Because I love crack pairings, and I love how beautiful these two are together. Would like to continue exploring this concept but life is hectic so can't promise a thing.

All characters are a bit older.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

DANGEROUS MINDS

"So, U-chi-ha," Ino slurred, swaying in his direction somewhat before swinging back to a proper distance.

Kisame rested an arm over his propped knee, leaning his sweaty forehead against his hand that was gingerly holding onto a bottle of alcohol. He chuckled at Itachi's involuntary mimicking of Ino's movements.

Ino pointed a finger at the man that held her attention. "I juss gotta know. W-when you go all Sharinganny in—in someone's 'ead…" she paused as if trying to scrounge up the rest of her thought, "… what is the mind like t' you?"

Itachi hmm'ed in thought, sighing heavily and blinking blearily as the memories of all his mind-walking ventures evaded his capture to retell them. Kisame lifted his head in interest, silently hiccupping. Ino gave him a wily grin, leaning towards him unintentionally like his hiccupping was some deep dark secret she – and only she – was privy to.

Eventually Itachi gestured with his head back towards Ino. "You go first. You're a Yamanaka."

Ino gasped, turning her attention back to the Uchiha. "How did you know?!"

"Psychic," Kisame answered proudly, raising his chin proudly only to quickly needing to re-balance when he almost fell backwards.

Ino reached over and grabbed his hand resting over his knee in shock. "No way! You're psychic?!"

"Yep." He grinned.

Itachi scoffed, rolling his head a little. He lightly smacked Ino's outstretched leg with the back of his hand. "Go on. Tell me. What do you see when you enter a mind?"

Ino sculled the rest of her drink and slammed the cup hard on the floorboards. "D'you know that feeling when—when you get up too fast after sitting down for too long?"

Kisame and Itachi grumbled in agreement.

"That!" She pointed at Itachi. "That is what I feel when I leave my body, and—and—when I enter somebody, iss like pullin' up a new pair of stockings."

"Well, I don't know anything about that," Kisame announced.

"Or a dress!"

"That even less."

"But!" She helped up a finger. "But sometimes there is resistance, and it's then like yanking the dress over my breasts, ya know?!"

"No." Itachi sadly shook his head.

Ino laughed, giving him a playful shove on the shoulder. "Well, of course not silly! You're not a girl!"

"Thank Kami for that!" Kisame exclaimed, eyes flashing to the rusted ceiling.

Itachi looked affronted, and he furrowed his brow at his partner. "What do you mean? I would have made a beautiful woman."

"Yeess, very pretty." Ino giggled. She hiccupped. "But I'd be prettier. No contesht."

Itachi sighed heavily. "Well, you are a natural woman." Kisame nodded hard in agreement, throwing his empty glass bottle over his shoulder and grinning when he heard it smash.

Ino giggled again, leaning towards Itachi with a smile so wicked he actually felt a twinge of fear slide down his spine. "I have the junk to prove it."

Kisame pointed a finger hard at her and exclaimed, "no! None of that—that naked shit."

Ino frowned. "Wha' kinda man are you?"

He held up both hands. "We hafta keep our 'eads." And then hiccupped.

Itachi rubbed his forehead with a sweaty hand. "Most logical thing from your mouth I've ever heard."

Ino burst out laughing, and Kisame attempted a weighty swing at Itachi whom leaned backwards to avoid it. Kisame's weight forced him to tip to the side and land hard on the floorboards, where he took a deep breath and gave Itachi's leg a half-hearted whack.

Ino could feel her throat getting tired and raw from her laughing but it was so hard to stop. She decided plugging her mouth with the bottle spout was a good alternative and did so, swinging her head back for a large gulp.

"'ey. 'Ey. 'EY!" Kisame and Itachi cried, growing increasingly louder as she sculled down the alcohol. Itachi leaned over, trying to rip the bottle out of Ino's hand but she lifted it out of the way, making him scramble haphazardly over her body in a resolute attempt to rid her of the drink.

"Give. Give it to me," he muttered, sinking into a straddle over her hips as he parried with her flailing arms and bellowing laughter. Alcohol sloshed loudly in the glass, spilling everywhere and all over them that by the time Itachi managed to get it it was empty and she was sprawled beneath him, arms up, hair a grungy golden mess with a delighted, happy smile on lips between heated cheeks. Blue eyes twinkled as Ino giggled again, then pushed Itachi without true strength.

"You're heavy!"

Her white teeth seemed to gleam through her muddied appearance, and for what seemed to be the first time since they all started drinking Itachi experienced a startling lucid thought, and it scared the daylights out of him. Just as quickly, though, the lucidity was gone, drowned out by the full sounds of wind and snow raging over the ramshackle house. Reasoning was far and gone.

