Chapter 8 – The Fallacies of Power

oOo

Tension was nearly palpable in the air as every gaze in the village suddenly seemed drawn to Itachi's eyes.

"Wh-what… what the hell are you?" the man whispered, scrambling back, and Itachi's sudden rage began to dissolve. Most civilians didn't know what the Sharingan was, he realized. They had every right to be afraid of a seven-year-old whose eyes had suddenly turned the color of blood.

So this is what it feels like, he thought, suddenly a little in awe. To see everything.

Every mote of dust in the air, every crack in the winding pavement lining the streets, every line in the wood paneling of the old shops on either side of him was sharp and crisp in detail, down to the fingerprints on the windows several feet away and the whites of the eyes of the angry civilians now hesitating at the sight of his eyes.

"I am not your enemy," he repeated, calmly this time, before turning to his teammate. "Are you alright, Shin?"

His teammate wordlessly nodded, his own eyes wide, and Itachi turned back to their sudden, impromptu attackers.

"We aren't here to hurt you. Our mission objective is complete. Attack my teammates again, however, and that will change." He turned his back to them, and began walking away. "You've been warned."

Hana broke out of her trance and hurried after him, soon followed by Shin and Itsuki.

"Why are we threatening civilians, kid?" Itsuki asked casually once they had left the settlement with no further delay. The way he asked sounded like he was noting the weather, or an interesting conversation he'd heard.

"They attacked after I mentioned the Canary," came the quiet reply. "Something else is going on, something big, so I just wanted to make sure they wouldn't try to pull something funny."

Itachi glanced at Itsuki, his eyes still burning red, and Itsuki averted his gaze instinctively.

"Did I make the wrong call, Sensei?"

"Er, not really, but Itachi-kun, if you could release your Sharingan, I think your teammates might be able to relax a little. There's no point in wasting your chakra," he pointed out, and Itachi frowned. He paused, a hand coming to his chin.

"I don't know how to turn it off," he pondered aloud, thinking. Hana froze, and Shin whirled around. Itsuki blinked.

"…huh?"

"You don't know how?" Shin demanded skeptically, and Itachi shook his head slowly, pondering.

"Perhaps because I didn't use it to fight?"

"You don't know how?" Shin repeated.

"That's what I said."

"You should feel chakra rushing toward your eyes," Itsuki sighed, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Yeah?"

"Yes, I can sort of feel it," Itachi answered slowly.

"Cut it off."

Itachi hesitated.

"…are you sure, Sensei?" he asked.

"Well, I can't be sure, can I? I'm not an Uchiha. But with any jutsu, it ends when you cut off the source. Do you have a better idea, kid?"

"I just… get the feeling that cutting off the chakra will blind me."

"In a sense it will, since you won't be able to see nearly as well."

"Oi, oi, is this Sharingan thing really that hard to control?" Shin interrupted.

"There's a reason the Uchiha Clan spend years mastering it," Itsuki replied flatly. "You should probably speak to your father as soon as you get home, Itachi-kun. I am far from an expert in ocular ninjutsu."

Itachi blinked, focusing on breaking the steady stream of chakra flowing to his eyes. There was a disorienting shift, like a kaleidoscope shifting a lens across his vision. His eyes slowly faded from crimson back to black.

"Ugh," he made a face.

"Are you okay?" Hana asked tentatively.

"Are you blind?" Shin asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes, Shin," Itachi answered stoically. "Completely blind."

"What?! Seriously?"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

Shin gaped at him.

"…what?"

Hana gasped.

"Did you just make a joke? Holy shit, Uchiha, you just made your first joke!"

Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Let's go home."

"I'm so fuckin' proud of you!" she beamed.

"Language, Hana-san," he reminded her.

"Shit, sorry."

"Language, Hana-san."

oOo

The journey home was relatively uneventful, and the three ninja were sent off to shower and begin their mission reports before their audience with the Hokage. Itachi found himself holed up in his new room, staring at the blank parchment laid out in front of him. He picked up his pen, hovering over the paper, and then set it down again.

Where to begin?

He had too many questions for the Hokage to be able to accurately report what he saw.

Maybe you should take a look at a history book that isn't Leaf's, the Matron had spat. Grass hated Konoha and Mist and all of the active ninja villages that destroyed their turf. Stone apparently got wild enough to cut out a little girl's tongue, and some higher force tried to erase evidence of something by blowing up an entire hospital.

And then of course, there was the Canary. The murderess behind the whole scheme, playing the part of the benefactor. What was her angle? What did she gain by inciting more misery on people that had already lost everything? Was she trying to start a revolution?

Itachi slowly touched his brush to the paper.

Team Two stepped off at 1200 from Konoha's main gate, arrived without incident NLT 1800 Friday…

The seconds ticked by as he meticulously recorded the details of the mission, pausing when his hands started to shake.

For Incident Report on destruction of the local hospital, refer to section… the pen snapped in his hand. Ink spilled across the desk, and he muttered a low curse under his breath. He blinked, surprised at himself. Hana must be rubbing off on him.

"…Hey, Itachi-san." A muffled voice interrupted his thoughts.

His head snapped to the side, only to see Shin tapping on his window. He stood and opened it wordlessly.

