No Revenge Is As Complete As Forgiveness

A/N I had such a terrible author's block for this chapter and it took quite a while to develop ideas for it, but I think that the end result isn't so bad.

In Japan, Bishamonten (毘沙門天), or just Bishamon (毘沙門) is thought of as an armor-clad god of warfare or warriors and a punisher of evildoers. In Japanese folklore, he is also one of the Japanese Seven Gods of Fortune.

"Genkan" is a Japanese entryway built into almost all houses and apartments, both modern and traditional ones, situated usually about 30 cm (or more) lower than the rest of the house, where people leave their shoes before entering the home.



CHAPTER 10





“I’m saving our guest the embarrassment of having to admit that he can’t read well enough to understand a text written in such complex language and glyphs.”



Nagato’s flush was blazing on his face, clashing terribly with the vibrant colour of his hair and the dark metal of his piercings. He glared at them, his eyes flashing dangerously.



“I am NOT illiterate.” He said, voice deepening in anger. “I don’t know where you got that idea from.”



“Yeah?” Kakashi didn’t sound very impressed. He got up and sauntered over to Nagato, pulling his folder closer so he could peer inside. Pointing to a complex combination of glyphs, he asked: “Read this for me, please?”



The glower intensified.



“You’re not my teacher and this is not a classroom.” Nagato hissed and tried to close the folder but Kakashi’s hand kept it open.



“You’re evading the question now.” He sighed and removed his hand. “Look, I am not trying to embarrass you.”



“I find that hard to believe.”



Kakashi turned to Naruto, silently asking for his help, but the blonde shrugged and sent him a look that clearly stated that he was responsible for Nagato’s attitude and he was the one who should try to smooth things over between the two of them. The Jounin turned back to their guest and looked at him seriously.



“As I said, I am not trying to embarrass you. Naruto has told me some about your personal history, that you were an orphan. I have been to enough war-torn places to know that children like that have no access to proper education. And I am sure that after you took over Ame, you must’ve been embarrassed to admit to anyone about this problem – after all, no one that high-ranking wants it to be known that they can’t read properly.”



The glower mellowed a little but didn’t disappear completely.



“If you’re not trying to embarrass me, then what are you doing?” he asked quietly.



“I am trying to help. I want this deal to work, as much as Naruto does, regardless of whatever doubts I have about you personally.” He moved even closer and pulled a chair next to Nagato to sit down. “So I will sit here now and read this to you out loud, so you can understand it. And if necessary, I’ll write the furigana over the more complex glyphs. I take it that you CAN read some of the simpler text?”



Nagato nodded.



“Well, then, shall we begin?”





After having a shower – and yet another passionate coupling in the shower stall – the brothers sat down in their living room and Sasuke prepared to summon one of the numerous cat spirits that served his clan. He looked at Itachi – serene in his dark-red yukata, his unseeing eyes closed, his long hair loose and still damp around his face – and once again felt guilty that he didn’t think of this sooner. The truth was, he had been selfish. At first he had still been far too angry at Itachi to even consider doing something about his comfort, and later he had been too busy satisfying his own sexual urges to give it any thought. Now though, he was going to rectify at least this mistake.



“Which one do you want?” he asked quietly.



Itachi thought about for a little while, a small smile playing on his full lips.



“You understand that they all are moody, gluttonous little bastards, don’t you?”



Sasuke smiled:



“Of course. Still, any preferences?”



“Bishamon.” Was the answer after another thoughtful pause.



Sasuke goggled:



“Are you sure? He’s so…” he paused, searching a suitable word “…insufferable.” He finished lamely.



It was Itachi’s turn to shrug.



“We always got on well together on missions.”



“He peed in father’s shoes. Repeatedly.”



“Father wouldn’t give him the catnip.” Itachi pointed out.



“Because the last thing one needs on a mission is a stoned ninja cat.” Sasuke pointed out and they both snickered. “Alright, alright. I’ll summon him. But if he pees in MY shoes, or clothes, I’m making you wearing them.”



“I am sure he’ll behave.” Itachi replied, but the smile kept playing on his lips.



Sasuke sighed and reached for a letter opener to make a small cut on his finger and smear his blood across the contract, then gathered his fingers together for the summoning jutsu. Indeed, after a few seconds there was a loud bang and a puff of white smoke and when it cleared the younger Uchiha saw a large, fat, fluffy orange cat stretching on their tatami floor, his claws digging in the straw contentedly. When he was done stretching, the cat looked up to Sasuke with his odd golden eyes and yawned before speaking:



“I see that the two of you have finally managed to smooth over your differences.”



