[ The sun was already dipped low behind the trees when Jake awoke to the smell of distantly roasting fish. His body was stretched into a vine, twining around the trunk of the tree he'd chosen as an anchor for a day of rest and dropping eaves. There wasn't much activity in this particular stretch of forest, but that suited Jake fine. The solitude allowed his mind to wander, passing the time by cataloguing his desires and discarding them one by one. He must have dozed off.
Jake blinks into the darkness of the clearing, nose and empty gut working together to draw him down from the tree and back to his preferred doggy shape. Trotting through the forest on all fours, nose raised in the air, Jake follows the scent until it leads him to the distant glow of a campfire just ahead. Jake approaches with care, pads of his feet hitting against the soft grass as he makes his slow advance. You could never be too careful in unfamiliar woods.
Though apparently Jake wasn't careful enough. The invitation both surprises and encourages him, stepping out from where he'd been observing the scene with a quick shake. The man in question was an Orber, that was obvious just from looking at him. But then, what was he doing all the way out here? ]
Seriously? Thanks, man. [ Jake steps over to the fire, sitting in front of it. The warmth was particularly attractive after a day spent slowly gathering dew in his fur. ] Smells great.
（ if the visitor being a dog holds any grand mystery to him, he keeps it to himself. hadn't wei wuxian said...? hm, in any case.
he doesn't speak again until the fish has been decently cooked, and then he cuts pieces from where it's speared through. he always brings supplies with him — the window of mission preparedness being ten minutes doesn't seem to have affected him at all — which means he has both rice and small tin plates, as well as a small teapot that smells like fragrant sencha. he portions out the food — kakashi's dogs never had any difficulty with human cuisine, so he does not forego the rice — and then gives the dog a rather curious look. ）
[ The spread is nice and, Jake's pleased to see, familiar. He enjoyed the local Hivawei cuisine plenty; their seedcakes and mushroom tea had become a particular favorite. But still, there was only so much vegetarian fare a dog could stomach before he started craving meat.
In the time between his arrival and Itachi's question, Jake had begun to doze lightly by the fire. He was well and truly warmed now, coat fluffed from the dry air. He perks immediately at the question, hunger not letting him sleep too deeply. ]
However you want, but I'll take a bowl if you've got it.
（ his hand drops to a pouch at his thigh, and he pulls out a small scroll. he usually keeps one on his person that has a variety of rather mundane instruments, he unfurls the scroll and presses his hand down on one of the symbols — an application of chakra produces a bowl in a little puff of smoke.
this is clearly a perfectly normal thing for him, because he fills it, and keeps the plate for himself.
the bowl is set very politely down in the dog's immediate vicinity. ）
I did not have much in the way of seasoning. My apologies if it's somewhat bland.
（ just a little salt and pepper. while he generally brings food supplies — he had always brought soldier pills along, but badrock had necessitated a shift of his priorities — he doesn't usually trouble himself about non-essential luxuries. ）
[ Magic -- or what looked like magic -- wasn't unheard of at all in Jake's world. Heck, for most of his life, the dog thought he was magic. Recent developments proved that to not be the case, but there's a certain familiarity with the conjuring. It didn't line up perfectly with Jake's experience with wizards, but the multiverse was a big place.
His tail begins to wag immediately, diving into the food face first with a gusto that spoke to Jake's canine nature. ]
S'coo. [ Jake manages around a mouthful of fish and rice. Some chili may have been nice, but Jake actually didn't have much to complain about. The fish was fatty and fresh, lending the entire meal a pleasant richness. ] You ain't baf wit' an open flame, bud.
[ Jake swallows, bowl already half cleared. He sits back on his hind legs, abandoning his face first approach to eat the rest of the meal with his paw. ]
（ ew, compliments. he says nothing to it — instead choosing to eat his own food silently, nothing but the crackle of sap and the uncouth sounds of a dog chewing. ）
Mm. I just wished to experience the world on my own.
（ it's a poetic answer that doesn't quite explain the truth of it — pervasive melancholy has settled in him, and he simply wished to surrender his existence to the broader awareness of the sky. ）
[ Fortunately (or unfortunately), Jake takes the silence as a companionable one. He stuffs another handful of rice into his mouth, listening to Itachi's answer when it comes through maybe a few moments too late to be completely natural. ]
Oh yeah? Why?
