Fugaku could feel Itachi's eyes on him as they left for the meeting with Senju Tsunade. Even Mikoto had warned him of Itachi's gaze before they left. He was watching him closely, studying him, waiting for Fugaku to give something away. As observant, as skilled, as Itachi was, he was still a child, so Fugaku gave nothing away. He would say nothing unless directly asked, he wouldn't lie to Itachi, he was the future clan head. He wouldn't censor the future as his own father had, he wouldn't leave him unprepared to lead.
They had been traveling for a few hours when Itachi finally broke the silence he wasn't surprised by his bluntness nor by the barely contained rage, "you replaced Sasuke's forged scroll with a real one, you are enabling the curse. You are helping it take hold of him."
"Would you like your brother to stand in front of the elders over forgery? It was a great attempt, he could have fooled your mother with that, but never any of the guards." He saw the moment his son was struck with understanding.
Even if he hadn't seen it, Itachi voiced his thoughts out loud, "there is nothing there of the curse is there?"
"No one outside of us, your mother, you, Sasuke, and myself know that Sasuke is it's new victim. He would have been ostracized. Madara did horrible things under the influence of that girl. Our people have not forgotten, we are still suffering for his actions." Quietly more to himself than to Itachi he added, "we didn't want that for your brother, I never reported his curse to the elders, I've also removed all mention of it from the archives, nothing remains."
Itachi was almost afraid to ask, "did you destroy them?"
"No. I've been studying them, going as far back as I can, I am trying to trace it."
He didn't try to conceal his surprise, "so you are trying to limit his obsession by taking it on?" Fugaku didn't respond, but knew the answer lay in his silence. "What happens when I am the clan head?"
"That will be up to you, but," Fugaku wanted to be clear, he didn't want there to be doubt, staring into his son's eyes he hoped he would understand, "you will suffer the consequences of my actions." Fugaku was aware of what he had done, he had betrayed his clan for his son, and continued to do so. "You will have to claim ignorance of my deeds, pretend you knew nothing of your brother if you wish to be the clan head." He hoped Itachi could read the apology he was too cowardly to say. "The only way to protect him if and when it comes out is if he has an ally in power."
"Sasuke's ignorance on the subject is not good for him, keeping him from the information he seeks will only increase his need to know."
"Did you not just express your anger over allowing him to visit the archives?"
"I meant, he needs to be given some information on her, even if it is made up, something to have him focus on."
Fugaku was not a man that expressed his emotions openly, it was not in his nature. Still, those who knew him best could always hear the rage threatening to boil over, this was one of those times,"and when your brother realizes he has been fed lies, will you take responsibility?"
"It is better we tell him our lies, than for the girl to corrupt him." Itachi would gladly take responsibility if it kept the curse at bay even slightly longer.
"Have you considered that the lies would be the trigger that sends him to her?" As with most conversations with his father, there was more meaning in the silence than in what was said: I have considered it, I have thought of it. "Once I am dead and you are the clan head, do as you see fit, but always consider the consequences." Itachi watched as his father clenched his fist, and scoffed, "that girl, is why we are having a meeting with the Senju, peace talks over a war that Madara started. That war has left many dead, and our clan in the middle of a storm that is only just starting to calm. Madara, and many before him gave in to the curse, and the clan always suffered the consequences. Do you know what that means?"
It was a rhetorical question, he knew, but he could not stop the words from leaving his lips."the girl will have more influence over Sasuke as time goes on." It was the right answer, but there was more to it. What makes a man turn his back on family, on his duties? What prize outweighed the sacrifices? Itachi knew the answer, was well aware of the implication, they fall in love.
A/N: I am actually really looking forward to when I do properly work on this story, I even have notes on my phone for this story because I do not want to forget. When I can't come up with new stories I tend to think of this story and of Recovery. I don't always write things down, but I think of this story so much that I don't need too. Before I do properly work on this one I need to work out a few details, I wouldn't start without knowing how to end it because even with my notes on it being so little, it is a complex plot and I need to make sure it wouldn't contradict itself. This should be the last preview of Cursed though. Things I am working on at the moment are, another part to Love (little Sasuke's first love), chapter 30 pt 2, Unexpected ch 4, Spring pt 2, always working on Timely (even if I don't get far), and I am trying to write a prequel to Shame (the dick pick) but this one is really in very early stages and I don't know if it will happen.