[It's a curious question to just ask someone straight up, and Sasuke has to pause as he considers his response. It's not a long pause.]
Yes.
[It's not a matter of bragging, it's simply undeniable. He's one of the strongest ninja in his world, simple as that. Trying to me modest here would be pointless, especially if this kid wanted to challenge him to actual combat and not just bug chasing.]
[The idea of Sakura working with his brother is a strange one, but at least she isn't harboring him any ill will. They're working together, as it should be. She could finally understand, even if the village doesn't.
And in a way he's jealous. She's had time to train with Itachi that he wasn't given. Any time his brother had the time to help him when he'd been a child had been precious to him, because more often than not Itachi would be too busy to oblige. He shoves those feelings away. He can't hold onto such childish things now.]
Make sure he eats enough. And he's good at hiding illnesses.
[ This is news to her. She's been checking on his health, but she's been checking on a lot of people's health — mostly for injuries. His eyes, maybe. If he's sick, it's not turned up yet. ]
[Of course she wouldn't know. Itachi has no reason to tell anyone about that, especially if he doesn't have it anymore. He hopes he doesn't have it anymore.]
Itachi had a terminal illness the last couple years of his life. It finished him off better than I ever could have.
[And if he hadn't been able to tell when they were fighting, she surely wouldn't have been able to tell before.]
['Don't apologize' he wants to say, but he doesn't. Truthfully, Itachi has a lot to apologize for, and even if he forgives him he won't hold him back from doing that. Instead he only shakes his head.]
He lost one too. And I'm not broken up about it. Tsunade offered to make us replacements using the first Hokage's cells, but...
[Sasuke makes a bit of a face at that. Naruto is welcome to replace his arm, but the image of Madara with the face of his rival growing from his chest is still a disgusting one. He'd prefer to keep more Uchiha cells from mixing with those. On top of that, he's more than willing to accept the loss of an arm as a punishment of sorts for his actions. His brother isn't the only one with things to atone for.]
[ Itachi's breath halts for a few moments in the wake of those words. Considering what he knows they're both capable of, he supposes he should be grateful that it wasn't worse. Really, it seems he owes Naruto both his gratitude and an apology of his own, for forcing him into a position like that.
(Of course, knowing them both ... he imagines his plea had very little to do with it, and that Naruto would say the same. For being as different as they are, both Sasuke and Naruto are among the most stubborn people he's ever known.)
Eventually he draws back, though he keeps close, hands on Sasuke's shoulders. He looks older now. But wiser? That remains to be seen. ]
Both of you? [ Eyes widen slightly in surprise. ] I would have expected retribution instead.
[ To blend Uchiha and Senju genetic material ... the potential is intriguing. A part of him is fearful of tipping the balance; the less rational part of him doesn't care if it means giving his brother back his missing limb. While such a loss might be difficult for anyone to bear, the loss for a ninja is even more intense. Perhaps not entirely crippling but ... ]
I suppose you'll have time to think on it, here.
[ The smile he offers then is faint, slightly pained. If he was worried upon seeing his brother before, this revelation has certainly ratcheted that up quite a bit. ]
I see. I've been here for ... close to five months, now; it still surprises me sometimes.
Explore what you can in this city, and keep your head down as much as you can, Sasuke. It's likely you'll be watched more carefully than some, but there's not much I can do about that for now.
[Sasuke shrugs at that, looking away slightly and not moving from Itachi's illusionary grip.]
I was pardoned, based on significant participation in the war effort and the fact that Naruto would have caused a ruckus otherwise. It helps that Kakashi was made the Sixth.
[Frankly speaking, he'd helped save their asses, and no one would want him for an enemy anyway. After everything his former sensei had been through, seeing Sasuke run out of town after the team had finally been reunited would have been out of the question, no matter what spin he put on it.
Any sort of fond feelings those thoughts brought up, however, were wiped away with his brother's next comment. Five months? Five months Itachi had been here, with others getting to interact with him where he couldn't. People he didn't know getting to spend time with him. To... there's a train of thought that he shoves aside and ignores completely. Itachi's nightlife isn't his concern, but aside from that the jealousy is nearly palpable.]
