Contrition [Itachi Uchiha x Reader]

#1: Conditions

"Officer Hoshigaki, what brings you here?" Itachi asked without looking up from his book. The newcomer bared his shark-like teeth before taking a seat opposite the Uchiha.

"Guess who's going to be your parole officer?"

Perfect, thought Itachi. Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha were, to say the least, on good terms. It was Kisame who silently looked out for Itachi when he was first moved to Konoha State Prison. While everyone else had their own preconceptions about him, Kisame took it upon himself to make sure that the Uchiha wasn't treated differently. He diligently kept him out of fights, made sure that he got his meals at the right time and even kept some of his enemies at bay. Although he would never admit it, Itachi genuinely believed that he wouldn't have survived for as long as he did if it weren't for him.

"Don't get too happy though," Kisame continued. "It is my job to make sure that you don't get in trouble. So don't expect me to go easy on you. It's a wonder how you got parole in the first place."

"I don't need you to tell me that."

"Do you have a place to live?"

Itachi stared blankly at the ceiling before saying, "I think they left me an apartment in the city. I remember the lawyer telling me something about that years ago. It didn't matter then, but..."

"Alright, so you've got a place to stay. Good. The first thing you need to do after your release is get a job."

"That's got to be easy. I don't suppose you would write me a reference, would you?" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

The Hoshigaki simply chuckled. "Have you read the conditions of your parole?"

"Not yet."

Kisame pulled out a piece of paper from the pocket of his uniform and placed it before the Uchiha. "Go through them carefully. Hell, memorize them if you can! Your life as a free man depends solely upon how faithfully you adhere to these rules. Call it the protocols of living life as a parolee. You make one mistake and you're back in here for good. You don't want that, do you?"

The raven-haired male grabbed the page and began reading the conditions one by one.

"Upon release, you shall report directly to the Supervising Officer or any other person designated by the Division of Parole," he read. "...you shall not change your place of residence without obtaining permission from your Supervising Officer... shall not drink or partake of any alcoholic beverages or other intoxicants... shall not use narcotics or controlled substances... shall not possess, own, carry, or have under your control, any kind of weapon... shall not associate with individuals with criminal records... shall not leave the premises of the city without obtaining permission from your Supervising Officer... shall subject to a search of your person or residence at any time of- seems pretty standard." And then his gaze landed upon the final clause.

"Special Conditions: You shall attend mental health services evaluation and treatment as deemed appropriate. You shall be required to participate in one-on-one psychological counselling and follow the instructions of the programme staff and your Supervising Officer. You shall not make any changes without the express permission of the programme staff and your Supervising Officer. Any violation of the conditions of parole would cause your immediate detention and/or return to prison."

"Counselling?" Itachi remarked, the initial shock wearing off. "I don't need counselling."

"Well, the Board thinks you do."

"I don't need counselling!" he repeated, his temper rising. "I don't need to sit in a room and talk about my feelings! Can I not do the counselling thing?"

"Sorry, buddy. It's either all or nothing."

"I... know," Itachi muttered through gritted teeth.

"Hey, it's just until they are absolutely sure that you're not a danger to yourself or anyone around you. I mean, you were pretty young when you... came here. You said you wanted to move on, right? Maybe this will help."

"I doubt anything will."

The blue-haired man rose to his feet. "Just give it a shot, Itachi. Anything's got to be better than sleeping in that chicken coop you call a prison cell. What's a few conditions when you're finally getting out of here? And besides, counselling can't be that bad!"

"Fine. It's not like I have a choice anyway."

The Hoshigaki snickered to himself as he exited the room. "That's the spirit!"

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