Genius and madness go hand in hand

[dangodragon]

Where: Konoha training fields
When: April 18th
Notes: Open, Itachi's having fun setting up a training area for more fun. Come have fun with him?


The training area had a "reserved" sign hung politely on it, and Itachi had been working for several hours now. At times it was obvious he was setting up traps, but he'd also stop and stare at nothing for a while, a frown of concentration on his face. He'd already used up a substantial amount of chakra, but a chakra pill had kept him going and now he was almost finished. He was smeared with dirt and had sticks and leaves in his hair and stuck to his clothes. Frequent breaks were key. He’d gone home and slept for a few hours already, but his mind wouldn’t calm down enough for him to sleep more than that. He'd only run into his father on the way out of the house, which was perfect since Fugaku was the least likely to send him back to bed to get more rest. As he couldn't sleep, the obvious solution was to get ready for putting Sasuke through hell, if he agreed to it.

If not Sasuke refused, then Itachi could always drag Shisui out here to have some fun. That would be a wonderful “I haven’t seen you in awhile” gift. The poisons would all have a day to lose some potency, so they’d be annoying but not dangerous. All the traps were made to immobilize or cause minor damage. All good for testing someone skills when you needed them to stay mostly unharmed. Itachi considered that he probably look a little crazy right now, going here and there and coming back frequently to sit down under a tree and drink water and nibble on whatever snacks he’d brought. He had a small pile of equipment under a tree at the edge of the training area, most of which he’d already pulled out and tinkered with when he was resting.


OOC: Feel free to come and stare or talk to Itachi while he's resting, hanging from a tree, staring into space....whatever.

Comments

[mikotouchiha]

Walking carefully past the 'reserved' sign in one of Konoha's many training fields, Mikoto puts her guard up for her eldest son's work. Having already scolded her husband for allowing Itachi to leave the son without resting for the compulsory 10 hours, at least compulsory by her standards, and eating nutritional food, the raven haired mother's nerves were already frayed, her countenance worried as she carried a small lunch box of food to her troublesome child.

"Itachi? Itachi!" Quirking an eyebrow at one of the traps she spots, she starts calling out for him, if he hadn't already heard or spotted him, seeing as she wasn't so sure she would make it past all of the ominous traps.

[shunshinoshishi]

Shisui had spotted the 'reserved' sign earlier and decided to bypass it, climbing up a tree whose branches spilled a ways off into said 'reserved' training fields instead. He was nestled comfortably in a snug little nook in one of the thick branches, watching the other nibbling on something. Watching him meant he knew where some of the traps were, and seeing as how there potentially was some sort of poison involved, Shisui decided he'd rather nope out of the challenge. For now. It had been a while and he wasn't sure if he'd be called in for a mission soon-- so should something go wrong, he'd be out of service for 24 hours.

This decision was bound to change, though, depending on circumstances.

But meanwhile, sitting high up hidden amidst the thick foliage, Shisui signals his presence: hands clasped over his mouth in such a way so as to provide the proper intonations for a bush warbler's call.

[dangodragon]

Itachi probably should have expected his mother to come after him, but he wasn't exactly on the top of his game right now. He was still a little down from his talk with Ashiko, and he was sleep deprived. Still, his mother was calling, and Itachi was nothing if not a dutiful child.

Most of the time, anyway.

Anyway, he didn't wany his mother to get tangled up in one of his traps.

"Coming Okaa-san!" Itachi quickly tied off what he was working on and quickly headed down and across the trees to land in front of his mother.

[dangodragon]

Itachi reacted with almost embarrassing swiftness. It wasn't a defensive reaction either, but his head snatched around like a called dog, freezing and listening to the last of the call as his mind raced to pinpoint the direction. he couldn't tell exactly, but he had enough of an idea of where it was coming from that he could guess where Shisui was. Itachi grinned to himself.

Well, there were always good things about coming home.

Itachi didn't bother moving. He simply translocated into the tree he was very certain his cousin was sitting in. Who knew how long Shisui had been watching.

"Enjoying yourself?" Itachi asked.

[shunshinoshishi]

Itachi wasn't the only one grinning. Shisui brought his hands away from his mouth, elbow resting against knee while fingers yanked a twig off a branch.

"Hah. Choice of words, 'Tachi. You make me sound like a creeper." He tossed an acorn in Itachi's general direction. "So. Who are you trying to maim today?" He was chuckling. He had a feeling he knew who it was (and it wasn't him!) but figured he'd ask. Just in case.

Just in case it was him.

Meanwhile, having sat almost completely still for a good twenty minutes or so, there happened to be a curious little blue-tail perched in his hair, yanking strands out for its nest. If Shisui was going to sport a bald patch tomorrow, he knew who to blame.

[dangodragon]

"You're best friends with someone seven years younger than you are--you are a creeper," Itachi replied absently as he found himself a perch near his cousin. It had been over a month since he'd seen his cousin, as their mission schedules had conspired against them.

