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[anbu]

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[anbu]

To your first question, yes.

To your second, it was difficult because he was present inside of Sasuke at the time. The man himself was little threat to me otherwise.

What do you mean, "kill and resurrect"? Was this the memory you witnessed?

[mensrea]

He actually managed to possess Sasuke then?

[ What a fucking creep. ]

Nope. Sasuke told me that himself. We were talking about lifespan expectancy rates for shinobi and Orochimaru came up that way.

[ Not that Sasuke had used Orochimaru's name, but the details seem to align perfectly. ]

[anbu]

Technically... [You know what, never mind. Stiles has dissed their abilities before, so this is likely to sail over his head.] Similar to possession, I suppose.

It is true Orochimaru was obsessed with immortality, which was why he pursued Sasuke and myself. He considered us ideal vessels. How does your myth describe him?

[mensrea]

Why you two?

He's a villain who uses snake magic against his former friends, Jirayia (who uses toad magic) and Tsunade (who uses slug magic). I don't know a ton about it, honestly. There was a period when I was researching Japanese mythology pretty extensively back home, but I can't remember most of what I read. Susanoo is definitely a name I've seen before, though.

If you're curious, you might want to consider asking any of the Japanese Mirrorbound about their lore.

[anbu]

I'll consider it.

We were the last of our clan, which already held a reputation for both latent power and talent. He especially desired our bloodline abilities. Orochimaru confronted me first, but when I defeated him, he decided he would turn his attention toward Sasuke instead.

[Look, he's sharing so much!]

[mensrea]

Wait, I don’t understand. Sasuke told me you guys had an entire compound dedicated to your family. I saw your meetings. Your clan was HUGE. How the hell are you two the last?

[ Guess who doesn’t know. ]

[anbu]

[........... oops]

The clan was eradicated. You already know about our parents.

[Just rip off the bandaid, ig.]

[mensrea]

[ There's a big leap to be made between "murdered his parents" and "wiped out his entire clan." For all his intelligence, Stiles doesn't actually fill in the blanks. ]

Was it that ANBU group?

[anbu]

[It takes him a moment to link together what Stiles says with their conversation in and outside the mirrors. How much he knows, the content of that specific knowledge, based on memories that Itachi was not fully present to relive.

He doesn't want to skirt around this longer than necessary. It's not a secret to conceal, at least not from Stiles, close to Sasuke as he is. The ongoing ordeal with Jonas is proof enough by now. Better to face it.]

It was me. Although yes, at the time I was a member of the ANBU.

[mensrea]

Need to make sure I’m understanding this right.

You “eradicated” your clan.

[anbu]

Yes.

[mensrea]

The women and children.

[anbu]

[Does it matter if he was aided? At this point, it would only sound like an excuse.]

Yes.

[mensrea]

When you killed your parents, it was part of this. It wasn't a separate event?

[anbu]

Correct. It occurred on the same night.

[mensrea]

[ "He's also a good man," Sasuke had told him, "and you have nothing to fear from him." ]

Sasuke knows all this?

[anbu]

Yes. Besides myself and one other person, he was the only surviving member of our clan.

He would not tell you this himself. I'm certain he believes this is mine to share. Jonas knows, too, although that was not intentional.

[mensrea]

The guy in the orange mask.

[ Stiles remembers what Sasuke said. "That man wasn't a friend of mine, nor was he a trusted ally. He was a family member who knew I'd done something unforgivable and exploited it for his own gain." ]

And yeah, he does. I already told you that. After I met you in the dream, he APOLOGIZED to me for telling me about your parents. Because it was YOUR story to tell. Like they weren't his own goddamn family too.

[ Time to take a step back. Deep breaths, Stiles. ]

Why. Why did you wipe out your clan? I've been keeping track of the math. You would have barely been more than a preteen. So WHY?

[anbu]

It's complicated.

[What Stiles tells him about Sasuke's apology is painful, but so are many things related to his younger brother and this particular story—not even a story, but the foundation of what was his life. Is it something that can be shared, and explained, after countless years pretending a lie?]

What I can say is that the decision was my own. Sasuke suffered for that choice. I have never asked him to forgive me.

[Yet his brother still did, a looming weight on him these days.]

[mensrea]

Well, lucky for you, he did.

Don’t tell me it’s complicated. Tell me why you did what you did. Maybe you don’t want to explain. Honestly though? And he’d probably be pissed beyond belief if he found out I said this to you, but tough shit –

You owe it to Sasuke to be honest with his friends about this. He loves you. We’re all important to him. He WANTS us to get along. But in order to do that, I need to hear from you WHY. So, last time I’m going to ask. Why did you wipe out your entire clan?

[anbu]

This is a conversation I'd prefer to have in person.

[For once.]

[mensrea]

Then let's meet. You know the docks where they brought us in on the boats? There.

[ Naturally, he wants this conversation ASAP. ]

[anbu]

[Naturally. And Itachi wants it over with, even as he climbs to his feet doubting his ability to see it through. He only knows that to reject this conversation would mean another strained situation for Sasuke. Will it always feel this way? As though the two of them are pulling on each other, constantly, from opposite ends of the world, desperate to meet in the middle but unable to.]

I will head there now.

[It's the last message he sends before he's heading out to the agreed location.]

[mensrea]

[ Stiles, who had been casually stalking another token-receiver while texting Itachi, pivots abruptly on a heel to walk back toward the docks. The journey takes him a little under five minutes at the brisk pace he sets for himself. Once there, he selects one of the docks unoccupied by boats or Underground denizens, sits down at the end of the pier, and waits. He does everything in his power to keep from obsessing over what he’s already been told, instead focusing his attention on the various knots and whorls in the dock’s wood.

When Itachi joins him, Stiles doesn’t look up. The shinobi is acknowledged with a brief bob of his head. ]

[anbu]

[It's no difficulty finding Stiles. When he does appear, his demeanor is as placid and neutral as ever—or perhaps even more than usual, expression a tightly closed fist in an effort to tame this conversation. This interaction.]

You're aware of some of it. [Itachi remains standing, black eyes out over the rippling river-water, examining a distant point on some far cave wall just barely visible.] You saw a memory of conflict between the clan and Konoha, our village. I haven't asked you for the details of what else it was you witnessed in my mirror.

So I'll ask you now, to understand the context of what I will need to explain. What did you see then?