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tampered2006-12-27 11:08 pm
crimsonmangekyo.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2006-12-27 11:08 pm
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When; December 26th, late evening
Rating; PG
Characters; Uchiha Itachi![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crimsonmangekyo, Hoshigaki Kisameomgashark, Hakuyuki_no_shinobi
Summary; Kisame brings the ice-user to his partner in hopes of convincing the boy to join their cause.
Log;
Itachi sighed slightly, sitting in the chair in the makeshift "lair" that they had concocted. The ruins of the old hospital had proven to be a suitable place to commence operations, since due to the rubble and the hazardous conditions very few people ventured near it anymore. That being said, it was also rather boring at times.
The crimson-eyed Uchiha scowled slightly as he glanced at the clock on the wall. Kisame was late. That fact in itself didn't bother the Akatsuki, what irritated him was the fact that until Kisame DID show up, there was nothing he could do about it. But then, he supposed it was worth it. Kisame had spoken of a possible candidate for Akatsuki, and something like that was definitely worth taking the time to consider.
Kisame had heard of this child before... the one they called Haku. Zabuza had spoken to him of Haku, and quite highly as well. The child posessed a kekkei genkai that was powerful beyond words, and would help the Akatsuki furthere their own purposes immensely. IF, that is, Haku could be convinced to join.
"Ne, Haku-san. We've arrived. Please, be careful of your step in this place."
"Mm. Of course," the boy murmured softly, bowing his head as he stepped down into what was left of the hospital. In his baby blue yukata and geta, he was hardly dressed for the snowy white weather, but it didn't seem to bother him too much at all.
Having braided his hair to keep it out of his face for the day, it fell to rest over his shoulder as he leaned over to finally step down to reach ground level, where he recognized the one known as Uchiha Itachi waiting. Smiling pleasantly and remembering their last interaction, and knowing quite well it had been only because of a curse, he stayed quiet and bowed just slightly out of politeness.
Despite his rather stone-faced exterior, Itachi DID remember the other day. And while he wasn't about to admit it to anyone, he had been rather thankful to the boy for keeping his enemies at bay while he was...indisposed. The raven-haired man inclined his head slightly towards the figure in the blue yukata, crimson eyes never leaving the other's face.
"You are Haku, I presume?"
He glanced up at Kisame with a nod. "Kisame, please take a message to Hotaru. Tell her I wish to meet with her at her convenience. I will speak to Haku.
He nodded in response to Itachi's inquiry, though he continued to remain silent as Itachi spoke with Kisame. He watched the swordsman leave, then looked back to the older Uchiha brother and stepped forward, bowing again.
"My apologies. Out of respect for Kisame-san's previous relationship with Zabuza-san, I came here, but I can honestly say that I don't completely understand your reason for requiring my presence. As I am dead, I am not really very useful to anyone."
Itachi nodded. The boy was bright, he had to give him that. Sharingan spun once, studying him. While he didn't look that intimidating, Itachi knew perfectly well how deceiving appearances could be. Afterall, he himself wasn't all that imposing to look at when one didn't know the facts about the Uchiha.
"Your assumption would be correct, were this any other place. However, as I'm sure you know, we are all unable to leave this place of our own free will. That fact in and of itself does not constitute a vacation for Akatsuki. Rather, this gives us an opportunity to seek outside possibilities of many things. But to do that, we require greater numbers. Because of that, Kisame sought you out, believing you to be someone who might perhaps share many of the same ideals as we."
With his gaze aimed towards the ground, he shifted his weight on his feet a bit while he absorbed this news. Then, Haku cleared his throat and glanced up, both hands clasped in front of him.
"My ideals merely reflected Zabuza-san's. Now that I am dead, and have recently learned of his death, there is nothing left for me to fight, or work for. I have never wished to harm anyone. I only wished to be useful to Zabuza-san. That is through, and there is nothing left for me."
