Very early, the next morning, Itachi woke up his traumatized brother. It was a wonder he’d slept at all. He lifted Sasuke up into his arms. Sasuke rubbed his eyes with his left hand while holding onto Itachi with his right. “It’s early brother…” Sasuke groaned. “Why are we up this early?” “Shhh…it’s okay Sasuke…just close your eyes and go to sleep, alright?” Sasuke nodded, yawned, closed his eyes and within minutes he was asleep. Itachi slid open the doors, and stepped out into the cold morning air. He didn’t bother with his shoes; he had to deal with their father.

The brisk wind flew around them. He felt Sasuke shiver slightly in his arms. Itachi sighed. Why had he done it? Why had he brought their mother into the mix? It was true…Sasuke’s eyes looked identical to that of their mother’s, but that was not the situation to be telling him such a thing. Now, possibly, Sasuke would despise his mother for passing her genes down to him. But then again…Sasuke didn’t understand that. Well, he hadn’t…now he did.

Itachi walked into the police headquarters, straight up to the front desk. “Good morning Itachi,” said the desk clerk, “Nice to see you, but we don’t have any missions for you today, and you know you wouldn’t be able to bring Sasuke along anyway, don’t you?” Itachi nodded. “I understand,” he answered, “But I am here to deal with other matters.” The desk clerk nodded. “And that is?” Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and squeezed Sasuke slightly. “I am here to have someone arrested.”

The desk clerk nodded. “Alright…shall I call in Shisui?” Itachi nodded. “That would be fine.” A few moments later, Shisui stood before Itachi with a slightly confused look on his face. “What are you doing here Itachi? And at this hour?” He glanced at Sasuke then met Itachi’s deep gaze. He lowered his voice. “What is going on? It’s not like you to bring Sasuke into the headquarters without a specific reason.” Itachi nodded. “I am here to have someone arrested.” He repeated to Shisui. Shisui’s eyes widened. He ushered Itachi down the hall and into his office. He sat down behind his desk and pulled out some papers. “Now I know you’re not pulling my leg…your face tells me everything.” He pulled out a pencil. “Now,” he continued, “Who is it?” “My father.”

Shisui’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head. “On what grounds?!” He was absolutely shocked. “Itachi, you’re father has aided this police force for years!! This is not going to go over well-” “I know…but I’m sure the Council will think differently once they’ve heard the whole story.” Shisui shook his head. “Alright then,” he continued to shake his head, “Let’s hear it.” Itachi brushed some hair out of Sasuke’s face. “I’ll get right to the point. There’s no need to dance around it…” Itachi sighed. “Sasuke was raped.” Shisui looked as if he was having a silent heart attack. “WHAT??” Itachi glared at him slightly. “Keep your voice down!” Itachi snapped. “We have no need to wake him!” Shisui took in a few deep breaths. “My apologies…”

“Now,” he carried on, “Are you sure it was your father?” “Are you implying that my brother’s word is not liable?” “That’s not what I meant Itachi. It’s just, children tend to let their imaginations-” “Trust me Shisui…my brother is not mentally challenged in the way you are suggesting.” “But your mother just died, did she not?” “Yes.” “What if he didn’t want to deal with her death so he decided-” Itachi glared at him furiously. “Do not continue Shisui. My brother is trustworthy, and if you can not trust my word, than no one will.” Shisui sighed. “Itachi it’s just…I don’t know if the Council members will believe him.” Itachi clenched one of his fists. “And that is age discrimination, is it not? The law has rights written for children as well Shisui. To have Council members with biased opinions is not law. It’s a room full of high-class bastards.”

Shisui let out a low whistle. “I see your point Itachi. That is one thing I enjoy about you. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you always have a way to get around it…” Itachi smiled slightly. Shisui cleared his throat. “Alright…so now we have to get the story from Sasuke himself.” Itachi shook his head. “He’s already explained everything. I refuse to make him suffer by re-living it once more.” “You don’t have a say in the matter Itachi. The Council members will want someone, other than you or myself, to write down…word for word…what Sasuke tells them. Otherwise, they’re all going to believe it’s false accusations.” Itachi contemplated this for a few moments. “He’s going to want me present.” Itachi spoke looking down at Sasuke’s innocent, sleeping face. Shisui shook his head. “If you’re there, the Council will believe you were coaching him.” Itachi shook his head. “And what would be my reasoning for locking my own father up in jail if he hadn’t actually committed a crime?” Shisui shrugged. “It doesn’t matter what you or I think, the Council dig into every little detail, making sure they know all the little facts. And that there isn’t anything unusual about the circumstances.”