"When I enter someone's mind," he whispered hoarsely, unwilling to tear his eyes from hers, "it is quick, unhindered; a model ready for me to tweak and mould to my liking, a meander through errant thoughts of my victims' helpless mind." His features sharpened. "What does your jutsu do, Yamanaka?"

Mirth was gone from her flushed face, a seriousness having taken over that made her chest tighten in uncertainty. Her jaw clenched, fingers tingling with anticipation. She breathed in audibly. "When I enter someone's mind it is harsh and forceful; they can feel me glide over their consciousness. I make them move. I make them dance. I make them tell me every dirty secret I want to know or I'll rip it out of them."

Itachi's thumb brushed over her cheek, smudging the dirt staining her skin. Ino made sure not to react, keeping her eyes trained hard and firmly on his dark ones. "Such a cruel woman you are."

"I have no time for games." His body was starting to feel a lot heavier on hers, a lot hotter. It made her heart wrench and squeeze. She noted that while he'd had about the same to drink as herself and Kisame, it hadn't seem to physically show on him; except now she could see the redness on his cheeks and neck, a bead of sweat caressing the curvature of his collar bone.

She was hot. The alcohol no doubt played a large part of it but now she couldn't deny that other reasons were making her parched; and she hated it.

Itachi gripped her small shoulders with calloused hands and leaned over her, his weight shifting, grinding against her stomach. Ino winced at the strength, at her shoulders getting pushed back into the ground until all she could see was sweaty black hair, a pale face and eager dark eyes. "Show me," he whispered. "Make me dance. Make me tell you every little dirty secret I've kept in my mind. I dare you."

Ino hesitated, wondering if this was all a joke, but she couldn't mistake that look on his face; of thirsty curiosity, of challenge.

She always was fond of a challenge; enjoyed stretching her mind and body to the best of their abilities and then that little bit more. There was nothing she couldn't do if she didn't just persistently push herself to do it. Then there was the fact that Itachi was willingly allowing her to raid his mind. Her mouth almost watered. What secrets did he keep close? What feelings did he keep shunted?

Who was Itachi Uchiha?

Eagerly she pressed her hands together. "Has a Yamanaka ever taken you, Uchiha?"

A wry smile broke his lips. "I can't say I've had the pleasure."

"A virgin," she mused, mouth stretching into an unsettling grin. "It will only hurt a little."

Then she felt herself surge forward, leaving the confines of her warm, familiar body to land hard into his mind. His mental defences were incredible, a honeycomb-like shield encasing his world and glittering gold with each impact she made against it. She clawed and punched her way through, plummeting into a thick, gelatinous-like cloud that had confusion seize her sharply. Ino struggled at the pawing fog before quickly regaining her cool and continuing her descent. She hit the ground softly, falling to her hands and knees and then submerging her fingers into tendrils of memories and emotions that swam all around her like fish.

She could feel so many things on her fingertips; searing hot anger, an anguish that had her gasping and crying from sorrow, and then a coldness that settled hard in her throat. Ino took a deep breath, one meant to boost her confidence, before she plunged herself into the stream of Itachi's existence for a more personal look.

Instantly she felt him fight back. Tendrils of fear and anger wove their way through the mass of many others, encircling the precious secrets she was digging her way to and snapping at her fingers, knees, face. It stung, and with each defensive hit Ino swore she could feel him probing into her mind in return. Flashes of her family and her youth crossed her eyes but it was nothing damning.

Ino pushed herself in deeper, exerting her chakra upon the tendrils and forcing them into submission. They recoiled, though still tried to inch their way to her. At this point she knew Itachi was doing all he could to push her back out; whether it was because he was testing her or genuinely worried now about what knowledge she could unearth, she didn't know. He was tough, forceful, putting up a bigger fight than she had ever felt before.

She felt a sudden dark dread moments before the attack from his defences was visible in the form of a wave swarming upon her. Ino grit her teeth and reached out for the nearest memory, cutting her way through the stream with her chakra to grasp at it and—

Laughter jingled around her. Happiness flowed within her. She opened her eyes to see a younger Itachi and Sasuke walking a path back to the Uchiha compound, the light of day fading gradually behind the trees canopy. Sasuke clung to his brother's back tightly, kicking his legs to and fro and shrieking in delight when Itachi feigned falling to one side. There was no denying that sound, nor that heartwarming smile on both their lips.

Ino's throat clenched and her eyes burned. This boy slaughtered his clan? This boy did everything he did and claimed that it was for power, because he could? No. There was no way.

