朱 [004] Perceptions of normality
[Itachi’s self esteem had been shattered, or whatever portion had remained. He was like a walking mass of instinct. He helped who he knew, spoke when he had to and not necessarily when he was spoken to, and his brain function had lagged. There was only one name and one word that had consumed his entire being: Sasuke and the crude knowledge that perhaps Itachi really was a monster. The notion was cold, perverse, did no one understand his intentions? Love. It was what fueled him to do what he did, love for his country who was threatened by an egotistical lot due to foolish pride, love for his brother who remained his center of attention through out the years.]
Sasuke was his world, his closest bond. The only thing he ever truly strove to keep. Itachi had lost his heart and gave in to the very darkness he was so desperately trying to keep Sasuke away from. Did they not realize how much Itachi cared? He loved him, adored him, worshiped his brother, tried to mold him into the better being. He had the potential to become the different type of Uchiha. He could have changed the world. All Itachi ever wanted was closure and a return to normality for his dearest sibling. That was it. He was willing to give anything, destroy countries…just to make his brother safe. Itachi had sacrificed his life. Why hadn’t it worked? The sound of rumbling thunder interrupted the Uchiha’s thoughts before he settled back into-
And his eyes flew open. Thunder? In this ship? How was that possible? He gave a few more blinks as his sight caught the ceiling. Wood. Dark. There was a light source somewhere in the room that was making it’s light dance along what he could see of the ceiling at wall. It looked familiar, he could have sworn it did. The thunder roared again.
This time, the Uchiha sat up and looked around his room. He was no longer in a cabin on a ship, but in a very big room with the paper doors open and exposing the outside. It was the same garden that he knew as a child. He was…home.
He looked down at where he sat, it seemed he had fallen asleep on the floor and had fallen backwards. His head did not ache but he rose his arm to touch at the back of his head as he realized his hair had been loosened and he was dressed in a very elaborately layered Kimono. The sensation of having so many vestments on froze him in midair. It was luxury he hadn’t exactly been used to but a quick look at the symbols and rich colors reminded him of a certain someone. This was, in fact, an Uchiha’s vestments, but only of a very particular Uchiha.
A small table stood before him where he sat and he idly perused the open scrolls, not touching them as if they were some wicked thing that could harm all lit by a single candle, the source of the only light in the room. Most, if not all, were addressed to him. Some were notes informing him of policy changes in the police force, others were report sheets for missions that had gone successful and a list of respected Uchiha names to go along with it. The rest were letters. Personal letters. One from an unknown caller spilling their heart out to his name, another of the Hokage inviting him to some ceremony, and the one at the farthest side of the table was from his mother. Every single piece of later addressed him as a lord (except that strange love letter he had no intentions of reading). He knew what this signified: Itachi was the Uchiha Lord.
The simple thought took a few moments for Itachi to digest as he looked around in shock. His eyes were wide, his teeth clenched behind closed lips. What was going on, was it another nightmare? Had something horrible happened? Had…had he done something wrong? His only thoughts revolved around the fact that the Uchiha in general were dead. How could this be? He wasn’t even allowed through the gates of Konoha, much less appear wearing ceremonial robes inside of the abandoned Uchiha district. His thoughts would have continued with this predicament but a small change in his environment made him stop. There was a different sound outside, a change of torrents from the falling rain. It took a few more seconds for Itachi to realize there was someone cloaking themselves outside. Their chakra might be invisible but the spots where the rain did not hit concrete floor gave them away. Just one of those tricks he had learned from Kisame.
For the person watching, they would begin to see a figure descend on the porch side where Itachi’s back was facing and begin to creep towards the candle’s light. Thunder roared again and the person took a few more daring steps as he exposed his features. It was a shinobi dressed in the typical ANBU attire, their mask in place and dripping from the rain. Their hand moved to their back as they slowly and silently began to extract their sword when a shocked frown appeared along Itachi‘s face. The figure hesitated, freezing in place. He could literally sense he was caught.]
Sasuke.
Tch. About time you sensed me.