Itachi frowned slightly. This wouldn't do. He could understand the boy not having a strong desire to join Akatsuki, but to be borderline pacifistic wasn't what he'd had in mind. He made a mental note to stab his partner with a kunai when the shark got back. Raising an eyebrow, he gestured to the table, where a bowl of fruit and a pitcher of water sat.
"Help yourself, if you'd like."
Sitting back down, he folded his hands, resting his chin on clasped fingers.
"So you say you no longer have a purpose in living. And yet here you are, alive again. Obviously that is out of your control, but I wonder why you would choose to let such a chance merely slip through your fingertips."
At the offered food, Haku did at least kneel to sit, though he made no move to partake in the water or fruit. He highly doubted that Itachi would have much reason to poison him, but with his training, he knew never to assume such things.
"Mm... It does seem as if I am alive here. But I was told I didn't have a chance to ever return home. That is fine by me, though, since I know Zabuza-san would not be there to welcome me. For me, this is not living. This is dreaming."
A nightmare, to be more honest. To him, there was no life without Zabuza.
Itachi nodded. He was taking his time, trying to gauge the young man's reactions and responses. Afterall, until the boy was wearing the scarlet and red cloak, he was still technically an enemy. And the first step to defeating an enemy was to know that enemy.
"And what if there was a way to bring Zabuza-san here?"
There was a light flicker in the boy's eyes, and he glanced back up. Of course, he would not be so willing to get his hopes up. Itachi was of the Akatsuki, after all, and he was plenty aware of how conniving he could be.
But once more, he would try not to assume.
"Of course, that would please me, but only if it pleased him as well. It is rather confusing, as to why some of the dead come here, and some don't."
"Weren't you an important tool to Zabuza-san? I can't think that he wouldn't be pleased to have you returned to him. Not if he placed as much value on you as you do him."
He sat back, picking up a plum from the basket and biting into it, red eyes whirling lazily as they watched the ice-user's face.
Haku's hands clenched a bit, and his smile was a little sad. "I would never dare to hope that Zabuza-san would put me on the same level as him. I was his tool. When I failed to protect him, I stopped being useful. I am not...was not strong enough to be of the proper use, and it cost him his life."
Shutting his eyes, Haku stood up and turned. "I am fine with paying for such a mistake by remaining here without him. It is what I deserve."
"And if I told you that he is here? Would that change your mind?" He watched, waiting to see if his calculated move would work.
That news was enough to shock him into actually halting his train of thought. He hadn't seen Zabuza at all, and he was certain one of the other shinobi would have informed him if they had seen him.
True, Zabuza was good at hiding, but in a place like this he had no reason to. Confused, and unsure, he simply blinked. "Ah?"
Itachi gestured to the chair.
"Sit."
Pausing to let the younger shinobi retrieve his chair, he continued.
"There is a man here. A man by the name of Cobray. From a different world then ours, he draws his power from souls he has stolen and enslaved. One of these souls belongs to Zabuza-san."
Such a claim was so absurd that Haku soon found he very much needed that chair, and he quickly sat back down. Then, he rested his hands in his lap, feet tucked beneath the chair as he intently listened.
He knew this place connected worlds, but could a man really have such power as that? It made the claim of being a shinobi seem so...weak. But that was hardly the point.
"Then, you're saying... Zabuza-san isn't even at peace in death? Can't there be a way to fix that? Even if... Even if I failed to help him with his dream, I at least want him to rest in peace."
Itachi nodded, careful to keep his face neutral, expression level.
"Indeed, there is. But for that, we need more manpower then what we have. This Cobray has many allies, especially among our enemies of Konoha. One of the souls he keeps within him is known as Ingram. In the past, Ingram has been able to take control of Cobray's body for short periods of time. Ingram, like the other souls, wishes to be free. If we offer him assistance, in return we can gain Zabuza-san's soul and give it the peace it deserves. OR, if he wishes it, he can live again as you do."
"Mm..." What was he supposed to say? What would Zabuza want him to do? For Haku to offer his services to anyone but him? It seemed...wrong. And it wasn't his personal desire to help Akatsuki.
