Precocious
Danzo isn’t entirely able to keep the surprise off his face when he looks up from his stack of paperwork to see Itachi standing in front of his desk.
(Because honestly, how long has he been standing there?!)
“Who let you in here?” he asks, with a raised eyebrow. The boy shuffles his feet nervously, clutching his notebook closer to his chest.
“Um...nobody,” he admits, hanging his head. “They didn’t believe me when I said you wanted me to come here, so they told me to leave. You uh- you might wanna check up on the guards out front. It was just a genjutsu, but I think one of them hit their head when they fell over.”
Danzo might laugh. But instead, he just stands up from his desk, and walks around it, making Itachi go rather pale.
“...Please don’t be angry,” he mumbles.
The boy flinches when the man reaches a hand out toward him.
“Well then? Let’s see what you’ve got for me.”
“Oh!”
Itachi relinquishes his treasure.
Danzo rifles through the notebook, full to bursting with Itachi’s meticulous handwriting. Itachi keeps his owlish eyes trained on him, anxiety keeping him still.
“I uh- I fixed some stuff from the book I think the author got wrong. You’d have to do more research on your own to be sure but I really don’t think he’s right. I filled in what I think is really going on if you wanna test it later.”
The man contemplate Itachi’s words for a moment.
“Hm.”
“Danzo-sama?”
“...It’s a shame,” Danzo muses.
“What’s a shame?” Itachi whimpers.
Danzo sets the notebook aside, and grasps Itachi by his skinny shoulders. Itachi’s saucer-wide eyes grow wider still.
“It’s a shame you won’t be able to receive proper credit for the work you’ve done.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll get resources together to look into this theory of yours, Itachi. I think you’re on the right track.”
The boy lights up.
“You mean it?”
He sounds breathless, unable to believe what he’s hearing.
“I do. As a matter of fact, I think I’d like you to review the research when it’s finished, if you don’t mind.”
It takes Itachi a moment to register what Danzo has asked of him. When he does, he breaks out in a grin from ear to ear, lighting up at the high praise.
“I-I’d...I’d be honored.”
Danzo gives Itachi a brusque sort of pat on the head.
“I’ll let you know when I get it all sorted- and I’ll see to it that you don’t have to use that Sharingan of yours just to get in here to speak with me.”
“Thank you, Danzo-sama-”
Itachi hides his blush in the fringe of his black hair, acutely reminding Danzo of another child who once was prone to doing that same thing.
Well then, Danzo muses to himself, when he’s alone in his office once more. No wonder Orochimaru has taken such a shine to that cute little bird.
Such a precocious young man- he’s not seen a mind like that since- well, since Orochimaru, really.
Danzo drums his fingers against the cover of the notebook Itachi had left behind, brimming with calculations and theories more befitting of a lifetime scholar than one who was still a child.
A clever boy, indeed. With a steady hand to keep him on the right path, he could become exactly the sort of shinobi Konoha needs. And, at least one member of the Uchiha clan could, at last, have an uncontested loyalty to the village.
Of course, he knows Hiruzen might be cranky with him if he found out. But what Hiruzen doesn't know won’t hurt him. And, after all, one could fill a book with the things Hiruzen doesn't know.
He won’t trouble himself with that, for now. Neither will he pay much mind to Orochimaru’ threat. He’s got some work to organize. This idea Itachi is onto could prove very useful for interrogations later on. Not to mention that genjutsu which are harder to break are always nice to have on hand. And all thanks to one curious little boy.
He’ll get to work and worry about petty details later.
And in the meanwhile, he has one other thing he'd also like to get done.
Itachi finds himself in better spirits than he’s been in ages, sitting on the dock by the lake shore, splitting a box of matcha mochi with Shisui and Izumi while they watch a small family of ducks paddle along in the water.
One trails behind the others, absentmindedly looking around while its friends swim onward, until it bumps into a branch floating on the water. Izumi giggles.
“That one’s like you, Itachi-kun!”
“Huh?”
Shisui lets out a small laugh of his own.
“She’s right, ‘Tachi. You’re such an airhead I’m surprised it doesn't float away!”
Itachi’s face lights on fire.
“I am not!” he squeaks.
“You can’t fool us, ‘Tachi!”
“You are a bit of a space-case, Itachi-kun,” Izumi says, still giggling.
Itachi hides his face in his hands so neither of his friends can see his embarrassment.
“...I don’t mean to be,” he mumbles.
Shisui’s smile falls.
