Contrition [Itachi Uchiha x Reader]

#16: Changes

Sasuke Uchiha was exiting the university campus when he felt a pair of eyes on him. Unsure of whether it was just his brain playing tricks with him, he shrugged it off, somehow convincing himself that it was just another one of his fangirls.

But he knew it wasn't. 

Itachi himself was unsure of how to approach his little brother. After all, they hadn't spoken in decades. As much as he desperately wanted to believe that he had been forgiven, he still felt it safer to test out the waters before diving in face-first. So he remained out of sight, that is until a certain someone crept up behind him.

"Ita-kun!"

He spun around, only to come face to face with Karin Uzumaki. "Oh, hello."

"What are you doing here?" she enquired, arching an eyebrow. 

"Just passing by. Karin, do you know a place where I would be able to speak with Sasuke alone?" 

She placed a finger on her chin, contemplating an answer. "Umm...the park down the street. He plays basketball there every evening at five." 

Perfect! he mused. I knew I asked the right person.  

"Itachi-kun," she spoke, gesturing towards her friends who were casting wary glances at the couple. "A bunch of us are going to grab some coffee. Would you like to join us?"

He smiled at her, apologetically. "I would love to, but I'm afraid I can't. If anybody sees you with me, you'll be in a lot more trouble than you know. Maybe another time."

"Aw okay!" 

He muttered a quick "Thank you" before walking away. Five p.m. I've got some time to kill.

He took a quick detour and soon found himself asking for Shisui Uchiha at the front desk of Ōtsutsuki Engineering Inc. A minute later, the man appeared.

"I-Itachi?"

"Long time no see, Shisui. Have you been well?"

Noticing how much unwanted attention they were gaining, Shisui proceeded to hastily escort his companion into his office.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't come see me for a few months."

"Ah, that's changed. Did you watch the news?"

Shisui's voice immediately dropped down a few decibels. "Yes. I heard it was a misfire and that Danzō was the real target."

"I don't know."

"They'll try to pin it on you, you know. Until they find someone better."

"That is why I'm here. I am going to submit myself to be interrogated by the police. Should there be a question as to where I was the night of the shooting... Shisui, I need you to lie for me. I need you to say that I was with you that night."

Blood drained out of Shisui's face. "W-What? Itachi, giving false information to a public authority is an offence! It's obstruction of justice! I could go to jail!"

"So you'll do it?"

"...yes."

                                                                                                    *
It was six-fifteen when Itachi Uchiha arrived at the basketball court. He spotted his brother with whom he presumed to be his friends, sipping on some Kool-Aid. The evening was drawing to a close as the boys packed their belongings before muttering goodbyes and going their way.

"Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha stopped in his tracks at the mention of his name. He turned around to face the speaker with clenched fists and fiery eyes. "What do you want?"

"I need...your help."

Sasuke Uchiha scoffed. "My help? My help? You must be out of your mind if you think that I would help you! You destroyed my life. Don't you remember?"

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret it."

"You won't get my sympathy! You are a cruel man and you deserve to rot in hell."

"You don't really believe that." Right?

"What are you talking about? You killed our parents!"

"I never denied that."

Sputtering a string of incoherent words, Sasuke stormed off, leaving his brother trailing behind him.

"Sasuke, please. [Name] has been shot."

"So?"

"Things are taking a turn for the worse. I might go back to prison."

Sasuke kept on walking. "You're really pathetic, you know that? You only care about yourself. Professor [Surname] approached me on her own accord to try and help you. She's literally the only person out there who believes that you weren't the only one responsible for our parents' death. She's been trying to have you exonerated. And now she's in the hospital and all you care about is going back to prison? Don't you find it strange that the minute she began digging deeper in your past she 'accidentally' ended up getting shot? You brought this on yourself, Itachi. Now she's in danger. And if you don't do anything about it, she will die."

Sasuke's parting words left Itachi flabberghasted. Slowly, he walked back to his apartment, only to find hundreds of reporters standing outside. Cameras flickered, questions were asked, and Itachi soon found himself uttering some rather impactful words.

"I am willing to fully cooperate with the police to find the culprit and bring him to justice. I did not shoot [Name] [Surname], but I will find the person who did. That is a promise."

I have to make some changes.