Chapter Text
“Frown a little harder and you’ll have competition with Captain for ‘most miserable ninja in Konoha’.”
Shisui rolled his eyes and threw a smooth pebble into the Naka River. He had been turning it around in his palm ever since he had arrived at the riverbank more than an hour ago. He wiped his left-hand on his pants and cringed at the feeling of moist, grainy sand on his skin. He refused to get up and pulled his outstretched legs closer to his body— sure it was disrespectful to refuse to greet his vice-captain, but Team Rou was still on break and who cared about Tenzo’s feelings anyway? The older teen had made himself scarce ever since Shisui was rescued from Danzo (if one could call Kakashi carrying his limp body that was covered in Danzo’s blood a ‘rescue’).
Admittedly, he was bitter about it. He figured Tenzo probably blamed himself for what had happened and maybe his claim that he needed a break from Naruto was true…still Shisui couldn’t help but feel that Tenzo’s behaviour was a bit pathetic. Nonetheless, he settled for a scowl. It was rude but at least it was kinder than voicing his rather poor opinion of his vice-captain.
“Tell Kakashi to stop being such a mother hen and maybe I won’t frown as much.”
Shisui lifted a hand to cover his forehead, swiping a bead of sweat off his face in the process. The sun had yet to reach its zenith, but the heat was smothering him and worsening his already sour mood. Birds whistled loudly as if their songs would summon even a slight breeze. No such luck.
He really hoped Kakashi wasn’t the one to send Tenzo running his way. As much as he admired his older brother figure, Shisui was convinced that in his newly acquired parental mind, Kakashi confused Naruto and Shisui. It was more annoying than endearing at times.
Tenzo moved to stand beside him. He crossed his arms and gazed at the ripples that Shisui’s pebble created. He waited a while before replying, as if measuring Shisui’s emotions to decide whether it was worth the effort to speak.
“For the record, Itachi was the one who insisted you needed someone to bring you back. You guys got into a fight or something?”
Shisui scoffed. As if he’d call his temper tantrum a fight. It wasn’t his proudest moments but he lashed out at Itachi when his cousin insisted that he tell Kakashi and Obito about his suspicions regarding the latter’s informant. Itachi told him it was necessary because if what Hiashi Hyuuga had revealed to Kakashi was true, then his theory about a middleman being involved wouldn’t be as far-fetched as he originally thought. Of course, instead of admitting that Itachi was right, Shisui was adamant that maybe it wasn’t worthwhile bringing it up to either Obito or Kakashi. In reality he was just a coward and didn’t want to bring the topic up and, in that moment of cowardice, he stormed off from Kakashi's house to mope at the place where his missing father’s dead body had been found. God, he was never beating the overly dramatic Uchiha allegations.
“Did Kakashi fill you in on what happened at the Hyuugas?”
Tenzo raised a brow but humoured Shisui’s attempt at changing the topic. “Yeah,” he answered. “He’s convinced trouble is brewing but honestly, I don’t see why we have to get involved.”
Shisui gave him a sheepish look. “Well, you have Itachi and I to thank for that. We came up with this theory that there’s a traitor in the Hyuugas’ midst and convinced Kakashi to investigate for us.”
“Even if that is the case, why not let them fight it out themselves? Unlike with the Uchiha, there’s not a risk that the village is in danger.”
Shisui held his tongue. He couldn’t voice his concerns about that might not being the case without stating why. Not when he held certain suspicions about Obito and his informant— not that he could say that either.
“When’s Team Rou’s first meeting going to be?” he asked, silent hoping that Tenzo would take the bait.
The look on Tenzo’s face told Shisui that he was not interested. Damn it.
“Look, at the end of the day, Kakashi’s captain. He’ll do what he wants and make us follow along. It’s been like since before I joined Rou.”
“Actually,” Tenzo said. “It hasn’t. Kakashi followed Lord Third’s orders and we followed his. Then, Naruto gets adopted, you join, and all of a sudden Team Rou is playing the tune to his whims and fancies.”
Shisui stared at him. “You sound a little bitter.”