"Ready to go?" Shin asked. "Sandaime is ready to see us."

"My report's not done," Itachi answered blankly.

"Yeah, mine neither. I think he just wants to brief us since we had a politically sensitive encounter. At least, that's what Sensei said."

"Okay."

Shin glanced in the room, noticing the spilled ink on the desk.

"…you okay, man?"

Itachi followed his gaze.

"Just an accident," he answered calmly. "Let's go."

Shin watched him for a moment, not saying anything as Itachi climbed gracefully through the window, dropping to the ground on the other side. An unfamiliar tree line greeted him, reminding him once more of how the Hokage had disappointed him before. His home within Konoha was taken from him, and now Konoha was razing down the homes of other foreign settlements without properly compensating them. He wasn't an idiot. He knew war did damage, and villages had to protect their own first, so fighting on foreign turf saved Konoha civilian lives, but… shouldn't they do more now?

"We know you're holding back," Shin blurted suddenly, and Itachi blinked, turning to his friend.

"…what?"

"In—in training," Shin blushed furiously, staring at his shoes. "And… and don't try to talk all fancy or confuse me with big words or whatever the hell you do to win arguments, because Hana-chan and I aren't dumb. We know you're stronger, and we don't really give a shit, but it kind of pisses us off that you hold back when we're all trying to learn."

Itachi stared at him, somewhat at a loss.

"I didn't know that bothered you," he answered honestly, and Shin awkwardly averted his gaze.

"Yeah, well, it does. And like, you shouldn't try to bring yourself down to our level just because you're in a super strong clan and were probably training before you could walk. You can be the super genius guy of the squad as long as you don't brag about it all the time, but even that would be better than hiding it. That's how we're gonna end up hurt or dead. Don't lie about it, just tell us how we can get better and actually do our part so we aren't useless next to you."

Itachi looked dumbfounded, and Shin appreciated the rare expression while it lasted.

"I… I'm sorry," Itachi finally said, bowing his head slightly. "I just… wanted to be your friend and thought it would be easier if we all started at the same level."

Shin shrugged, seeming relieved that the conversation seemed to be going his way.

"It's no big deal, man, I mean, Hana-chan's pretty pissed about it, but we can talk to her together. We already are friends, so you don't need to worry. If anyone's bragging, it'll be us bragging to the other teams about how we've got the youngest Uchiha to activate his Sharingan in like, a decade."

Itachi cracked a small smile.

"So you're saying you want me to start sparring with you in the mornings?" he confirmed quietly, and Shin swallowed.

"Yes," he answered in a small voice. "Just don't… you know, beat us up like those civilians in Grass."

Itachi scoffed quietly.

"That was different."

Shin shrugged.

"It was actually pretty cool. You should teach me that move where you elbowed that guy in the jaw and sent him flying, but teach me before you teach Hana-chan so she doesn't try to practice on me first."

Itachi chuckled and Shin grinned, a little relieved that he'd gotten his friend to smile. Though he'd never admit it out loud, he and Hana had been worried sick about whatever that Canary lady had done to their teammate. He was hoping the story would come out now that they were going to report to the Hokage, but he had a feeling Itachi had some questions of his own for their leader. He sighed internally, turning his attention to the Tower as it loomed over the market stands and shops, finally coming into view.

He supposed he would just have to wait and see how it all turned out. Hana met them at the main entrance to the Tower, her expression oddly pensive. She didn't say anything as they waited on their Sensei, her eyes flicking in Itachi's direction every few moments.

"We all have questions for him, don't we?" Itachi asked after a moment. Shin and Hana both nodded. Itachi sighed, glancing behind him for the telltale signs of their sensei. Finding none, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "We start with the Canary. That's the most politically sensitive."

Hana nodded.

"Then Stone's treatment of Grass civilians, and whether or not Konoha is held to a higher standard," she added.

"I just want to know why we're the first and only aid team sent to Grass since the war ended," Shin muttered. "I'm sure Rain is worse, but Grass still needs all the help it can get."

"Konoha isn't sanctioning missions to Rain right now," Itachi answered. "Father says they're talking about closing their borders."

"Hm. All the more reason to be focusing on rebuilding Grass, then."

"What are we talking about?" Sensei's eerily pleasant voice made the three Genin jump.

"You're late, Sensei," Shin and Hana deadpanned at the exact same time. Itachi looked amused, and Hana glared at Shin.

"Don't copy me," she snapped, and he rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"Chill out, Hana, it's not like I did it on purpose."

She blinked in surprise. Since when had Shin started growing an actual backbone? Kami forbid, was she… was she actually starting to rub off on them?

"And who gave you permission to just call me Hana, jerkwad?"

He flushed, his ears turning crimson, but he didn't deign to reply.

Sensei's sigh brought their attention back to him.

"Enough bickering," he smiled falsely, tipping his kasa forward. "Shall we go?"

Five minutes later found the four shinobi standing in front of the Sandaime Hokage's desk, only to be greeted by not only Hiruzen, his pipe left unlit on the corner of his desk, but also a man Itachi didn't recognize, dressed in a grey, rank less flak vest over a long sleeve black shirt.

Special Ops? He wondered, eyeing the tanto strapped to the man's back. He didn't know much about the Anbu corps, though, he thought dryly, that was probably the point.

