5/6

Yoruichi shook her head. "Was that really necessary? I mean, I guess I can understand why you thought that Sasuke was the one that deserved to avenge the clan… and why you wanted to die by his hand. Still, years would've gone by in the meantime. He would've done more than just grow stronger as a Shinobi; he would've grown from a kid to an adolescent, then a teenager, and eventually to adulthood. Couldn't you have found a way to tell him the truth somewhere along the way? Did it all have to culminate in him killing you in the name of revenge?"

Itachi sighed. "I believed so back then, but now… well, in hindsight, I was an arrogant fool. I screwed everything up. The choices I made were mine and mine alone… and I made the wrong ones. My hubris, my belief that I had to make ever decision, that I couldn't lean on others… it blinded me. After Shisui's death, I felt that I had to shoulder everything myself. I should've realized that he wouldn't have wanted it to be that way. I don't know if I could've saved the clan, but as far as what happened after with Sasuke… if I could go back in time, there's so much that I would do differently."

He was making no effort whatsoever to conceal the bitterness and regret in his voice. Yoruichi knew that it was all too easy for someone to become consumed by past failures and what could've been done better, but Itachi had the worst case of it that she'd ever seen. With the benefit of everything that he'd told her thus far, the root cause of it was all too easy to see; in his own mind, he was rightfully condemned and beyond redemption. He believed his crimes were beyond any form of atonement, and that self-image as a monstrous criminal, regardless of the motivations behind his actions, had come to define him in ways he probably didn't even consciously realize.

His past is a prison… and he's condemned himself to an eternal sentence within its chains.

One that you don't think he deserves.

No… he doesn't.

So, how do you intend to free him?

That's a good question…

…one I'm not sure I have an answer for.

Her mental conversation with the spirit of her Zanpakutō did not distract her from Itachi, and her weapon had picked an ideal time to return to silence; the young man still had more to tell her. "Five years passed. Sasuke had grown, become a Genin, all the while I continued my activities with the Akatsuki. The Third Hokage had kept his word; my little brother was protected without ever realizing it. Danzō was still alive, still scheming away in the shadows, but wasn't able to act overtly. Things were moving along more or less the way I wanted… but it didn't last. In fact, everything got upended quite suddenly."

Yoruichi doubted that boded well. "What happened?"

"One of the members of the Akatsuki when I had initially joined was a man named Orochimaru," said Itachi, "Like me, he was a former Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, and a very skilled one at that. He was one of a trio of powerful Shinobi once known as the Legendary Sannin, renowned heroes of the village. Believe it or not, another member of that trio was none other than Jiraiya."

Yoruichi smiled. "Really? Sounds like Jiraiya's good for more than a laugh and some entertaining novels after all!"

She was pleased to see that her remarks could at least elicit a small smirk from her companion. "That's putting it mildly. They were all extraordinarily talented. Jiraiya and third, a woman called Tsunade, remained in the light, but Orochimaru… well, his fall was ugly. He became obsessed with achieving immortality and comprehending every jutsu known to the world, and he performed horrific experiments on his fellow Shinobi in pursuit of those ends. When the village discovered what he was up to, there was an attempt to apprehend him and make him answer for his crimes, but he escaped… and wound up with the Akatsuki. When I joined the group, I attracted his attention, and not in a good way."

"What did he want with you?" asked Yoruichi.

"He saw my Sharingan as a means to acquire all manner of jutsu," Itachi replied, "As a result, he soon tried to attack me and take possession of my body; transferring his essence was the means he went about cheating death, and stealing my eyes would be a bonus for him. I fended him off, and he was forced to flee from the Akatsuki as a result. His interest in acquiring the power of the Uchiha Clan would remain, though… and his gaze would eventually fall upon Sasuke."

Yoruichi grimaced; that didn't sound good. "Your little brother couldn't catch a break, could he?"

Itachi shook his head. "By the time he became a Genin, Sasuke was quite gifted for a Shinobi of his age. However, at that time Orochimaru was leagues beyond him. I eventually found out that when Sasuke's team was taking the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru had infiltrated the village and sought him out. He infected Sasuke with what he called a Cursed Seal of Heaven, which gave Sasuke potent power at the cost of corrupting his body and drawing him towards Orochimaru. The Cursed Seal was bad enough, but Sasuke already had a reason to seek out Orochimaru of his own free will; me."

Yoruichi nodded grimly. "The thirst for revenge… yeah, I can see him pursuing forbidden power to kill you, regardless of the source."