It was Tenzo’s turn to roll his eyes. “I am bitter. I’m fine with the way this team operates. Kakashi’s been a much better leader, and an overall person, since Naruto, you and Itachi came into the picture. What I’m not fine with is how our entire team dynamic got tossed out the window after the whole fiasco with your clan.”
Shisui winced. Tenzo had a point. It was hard to deny that Team Rou wasn’t operating as the unconventional model of an elite ANBU squad. Who even decided that they were “elite” in the first place? Regardless, they worked relatively well together. Sure, they always found themselves at the centre of chaos but it was nothing they couldn’t handle.
“You and Naruto got kidnapped and Genma almost died. Stop giving us so much credit.”
Crap, was he thinking out loud?
“We’re ANBU, Tenzo. Near death experiences come with the job description.”
“And this team does a damn good job at chasing them,” Tenzo replied, then sighed. “I’m not going to bother trying to get you to talk about whatever caused you to come here, but I’m not going to have an eight-year-old on my ass.”
He kicked Shisui in the thigh, forcing the boy to reluctantly stand up. “Go make up with your cousin.”
Shisui groaned and threw him a dirty look. “You planning on walking me to the Uchiha District?”
Tenzo flicked his forehead. “You realise I am your superior, right?”
“Didn’t we just establish that our team is dysfunctional?”
“Brat,” Tenzo muttered under his breath but didn’t say anything further. He just gave Shisui this stupid look that seemed to say, “If you don’t get out of here right now, I swear to God, I’ll tell Kakashi and then he can really start acting like a mother hen.”
Urgh. Why could he never mope in peace? If it wasn’t Itachi trying to get to open up about his feelings, it was Kakashi or Obito, and now apparently Tenzo as well. Shisui made up his mind that if Genma ever gathered up the nerve to even think about lecturing him, he’d round his team up and put them all under the Mangekyo genjutsu.
“Fine,” he said eventually. “I’ll go play nice with Itachi. You can tell Kakashi that he and Obito both better be home this afternoon when Itachi and I come over.”
Tenzo looked surprised. “Why would they both need to be there?”
Shisui shook his head. There was no point in involving the rest of Rou until he brought it up with Kakashi and Obito. If his suspicions were proven to be correct, his teammates would find out eventually.
“Just tell them, okay?”
Before Tenzo could reply, Shisui formed the tiger hand seal and used the body flicker technique. Appearing just outside the Uchiha district, Shisui felt a headache form. Forget Kakashi confusing him with Naruto, he was sure Itachi began to confuse him with Sasuke.
Mikoto Uchiha was an optimist. She had lived through many tragedies as a former jonin of the leaf, lost her best friend in an incident that was never fully disclosed, had to comfort her clan head of a husband when the weight of carrying the Uchiha name was too much to bear, and she also had two young children to look after. Even if one of her sons insisted that he didn’t need to be coddled and that he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Still, Mikoto Uchiha was an optimist.
One could not lead the life she led without being an optimist, for if it wasn’t a brooding husband she had to deal with, it was a brooding child. Said child was also incredibly intelligent, more so than anyone she had met since the Fourth Hokage, but that’s exactly where the problem lay. It was a well-established fact that the Uchiha were a stubborn group of people, now add extreme intelligence that’s constantly getting praised and childish gloom to the mix and you get one Itachi Uchiha.
Her son had left early that morning to spend time at Kakashi’s place. Itachi had the day off and Fugaku insisted on taking Sasuke out that morning, so Mikoto thought she had the house to herself. That was until no more than an hour had past and Itachi came marching back home while grumbling under his breath.
The only thing she managed to make out was “stupid Shisui” and “hopefully Tenzo will sort him out”. Mikoto didn’t quite understand but she gathered that her son and what might as well be her nephew got into an argument.
It wasn’t often that she got to save the day when Itachi was in trouble, but alas, only his mother could solve this problem.
“Itachi-kun, please come out of your room. You’re making your poor mother worried,” she called out while holding the door handle to her son’s bedroom. Mikoto was tempted to just burst in and drag her son out of the covers she was sure he was hiding beneath, but really, what would that achieve?
“I said I was fine, Mother,” Itachi called out.