[ The wistful open-endedness in Itachi's words is either lost on Jake, or he's studiously ignoring it. It's anyone's guess. ]
It would be a shame not to know what we can in the time it has left.
（ perhaps it is easier to speak to a dog than to a person. he has always had an affinity for animals — from the cats allied with his own clan, to kakashi's dogs and his own crows. ）
This may be the last time someone walks these fields and groves.
[ The sentiment is one Jake resonates with, almost as much as the scent of frying fish that lured him here in the first place. It's hard not to, when he'd spent an entire day wrapped around a tree and listening to the wind roll through the leaves above him. It wasn't the only thing Jake hoped to overhear, no, but the last gasps of this planet were as compelling to him as whispered secrets on the lips of his fellow Orbers or the local Hivawei.
Dogs were good listeners. Most of the time, anyway.
There's a note of understanding in Jake's eyes as he glances up from the bowl towards the young man, illuminated by firelight. ]
And? [ He scrapes his paw around the now empty bowl, gathering up the few errant grains of rice remaining. ] How's it strike you, bud?
[ In a different moment, Jake might've had something to say everything that came after Itachi's name. An enthusiastic boooo, boring to the first followed up by an equally enthusiastic absolutely, yes, right now to the second. But Jake doesn't say those things. Instead, Jake is jumping to his feet, recognition sparking in his large puppy eyes. ]
You--you're the guy!
[ Sorry Itachi. A dog has now enthusiastically jumped into your lap, paws thrown up around your shoulders. Just be glad he's not licking your face. ]
I could kiss you, ya nut! [ Seriously, be really glad. ] I was wondering when you'd show your grumpy little face!
[ Touchy, that was one of the words Finn used. Prickly. Like a cactus of a person. Jake just sits up on the log, looking around with an amused look on his face. If Itachi thought he was going to be so easily dissuaded, he had another thing coming. ]
Awww, c'mon, man! [ Jake laughs, turning around on the log. ] I wasn't gonna bite ya!
[ The young man had a uniquely... absent scent, something Jake found extremely peculiar now that he bothered to notice it. Still, the dog raises his nose up anyway, hoping for an indication which way he should turn. ]
（ meanwhile he's like 300 meters away up a tree because speed feats just do be like that. he's crouched down, using balance more than chakra to root himself solidly in place as he just. observes from a distance, eyes red with the sharp catherine wheel of the sharingan, narrowed on the creature. when it speaks, a frown tugs one corner of his mouth down.
it wasn't the possibility of attack that made him retreat. hardly that — if he felt endangered he would have simply defended himself. it was more the unexpected overture of ... whatever that was.
affection. appreciation, perhaps? but why? he cannot think of anyone he knows who has expressed any camaraderie with a dog, much less one who would be anything other than tolerant to him.
finally, he opts to send a clone back, forming the seals and dividing his chakra into a second being. as whole and hale as he is — though it will dissipate if damaged. the clone makes its suspicious way towards the dog as itachi watches, his jaw set. the clone resembles itachi exactly in every way, and when it gets close to the ring of firelight it says: ）
[ Finn made no mention of powers, and even if he had there was no telling if Jake would remember the specifics. he hops down from the log, taking a more conciliatory approach towards the skittish man. Finn really wasn't kidding, was he? ]
I'm Jake. [ The dog gestures to himself with great purpose, and there's a pause to follow. The sign of recognition he's waiting for never comes. Okay, so maybe Finn never mentioned him. Disappointing, but hardly a deterrent. ] Finn's brother!
[ Wait, there were two Finns, weren't there? Time to be even more specific. ]
The Finn you nearly got yourself smoked saving, dude! That's my kid brother!