"Welcome back," Hiruzen began, folding his hands in front of him. "It is my understanding that your mission did not go according to your expectations, and you succeeded regardless. For that I commend you. Good work."

Itsuki glanced at his Genin, noting the way the praise seemed to roll off their shoulders as if they hadn't heard it in the first place. A small frown tugged at his lips. Why was he feeling this strange sense of foreboding?

"This is Shimura Danzo," Hiruzen continued, gesturing toward the man garbed in black at his side. "He heads operations that involve Konoha's encounters with foreign threats."

"You called the Special Forces for the Canary?" Shin asked, confused, and Hiruzen smiled grimly.

"Depending on the risk this person poses to our village, Shimura-san may or may not be necessary. He's an expert in his field, and it never hurts a leader to call on his experts for help."

Shin slowly nodded.

"So, tell me about this new benefactor to Grass," Hiruzen requested. "I've been hearing rumors, but until your return they were just unconfirmed hearsay."

Shin and Hana both glanced at Itachi, and Danzo's eyes shifted to the Uchiha as well.

"The Canary is a young female about 106 centimeters tall, with dark hair and pale eyes reminiscent of the Byakugan," Itachi reported calmly, his voice even and sure. "She wears yellow feathers braided into her hair and was first referred to as the Canary by two civilian boys in the village, brothers, who were under the impression that she was their savior and someone who came to help rebuild Grass."

He paused to take a breath.

"Upon my arrival at the local hospital, I witnessed an explosion from within the building that killed majority of the patients. When I tried to begin aid and rescue, the Canary arrived wearing Grass's Anbu uniform and murdered the few survivors remaining in the building. She approached me, noted that I was 'just a kid like her,' and then vanished. Her motives remain unconfirmed."

"You spoke to her?" Danzo asked coldly, voice sharp, and Itachi nodded.

"Briefly."

"And her eyes, you said it's possible she possesses the Byakugan."

"I'm not an expert," Itachi answered slowly. "But from what I could tell they were very similar."

"You're sure the explosion came from within the hospital, and was not caused by the Canary?"

"If it was, it would have to have been remotely activated. She was not on the scene at the time of the explosion."

Danzo nodded slowly, satisfied, and turned to Hiruzen.

"Shall I send someone to handle this new threat, Sir?"

The Sandaime Hokage frowned.

"106 centimeters," he muttered, "She can't be older than six or seven."

"Younger ninja have caused greater tragedy for Konoha in the past," Danzo answered quietly. "And Grass's Anbu rivaled Konoha's before the war. Respectfully, Sir, I would not take this lightly."

Hiruzen nodded slowly.

"Dispatch a Hyuuga so that her ocular abilities can be confirmed. I want information first, and a profile before you take definitive action. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Go."

Danzo shimmered and vanished, seeming to leave the room slightly colder than when he entered.

"Are you gonna kill the Canary?" Shin asked suddenly, and Hana blanched.

"Shin," she growled under her breath.

"What? I just want to know. Midori-kun and Shiba-kun like her a lot, and if our village kills their hero, Grass is gonna hate us. We just got out of a war, you know."

"For now, we're just going through standard risk assessment," Hiruzen assured him calmly. "If she is dangerous, we will request information from the updated bingo books of Grass's enemies and try to bring her in to Konoha for questioning. I'm more concerned with how an outsider obtained the Byakugan in the first place. We are known here for having clans with powerful ocular abilities. It wouldn't be good to have those ancient practices carelessly spread throughout the world without proper training."

Hana glanced at Itachi in spite of herself, and he stiffened.

"Well," Hiruzen picked up his pipe, staring down at it with a frown. "Unless you have any questions for me, that's all the information I need immediately. The rest of your mission will undoubtedly be covered within your reports."

"Actually, Sir," Hana stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. "We do have some questions about what we saw."

Hiruzen paused, setting his pipe back down.

"Do you?" he raised an eyebrow. Hana nervously glanced at Itachi and Shin nudged the Uchiha, earning himself a glare from his teammate. Hiruzen cleared his throat expectantly, waiting.

Itachi stepped forward reluctantly, wishing Hana or Shin would take over. He wasn't overly fond of always being the one questioning the Hokage. It didn't look very good for him or his clan. But, he also felt obligated to do what was right, and sometimes he needed answers to do that.

"Well…" he began slowly. "We were not received very well at the village," he tried. "Grass civilians there hate ninja, even their own, for fighting wars across their homeland, and we were the first attempt at foreign aid they'd seen since the war ended."

The Hokage nodded calmly, waiting for him to finish.

"There was a lot of poisonous chakra lingering over the dead they didn't have the resources to bury, and we have experience dealing with bijuu chakra, so we could have helped if we were properly informed. Instead, well…" Itachi glanced at his teammates helplessly. "For lack of a better word, Sir, we looked pathetic. Three children and a Jōnin sensei sent to deliver one wagon of supplies that would be hard pressed to last a week and wasn't nearly enough to help their sick and injured. Most of the supplies we did bring ended up being useless because the hospital was destroyed along with all of their patients."