“Then, come out and help your mother around the house. Now that your father and brother are enjoying the day together outside the district, it’s the perfect time for some mother-son bonding!”
“I don’t want to talk about Shisui, Mother,” Itachi replied.
Mikoto frowned. Screw it, she was opening that damn door.
With the smile of an angel, she marched into his room, banging the door behind her with strength she was certain her best friend would have been proud of. Sure enough, Itachi was lying under his blankets but no matter how skilled he was as a ninja, Mikoto was still his mother. She grabbed him out of bed, threw him over her shoulder, and walked down the stairs with him kicking and screaming until she placed him on a chair in their sitting room.
Itachi glared at her as she took a seat at their dining table across from him. Nevertheless, he sat obediently.
“Now, Itachi-kun, that’s no way to look at your mother,” Mikoto chided.
“I am fine, Mother.”
“Uh-huh. So, hiding beneath your blankets is a new hobby of yours, then?”
Itachi blushed violently. “I was not hiding!” He coughed. “I mean, I was just feeling cold. That is all.”
Mikoto gave him a pointed look. “In this heat?”
When Itachi didn’t answer and instead tried to sink further into his chair, she sighed. Tilting her and resting her chin on her palm, she pulled a funny face. She smiled in victory when she saw his mouth curve slightly.
“You can talk to me, Itachi-kun. Whatever you and Shisui fought over, I won’t tell a soul.”
She waited patiently for her son to reply. He was always careful with his words, unlike his father who either didn’t speak at all or simply spoke his mind (even when his opinion was not needed).
“I’m tired of keeping secrets, Mother,” he answered quietly.
“Unfortunately, you’re a ninja, Itachi-kun. Keeping secrets is just something you need to learn to deal with,” She laughed lightly when Itachi pouted instead. Her eldest son was really too cute.
“I know that. I do; it’s just that…” Itachi shook his head. “It’s just that sometimes I feel like it’s all too much.”
Mikoto sat up straight, the smile vanishing from her face. “Itachi, are you involved in something again?”
She prayed that it was not the case. The whole drama with her clan and Danzo still kept her up at night. She was so upset with Fugaku for not telling her as soon as he learnt about their son’s involvement, going as far as to ignore him and sleep in a separate room. Mikoto only forgave her husband when he came home looking as though he aged ten years in a single day and tearfully embraced her, repeatedly apologising for hiding the truth from her. She later learned that Shisui and Naruto were kidnapped and that the former killed Danzo in revenge for his father and what he had planned to do to their clan. She shuddered. Itachi was right; sometimes it really was all too much.
“Mother?”
Mikoto took a deep breath and calmed herself. “I’m alright, Itachi-kun. Tell me, are you involved in something you shouldn’t be?”
To her relief he shook his head. “No. But I’m worried that I would need to be soon.”
“Need to?”
Itachi nodded. “It’s why Shisui left earlier. He’s…suspicious of something. So, I told him to talk to Kakashi and Obito because it concerns them. He doesn’t want to because he’s thinks that he’s worried over nothing but Mother, isn’t it better to be saf?”
Mikoto considered his words for a moment. “This suspicion of Shisui’s, I’m assuming it’s something you can’t tell me?” Itachi nodded again. “Well, if it’s involving Kakashi and Obito-kun, then I’m assuming he’s worried that they might think ill of him.”
“They wouldn’t. Not after all they did for us. I tried telling Shisui that but he stormed off when I told him that if he wouldn’t bring it up, then I would.”
Ah, there it was. The famous Uchiha stubbornness and the refusal to be wrong.
“Now, Itachi-kun, don’t you think it was wrong for you to do that?”
Itachi furrowed his brows. “Wrong? Don’t you agree with me, Mother?”
Mikoto couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite all his knowledge, Itachi still had a lot to learn about navigating the world and interacting with people.
“I agree with your reasoning but not with your actions. Yes, Kakashi and Obito deserve to know whatever it is that’s plaguing your cousin’s mind but even so, you can’t threaten him to do what you think is right.”