[ Okay. Okay that's a lot to take in, in one go. Itachi's expression slips from mild to pained to somewhat incredulous in the course of that single sentence. Significant participation ... so Sasuke linked up with Naruto and the rest, despite his proclamations. The sense of relief emanating from the older shinobi is a tangible weight, marked by the drop of tension along his shoulders, and an emerging smile of amusement. ]
Kakashi ... times have certainly changed.
[ No, he senses that jealousy, the same as he always has -- it's not something he approves of, but he understands. After the way he'd left Sasuke ... well, he hadn't expected forgiveness, but his brother had always been far too prone to clinging to his emotions, and some things never really faded away besides, waiting just beneath the surface to be stirred up once again. ]
I'm sorry you were forced to come to a place like this ... though I'm glad to get the chance to speak with you again, Sasuke.
I'm sure he'll dump it on Naruto the moment the idiot manages to pass his chuunin exams.
[Unspoken is the fact that Sasuke himself had never completed the exams. It's funny how important he'd once considered them. Now they're more of an afterthought, something to consider attempting if he ever stays in the village long enough to care about them. The title itself in no real indicator of skill and a missing-nin had no use for it.
As Itachi apologizes again, Sasuke narrows his eyes at him, all seriousness. There's a certain tone he'd ban his brother from using if he could, and he's using it now.]
This won't be the last time.
[It's a command. A promise. They'll meet again under better circumstances, where they can talk longer and he can answer all the questions that are surely spinning around in the other ninja's mind. Itachi isn't allowed to disappear again. Not yet.]
[ Itachi's response to that is a single arched eyebrow -- skeptical, perhaps, of Sasuke's assessment. His understanding of his former captain had become incomplete in the years after he'd left, but the one thing he'd stake his own life on was the fact that when it mattered, Kakashi would never shirk his responsibility. He'd hate it, of course, but as always, he'd do what was needed as long as there was breath in his body.
Whatever had happened between Naruto and Sasuke, it must have been significant for his brother to acknowledge him like this. Even couched in such dismissive terms ... well. That was Sasuke, wasn't it?
He breathes a quiet sound -- one that's part sigh, part humor, and plenty of quiet care despite the apology that still lingers between them. ]
No ... seems you're stuck with me, this time. At least until we can get you back to where you should be.
[ It's a poor attempt to be humorous, despite the fact that he knows Sasuke won't find it funny at all, because he doesn't want his brother to understand just how much he detests this situation -- how it rips open wounds that should have finally begun to close, how it insists on forcing his brother into a position of less than human. Sasuke had paid his dues, hadn't he? This is no place for him ... and there's nothing Itachi can do about it.
[Itachi talks of getting him back to where he needs to be, with no mention of himself. He doesn't like to think about it, how Itachi doesn't have any real place to be now that he's dead. He knows how self-sacrificing his brother is now, and that worries him no matter how many ultimatums he tosses in the other's direction.
It's important that he doesn't draw attention by holding this illusion too much longer. Unlike Itachi, he doesn't have the luxury of manipulating someones perspective of time.]
I'm not going to allow you to ignore your own happiness this time.
[It's important that his brother understands this, because he fully intends to back up his promises.]
If you want to live, we're going to find a way to make it happen. If you want to return to the afterlife, you're going to go back to our world where you belong. Where your soul belongs. Do you understand?
[After all, Sasuke is proof that souls can live on, and Itachi's deserves its turn at reincarnation just as much as anyone else's.]
[ That declaration is startling -- enough to still Itachi's breath for a moment, to make him draw back enough to study Sasuke's determined face. It's not the sort of thing he would have ever expected to hear from his brother ... and if he's being honest with himself, now that the words are out between them, it's nothing he realizes he's wanted to hear, either.
As well-meant as it is, Itachi has to fight to keep the flinch out of his expression, to keep from glancing away. Really, he has no idea what he's demanding.
Perhaps part of the problem, too, is that neither does Itachi. ]
I'll ... keep that in mind.
[ Pathetic, but he really has no other response to something like that, not now. And abruptly, he draws Sasuke into another tight hug, because he knows their time like this is far shorter than either would wish for. ]
Listen, Sasuke -- I'm going to be busy for a while. Watch out for the authorities; they don't need a reason to harass you, and picking a fight with them is more trouble than it's worth. It'll be fine, just ... try not to end up in their sights.