However...it was his desire to help Zabuza, and that would be the result of this deal. With a soft, shaky sigh, Haku stood from his chair and stepped around, only to smoothly sink down to kneel and bow.
"I understand. However... As soon as Zabuza-san is brought back, I will return to his service. Whatever he chooses from there will be my choice, no matter who the enemy is."
Itachi nodded. Mentally, he was smirking to himself. The jaws of the trap had sprung closed so very nicely. And it would be even easier once he had dealt with Cobray and spoken to Ingram.
"Of course. We are patient. Akatsuki is not an organization that forces it's members into service. That in itself would undermine the strength of the whole. We merely wish to offer you the chance to set right a few things, with our help. And in return, we would benefit from the alliance as well."
It seemed reasonable enough. Haku still had his suspicions... But he couldn't risk refusing such an offer when Zabuza's soul was on the line.
"Mm." The boy looked up to Itachi, still crouched on the ground. "But... I was told it's been a few years since my death. Everyone has grown even stronger, while I remain weak. How can I benefit you?"
"What we need now, more then physical strength, is someone who can get close to Cobray. Someone who can earn his trust, get into his confidances. He knows of us, so we're useless for that purpose. And I can't risk Hotaru being tainted by his lies. You, on the other hand, are a newcomer to the City. You are even friendly with those he considers allies. He has no reason to distrust you. Find out everything you can about him, and report it back to us. And we will use it to free Zabuza-san."
He sat back and finished the plum, tossing the pit into the trashcan in the corner.
So then he was to spy. Such a thing was basic...and he had done it before. Haku was not the type of person who enjoyed hurting people, but for Zabuza, he would do anything.
Besides, if Cobray was the one keeping Zabuza's soul captive, then he was Haku's personal enemy. With a smile he nodded and bowed again. "I understand. Anything else, or will that be all?"
Itachi shook his head, and gestured towards the door, where Kisame had reappeared. "No, that is all. If we understand each other, I shall expect to hear from you. Now, Kisame will escort you back to the City proper." He watched as the boy left with his shark-like partner, then reached over to the table sitting next to him. Picking up the teacup, he grinned before taking a long sip.
Rating; PG
Characters; Uchiha Itachi
crimsonmangekyo, Hoshigaki Kisameomgashark, Hakuyuki_no_shinobiSummary; Kisame brings the ice-user to his partner in hopes of convincing the boy to join their cause.
Log;
Itachi sighed slightly, sitting in the chair in the makeshift "lair" that they had concocted. The ruins of the old hospital had proven to be a suitable place to commence operations, since due to the rubble and the hazardous conditions very few people ventured near it anymore. That being said, it was also rather boring at times.
The crimson-eyed Uchiha scowled slightly as he glanced at the clock on the wall. Kisame was late. That fact in itself didn't bother the Akatsuki, what irritated him was the fact that until Kisame DID show up, there was nothing he could do about it. But then, he supposed it was worth it. Kisame had spoken of a possible candidate for Akatsuki, and something like that was definitely worth taking the time to consider.
Kisame had heard of this child before... the one they called Haku. Zabuza had spoken to him of Haku, and quite highly as well. The child posessed a kekkei genkai that was powerful beyond words, and would help the Akatsuki furthere their own purposes immensely. IF, that is, Haku could be convinced to join.
"Ne, Haku-san. We've arrived. Please, be careful of your step in this place."
"Mm. Of course," the boy murmured softly, bowing his head as he stepped down into what was left of the hospital. In his baby blue yukata and geta, he was hardly dressed for the snowy white weather, but it didn't seem to bother him too much at all.
Having braided his hair to keep it out of his face for the day, it fell to rest over his shoulder as he leaned over to finally step down to reach ground level, where he recognized the one known as Uchiha Itachi waiting. Smiling pleasantly and remembering their last interaction, and knowing quite well it had been only because of a curse, he stayed quiet and bowed just slightly out of politeness.
Despite his rather stone-faced exterior, Itachi DID remember the other day. And while he wasn't about to admit it to anyone, he had been rather thankful to the boy for keeping his enemies at bay while he was...indisposed. The raven-haired man inclined his head slightly towards the figure in the blue yukata, crimson eyes never leaving the other's face.
