Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
House of Glass - 5
"You should start using the Sharingan on me."
Itachi paused, hand half-raised in the middle of a seal. Hinata faced him with a set expression on her face, pale yet determined. The idea of opening her mind even more to him was uncomfortable at best, but she had decided it was time after several days of deliberation.
The simple, insignificant action of eating ramen with Itachi had changed a fundamental part of their relationship. It wasn't just that she'd worked up the courage to joke with him, but as Hanabi was trying to teach her strange things, it struck Hinata that despite all her misgivings, she trusted Itachi.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Most people regarded Hinata as a weak-willed pushover, and most of the time, they were correct. But that was mainly because she hated confrontation, and it wasn't worth the trouble to fight. When she truly didn't want to do something, the stubborn Hyuuga blood flowed just as strongly in her veins as in any other clansman.
She'd trusted Itachi enough to step outside the realm of their routine together. Even with her lack of knowledge in the field, Hinata could tell that Itachi was running out of ways to test normal genjutsu, as he was merely affirming everything that she'd told him. The real discovery lay in the usage of the Sharingan, and ultimately, the Mangekyou.
She just nodded.
"I will start small. It is well known to most people that the Uchiha have the Sharingan. The nature of my family bloodline goes beyond simple bending of the senses - the Sharingan integrates itself into the memory facility of the target, allowing for a better "hold", which is why the Sharingan enhances genjutsu so well. Your reaction to non-Sharingan genjutsu is actually very similar to most ninja's interaction with Sharingan genjutsu."
Once again, Hinata was sorely reminded of how knowledgeable Itachi was. Somehow, no one had made this connection before, and it made such wonderful sense.
"Furthermore, what do you know of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"
Hinata blinked, surprised that Itachi could so casually mention the notorious Mangekyou. It wasn't common knowledge, but available to the ninja clans in the aftermath of the Uchiha scandal from a decade ago.
"From what I've heard, it seems to be a more powerful version of the Sharingan, a higher level."
"Essentially, yes. While the Sharingan takes advantage of the natural tendencies of the mind, the Mangekyou overtakes everything. You could say it acts like the bridge between fantasy and reality. Many of the techniques use the mind as the trigger, but in actuality..."
The more he spoke, the more nervous Hinata began to get. While she'd decided to trust Itachi within the boundaries of their agreement, the Uchiha seemed to have decided that she was his new confidante, given the amount of information he was willing to divulge.
"Why are you telling me this?" she blurted out.
Itachi regarded her for a moment. "You don't want to understand?" He seemed almost hurt that she didn't share the same enthusiasm for his lecture.
Hinata shook her head quickly, ducking down so her bangs hid her face. It was a good thing the Uchiha heir was not the type of person for blatant manipulation using his good looks. Even the barest hint of kicked-puppy-dog-eyes was enough to make her blush...Hinata didn't want to think of the consequences if he'd ever decided to use that expression to the fullest.
"Hinata-san?"
She clasped her hands, mentally urging her cardiovascular system to return to normal.
"Of course I do," she whispered. The endorphins in her veins made her overly bold and she continued. "I'm just really happy you're explaining it to me. Others just regard me as the subject for experimentation. Most people don't bother clarifying what's happening to the guinea pig."
There was pause, and Hinata knew she'd said too much. She hated dumping her problems on other people, because it always made them uncomfortable, and yet this was what she was doing to Itachi.
She looked up to apologize.
"I'm s-"
Itachi looked thoughtful. "Now that you mention it, you do act very much like the aforementioned creature at times."
"I meant it metaphorically," she said hesitantly, not sure if she should be laughing or embarrassed.
"But I meant it literally."
Hinata stared at him. His expression remained neutral as he reached for her. She watched his hand, eyes crossing slightly before she glanced at him curiously.
His index and middle fingers were loosely extended...what kind of seal was -
Then he poked her in the forehead. She muffled a squeak of surprise.
"Guinea pig," he declared, a hint of a triumphant smirk playing at his lips.
Despite her best efforts to be affronted by his rudeness, she couldn't help but blush over his (very successful) attempt at diverting her depressing thoughts.