"He wouldn't pursue it right away," Itachi amended, "but he was dangerously close as things stood… and he soon got the push he needed to go in that direction. During the final phase of the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru openly attacked the Hidden Leaf Village; he had a long-standing grudge against it, and not just because he'd become a fugitive from justice. He had longed to become the next Hokage following Sarutobi, but the Third Hokage had passed him over in favor of Minato Namikaze. As you know, when Minato died in the Nine Tailed Foxe's attack, Sarutobi came out of retirement to reprise his position as Third Hokage. He remained highly skilled, but his glory years were behind him. Orochimaru had bidden his time, and when he struck that day his patience was finally rewarded. The Third Hokage fought bravely, even sealing Orochimaru's arms and thus depriving him of the traditional means of using the jutsus he so fiercely coveted… but it wasn't enough. Hiruzen Sarutobi met his end that day… which meant that I had a problem."

Yoruichi instantly grasped what he was getting at. "Sasuke's protection… without the Third Hokage to keep Danzō and other hardliners at bay, they had a clear shot at him."

Itachi nodded. "Exactly. I needed to make a play, a show of force to remind Danzō of his bargain and the consequences of breaking it. Fortunately, I actually had a valid pretense to return to the village. Remember how I told you that the Akatsuki were hunting down the Jinchūriki? As it turned out, one of Sasuke's team members was one. His name was Naruto Uzumaki… and he was the son of the late Fourth Hokage."

Yoruichi swiftly put two and two together. "The night that the Nine Tails attacked… the Fourth Hokage sealed it inside his own son? Why the hell would he do something like that?"

Itachi shrugged. "The official story was that he wanted his son to be looked upon by the people of the village as a hero for containing the Nine Tailed Fox. I'm sure there's more to it, but I can only guess at his true motives, and such speculation serves little purpose here. What mattered was that his very existence as another Leaf Village Genin meant that it wouldn't look suspicious to the Akatsuki if I returned to the village; I could make it look like an attempt to capture him. The ruse was enough to fool my partner and most of the organization, although I suspect Madara may have guessed at my real motives."

"Wait a sec," said Yoruichi, "You had a partner while you were with the Akatsuki?"

"Akatsuki members were divided into pairs for our operations," Itachi explained, "Traditional Shinobi teams typically operate in cells with a lead Jōnin and three lower-ranked subordinates, normally Genin or Chūnin. However, given the extreme skill and strength of each individual Akatsuki member it was determined that working in pairs was not only feasible, but desirable; due to our small numbers, concentrating into four-man cells would limit our ability to cover ground, but operating solo could leave us vulnerable. My teammate at the time was a man called Kisame Hoshigaki, a fugitive from the Hidden Mist Village. He was a gifted and powerful swordsman… and rather bloodthirsty, to put it mildly. Returning to the Leaf Village with him in tow was hardly ideal, but I didn't have much of a choice."

Yoruichi winced. "I hope you were at least able to limit the collateral damage."

"All things considered, it could've been worse," said Itachi, "We did skirmish with a group of Jōnin, but there were no life-threatening injuries; I managed to convince Kisame to withdraw before things went too far. The encounter with the Jōnin served my purpose quite well; thanks to their survival, word of my return to the village would inevitably reach Danzō and the surviving councilors. The rest of the village would think that Kisame and I were after the Nine Tails, but Danzō would know that my presence was really a message to him to honor our agreement or else. After that encounter, I pretended to hunt for the Nine Tails with Kisame. We actually did encounter Naruto, but he was never in any real danger. After all, none other than Jiraiya was nearby, and he had already begun mentoring the boy. I was betting on him stepping in before Kisame would force my hand, and thanks to his intervention I was able to avoid blowing my cover. All I had to do was stall for time, which I did so by pretending to contemplate with Kisame the best means for capturing Naruto. However, before Jiraiya's arrival and our subsequent withdrawal… Sasuke showed up."

Yoruichi shook her head in exasperation. "Your little brother has the worst sense of timing."

"I'm sure he hastened to find me once word got out that I had shown up in the village," Itachi replied, "The last thing I had wanted was for him to get involved, but that was now out of my hands. I defeated him quickly… and used Tsukuyomi on him, once again showing him the deaths of our parents."

Yoruichi's brow furrowed. "Reinforcing his hatred of you, just in case it had waned in the years since he'd last seen you… I get the reasoning, but I can't say that I approve. Poor kid had been through enough already."