"I guess Obito hasn't told you." And Shisui hadn't been around, or Itachi would have talked to Shisui about this. "I thought I should check on Sasuke's skills and see if he's ready to be recommended for Jounin yet."

Itachi would let the bird remove Shisui's curls as long as it wanted to.

[shunshinoshishi]

"Physically seven years younger. Mentally fifty years older. Now who's the creeper?" His grin widened, almost splitting his face in two.

A month was a long time, he'd agree.

"Ah-- is that what this is about then~?" Scanning the area, he whistled, mimicking the warbler again. Just because. "It probably slipped Obito's mind. He let me in on something else, though." The details of which he hadn't been able to discuss, unfortunately. Shisui eyed his friend's hands, the grin having faded completely by now. "I heard you took some damage on a recent mission?"

Yeah. What was that all about?

And wow. You're such a wonderful friend, Itachi--

[mikotouchiha]

"Kami, so you are alive, Itachi! I wouldn't have known if not for your Father's nonchalant replies and the amount of traps I've passed..." Though she felt as if she should continue fussing, she smiles brightly at her son, who seemed to be towering even more over her, and reaches out to offer him a hug.

Well, either a hug or a chance to escape the traps surrounding her. She supposed she should start polishing her trap disassembling skills sooner or later, but for now she decides to focus on her son, "Have you been well, Itachi?"

[dangodragon]

"I'm not a creeper, I'm a prude--or that's what I keep hearing muttered around ANBU." Itachi shifted a little closer to Shisui and cocked his head to watch the bird.

"Something else...?" Itachi gave Shisui a curious look, and then realized what they had talked about. "Oh." Itachi rolled his eyes. His hands. Itachi sighed and moved to sit right beside Shisui, holding out his scarred and calloused hands for inspection.

"I almost got an eye stabbed out and had both my hands broken, but, as you can see, they're all better now." Itachi might have been overusing the sarcastic tone, but he was tired of people moping about that mission, and it reminded him of Ashiko right now. Better to be annoyed about his hands.

[dangodragon]

Itachi tended to come and go as he pleased, silent as a cat. Still, when he was so often not home, actually letting people know he was home was becoming more important. That in mind, Itachi accepted the hug from his mother, to whom he assumed he would always be small and in need of having his nose wiped. Itachi returned it briefly and very gently.

"Better since I got home," Itachi admitted very vaguely. He'd lost weight, considered killing a friend very seriously, and met some very interesting people in Ame. The past week had been very full.

[shunshinoshishi]

"...A prude. So what does that make the rest of ANBU?" Just giving him this look that read: What do you guys really do, huh?

"Well, of course they are." He inspected the offered hands, nonetheless. And noted the exaggerated sarcasm with an arch of his eyebrow. "Obito mentioned some sort of mis-communication. What was that all about?" Shisui wasn't too concerned about Itachi's hands. Or eye, for that matter. Mostly because they seemed to be intact right now. "It's not like you to allow yourself that much injury." He hadn't mentioned Sasuke, but wondered if it had something to do with him.

Ashiko was a whole other topic he was going to have to discover soon enough--

...If Itachi divulged, that is.

[mikotouchiha]

"Must my sons always attempt to lie to me?" Tutting quietly under her breath, Mikoto reaches up to place her small hand gently on his cheek, her lips pursed yet still curved to show her fondness, "Don't be so blatant in your lies, honestly... If you are not alright, then you don't need to cover it up for your okaa-san." Unless, of course, he had done something unimaginably stupid. Then, she supposed, it would be best for the information to be hidden from a protective and warring mother.

[dangodragon]

Switching from being undercover and lying to everyone and then coming home and having people expecting the blatant truth was evidently not an easy switch, but Itachi had always been secretive.

"Mah..." It hadn't really been a lie. "I am glad to be home." Could they leave it at that? Itachi had no desire to drag out what all had happened to him since he'd left.

[dangodragon]

Itachi gave Shisui a grimace and shifted to a more comfortable perch just a little closer to Shisui. "There have been several mis-communications lately," Itachi admitted.

"Perhaps I'm getting slower in my old age," Itachi suggested, with the implication that if he was old, what did that make Shisui?

[shunshinoshishi]

It meant Itachi was ancient, and Shisui was right on track. But there really wasn't much to laugh about here, since Shisui's brain automatically connected the mention of slowness with Itachi's illness. Instead of something snarky then, he shot the other a concerned glance. There was nothing said between them, but the question was there.

Shisui averted his gaze, reaching out to smooth his palm over Itachi's. Seemed fine to him. Have a poke right in the center of your palm, Itachi.

