goldenyondaime:

uchihasavior:

“He’s growing bigger every day.” And all the talk about the Uchiha keeping the Jinchuuriki was dying down, the longer Naruto lived. “Full of energy, curious about everything.” 

While he speaks, he reaches for Minato’s right, dipping his fingers gingerly into the pot. This level of cooperation will make it safer on the both of them.

“Always trailing Sasuke around.”

Minato doesn’t ask if he can see his son, because as he is now? He wouldn’t. Couldn’t trust himself near the boy. To hear that he’s taken care of is more than enough for him for now. 

“Thank you.” Itachi had kept his promise. Had taken care of his son, even when he didn’t really have to do so. The collar did help in calming him and he begins working, ink stained fingers carefully, skillfully, drawing the fuuin onto his left arm. Working in silence, until Minato has to repeat the action with his right arm, until both hands are stained in ink and the seals are in place. 

“They just-” He takes a breath, not use to any sort of help from anyone, “Chakra. Please.”

Itachi gives Minato a soft nod. Gives him chakra gently, unsure of what the seals do, exactly, but willing to help. Itachi trusts his judgement in others a fair bit, and doesn’t at all believe that Minato is as dangerous as he’s telling him. Perhaps that’s a mistake, but usually he’s been right. He’ll take that chance.

When Minato is through with his ritual, Itachi takes a hold of the other’s wrists, helping him up slowly.

“One hand in front, the other in the back.” Keeping his tone soft. It’s a request between two friends, not a demand made from a village leader to a threat. Once more Itachi nods, but this time, it is to allow his ANBU guards to open the door and re-enter the office.

He wants it to be crystal clear this isn’t done to humiliate Minato. This is simply precaution, that Minato himself said was necessary.

“I will have interrogation see you at it’s earliest convenience. Please wait until then.”

Separating the hands meant seals could not be formed. For most shinobi, anyways.

goldenyondaime:

He’s immensely grateful, being allowed this small mercy. At the least, it feels as if Minato is in control of his own mind and body to a point. He has no real anger, no real desire to attack Itachi. 

Although he’d prefer the collar to be removed, he also understands why Itachi is taking such a precaution. He’s not sure what he could say to fill in the silence – and a sudden memory of a crying child strikes him. 

“Naruto – How is he?” He  asked, looking from the small glass pot up to Itachi. His son. His baby boy, who he could only hope was raised in a good environment. He doesn’t take the pot of ink just yet, unsure if any movements would be considered a threat just yet.

“He’s growing bigger every day.” And all the talk about the Uchiha keeping the Jinchuuriki was dying down, the longer Naruto lived. “Full of energy, curious about everything.” 

While he speaks, he reaches for Minato’s right, dipping his fingers gingerly into the pot. This level of cooperation will make it safer on the both of them.

“Always trailing Sasuke around.”

goldenyondaime:

uchihasavior:

“And I, you.” Itachi responds in kind. This is still the man he looked up to, and sought advice from. The man who kept his dream of being Hokage alive. And look at him now. In the very position he wanted, making great strides towards peace within the village and outside of it.

“You will stay in the cells.” For now. He doesn’t intend to keep him there forever.

“I will have Interrogation come to you and perform a series of tests to ensure you’re in control of yourself. I’d like you to submit to them. We will see where to move you after that.”

This meeting was a good sign, however. The Hokage, the most important person in the village, more or less alone with a potential killer. He had ANBU stationed outside his office, of course.

“I-” He understood the need, of course. If their positions were reversed, Minato would have likely not been so kind as Itachi. The thought of being in the cells isn’t as bad as being asked to bow down to whatever tests he will have to endure. 

Sleeper nins were handled with certain care, and Minato never thought that he would be put under such treatment. 

It’s for the best, he knows that, but the mere thought still has him tensing up just a bit. Just barely enough to be noticed. “I understand.” At the least.. he could ask, surely? 

“May I have ink? I would require you to imbue the seals I normally wear on my arms with chakra. I would just.. feel less on edge with them on.”

“You may.” He’ll trust him on this one. There’s a small pot of ink resting on the corner of his desk, and Itachi stands to fetch it now.