Itachi shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Why were we the only team sent to help that place? We destroyed their home in the war, fighting people that had nothing to do with them. Isn't it our obligation as one of the most economically prosperous hidden villages to try and rebuild what we destroyed?"

Itsuki stared at his Genin for a moment, mildly impressed.

"Well said, Itachi-kun," he murmured quietly, proud that his team was willing to ask questions before wildly jumping to conclusions.

"Bijuu chakra?" Hiruzen repeated sharply, eyes narrowing, and Itachi nodded slowly. "Why were their traces of bijuu chakra?" he asked.

"They said the Sanbi went on a rampage through their town," Shin offered helpfully. "Something about a ninja from Konoha releasing it on them. That can't be true, though, right? I mean, especially with the accident with the Kyūbi, we wouldn't—"

"Shin," Itsuki interrupted sharply, and Shin started guiltily.

"It's alright, Itsuki," Hiruzen raised a hand, placating him. He sighed, glancing out the window for a moment.

"Nohara Rin," he murmured, almost too quiet to distinguish.

Hana blinked.

"Who?"

"One of our young kunoichi was kidnapped and forced to become host to the Sanbi," Hiruzen answered. "This is not widely known knowledge, so I would prefer you three to keep this to yourselves."

The young Genin nodded, and Hiruzen continued.

"The rescue team sent after Rin wasn't aware she was forced to become host to the Sanbi, and she knew if she were brought back to Konoha, the Sanbi would be released in her home village. Instead of allowing that to happen, she sacrificed her own life, releasing the Sanbi in the field, and it disappeared. Until today, its whereabouts were unknown."

He turned his attention to Itsuki.

"Report to Intelligence," he ordered sharply, and Itsuki nodded.

"Yes, Sir," came the immediate reply, and Itsuki vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"We've got to get him to teach us the teleportation jutsu," Shin whispered to Hana. "It's way too cool for just him to know."

She nodded gravely in agreement.

"Betcha Itachi knows," she whispered back. "We can ask later."

"I'm afraid it was a Konoha ninja who released the Sanbi, but she did it to save her home, and at a terrible cost," Hiruzen answered with finality.

"Who was dispatched to find the Sanbi after the rescue mission?" Itachi asked. "Because failing to find it cost Grass and probably other villages hundreds of lives."

Sarutobi hesitated, just for a moment, and Itachi's eyes widened. Had no one had been sent to clean up the mess?

"I guess it wasn't Konoha's mess to clean up, then," he murmured, and Hana gaped at him.

"Itachi!"

Itachi registered the use of his first name and chose to ignore it.

"My apologies," he bowed slightly to the Hokage. "I'm sure you did the best you could given the circumstances."

"You are right to be angry, Itachi," the Hokage answered. "The simple answer is that we couldn't find the Sanbi. We tried, as did other nations, because tailed beasts offer a militaristic advantage like no other, but somehow it escaped. There are rumors that Mist is still hunting, however no leads turned up until today."

"…I see," Itachi slowly answered, lost in thought for a moment.

"I'm afraid I'm running short on time," the Hokage told them quietly, finally lighting his pipe and blowing a small stream of smoke into the air. He sighed quietly. "If you have any further questions, ask your sensei, and he will answer them to his best ability. That's what he's there for."

"Really? I thought he was just there to drag us through the mud all the time," Hana muttered, and Shin snickered.

"…thank you for your time," Itachi finally answered, and bowed along with his teammates before they excused themselves. As they were walking down the stairs, Itachi paused by the main doors and turned to his teammates, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Did either of you two notice that he didn't answer our original question?" he asked, and Hana nodded.

Shin shook his head in dismay.

"The Hokage totally pulled an Itachi on us," he muttered, pushing open the doors and striding out into the sunlight.

"Excuse me?" Itachi protested, mildly offended.

"That whole talk us around in circles until we forget what we originally asked thing," Shin answered blankly. "That's totally your thing, Itachi-san."

"It is not," the Uchiha answered stoically, his eye twitching.

Shin rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. We know the answer anyways, don't we? It was a PR mission. Look good on paper and all that. They don't want to spend a bunch of money sanctioning enough missions to really help Grass, but no one can say Konoha didn't try to help, right?"

Hana ran a hand through her hair, blowing the shorter strands out of her face.

"Well, the Hokage's just one guy, you know? He can't take care of everyone in Konoha and handle the rest of the world, too."

"So we should just forget about the poverty in Grass?" Itachi asked. "Just be glad we were born in Konoha?"

"Well no," she admitted. "Let's just request to go back to the same district for our next C-rank. They know who we are and we know what they need. We can make sure they get help."

"I don't know if they'll let us go back now that we've reported a possible lead on the Sanbi. Betcha there's gonna be an Anbu team or some special operation over there pretty soon," Shin commented idly.

"No harm in asking," Itachi pointed out. "We can ask Sensei to help us."

"Did you hear that bit about how we should ask Sensei if we have any other questions?" Hana scoffed. "Complete bullshit is what that was."

"I don't think Sensei's ever answered a question about politics before," Shin agreed. "He's more of a 'drop and give me twenty' kind of guy, you know?"

"I heard Gekkō-san just took on a Genin team and they all just sit around playing Shogi," Hana grumbled. Shin snorted.