Itachi nodded, to his credit not even trying to argue with her. "Agreed. It was one more mistake thrown onto the pile. Our encounter did indeed keep the flames of hatred burning strong within him… and it soon led him to search for the last person I wanted him to seek aid from; Orochimaru."

Yoruichi grimaced. "Orochimaru had already given him a taste of power thanks to the Cursed Seal, so he figured he could become even stronger by going to him… powerful enough to achieve his revenge."

"Any power granted Orochimaru would come at a cost," said Itachi, "In this case, it was easy enough to guess what he was after with my little brother. He'd already failed to take possession of my body, so he substituted Sasuke instead. He would give Sasuke whatever training and power he desired, all to mold him into his ideal future vessel. By the time I learned that Sasuke had left the village, it was too late for me to stop him. Sasuke would have to survive on his own now… and Orochimaru wouldn't be the only threat to him."

Yoruichi could guess where this was going. "Sasuke might've been only a Genin, but he was still a Leaf Village Shinobi. For him to leave the village and seek out a known traitor, especially one that had recently attacked the village and killed the Third Hokage… that would've been treason. Your little brother was painting a target on his own back."

"Exactly," Itachi concurred, "My appearance at the village would've been enough to get Danzō to honor our agreement under normal circumstances, but Sasuke's defection meant that his safety could no longer be guaranteed. There was also the problem that the subsequently selected Fifth Hokage didn't know the truth about the Uchiha Clan massacre or my agreement with the Third Hokage, so they would not be bound by the pact I'd struck with the village leadership all those years ago. Fortunately, the woman that eventually took up the position had stronger ethics than the likes of Danzō. She ordered a mission to retrieve Sasuke, and while it did fail it showed me what kind of person she really was; she had put the emphasis on bringing him back alive, not killing him. I might not have had the same kind of working relationship with her that I did with her predecessor, but I felt that she could, at the very least, be trusted to bring no harm to Sasuke. She might've been unaware of the Uchiha coup plot or the bargain I'd struck with the Third Hokage and Danzō in exchange for carrying out the purge, but she at least wasn't going to order Sasuke's murder."

Yoruichi was skeptical. "You were putting an awful lot of faith in her. Are you sure that was the best call?"

"It was definitely a gamble," Itachi admitted, "However, she did have something else going for her. The Fifth Hokage was none other than Tsunade, the third member of the Legendary Sannin that I mentioned earlier. She had won renown as perhaps the greatest medical Shinobi of her age, and that wasn't even taking into account her formidable strength. She was also the granddaughter of none other than the First Hokage, and from what I could tell she seemed to have inherited his ideals. She wasn't perfect by any means; in particular, she had a reputation for drinking and gambling that was almost as legendary as her healing prowess. Still, compared to the likes of Danzō and the other councilors, she was a breath of fresh air. I might not have personally known her like I did her predecessor, but I felt it was okay to gamble on her character. I still kept an eye on the Hidden Leaf Village just to be safe, but my efforts should've been focused elsewhere. Sasuke was well beyond their reach."

He paused for a moment, and Yoruichi gave him the time he needed to put his thoughts in order before he continued. "Three years went by… and I was running out of time. My travels as a member of the Akatsuki took me far and wide, and somewhere along the way I'd contracted a severe illness. I tried to keep it hidden from the other Akatsuki members, although I'm not sure if I was completely successful. It could be kept at bay for a time through medication, but without highly advanced medical ninjutsu it was ultimately terminal. Since I was an internationally wanted criminal, I could hardly seek treatment from a medical Shinobi. Besides, I hadn't planned on living long; I just need to stay alive until Sasuke could seek me out again."

So, he was on borrowed time, she thought, dying of illness even as he was planning for his own brother to kill him… had he really already made peace with his impending death, though? It's not like he knew that the Soul Society was what awaited him on the other side, after all.

"Eventually, I learned that Sasuke had slain Orochimaru," Itachi said, "Of course, knowing just what that man was capable of, I suspected that it wasn't his permanent end. The Cursed Seal he'd placed on Sasuke had the potential to be more than just a means to provide him with corrupting power; I feared that it could also possibly give him an anchor in the world of the living should his physical form be destroyed. I had already been planning on purging his influence from Sasuke well before our inevitable clash took place, and at this point I just needed to live long enough to reach that duel. Orochimaru's 'death' was a signal to me that Sasuke had achieved the power necessary to confront me. Our final encounter was now just a matter of time. Still, I had something I needed to attend to before it took place."