“...Hey, I’m just kidding, ‘Tachi. We’re just kidding.”
Itachi whines, clearly not comforted.
“H-hey, we’re sorry, Itachi-kun!” Izumi stammers. “We were just teasing-”
Itachi removes his face from his hands and forces himself to smile.
“...Yeah. Sorry. I’m being dumb.”
“No, no it’s okay!” Shisui insists. “Here-”
He shoves another mochi in Itachi’s mouth.
“There! This’ll cheer ya up!”
Itachi makes a muffled, scandalized sound; however, he still eats the sweet his friend forced on him.
“Anyway,” Shisui says, trying to change the subject, “why didn’t you tell us you were signing up for the Chuunin exams?!”
“Eh? I never-”
“I saw your name on the roster just this morning! Don’t play dumb, ‘Tachi!”
“But I never-”
Itachi puffs out his cheeks in an annoyed pout, realizing arguing is pointless.
“Anyway, since you’re gonna be in it, I decided to sign up too! Took forever to get my team to agree, but fuck ‘em! I’m not gonna miss out just because they’re chicken!”
“You mean you just signed up without even thinking?!” Izumi gasps, scandalized. “But you could be seriously hurt doing that!”
“Yeah, I know. But like I said, I don’t really care! Besides, this way ‘Tachi doesn't have to do the exams all by himself!”
Izumi’s protests fade into the background of Itachi’s mind while his thoughts wander.
He knows for sure that he never signed up for the Chuunin exams- he tried, sure, but was turned away for being too young. But now, suddenly he’s on the rosters? How could-
…he wonders if, maybe, Danzo decided to do it for him.
It would make sense. After all, Danzo-sama would think he was capable. Of course he’d want Itachi to get up the ranks quickly, so they could work together without having to sneak around. So, even though he’s not too keen on going into the exam with so little notice, he’ll do his best to pass. Because that’d make Danzo happy, and would help prove that he’s useful. His parents would be proud of him, as well.
Heck- it might even make Orochimaru happy, too.
It’s been awhile since Orochimaru has bothered to talk to him- maybe it’d get him interested enough to speak with him again.
Right. So he’s taking the exam at the end of the month. Looks like he’ll have to start preparing.
Fugaku blinks from surprise, looking up at his son from across the dinner table.
“Huh? The Chuunin exams already?”
“I know it’s a little short notice, but I thought-”
Itachi peers around the dining room, trying to quickly come up with a lie.
“...I just thought it was time I tried, that’s all. I’ve been a genin for three years now, and I’m ready to move up.”
Fugaku and Mikoto exchange a quick look, then smile.
“That’s my boy,” Fugaku says, brimming with pride.
“What’s a Chuunin exam?” Sasuke asks, tiny brow furrowed.
“It’s a test to see if I’m ready to make Chuunin,” Itachi answers. “If I’m not strong enough they won’t let me.”
“So of course you’re gonna make it!” Sasuke chirrups. “Niisan is the toughest ever!”
Mikoto laughs.
“Of course he’ll do well,” she assures her youngest, tousling Sasuke’s messy hair. “He always does, after all.”
“Yeah yeah! Niisan is gonna make everyone run off scared!” Sasuke squeals, brandishing his chopsticks like a kunai. “He’s gonna kick all their butts!”
“Okay, okay, be careful!” Mikoto advises, gently taking Sasuke’s wrist and guiding his hand back toward his dinner. Itachi turns his attention back toward his half eaten yakitori as well.
“I’ll help you train until then,” Mikoto offers. “Since you’ll be taking time off to get ready.”
“I’d like that,” Itachi agrees.
“You’ll have to eat more if you’re gonna be in the exams,” Fugaku insists, grabbing Itachi’s plate to load more on. “The exams are rough, and you don’t wanna be fainting in the middle of a fight.”
Itachi mumbles a halfhearted protest about already being full, but does his best to do as his father insisted.
He’s right, after all. Itachi is going to need his strength if he’s going to make it through. And he has a lot of people who want to see him make it.
(Besides, Shisui will never let him hear the end of it if he fails.)
“You’re not getting cold feet, are ya?”
Shisui elbows Itachi gently, jolting him out of his daydreaming.
“Huh? No, of course not,” Itachi mumbles, raising his head up toward the giant building where all the potential chuunin are heading.
“Good. You got me into this shit and you’re gonna stick through it with me.”
“Yeah…”
Itachi glances around, then frowns.
“Shisui- where’s the rest of your team?”
