Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

What Lies in Truth - 4

The clan heads wished to talk further, so it was left to Hinata to escort him to the gate.

"Ita- Uchiha-san. Thank you for your time today." She bowed stiffly when they arrived, and turned to leave. She wasn't going to make it easy for him, was she? Then again, nothing that was worth it was easy.

"Hinata." Itachi checked for eavesdroppers before continuing. If he'd misinterpreted Mikoto's words of advice, what he was about to do could be considered treason. "Do you remember when you called me a 'stupid ANBU'?" She paused, and then turned to him, eyes wide.

"You're...Mouse?"

"...it was Weasel," he corrected with an internal wince. Her lips twitched in amusement at the rather obvious animal assignment. "Sandaime-sama had a sense of humor."

"Yes," she said. The brief hint of warmth her eyes was shuttered away again. "I remember. You helped me that day. Thank you." The revelation of his ANBU identity, a classified secret in of itself, unnerved her.

Itachi shook his head. "No, you helped me. That day, I had been struggling with a mission from Danzo." He didn't miss the way she held back a flinch from the mention of the man's name, and filed it reaction away from future consideration. "My mission had been to exterminate the Uchiha clan. Everyone, including the children and elderly. My mother and father. My cousins." The full meaning of his words were beginning to sink in and she stared at him with an expression of horror. "Your words helped me remember what was most important."

"No wonder you killed him...but why are you telling me this?" she whispered. "I...I'm happy that it didn't happen, but that should be an S-class secret."

"It is my secret to tell," Itachi said. He paused, licking his lips in an uncharacteristic gesture of nerves. "And even that is of lesser importance than your trust in me."

"You really should...reevaluate your priorities…" she murmurred. There was a waver in her voice, and he realized that there were tears in her eyes. But a smile tugged at the edge of her lips. That had to mean something.

"Hinata, I don't want to fight," Itachi said in a low voice. "There is enough violence and anger in the world. Such ugliness between us...it shouldn't be. Please tell what I should do to rectify the damage I have done. I said terrible things to you. While some of the things you said were just as upsetting, you had the underlying motive of protecting your family's secrets. I had no right to -"

She reached out and pulled his sleeve, a nervous sort of energy vibrating through her. "I forgive you. But only if you can forgive my words against you as well," she said. "I...was anxious over your intentions."

"Of course," Itachi said immediately. "I do not begrudge you your duties." It baffled him that she would even worry - he had done far darker deeds for no more reason than the simple fact that he'd been ordered to.

"But...you're not upset?" she asked.

She was worried she'd hurt him. Even between the mess of politics and familial duty and ugly words, she cared about what he thought, what he felt. It was a warmth in his chest that made him want to grin like a fool.

"No. Now, I'm fine."

AN: 'Mouse' the ANBU was introduced in Chapter 44.

Edit: Please also see author's note in chapter 47 before you remark on the stupidity Itachi's 'Itachi' ANBU mask. I dunno, maybe it's a giant mindf-ck, courtesy of the Hokage, to make the enemy think in confused circles until Itachi the Itachi ANBU kills them.