His time in ANBU taught him that threats can come from anywhere. His first mission was stopping a Leaf shinobi because he was letting intel out to other villages. Information can make or break their strength.

Minato on his own he doesn’t fear. But Minato’s strength, speed, and infamy in the hands of someone able to pull the strings? Many of them would die.

He wants to say something else badly. Anything that isn’t this heavy topic. Talk about his son…or what Hatake-san was doing these days.

Instead Itachi remains mum, offering the small glass pot.

goldenyondaime:

uchihasavior:

That was progress. He’d take it where he could get it.

“That is true. But besides this…” And a hand is reaching up, fingering at the collar fitted on his senior’s neck, “You are in control of your mind and body.” He knew what Minato was insisting. That was some sort of sleeper agent, that something in his body or mind had been altered and it was only a matter of time before a signal was given for him to act.

“If what you say rings true, killing you again affords us a temporary solution. We would have to discover how it was made possible, in order to kill you in such a way that the previous method would not work.” He thinks of Amaterasu, but doesn’t want to think of Minato burning alive. Itachi needed to be careful with his eyes– a blind Hokage was not one that would last long.

“This will keep you subdued to a degree, but I need you to work with me, instead of against me.” At least, willingly. When he was aware of himself.

Now, he does sigh. Releases some of that tension, allows Minato to see just how weary this makes him feel.

A medic is going to have to look at those wounds. An ANBU one. The citizens aren’t aware of this yet, and they don’t have to be.

The urge to point out that keeping him alive is foolish is strong, yet he’s willing to bet that Itachi already knows this. Whilst it was true, he did seem to have more control over his thoughts and body than he expected, Minato is also wary of himself. 

He isn’t sure what had happened, and not knowing is more terrifying than anything that Itachi could do to him. The other man also makes a rather good point – killing him may not even work, if he’s already been brought back once. 

Gaze flickering down to Itachi’s hand where it rests against the collar, Minato manages a small nod at the least. It’s logical, he knows, keeping him subdued in some way. It doesn’t mean he enjoys it, nor will he pretend to be happy about it. 

“Where will I stay? The holding cells?” They’re the most logical. As far as he knows, the most secure in the village. Although it was rather risky, as other people would find out about him. 

“I don’t want-” Taking a deep breath, his tone is much quieter than before, “I don’t want to be forced to hurt you, Itachi.”

“And I, you.” Itachi responds in kind. This is still the man he looked up to, and sought advice from. The man who kept his dream of being Hokage alive. And look at him now. In the very position he wanted, making great strides towards peace within the village and outside of it.

“You will stay in the cells.” For now. He doesn’t intend to keep him there forever.

“I will have Interrogation come to you and perform a series of tests to ensure you’re in control of yourself. I’d like you to submit to them. We will see where to move you after that.”

This meeting was a good sign, however. The Hokage, the most important person in the village, more or less alone with a potential killer. He had ANBU stationed outside his office, of course.

goldenyondaime:

uchihasavior:

He is silent, for now. When Minato’s body gives, fitting that the body goes first, and the mind does not, Itachi comes to a kneel. It’s careful. Every action is important, because who knows at what moment the seal could weaken, and Minato could lash out.

One hand is taken in Itachi’s, wiped clean with his robes. The other follows, making sure to get inbetween the fingers, but not willing to go as personal as under the fingernails. It doesn’t get rid of the blood completely, but it is enough for now.

“Minato.” Itachi chooses to use the first name. No Lord Fourth, no Lord Hokage. It is personal this time. Like Minato always asked him to.

“I am not here to hurt you.” This trouble he was being given, this aggression, this show of strength….he doesn’t understand it. The solution is infront of him, and Minato’s even said it himself.

But what would that solve…?

“Someone brought you back. They could do it again. Are you not my ally?” A loaded question.

He doesn’t (can’t) move. Not with the seal suppressing what feels like every muscle in his body, and Kami if his sensory abilities aren’t out of control, making him want to curl up in a ball and block out everything in the world. The void of absolute nothingness of death was better than this. Preferable to this. 

Minato is expecting violence. A slashed throat, perhaps a mercy killing. He isn’t expecting for Itachi to touch him in a gentle manner, to clean his hands on no doubt expensive robes, to look at him in such a way. 