[The hug cuts off Sasuke's immediate response to Itachi's non-answer. He can do nothing more than return it, as uncommon as it is to have his brother initiate physical contact. It doesn't alleviate his annoyance by much, and his concern merely deepens as Itachi continues to speak.
Because it feels too much like he's being pushed away again, and he won't allow that.]
Where are you going? What's going on?
[He hates himself for the way he's phrased that immediately after he asks, as he's completing the circle by making himself sound like a child again. He'll have to make up for that.
Sasuke's fingers dig into his brother's clothes, no matter that this is still an illusions. If the answers given aren't satisfactory, as they rarely are, he'll find out the rest on his own. He's not that kind anymore, and Itachi should be aware of this.
Even if it's being aware of this that has his brother telling him this directly, it's still not enough.]
She's baiting him. He can see that, and he has nothing to prove. Well, not really. All the same, that irks him. He'd been intending to hold back for her sake.]
You don't know me at all.
[He moves to slam his arm across he chest and press her against the back of the bench. While he could always use genjutsu again, it's important that she know he doesn't have to rely on it.
Just as quickly, he'll then make to mash his lips against hers.]
[ for Azula, sometimes there's a problem with baiting people. at least, this has been the case in Tanagura. she can spew out tough words, get people to bend to her will but does she want them to act on it every time? Sasuke was capable of doing exactly what he said he could do to her, did she really want to wander down that path in order to get some sort of strange satisfaction for it? who was she really hurting, then?
unfortunately, her thoughts grow more muddled as his lips crash against her own. she eases into it as much as possible, golden eyes closing after the initial feigned shock as she pushes into it, mirroring his ferocity. her back rubs painfully against the metal bars of the bench as he forces her against it, wriggling an arm free in order to comb fingers through his hair-- a test to see how much leeway he'd give her, how much control he'd let her have. a part of her wanted him to lash out, to dominate. that same part of her was convinced he'd never let himself go in such a way before, and she liked being the first to experience things. Azula knew she could hold something like that above his head and perhaps the heads of others forever.
but at least she was going to get to know him better after this, wasn't she? ]
No. No, he's not the villain anymore. If she struggles, then he has to stop. He won't be that sort of man. But she isn't. She's getting some satisfaction from this, reciprocating. Is that what he wants?
With only one arm, he can't stop her hand from coming free and finding his hair without using methods he'd rather avoid. So he allows that much. (This is is reasoning, at least, and not just because the feeling is pleasant.)
She'd asked to go somewhere else earlier, and he does agree that this is getting to be a bit too much for how out in public they are. But he's moving them on his own terms. He looks up, finding an open enough spot among the tree branches. In the next instant they're there, but only briefly enough for him to find another open spot in the maze so he can teleport them again. Once they're on the ground, he closes his left eye to rest it for the moment.
There's still a part of him that doesn't want to give into this, but it's becoming easier to ignore that part when he has Azula still pinned under him.]
[ do you know what was absolutely terrifying? being teleported. see, if she had been familiar with such an ability it wouldn't have startled her. but the next thing she knew, she was in the tree, clinging to him desperately despite knowing he wouldn't let her go. surely not like this, death by tree fall was hardly a warranted demise for anyone.
and just as she was trying to relax in their new change of scenery, trying to ease him back into a kiss... he did it to her again. the princess understands now that he only wished to get them out of the public's eye, widened eyes glimpsing at the walls of flowers around them before she refocuses on Sasuke atop her.
there's a pause. waiting for him to move them again, expecting the violent jolt of their bodies in a new place. but nothing. it seems he is satisfied with their location, so she reaches up to drape her arms over his shoulders and yank him down for another kiss. ]
[The process of teleporting twice in a row like that hasn't worn him out, but it's left him momentarily out of breath - just enough that he's not quite ready to have his mouth sealed up again. Rather than gently avoiding the gesture, Sasuke moves to clamp his hand down over Azula's mouth.
His own head lowers until it's even with her neck, puffs of warm breath slowly evening against her skin. It's there he places his lips instead, tongue carefully prodding out from between them, uncertainty hidden underneath the desire to dominate.]