"You are Haku, I presume?"
He glanced up at Kisame with a nod. "Kisame, please take a message to Hotaru. Tell her I wish to meet with her at her convenience. I will speak to Haku.
He nodded in response to Itachi's inquiry, though he continued to remain silent as Itachi spoke with Kisame. He watched the swordsman leave, then looked back to the older Uchiha brother and stepped forward, bowing again.
"My apologies. Out of respect for Kisame-san's previous relationship with Zabuza-san, I came here, but I can honestly say that I don't completely understand your reason for requiring my presence. As I am dead, I am not really very useful to anyone."
Itachi nodded. The boy was bright, he had to give him that. Sharingan spun once, studying him. While he didn't look that intimidating, Itachi knew perfectly well how deceiving appearances could be. Afterall, he himself wasn't all that imposing to look at when one didn't know the facts about the Uchiha.
"Your assumption would be correct, were this any other place. However, as I'm sure you know, we are all unable to leave this place of our own free will. That fact in and of itself does not constitute a vacation for Akatsuki. Rather, this gives us an opportunity to seek outside possibilities of many things. But to do that, we require greater numbers. Because of that, Kisame sought you out, believing you to be someone who might perhaps share many of the same ideals as we."
With his gaze aimed towards the ground, he shifted his weight on his feet a bit while he absorbed this news. Then, Haku cleared his throat and glanced up, both hands clasped in front of him.
"My ideals merely reflected Zabuza-san's. Now that I am dead, and have recently learned of his death, there is nothing left for me to fight, or work for. I have never wished to harm anyone. I only wished to be useful to Zabuza-san. That is through, and there is nothing left for me."
Itachi frowned slightly. This wouldn't do. He could understand the boy not having a strong desire to join Akatsuki, but to be borderline pacifistic wasn't what he'd had in mind. He made a mental note to stab his partner with a kunai when the shark got back. Raising an eyebrow, he gestured to the table, where a bowl of fruit and a pitcher of water sat.
"Help yourself, if you'd like."
Sitting back down, he folded his hands, resting his chin on clasped fingers.
"So you say you no longer have a purpose in living. And yet here you are, alive again. Obviously that is out of your control, but I wonder why you would choose to let such a chance merely slip through your fingertips."
At the offered food, Haku did at least kneel to sit, though he made no move to partake in the water or fruit. He highly doubted that Itachi would have much reason to poison him, but with his training, he knew never to assume such things.
"Mm... It does seem as if I am alive here. But I was told I didn't have a chance to ever return home. That is fine by me, though, since I know Zabuza-san would not be there to welcome me. For me, this is not living. This is dreaming."
A nightmare, to be more honest. To him, there was no life without Zabuza.
Itachi nodded. He was taking his time, trying to gauge the young man's reactions and responses. Afterall, until the boy was wearing the scarlet and red cloak, he was still technically an enemy. And the first step to defeating an enemy was to know that enemy.
"And what if there was a way to bring Zabuza-san here?"
There was a light flicker in the boy's eyes, and he glanced back up. Of course, he would not be so willing to get his hopes up. Itachi was of the Akatsuki, after all, and he was plenty aware of how conniving he could be.
But once more, he would try not to assume.
"Of course, that would please me, but only if it pleased him as well. It is rather confusing, as to why some of the dead come here, and some don't."
"Weren't you an important tool to Zabuza-san? I can't think that he wouldn't be pleased to have you returned to him. Not if he placed as much value on you as you do him."
He sat back, picking up a plum from the basket and biting into it, red eyes whirling lazily as they watched the ice-user's face.
Haku's hands clenched a bit, and his smile was a little sad. "I would never dare to hope that Zabuza-san would put me on the same level as him. I was his tool. When I failed to protect him, I stopped being useful. I am not...was not strong enough to be of the proper use, and it cost him his life."
