way over to the booth. "Oji-san," he said to the withered man in charge of the game. "The dark-haired boy who was playing here a minute ago...did you see where he went?"
"He ran that way," the man pointed. "A couple of girls were chasing him."
Itachi sighed. "Thank you."
Making his way through the crowd, Itachi kept a sharp eye out for his little brother. His efforts paid off within minutes, as he spotted Sasuke standing off to the side of the street, in front of a ramen stand, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes. A girl his age stood next to him, her hands sheepishly clasped together at her chest, her pink head bowed.
But it was the person kneeling in front of Sasuke that made Itachi stop in his tracks. He recognized the pattern on her pink kimono immediately.
His brother noticed him first. "Nii-san!"
The girl turned her head and the second look into her amber eyes was even more powerful than the first. Itachi blinked. He knew he needed to say something, but he couldn't think, not when he could see the rosy blush in her cheeks and the full curve of her lips.
"Nii-san," Sasuke called again, effectively jarring Itachi out of his thoughts. He looked at his little brother, suddenly noticing the bloody scrapes on the boy's knees. "Sakura and her stupid friend were chasing me and I fell." Sasuke threw an accusing scowl at the pink-haired girl.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!" the little girl cried, tears welling up in her green eyes. "I told Ino-chan we should stop, but she didn't listen to me!"
"It's all right, Sakura-chan." The older girl's voice was soft and sweet. Itachi moved forward, to see her better as she smiled at the children. He watched as the girl who had haunted his dreams put her hand close to his brother's injuries. A green glow enveloped the wounds and when the girl lowered her hand again, Sasuke's knees were completely healed, without so much as a scar. "See? Sasuke-kun is going to be fine."
Sakura and Sasuke stared at the girl in awe and Itachi found it hard not to do the same. Besides being beautiful and kind, she was a healer of considerable skill. Medical ninja were valued by all shinobi, but Itachi couldn't think of any who came from his clan. As important as it was, healing was seen as a weak skill in comparison to the Sharingan or the Fire Release.
"Sasuke," Itachi said. "You should thank her."
Sasuke immediately bowed his head. "Thank you, Emiko-san." It didn't escape Itachi's notice that Sasuke used an honorific, something he only did with people he really respected, but he didn't ponder this fact until later. Right then, Itachi was entirely focused on her name.
Emiko. Graced with beauty. It suited her perfectly.
When she started to stand from her kneeling position, Itachi moved to her side and offered her his hand. She blinked up at him before smiling and placing her hand in his. Her palm was warm and soft and delicate.
"Thank you, Itachi-sama."
He shook his head. "I should thank you. For taking care of my brother."
"I just happened to be nearby," Emiko politely dodged his gratitude. "Anyone would have done the same, especially for a member of their clan."
"Emiko-san, you're a member of the Uchihas?" Sakura asked.
Emiko smiled. "Yes. My sister, Akane, is engaged to marry Itachi-sama."
Sisters. Itachi should have guessed. Had there been a slight catch in Emiko's voice, though, or was it just his imagination tricking him into believing that she might look at him the same way he was looking at her?
"I can't wait to get married!" Sakura exclaimed.
Sasuke folded his arms and snorted. "Who would ever want to marry you?"
Before the pink-haired girl could burst into tears or punch his brother in the face...and honestly Itachi had no idea which option she might choose...someone called Emiko's name. She and Itachi turned at the same time, only to see Akane approaching with a woman Itachi recognized as his future mother-in-law.
"Itachi-sama!" Akane immediately bowed. It took her mother a moment to follow suit...a moment she used to narrow her eyes at Emiko. His intended bride straightened up. "What a surprise to see you here."
Now that they were together, Itachi could see the great resemblance between the two girls, yet they couldn't have been more different. Akane's eyes were the same color, but they were colder than Emiko's. They were eyes that possessed the Sharingan. Her hair was also shorter, cut for practicality in battle. She had none of her sister's curves; her body was compact and muscled, no doubt the product of years of intense training.
There was nothing wrong with Akane, but if Emiko was the sun, Itachi's bride was a distant star.
"Emiko." Their mother's tone was sharp. "Why are you bothering Itachi-sama?"
Itachi frowned, proud to note that Sasuke did the same. "I'm not bothered, Oba-san." The woman looked like she wanted to bristle at being addressed as one would a grandmother, but considering who Itachi was, she couldn't. "My brother was injured and Emiko-san healed his wounds. We are in her debt."
"I tried to tell Itachi-sama that it was nothing," Emiko murmured. Her smile was gone now, and she'd lowered her chin, hiding her eyes from view.
Her mother ignored her. "Perhaps, Itachi-sama, you would like to watch the fireworks with us." She looked at Akane. "It would give you and Akane a chance to talk."
He could have refused on the basis that he'd promised to spend the festival with his brother, but he couldn't avoid Akane forever. Plus, being around Akane meant being around her sister. Learning her name and her ninja skill wasn't enough. He wanted to know more. Everything. What she liked or didn't like, what her hobbies were...whether she was promised to someone else.
So, Itachi accepted the invitation and spent the next two hours alternating between keeping an eye on his brother and trying to muster up even the smallest amount of interest in Akane's long list of accomplishments, while all he wanted to do was talk to the girl who trailed behind them like she was a servant.
Emiko was silent, save for one precious moment when the first burst of colored light illuminated the sky. Itachi watched her out of the corner of his eye as she gasped in delight. Her smile made some unidentifiable part of him ache in a way he'd never experienced before. His throat closed up as he tried to swallow.
She must have felt his stare because she turned her head ever so slightly towards him. He couldn't look away. She might not have had the Sharingan, but he was caught in genjutsu from which he never wanted to wake. No words passed between them, but it was all Itachi needed to know that he wasn't alone in his interest.
After the fireworks and the long walk back to the compound, the brothers parted ways with the women at the gate. Itachi watched until they were out of sight, hoping Emiko might look back a them, but when she didn't, he hauled a very sleepy Sasuke onto his back and turned towards their house.
"Nii-san?" Sasuke mumbled against Itachi's high collar. "Emiko-san is pretty, isn't she?"
"Yes," Itachi said after a long moment. "She's very pretty." He forced himself to smile. "I thought you didn't like any girls."
"I don't!" Sasuke protested. He was quiet for a second. "But I think...if I ever did...I could like someone like her."
Itachi waited until his brother's breath evened out, a sure sign that he'd drifted off, before he quietly replied, "You wouldn't be alone, otou-chan."
TBC