"That's why we get to go on C-ranks and they don't, Hana."

"Damn straight. You guys wanna go spar for a while? I'm still too moody to write an unbiased mission report."

"What else is new?" Shin muttered, and Hana punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut up, ossan."

"Call me that again, dog-breath," he challenged, and her eyes widened marginally.

"You did not just…"

"What are you gonna do about it?" he taunted, and she lunged at him.

"Come on, Itachi!" Shin called over his shoulder, sprinting just out of Hana's range. "Race you to the training fields!"

"What's he gonna do, just watch and read?" she called back, chasing after him.

"Nah, 'tachi finally grew a pair! Said he's gonna spar with us!"

Hana turned on her heel, only to see Itachi take to the trees, leaping after them.

"Hell yeah!" her expression went feral as she beamed, an anticipatory grin curling at her lips. They raced all the way to the training fields, not pausing once they flew past the 'Warning; Ninja Training Area' signs. Hana crashed into Shin, sending them tumbling across the ground before they leapt apart, settling into their taijutsu stances.

"Water Release: Spout!" Hana dove to the side as a chasm opened from the air and water dumped onto the ground where she had been a moment before.

"Learn some new tricks, Old Man!" she shouted back, before her feet just barely touched the ground and she sprung back into the air. "Eat this! Gatsenga!"

"Ga-what? Agh!" The wind was knocked out of Shin's lungs as a whirling ball of Hana slammed into his chest, rolling over him like a rapidly spinning tire. She tumbled head over heels, managing to sloppily come to a stop on all fours just in time to leap back as Itachi dove for her out of nowhere, kunai glinting in his hands.

"Show me what you got, Uchiha!" she growled at him, running forward. Shin managed to push himself up onto his hands and knees, stunned, just as Hana used him as a footstool to propel herself into the air. Her foot slammed into his back and he collapsed down again, receiving a mouthful of grass for his efforts.

"Hn-uh! Yuh lthl sht!" he spat greenery out of his mouth and shook his fist at her. "That's dirty!"

"Your mom is dirty, old man!"

"Well your mom…!" Shin paled slightly. "Your mom is a very scary nice lady!"

Hana didn't have time to retort as she was suddenly engaged in a rapid flurry of taijutsu, much faster than she could hope to compete with. She barely blocked as Itachi aimed a kick at her side, her forearm aching in protest. She'd known the Uchiha was good, but this good? How much had the bastard been holding back? Shin finally was able to struggle to his feet long enough to rejoin the fight, and the three Genin sparred until they were all flushed and heaving, strewn out on their backs in the middle of the training area. Even the normally calm Itachi was breathing rather rapidly, Hana noticed a bit smugly.

"Now that was a spar," she huffed, unable to hide the grin creeping up her face. "If you ever hide how strong you are again Itachi, I'll give Sasuke-kun a puppy for his birthday."

"You will do no such thing." Warning laced the Uchiha's voice, and her grin stretched wider across her face.

"You don't realize what lengths I would go to in order to put you in your place," she promised evilly.

"If you give my brother a mangy little mutt for his birthday I'll make Shin sign a summoning contract with kittens."

Hana's smile disappeared so quickly it was inspiring.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, the things I would dare to do may surprise you yet, Hana-san," Itachi's smooth answer sent chills down her spine.

"Oi! Why would I have to sign the contract?! Why not do it yourself?" Shin demanded heatedly.

Silence. Then, after an eternity, Itachi decided on a suitable reply.

"…I'm allergic."

"You're totally lying," both Hana and Shin declared at the same time.

They bickered and joked back and forth until the sun began to set over the horizon, bathing the training grounds in gold and red hues. Evening found the three trudging back to their homes to complete half-written reports, with promises to train together the next morning before they pestered their sensei for answers the Hokage failed to provide.

Itachi greeted his parents and permitted his mother to plant a swift kiss on his forehead. He hadn't spoken to them much about the mission, but it was time to inform his father of the most significant development regarding himself and their clan. He just wasn't quite sure how to approach the subject. He found he didn't have to as his father laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, gazing down at him as he took off his shoes by the door.

"You just returned from your second C-rank," he observed. "You've been rather… quiet."

Not that that was anything unusual. Itachi rarely spoke, and when he did, he wasn't known for his volume.

"Certain aspects of the mission were… disconcerting," he answered, meeting his father's gaze. "I needed time to process my thoughts."

"Take care that you do not dwell endlessly. If you should need to talk…" he glanced at his wife, and Mikoto smiled warmly at her son.

"We're here to listen, Itachi."

Itachi stared at them. He didn't particularly feel the need to have a lengthy discussion about a possible foreign terrorist with yellow feathers braided into her hair, or the notion that his own sensei was shadowing him and his movements, or the idea that Konoha may be more to blame for the destruction of Grass than he originally thought. Those were conversations best reserved for his team, whose confidence he knew he could trust. No unwelcome ears would be present nor would whispers be shared as they would be through the notoriously thin walls of their compound.

However, there was one thing he did feel the need to bring to his parents' attention. Just a side note, really, compared to other, much more pressing concerns.