She closed her eyes and the joy from the scene vanished instantly. Fury reared around her slashing and burning, slicing through her hair before she ascended swiftly and withdrew from the suffocating recesses of his mind. Within seconds she felt the familiarity of her body surround her and she snapped her eyes open to look upon the Sharingan. Itachi's face was an ambiguous mess of emotions that she couldn't completely decipher, and she doubted he even knew what he was feeling.

She exhaled shakily. "You dared me."

He bared his gritted teeth, breathing sharply through his nostrils. "I did. You are a cruel woman, indeed."

"What did you expect? Did you really think I wouldn't—"

"I expected exactly what you gave," he stated.

"Then why—"

Itachi shook her harshly by the shoulders, growling. "What did you see?"

Ino hesitated, steeling her nerves. "If you're that worried then why don't you kill me?"

He said nothing; didn't even move, didn't even blink. Only the sweat sliding down his face and neck made him seem real and alive. The silence was terse and seemed to go on forever before he spoke. "What did you see?"

She swallowed. Finally the fear that had been toeing the line before was surging across her body, setting her alight. Suddenly she was at loss for words; could barely even remember what she'd seen or what she was even seeing in front of her. Those eyes of his just sucked her in more now than it had ever before – had ever with Sasuke. For a moment she wondered if he'd cast an illusion upon her already, that it was really that smooth and painless, but her body sent her no warnings that she'd been tampered; not that she could really trust it when it came to the Sharingan.

Morbid curiosity waved down the words she supposedly wanted. "Why don't you find out?" she whispered. Itachi didn't even flinch when she raised a hand to tap a finger beside his left eye. "It's my turn to know what it feels like."

Ino Yamanaka hadn't been lying when she described what it was like to have her squeeze her consciousness into any crack she could find in his mind; and if there was no crack, she certainly didn't hesitate to make one. It was like a sudden pulsing headache that rolled from the front of his brain to the back. He could feel her chakra, could feel some sort of essence of hers travelling pervasively then start smashing harder and harder on the protection he'd built up against such attacks. Yet she got through and he got desperate. He felt himself scrambling to catch her in reflex, trying to force her out, but she just pummelled through, shrugging him off. She felt like a virus his body was trying to eradicate.

There was nothing subtle about this. There was nothing gentle or kind. She was brutal. He just didn't realise she was this brutal. Part of him wondered if the only reason why it hurt so much was because he was resisting.

Itachi felt her essence hit a nerve somewhere inside of him, and then her chakra flood through his chakra network. It was numbing, as though it were a balm meant to soothe the pain she'd inflicted trying to get in. He hadn't been entirely worried or uncomfortable until he experienced memories and emotions he'd long since tried to bury. He tried to get her out then but she clung hard, scratching, searching. Then suddenly he heard their footsteps on a dirt footpath and Sasuke's ringing laugh. He could feel his baby brother on his back just like he did that day years ago; his warmth, his hug, his heartbeat.

He didn't know what to feel other than fury, which heightened when he saw Ino return back to her body, the dim light shimmering in her eyes. He didn't expect that. He was lying through his teeth when he told he had been. It begged the question, though, of what else she could of seen. He'd been so overcome by that sweet memory he couldn't trust if there was anything else she scrounged up while he was off guard.

It was somehow sweetly justified, then, when she dared him to enter her mind.

He didn't hesitate.

Itachi walked in to find himself standing in narrow seemingly endless wooden corridor. Doors lined either side, marked with numbers or engraved simple pictures of things; a star, a flower, a kunai. He frowned. It appeared Ino had worked incredibly hard to create a defence such as this. It wasn't something he'd often seen. Normally a generic mind was easy to enter and pick and choose things he could edit to create his illusions; or in the case of the tsukiyomi a complete flood of chakra throughout the mind to possess it, prolong it. This usually allowed him to bypass any mental defence, no matter the strength, at the expense of his sight. It wasn't easy to possess a person, and Itachi found himself greatly impressed and envious of the Yamanaka's clan jutsu.

He was completely intrigued now.

The first door to his right featured the number nine in engraving. Initial inspection told him there were no traps but he was still cautious when he touched the door knob, then gripped, then turned it. A soft click and he pushed it open. The room was filled with various types of food scattered everywhere; chips, pork, beef, pineapples, ice cream, and more. All of it was fresh. He poked his head in and initially smelled grilled beef, but when he stepped in further the smell shifted to some freshly baked melon bread perched atop a stack of differently flavoured crisps. Another step, another smell.

