endless_scrolls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-03-11 11:45 am
endless_scrolls) wrote2010-03-11 11:45 am
Log: RS Someone's Watching Over You
Title: Someone's Watching Over You
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Itachi; brief mentions of Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Fugaku, OC: Shirou
Pairing(s): None
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the TheRisingSun RP comm.
Dedicated to: Tenten and Itachi
Blades of grass folded under her feet as she made her way through the maze of tombstones, a familiar path Tenten was steadily getting accustomed to after all these months of traveling them. A light breeze was blowing, slowly creeping into her limbs and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. But that did little to slow her down. The morning had been dreary with rain, after all, though it had stopped for the moment. And her limbs were already cold with the heavy reality of death that surrounded them. A little chill would be nothing compared to that. The rain was merely a means for them all to hold on to the world of the living, to remind them that they all still remained on this side of the divide while...he had passed on to the other.
Fugaku was dead. And even though she had only truly known him for a limited amount of time, the drama of that realization still rested heavily in her heart. Especially since it had only been a few months before that her own father...
And at that thought, Tenten finally raised her gaze up from the mud-covered ground to where her feet had taken her, honey-brown eyes passing over the engraved letters etched into the rough stone. There had been no conscious destination in mind when the young woman had began her journey, just a need to leave Sasuke alone with his own grief. But even so, it was no surprise that she had ended up here, at Shirou's final resting place. The grave marker looked so plain amid the forest of concrete memories that housed the lifeless souls of all who had crossed the eternal divide between life and death. Almost empty compared to the elaborate tombstone the Uchiha had devised for Fugaku. Strange and pointless, it seemed now when the dead remained so despite the manner in which they were honored.
But she supposed humans found solace in the mere symbolism of it, no matter how pointless things were.
"We all need something to hold on to, I guess," she mumbled to herself, "Even if it's just a memory..."
I am sorry for your loss. It was almost like a mantra-some phrase that was supposed to cut light into the darkness of grief. I am sorry for your loss. It rang like a muted and flat bell in Itachi's mind, drowning out all of his thoughts-I am so, so sorry for your loss. So many drawn faces, so many black umbrellas, so many people. So many hands had grasped his, repeated that ungodly mantra, and he had squeezed back and nodded-thanking these people for their sympathy, their 'sorry', for his loss, for his brothers loss, for the world's loss of this man. I am sorry for your loss. Until, at last, he could not touch and squeeze one more hand or hear those words again.
He was not entirely sure he was sorry for his loss. He had loved his father but it seemed to him that he had loved his father more as a child-before the interest of the family business had become the reason his father had loved him. Fugaku had been a proud man. A very proud man.
Itachi broke from those mourners and stood away from them, below a distant tree, loosening his tie and, for the thousandth time, wondering if he was making the right decision not only for him but also for Sasuke. And, too, how much would this crack their already strained brotherhood?
He was willing to risk it, however-Maybe Sasuke would understand this trespass later in his life. Itachi had always thought Sasuke was always better suited than himself for business anyway.
It was then that he saw Tenten standing in the distance and, making the last leap toward his decision, made his way to her, quietly. He untied his tie on the way, letting it hang loose over his shoulders, still finding it too tight, too heavy.
When he reached her, he stood there, slightly off and behind her, for some time-watching her. How strange that their losses would happen in such a short time of each other. Death moved around in curious circles. He wondered how fresh Fugaku's funeral made her fathers feel-how clear that was still in her mind. He wondered how deeply she mourned her loss and felt guilty for not mourning his more.
He cleared his throat softly and stepped forward to touch the rough stone of Shirou's gravestone. "Thank you for coming, Tenten."
Breathing in deeply, Tenten gave a long and drawn out sigh, closing her eyes to the cruel realities of the world as she let some of the tension from the day simply float away with the breeze. A moment was all that she needed to get a grip on things. just a moment of peace away from it all to sort through her own thoughts. Otherwise, she was likely to slowly slip into insanity then and there. Everything was just too real, too close to how she remembered them to be only months before. Too much. All morning, memories of that day kept flooding back to her as she watched the two brothers live through their own living nightmare. Between the mutters of condolences and empty words of sentiment the guests felt inclined to toss around, all she could feel was sympathy for both Itachi and Sasuke. Did the others not understand that it all meant nothing?
Nothing any of them uttered would change the fact that their father was six feet under and dead.
'I'm sorry for your loss.' 'He's in a better place now.' 'You'll be able to see him again one day.' She had heard them all before, experienced the tortured pain of having to endure through the endless string of words and faces parading in and out of conscious thought or understanding. Nothing more than ghosts. First, it had been with her mother and brother, whose bodies were too tarnished and burned to have anything more than piles of ash collected and thrown to the winds so that they could not be haunted by their memories. Then it had been her father's mutilated and torn body, ripped to pieces and sewn back together so that they could finally bury him at the exact location of where she stood.
And now it was the man she had grown to trust when the last of all those who tied her to this world had turned cold and lifeless. When she had been sent spiraling into a bottomless abyss of uncertainty. It had been Fugaku who had given Tenten a place once more. A purpose. Whether it had been the man's intention or not, he had saved her. And it was for that exact reason that the young woman could not help but feel a little guilty. The day was to be dedicated in honor and memory of Uchiha Fugaku, and there she was thinking of her own forgotten family. But it was difficult to think of one without slowly drifting on to the others as well. Death was only part of the cycle of life after all, one that everyone would have to face.