In a sense, Minato would prefer death to this – this kindness that he’s being shown. To hear his name as he’d always berated the other to do so many times – Minato had never expected to hear it in such a scenario. 

“You should be.” Voice softer than before, less aggressive now that violence hasn’t risen up, he stares back at Itachi. 

“Why would anyone bring someone like me back? It’s obvious, isn’t it? To use me against you. I was.. hoping you would dispose of me before that possibility came to fruition.” Before he was used in such a way. 

“I was – will always be – your ally. But I can’t trust myself, because I’m not sure what’s been done to me.”

That was progress. He’d take it where he could get it.

“That is true. But besides this…” And a hand is reaching up, fingering at the collar fitted on his senior’s neck, “You are in control of your mind and body.” He knew what Minato was insisting. That was some sort of sleeper agent, that something in his body or mind had been altered and it was only a matter of time before a signal was given for him to act.

“If what you say rings true, killing you again affords us a temporary solution. We would have to discover how it was made possible, in order to kill you in such a way that the previous method would not work.” He thinks of Amaterasu, but doesn’t want to think of Minato burning alive. Itachi needed to be careful with his eyes– a blind Hokage was not one that would last long.

“This will keep you subdued to a degree, but I need you to work with me, instead of against me.” At least, willingly. When he was aware of himself.

Now, he does sigh. Releases some of that tension, allows Minato to see just how weary this makes him feel.

A medic is going to have to look at those wounds. An ANBU one. The citizens aren’t aware of this yet, and they don’t have to be.

goldenyondaime:

uchihasavior:

He wants to sigh when it doesn’t work as intended. It was a risk, after all. His sealing specialists were not familiar with any technique like this, and little else would work save for techniques saved for interrogation of criminals of Class B and above.

Minato is hurting himself, and it hurts Itachi, too. This appeal to emotion, to the relationship they once had before Lord Fourth met his untimely end, it is working on some level. and Itachi is already chastising himself for it. It was this very thing that made for poor decisions, such as– well. This one counted.

Itachi never could’ve expected to know how deep Minato’s problems ran. He knew the solution. Kill him again. But was there a way to prevent him simply being brought back a second time? It is by pure luck he fell into the hands of the Leaf again. They would not be so graced if it were to happen again.

Steadying himself for an oncoming attack, Itachi decides to just be a fool and pump more chakra into the jutsu. If he can just get Minato to calm down a tad– maybe he can ask for some information on how he found himself alive again.

He doesn’t beg. Doesn’t ask for it to stop again, because it’s clear that Itachi won’t. And Minato was never one to lower himself to begging for anything, no matter what it was. He’s fairly sure that this image of himself – weak and broken down – is tainting Itachi’s view of him as it is. 

When even more chakra was forced into the seal, his body responded against his wishes. Bloodied hands fell at his sides, his breath coming out slower. Easier. And the rage he felt at being controlled in such a way was muted as well. 

Blue eyes peered up at Itachi, unshed tears threatening to escape, and yet Minato refused to let it happen. He would not be seen as weak. Wouldn’t not be seen showing any weakness in the face of his likely death – 

“Do it.” Because if he was going to die, he’d damned well look his killer in the face. “Just make it quick.” The like hood of getting out of this alive, he knew rationally, was slim to almost none. 

He is silent, for now. When Minato’s body gives, fitting that the body goes first, and the mind does not, Itachi comes to a kneel. It’s careful. Every action is important, because who knows at what moment the seal could weaken, and Minato could lash out.

One hand is taken in Itachi’s, wiped clean with his robes. The other follows, making sure to get inbetween the fingers, but not willing to go as personal as under the fingernails. It doesn’t get rid of the blood completely, but it is enough for now.

“Minato.” Itachi chooses to use the first name. No Lord Fourth, no Lord Hokage. It is personal this time. Like Minato always asked him to.

“I am not here to hurt you.” This trouble he was being given, this aggression, this show of strength….he doesn’t understand it. The solution is infront of him, and Minato’s even said it himself.

But what would that solve…?

“Someone brought you back. They could do it again. Are you not my ally?” A loaded question.