If Itachi had to guess this room was clearly associated to her team members, though narrowly in the sense there was only food. Even the wallpaper was of food. He left the room and entered the one opposite it, marked with two nines. Inside was empty, save for a shougi board set up for start of game in the centre of the room.

The next few doors showcased dolls, photos, flowers. There didn't seem to be any order to the rooms. He didn't even know for certain how to go about discovering what she'd learned without utterly tearing her apart. He didn't need to though; didn't want to. He had panicked earlier but he knew that their little exchange of the minds was not meant to be a threatening venture. It was supposed to be inquisitive. She'd warned him that her latching into his mind was going to hurt and she didn't lie.

Somewhat calmer now, Itachi proceeded to open every single door until one made him stop. Inside was Ino with her back to him, shifting her weight from foot to foot, her long blonde hair swaying. There was nothing special about the room; just wooden panels all around. He crossed the threshold and instantly he was transported into a place of fresh air, wind whistling through thick trees. The sun was going down. There was a smell of distant food stalls, the sound of idle chatter and laughter.

Itachi smiled, closing his eyes and revelling. Konoha.

Home.

Goosebumps trailed over his shoulders at the memory; a memory that was all too real. He told himself he could remember everything about Konoha because he knew what markets sounded like, what foods smelled like, what the people looked like. This, though, was beyond anything he could create by himself. It nearly brought him to tears.

A familiar peel of mirth had his breath catching in his throat and he snapped to attention, pained eyes sharpening upon the sight of his younger self giving an innocent Sasuke a piggy-back ride. Itachi's feet suddenly hurt, his fingers throbbing. He remembered this day, the training he'd put in merely moments before Sasuke arrived to bring him back home for dinner. Despite his aching body Itachi had been more than happy to carry his younger brother, his pains a far thought; but it was still there. He had still felt it. Still remembered it.

Itachi watched as the two younger brothers approached him, and soon enough he could hear their soft talk, could smell his sweat and Mother's soap that she insisted Sasuke used for his baths. His own memories had never been this real.

He had been so absorbed that a sudden movement by his side startled him into action, and he grabbed Ino's bicep tight, a kunai at her throat. He stopped short, nonplussed by the sight of her narrowed sky-blue eyes and her own kunai pushed firmly into his middle, his layers of clothing absorbing most of the impact.

"You have an interesting mind, Ino Yamanaka," he murmured. "So organised."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Have you done any tweaking?"

"Wouldn't you know? It is your mind."

She tilted her head at his younger self and Sasuke who had been paused mid-stride beside him. "And this is from yours."

"Yes. It is."

Ino peered at the other him, shifting closer. "And yet you seem so… sad." Her brow furrowed. "Interesting."

Itachi had to resist the urge to go on the defence. He was the one in her mind. He was the one who was meant to be in control. So why did it feel like he had none of it? Why, or how, did this girl have so much power over not only her mind but his own? Were all Yamanaka like this?

"You're scared." Her words punctured his musings. She did not face him, did not even acknowledge if it was him she was talking to, or if it was herself; or even his past self. Then she shifted her head and he knew she was now talking to him. "I'm scared." Soft, shaky, uncertain.

Itachi knew he was treading on dangerous ground. "Of what?"

"Of what could scare the great Itachi Uchiha."

"Are you sure that is what you're seeing?" he asked. "Perhaps I've changed what you see. Perhaps this so called memory is a fake, a red herring for you to catch. Perhaps—"

"Don't you dare insult me!"

Suddenly she was in front of him, the blue in her eyes darkening with rage and frustration – and shimmering with unshed tears. The scowl on her face turned her ugly, intimidating, but Itachi wasn't so easily unsettled. She poked his shoulder hard, yet he didn't flinch, didn't blink.

"Don't you dare try to convince me that everything around us now is a lie because there are some things even you cannot destroy; or change; or forget!" Her voice thinned to a hiss by the end of her admonishing, and then she stepped back swiftly, anger simmering in her body to the point that he could see she was poised to fight if she had to. She'd poured all of her feelings into herself and was ready to act on it if need be.

The world around them swirled into a mess of colours then to the old brown of an empty wooden room. There was a silence that Itachi badly wanted to break but did not know how. He didn't know what to say, though there was so much that was scrambling on his tongue to get out. He didn't know what to do, even if the urge to leave her and her mind was powerful. Most of all, he didn't actually know what to think. There was rarely a time he could recall that left him feeling so utterly defenceless but alight with anticipation.

Ino's eyes were still hard on him, and Itachi didn't want to break eye contact first. He was relieved when she finally did, exhaling shakily. Her body trembled with unspent passion. "I don't want to know you," she said, and looked at him directly. "I don't want to know any of this. I want you to do what you do best, Uchiha."

