I'd known from the start that the paper seal on my forehead wouldn't do much against Itachi.
It was a nameless invention I'd cobbled together years ago, back when I was still new to this world, when the memories of my previous life were fresh and sharp-edged in my mind, cutting into every thought. Back when I was inexperienced, fumbling through jutsu theory like a drunk trying to read a map in the dark.
Five seconds had seemed shorter then. Short enough not to interfere with my own techniques but long enough to jolt me out of most genjutsu before they could root too deep.
And sure, it had more downsides than upsides. The constant buzzing. The inability to hold complex jutsu. The aesthetic nightmare of looking like a bootleg exorcism charm.
Hence why I hadn't been reliant on it.
The seal wasn't my preparation. It was just the most obvious one. The one that would grab his attention.
I'd always been confident, not arrogant, but aware, that I could eventually break out of even a master-class genjutsu. Given ten, maybe twenty seconds, I'd claw my way out. And yeah, twenty seconds was an eternity in a fight. A lot could happen. But I wasn't some sitting duck. I wouldn't be walking off a cliff or standing defenseless while someone slit my throat.
I didn't make Jounin at fourteen through luck or nepotism.
I had six chakra-heavy and ready clones already summoned and hidden all around. One was even on my person, transformed into my headband, hanging casually from my belt. Relatively independent. Ready to spring into action if, say, I suddenly felt the urge to stab myself.
I also had two bear summons waiting in the forest, just in case the fight spilled over into the trees.
So no. Itachi couldn't just end me with a genjutsu. It wasn't that simple or easy.
Sure, something like Tsukuyomi might've done serious damage. But that wasn't a cheap move for him either. The Mangekyou Sharingan was a secret even among the Uchiha members. I doubted Fugaku knew about it. Hell, I wasn't sure the Hokage knew about it.
That's how secretive it was. He was.
And then there was the cost. Using the Mangekyou wasn't free. It burned through his eyes, degrading them with every activation. And for what? To take me down in a random rooftop scuffle?
It wasn't worth it. There was nothing to gain here.
The paper seal on my forehead had never been my preparation. If anything, it was closer to a deception, a flashy distraction to make Itachi think that was my ace in the hole.
….. alright, maybe saying it was just a deception would be a lie. I'd really hoped it would help.
And in a sense, it had. Just... not ideally.
It had taken too long to kick in. Long enough for Itachi to see most of my hand.
And that was so fucking…. annoying? Embarrassing?
Not because those moves were all that important or secretive. Well, some of them were. The jutsu shiki I'd carved into the dango, for instance. The one I'd fed to his crows, hoping it would disrupt their connection when activated.
I didn't even know if it would work. I still didn't. It was untested. Theoretical. Something I'd scribbled in a notebook years ago and never had the chance to try in the field.
The fact that it had worked in the genjutsu meant nothing. It was a fucking illusion. It followed what I wanted to happen, not what should happen. Hell, I wasn't even sure the crows had eaten the dango.
Now, Itachi knew about it. He'd shore up that weakness in his summons, and I'd have to scrap the whole idea or spend weeks reworking it into something he couldn't counter.
The other moves he'd seen weren't as critical. All in all, he'd uncovered maybe thirty percent of the bag.
It wasn't bad, but...
It still pissed me so fucking off.
"Eishin, I know you're upset." Guy-sensei said, voice booming but softened at the edges, like he was coaxing a spooked horse. "But words spoken in anger—especially words meant to wound—they don't define you. They only define the person who spoke them."
He continued the words I had cut off in the genjutsu.
"You are a man of passion and dedication. You care deeply for those around you, even if you hide it behind jokes and smiles. That is not weakness. That is strength."
What upset me most wasn't the words themselves.
It was that I could see it. I could see myself jumping into that fight. Charging headlong at Itachi with my fists clenched and my brain turned off. I probably would have, if I hadn't gone through that genjutsu first.
Baited by words…. what a joke. I felt like shit. Like an inexperienced genin. Like the biggest idiot in the world.
Itachi had timed it perfectly. Using my anger to cast a genjutsu. A controlled simulation of my own self-destruction, played out in vivid detail so I could watch myself fall apart.
I breathed through my nose, forcing the anger down. Come to think of it, wasn't that how I often used the Devil's Whisper as well?
I replayed the fight in my mind. The genjutsu. The words he'd said.
Lies. They were lies. So why was I so angry about them? Why did they find purchase within? Why did they sting?
Buzz. Another jolt, grounding me.
Itachi's gaze hadn't moved. He was still watching, his Sharingan spinning lazily. His eyes dragged down to the spot on the roof where my clone had grabbed his ankle in the genjutsu, then back to me. He didn't bother moving. Didn't even shift his weight.
As if whatever I'd prepared didn't matter. As if I were just... beneath concern.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and found the soft fabric there. Kushina's panties. I rubbed the silk between my fingers. It helped. A little. Calmed the boil a touch, reminded me of heat that wasn't anger. But even that treasure barely dulled the edge tonight.
"I'm fine, Guy," I said, my voice light and casual. Or at least I hoped it was. "Really. Totally under control here. See? No smoke coming out my ears or anything. Zen master material."
I kept my eyes on Itachi. Not his eyes—I wasn't stupid enough to make that mistake again—but on his posture. His stance. The way he stood there like he owned the damn rooftop.
Guy eyed me sidelong, thumb up but hesitation in the pose—like he half-bought it, half-expected me to explode. "Ah, but true zen shines through action! If you're calm as a still pond, then let's test it with a youthful jog around the walls. No? Well, your eyes say—"
I tuned him out. My gaze slid to the village wall, the moon hanging fat and indifferent overhead. Then back to Itachi.