Sasuke nodded but before he could say anything else, the cat continued:



“Feed me and I’ll listen to what you have to say.”



Sighing again, he got up and went to get the food he had already prepared, having been quite aware that the little bastard would demand this the moment he appeared. When he returned, he discovered that Bishamon was curled, no, sprawled on Itachi’s lap, his fluffy paws spilling over his knees. He looked like a king on a throne. The food, however, immediately took precedence and he abandoned Itachi for the plate. While he ate, Sasuke filled him in about some of the things that had transpired – from Akatsuki’s defeat to his battle with Itachi to their return in Konoha and in the end – his brother’s condition. The change in the nature of their relationship he deliberately omitted, unsure about how to even begin to explain to a cat.



“And this is where you come along – he needs a guide and we decided that the one we can trust the most is a member of your family, and most specifically you.” It was always a good idea to stroke a cat’s ego.



Bishamon stretched again and began to lick his paw and rub it over his hairy little face.



“Hmmrrr, a guide you say?”



“Yes.” Itachi replied behind him.



“And what do I get in return?”



Sasuke sputtered with indignation.



“Last I checked, you had a contract with us…”



“All the food you want, whenever you want it.” Itachi interrupted sharply. “And a pillow.”



The cat didn’t stop washing when he said:



“Okay. I’ll stay. You were my favourite boy, after all.”



“You will absolutely NOT mark your territory anywhere inside the house... and you will not claw the furniture!” Sasuke added, his expression glum. Bishamon gave what passed for a shrug among cats and stretched again.



“Alright. Am I at least allowed to beat up all the other toms in the neighbourhood?” he paused “…not that I need your permission to do that…”



Sasuke wanted to start pulling his hair but refrained from it for Itachi’s sake:



“There are no domestic animals left in the area because there were no humans to feed them to now.” He explained with annoyance.



“Heh…” was the only response before he got before the cat moved gracefully to a sunny spot in front one of the windows and curled up contentedly.



“This pillow that your brother mentioned better materialize before I wake up.” He muttered before nodding off.



Sasuke stared at him for a moment, then turned to Itachi.



“Are you sure this was a good choice?” he muttered.



“Yes. He’s very loyal, Sasuke, despite his quirks.”



When Sasuke woke up, it was still dark, there wasn’t even the telltale glow at the horizon that indicated that dawn would be anytime soon. Itachi slept quietly curled in his arms, much like Bishamon had curled himself on his new pillow, his head tucked under Sasuke’s chin and his warm breath puffing against his exposed nipple. The body in his arms was warm, but oh-so-thin, he could feel the ribs under his fingers as he caressed the smooth skin of his sides.



‘I should take better care of you.’ He thought.



Funny how he had progressed from hate to anger to concern, and he hadn’t even felt it happen. The concern, initially born from possessiveness and desire to show Itachi who was the better one of them, was now deep-seated and real and it gnawed at him like a festering wound. In only a few short hours, they both would have to leave their little sanctuary and face a world that hated them. Despite his eagerness to be done with it, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. He didn’t fear that he would be physically harmed – he knew how to defend himself and he felt reassured that Bishamon’s presence, along with Itachi’s reputation, would scare off any potential attackers – but he feared the way people would react to him. Would they yell? Curse him? Or worse, much worse, look at him and ignore him, the only thing written on their faces being cold disappointment? He had seen that on Kakashi’s face, that very first night when the two of them arrived at Konoha, despite the man’s efforts to hide his reaction. That had hurt more than a thousands words of anger ever could.



His arms tightened around Itachi instinctively. Regardless of how the public accepted them, or didn’t accept them for that matter, he would have Itachi. It would be just like before, just the two of them, alone in a whole world full of people only interested in using them. Only this time, he would be the one taking care of him, not the other way around.



He leaned and kissed him sweetly, still tasting the orange he had eaten at dinner. Itachi stiffened as he woke up, then relaxed again in Sasuke’s embrace.



“Mornin’” he murmured sleepily.