[ her eyes narrow, momentarily going cross-eyed to glimpse at his hand as it presses the back of her head down into the ground. she was tempted to protest, to force him onto the ground and crawl on top or press her tongue against his palm like a child when she felt his hot breath against her skin. Azula relaxes, for now, sensing his hesitation.
she tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to press kisses to should he desire. the princess' fingernails rake lightly down his back before she pushes herself up, just enough, so both hands can boldly squeeze his backside. Azula laughs, muffled against his hand. ]
[His back arcs into her hands, mouth pulling away from her neck as his head bows near to the ground. He might have stayed that way longer if not for the laugh, which causes him to remove his hand and silence it with the kiss she'd been aiming for earlier. If he was less flexible it might be more difficult to hold himself up this way since his one hand is finding other places to be aside from a means of support. He sets it carefully against her left breast, fingers cupping without adding too much pressure.
Sasuke's instincts scream at him to go further, but something is still holding him back. He doesn't know this woman. He doesn't know her and this is happening too easily. she should be putting up more of a fuss. Isn't that the way this sort of thing went?]
[ there was that kiss she sought after before, relaxing her hands against him to focus more on his lips, attempting to push her tongue between them in a last ditch effort to secure some sort of dominance. because, regardless if she wanted it or not, she knew his mouth on hers was only given to her in his own attempt to keep her quiet. sometimes gifts could be subtle slaps in the face, too.
and although she is not the comforting sort, their conversation before and his obvious doubts now were sending up red flags. Azula slips her hand atop his, fingertips brushing over his knuckles in an attempt at positive reinforcement to encourage him to act. ]
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whatishate) wrote2015-06-02 01:17 pm
Zuko
[He doesn't know. Not yet. But Sasuke intends to make sure he does soon.
Hopefully he isn't walking around being as obvious as Zuko is.]
That's my concern, not yours.
[He jabs a finger toward the fire lord's chest.]
But all your lives hinge on his well-being.
Hibari
[It's a curious question to just ask someone straight up, and Sasuke has to pause as he considers his response. It's not a long pause.]
Yes.
[It's not a matter of bragging, it's simply undeniable. He's one of the strongest ninja in his world, simple as that. Trying to me modest here would be pointless, especially if this kid wanted to challenge him to actual combat and not just bug chasing.]
Sakura
... Good.
[The idea of Sakura working with his brother is a strange one, but at least she isn't harboring him any ill will. They're working together, as it should be. She could finally understand, even if the village doesn't.
And in a way he's jealous. She's had time to train with Itachi that he wasn't given. Any time his brother had the time to help him when he'd been a child had been precious to him, because more often than not Itachi would be too busy to oblige. He shoves those feelings away. He can't hold onto such childish things now.]
Make sure he eats enough. And he's good at hiding illnesses.
no subject
[ This is news to her. She's been checking on his health, but she's been checking on a lot of people's health — mostly for injuries. His eyes, maybe. If he's sick, it's not turned up yet. ]
no subject
Itachi had a terminal illness the last couple years of his life. It finished him off better than I ever could have.
[And if he hadn't been able to tell when they were fighting, she surely wouldn't have been able to tell before.]
Itachi
['Don't apologize' he wants to say, but he doesn't. Truthfully, Itachi has a lot to apologize for, and even if he forgives him he won't hold him back from doing that. Instead he only shakes his head.]
He lost one too. And I'm not broken up about it. Tsunade offered to make us replacements using the first Hokage's cells, but...
[Sasuke makes a bit of a face at that. Naruto is welcome to replace his arm, but the image of Madara with the face of his rival growing from his chest is still a disgusting one. He'd prefer to keep more Uchiha cells from mixing with those. On top of that, he's more than willing to accept the loss of an arm as a punishment of sorts for his actions. His brother isn't the only one with things to atone for.]
Anyway, I haven't been here long. A few days.
omg that gif is cracking me up
(Of course, knowing them both ... he imagines his plea had very little to do with it, and that Naruto would say the same. For being as different as they are, both Sasuke and Naruto are among the most stubborn people he's ever known.)
Eventually he draws back, though he keeps close, hands on Sasuke's shoulders. He looks older now. But wiser? That remains to be seen. ]
Both of you? [ Eyes widen slightly in surprise. ] I would have expected retribution instead.
