IC Contact / Appointments: Luceti

[fantheflame]

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[yourhatred]

[It's been years since Sasuke has hated him, he's almost forgotten the feeling. It's a cold reminder now, and he forces his expression to remain neutral.]

Then will you defeat me here and end it, little brother?

You're not strong enough for that.

[tomatosasu]

[Sasuke tenses, rage twisting his features. He knows Itachi is right. He's not even kind of strong enough for this. He knows that to his core. But hearing Itachi say that is another matter entirely, and he growls under his breath. He has to try. He has to try.]

[He takes a guarded step back, clutching the chokutou in both hands. It's too heavy for him. He wishes he had a kunai, or his shuriken pouch. Especially his shuriken pouch. He's good with those.]

[He has to try something. But he wavers.]

What'll you do if I don't?

[Come on, you son of a bitch, give me that push.]

[yourhatred]

[He doesn't intend to push anything if it can be helped.]

Nothing.

[And it's true enough.]

Things will merely stay as they are.

[tomatosasu]

[The tip of the chokutou wavers.]

[This isn't right. Sasuke doesn't understand what the hell is going on. Itachi should be insulting him, goading him. The other's passivity... well, that's not exactly surprising in tone and stance, but in words? Something's wrong. Something's fucked. This has to be some kind of trap.]

What game are you playing?

[It's quiet, quieter than anything before. What the hell is going on?]

[yourhatred]

No games, little brother.

[His gaze remains steady.]

Not this time. Not from me.

[Cryptic is all he can be right now, because he's not the right person to be giving answers about this world, at least not to Sasuke. He'll have to ask someone he's more likely to trust.]

[tomatosasu]

[I don't believe you.]

[He doesn't say it, but does he really need to?]

[It's not even so much that he doesn't - it's that he can't. He's lived too long with Itachi being the mastermind, the instigator, the bane of his life. If Itachi is here - if Itachi showed himself - there's gotta be a connection. Nothing else makes sense in Sasuke's narrow, jagged world.]

[So he can't just leave. As scared as he is, and as much as he knows that Itachi is faster and stronger and better... he can't just turn away. Can't ever turn his back on the other, know that he's here and nearby and probably watching if Sasuke tries to run. Can't stomach the idea of running.]

[So he sheathes the sword, if a little clumsily with the size of it, jumping back to increase distance as he makes the hand seals for Housenka. Itachi's faster than he is and that's way too dangerous up close with a weapon that's sized wrong for him, but he's good with his fire, shuriken-driven or not. Even if part of him knows there's no way he's good enough.]

[yourhatred]

[There are no hand signs, just one hand held out, but the the little fireballs will hit a barrier before reaching the other ninja, filling the area with steam. Filial water magic, drawn from the nearby fountain and forming a flat shield in front of him.

When the steam clears, Itachi will be behind him.]

Will you continue to try this here?

[He doesn't want to fight back. There's no excuse for it now. He should be able to avoid his brother's techniques for the most part, though he knows it will only frustrate the younger ninja further.]