Pulled back into the realms of reality by a cough, Tenten's eyes refocused on the rough stone of Shirou's tombstone... and the pale hand that rested on top of it. Quickly followed by the smooth flow of Itachi's voice. There was no sure way to tell just how long he had been standing there, and for the most part it did not matter. On days like today, truces between the families were usually established out of respect and a strange code of conduct between the clans. And even if it had been a rebellious agent from a rival faction, there was a small part of Tenten that would have welcomed the chilling breath of death. At least then, all this suffering would stop.
Shaking away the thought as soon as it had begun to form, the young woman turned to face the eldest of Fugaku's children. "Of course, Itachi. I only wish I could have done more to..." To do what, she wondered, pausing as the thought surfaced in the middle of the sentence. Was there truly anything anyone could do to make this less of a tragedy? Less painful than it was for the two Uchiha brothers? And at that concept, she could only let her gaze shift down to the wet grass beneath their feet. "But... I guess there's really nothing I could... do... to help..."
A brief and sad smile touched Itachi's face before dying like an ember submerged in water. If only she knew what he had come to ask of her. She was a talented girl and one of the very few people in the world that Itachi did not worry about. He knew in his heart of hearts that she was a rare sort of person and he had never feared that she would turn, sharp and snarling, on the family.
His father had had a good judge of character.
"He was fond of you, my father." He passed his hand over the top of the gravestone, focused on how cold it was, and then drew his hand away to shove it into his pocket. "You've already helped a great deal in being here."
In a moment of weakness, he nearly left it at that. He turned his body back to face the direction where the funeral had just taken place, hands in his pockets, tie fluttering helplessly in the wind, and watched all the black clad shapes in the distance begin to shuffle to their cars. If he left now, if he said no more, he could rejoin his brother and they would ride home in the limo and the world would go on, none-the-wiser that Uchiha Itachi had been about to turn his clan and his fathers business over to his young, grieving brother. That he was about to leave. And, thirty years from now, he would remember turning away from that decision and wonder if he had made the right choice in staying.
And if he left? Thirty years from now he would remember taking it and would wonder if he had made the right choice in leaving.
He looked back to Tenten, his inner struggle evident in his dark eyes, and then, at last, he spoke-saying for the first time and solidifying the choice, right or wrong, he was making. "Tenten, there is something I have to do. And, with the same trust my father put in you, I must ask something very important of you."
She noted the smile, and could only think for a brief instance of how handsome he looked with it. Shame Itachi did not smile all that often, evident in how quickly this one had disappeared. At least not in all the time that Tenten had served the Uchiha family. Then again, she supposed there was hardly a good reason to smile when there was a constant fear of danger and death. But it would have been pointless to dwell on that notion as well, otherwise there would have been no point to continuing on with life. If you focused too much on the bad, any good that came around would only be overshadowed and clouded by the negativity.
But that was where the clan had come in.
"It's the least I can do for what you all have done for me." So it was with some comfort that she took Itachi's words and locked them away within herself. Held on to the mere notion that maybe, just maybe, she had been more than just Sasuke's bodyguard. Or Shirou's orphaned daughter. Delusions of grandeur, perhaps, but to Tenten they were as real as the steady beat of her heart. For her at least, they had begun to evolve into the family she no longer had. Into one she still wished and hoped for. There were still barriers here and there, of course, trust being a main issue and bstacle in the sort of profession they all had learned to function in. But there had been no denying her loyalty, an inheritance she had gained from her father with his last dying breath.
Would the young woman still be serving these people so diligently and with such devotion had things been different? If Shirou had never decided to allign himself with them in the first place for the sake of providing for his own family? Perhaps not. But this had been the cards that fate had dealt to her. To them. And Tenten did not regret a single step she had taken, ever since that first assignment she had taken from Fugaku only three years ago.
So it was with a level of respect and seriousness that she turned her focus the eldest of the Uchiha brothers, brows furrowed just slightly at the shift in his demeanor. Whatever request he had for her, there was no question as to whether or not she would fulfill it faithfully. "...What is it, Itachi?"
For just a moment more, he considered turning his course but squashed the thought. Hard. In staying, he would be a wealthy and respected man-the clan would follow, the business would go on as it always had. Sasuke would go to college, perhaps, and both of them would own large and lavish desks. And then they might live a little longer, get old enough to father sons of their own and earn faces as stony as their fathers, only to be bludgeoned in the night and leave their boys to repeat this cycle.
No, no. If he accomplished what he wanted, both of them would live for a long, long time and, perhaps, Sasuke might not have to look over his shoulder and under his bed for the rest of his life. Itachi... Itachi would hide in the cover of the everyday and protect it all from from afar.
He was going to break this cycle for a little while, atleast. Forever, if he could.
And if his mother ever recovered... if she...
Itachi realized he was jut looking at Tenten and he was suddenly, terribly aware and afraid of how much of what he was thinking was on his face. He was not supposed to show this much grief. He was supposed to be steadier than that, more solid than that. He took a breath, steeled himself, and turned his gaze back to the leaving mourners to pick his brother out of the crowd.
How could he put it? How much could he safely tell her? Would she turn from him in the same way he assumed that much of the Uchiha would? Could she understand why?
Another deep breath.
"Very soon, Sasuke is going to take my inhereted place." He looked at her, any trace of his earlier shaky exterior were carefully and tightly tucked away. "He doesn't know yet. No one does." He took a step toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder-it was strange for him to initiate much contact with people, but he need her to understand and he had no way to explain. He was not a man that lacked words, infact he was very good with them, but this was something much deeper than he could convey. "I need you to look after him, not only as his bodygaurd, but also as part of the family. I have a feeling he won't let me do that for very much longer, not after what is to come." He glanced back to the crowd and squeezed her shoulder lightly.