[ He holds out his arms, assuming that should make the rest fall into place quite neatly. Of course he should expect Jake be happy to see him, right? He saved his little brother's life, the kid who had been Jake's whole world for his almost his entire life. The significance should be obvious! ]
（ it's a sign of character growth, truly, that he doesn't just deny or downplay it.
but also: why are you holding your grubby little paws out he's not going to hug you. weirdo. why are you acting like this and also, sidebar: can he sink into the fucking ground.
the clone walks past jake to the fire, which has smoldered lower in his absence, and begins building it back up methodically, without another word. ）
[ Well, a hug wouldn't be outta the question, man. Dang. Jake lowers his arms until they come to rest against his hips, frowning. ]
Yeesh, Finn wasn't kidding when he said you play it lowkey. [ Well. Except for the whole turning into a log at the slightest physical contact. Not exactly chill-dude behavior. ] Listen, I'm serious, I've pulled that kid outta the jaws of death more times than I can count. It means a lot that I had someone filling in for me while I was outta town.
Your gratitude is unnecessary. I would have done the same for any member of the crew who was not adequately prepared to defend themselves.
（ s t o p. the clone reclaims itachi's seat at the fire, and retrieves the plate where his abrupt departure had tipped it out onto the grass, scattering rice and bits of fish. the waste annoys him, though the only indication is a faint frown, but after a moment's hesitation he proceeds to scoop fresh rice and a cut of the fish back onto his plate. ）
[ Jake may have felt indebted to the guy, but that doesn't mean he's not going to roll his eyes at a twenty year old being so very twenty years old in his presence. ]
Yeah, yeah, I know the drill with your type. [ Jake waves his hand in Itachi's general direction, dismissive and fond all at once, before plopping down in front of the fire. ] But y'know, it's not gonna tarnish your hero cred to take a little credit now and then.
[ As for the rice scattered around Itachi's feet, Jake gives the young man his moment to reclaim it. Upon seeing it passed over, Jake stretches an elastic arm towards a few errant chunks of fish. Waste bothered him, too, and he'd eaten off far worse ground than this. ]
( there is no flinch to speak of, but his tone carries an element of annoyance when he replies — )
You should take care not to call it heroism.
( the word is anathema to him. )
Finn clearly mentioned what happened with Jun — but you would not be speaking so to me now if he had mentioned what I did to him scant days preceding that event.
[ Oop. That's not a word this guy liked, huh? Jake holds up his paws defensively in silent apology, ready to skip the conversation to another ripple in the pond that was the young man's calm. Only, Itachi gets there first. ]
Who the heck is Jun? [ Jake asks, honestly. He couldn't remember Finn mentioning a Jun, though that didn't necessarily mean anything. Finn mentioned a lot of names that first night. A few bled into each other. Still, if it was someone of significance, Jake's surprised how totally it escapes him.
Then again, according to this kid, that wasn't the only thing Finn edited out. Jake cants his head to the side, an anticipatory expression on his face. ]
（ like, he's an asshole, but also: that particular story isn't his to tell. betrayal by those you trust is never easily weathered, after all, and for those brief few weeks finn had thought the man hung the very moon. ）
As to what I did, I tortured him psychologically with the use of illusions.
（ wow. well. not one to sugarcoat things, is he? ）
[ Ominous, but alright. This mission was dark enough that Jake wasn't looking to introduce any more darkness into Finn's life, especially not so close to his birthday. Whatever this was, it clearly happened before he'd arrived. It would keep a few more days, or weeks, or whenever the time felt right to poke that bear.
Assuming he can even remember who the heck 'Jun' is after Itachi follows it up with that. ]
Wait--wait, hold on... [ Jake squints, half laughing, as if trying to decide if the kid was joking or not. Could Itachi tell a joke? Was there room for a sense of humor alongside all that self-seriousness and black nail polish? ] What kind of illusions are you talkin' about here? Rabbit outta your bandana, one of those big colorful handkerchiefs? Your little log trick?
[ There's an edge to his voice. A sort of insistent 'that is what you mean, right?' ]
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Jake blinks into the darkness of the clearing, nose and empty gut working together to draw him down from the tree and back to his preferred doggy shape. Trotting through the forest on all fours, nose raised in the air, Jake follows the scent until it leads him to the distant glow of a campfire just ahead. Jake approaches with care, pads of his feet hitting against the soft grass as he makes his slow advance. You could never be too careful in unfamiliar woods.
