Their relationship had started from there.
At first it was questions; both Itachi and Imi being mysterious in their personalities and just generally in themselves, not to mention being strangers, and they wanted to know more. Not to mention what Imi had spoken of the very first time they had met—there was the idea that she knew more than it appeared on the surface, and the abilities that allowed her to do so overall. Though their introduction hadn’t been long, it had caused intrigue for the both of them, and as they continued to see each other for the mission it sated that curiosity and let them discover more about each other.
But the more Itachi found out, the more he wanted to know. Imi could sense things, true—he had gathered that from the beginning—but could see now that she knew so much about the world; more than anyone could possibly imagine. It was almost as if she was in constant mental contact with everything and everyone, in a way that was a like telepathy but also with an added element that meant she could understand their lives and all they had been through. Imi could read not only thoughts but feelings and memories—Itachi had noted there didn’t seem to be much she couldn’t sense, with other abilities such as her heightened strength to add to it all.
And rapidly their friendship developed. Itachi came back whenever he could; looking forward to it when he was away and almost feeling more optimistic in the things that were going on around him. Every time he talked to Imi he knew that she could understand him, and it was a sentiment that was only returned in full. They shared a connection that to begin with they didn’t even need to talk about, instead merely getting to know each other. Itachi had been willing to protect Imi from the moment he had met her, but that protective instinct simply grew stronger the more he got to know her. She had been through a lot lately, and though she wasn’t weak or frail because of what had happened—if anything, Itachi admired Imi’s strength—she needed to recover.
The other’s attitudes hadn’t exactly helped.
But he helped her in a way that nothing else had been able to. He couldn’t stop her grief from existing, true, but Itachi eased the pain that had started when her family had been killed. The more he came to visit, the less unsure Imi felt about what to do and what would occur in the near future. With Itachi around, things felt more certain, and in return…she wanted to do something to aid him; because she knew he wasn’t fully content. She could sense the uncertainty in his life; that so many different things were going on that Itachi had to deal with, swirling around his mind like a storm cloud that followed him wherever he went.
Itachi had wondered how much Imi could sense about him; they’d talked about her abilities in general, but never really gone into detail about what she’d said about him. Sometimes he never really needed to. He just had to glance into her eyes and he could see just how much she understood him; the way she was able to sympathize with his situation without it ever having been spoken about out loud—with no one really knowing what was going on. But it was just the way Imi was; that innate capability to have a connection to everything, and especially so to the people around her.
But it wasn’t clear how strong it was until a little later on.
Itachi had developed a habit of always making sure to check up on Imi. When he first arrived each night for his mission, he constantly asked whether she had slept enough, eaten a good meal—whether she had noticed anything that he should know about. She told him time and again that it wasn’t his single responsibility to look after her; that he had other things to do and she didn’t want him to be worrying about her welfare when he went home for the day—but he still continued to ask, saying he needed to know she was getting enough rest. Until eventually she had made a choice, and turning, looked him straight in the eye, serious as anything, and shot back softly,
“Why don’t you get enough rest, Itachi-san? You’re dealing with a big burden, after all, trying to help your family and what the village expects of you.”
Itachi, at first, could say nothing, staring in shock at her words. He’d known she could sense things about his situation…but never to this degree. But as the silence stretched on, he swallowed, managing to find his voice, and replied slowly, never taking his eyes off of her,
“W-what? You know?”
“I…I can feel it through you. It’s hard to explain. Remember how I said about my abilities? It just sort of…comes to me, in a way.”
But in a way, Itachi didn’t need an explanation. He was inexplicably relieved, without fully noticing it. It was just that, he had known things had been building up. That things would come to a head and he was going to have to make a choice. He knew how the Uchiha clan was acting and he hadn’t been sure what to think or do—and there was no one he could talk to about it. It was all a top secret situation that couldn’t be mentioned to a soul. But even though he could deal with it—that didn’t mean he was happy about it. Itachi craved the idea of being able to sit down and talk the whole thing through with someone, but had accepted that it would never happen.
Only now Imi had figured it out. There wasn’t any point denying it and acting like the whole thing didn’t exist; because he knew he couldn’t fool her. And he knew he could trust her more than anyone in his life; so all in all that meant he could finally have what he wanted. He could talk about his worries; his doubts, and someone could understand. So Itachi simply nodded in acceptance—and they became even closer than they had been before. Though Itachi never described his story in full detail, he could tell Imi knew, and as time passed there were times he allowed her to read his mind.
He hadn’t known what to expect, but Itachi had been surprised when Imi gently placed her forehead on his. It was a strangely intimate experience, but not invasive, and whenever it occurred he always felt so calm and tranquil. Imi didn’t do too much; merely delved a little into his thoughts and memories, allowing her to comprehend his circumstances better. In doing so, it helped Itachi feel as if he could deal with it all better—as if he was no longer alone in the matter anymore.
That was the way it generally was for the both of them; having circumstances happen to them that they could do nothing about, but that were very isolating. Though Imi’s situation wasn’t one she couldn’t talk about, she was kept away from most people while they waited for the danger to pass, and none of the ANBU tried to talk to her, so she had learnt to deal with it on her own—in a way, feeling it was better that way. No one else was in danger if she kept to herself. But she couldn’t help but open up to Itachi in the same way he opened up to her. She knew the feeling, and they shared it completely.
They weren’t alone. Not anymore.
