Watching Yamanaka Feng wag his tail, Uchiha Itachi found himself wagging his own tail involuntarily. Their movements grew more and more synchronized, until he abruptly shook his head and hopped in place.
Then the two of them went back to staring at each other, and an awkward atmosphere began to settle over them.
They had never been very good at making conversation when they were alone together. In circumstances like these, they were even less likely to find anything to say.
Yamanaka Feng was the first to turn away. He shuffled into a corner in tiny steps and drooped his head, wanting to sleep.
But Uchiha Itachi had no intention of letting him sleep. He gave two soft huffs and said slowly, "The walls here are bright, and the lights aren't dim at all."
"You won't be able to sleep here."
"Even if I can't sleep, my mind still needs rest. I don't know how much time has passed outside, but we've been here quite a while."
"If we don't rest, the enormous mental strain will seriously injure us the moment we leave, just as if we'd been hit by some powerful genjutsu..."
Uchiha Itachi nodded in agreement with Yamanaka Feng's suggestion. He crawled into the corner beside him, and the weasel and the dog nestled together and closed their eyes.
Even with their eyes closed, the light still penetrated their thin eyelids and fell on their retinas, leaving them unable
to fall asleep easily. The icy floor constantly irritated their nerves, too.
"After we leave here..."
"What will you do?" Unable to hold back, Yamanaka Feng muttered quietly.
He cautiously opened his eyes, only to find that the weasel's eyes were still tightly shut. He couldn't tell whether he was asleep, merely resting his eyes, or pretending to sleep.