Whether in idle thought or a simple need to distract herself from the truth that was being revealed to her, Tenten turned her gaze and looked out across the great expanse of the cemetery. There was nothing in particular that she was looking for, nothing that she had a strong intent to see. But regardless, the young woman's eyes could not help but steadily make their way towards the grave site of where they had buried Fugaku's body only moments before. Where as the area had been crowded before with nameless faces and half-remembered shadows that could be found in the former head's black book of associates, it now stood nearly as empty as they had felt at his passing. Or so she assumed.
Most of the attendants were gone now, on there way back to their cars or already heading to the hotel as tradition dictated. There they would all find a collection of food laid out in the main dining area of the Rising Sun, lined with little reminders of the man they had all known in life and remembered in death. And thus the day would continue to seem like a never-ending nightmare, cursed to linger until neither Sasuke and Itachi could stand to hold up the pretenses of polite and civil conduct.
It was then that her eyes fell on a solitary figure in black standing out against the monotone scenery of the forest of grave markers, lingering and brooding over his own thoughts. Alone. "Sasuke..." And it was then that the Itachi's words finally registered in her mind. Like a sledgehammer to the heart, the reality of what he was asking, and ultimatly the reality of what it mean for them all in terms of the structure of the organization, was almost too much to bear.
Itachi...was leaving the family. And as the next in line in the chain of inheritance, he would be handing down the reigns -- the keys to the kingdom -- to Sasuke. "And the only other one who knows... is me."
The weight of that realization was almost as heavy as the weight of his hand gripped at her shoulder. Tenten had known the moment she had seen the wide range of emotions flit and flutter through his face that something was wrong. That the next words that he spoke would be a defining moment they both would always remember. From what she had managed to gather of him through their interactions, Itachi had never been one for uncertainty, always planning things at least four or five steps ahead of the rest so as to ensure that his plan was executed to perfection. That was why no one was overconcerned for the well-being of the clan. Because Itachi would surely keep them moving foward. But now, there was this to consider. Proof that despite all the preparations in the world, not everything in life would go as planned.
"Why?..." Why what? Why was he leaving? Why was he turning his back on them? That might have been the conclusion Itachi would come to if she did not elaborate more on her answer. And soon before he decided it had been a mistake to even approach her with this. But he would be wrong in that assumption. No. She was not accusing him of betrayal. He, above all else, was at the very least loyal to Sasuke. Surely everything Itachi did now was to go towards ensuring that his brother survived this. No. Tenten's inquiry was of another nature entirely. "...Why me?"
There was comfort in that she didn't turn on him then. In a way, he had expected her to get upset and tell him it was all grief and hurt and he was being foolish. But she hadn't. And he felt confident in his decision to come to her. And comforted-for all of them.
And why had he come to her? There were a myriad of reasons-ranging from one extreme end of the spectrum of why to another. But those had not been his first reason, the thing that had made him decide on her.
"Because you have genuine concern for him." His voice felt heavy to him, thick and slow in his throat like molasses, a strange thrum of low softness.
Looking deeply into the dark swirls of his eyes, there could be no denying the truth of what Itachi was saying. None whatsoever. And perhaps that was what frightened Tenten the most about the entire situation. He trusted her to do as he asked and keep Sasuke safe because... hers was a concern beyond the needs of the clan, beyond the necessity to keep it strong enough to fend off any and all who would seek to oppose them. Hers was an unbiased apprehension of a friend. Of family.
One that extended towards him as well if she were to be honest with herself, though in Itachi's case it was more than likely unnecessary.Still, it was there nonetheless. After all, it had always been him, not Sasuke, that was to take over when Fugaku no longer could. Every moment spent working alongside his father was to condition and prepare Itachi for the day when he would take over. But now... with the uncertainty of what would happen after Itachi made his plans known, there was reason to worry about both.
Whether intended or not, Tenten found herself bounded to both brothers.
It was a risk to place one's heart and emotions into another. Humans were fragile beings after all. Breakable. Mortal. This shrine to the dead that surrounded them was proof enough of that. And for some time after her father's death, Tenten had been determined to never let herself care for another again. Because the pain would be too much to bear again. But people had a way of breaking down barriers with nothing more than the kind gestures of their souls. Strange that such ideals could be applied to a profession where men died weekly. Sometimes daily.
"I have genuine concern for you as well, Itachi." Reaching towards her shoulder, she took his hand and sandwiched it between her own chilled fingers. It was... strange, perhaps, for her to actively give such an intimate gesture of comfort. But she felt it necessary. Especially under the circumstances. After all, Itachi was risking everything he cared about. All for his brother.
Letting the moment linger just an instance longer, quietly watching with mild interest how their skin contrasted beautifully side by side like that, Tenten finally raised her head to met his gaze once more. "So... what are you planning to do?"
He smiled at her, a genuine and sincere smile, and felt comforted by her words and touch. How odd that was for him, a man to whom touch, while not unwelcome, was uncommon and normally strange.
But today had seemed a day for touching-shaking hands, hugging, so so many people. Why is it that when we are reminded of death do we feel the need to reach out and have physical contact with other people...?
Tenten's words pulled Itachi from his musing. He felt safe now, comfortable, and didn't feel strange in telling her. "I've applied for the police academy." His smile faded and he removed his hand, albeit slowly, and settled back into his normal self. "As soon as things are stable enough here, I'll go."
"The academy," she quietly mumbled, processing the information and attempting to follow Itachi's trail of thought, "So you mean to leave us and be one of them..."