"To—"

"Yes." Curt. Sharp. She lifted her chin, confident in her choice. "When tonight is done, I request that you mould my memory so that I forget ever meeting you or Kisame. Erase it all; the words, the laughter, the emotions. All of it." She looked away, jaw tight. "It makes me sick to the stomach to realise I actually had fun with the two of you. It'll be much easier if I just remember you both as monsters needing to be eradicated."

Itachi's heart sank at her words. It was disappointment, he supposed. She was right, though. Despite his curiosity and eagerness to see what more this woman could do, it would be of no benefit to any of them to remember this night fondly; particularly her. She was an emotional, passionate young woman. There was only so much she'd be able to withhold and fake in front of those she loved and were loyal to. He and Kisame… well, they'd grown up with lies and masks. They were well used to the bitter taste of reality.

This was merciful. It was the least he could do.

"Very well."

Ino's entire body softened, and that scowl vanished from her face. "Thank you."

"It'd be best to do it now. We are both liable to collapse from exhaustion and intoxication the moment I exit your mind." And then there was whether Kisame had passed out while he'd been busy wrestling the bottle away from Ino, or if he'd have to endure Kisame's teasing prodding.

"Understood. There is—" She bit her lip, finger to her mouth in deep thought.

"Yes?"

She sighed. "Please, forgive me."

There was several things she could be referring to if she were a normal woman. Passionate she may be, but something told him that every word or emotion she leaked was intentional; or if not intentional, then at least something she would never revoke. She may feel bad for her dive into his mind and memories, except that it was purposeful. She could feel guilt for accusing him of being afraid, of belittling him, but those words, while shrouded in anger, were decisive and sure.

"For what?" he finally asked.

He'd barely had time to blink before she was in front of him, warm hands cradling his jaw firmly so she could lean up and press her lips softly against his. She pulled back quickly, putting distance between them.

"For that," she breathed, then tightened her jaw to gather up her confidence. Itachi wasn't an idiot, though. He could see anxiety skittering up her skin, raising her hair. "Even if I'm to forget this all straight away, at least a part of me will have known what it was like to kiss an Uchiha."

Itachi closed his eyes. Of course. He shouldn't be surprised that she was attracted to his brother at some point.

"You should be grateful," she added flippantly, crossing her arms; a blatant attempt to defuse her adrenaline.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Now you know what it was like to finally kiss a female."

He was almost tempted to let her remember everything after that remark, but despite what people thought, he was a man of his word. When he finally receded from her mind he was still upon her unconscious body, empty liquor bottle dangling between his fingers beside her shoulder. The alcohol he'd consumed slung in his skull, making him wince and palm his eyes repeatedly as he rolled off her and collapsed onto his back.

Itachi sighed deeply, noting the subtle easing of the once harsh winds on the roof of the house. The storm would be over soon with any luck, and he'd be able to put this entire experience behind him.

"Not gonna fuck her?"

Itachi closed his eyes tightly, willing away the simmering embarrassment. It seemed Kisame was awake, and judging by his tone, incredibly amused. Itachi peeked at the still prone man, then turned away with disgust lifting his lips. It seemed he was also somewhat aroused.

"Kisame…" Itachi drawled, patience thinning quickly.

The larger man chuckled. "What can I say, Itachi? I live vicariously through you."

"I have never touched another woman."

"Sure, sure."

There was a pregnant pause, one which Itachi was grateful for. The effects of the alcohol were hitting him hard now that he was no longer distracted, but at least it had done the job and kept him warm.

"Are we letting her live?" Kisame's voice was childishly inquisitive, glee layered thick. He was enjoying this far more than Itachi would like.

"She is harmless."

Kisame snorted. "Harmless, my arse." He sighed.

"She will not remember anything."

"If I recall, you said the Yamanaka clan were skilled in the ways of the mind. How can you be sure she won't remember?"

Itachi was asking himself the same question, because really he couldn't put it past her to accidentally trudge upon the altered memories. Then again, the memory of drinking with them was more of a risk to her than to them. "She is the only one in danger should she remember; in regards to her loyalty. Konoha would not look kindly upon her encounter with us."

Kisame groaned in satisfaction, nestling as well as he could into the cold wooden floor. "Kakuzu is gonna kill us when he finds out about the alcohol."

"He'll live."

Kisame chuckled behind closed lips before easily sinking into a light slumber. Itachi noted his regulated breaths, rolling his eyes when his partner predicatively began his snoring. For once Itachi didn't mind it. For once, listening to that noise, it helped him fall asleep; fall into a field of yellow flowers lit by a stunning crystal blue sky.