Forced Paths

Treason

The time had frozen in that strange room. The heat of the fire could not reach him as he stood still, trying to understand if the sight in front of him was a hallucination. Everything moved quickly when the long forgotten voice rang in his ears. Like someone was attempting to accelerate the speed of the time that was lost in the few seconds that that door opened and he met the last person he expected to see. He raised his hand and grabbed the other man's neck. He pressed it with more strength but he didn't try to resist. He pushed him to the wall with force but Itachi remained unmoving, unyielding from his choice to not fight back.
"Father said that if you appeared again, it would be your death wish." Sasuke hissed.
"He is not here now." He replied with the same calmness Itachi always spoke no matter the circumstances. Even if his fingers grew closer on his throat.
"Don't be mistaken. I will not hesitate." Sasuke responded with anger.
He saw him getting more pale, the muscles on his neck felt desperate for a breath, but he still did nothing. Said nothing.
"Sasuke that's enough." It was her that spoke. But this time he wouldn't listen. This time his wife could not convince him otherwise.
He felt her hand trying to remove his own.
"Don't interfere. That does not concern you in any way." He spoke harshly, madly even.
Then for once she did as she was told. Her palm retreated and she said nothing more. His attention was on the colour of the man's face, paler, sicker by the minute. He missed her palm that was raised and hit his ribs with force.
He moved aside, from the surspise and the pain, letting the man escape. He took a quick inhale because his wife hit had stopped his breathing and he heard the man coughing loudly.
He met her gaze and it was absolutely terrifying to see the transformation from her panic this morning to the dissaproval she had now.
A fleeting thought passed his mind. That Hinata had chosen Itachi too. Like everyone had done before.
"I told you.." He rose again. "This is not your place to meddle in."
"So I will let you kill a man in cold blood in front of my eyes?"
"He has abducted us Hinata. Think logical for a moment."
"And killing him will give us our freedom?" She raised her voice. "You are thinking irrationally."
They heard a cough. Not as before. More as someone was trying to get their attention.
They turned to the person that stood in the space between them.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble." He was speaking to her now. "I will explain if you let me." He bowed just slightly, enough to show respect, for anyone to see what a gentleman he was.
"We will leave. Unless you want to stop me." Sasuke responded instead.
"I am afraid that is not possible at the moment." He said with his smooth voice, still averting his gaze from him.
"Are we prisoners of some sort? Is this another feat to hurt our parents more?"
And with that words Itachi turned. He stayed silent but Sasuke could see rage and sadness. He could trace the lines under his eyes that were visible now.
"This is not about them." He said at last. "This is not even about you." He spoke more coldly now. "This is a matter that concerns your wife."
Sasuke felt compelled to stay. Not because of the words his brother spoke, but became Itachi had always had a way to make others to compel at his will. Because he was kindness and danger entangled together. That made him so appealing. That made everyone just nod if he was speaking. That made Sasuke hate him and love him at the same time.
"The invitation was not very nice." Hinata spoke. As if all this magnitude that Itachi radiated left her unaffected. As if he hadn't almost threatened them to stay.
Then he smiled. He was quick to smile when he found something that he liked. It wasn't a big smile, like Hinata's, just a small curve on the lips.
"I'm truly sorry." He said. "But it was necessary. For both your sakes'."
"Why?" She asked.
"We will talk about it in a while." He said calmly.
"I would prefer to talk about it now." She answered.
"You are a really interesting person Hinata Hyuga." Itachi said and had that look of examination that for Sasuke was too familiar.
Like he weighed the person with just few looks and decided his value.
"But I am just the host." He added.
"Don't play games with us." Sasuke raised his voice.
"I assure you that I am not." He said as he looked back at him. "Sasuke.."
"As if your reasurance means anything to me." He said and Itachi never finished his sentence.
"I will bring you something to eat." He just said and left the room as if in a hurry.