"Okay," he agreed simply. "On my last mission I activated my Sharingan."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

His father's eyes widened a fraction, an enormous tell of his shock, given that his expression was usually etched in stone and bore a strong likeness to that of a marble statue. Mikoto's sharp intake of breath was the only sound that followed, until both adults recovered in record timing, their expressions smoothing over almost simultaneously. If he were a less composed person, Itachi would have snorted. Ninja parents.

"You must be the youngest in over a decade," his father observed, rather redundantly, in Itachi's own opinion. Mikoto elbowed her husband sharply, and his eye twitched, but other than that, he gave no indication of pain. Itachi knew better, though. His mother's elbows were famously bruise-inducing.

"What happened?" she asked gently. "Usually there's some kind of trigger for such an event. Did something make you anxious?"

"My teammate was attacked," Itachi answered stoically, and Mikoto nodded.

"Protecting that pretty Inuzuka girl, were you?" she smiled.

"No, it was Shin. Hana was beating her opponent to a pulp."

Mikoto blinked, one eyebrow raising.

"Oh. Well good for her," she amended with a smug smile. "I quite approve."

Itachi nodded, not sure what exactly his mother was approving of, but deciding that it was of secondary importance to the matter at hand.

"You will see me an hour before dinner every night, starting tomorrow so long as your mission schedule permits it," his father cut in, and Itachi nodded, expecting no less.

"Yes, Father."

The Sharingan required intense training and practice to control, and he was the clan heir. The very best was expected of him, and the very best was what he would provide.

"You have performed… adequately as of late," his Father added, crossing his arms across his rather broad chest. "To my understanding, you have completed multiple missions beyond the performance expected of you. This is acceptable."

Itachi blinked.

"…Yes, Father."

"What your stubborn father is trying to say is that we're proud of you, son," Mikoto cut in, earning herself a glare from her husband that she dutifully ignored. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"Yes, Mother."

She rested a hand on his cheek, smiling, and he excused himself to his room in order to finish his mission report.

oOo

Itachi was up bright and early the next morning for training, quickly checking on his little brother before heading out to the training fields. Sasuke was sleeping soundly, drooling a little on his pillow, and the image kept him relatively content as he passed the warning signs to his team's usual meeting spot. He crouched beneath the shade of a large oak tree, cracking open a large history text and beginning to study. His mind wandered from the printed words, wondering what kind of conversation his team might end up having with their sensei today.

He didn't have to wonder long before the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Sensei," he called without looking up from his book. A tall figure with a familiar straw kasa melted from the shadows, grinning toothily.

"Quite the expert at sensing, arentcha?"

"Your chakra signature is distinct," he answered blankly. "As is the smell of sake."

Itsuki scowled at him.

"Nobody likes a smartass, kid. You should write that down. Invaluable advice from a Jōnin is what that is, right there."

Itachi tactfully ignored his comment.

"You follow me often, it's inevitable that I'd become attuned to your presence."

Itsuki stared down his nose at the Uchiha, pausing to chew thoughtfully on a strand of wheat.

"I'll admit you're a sharp kiddo, but don't think I'd waste my precious time following a seven-year-old around. Fancy eyes or not, I've got women to love and sake calling my name in the few precious moments of freedom I get away from you little twerps."

He pulled the wheat from his mouth.

"I'd have to be raving mad to want to spend more time with you lot."

"Or just following orders," Itachi answered, briefly peering over the top of his textbook at his sensei. "I'm young, not stupid. I know my clan elders aren't on particularly friendly terms with the members of the council. I'm the eldest son of the clan head and you're the current head of T&I, soon to be followed by your brother, Morino Ibiki. If I were Hokage, I would consider it a wise move to have an interrogation specialist watching the moves of the next clan heir. As my sensei, you even have the perfect excuse to monitor my training."

He returned his attention to his book.

"Am I close?"

There was a long silence, broken only by the rustling of the wind in the trees.

"I do not suspect you or your clan of subterfuge, Itachi-kun," his sensei answered finally, his usually teasing tone replaced with something softer.

"Then you are an idiot," Itachi answered calmly. "But whether you suspect me or not has nothing to do with your orders to track my movements."

"And if I was ordered to do such a thing?" Itsuki raised an eyebrow. "Is there anything I should be worried about discovering?"

Itachi met his sensei's eyes and shook his head.

"No, Sensei. I decided not to tell my father about my suspicions, either. I don't think my clan would appreciate the insinuations behind such actions, and I'd rather not see tensions escalate any further."

It was difficult to tell, but Itachi swore he saw his sensei's shoulders relax just a fraction.

"Yo, Itachi!"

A voice cut through the air and both of them turned to see Shin and Hana running up the hill toward them. Shin was the one who had shouted, both of them slightly out of breath as they joined the rest of their team beneath the large oak tree.

Itsuki released a long, drawn out sigh.

"I guess it's time to train, then," he drawled, leaning against the oak tree with one arm. He squinted around the training grounds for a moment, peering at the trees from beneath his kasa. "Go run a lap around Konoha or something."

"No, way, Sensei!" Hana abruptly crossed her arms across her chest. "The Hokage told us to ask you any leftover questions we had about our mission, and we want to talk about out next C-rank."

"Hm," Itsuki didn't look particularly enthusiastic about this news. "Why are my Genin interested in politics anyways? You're soldiers, not members of the council."