Itachi was quiet for a while, allowing his mother’s wisdom to settle. Mikoto mentally counted down the seconds it took for her words to reach Itachi and watched as her son’s forehead creases relaxed.
“No, I don’t think that is true, Mother,” he finally said. “If I am correct and Shisui is wrong, then he should listen to me. Coercion is necessary in this case as he refuses to listen to reason.”
Mikoto pursed her lips. She would have a talk with Fugaku later night to discuss whatever ideas he had been placing in their son’s head.
“Itachi,” she said a bit more forcefully. “Even if you are correct, you should first try talking to Shisui before you begin to threaten him.”
“But—” She raised her hand.
“Shisui has been through a lot these past few months. You both have, but more so him, and you need to understand that everyone deals with emotions differently. Yes, you and Shisui are very similar, but I am sure you noticed that he has changed significantly, yes?”
“He has,” Itachi agreed. “But so have I, Mother. Father says I act much more like a child these days. Is that not a bad thing, Mother? Everyone has always praised me for acting the way I did before.”
Yes, she would definitely be speaking to her husband later that night.
“Itachi, you are a child and not a hokage. You shouldn’t force yourself to act a certain way because that is what other people expect from you. Ask yourself as Shisui’s best friend, if what you did was wrong.”
Itachi bit his lip. “I just meant to help,” he murmured. “I don’t mean to be rude, Mother. I just don’t want him to keep everything to himself like he always does.”
Mikoto glanced behind her son, then smiled. “You had good intentions, Itachi-kun. Even so, you should be more clear on why you think something is the best course of action, rather than trying to force your way."
Itachi nodded. “He feels so far away at times. We’re a lot closer than we were a few months ago but even when we joke around, Shisui still keeps his distance. Sometimes, it feels like he’s closer to Kakashi than he is to anyone else.”
Mikoto reached across the table that separated them and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. I’m going to get started on lunch while you and Shisui talk, okay.”
Itachi’s eyes widened as he whipped around and met his cousin’s sheepish gaze. His cheeks burned as he hastily tried to speak but only splutters of words left his mouth. He watched as his mother ruffled Shisui’s head in greeting, laughing as she left the two awkward children in the room together.
As she headed towards the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. “It’s quite hot in the house, so why don’t you two head out into the district. That way you don’t have to worry about me eavesdropping.”
“Um,” Shisui began and scratched the back of his neck.
“Let’s just sit outside at the back. I don’t want anyone else to see my face like this,” Itachi muttered.
“Listen—”
“Shisui—”
The cousins stared at each other awkwardly, neither knowing what to do. Though they’d known each other for years and both considered each other to be best friends, they’d never had a fight before— at least not one that was neither physical, nor a joke.
Itachi bit his lip. He hated feeling so…childish. He wondered if Kakashi and Obito ever felt like he did. They were always at each other’s throats but anyone could see how close the two ninjas were, even if they liked to pretend that they hated each other.
He sighed and sat down on the veranda, while Shisui continued to stand and look around. The back garden of the main Uchiha family was bigger than Kakashi’s, not by much though. The landscape was similar, consisting of stone, grass, and raked gravel, although it was arranged in such a way that it formed the Uchiha clan symbol. The stepping stones formed a curving path, leading through grass and moss until it reach a small wooden bridge that passed over a much bigger koi pond. Shisui mentioned that Kakashi wanted to build one in his garden but never got around to it, maybe he and Shisui could surprise him…
Wait. Itachi shook his head. His thoughts were getting ahead of him, first he needed to get through this rather painfully awkward ordeal.
“Itachi.” Shisui broke the silence. He moved to sit next to Itachi and groaned as he buried his head in his hands.
“Look, I’m older than you and this—” he lifted his head and pointed between the two of them “— is my fault. You’re right, I need to talk to Kakashi and Obito. I’m just scared of doing it.”
“You’re scared?” Itachi asked incredulously. Worried he could understand, but scared? Scared and Shisui didn’t fit together in the same sentence.
“Yeah, scared, you brat.” Shisui bumped Itachi’s shoulder with his fist. “I don’t know what opinion you have of me in that massive brain of yours, but even I get scared at times.”