Under the circumstances, it was easy to be accusatory and question the other's motives. To point fingers and recall the flaws in his choice of action. And from the airy and detached tone of her voice, Tenten's emotions could very well have been labeled under such, though it was not her intention. It was all just so confusing. The funeral. His choice to join the police force. And the choice to place the entirety of the Uchiha's empire into the hands of a seventeen-year-old boy. And for her emotions to run so wild, there was no telling what was going in inside of Itachi's mind.
If she thought it would mean anything more than what it was in regards to this, she would have tried harder to keep his hand trapped between her own, just to let him know that regardless of the questions and the doubt that might... that had surface, he had her support. But the gentle and reluctant glide of his hand against hers while he pulled it away seemed final and unmoving. Whatever Itachi had planned was decided long before he had approached her with this. And so, the young woman was only left to accept the consequences.
"I don't mean to sound foolish, or stupid -- maybe it's just the stress of the day or something -- but you're gonna have to elaborate a little more on that for me." It had been a long time, nearly a decade to be exact, since her own brother had died, in that fire along with her beloved mother. And although she was at least grateful that he did not have to face death alone, the level of devastation that Tenten felt afterwards was enough to make her wish that she had died with them.
But in life, everything had its place. Every action held its reason. Because to react without cause, to function without purpose, was an existence wasted. And although it was hard to see where all this would take them, it was clear that Itachi had a destination in sight. "If I'm going to be apart of this plan, I'd like to know what I'm getting into."
Itachi nodded, but only once. She was right. She did have the right to know just what sort of a mess he was about to plunge them all into-it would be a good mess, but it would, indeed, appear to be one for quite some time.
He began to unbutton his suit coat and, when that was finished, he removed his tie from his shoulders and began to fold it to stick it in his pocket.
"Tenten, there are many, many people who would want us dead." Once his tie was safely tucked away he levelled his gaze back on her. "There are also people who move in circles-circles the law keeps a close watch on-that my father had dealings with. Not every dealing the Uchiha has is legal or savory and that alone prompts a set of new enemies and allies altogether." He moved closer to her. "It won't be heard to move up quickly in those ranks for me," He was a bright man, a very bright man, and he was extremely and unfortunately aware of it. His father had never let him forget it, never let him not live up to it. He'd always told Itachi to go to business school, to law school, to further his knowledge to better the Uchiha. It had always made Itachi a little angry and it did, even know, as it surfaced in his mind but he didn't let it reach his face, voice, or eyes. From this close, he was afraid if Tenten saw it she would think it was directed at her. "And, once there, I can eliminate the people who might..." He turned now, to look at Sasuke, but only briefly, and then settled his gaze back on the girl before him.
"Might kill him. And protect the allies of the Uchiha in return for their strengthened protection of us. Of him. Of you. Of the Hotel."
"I know, you don't need to explain that part to me," Tenten was quick to say, coming off more irritated than she had intended to sound, "Anyone who's been working for the Uchiha for a week would know about the sort of business they... we run."
Here, she began to walk back and forth a little around Shirou's grave sight, unable to keep still any longer while she was subjected to this. It was too much too soon, or at least that was what Tenten wanted to believe. But even while the young woman crossed her arms under the swell of her breasts in anger and frustration, there was a small part of her that was beginning to accept the inevitable. "That's why your father tried to make sure that you would be prepared. You. Not Sasuke. He's not ready for this, not yet. ...But..."
It was all true, every single word he spoke, and she knew it. And through it all, Tenten had kept eye contact with Itachi while he began explaining his plan and where this course of action would lead them all. But there was no helping the small bud of irony that formed in her mind. He was giving up his position as the head of the clan. That was, above all else, the first step in a lifelong plot to ensure the safety of his family and his brother. Yet, at the same time, Itachi was doing exactly what he had always been trained to do: To protect the integrity of the family. Or more importantly, to protect Sasuke. "...But it makes sense, you being on the force. Running the organization was never for you, even I could see that."
And with a sigh -- a quick glance across the cemetery at the younger Uchiha brother -- Tenten stepped up close to Itachi. Another moment of thought, a moment of silence between them before finally their eyes met once more, showing him that she could still be trusted to go along with his game plan, despite the risk and pain it would initially cause. In the long-run, everything would be worth the price...or so she hoped. "Sasuke won't like this."
Itachi shook his head. "No, he won't." He shrugged, but only faintly. "That's why I'm asking you. He's not going to let me look after him anymore after this. I don't know if he'll even speak to me, Tenten. He'll do fine with the company-he's got a good head on his shoulders and a sense of business I don't."
He reached out to pat her arm and then give it a light squeeze before letting his hand drop away. "Thank you."
She refrained from commenting on Itachi's request to keep an eye on Sasuke. Or even to acknowledge his words of thanks. It was unnecessary and something she had already wordlessly agreed to from the very start of the conversation. He would not have asked this of her if there were any chance that Tenten would decline. Because where Uchiha Itachi was concerned, there was no room left for uncertainties. Only sure things.
"He's your brother, Itachi. He'll talk to you." Instead, Tenten chose to focus on the more important issue. At least, more important by her standards. And just as his hand fell away from her arm, the young woman took a hold of it once more. Perhaps to gain his attention, or just to make sure that he heard the next words that she said. Either way, she was not letting him get away so easily this time. "Maybe not at first, but... eventually he will. I know it."
Only when she was certain that he got the message, that it was able to shift through all the barriers did Tenten finally let go of Itachi's hand. And with that, the moment was gone, slowly shifting away from the sentimental and back to an even mix of concern and professionalism. "So... when are you going to tell him?"
