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.
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.
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?
[ 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. ]
[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.
[ 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?
[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.]
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?
[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.]
Edited (late night tagging typos) 2020-06-27 06:53 (UTC)
[ 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. ]
[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?
[ The shadow of something large lurks just beneath the surface of the dark river. Stiles, seated crossed-legged, warily inches further back onto the deck. Is it ridiculous to be more afraid of a fish than the man standing beside him? Undoubtedly. But while he’s taken Sasuke’s words on Itachi with a grain of salt, his trust and faith in the younger Uchiha brother has already sealed his relationship with the elder. Regardless of what he learns now, Stiles doesn’t plan on shutting Itachi out. ]
Your dad was addressing the clan, telling them about your promotion. I can’t remember the name. Someone suggested you join the Military Police, but your dad told them you’d be joining ANBU instead. [ He pauses, distracted as the shadow sinks out of sight. ] The clan was pissed, so your dad explained his reasoning – ANBU was keeping watch on the clan and this way you could keep watch on the village. You argued that the clan and village are all comrades.
[ Brown eyes cut over and up to Itachi, scrutinizing him. ]
[He listens, silent and unmoving, and places that description into the context of his past. Already he knew this conversation would require him to access those memories buried deeply within himself, but it isn't a simple task. There's a length of quiet interrupted only by the lapping water on the dock before Itachi speaks again.]
What you saw was one of many clan meetings that occurred throughout my youth. The Uchiha were a large and powerful clan, and they had aided Konoha greatly in the recent Third Shinobi World War. When they felt they weren't acknowledged by the village for their efforts, they became resentful and bitter toward its leaders.
[Itachi's eyes drop to the water, staring into it. He can imagine his father's face, still, with such startling clarity.]
This was concerning for Konoha. While the Military Police Force was established partially to placate the Uchiha, they also decided to monitor the clan. Tensions began to grow. Eventually the Uchiha were pushed to a corner of the village and resources were cut from the Police Force—explained as inevitable because the world was entering a period of peace, and they were no longer needed. [A pause, then he glances down to the top of Stiles' head.] You should understand, many in the clan believed my father would become Hokage—the village's leader—after the war ended.
[ The moment dark, flinty eyes are cast in his direction, Stiles looks away. He’d prefer to observe the Witch closely during such a critical conversation, to suss out through body language and expression what he is unable to through words. But Itachi has already confessed to slaughtered his entire clan, a staggering amount of people that surely beats out the number of known victims from the most prolific serial killers in the United States. The men, women, and children. His own parents. Kate Argent would be foaming at the mouth to get Itachi’s digits. “Hello? So, I’ve heard you’re into murdering entire families. Let’s get dinner.” The gallows humor doesn’t help. ]
Not personally. We’re pretty sheltered in the US. Not saying things are perfect, but it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the broader conflicts in the world with how most of us live.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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.
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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!]
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[ Guess who doesn’t know. ]
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The clan was eradicated. You already know about our parents.
[Just rip off the bandaid, ig.]
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Was it that ANBU group?
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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.
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You “eradicated” your clan.
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Yes.
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Sasuke knows all this?
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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.
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[ 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?
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[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.]
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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?
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[For once.]
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[ Naturally, he wants this conversation ASAP. ]
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I will head there now.
[It's the last message he sends before he's heading out to the agreed location.]
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When Itachi joins him, Stiles doesn’t look up. The shinobi is acknowledged with a brief bob of his head. ]
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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?
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Your dad was addressing the clan, telling them about your promotion. I can’t remember the name. Someone suggested you join the Military Police, but your dad told them you’d be joining ANBU instead. [ He pauses, distracted as the shadow sinks out of sight. ] The clan was pissed, so your dad explained his reasoning – ANBU was keeping watch on the clan and this way you could keep watch on the village. You argued that the clan and village are all comrades.
[ Brown eyes cut over and up to Itachi, scrutinizing him. ]
…They shut you up fast. Then the memory ended.
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What you saw was one of many clan meetings that occurred throughout my youth. The Uchiha were a large and powerful clan, and they had aided Konoha greatly in the recent Third Shinobi World War. When they felt they weren't acknowledged by the village for their efforts, they became resentful and bitter toward its leaders.
[Itachi's eyes drop to the water, staring into it. He can imagine his father's face, still, with such startling clarity.]
This was concerning for Konoha. While the Military Police Force was established partially to placate the Uchiha, they also decided to monitor the clan. Tensions began to grow. Eventually the Uchiha were pushed to a corner of the village and resources were cut from the Police Force—explained as inevitable because the world was entering a period of peace, and they were no longer needed. [A pause, then he glances down to the top of Stiles' head.] You should understand, many in the clan believed my father would become Hokage—the village's leader—after the war ended.
Have you ever experienced war?
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Not personally. We’re pretty sheltered in the US. Not saying things are perfect, but it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the broader conflicts in the world with how most of us live.
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tags this mid-composing tag bomb because i'm too excited to wait
same......
Re: same......
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