“Morning.” Sasuke replied and kissed him again, deeper this time, feeling him opening his mouth pliantly under him, sighing into the kiss with contentment. Itachi’s gentle hands caressed his chest and slid down his flat stomach to wrap boldly around his stiffening erection, his fingers now smooth and free of calluses, silken soft against the velvety flesh of his organ. He sighed into Itachi’s mouth and his own hands joined him, first guiding his brother’s, then reaching to find his own organ and free him from the confines of his pajama pants. Itachi hiccupped and gasped when Sasuke began to pleasure him too, releasing him only for a moment to lick his hand for added lubrication, his brother quickly following his lead.



Sasuke nibbled on the luscious lips, their breaths mingling in sharp, hot, needy gasps and he slapped Itachi’s hands away to press their cocks together, hot and hard and slick and began to rub them at the same time, his fingers flicking over the moist heads. Itachi was shuddering against him, hooking a leg over his thighs to tug him closer and Sasuke readily complied, using one hand to wrap it around his brother’s back. They began to rock together, straining and moaning and kissing wildly, desperate to reach their orgasm and at the same time wanting this to go on forever. Heat build up between them until in the end Sasuke shuddered and cried out, his wetness spilling between them, Itachi following soon over with a wail he muffed by latching onto Sasuke’s shoulder, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh.



They held each other afterwards, warm and sweaty and panting, perfectly sated, Itachi licking the bitemark he left behind, purring contentedly.



The sex and subsequent cuddling helped Sasuke relax before he finally prepared to venture out, dressed in a dark shirt and pants. Itachi sat at his feet, his expression once again serene and relaxed, patiently waiting for Sasuke to finish combing and pulling his long hair together in a loose ponytail. Bishamon sat close by, watching them both with thoughtful golden eyes, the tip of his tail flicking lazily back and forth in an unidentified emotion.



“I will walk you to your job at the Academy and I’ll go to work afterwards.” Sasuke informed his older brother quietly. Itachi stiffened a little, ready to argue but then deflated.



“Okay. But only today.”



“I can’t promise that.”



“Bishamon will take care of me, Sasuke.”



“I will.” The cat said. “But still, listen to your brother. From what you’ve told me, the people out there might be more than a little hostile.”



Itachi sighed and nodded, posing no further argument.



“Right then. Shall we go?” Sasuke said.



The walk to the Academy was both easier and harder than Sasuke had imagined it would be. No one attacked them, no one actively said anything as they passed the busy streets. In fact, people said too little. Konoha was always buzzing like a beehive, the white noise of hushed or not so hushed conversations filling every busy street, especially in rush hours. However, when they passed, the crowd around them grew terribly silent, all eyes focused on them, cold, malicious, angry, disgusted. It sent chills down Sasuke’s spine and soon his hand found Itachi’s wrist, both offering and asking for support. He found his skin to be cold and clammy in the warm summer morning, even if he wasn’t trembling. Bishamon walked two steps ahead of them, strutting like he was the king of the world, tail proudly sticking in the air, seemingly unaffected by the hostile glances and the frigid atmosphere.



Finally, he led him to a back entrance, fearing that if they were seen publicly entering the Academy they might cause a riot, considering that a known mass murderer and a traitor were going near the majority of the Konoha’s Nins’ children. Thankfully, no such thing occurred and Sasuke led Itachi down the winding corridors to the basement, finally reaching a simple wooden door painted in gray, numerous scribbles and pictures etched into its uneven surface by generations of bored students waiting to get their training gear.



He knocked on the door and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, they all heard shuffling steps inside and the door opened, revealing the tiny figure of an elderly woman with a leathery, wrinkled face, her candy floss white hair pulled in a neat little bun at the nape of her head. Despite her age her gray eyes were aware and bright with intelligence and currently focused on the three of them with intensity of a hawk.



“Sasuke-kun. Itachi-kun.”



“I’m Bishamon.” The cat piped in without being asked and Sasuke sent him a withering glare which was promptly ignored.



“Sango-san. We’re honored to meet you again.” Itachi said and bowed, Sasuke following suit, She looked at them thoughtfully and sighed.



“Come in, Itachi-kun. I take it that Sasuke needs to go to his job now?”



“Yes. I just wanted to see him off. I’ll come back around 6 o’clock to pick him up.” He bowed, bid his brother goodbye and left.



Sango-san led Itachi in the storage area, indicating where different type of training gear was stored. The young man carefully listening his explanations, Bishamon climbing with ease on the rows of shelves, guiding his hands to the boxes and inside of them so he could feel the contents and remember their position.When she was finished with her explanation, Sango-san sat down on one of the two-chairs in the room, its legs creaking unhappily under her weight and waited for Bishamon to lead him to the other chair.