[Itachi was stunned. The last thing he needed now was another confrontation with Sasuke. He didn’t need it. He had done his share, he was no monster. Over all, he did not want to fight him anymore and thus, he brought his head tilting down in shame and guilt. It Sasuke wanted him dead so much then he deserved it. He awaited the blow that never came. Instead, the uniformed Sasuke seemed to realize something wasn’t right and sheathed his sword again, moving over to the other side of the small table as he removed the mask from his face, his facial expression worried and concerned.]
What’s wrong?
Leave me be.
Leave you be? Did something happen?
Spare me your patronizing.
What are you talking about?
Do what you want. I am tired of this.
…are you drunk?
What? Am I-
[And Itachi rose his gaze to a very curious and concerned sixteen year old Sasuke, dripping wet and sitting very attentively before him. It was confusing to say the least, hadn’t he been about to attack him? Where was the mad glint in his eyes? He wasn’t sure whether to be afraid of being under an illusion or afraid he had gone mad. His eyes frowned but Sasuke continued to scrutinize him before heaving a disappointed sigh.]
Hn.
[Itachi said nothing but simply stared.]
Drinking is not a healthy alternative to staying awake brother.
I am not drunk.
Your actions say otherwise.
Why so certain?
You acted exactly like this last week when you found it amusing to drink yourself silly. Personally, it was entertaining until I had to carry you home, Lord Uchiha.
[Itachi blinked, Sasuke smirked teasingly. Had he just heard what he thought he heard?]
We…were drinking?
You drank. I watched.
Elaborate.
You mean you really don’t remember?
[And the two brothers stared at each other silently for a few minutes. Itachi with a confused frown upon his face, Sasuke staring back worriedly in a pool of the rain dripping from him, the candle between them warmly dancing here and there. It was a familiar game they always played where they allowed silence to be their spoken language. The scene seemed familiar, something of what a long lost dream should have been. It was the perfect moment, wasn’t it? The way Itachi always imagined the world at peace would be. He dropped his eye sight momentarily to the table, his eyes flashing over the letter by their mother reading a few lines off the first paragraph. The anniversary of their fathers death. Clearly, this was his perfect dream. No more hindrance, no more weak link. It was all in his control. How he had done it to convince the clan not to attack Konoha was far from being his main concern. He was more intrigued by the fact that he was here with Sasuke and that there was no murderous intent that had plagued his nightmares these past several days. Sasuke was genuinely worried. Itachi began to sink back into this scene right out of his most precious dreams…]
We celebrated your new position.
As ANBU captain.
This was your first mission.
As ANBU captain.
As ANBU captain.
I get now. You haven’t slept for days. Again.
[Itachi gave a weak smile as he let it all sink in. Of course. Itachi would get control of the Uchiha clan and change their perspectives. It had always been his intention to end war, ever since he was traumatized by the field of corpses as a child. Had the spirits of the Uchiha been tamable, there would definitely be enough peace for his brother to live a normal life. And here they were, making a change in the occurences of the history between the Uchiha and Konoha. Two Uchiha’s that had been placed as ANBU captains in the history of Hokage’s. The doors were opening for them.]
Spare me your lectures. Tell me about the mission.
Nice try. You know the rules.
Fair enough. Any injuries?
S-Several. Most were mended by Sakura on the spot. She’s very talented in her wor-
Haruno is with you?
[Sasuke gave a slight frown before shaking a finger at his brother.]
Stop asking, you see what you made me do?
Certainly this is not how you act towards your enemies, brother.
Of course not. I’m just… still high on the rush, that’s all.
Apparently. Tell me about the girl if you refrain from telling me your mission.
What do you want to know?
You mentioned she was talented.
Right. At healing.
Is that all?
[And Itachi was given a frown. Even if he had never had this conversation, he knew what was coming.]
For the last time, I am not interested. Stop inviting her to dinner so much, she’s not even from our clan.
And you prefer to marry a second cousin over someone as talented as that kunoichi?
How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not looking to get mar-
The action is inevitable, Sasuke. Either allow me to help or suffer the consequences.
It’s against clan laws.
I am the clan. My word is definite.
…you win. Let’s talk about the mission then.
[And the two shared a small moment of chuckles. The thunder roared outside again. Sasuke’s curiosity turned to the scrolls on the table. One in particular caught his attention. Itachi followed his brother‘s gaze but realized to late what he had just read. That ridiculous love letter. He winced but Sasuke had all ready picked it up and was reading it with a shocked expression.]
