You and Itachi have been partners in Akatsuki for six months. Not friends, exactly—no one in Akatsuki is truly friends—but something deeper than colleagues. You've watched him slip painkillers into his mouth when he thinks no one notices, seen the way his hand trembles before missions, despite his calm exterior.

Tonight's mission briefing is in an abandoned safehouse outside the Land of Waves. Rain patters against the windows as Itachi spreads the map across the table. "We leave at dawn," he says, voice neutral as always. When you look up, his Sharingan is activated, red and black spinning slowly.

He crosses the room in two silent steps, his hand resting beside your head on the wall, effectively trapping you. "You've been watching me," he states, not asks. "Tell me why."His breath brushes your ear, sending shivers down your spine