[ To blend Uchiha and Senju genetic material ... the potential is intriguing. A part of him is fearful of tipping the balance; the less rational part of him doesn't care if it means giving his brother back his missing limb. While such a loss might be difficult for anyone to bear, the loss for a ninja is even more intense. Perhaps not entirely crippling but ... ]
I suppose you'll have time to think on it, here.
[ The smile he offers then is faint, slightly pained. If he was worried upon seeing his brother before, this revelation has certainly ratcheted that up quite a bit. ]
I see. I've been here for ... close to five months, now; it still surprises me sometimes.
Explore what you can in this city, and keep your head down as much as you can, Sasuke. It's likely you'll be watched more carefully than some, but there's not much I can do about that for now.
i love that gif a lot
I was pardoned, based on significant participation in the war effort and the fact that Naruto would have caused a ruckus otherwise. It helps that Kakashi was made the Sixth.
[Frankly speaking, he'd helped save their asses, and no one would want him for an enemy anyway. After everything his former sensei had been through, seeing Sasuke run out of town after the team had finally been reunited would have been out of the question, no matter what spin he put on it.
Any sort of fond feelings those thoughts brought up, however, were wiped away with his brother's next comment. Five months? Five months Itachi had been here, with others getting to interact with him where he couldn't. People he didn't know getting to spend time with him. To... there's a train of thought that he shoves aside and ignores completely. Itachi's nightlife isn't his concern, but aside from that the jealousy is nearly palpable.]
... I'm sorry I'm late.
i do too... what a cute little brother
Kakashi ... times have certainly changed.
[ No, he senses that jealousy, the same as he always has -- it's not something he approves of, but he understands. After the way he'd left Sasuke ... well, he hadn't expected forgiveness, but his brother had always been far too prone to clinging to his emotions, and some things never really faded away besides, waiting just beneath the surface to be stirred up once again. ]
I'm sorry you were forced to come to a place like this ... though I'm glad to get the chance to speak with you again, Sasuke.
no subject
[Unspoken is the fact that Sasuke himself had never completed the exams. It's funny how important he'd once considered them. Now they're more of an afterthought, something to consider attempting if he ever stays in the village long enough to care about them. The title itself in no real indicator of skill and a missing-nin had no use for it.
As Itachi apologizes again, Sasuke narrows his eyes at him, all seriousness. There's a certain tone he'd ban his brother from using if he could, and he's using it now.]
This won't be the last time.
[It's a command. A promise. They'll meet again under better circumstances, where they can talk longer and he can answer all the questions that are surely spinning around in the other ninja's mind. Itachi isn't allowed to disappear again. Not yet.]
no subject
Whatever had happened between Naruto and Sasuke, it must have been significant for his brother to acknowledge him like this. Even couched in such dismissive terms ... well. That was Sasuke, wasn't it?
He breathes a quiet sound -- one that's part sigh, part humor, and plenty of quiet care despite the apology that still lingers between them. ]
No ... seems you're stuck with me, this time. At least until we can get you back to where you should be.
[ It's a poor attempt to be humorous, despite the fact that he knows Sasuke won't find it funny at all, because he doesn't want his brother to understand just how much he detests this situation -- how it rips open wounds that should have finally begun to close, how it insists on forcing his brother into a position of less than human. Sasuke had paid his dues, hadn't he? This is no place for him ... and there's nothing Itachi can do about it.
Not yet. ]
no subject
It's important that he doesn't draw attention by holding this illusion too much longer. Unlike Itachi, he doesn't have the luxury of manipulating someones perspective of time.]
I'm not going to allow you to ignore your own happiness this time.
[It's important that his brother understands this, because he fully intends to back up his promises.]
If you want to live, we're going to find a way to make it happen. If you want to return to the afterlife, you're going to go back to our world where you belong. Where your soul belongs. Do you understand?
[After all, Sasuke is proof that souls can live on, and Itachi's deserves its turn at reincarnation just as much as anyone else's.]
no subject
As well-meant as it is, Itachi has to fight to keep the flinch out of his expression, to keep from glancing away. Really, he has no idea what he's demanding.