Hana bristled at that.

"Because we saw civilians being abused, and the council won't do anything about it unless we have a say in the matter."

Itsuki pulled a bottle of sake from seemingly thin air and took a long drink.

"You're Genin. You don't get a say," he answered finally. "Not until you're more experienced, anyway. The Hokage tolerates your questions because he wants you to grow and apply your knowledge on the battlefield. My job is just to keep you alive so that those annoying jabberboxes of yours are still capable of asking at the end of each mission." He slumped down into the grass, leaning against the tree.

"But, Sensei—!"

"Two laps," Itsuki waved her off dismissively. "If you're quick about it, maybe I'll be sober enough to answer a question or two when you're done." He glanced at his bottle, sloshing it around a bit. "Well, maybe not."

Hana's cheeks reddened, and she opened her mouth to retort, but Itachi closed his book with a snap and put it back in his bag. She glanced at him in surprise as he stood.

"Let's go, Hana-san," He touched her shoulder, gently turning her away from their sensei. "He probably doesn't know the answers to our questions anyway. He's just a soldier, not a council member, you know."

Over Itachi's shoulder, Hana saw their sensei's eye twitch. Shin nodded gravely, walking over to her other side.

"Itachi's right, Hana. We can't ask an exercise junkie like him about complicated things. Maybe we can try to get an audience with the council. You know how it is with Jōnin these days. The council says jump and they say 'how high,' you know? No individuality."

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, loud enough that his voice carried easily over the clearing.

"Maybe that's why he drinks so much, eh?" Shin stared meaningfully at his teammate. "We should be respectful of his… er… disposition."

She glanced over her shoulder at their sensei, whose entire face was now cast into shadow.

"You're right," she answered uncharacteristically softly, her lips twitching as she fiercely fought the urge to grin. "I didn't think about why he always makes us do so much exercise. I should have realized he just had nothing else to teach us."

"There's no helping it," Itachi smoothly commented. "Let's humor the man and run the two laps."

"Oi, now," a deadly voice thundered from directly behind them. "Who did you call a mindless inebriated fool?"

Three chills shot down the Genin's spines.

"N-no one called you that, Sensei," Shin stammered, which apparently was the wrong response.

"You have three seconds to run," the deadly hiss made even Itachi flinch. "One second for each of your miserable asses, and if you survive this, I'll lecture you to death on the intricacies of post-war politics."

The three of them exchanged a glance that held a mixture of triumph and fear. They'd succeeded… hadn't they? Itachi's fingers twitched in signal and they bolted, tearing down the expanse of the hill in different directions. It was a good thing, too, because at that precise moment, a tunnel of wind slammed into the ground where they'd been standing moments before, sending rocks and dirt flying outward.

The sun was high in the sky as the shouts and yelps of Team Two echoed across Konoha, often preceded with a rather strong gale of wind passing through certain streets. For the first time in several weeks, Itachi, Shin, and Hana did not have the energy for a mission after their morning of training.

Noon found the three Genin sprawled across the grass beneath the tree where they started, heaving for breath as sweat glistened on their faces and dampened their uniforms.

"H-he's fast," Shin gasped, rolling over onto his stomach. Hana pushed herself up onto her elbows, red faced and slightly disheveled. Part of her hair was sticking up to one side from a particularly nasty Wind Jutsu that had caught her from around a corner.

"S…Sensei's… not a joke…" she huffed, before collapsing on her back once more.

"That was… challenging," Itachi agreed, not bothering to move from his spread-eagled position beneath the oak tree. His muscles were trembling from the exertion, even after refueling them with chakra.

"What are you brats lying around for?" a deceptively mild voice carried down from above, and Itachi squinted into the sunlight filtering through the branches of the oak tree, barely able to see a familiar kasa-wearing silhouette, casually draped across a branch. Itsuki rested his chin in his hand as he chewed a strand of wheat thoughtfully. "I don't really enjoy lecturing," he drawled, "because my teachings are priceless snippets of information that Genin love to underappreciate. But if you three insist upon me imparting my wisdom upon your arrogant behinds, I suppose I must oblige."

The three Genin were far too tired to protest.

"Well?" Itsuki demanded, and Hana was first to finally catch her breath.

"Well what, Sensei?" she asked tiredly, and he glared at her.

"At least say thanks," he retorted scornfully. "You should be honored."

Hana exchanged a glance with Shin, the same thought written across their bewildered faces.

Is he for real?

"Drama queen," Shin muttered.

"Total diva," Hana agreed.

"Thank you, Sensei, for granting us the prestigious honor of you doing your job," Itachi deadpanned without moving.

Hana swore she heard the slightest trace of something lining her teammate's words, and then shook her head. No, no it couldn't be. Uchiha Itachi was incapable of sarcasm. She would know. She stared at him for a moment, scrutinizing his face for some kind of tell. He sensed her watching him and turned his head to the side, locking gazes with her. Her jaw fell open when the corner of his mouth twitched upward in the slightest ghost of a smirk.

He had! He totally had!

She was slightly awed that she and Shin had already left such an impression on their shyest teammate. Pure delight washed through her before it melted into something warm and good that swelled up in her chest. Man, she loved her teammates. Not that she'd ever tell them that, of course.