Though apparently Jake wasn't careful enough. The invitation both surprises and encourages him, stepping out from where he'd been observing the scene with a quick shake. The man in question was an Orber, that was obvious just from looking at him. But then, what was he doing all the way out here? ]
Seriously? Thanks, man. [ Jake steps over to the fire, sitting in front of it. The warmth was particularly attractive after a day spent slowly gathering dew in his fur. ] Smells great.
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he doesn't speak again until the fish has been decently cooked, and then he cuts pieces from where it's speared through. he always brings supplies with him — the window of mission preparedness being ten minutes doesn't seem to have affected him at all — which means he has both rice and small tin plates, as well as a small teapot that smells like fragrant sencha. he portions out the food — kakashi's dogs never had any difficulty with human cuisine, so he does not forego the rice — and then gives the dog a rather curious look. ）
My apologies. On the ground, or...?
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In the time between his arrival and Itachi's question, Jake had begun to doze lightly by the fire. He was well and truly warmed now, coat fluffed from the dry air. He perks immediately at the question, hunger not letting him sleep too deeply. ]
However you want, but I'll take a bowl if you've got it.
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（ his hand drops to a pouch at his thigh, and he pulls out a small scroll. he usually keeps one on his person that has a variety of rather mundane instruments, he unfurls the scroll and presses his hand down on one of the symbols — an application of chakra produces a bowl in a little puff of smoke.
this is clearly a perfectly normal thing for him, because he fills it, and keeps the plate for himself.
the bowl is set very politely down in the dog's immediate vicinity. ）
I did not have much in the way of seasoning. My apologies if it's somewhat bland.
（ just a little salt and pepper. while he generally brings food supplies — he had always brought soldier pills along, but badrock had necessitated a shift of his priorities — he doesn't usually trouble himself about non-essential luxuries. ）
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His tail begins to wag immediately, diving into the food face first with a gusto that spoke to Jake's canine nature. ]
S'coo. [ Jake manages around a mouthful of fish and rice. Some chili may have been nice, but Jake actually didn't have much to complain about. The fish was fatty and fresh, lending the entire meal a pleasant richness. ] You ain't baf wit' an open flame, bud.
[ Jake swallows, bowl already half cleared. He sits back on his hind legs, abandoning his face first approach to eat the rest of the meal with his paw. ]
What're you doing out here?
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Mm. I just wished to experience the world on my own.
（ it's a poetic answer that doesn't quite explain the truth of it — pervasive melancholy has settled in him, and he simply wished to surrender his existence to the broader awareness of the sky. ）
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Oh yeah? Why?
[ The wistful open-endedness in Itachi's words is either lost on Jake, or he's studiously ignoring it. It's anyone's guess. ]
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（ perhaps it is easier to speak to a dog than to a person. he has always had an affinity for animals — from the cats allied with his own clan, to kakashi's dogs and his own crows. ）
This may be the last time someone walks these fields and groves.
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Dogs were good listeners. Most of the time, anyway.
There's a note of understanding in Jake's eyes as he glances up from the bowl towards the young man, illuminated by firelight. ]
And? [ He scrapes his paw around the now empty bowl, gathering up the few errant grains of rice remaining. ] How's it strike you, bud?
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（ hm. ）
That answer is not truly relevant to anyone but me. I would prefer not to discuss it.
（ it may be a wall, but at the very least it's a polite one. ）
Would you care for seconds?
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You--you're the guy!
[ Sorry Itachi. A dog has now enthusiastically jumped into your lap, paws thrown up around your shoulders. Just be glad he's not licking your face. ]
I could kiss you, ya nut! [ Seriously, be really glad. ] I was wondering when you'd show your grumpy little face!
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itachi, for his part? he is fucking gone.
never was there a faster retreat than this. ）
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Awww, c'mon, man! [ Jake laughs, turning around on the log. ] I wasn't gonna bite ya!