Perhaps part of the problem, too, is that neither does Itachi. ]
I'll ... keep that in mind.
[ Pathetic, but he really has no other response to something like that, not now. And abruptly, he draws Sasuke into another tight hug, because he knows their time like this is far shorter than either would wish for. ]
Listen, Sasuke -- I'm going to be busy for a while. Watch out for the authorities; they don't need a reason to harass you, and picking a fight with them is more trouble than it's worth. It'll be fine, just ... try not to end up in their sights.
no subject
Because it feels too much like he's being pushed away again, and he won't allow that.]
Where are you going? What's going on?
[He hates himself for the way he's phrased that immediately after he asks, as he's completing the circle by making himself sound like a child again. He'll have to make up for that.
Sasuke's fingers dig into his brother's clothes, no matter that this is still an illusions. If the answers given aren't satisfactory, as they rarely are, he'll find out the rest on his own. He's not that kind anymore, and Itachi should be aware of this.
Even if it's being aware of this that has his brother telling him this directly, it's still not enough.]
Azula
[A coward?
She's baiting him. He can see that, and he has nothing to prove. Well, not really. All the same, that irks him. He'd been intending to hold back for her sake.]
You don't know me at all.
[He moves to slam his arm across he chest and press her against the back of the bench. While he could always use genjutsu again, it's important that she know he doesn't have to rely on it.
Just as quickly, he'll then make to mash his lips against hers.]
no subject
unfortunately, her thoughts grow more muddled as his lips crash against her own. she eases into it as much as possible, golden eyes closing after the initial feigned shock as she pushes into it, mirroring his ferocity. her back rubs painfully against the metal bars of the bench as he forces her against it, wriggling an arm free in order to comb fingers through his hair-- a test to see how much leeway he'd give her, how much control he'd let her have. a part of her wanted him to lash out, to dominate. that same part of her was convinced he'd never let himself go in such a way before, and she liked being the first to experience things. Azula knew she could hold something like that above his head and perhaps the heads of others forever.
but at least she was going to get to know him better after this, wasn't she? ]
no subject
No. No, he's not the villain anymore. If she struggles, then he has to stop. He won't be that sort of man. But she isn't. She's getting some satisfaction from this, reciprocating. Is that what he wants?
With only one arm, he can't stop her hand from coming free and finding his hair without using methods he'd rather avoid. So he allows that much. (This is is reasoning, at least, and not just because the feeling is pleasant.)
She'd asked to go somewhere else earlier, and he does agree that this is getting to be a bit too much for how out in public they are. But he's moving them on his own terms. He looks up, finding an open enough spot among the tree branches. In the next instant they're there, but only briefly enough for him to find another open spot in the maze so he can teleport them again. Once they're on the ground, he closes his left eye to rest it for the moment.
There's still a part of him that doesn't want to give into this, but it's becoming easier to ignore that part when he has Azula still pinned under him.]
no subject
and just as she was trying to relax in their new change of scenery, trying to ease him back into a kiss... he did it to her again. the princess understands now that he only wished to get them out of the public's eye, widened eyes glimpsing at the walls of flowers around them before she refocuses on Sasuke atop her.
there's a pause. waiting for him to move them again, expecting the violent jolt of their bodies in a new place. but nothing. it seems he is satisfied with their location, so she reaches up to drape her arms over his shoulders and yank him down for another kiss. ]
no subject
His own head lowers until it's even with her neck, puffs of warm breath slowly evening against her skin. It's there he places his lips instead, tongue carefully prodding out from between them, uncertainty hidden underneath the desire to dominate.]
no subject
she tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to press kisses to should he desire. the princess' fingernails rake lightly down his back before she pushes herself up, just enough, so both hands can boldly squeeze his backside. Azula laughs, muffled against his hand. ]
no subject
Sasuke's instincts scream at him to go further, but something is still holding him back. He doesn't know this woman. He doesn't know her and this is happening too easily. she should be putting up more of a fuss. Isn't that the way this sort of thing went?]
no subject
and although she is not the comforting sort, their conversation before and his obvious doubts now were sending up red flags. Azula slips her hand atop his, fingertips brushing over his knuckles in an attempt at positive reinforcement to encourage him to act. ]