“Like with Danzo?” Shisui flinched slightly, but Itachi couldn’t help himself.
Shisui avoided that topic like the plague and when he asked Kakashi if Shisui spoke to him about it, he replied that Obito was the one that Shisui confided in. That hurt more than it should have. Itachi didn’t even understand why it hurt in the first place. Maybe jealously? But that doesn’t make sense. He’d never been jealous of anyone before, so why would he be jealous of Obito of all people.
“With Danzo, it was more anger, you know?” Shisui answered quietly. “Like I was certain he was going to kill me and yeah, I was scared. Terrified, even. But even so, I was just so angry at…well everything.”
Itachi nodded in understanding. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, Shisui.”
“Nah.” Shisui shook his head. “I should. I have been shutting you out lately. Not that I meant to but we’re Uchihas. Obito’s the only one of us that wears his heart on his sleeve, and we’re both more like Kakashi.”
“Is that what Genma meant when he said we were emotionally constipated?”
Shisui snorted. “I guess that’s one way of wording it.”
Itachi laughed and suddenly, the tense mood was gone. “If you want to talk about Danzo, you can. Mother made me talk about everything with her, it was weird. She was crying and then hugging me until Father came into my room to see what the fuss was about, and she started hitting him.” Itachi shuddered. “I didn’t know she was that strong.”
“I didn’t know Aunt was that strong, either. Did it help though? Talking to her, I mean?”
Itachi shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt lighter, so I guess it did. But you heard our conversation earlier, so maybe it didn’t work.”
Shisui smiled slightly. “You’re just struggling to understand something for the first time, ‘Tachi. Happens to the best of us.” He shifted himself and laid with his back flat against the veranda, then took a deep breath.
“When I was in that world, the Mangekyo world, I wasn’t myself. I was so angry and frustrated. I was scared that Danzo was going to murder me and pluck my eyes out like I was some doll, or something. I wanted to punish him, so I did. I kept on torturing him, I wanted him to feel bad for killing my dad. But he didn’t, so I didn’t stop either.”
“Did he die of exhaustion from being under your genjutsu?”
The wind started to pick up. The rustling of the leaves made the ambience peaceful, even if the conversation was far from it.
“I kicked him in the gut after releasing him. Then, he croaked.” Shisui said rather matter-of-factly. As if he was reading a mission report to Lord Third. There wasn’t a hint of remorse. “I thought I was evil for doing it, then Obito pointed out how someone in my position would’ve done worse.”
“He has point, though. I don’t know what I would have done but Danzo deserved what he got.” Itachi believed what he was saying was right. The alternative was letting Danzo live and knowing the Third Hokage, he would’ve seen it fit to just have the man thrown in a prison cell until he died. Besides, could Shisui's actions even be considered as inhumane when Danzo was planning on commiting a literal genocide?
“I eventually started seeing it that way and Kakashi got me to open up more about my dad. I know that you don’t lead a perfect life, being clan heir to the Uchiha is a Hell I’d never want to experience, but it’s just easier to talk about these things with Kakashi and Obito since they can relate.”
There was that feeling again. That weird discomfort in his gut. Everything that Shisui was saying made sense but—
“But you’re my best friend, not theirs!”
It was like all sound apart from his own voice decided to disappear and slip into the unknown. Shisui stared at him with widened eyes. He didn’t expect this outburst either, but Itachi wasn’t about to back down. He’d already embarrassed himself earlier, what was a few more minutes of mortification going to do?
“Why do my parents need to be dead for you to talk to me? I killed people too even if I’m younger than you, I’m still a ninja of this village. We were friends before Kakashi and Obito stole you from me. Yet, you’re closer to them and you live with them and take missions with them and-and-and why do you like them more than me?!”
Itachi heaved as he got the last few words out. God, he hated feeling like such a child. His mother was sure to have heard his outburst even if she did promise to not eavesdrop on them. He hated the thought that maybe even his dad and Sasuke could hear from wherever they were. And Shisui— the bastard was laughing his head off!
“It’s-it’s not funny, you idiot!” Shisui was full on cackling, while he was dying on the inside.