"Mm. Have a theory?" About the recurrent mis-communications, that is. Theories; he loved hearing all about their theories. especially their conspiracy theories. Those, however, might have occasionally gotten out of hand~

As for the bird, Shisui moving around earned him a peck on the head, to which Shisui ducked, waving the bird off his hair. He was rewarded with a peck on his knuckle at that. "Oi oi! What a cheeky bastard! Get out, damn it." He might have been scowling at first, but ended up laughing at the bird's insistence. "He reminds me of Sasuke." Shisui's eyes twinkled at the mention of his little cousin. "Heard he was mixed up in the same mission in the end."

Just-- casually dropping that there, too.

[dangodragon]

Itachi caught the concerned glance and shook his head. Nothing to do with his mysterious illness. He actually had fewer aches and pain, either due to the warmer weather or the supplements he'd been placed on. He wasn't sure which.

"If it was Obito who told you, then it could be something I don't even know was a mis-communication and someone complained to him about. Or it was something in the discussion with Adela and Kushina-san, which was more a brawl than a discussion, so I don't know how that could be. I doubt it was anything to do with Ami. I haven't talked to Sasuke in over a month and a half, so it's likely not anything I said to him," Itachi listed off his recent interactions easily. He didn't talk to many people. "Or it was the fact that I believe I have made Hyuuga Neji hate me."

Itachi could live with that. He doubted Neji would act one it.

"He was on the Chuunin team. They were all pretty devastated about the mission," Itachi admitted, pushing his bangs beck behind his ear.

[mikotouchiha]

"Ah," Mikoto strives to keep a smile on her face, succeeding as far as she can tell. Dropping her hand off his face to allow him his personal bubble again, she picks up the bento by her side and presents it to him, "Oh, here, eat this whenever you have time, Itachi. It's rice balls, your favorite, unless your favorite has changed..."

[dangodragon]

Did growing up make everyone feel guilty, or was this something other than simply growing up? Was he slowly shutting out those he loved for the sake of secrecy? He'd already hidden the problems with his health for as long as possible, and he knew if the simple measures taken by the medics didn't work, he'd hide that as well.

"No, I'm sadly firmly set in my eating habits," Itachi admitted to her with a crooked smiled as he took the bento box. "Thank you." Itachi had no doubt she'd packed in more than enough food for him, and he saw a chance to make up for his skirting the truth.

"I should probably take a break now. Would you care to join me?"

[shunshinoshishi]

Itachi's response was satisfactory for the moment.

"What did you do-- try and hit on a Hyuuga girl?" Shisui chuckled. He hadn't personally met Neji, but he'd heard things about the man. Things turned on a tad serious tone after that, though. "Obito believes it has something to do with Oto." He eyed him sideways then, adding quietly: "And... Orochimaru."

A moment's pause later, and having finally rid himself of the annoying bird, Shisui asked him-- "Has Sasuke just been busy or you two haven't spoken to each other for some other reason?"

[mikotouchiha]

She laughs softly at his attempt of a joke, nodding in understanding, "You're welcome." She was glad to hear that he had at the very least kept his manners. Tilting her head at his offer, she bites her lip in consideration, "I'm not sure about that. If I joined you, I may start nagging at you to do this and that. Wouldn't it be best for you to eat in peace instead?"

She did have a tendency and liking for nagging people's ears off, no matter how good hearted her intentions were... "But, if you don't mind, then..."

[dangodragon]

"He was avoiding me, so I thought it was best to give him his space, and then I had a mission..." Itachi shrugged. He felt almost certain he should have gone after Sasuke and talked with him before he'd left, but he hadn't known what to say, honestly. "I had tea with Hinata, but I didn't hit on her."

Itachi sobered a little more, suddenly as cautious as if he were undercover again. "And why does he think that?"

[dangodragon]

Itachi smiled. "I believe I can put up with it for a while." Mikoto wasn't that bad, and Itachi did miss his family when he was away for months at a time. He had a hard time expressing that.

"Besides, I need to catch up on what's happened while I was away so I don't hurt anyone's feelings by not knowing how they've been," Itachi added.

[mikotouchiha]

"The best option would have been to instead ask for the information from the one's who were involved in said gossip instead asking your poor mother dear to provide gossip from the grape vine." Seeing as she was allowed to nag for a little while, Mikoto decided to do just that; nag for a little while.

With a huff and a smile playing on her lips, she motions for the eldest son to lead on to a 'safe' place past the traps.

[dangodragon]

"Ah, but they tell me their perception of what's happened to them or what's going on. If I hear it from you, then I'm getting the truth instead of someone's biased opinion of the events," Itachi countered as he lead his mother back through the trees and to an nice open place dappled with sunshine from the trees above.

[mikotouchiha]

"You're much too kind, implying that your okaa-san cannot lie..." Mikoto smoothly retorts in her teasing tone, tilting her head to the side once more, "You picked a rather pretty training ground. It's a shame it may become damaged... But yes, anyways! Gossip?" For some reason, she felt that she probably shouldn't be telling Itachi about people's lives; wasn't it an invasion of privacy? He did ask, though, so there wasn't much she could do to decline if she wanted to.