"You are the sun and I am your moon"….Itachi….? Who is this?
Put that down!
[And there was awkwardness again before Sasuke gave him a mocking look. Now it was Itachi’s turn to feel embarrassment. How curious, to have these sort of conversations. Was this truly the definition of normality? Of peace?]
Sasuke was his world, his closest bond. The only thing he ever truly strove to keep. Itachi had lost his heart and gave in to the very darkness he was so desperately trying to keep Sasuke away from. Did they not realize how much Itachi cared? He loved him, adored him, worshiped his brother, tried to mold him into the better being. He had the potential to become the different type of Uchiha. He could have changed the world. All Itachi ever wanted was closure and a return to normality for his dearest sibling. That was it. He was willing to give anything, destroy countries…just to make his brother safe. Itachi had sacrificed his life. Why hadn’t it worked? The sound of rumbling thunder interrupted the Uchiha’s thoughts before he settled back into-
And his eyes flew open. Thunder? In this ship? How was that possible? He gave a few more blinks as his sight caught the ceiling. Wood. Dark. There was a light source somewhere in the room that was making it’s light dance along what he could see of the ceiling at wall. It looked familiar, he could have sworn it did. The thunder roared again.
This time, the Uchiha sat up and looked around his room. He was no longer in a cabin on a ship, but in a very big room with the paper doors open and exposing the outside. It was the same garden that he knew as a child. He was…home.
He looked down at where he sat, it seemed he had fallen asleep on the floor and had fallen backwards. His head did not ache but he rose his arm to touch at the back of his head as he realized his hair had been loosened and he was dressed in a very elaborately layered Kimono. The sensation of having so many vestments on froze him in midair. It was luxury he hadn’t exactly been used to but a quick look at the symbols and rich colors reminded him of a certain someone. This was, in fact, an Uchiha’s vestments, but only of a very particular Uchiha.
A small table stood before him where he sat and he idly perused the open scrolls, not touching them as if they were some wicked thing that could harm all lit by a single candle, the source of the only light in the room. Most, if not all, were addressed to him. Some were notes informing him of policy changes in the police force, others were report sheets for missions that had gone successful and a list of respected Uchiha names to go along with it. The rest were letters. Personal letters. One from an unknown caller spilling their heart out to his name, another of the Hokage inviting him to some ceremony, and the one at the farthest side of the table was from his mother. Every single piece of later addressed him as a lord (except that strange love letter he had no intentions of reading). He knew what this signified: Itachi was the Uchiha Lord.
The simple thought took a few moments for Itachi to digest as he looked around in shock. His eyes were wide, his teeth clenched behind closed lips. What was going on, was it another nightmare? Had something horrible happened? Had…had he done something wrong? His only thoughts revolved around the fact that the Uchiha in general were dead. How could this be? He wasn’t even allowed through the gates of Konoha, much less appear wearing ceremonial robes inside of the abandoned Uchiha district. His thoughts would have continued with this predicament but a small change in his environment made him stop. There was a different sound outside, a change of torrents from the falling rain. It took a few more seconds for Itachi to realize there was someone cloaking themselves outside. Their chakra might be invisible but the spots where the rain did not hit concrete floor gave them away. Just one of those tricks he had learned from Kisame.
For the person watching, they would begin to see a figure descend on the porch side where Itachi’s back was facing and begin to creep towards the candle’s light. Thunder roared again and the person took a few more daring steps as he exposed his features. It was a shinobi dressed in the typical ANBU attire, their mask in place and dripping from the rain. Their hand moved to their back as they slowly and silently began to extract their sword when a shocked frown appeared along Itachi‘s face. The figure hesitated, freezing in place. He could literally sense he was caught.]
Sasuke.
Tch. About time you sensed me.
[Itachi was stunned. The last thing he needed now was another confrontation with Sasuke. He didn’t need it. He had done his share, he was no monster. Over all, he did not want to fight him anymore and thus, he brought his head tilting down in shame and guilt. It Sasuke wanted him dead so much then he deserved it. He awaited the blow that never came. Instead, the uniformed Sasuke seemed to realize something wasn’t right and sheathed his sword again, moving over to the other side of the small table as he removed the mask from his face, his facial expression worried and concerned.]
What’s wrong?
Leave me be.