"You know what's bugging me most?" I said quietly. "What I can't wrap my head around?"
Itachi didn't answer. I didn't expect him to.
"You were never the type to be this sentimental. To get led around by your emotions. Sure, you don't want me anywhere near Izumi—"
Rightfully so, I thought bitterly. I may have feelings for her but…. I don't deserve her. And it wouldn't be fair to the others either.
"But this?" I gestured vaguely at the rooftop, at the whole absurd confrontation. "This feels off. Like you're hiding something. Like there's a secret you really, really don't want me poking around."
The smile dropped off Itachi's face.
And despite everything. Despite the anger and the exhaustion and the dull ache in my chest, I felt a flicker of satisfaction.
Truthfully, it was a bitch move on my part. I gained nothing from it except that sliver of petty victory. I was just as a sore loser as him.
It was like kicking a wasp nest for no reason. A soft threat. An unspoken promise that I could start looking around if I wanted to. That I could start asking questions. Digging into things that neither Itachi, nor Danzo, nor the Uchiha Clan wanted exposed.
Like some independent journalist from my old world poking around a billionaire's finances and finding blood money in every account.
It wasn't smart. But it felt good.
The silence stretched long and uncomfortable. Guy-sensei shifted awkwardly. Rock Lee looked between us like he was watching a bomb tick down.
Finally, Itachi spoke.
"Curiosity has its limits. Some paths lead only to regret. Stay on yours, Eishin. For your own sake."
I frowned.
That... wasn't good.
Those words were as close to a confession as I was going to get. There was something at play. Of course, there was. The Uchiha wouldn't just forget generations of mistreatment because the Nine-Tails attack never happened. Danzo was still there, fanning the flames. The coup was still brewing.
I'd predicted that. It wasn't news. But a small, naive part of me had hoped otherwise.
What did surprise me was that Itachi had implicitly admitted it. I'd expected deflection. Contempt. Maybe another insult to redirect my attention.
Not... honesty. Well, as honest as people in our field could get.
I took a deep breath. If Itachi were being relatively sincere, then I'd act like an adult and return the favor.
"I'll try," I said quietly. "But I can't promise anything."
That seemed to be enough for him. Itachi turned away, his interest apparently exhausted. "Do as you like."
He walked slowly toward the edge of the roof.
Guy-sensei brightened immediately, clapping his hands together. "Ah! A peaceful resolution! The springtime of youth blooms brightest when tempers cool and understanding takes root!"
Rock Lee echoed him enthusiastically. "Yes, Sensei! Conflict resolved through words, not fists!"
My eyes followed Itachi as he moved. My mind churned, weighing options, consequences, risks.
Eventually, one side won over the other.
"It was a marriage alliance," I said, the words dropping like a stone. Itachi froze mid-step; even the green duo clamped shut. Another sigh, I hoped my voice masked the gut-punch. "Tomoe-san's worried about Izumi. After she got dismissed from the police force. She... proposed a marriage alliance. Between me and Izumi."
I paused, watching for a reaction.
Itachi didn't move. Didn't turn. Just stood there, perfectly still.
I continued. "I rejected it."
That got a reaction.
Itachi turned, his Sharingan deactivated now. Just black eyes, searching mine for lies.
I met his gaze head-on.
"Izumi deserves better," I said quietly. "And... she already loves someone else."
By the time I forced those words out, I felt cold. Colder than I'd ever felt under my own Frozen Domain jutsu.
Itachi held my gaze for a long moment.
Then he turned and vanished in a flicker of motion, leaving nothing but displaced air.
No thanks. No acknowledgment. Nothing.
Guy-sensei coughed awkwardly, his usual energy gradually stuttering back to life. "Well! That was... uh... very mature of you, Eishin! The flames of—"
"—youth burn brightest when we support our friends!" Rock Lee finished, nodding vigorously. "Even in matters of the heart!"
They were trying to brush past the awkwardness with their usual enthusiasm.
It almost worked.
I tried to smile at them. They were good at this, deflecting cringe, smoothing over tension. Almost as good as Naruto, though Naruto occupied his own category. That guy didn't even sense awkward moments. He just steamrolled through them with sheer obliviousness.
Guy-sensei jumped up to the chimney and threw his arm around my shoulders, grinning wide. "Come, my young friend! Let us drown our sorrows in sake! A broken heart heals faster when warmed by friendship and good drink!"
I felt drained and…. empty. I could make an exception; some sake would be good.
But I still had a bouquet of flowers waiting to be delivered. And Shiho would do me more good than any amount of alcohol ever could.
I smiled at Guy-sensei, softer this time. "I appreciate it, Guy. But I've got somewhere I need to be."
He squeezed my shoulder, understanding in his eyes. "Of course! The brave heart knows its own path!"
I nodded, stepped back, and flickered away in a Body Flicker, ignoring the sharp pain in my leg.
I didn't feel it, honestly.
I'd trade a hundred physical pains for the ache in my chest right now.
I just hoped it was worth it.
If Itachi stepped up with Izumi, then he'd have another person besides Sasuke to spare. Another reason to hold back. Another thread tying him to his clan instead of whatever dark path he was walking.
And maybe — maybe — that would be enough to change things.
— — — — — — — — — — —
A/N: Hey guys!
So this is arguably an L for Eishin. And the Ls don't taste all that good. I hopped at least it wasn't too much disappointing, I know many of you guys hoped for the forest to burn and shit to hit the fan, it just..... didn't feel right, yet.
Anyway, thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts.
PS. You can read up to 8 chapters ahead at patreon.com/vizem