Itachi walked in icy silence while you both walked back from a mission. He walked a few feet ahead of you in brooding silence, you trailing behind a little out of sheer shame. Why?

You were a young, hardly a teenager, but you were a member of the Akatsuki. Itachi has been your unofficial mentor ever since you joined. And you had just messed up on a mission. Badly. Not enough to completely fail the mission, but... enough to be scared of what Pain would think.

Itachi's mind was everywhere at once, he was still trying to figure out if he should be mad at you or not, but he held back for now. He eventually stopped at a little safe house, turning on his heel so he could look at you. He didn't give any sign of what he was thinking or feeling, speaking in a monotonous but commanding tone.

"Come here."