Leave you be? Did something happen?
Spare me your patronizing.
What are you talking about?
Do what you want. I am tired of this.
…are you drunk?
What? Am I-
[And Itachi rose his gaze to a very curious and concerned sixteen year old Sasuke, dripping wet and sitting very attentively before him. It was confusing to say the least, hadn’t he been about to attack him? Where was the mad glint in his eyes? He wasn’t sure whether to be afraid of being under an illusion or afraid he had gone mad. His eyes frowned but Sasuke continued to scrutinize him before heaving a disappointed sigh.]
Hn.
[Itachi said nothing but simply stared.]
Drinking is not a healthy alternative to staying awake brother.
I am not drunk.
Your actions say otherwise.
Why so certain?
You acted exactly like this last week when you found it amusing to drink yourself silly. Personally, it was entertaining until I had to carry you home, Lord Uchiha.
[Itachi blinked, Sasuke smirked teasingly. Had he just heard what he thought he heard?]
We…were drinking?
You drank. I watched.
Elaborate.
You mean you really don’t remember?
[And the two brothers stared at each other silently for a few minutes. Itachi with a confused frown upon his face, Sasuke staring back worriedly in a pool of the rain dripping from him, the candle between them warmly dancing here and there. It was a familiar game they always played where they allowed silence to be their spoken language. The scene seemed familiar, something of what a long lost dream should have been. It was the perfect moment, wasn’t it? The way Itachi always imagined the world at peace would be. He dropped his eye sight momentarily to the table, his eyes flashing over the letter by their mother reading a few lines off the first paragraph. The anniversary of their fathers death. Clearly, this was his perfect dream. No more hindrance, no more weak link. It was all in his control. How he had done it to convince the clan not to attack Konoha was far from being his main concern. He was more intrigued by the fact that he was here with Sasuke and that there was no murderous intent that had plagued his nightmares these past several days. Sasuke was genuinely worried. Itachi began to sink back into this scene right out of his most precious dreams…]
We celebrated your new position.
As ANBU captain.
This was your first mission.
As ANBU captain.
As ANBU captain.
I get now. You haven’t slept for days. Again.
[Itachi gave a weak smile as he let it all sink in. Of course. Itachi would get control of the Uchiha clan and change their perspectives. It had always been his intention to end war, ever since he was traumatized by the field of corpses as a child. Had the spirits of the Uchiha been tamable, there would definitely be enough peace for his brother to live a normal life. And here they were, making a change in the occurences of the history between the Uchiha and Konoha. Two Uchiha’s that had been placed as ANBU captains in the history of Hokage’s. The doors were opening for them.]
Spare me your lectures. Tell me about the mission.
Nice try. You know the rules.
Fair enough. Any injuries?
S-Several. Most were mended by Sakura on the spot. She’s very talented in her wor-
Haruno is with you?
[Sasuke gave a slight frown before shaking a finger at his brother.]
Stop asking, you see what you made me do?
Certainly this is not how you act towards your enemies, brother.
Of course not. I’m just… still high on the rush, that’s all.
Apparently. Tell me about the girl if you refrain from telling me your mission.
What do you want to know?
You mentioned she was talented.
Right. At healing.
Is that all?
[And Itachi was given a frown. Even if he had never had this conversation, he knew what was coming.]
For the last time, I am not interested. Stop inviting her to dinner so much, she’s not even from our clan.
And you prefer to marry a second cousin over someone as talented as that kunoichi?
How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not looking to get mar-
The action is inevitable, Sasuke. Either allow me to help or suffer the consequences.
It’s against clan laws.
I am the clan. My word is definite.
…you win. Let’s talk about the mission then.
[And the two shared a small moment of chuckles. The thunder roared outside again. Sasuke’s curiosity turned to the scrolls on the table. One in particular caught his attention. Itachi followed his brother‘s gaze but realized to late what he had just read. That ridiculous love letter. He winced but Sasuke had all ready picked it up and was reading it with a shocked expression.]
"You are the sun and I am your moon"….Itachi….? Who is this?
Put that down!
[And there was awkwardness again before Sasuke gave him a mocking look. Now it was Itachi’s turn to feel embarrassment. How curious, to have these sort of conversations. Was this truly the definition of normality? Of peace?]