Type: RP log
Fandom: AU!Naruto
Character(s): Tenten, Uchiha Itachi; brief mentions of Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Fugaku, OC: Shirou
Pairing(s): None
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer: I own only the part that I played in this.
Note: Log originally started for the TheRisingSun RP comm.
Dedicated to: Tenten and Itachi
Blades of grass folded under her feet as she made her way through the maze of tombstones, a familiar path Tenten was steadily getting accustomed to after all these months of traveling them. A light breeze was blowing, slowly creeping into her limbs and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. But that did little to slow her down. The morning had been dreary with rain, after all, though it had stopped for the moment. And her limbs were already cold with the heavy reality of death that surrounded them. A little chill would be nothing compared to that. The rain was merely a means for them all to hold on to the world of the living, to remind them that they all still remained on this side of the divide while...he had passed on to the other.
Fugaku was dead. And even though she had only truly known him for a limited amount of time, the drama of that realization still rested heavily in her heart. Especially since it had only been a few months before that her own father...
And at that thought, Tenten finally raised her gaze up from the mud-covered ground to where her feet had taken her, honey-brown eyes passing over the engraved letters etched into the rough stone. There had been no conscious destination in mind when the young woman had began her journey, just a need to leave Sasuke alone with his own grief. But even so, it was no surprise that she had ended up here, at Shirou's final resting place. The grave marker looked so plain amid the forest of concrete memories that housed the lifeless souls of all who had crossed the eternal divide between life and death. Almost empty compared to the elaborate tombstone the Uchiha had devised for Fugaku. Strange and pointless, it seemed now when the dead remained so despite the manner in which they were honored.
But she supposed humans found solace in the mere symbolism of it, no matter how pointless things were.
"We all need something to hold on to, I guess," she mumbled to herself, "Even if it's just a memory..."
I am sorry for your loss. It was almost like a mantra-some phrase that was supposed to cut light into the darkness of grief. I am sorry for your loss. It rang like a muted and flat bell in Itachi's mind, drowning out all of his thoughts-I am so, so sorry for your loss. So many drawn faces, so many black umbrellas, so many people. So many hands had grasped his, repeated that ungodly mantra, and he had squeezed back and nodded-thanking these people for their sympathy, their 'sorry', for his loss, for his brothers loss, for the world's loss of this man. I am sorry for your loss. Until, at last, he could not touch and squeeze one more hand or hear those words again.
He was not entirely sure he was sorry for his loss. He had loved his father but it seemed to him that he had loved his father more as a child-before the interest of the family business had become the reason his father had loved him. Fugaku had been a proud man. A very proud man.
Itachi broke from those mourners and stood away from them, below a distant tree, loosening his tie and, for the thousandth time, wondering if he was making the right decision not only for him but also for Sasuke. And, too, how much would this crack their already strained brotherhood?
He was willing to risk it, however-Maybe Sasuke would understand this trespass later in his life. Itachi had always thought Sasuke was always better suited than himself for business anyway.
It was then that he saw Tenten standing in the distance and, making the last leap toward his decision, made his way to her, quietly. He untied his tie on the way, letting it hang loose over his shoulders, still finding it too tight, too heavy.
When he reached her, he stood there, slightly off and behind her, for some time-watching her. How strange that their losses would happen in such a short time of each other. Death moved around in curious circles. He wondered how fresh Fugaku's funeral made her fathers feel-how clear that was still in her mind. He wondered how deeply she mourned her loss and felt guilty for not mourning his more.
He cleared his throat softly and stepped forward to touch the rough stone of Shirou's gravestone. "Thank you for coming, Tenten."
Breathing in deeply, Tenten gave a long and drawn out sigh, closing her eyes to the cruel realities of the world as she let some of the tension from the day simply float away with the breeze. A moment was all that she needed to get a grip on things. just a moment of peace away from it all to sort through her own thoughts. Otherwise, she was likely to slowly slip into insanity then and there. Everything was just too real, too close to how she remembered them to be only months before. Too much. All morning, memories of that day kept flooding back to her as she watched the two brothers live through their own living nightmare. Between the mutters of condolences and empty words of sentiment the guests felt inclined to toss around, all she could feel was sympathy for both Itachi and Sasuke. Did the others not understand that it all meant nothing?
Nothing any of them uttered would change the fact that their father was six feet under and dead.
'I'm sorry for your loss.' 'He's in a better place now.' 'You'll be able to see him again one day.' She had heard them all before, experienced the tortured pain of having to endure through the endless string of words and faces parading in and out of conscious thought or understanding. Nothing more than ghosts. First, it had been with her mother and brother, whose bodies were too tarnished and burned to have anything more than piles of ash collected and thrown to the winds so that they could not be haunted by their memories. Then it had been her father's mutilated and torn body, ripped to pieces and sewn back together so that they could finally bury him at the exact location of where she stood.
And now it was the man she had grown to trust when the last of all those who tied her to this world had turned cold and lifeless. When she had been sent spiraling into a bottomless abyss of uncertainty. It had been Fugaku who had given Tenten a place once more. A purpose. Whether it had been the man's intention or not, he had saved her. And it was for that exact reason that the young woman could not help but feel a little guilty. The day was to be dedicated in honor and memory of Uchiha Fugaku, and there she was thinking of her own forgotten family. But it was difficult to think of one without slowly drifting on to the others as well. Death was only part of the cycle of life after all, one that everyone would have to face.