Itsuki either didn't hear the note of sarcasm in the Uchiha's voice or chose to ignore it. Hana was betting on the latter. What followed for the next half hour was a complex and lengthy explanation about how Konoha sanctioned relief missions and how they were financed, which eventually led him to launch an even lengthier lecture on the policies that prevented Konoha shinobi from interfering with foreign shinobi's treatment of civilians unless the actions taken prevented or inhibited the success of the mission. By the end of it all, even Itachi's mind was spinning with the new information it had just received. Shin actually looked a little dizzy, and Hana was struggling just to stay awake.

Fortunately, her eyes snapped back open once Itsuki's lecture drew to a close.

"Can ninja request a certain location for their next mission?" she asked suddenly, almost cutting off their sensei's last sentence. Itsuki stared at her for a moment.

"It's highly unusual, but not unheard of." He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"We want to go back to that village in Grass," Shin interjected, propping himself up on his elbows. "We know how to deal with toxic chakra and can probably help more than any of the other Genin teams because we actually know what they need. Plus, if Konoha wants information on the Canary, they're more likely to trust us than some random Anbu team, right?"

"Sure, as long as they've forgotten that Itachi activated his Sharingan and threatened them all right before we left," their sensei answered mildly.

Itachi twitched, glancing blankly at his teammates.

"He is not incorrect."

"That was only after they attacked us first," Hana pointed out. "If we come back, then it proves we don't hold grudges for their behavior, right? It's a win-win, and maybe Grass's daimyo will actually notice Konoha doing some good, which would help with all that PR nonsense the Hokage has to deal with."

Itsuki's gaze sharpened.

"You three…" he paused, then sighed, rolling his eyes. He mumbled something under his breath about wishing his Genin were lazier, before hopping down from the tree and landing silently in the grass. "Fine, fine, I'll speak to the Hokage. Man, you guys are a pain. I miss the days when Genin begged to learn ninjutsu, not fix foreign relations and pick up the slack of a worthless daimyo…" he paused, glancing at the three of them. "You didn't hear that from me."

Hana brightened.

"Thanks, Sensei! You're the best!"

Itsuki beamed.

"I am, aren't I?"

Itachi stared at his sensei.

"We also want to learn the teleportation jutsu," he told Itsuki flatly. "Hana and Shin think it's too cool for only you to know."

Itsuki's smile vanished.

"More?" he demanded. "After five hours of training and two of lecturing you want to learn more?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," Shin pondered, turning his attention to their sensei. "Teach us that one this evening, won't you?"

Itsuki's only response was an overly exaggerated sigh as he trudged away, feet dragging. Somehow, inexplicably, his footsteps remained silent regardless.

Itachi, Hana, and Shin exchanged a grin.

"That went so much better than I thought it would," Hana confessed once their teacher was well out of earshot.

"Right?" Shin scratched his head, making his already windswept hair stick up even more. "I didn't think we'd ever find a way to motivate him."

"It was a dangerous risk, targeting the pride of an established Jōnin," Itachi agreed.

"Well, totally worth it in the end," Hana decided with a shrug. "Do you guys wanna go get lunch? I'm starving."

"Sure, but… er, before we go," Shin awkwardly reached forward and patted down her hair, still sticking out in odd directions from the wind jutsu they'd battled that morning. The weirdest expression came over Hana's face as he did, and Shin hastily withdrew his hands once her hair was lying flat. "I just… figured you wouldn't want to walk through the market with your hair… um, sticking up like that."

She stared at him.

"Even with bad hair, I'd still look leagues better than you, ossan," she finally answered haughtily, but Itachi caught a light blush on her face before she turned around, facing the other direction. "…but, thanks, I guess."

Shin's ears turned pink, and Itachi remained tactfully silent as they walked to the edge of the training grounds in the direction of the cluster of colorful buildings near the center of the village. He self-consciously smoothed his own hair down once they passed the familiar warning signs, but only when he was sure his teammates weren't looking. He was a clan head after all, he was supposed to keep up appearances. Maybe it was time for a haircut so he wouldn't have to worry about looking ridiculous after every confrontation with a wind jutsu. He decided to ask Hana about it later. She cut her own hair and her little brother's, (and trimmed most of the Inuzuka dogs, for that matter). Maybe he'd let her cut his.

He watched her bicker back and forth with Shin about where to eat, and blinked as she punched him in the shoulder, sending the grey-haired boy stumbling forward. He answered with a snappy retort, and Itachi resisted the urge to smile. Then again, maybe not. He wasn't sure he wanted Inuzuka Hana that close to his face with a sharp blade.

oOo

A/N: Character development before we jump back into the action. Are you guys ready for Itachi and the Canary to reunite? T-minus two chapters and counting. Oh, yeah, and there's this little detail I keep forgetting to add to this story. Has anyone else noticed we still don't know the name of the little girl featuring every odd chapter? Man, that's annoying. Maybe next chapter that will change.

No beta, so the blame for grammatical errors and poor syntax rests on the shoulders of the author. Man, poor author. Sounds like she could really use a hand.

Thoughts: What will happen when a Hyūga is dispatched to find the Canary?

Happy Reading!