"What was that?" asked Yoruichi.

He met her question with one of his own. "Do you remember that teammate of Sasuke's that I told you about?"

Yoruichi nodded. "Naruto was his name, right? The one that the Nine Tailed Fox was sealed inside. What's he got to do with this?"

"Quite a bit," Itachi replied, "In addition to being one of Sasuke's teammates, he was also involved in the mission to retrieve Sasuke after he defected to Orochimaru. In the three years that had passed since Sasuke left the village, I learned that Naruto had been the most determined to bring him back. I was running out of time; my health was failing, and my use of the Mangekyou Sharingan over the years had left me nearly blind. While I still hoped that my original plan of having Sasuke kill me in our climatic duel and then return home a hero would work, I was concerned that the Uchiha Clan's Curse of Hatred might've taken hold. There was the possibility that he could actually make the village his next target, and as much I wanted to protect him, I could not allow that to happen. I made a choice… one that showed just how far I had fallen as a brother."

Yoruichi gave a weary shake of her head. "What did you do?"

"After all those years, I still had Shisui's eye," Itachi answered, "The power of Kotoamatsukami… and I was willing to use it against my little brother as a contingency. I placed the eye inside a crow that I controlled, and then sought out Naruto shortly before my fight with Sasuke. Ensnaring him in genjutsu, I then forced him to swallow the crow. I had set it to activate Kotoamatsukami when it saw my eyes, compelling whoever was in possession of them to defend the Hidden Leaf Village no matter what."

Yoruichi did a double take. "Wait… compel whoever had your eyes? I'm lost. I thought you were setting that up as a contingency against Sasuke, not yourself."

Itachi actually chuckled at that. "Ah, yes. You see, when I was describing the properties of the Mangekyou Sharingan to you earlier… I left a bit out. There actually is a cure for the blindness caused by the overuse of the Mangekyou, and that's to transplant the Mangekyou Sharingan of another Uchiha, ideally one with strong blood ties. This process creates what is known as the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan; a Mangekyou that can be used without the threat of encroaching blindness."

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place for Yoruichi. "You thought Sasuke would take your eyes after he killed you."

Itachi nodded. "Eventually, yes. I was counting on my death being the trigger necessary for Sasuke to awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan. Even though he hated me, I wanted to believe that part of him still thought back fondly on those days when he could see me as his loving older brother. Given the hatred I had worked to instill in him… well, it was entirely possible that those memories had been completely repressed by his thirst for revenge. I was making a gamble, no doubt there. I believed he would eventually have to use the Mangekyou Sharingan to protect himself from the forces my death would unleash, particularly the likes of Danzō and the man I suspected to be Madara Uchiha. Eventually, his sight would begin to fade, and he would have no choice but to seek out my corpse and claim my eyes to restore his vision and claim the power of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Since those would be my eyes, that's why I had to set Kotoamatsukami to activate in that particular manner."

Yoruichi felt a chill go down her spine as she processed the implications behind that. "So, in order to protect the village and Sasuke… you chose to sacrifice the free will of your little brother."

"Yes," he said solemnly, not even attempting to hide his guilt, "Another decision that I made for him… acting as if he had no agency in his own life. I was willing to control and manipulate him up until the moment of my death, and even from beyond the grave. His deserved so much better… I was really earning all that hatred I'd worked to instill in him."

At least he's owning up to it, thought Yoruichi, I'll give him that much.

"Once I'd ensured that my contingency was in place, it was time to initiate the endgame," Itachi continued, "One of the good things about Sasuke chasing me meant that he was reacting to my movements, which gave me the luxury of determining our battlefield. As the stage, I chose an abandoned fortress that had been established by the Uchiha Clan during the Warring States Period. It was quite out of the way, so we'd have time to finish our fight before any outsiders could interfere. With my final preparations complete, I made sure the word got out to my little brother. He knew where I would be waiting now… and it didn't take long at all from him to arrive."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed. "He just came right in? I know he was eager to kill you, but he had to have suspected a trap. I sure as hell would've."

Itachi simply shrugged, a hint of melancholy slipping into his voice. "I can't speak to his thoughts on that matter. What he believed at the time is irrelevant now. The only thing that matters is that he showed up. I could tell just by looking at him that he'd grown into a formidable Shinobi. Even as I taunted him, riling him up to make sure that he came at me with everything he had… in my heart, I was proud of him. Had things been otherwise… had he been allowed to mature in a village where the clan remained loyal and I could openly be his loving older brother… I would've been honored to fight alongside him as a comrade-in-arms. Instead, all I could give him was a deathmatch… and a measure of purification."