Pulled back into the realms of reality by a cough, Tenten's eyes refocused on the rough stone of Shirou's tombstone... and the pale hand that rested on top of it. Quickly followed by the smooth flow of Itachi's voice. There was no sure way to tell just how long he had been standing there, and for the most part it did not matter. On days like today, truces between the families were usually established out of respect and a strange code of conduct between the clans. And even if it had been a rebellious agent from a rival faction, there was a small part of Tenten that would have welcomed the chilling breath of death. At least then, all this suffering would stop.
Shaking away the thought as soon as it had begun to form, the young woman turned to face the eldest of Fugaku's children. "Of course, Itachi. I only wish I could have done more to..." To do what, she wondered, pausing as the thought surfaced in the middle of the sentence. Was there truly anything anyone could do to make this less of a tragedy? Less painful than it was for the two Uchiha brothers? And at that concept, she could only let her gaze shift down to the wet grass beneath their feet. "But... I guess there's really nothing I could... do... to help..."
A brief and sad smile touched Itachi's face before dying like an ember submerged in water. If only she knew what he had come to ask of her. She was a talented girl and one of the very few people in the world that Itachi did not worry about. He knew in his heart of hearts that she was a rare sort of person and he had never feared that she would turn, sharp and snarling, on the family.
His father had had a good judge of character.
"He was fond of you, my father." He passed his hand over the top of the gravestone, focused on how cold it was, and then drew his hand away to shove it into his pocket. "You've already helped a great deal in being here."
In a moment of weakness, he nearly left it at that. He turned his body back to face the direction where the funeral had just taken place, hands in his pockets, tie fluttering helplessly in the wind, and watched all the black clad shapes in the distance begin to shuffle to their cars. If he left now, if he said no more, he could rejoin his brother and they would ride home in the limo and the world would go on, none-the-wiser that Uchiha Itachi had been about to turn his clan and his fathers business over to his young, grieving brother. That he was about to leave. And, thirty years from now, he would remember turning away from that decision and wonder if he had made the right choice in staying.
And if he left? Thirty years from now he would remember taking it and would wonder if he had made the right choice in leaving.
He looked back to Tenten, his inner struggle evident in his dark eyes, and then, at last, he spoke-saying for the first time and solidifying the choice, right or wrong, he was making. "Tenten, there is something I have to do. And, with the same trust my father put in you, I must ask something very important of you."
She noted the smile, and could only think for a brief instance of how handsome he looked with it. Shame Itachi did not smile all that often, evident in how quickly this one had disappeared. At least not in all the time that Tenten had served the Uchiha family. Then again, she supposed there was hardly a good reason to smile when there was a constant fear of danger and death. But it would have been pointless to dwell on that notion as well, otherwise there would have been no point to continuing on with life. If you focused too much on the bad, any good that came around would only be overshadowed and clouded by the negativity.
But that was where the clan had come in.
"It's the least I can do for what you all have done for me." So it was with some comfort that she took Itachi's words and locked them away within herself. Held on to the mere notion that maybe, just maybe, she had been more than just Sasuke's bodyguard. Or Shirou's orphaned daughter. Delusions of grandeur, perhaps, but to Tenten they were as real as the steady beat of her heart. For her at least, they had begun to evolve into the family she no longer had. Into one she still wished and hoped for. There were still barriers here and there, of course, trust being a main issue and bstacle in the sort of profession they all had learned to function in. But there had been no denying her loyalty, an inheritance she had gained from her father with his last dying breath.
Would the young woman still be serving these people so diligently and with such devotion had things been different? If Shirou had never decided to allign himself with them in the first place for the sake of providing for his own family? Perhaps not. But this had been the cards that fate had dealt to her. To them. And Tenten did not regret a single step she had taken, ever since that first assignment she had taken from Fugaku only three years ago.
So it was with a level of respect and seriousness that she turned her focus the eldest of the Uchiha brothers, brows furrowed just slightly at the shift in his demeanor. Whatever request he had for her, there was no question as to whether or not she would fulfill it faithfully. "...What is it, Itachi?"
For just a moment more, he considered turning his course but squashed the thought. Hard. In staying, he would be a wealthy and respected man-the clan would follow, the business would go on as it always had. Sasuke would go to college, perhaps, and both of them would own large and lavish desks. And then they might live a little longer, get old enough to father sons of their own and earn faces as stony as their fathers, only to be bludgeoned in the night and leave their boys to repeat this cycle.
No, no. If he accomplished what he wanted, both of them would live for a long, long time and, perhaps, Sasuke might not have to look over his shoulder and under his bed for the rest of his life. Itachi... Itachi would hide in the cover of the everyday and protect it all from from afar.
He was going to break this cycle for a little while, atleast. Forever, if he could.
And if his mother ever recovered... if she...
Itachi realized he was jut looking at Tenten and he was suddenly, terribly aware and afraid of how much of what he was thinking was on his face. He was not supposed to show this much grief. He was supposed to be steadier than that, more solid than that. He took a breath, steeled himself, and turned his gaze back to the leaving mourners to pick his brother out of the crowd.
How could he put it? How much could he safely tell her? Would she turn from him in the same way he assumed that much of the Uchiha would? Could she understand why?
Another deep breath.
"Very soon, Sasuke is going to take my inhereted place." He looked at her, any trace of his earlier shaky exterior were carefully and tightly tucked away. "He doesn't know yet. No one does." He took a step toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder-it was strange for him to initiate much contact with people, but he need her to understand and he had no way to explain. He was not a man that lacked words, infact he was very good with them, but this was something much deeper than he could convey. "I need you to look after him, not only as his bodygaurd, but also as part of the family. I have a feeling he won't let me do that for very much longer, not after what is to come." He glanced back to the crowd and squeezed her shoulder lightly.