“I am an old woman, Itachi-kun. My hands aren’t as steady as they used to be, and although I don’t forget things, unlike some of my less fortunate peers, it hurts to bend over the table all day while fixing everything that the children ruin in their inexperience. Your help would be much appreciated.” Her voice was neutral, neither hostile nor overly friendly. “And with your helper here, I am sure you’ll do an excellent job. Classes end at 5 pm and we have to stay until 6 pm to tidy up things here. Lunch break is at 12.30 until 1 pm. You can go to the cafeteria, although…” he voice trailed off uncertainly.



“The students and their parents would be unhappy if I went anywhere near them?” Itachi finished for her with a small smile. “Don’t worry, Sango-san. I’ll bring my own food from tomorrow on.”



“Perhaps until they get used to your presence here a little. They’ll be seeing you every day when they come to take their gear. Sooner or later you wouldn’t be such a sensation.”



They soon found their rhythm when working, inspecting the contents of the boxes that Sango pointed out, Itachi’s sensitive fingers easily finding the imperfections and flaws, working to fix them with practiced ease. After all, he had always taken care of his own weapons – sharpening them, oiling them, fixing the small cracks that inevitably appeared after a long use, changing the wrappings of the handles. These weapons didn’t have cutting edges, so it was even easier. Sango informed him that once he got used to the job and she felt more secure that he wouldn’t hurt himself accidentally she’d let him help with the gear that was for the older students – real weapons with real edges. At noon she went up for lunch and soon came back with a plateful of dumplings for him, waving off his words of gratitude.



“I don’t like it when my employees starve. Besides, you’re young man, I am sure that you have a healthy appetite and people’s hands are unsteady when they are hungry.”



Surprisingly, he did have a healthy appetite that day – even if he wasn’t a Nin anymore, the work made him feel useful, less of a burden – both to Sasuke and to his Village and that gave him an incentive to eat.



When Sasuke came back, he was feeling better than he had in months.



In contrast, his brother’s mood was absolutely foul and grew worse by the time they went home. He barely said a word, giving monosyllable answers to his questions about his day and his work. When they finally entered their house, Itachi heard him dump his shoes in the genkan and stop over to the bathroom for a quick shower.



“Who peed in his tea today?” Bishamon muttered with annoyance. Itachi leaned to scratch him under the chin and said:



“Not all bosses are as gracious as ours, Bishamon.”



That, indeed, proved to be root of Sasuke’s problem.



“He’s a pompous, talentless, malicious asshole!” the young man growled. “That man is barely older than me, little more than a Genin reject – he hasn’t even GRADUATED the Academy – and he thinks he has the right to make my life hell. If you could only hear his constant snide remarks!” he was practically shaking with anger. “He asked me how I paid Orochimaru for his training, insinuating that I have… have…” his voice broke and he growled in frustration. Itachi reached and covered his hand with his.



“Shhh. Try to calm down. He’s jealous of you, Sasuke. Of your achievements as a Nin, of your ancestry, of your talents. Don’t pay attention to him. Why don’t you go and relax, I’ll finish up here and join you.”



“Okay.” Was the petulant reply and Itachi heard him wander off.



“You might want to give him a massage.” Bishamon suggested in a few moments. “Or a blowjob.”



Itachi choked on his food.



“Wha-?”



“Oh, come on. His smell is all over you and even if it wasn’t, this morning the two of you were screaming like banshees. Or mating cats.” He could practically hear the smirk in the cat’s voice. “You were yowling just like my…”



“I don’t want to know.” Itachi cut him off, flushing crimson. He played with his chopsticks for a few moments before saying hesitantly: “You don’t seem all that shocked.”



“I’m a spirit thousands of years old. I’ve seen stranger things than a pair of brothers mating like cats in heat.” was the pompous response. “For example, Madara was just as close to his brother as the two of you. After he died, though, he got a little whacky, got all obsessed with the Kyuubi, in a way which I don’t really want to interpret as…”



“I want to know about his sexual habits even less than I want to know about yours.” Itachi informed him. He was answered with a snicker.



“Suit yourself.”



The table shook a little and Itachi could just tell that he had jumped on it and was now eating from Sasuke’s plate. He gave a long-suffering sigh and leaned to pet him.