Shutting his eyes, Haku stood up and turned. "I am fine with paying for such a mistake by remaining here without him. It is what I deserve."
"And if I told you that he is here? Would that change your mind?" He watched, waiting to see if his calculated move would work.
That news was enough to shock him into actually halting his train of thought. He hadn't seen Zabuza at all, and he was certain one of the other shinobi would have informed him if they had seen him.
True, Zabuza was good at hiding, but in a place like this he had no reason to. Confused, and unsure, he simply blinked. "Ah?"
Itachi gestured to the chair.
"Sit."
Pausing to let the younger shinobi retrieve his chair, he continued.
"There is a man here. A man by the name of Cobray. From a different world then ours, he draws his power from souls he has stolen and enslaved. One of these souls belongs to Zabuza-san."
Such a claim was so absurd that Haku soon found he very much needed that chair, and he quickly sat back down. Then, he rested his hands in his lap, feet tucked beneath the chair as he intently listened.
He knew this place connected worlds, but could a man really have such power as that? It made the claim of being a shinobi seem so...weak. But that was hardly the point.
"Then, you're saying... Zabuza-san isn't even at peace in death? Can't there be a way to fix that? Even if... Even if I failed to help him with his dream, I at least want him to rest in peace."
Itachi nodded, careful to keep his face neutral, expression level.
"Indeed, there is. But for that, we need more manpower then what we have. This Cobray has many allies, especially among our enemies of Konoha. One of the souls he keeps within him is known as Ingram. In the past, Ingram has been able to take control of Cobray's body for short periods of time. Ingram, like the other souls, wishes to be free. If we offer him assistance, in return we can gain Zabuza-san's soul and give it the peace it deserves. OR, if he wishes it, he can live again as you do."
"Mm..." What was he supposed to say? What would Zabuza want him to do? For Haku to offer his services to anyone but him? It seemed...wrong. And it wasn't his personal desire to help Akatsuki.
However...it was his desire to help Zabuza, and that would be the result of this deal. With a soft, shaky sigh, Haku stood from his chair and stepped around, only to smoothly sink down to kneel and bow.
"I understand. However... As soon as Zabuza-san is brought back, I will return to his service. Whatever he chooses from there will be my choice, no matter who the enemy is."
Itachi nodded. Mentally, he was smirking to himself. The jaws of the trap had sprung closed so very nicely. And it would be even easier once he had dealt with Cobray and spoken to Ingram.
"Of course. We are patient. Akatsuki is not an organization that forces it's members into service. That in itself would undermine the strength of the whole. We merely wish to offer you the chance to set right a few things, with our help. And in return, we would benefit from the alliance as well."
It seemed reasonable enough. Haku still had his suspicions... But he couldn't risk refusing such an offer when Zabuza's soul was on the line.
"Mm." The boy looked up to Itachi, still crouched on the ground. "But... I was told it's been a few years since my death. Everyone has grown even stronger, while I remain weak. How can I benefit you?"
"What we need now, more then physical strength, is someone who can get close to Cobray. Someone who can earn his trust, get into his confidances. He knows of us, so we're useless for that purpose. And I can't risk Hotaru being tainted by his lies. You, on the other hand, are a newcomer to the City. You are even friendly with those he considers allies. He has no reason to distrust you. Find out everything you can about him, and report it back to us. And we will use it to free Zabuza-san."
He sat back and finished the plum, tossing the pit into the trashcan in the corner.
So then he was to spy. Such a thing was basic...and he had done it before. Haku was not the type of person who enjoyed hurting people, but for Zabuza, he would do anything.
Besides, if Cobray was the one keeping Zabuza's soul captive, then he was Haku's personal enemy. With a smile he nodded and bowed again. "I understand. Anything else, or will that be all?"
Itachi shook his head, and gestured towards the door, where Kisame had reappeared. "No, that is all. If we understand each other, I shall expect to hear from you. Now, Kisame will escort you back to the City proper." He watched as the boy left with his shark-like partner, then reached over to the table sitting next to him. Picking up the teacup, he grinned before taking a long sip.