“No, it definitely is. Never in my life would I have believed that Itachi Uchiha would be jealous of someone. Over me, no less.
So it was jealousy, then? What an ugly feeling to have.
“’Tachi,” Shisui said after his laughter died out. “I don’t like Kakashi or Obito more than I like you. They’re like older brothers to me. Yeah, I live with them and take missions with Kakashi but that’s cause I don’t want to burden your parents and Kakashi is my team captain, remember?”
Itachi blushed. Okay, Shisui may have been making sense.
“But you’re still closer to them!” he argued feebly.
Shisui sobered and tilted his head at Itachi. The same way Mikoto did earlier.
“Your parents love you, ‘Tachi, and as messed up as your dad’s parenting can be, he loves you. My dad is dead and my mom hated me before she disappeared to God knows where. You’re my best friend, Itachi, but it’s hard for me to not get jealous of you sometimes.”
Itachi hit the veranda with his fist. “I’m tired of this jealousy nonsense! It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Oh, God. Now, he was the one having a tantrum. He wanted to wipe that smug look off Shisui’s face.
“You’re telling me about it. This stuff is so difficult to understand. I don’t get how normal kids deal with it.”
“I don’t like feeling like a normal kid,” Itachi said in a small voice.
“Yeah, because you’re so used to everybody singing your praises. You’re the elders’ golden child now that I left the District.” Shisui smirked as he spoke but Itachi could hear the lingering regret laced in his voice.
“So, you’re not planning on coming back, then?”
Shisui shook his head. “Just because the Danzo fiasco is behind us doesn’t mean I’m willing to just forgive the elders for labelling me a traitor for not following their every command. I care about our clan enough to kill for it, but not nearly enough to betray myself.”
Itachi said nothing. What could he say when he knew everything Shisui said was correct? The pond burbled in the background as the wind began to pick up again. For a while, it was just the sound of the bamboo fountain hitting stone that filled the air.
“When Father becomes Hokage, he’ll step down. He told me he wouldn’t be able to handle both, so I’ll become the clan head once he’s in office. I’ll change this clan, Shisui.”
Shisui rested his head against the palms of his hands . “Yeah, I’m sure you will. Hopefully, your dad doesn’t have to step down soon, though. As much as the elders adore you, they’re not going to let an eight-year-old tell them what to do.”
“They won’t even let Father tell them what to do. If it wasn’t for Lord Third promising that Father will inherit his position, they would have probably made a fuss about everything.”
Shisui hummed. “Sounds about right. Some of them have been around since the village was founded…” Shisui bolted up. “Say, Itachi have you ever heard of the curse of hatred?”
Itachi pulled a face. “Curse of hatred? Where’d you hear that from?”
“Obito. I probably wasn’t supposed to hear it but I remember he mentioned it in a conversation with Kakashi not too long ago.”
“So you were eavesdropping again?”
Shisui rolled his eyes. “It’s not eavesdropping if Obito was speaking loud enough for me to overhear his conversation with Kakashi while I was playing with Naruto. And what do you mean ‘again’?”
Itachi didn’t answer him. “If you weren’t supposed to hear, then it’s probably something they don’t want us to get involved in,” he said instead.
“Danzo called me a ‘cursed heretic’. I thought he was just spewing slurs, so I never thought about it too deeply but what if that was part of the reason why he wanted to kill us?”
Shisui stood up before Itachi could speak. “It makes sense when you think about it. Sure, he was deranged and wanted to harvest our eyes but before I killed him, he just exuded hatred. Like, he genuinely thought that Konoha would be better off if we didn’t exist.”
Itachi got up himself. While Shisui was making sense, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know anything further. His father still walked on eggshells around him and his mother would kill him if she found out that he got involved in something dangerous again. He looked at Shisui and sighed inwardly. No amount of convincing was going to change his cousin’s mind and well, he was a chunin after all. His mother would just have to deal with the consequences of whatever it is that was doomed to go wrong.
“I take it you want us to interrogate Kakashi and Obito about this?”
Shisui grinned. “You’re the one who wanted me to be more open with them in the first place.”
Yeah, his mother was definitely going to kill him alright.