[ The young man had a uniquely... absent scent, something Jake found extremely peculiar now that he bothered to notice it. Still, the dog raises his nose up anyway, hoping for an indication which way he should turn. ]
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it wasn't the possibility of attack that made him retreat. hardly that — if he felt endangered he would have simply defended himself. it was more the unexpected overture of ... whatever that was.
affection. appreciation, perhaps? but why? he cannot think of anyone he knows who has expressed any camaraderie with a dog, much less one who would be anything other than tolerant to him.
finally, he opts to send a clone back, forming the seals and dividing his chakra into a second being. as whole and hale as he is — though it will dissipate if damaged. the clone makes its suspicious way towards the dog as itachi watches, his jaw set. the clone resembles itachi exactly in every way, and when it gets close to the ring of firelight it says: ）
I'm not concerned with being bitten. Who are you?
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I'm Jake. [ The dog gestures to himself with great purpose, and there's a pause to follow. The sign of recognition he's waiting for never comes. Okay, so maybe Finn never mentioned him. Disappointing, but hardly a deterrent. ] Finn's brother!
[ Wait, there were two Finns, weren't there? Time to be even more specific. ]
The Finn you nearly got yourself smoked saving, dude! That's my kid brother!
[ He holds out his arms, assuming that should make the rest fall into place quite neatly. Of course he should expect Jake be happy to see him, right? He saved his little brother's life, the kid who had been Jake's whole world for his almost his entire life. The significance should be obvious! ]
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（ it's a sign of character growth, truly, that he doesn't just deny or downplay it.
but also: why are you holding your grubby little paws out he's not going to hug you. weirdo. why are you acting like this and also, sidebar: can he sink into the fucking ground.
the clone walks past jake to the fire, which has smoldered lower in his absence, and begins building it back up methodically, without another word. ）
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Yeesh, Finn wasn't kidding when he said you play it lowkey. [ Well. Except for the whole turning into a log at the slightest physical contact. Not exactly chill-dude behavior. ] Listen, I'm serious, I've pulled that kid outta the jaws of death more times than I can count. It means a lot that I had someone filling in for me while I was outta town.
[ That's one way to phrase it, anyway. ]
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（ s t o p. the clone reclaims itachi's seat at the fire, and retrieves the plate where his abrupt departure had tipped it out onto the grass, scattering rice and bits of fish. the waste annoys him, though the only indication is a faint frown, but after a moment's hesitation he proceeds to scoop fresh rice and a cut of the fish back onto his plate. ）
Sit.
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Yeah, yeah, I know the drill with your type. [ Jake waves his hand in Itachi's general direction, dismissive and fond all at once, before plopping down in front of the fire. ] But y'know, it's not gonna tarnish your hero cred to take a little credit now and then.
[ As for the rice scattered around Itachi's feet, Jake gives the young man his moment to reclaim it. Upon seeing it passed over, Jake stretches an elastic arm towards a few errant chunks of fish. Waste bothered him, too, and he'd eaten off far worse ground than this. ]
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You should take care not to call it heroism.
( the word is anathema to him. )
Finn clearly mentioned what happened with Jun — but you would not be speaking so to me now if he had mentioned what I did to him scant days preceding that event.
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Who the heck is Jun? [ Jake asks, honestly. He couldn't remember Finn mentioning a Jun, though that didn't necessarily mean anything. Finn mentioned a lot of names that first night. A few bled into each other. Still, if it was someone of significance, Jake's surprised how totally it escapes him.
Then again, according to this kid, that wasn't the only thing Finn edited out. Jake cants his head to the side, an anticipatory expression on his face. ]
And what the heck'd you do?
[ Give him a noogie or something? ]
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（ like, he's an asshole, but also: that particular story isn't his to tell. betrayal by those you trust is never easily weathered, after all, and for those brief few weeks finn had thought the man hung the very moon. ）
As to what I did, I tortured him psychologically with the use of illusions.
（ wow. well. not one to sugarcoat things, is he? ）
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Assuming he can even remember who the heck 'Jun' is after Itachi follows it up with that. ]
Wait--wait, hold on... [ Jake squints, half laughing, as if trying to decide if the kid was joking or not. Could Itachi tell a joke? Was there room for a sense of humor alongside all that self-seriousness and black nail polish? ] What kind of illusions are you talkin' about here? Rabbit outta your bandana, one of those big colorful handkerchiefs? Your little log trick?
[ There's an edge to his voice. A sort of insistent 'that is what you mean, right?' ]
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