Whether in idle thought or a simple need to distract herself from the truth that was being revealed to her, Tenten turned her gaze and looked out across the great expanse of the cemetery. There was nothing in particular that she was looking for, nothing that she had a strong intent to see. But regardless, the young woman's eyes could not help but steadily make their way towards the grave site of where they had buried Fugaku's body only moments before. Where as the area had been crowded before with nameless faces and half-remembered shadows that could be found in the former head's black book of associates, it now stood nearly as empty as they had felt at his passing. Or so she assumed.
Most of the attendants were gone now, on there way back to their cars or already heading to the hotel as tradition dictated. There they would all find a collection of food laid out in the main dining area of the Rising Sun, lined with little reminders of the man they had all known in life and remembered in death. And thus the day would continue to seem like a never-ending nightmare, cursed to linger until neither Sasuke and Itachi could stand to hold up the pretenses of polite and civil conduct.
It was then that her eyes fell on a solitary figure in black standing out against the monotone scenery of the forest of grave markers, lingering and brooding over his own thoughts. Alone. "Sasuke..." And it was then that the Itachi's words finally registered in her mind. Like a sledgehammer to the heart, the reality of what he was asking, and ultimatly the reality of what it mean for them all in terms of the structure of the organization, was almost too much to bear.
Itachi...was leaving the family. And as the next in line in the chain of inheritance, he would be handing down the reigns -- the keys to the kingdom -- to Sasuke. "And the only other one who knows... is me."
The weight of that realization was almost as heavy as the weight of his hand gripped at her shoulder. Tenten had known the moment she had seen the wide range of emotions flit and flutter through his face that something was wrong. That the next words that he spoke would be a defining moment they both would always remember. From what she had managed to gather of him through their interactions, Itachi had never been one for uncertainty, always planning things at least four or five steps ahead of the rest so as to ensure that his plan was executed to perfection. That was why no one was overconcerned for the well-being of the clan. Because Itachi would surely keep them moving foward. But now, there was this to consider. Proof that despite all the preparations in the world, not everything in life would go as planned.
"Why?..." Why what? Why was he leaving? Why was he turning his back on them? That might have been the conclusion Itachi would come to if she did not elaborate more on her answer. And soon before he decided it had been a mistake to even approach her with this. But he would be wrong in that assumption. No. She was not accusing him of betrayal. He, above all else, was at the very least loyal to Sasuke. Surely everything Itachi did now was to go towards ensuring that his brother survived this. No. Tenten's inquiry was of another nature entirely. "...Why me?"
There was comfort in that she didn't turn on him then. In a way, he had expected her to get upset and tell him it was all grief and hurt and he was being foolish. But she hadn't. And he felt confident in his decision to come to her. And comforted-for all of them.
And why had he come to her? There were a myriad of reasons-ranging from one extreme end of the spectrum of why to another. But those had not been his first reason, the thing that had made him decide on her.
"Because you have genuine concern for him." His voice felt heavy to him, thick and slow in his throat like molasses, a strange thrum of low softness.
Looking deeply into the dark swirls of his eyes, there could be no denying the truth of what Itachi was saying. None whatsoever. And perhaps that was what frightened Tenten the most about the entire situation. He trusted her to do as he asked and keep Sasuke safe because... hers was a concern beyond the needs of the clan, beyond the necessity to keep it strong enough to fend off any and all who would seek to oppose them. Hers was an unbiased apprehension of a friend. Of family.
One that extended towards him as well if she were to be honest with herself, though in Itachi's case it was more than likely unnecessary.Still, it was there nonetheless. After all, it had always been him, not Sasuke, that was to take over when Fugaku no longer could. Every moment spent working alongside his father was to condition and prepare Itachi for the day when he would take over. But now... with the uncertainty of what would happen after Itachi made his plans known, there was reason to worry about both.
Whether intended or not, Tenten found herself bounded to both brothers.
It was a risk to place one's heart and emotions into another. Humans were fragile beings after all. Breakable. Mortal. This shrine to the dead that surrounded them was proof enough of that. And for some time after her father's death, Tenten had been determined to never let herself care for another again. Because the pain would be too much to bear again. But people had a way of breaking down barriers with nothing more than the kind gestures of their souls. Strange that such ideals could be applied to a profession where men died weekly. Sometimes daily.
"I have genuine concern for you as well, Itachi." Reaching towards her shoulder, she took his hand and sandwiched it between her own chilled fingers. It was... strange, perhaps, for her to actively give such an intimate gesture of comfort. But she felt it necessary. Especially under the circumstances. After all, Itachi was risking everything he cared about. All for his brother.
Letting the moment linger just an instance longer, quietly watching with mild interest how their skin contrasted beautifully side by side like that, Tenten finally raised her head to met his gaze once more. "So... what are you planning to do?"
He smiled at her, a genuine and sincere smile, and felt comforted by her words and touch. How odd that was for him, a man to whom touch, while not unwelcome, was uncommon and normally strange.
But today had seemed a day for touching-shaking hands, hugging, so so many people. Why is it that when we are reminded of death do we feel the need to reach out and have physical contact with other people...?
Tenten's words pulled Itachi from his musing. He felt safe now, comfortable, and didn't feel strange in telling her. "I've applied for the police academy." His smile faded and he removed his hand, albeit slowly, and settled back into his normal self. "As soon as things are stable enough here, I'll go."
"The academy," she quietly mumbled, processing the information and attempting to follow Itachi's trail of thought, "So you mean to leave us and be one of them..."