"Orochimaru's Cursed Seal," said Yoruichi, "How'd you purge it?"

"I had to drag the fight out and make sure Sasuke went to his absolute limit," he replied firmly, "He fought splendidly, and while I was no longer at peak strength, I gave him more than a just a good showing. I didn't want to kill him, of course, but I couldn't give him cause to suspect that I might be holding back. Once Sasuke unleashed his trump card, I got the opening I'd been seeking throughout the duel; his efforts had used up nearly all of his chakra, meaning that he could no longer suppress the essence of Orochimaru that was held within him. It turned out his corruption ran so deep that my worst fears were confirmed; Orochimaru had somehow already embedded his consciousness within Sasuke's body. Now that Sasuke's chakra was utterly spent, he could no longer contain the abomination that was Orochimaru, and that inhuman creature immerged from my little brother's body. He immediately moved to posses Sasuke's body… but I was ready for him."

Yoruichi smiled. "How'd you take him out?"

"Over the course of my travels, I had refined the abilities of my Mangekyou Sharingan," said Itachi, "This included enhancing my Susanoo via a unique weapon that I discovered during one of my journeys; the Sword of Totsuka. It's an ethereal weapon, much closer to the spiritual than physical realm, although it's more than capable of contending with foes in the latter. The weapon is actually housed in a liquid form that's held in a gourd; the liquid then forms the blade once the weapon is called upon."

Yoruichi leaned forward slightly. "Interesting… what does it do?"

"In short, it's a sealing weapon," Itachi answered, "Those stabbed by it are drawn into the gourd. There they are trapped in a realm of drunken dreams for all eternity. It was too kind a fate for the likes of Orochimaru, but it was the only way I could conclusively purge his influence from Sasuke. Once I was sure that the last of his essence had been sealed… well, there was only one thing left to do."

He then gave her a small, almost weary smile. "Sasuke's chakra was utterly spent… and now, so was mine. I had drawn heavily upon the Mangekyou Sharingan throughout the fight, but even without that, my time was done. The illness that had ravaged my body was in its final stages as you already know, and the rigors of that battle were more than enough to use up the last of the borrowed time I had been living on. My final mission was complete… and I believed that Sasuke would soon awaken the power he'd need to truly surpass me. So, without further ado, I collapsed by my brother… and finally passed on. Imagine my surprise when I woke up in the Soul Society rather than the pits of Hell. From there… well, you know most of the rest."

It was tempting for Yoruichi to agree, but there was a footnote she needed addressed first. "Not quite. The soul fracture; why were you brought back? From what you've told me today, it doesn't sound like you were planning on being resurrected after the fight with your brother."

Itachi shook his head. "No, I really had intended on that being the end. My resurrection was courtesy of one of Orochimaru's followers who had thrown in his lot with the 'Madara' that had once helped me wipe out the Uchiha Clan. I was brought back against my will, and the jutsu that did the deed forced me to fight against the Hidden Leaf Village under their command. Fortunately, I wound up running into none other than Naruto Uzumaki… and he still had the crow with Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan inside of him. Kotoamatsukami was activated; after all, it was set for my eyes, remember?"

Yoruichi smirked. "So, your failsafe worked, although not in the manner you thought it would."

Itachi sighed. "It did, but… everything else I had planned before my death had completely fallen apart. I learned that Sasuke had claimed my eyes, just like I'd hoped… but he had also learned the truth about what I'd done, and his hatred became directed towards the Hidden Leaf Village. Rather than become a hero for the village and redeeming the clan name as I'd hoped, he'd become a dangerous enemy, all out of the desire to take revenge for me. It was only then that I finally realized the depths of my folly. Fortunately, Kotoamatsukami had freed me from the control of the resurrection jutsu. I could now act of my own free will, and after helping Naruto I set out to find the one that had brought me back. My goal was to undo the rest of the resurrection jutsu; my time in the Realm of the Living had already ended once, and I was not keen on prolonging this temporary return. My search soon bore fruit… and it also led me to Sasuke again."

He smiled again, only this time it was more genuine, practically a beacon of light in the sea of darkness that his long tale had been. "After all that had happened… all the lies, the manipulation, the torment… all those horrific mistakes I made… I was finally able to tell him the truth. More than that, when the two of us confronted the caster of the resurrection jutsu… we fought side by side. I had no right to ask Sasuke's trust, no right to expect him to willingly partner with me in battle… but he did, just the same. For the first time in a long time… I could finally be the big brother that I'd always wanted to be for him."

