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It feels like a dream as he steps into the Uchiha compound, careful to keep his hat lowered so the common folk don't see his face.
The last thing he needs is the wrong people questioning him.
School children rush past, squealing and shouting and one in particular bumps up against him. The boy pauses to give a quick apology, fear strikes across his expression before giving away to confusion.
Then, he breaks into laughter. "Aniki! You're home! That's a silly hat!"
He supposes he could never hide from Sasuke. The boy reaches for him. "Can you carry me? You never do that anymore."
Placing the hat over a spikey head, he hefts the eight-year-old onto his hip.
He clings to Itachi, hat rim bumping against the top of the man's cheek bone. "What kind of mission did you go on this time, Nii-san?"
"A very important one," He says, walking down the street, looking at houses and feeling sad that they'd made the best out of their displacement.
When they get to the Main House, Sasuke is settled on his feet.
He immediately throws open the door, bolting inside, "Aniki's home!"
His parents, worn by the stress of the upcoming coup glance up and doubletake.
The younger Uchiha brother has gone quiet, staring at the Itachi sitting with his parents.
Sasuke looks back and forth between them, eyes wide before he claps his hands together. "I have two Aniki! Now you can help me train!"
What he really wants is to be coddled. Itachi blinks away tears at how he'd ignored his tiny brother and tries to remind himself that he was young and traumatized and experiencing a crises no one his age should have.
"Who are you?" Asks Fugaku. "You can drop your henge, now."
He pulls off his cloak, hanging it before tugging off his shoes and setting them beside the pair his thirteen-year-old self owns.
The screaming cicadas are the only noise as he approaches, hands intentionally visible so no one feels threatened.
Seating himself at their table, he says, "I am Uchiha Itachi."
"That cannot be so," Says his younger self, intently staring at him. Searching for the inconsistency in his disguise.
"I was able to return to this time with a warning."
Fugaku's brow quirks. "A warning?"
Sasuke climbs into his lap and he tries to smooth down the wildness of his hair. "They know about the coup and have asked your son," He gestures to his younger self, "and Shisui to handle it."
"Handle it?" Asks the older man.
"Danzo wants us dead." He says. "Shisui will be in danger within the next few days."
"Shisui?" Asks the teen. "Body Flicker Shisui?"
"The only one."
"And just why," Asks Fugaku, "should we believe you?"
He looks to Sasuke, gaze drawing to the teen again. "Because we lose if you don't."
"It must be important," Says the smaller Itachi. "If you already knew about Danzo and the coup."
"Thank you, Tachi," Says Mikoto quietly. "You've always been a good boy."
The image of her last moments rears its head and it's all he can do to stay calm as he rubs his little brother's arm.
"So you've warned us," Says Fugaku, still skeptical. "What now?"
If he's honest, he thought the change in events would trigger him back to his own time. "I suppose I'll return to my own future."
"Noo!" Moans Sasuke. "Don't leave yet!"
"I have a lot of questions, too," Says his reflection. "And you can tell us since it won't happen now, can't you?"
"I can't risk it," He replies.
His mother reaches across to touch his arm and he jolts away at her cold hands. He softly pushes Sasuke off his lap. "I should go."
He's halted in his retreat when his mother calls, "Please stay for dinner? You're so thin."
Itachi crumbles then, completely dropping onto the tatami with his face in his hands. He thought he could hold it together but seeing them and being treated so kindly after all that has happened -- even if it hadn't happened yet -- is too much.
He's wrapped in warmth but doesn't have the strength to move.
They don't ask what plagues him. Mikoto whispers reassurance as she holds him close. Sasuke's tiny hand rubs circles on his back.
"I killed you," He confesses between gasping breaths. "Everyone but Sasuke."
"But you came back to fix it," She says softly. "You're still good. You're still my son."
Her heart thrums against his ear and it sends him to tears again.
"Why?" Asks his younger self. "Why did you do that?"
Finally feeling brave enough to hug Mikoto against him, he says, "We were given an ultimatum and too young to know better."
His mother says something to his father but he can't process it and is starting to feel drowsy. He catches the glint of a needle in the woman's hand and he realizes she had no intention whatsoever of letting him leave so quickly.
xXx
Shisui's inquisitively looking at him when his eyes open. His younger self is kneeling on the other side. "See? I told you."
"Weird," He says. "Are your parents going to be mad we woke him up?"
"They have bigger problems right now."
In spite of himself, his fingers tangle into curly hair and he pulls the startled younger man down to his mouth. He tastes like umeboshi and matcha. It makes Itachi ache in such a bittersweet way.
The thirteen year old is absolutely panicking but Shisui is still.
The sixteen year old leans against him, trembling hand covering his.
It's odd how he could now, in retrospect (and Kisame pointing it out), see how Shisui felt about him.
Funny that he'd felt the same way but never knew how to articulate it.
Shisui pulls away softly before turning to the much younger version.
And Itachi has never felt more complete watching things go the way they should have. Savoring the moment his cousin tenderly takes the anxious ANBU captain by the elbows and steals kisses from him.
Long, nimble fingers grip his navy shirt as they intertwine.
The timetraveler rises to his feet, escaping as the two teens have their moment. The compound is bustling and he feels lost, head fuzzy as he staggers through it. He's attracting attention but he doesn't care.
There's one more thing he needs to do before the jutsu spits him into the other side of the time loop.
xXx
The older man pauses when their gazes meet and Itachi thinks the Hoshigaki recognizes him at first but equates it to mere curiosity.
"I just wanted to thank you." Itachi calls from a distance. "For everything."
"You're welcome," Calls Kisame.
He vision is starting to wobble. The earth feels cool against his knees and he can almost sense the energy of nature enveloping him. He is everything and nothing and his temples are pounding.
"Tachi-nii?" Asks Sasuke.
He glances around. Sarada is on his hip and Shisui is standing next to him. He can't quite remember what he was thinking about.
"I'm sorry," He says. "What?"
"I was asking when your next mission was." Pouts the younger man. "Where'd you go?"
"I don't actually know," He admits.
"Are you feeling okay?" Asks Shisui. "You seem kind of out of it."
"I think?" Says Itachi. There's something he's forgotten. It feels like he's just awoken from a terrifying and yet vivid dream, only for it to evaporate from his consciousness before he can analyze it.
His lover gently kisses his temple. "Let's go take a nap and I'll look at the schedule, okay?"
"Sounds good," Murmurs Itachi as he hands his niece to Sasuke and is led away.
"That time lag is pretty rough, huh?" Asks Shisui.
"Yeah..." He says. In the back of his mind, he wonders what his partner is talking about.
"I wondered when you'd catch up," The older man continues. "Kinda weird when I think about it." He turns to look at Itachi then. "You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?"
"Not really."
"That's okay," He says. "I'll explain later."