Itachi nodded. “I understand.” Shisui stood up. “I’ll go and get everything set up. You wake him.” He exited the room. Itachi shook Sasuke slightly. He opened his eyes without hesitation even though he was exhausted. He sat up on Itachi’s lap and looked around the room. “Where are we Itachi?” Itachi smiled and hugged his brother. “It’s alright Sasuke. You and I are going to make sure father is locked away forever…in a place he’ll never be able to find you.” Sasuke nuzzled against Itachi’s chest. “Okay…I’m going to have to tell a lot of other people…aren’t I?” Itachi nodded. “Is that alright with you?” Sasuke nodded. “If it means father will stay away from me forever…than yes…I’ll tell anyone everything.” Itachi gently pulled his hand through Sasuke’s hair. “That’s very brave of you Sasuke.” “I’m just trying to be like you Itachi.” Itachi noticed the glow of pride in his brother’s eyes. Itachi laughed. “Am I really such a hero, Sasuke?” Sasuke nodded. “Yeah…I think so.” Itachi could not express in words how Sasuke’s words made him feel. Hopefully Sasuke would always think of him that way.

There was a knock on the door and Shisui re-entered. “We’re ready Itachi.” Shisui smiled down at Sasuke. “Good morning Sasuke.” Sasuke did not react to his words. Itachi and his brother stood up and followed Shisui down a few other hallways…the whole way there, Sasuke held Itachi’s hand as hard as he possibly could, as if he thought it was the last time they were going to see each other.

“Go right on in there Sasuke.” Shisui opened a door. Sasuke glanced back at Itachi, who smiled, giving him the courage to enter the room. Shisui nodded to Itachi and they entered the room right next to it. It had a one-way mirror-like window so they could see Sasuke and the police officer he was talking to. Shisui pressed a button on a nearby speaker so they could hear the conversation. “Hi there Sasuke,” said the interviewer, “Do you know why you’re here?” Sasuke nodded. Itachi noticed the interviewer had a tape, recording the conversation lying on the table. “Why do you think you’re here to talk to me?” “Because my father hurt me.” Sasuke answered sadly.

The interviewer nodded and wrote something down on the paper they had in front of them. “Now…Sasuke…how did your father hurt you?” “He touched me, and made me do weird things.” Sasuke refused to meet the interviewer’s gaze. As he retold his story, more and more of him seemed to be slipping away. Itachi clenched his fists. He wanted their father to rot in jail forever. “Itachi,” Shisui broke into his thoughts, “Are you alright?” Itachi turned to him. “What do you think?” He answered. “My brother is suffering because our father decided it would be entertaining to watch his youngest son squirm and beg to be let go. How would that make you feel? Especially, knowing that you could have prevented the whole thing!!” Itachi turned his vision back to his brother.

Sasuke had his head low and he was shaking slightly. Itachi closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the glass. “You couldn’t have done anything to stop your father Itachi.” Shisui said. “Yes…I could have postponed the mission. I knew Sasuke was vulnerable and he was trying his hardest to deal with our mother’s death. I should have stayed with him…I should have…he was…” Itachi heard his brother crying through the speaker. “Do you want to stop Sasuke?” The interviewer asked. Sasuke was in tears but he shook his head. “No!!” He cried. “I don’t ever want to see my father again!! I haven’t told you everything yet!!” Despite his tears and sobs, he eventually finished explaining everything, in detail.

The interviewer opened the door for Sasuke, who ran out into the hall. Itachi exited the room he and Shisui had been in and held Sasuke close to him. Sasuke buried his face in his brother’s shirt. “I…I don’t…want…to…tell…anyone…else…” He sobbed. Itachi nodded. “I know,” he whispered gently, “You don’t have to.” “I’m…sorry…Itachi…I promised…you…I…would…tell…as…many…people…as…I…had…to…” “I know Sasuke. It’s alright. I understand.” “He won’t have to tell anyone else.” Shisui stated. “They said the recording and notes should be enough to convince the Council. But as usual, it could be a few days before this reaches the Council. Do you two have a place to stay?”

Itachi knew there was no where they had to go, but he would find a place. Somewhere safe and out of the village. “Yes,” he lied, “How many days shall it take before our father is placed behind bars?” “Well, it has to reach the Council, then there’s the trial…” Shisui seemed to be calculating everything in his head. “Then he’ll be placed under house arrest until his sentencing and after that prison…so about a week or so.” Itachi nodded. “Then we will return in a week’s time.” He lifted his brother into his arms once more and carried him out of the headquarters in search of a safe hide-away.