[A/N: This fic will have a double prologue before picking up with the main chapters. Maybe a little odd, but I thought it worked best that way.]

A Request:
"Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi paused in some surprise as he turned to respond. ANBU's Boy Wonder mostly kept to himself, almost never interacting with his comrades except during missions. Even now he seemed a little reluctant to speak, although Kakashi could tell that he was on edge about something. "Itachi. What is it?"

"I would rather this conversation be held somewhere a little more private than the corridor," Itachi said finally. He did not sound sarcastic or reproving, as Kakashi would have expected, but rather just worried enough to set alarm bells ringing in Kakashi's head.

"The roof, then," Kakashi suggested, and Itachi nodded before they both shunshin-ed almost simultaneously. "So, what did you want to ask?" Kakashi continued, once they were in the lee of a small shed.

"If I were...that is, if something were to...happen to me," Itachi began, "would you take care of Sasuke for me?"

Kakashi frowned in confusion. "What about your family?"

Itachi shrugged moodily, looking out across the city so Kakashi couldn't see his face. "They wouldn't understand. Please, just say you will."

Kakashi was pretty sure Itachi didn't have anything to worry about; his mission success rating was practically legendary, and Kakashi had never known him to be careless. Even so, he didn't see anything wrong with the request if Itachi felt so strongly about it. The kid had enough stress being part of ANBU without having to worry about his family too. "Sure," Kakashi said. "I'll take care of him."

"You promise?"

Kakashi nodded, and Itachi half-smiled, seemingly satisfied. "You have my thanks, Kakashi-san," he said, bounding off the rooftop to the street below before Kakashi could say anything else.

While Kakashi wondered about that episode (and what could have possibly caused it) for a little while afterwards, Itachi never brought the subject up again, and eventually Kakashi put it out of his mind.

[A/N: Finally started this since I felt like having something fresh to work on.]