His smile grew ever so slightly as he continued. "When our foe was defeated and the jutsu undone… I knew exactly what I wanted to say to Sasuke. It was what I'd wanted to say for years… but only now, after having crossed death's door once and on the verge of crossing again, this time for good, was I finally able to tell him how I really felt. I had no right to ask forgiveness of him after all I had done, nor did I have any right to request that he follow one path or another. My time was well and truly done, and the only person who deserved to dictate Sasuke's destiny was himself. All I could tell him was that no matter what his decision was… I would always love him. After all… he's my little brother. He always will be… not even the divide of life and death will change that."

So that was why he wept upon his recovery from the soul fracture, Yoruichi mused, I didn't consider it my place to pry into the matter at the time, but now… I really wish I had. Itachi…

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again the smile was gone; his expression was now one of somber anticipation. "So… there you have it. From my youngest days to where I sit now… you know it all. Tell me, Yoruichi… what's your verdict? Betrayal, torture, mass murder; I've done it all. Squad Two's domain is the shadows, but tell me; are the shadows of your division dark enough for a man who's committed my sins? Tell me… will you still have me as your subordinate? Tell me…"

"…am I still worthy of your trust as a member of Squad Two after all that I have done?"

….

Itachi couldn't recall the last time in his life that he'd talked so much, let alone about himself. The trepidation that he'd felt going into this had been unlike anything he'd experienced before. Getting his past out in the open, even if it was just with one person, was no small task. Now, here he was; the moment of truth. The woman who was both his Captain and the person that he'd finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to now knew everything about him.

Every secret. Every crime. Every failure. Every shame.

Itachi wasn't going to kid himself here. Murder was one thing, but the massacre he'd committed was several orders of magnitude beyond that. As the head of Squad Two and the Stealth Force, Yoruichi was a woman who knew full well what it meant to get one's hands dirty in the name of duty, but Itachi was sure that she had a limit as to what she could stomach. She'd been kind and understanding with him up until now, and to her immense credit she'd proven herself willing to hear him out as he'd delved into his worst actions, but now his tale was complete. All he could do now was await her judgment.

And he was afraid.

I have no right to ask for absolution from her, he thought grimly, I didn't have any right to ask for her trust, either… yet I still did so. The arrogance of that request… all these years, and I've still learned nothing. She would be completely within her right to expel me from the division at the very least, and indeed a good deal more. With what I've done, what I've told her, it wouldn't be hard for her to see me as a threat not only to Squad Two but the entirety of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads…

By rights, I should be cast out.

Exiled in death, just as I was in life…

…it would be fitting.

Going into today, Itachi had thought he was ready for the worst. He had braced himself for Yoruichi's disgust and horror; regardless of her willingness to listen, what he'd done certainly merited condemnation. Yet she had simply allowed him to continue. She'd given voice to opinions and thoughts on his actions, yet her ultimate judgment had been withheld. If nothing else, Itachi was incredibly grateful for her patience and restraint, but now the time for those was past. Now was the time for her to call him out, to give him every bit of condemnation that he deserved… and despite his preparation, Itachi was afraid. Even though he knew he fully deserved nothing but her contempt, he dreaded it. The last thing he was worthy of was being allowed to continue to serve her after today, yet he dearly wanted that more than anything else.

She continued to look at him in silence, and Itachi could only imagine what was going through her mind. The suspense was tortuous, but he didn't dare attempt to force her answer. She would give her verdict when she was good and ready, and Itachi had no right to rush her.

She closed her eyes for what was probably just a couple of seconds, but what felt to Itachi like an eternity. When she opened them again, he fervently searched for any hint he could find as to her true feelings. She didn't make it easy for him; her years as the head of essentially the black ops of the Soul Society had given her one hell of a poker face.

She took a deep breath before finally speaking. "I always thought that you were an interesting guy, Itachi… turns out I had no idea just how interesting you'd really be, though. You really know how to throw a woman for a loop, that's for sure. That story of yours... if it came from anyone else, I would've called 'bullshit' on it well before they'd finished."

"So, what makes me the exception?" he asked, taking great pains to keep calm demeanor despite his heart hammering with anticipation and dread.

She smiled. "Do you remember the night we first met?"

"Like it was yesterday," Itachi immediately replied.