Itachi knew why people attacked him. But explaining that to a child while leaving out the massacre that he avoided experiencing by a matter of minutes?

Fortunately, he was far better with children than Yuugao was. He immediately steadied Sasuke with a fragile hand, letting the boy slide in as close as he wanted. He didn't really have the strength to pull him in right now.

"Remember... how I told you... that I was a spy within the Akatsuki? Part of being a spy is that nobody knows you're a spy. The Akatsuki... they were a group of powerful... very dangerous criminals... And that meant my face was in the bingo book... for just about every village." he explained, while rubbing Sasuke's back a little. "Most people here... They know the truth. But new people... They don't know. And as a Konohagakure ANBU, she would be... be considered a traitor to her village... had she not attacked me."

Itachi wasn't resentful of that fact, as surprising as it seemed. It's just how it was. And he'd accepted the risks it carried.