[WoD drabble post]
xanthous \ZAN-thuhs\, adjective:
yellow; yellowish
He grins.
Or what Itachi can only surmise as a grin. Xanthous skin stretches taunt across two rows of even, white teeth. Too wide to be considered a smile. Too predatory.
"And what makes you think I'll help you?"
Greasy features. Oily voice. For a moment, he is reminded of Orochimaru.
Itachi comes prepared. He knows just the right words to say, has thought them through. Knows which buttons to push, which words to incite and manipulate. His clan had raised him to become everything they had expected.
Now they would regret it.
Unlike the man before him, Itachi does not smile. The expression lost meaning long ago. His voice is cool and tempered. Impassive. As it should be.
"Revenge."
A red sharingan glows, swirling as the last syllable drops from his lips.
Madara repeats the word slowly, rolling it over his tongue as if he can taste the notion in the caverns of his mouth. He licks his lips.
Itachi watches, expressionless. He knows that he's set the perfect bait.
It is a moment before Madara finally relents, nodding imperceptibly in acquiescence and replacing the orange mask onto his face. He beckons to something in the shadows behind him.
From the darkness, the small figure of a child appears. Itachi's eyes widen as he recognizes the face. His lips murmur a name in sudden apprehension.
"Sasuke."
A flash of steel cuts through the sound of his whisper; blood and bits of flesh splatter his face and uniform. Itachi stiffens. His little brother's head rolls onto the ground between them, staring accusingly as if saying:
Why...aniki...
He's thrown from the genjutsu and crumbles onto the ground, panting for breath, his hands trembling.
Madara's feet appear before him. In his mind's eye, the monster is grinning again, as it reaches out a hand to help him.
There is silence between them; he can feel the puppet strings attaching themselves like wires.
In the end, Itachi himself hammers the bolts in.
There is no choice really.
He reaches up, and accepts the hand being offered.
Fin.