Under the circumstances, it was easy to be accusatory and question the other's motives. To point fingers and recall the flaws in his choice of action. And from the airy and detached tone of her voice, Tenten's emotions could very well have been labeled under such, though it was not her intention. It was all just so confusing. The funeral. His choice to join the police force. And the choice to place the entirety of the Uchiha's empire into the hands of a seventeen-year-old boy. And for her emotions to run so wild, there was no telling what was going in inside of Itachi's mind.
If she thought it would mean anything more than what it was in regards to this, she would have tried harder to keep his hand trapped between her own, just to let him know that regardless of the questions and the doubt that might... that had surface, he had her support. But the gentle and reluctant glide of his hand against hers while he pulled it away seemed final and unmoving. Whatever Itachi had planned was decided long before he had approached her with this. And so, the young woman was only left to accept the consequences.
"I don't mean to sound foolish, or stupid -- maybe it's just the stress of the day or something -- but you're gonna have to elaborate a little more on that for me." It had been a long time, nearly a decade to be exact, since her own brother had died, in that fire along with her beloved mother. And although she was at least grateful that he did not have to face death alone, the level of devastation that Tenten felt afterwards was enough to make her wish that she had died with them.
But in life, everything had its place. Every action held its reason. Because to react without cause, to function without purpose, was an existence wasted. And although it was hard to see where all this would take them, it was clear that Itachi had a destination in sight. "If I'm going to be apart of this plan, I'd like to know what I'm getting into."
Itachi nodded, but only once. She was right. She did have the right to know just what sort of a mess he was about to plunge them all into-it would be a good mess, but it would, indeed, appear to be one for quite some time.
He began to unbutton his suit coat and, when that was finished, he removed his tie from his shoulders and began to fold it to stick it in his pocket.
"Tenten, there are many, many people who would want us dead." Once his tie was safely tucked away he levelled his gaze back on her. "There are also people who move in circles-circles the law keeps a close watch on-that my father had dealings with. Not every dealing the Uchiha has is legal or savory and that alone prompts a set of new enemies and allies altogether." He moved closer to her. "It won't be heard to move up quickly in those ranks for me," He was a bright man, a very bright man, and he was extremely and unfortunately aware of it. His father had never let him forget it, never let him not live up to it. He'd always told Itachi to go to business school, to law school, to further his knowledge to better the Uchiha. It had always made Itachi a little angry and it did, even know, as it surfaced in his mind but he didn't let it reach his face, voice, or eyes. From this close, he was afraid if Tenten saw it she would think it was directed at her. "And, once there, I can eliminate the people who might..." He turned now, to look at Sasuke, but only briefly, and then settled his gaze back on the girl before him.
"Might kill him. And protect the allies of the Uchiha in return for their strengthened protection of us. Of him. Of you. Of the Hotel."
"I know, you don't need to explain that part to me," Tenten was quick to say, coming off more irritated than she had intended to sound, "Anyone who's been working for the Uchiha for a week would know about the sort of business they... we run."
Here, she began to walk back and forth a little around Shirou's grave sight, unable to keep still any longer while she was subjected to this. It was too much too soon, or at least that was what Tenten wanted to believe. But even while the young woman crossed her arms under the swell of her breasts in anger and frustration, there was a small part of her that was beginning to accept the inevitable. "That's why your father tried to make sure that you would be prepared. You. Not Sasuke. He's not ready for this, not yet. ...But..."
It was all true, every single word he spoke, and she knew it. And through it all, Tenten had kept eye contact with Itachi while he began explaining his plan and where this course of action would lead them all. But there was no helping the small bud of irony that formed in her mind. He was giving up his position as the head of the clan. That was, above all else, the first step in a lifelong plot to ensure the safety of his family and his brother. Yet, at the same time, Itachi was doing exactly what he had always been trained to do: To protect the integrity of the family. Or more importantly, to protect Sasuke. "...But it makes sense, you being on the force. Running the organization was never for you, even I could see that."
And with a sigh -- a quick glance across the cemetery at the younger Uchiha brother -- Tenten stepped up close to Itachi. Another moment of thought, a moment of silence between them before finally their eyes met once more, showing him that she could still be trusted to go along with his game plan, despite the risk and pain it would initially cause. In the long-run, everything would be worth the price...or so she hoped. "Sasuke won't like this."
Itachi shook his head. "No, he won't." He shrugged, but only faintly. "That's why I'm asking you. He's not going to let me look after him anymore after this. I don't know if he'll even speak to me, Tenten. He'll do fine with the company-he's got a good head on his shoulders and a sense of business I don't."
He reached out to pat her arm and then give it a light squeeze before letting his hand drop away. "Thank you."
She refrained from commenting on Itachi's request to keep an eye on Sasuke. Or even to acknowledge his words of thanks. It was unnecessary and something she had already wordlessly agreed to from the very start of the conversation. He would not have asked this of her if there were any chance that Tenten would decline. Because where Uchiha Itachi was concerned, there was no room left for uncertainties. Only sure things.
"He's your brother, Itachi. He'll talk to you." Instead, Tenten chose to focus on the more important issue. At least, more important by her standards. And just as his hand fell away from her arm, the young woman took a hold of it once more. Perhaps to gain his attention, or just to make sure that he heard the next words that she said. Either way, she was not letting him get away so easily this time. "Maybe not at first, but... eventually he will. I know it."
Only when she was certain that he got the message, that it was able to shift through all the barriers did Tenten finally let go of Itachi's hand. And with that, the moment was gone, slowly shifting away from the sentimental and back to an even mix of concern and professionalism. "So... when are you going to tell him?"