“Huh? Eh, probably running late like they always do. I didn’t feel like waiting around for ‘em to show up. I’ll find ‘em whenever they come around.”
Itachi makes a small sound of acknowledgement, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the path in front of them.
They make it through and present their paperwork to the woman at the entrance, who casts a skeptical look at Itachi before reluctantly letting them through.
“Alright!” Shisui practically squeals.
Itachi, however, doesn't have his confidence.
He feels a bit like a mouse, lost in a maze of people so much older and bigger than he is. And like a mouse, Itachi is suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to scamper off and find a place to hide.
Shisui catches that. Of course he does- Shisui always does.
“Hey, you’ll be okay,” he says, grabbing Itachi’s hand. “You don’t gotta worry.”
When that doesn't work, Shisui pulls Itachi into a hug. Itachi buries his face in the older boy’s shoulder like that could hide him from the world.
“I got you, okay? If anything happens, I’ll be there. I promise.”
“-Oi, could ya take that homo shit somewhere else?”
Itachi’s head snaps upward. Two older boys in Kirigakure headbands sneer down at him and Shisui. Shisui pushes the younger boy behind him, and scowls.
“I knew Konoha was full of fags, but I didn’t realize they started so young,” the blond one snarks, wrinkling his nose like he’s smelled something unpleasant.
“Yeah? The shithole people from the shithole village are gonna try to talk shit about Konoha?” Shisui snarls. “That’s pretty hilarious.”
The blond boy’s blue haired companion steps so close to Shisui their chests bump together. Shisui squares up his shoulders and stands firm. Itachi takes a step back from Shisui, placing a hand on his weapons pouch.
(Both these boys are far bigger than he is, and his endurance isn’t great. If a fight breaks out, he’ll have to end it fast.)
“Keep talkin’ like that and I’m gonna break your scrawny fucking neck,” the blue haired boy warns.
“I’d really like to see you try,” Shisui scoffs. “They’d be sending you and your shithead friend back to Kiri in a body bag.”
“You talk real big for a short little fuck. I swear to god, I’m gonna-”
“-You’re gonna knock that shit off is what you’re gonna do.”
Four pairs of eyes snap over toward the direction of the new voice.
Out of seemingly nowhere, a rather small boy who can’t be much older than Itachi walks up. Lavender eyes glare out from behind a fringe of snowy white hair, a scowl bearing two rows of razor sharp teeth.
“Are you idiots seriously trying to start a fight before the exams have even started? The fuck is wrong with you?”
He speaks with a sort of detached confidence Itachi immediately envies. The two other Kiri boys turn their anger toward him instead.
“Can’t you just mind your own fucking business for once, Mangetsu?!” The blond one practically whines.
“Not when you bastards keep doing your best to make our village look bad,” Mangetsu replies. “Knock it the fuck off or I’ll make you sorry.”
His tone turns into something deadly that the other two decide not to question. Muttering curses under their breath, they disappear into the crowd.
Itachi releases a pent-up breath he wasn’t aware he was holding in. Mangetsu steps toward them, dropping his voice low so he can’t be overheard.
“If you killed those fuckers during the exams I wouldn’t complain,” he mutters. “They’re fuckin’ useless as teammates and all they do is piss me off.”
Shisui and Itachi blink, exchanging surprised glances. Mangetsu smiles, baring those sharp, shark-like teeth again.
“Hey don’t gimme that look. Don’t let the teeth fool ya- I don’t bite.”
Itachi can’t entirely suppress a chortle. Mangetsu tilts his head, casting those strange purple eyes over the two of them.
“You two got names besides Uchiha?”
“How-” Itachi doesn't get to finish the question.
“The crest, dumbass. Geez, you guys all walk around with that fan on your backs and still get surprised when people recognize it.”
“...Oh.”
Itachi feels a little stupid, feeling his cheeks grow hot. To his relief, Shisui answers for both of them.
“I’m Shisui. That’s Itachi.”
“Cool. Hozuki Mangetsu, by the way. But I’m sure caught that already.”
The boy grins, and that grin is just a bit too wide, a little unsettling on his delicate face.
“I’ll see you guys around, I’m sure. I’d wish ya good luck, but if ya needed luck you wouldn’t be here.”
He gives them a little wave, and vanishes into the crowd to find his teammates.
“...Well,” Shisui mutters. “Well.”
Itachi fixes his eyes on the ground, but he can’t erase that strange, razor-sharp smile from his mind.
His cheeks are still burning hot, though he’s not entirely sure it’s from embarrassment this time.