For – Dragon JadeFire's ItaHana 100 prompt challenge.
Used - #35, childhood
.:雪:.
Chapter 1 - Crash Crash
.:雪:.
"Signor Uchiha, how many more hours until we reach America?" sixteen year old Ino asked, pulling out an earbud from her ear.
She gazed expectantly at Uchiha Itachi sitting beside her.
"There is no need to address me as signor anymore, piccola. You are not a servant anymore, you are my ward." The dark-haired man dismissed quietly. "And as for time, we have another four hours."
She pouted. She jammed the earbud back in, and cranked up the volume. Itachi could hear strains of bouncy-beat synthesizers.
He sighed tiredly.
What a week.
Ino's parents had died because of a collapse in the walls of his villa because of an earthquake.
Then he assumed guardianship of the girl to prevent her marriage into the Hozuki family, who were only looking for a breed mare to ensure their clan with dozens of heirs.
And now he was due back in New York because Father was in hospital with a collapsed artery, and Sasuke had left his elder brother with a big mess to clean up.
A very big, very messy, may-have-gotten-a-girl-pregnant mess.
Itachi did not wish to interest himself with the details until he got back to the States.
"Ino."
The blonde looked up. "Si, sign-Itachi?"
"Piccola, remember to speak English instead of Italian."
"Perché?" She grinned, purposely trying to annoy him.
He ignored her question. "We are going to New York, and they speak English. You are to live there too, piccola, and I expect you to do the same."
The young girl frowned. "You are making it difficult for me, Itachi. It's not fair! English is hard." she pronounced slowly.
"I know, piccola. For me too."
It had been a full seven years since he had left his parents and idiotic little brother in the US to live in Italy. He'd nearly forgotten how to speak English.
"I miss Florence, Itachi. I miss your villa already." she murmured sadly. "I miss our Italy."
"We will return, piccola." he promised quietly.
"Stop calling me a child! I'm sixteen, signor." she growled.
"You know nothing of the world. That makes you a child, piccola." he said wryly.
She huffed, and turned away.
But she turned back with another question.
"Will I be needing a bodyguard?"
He thought for a moment. "If it need be, I will hire one."
"Okay." She turned away again, closing her eyes to sleep away the rest of the flight.
Once she was settled again, Itachi took out his phone to make a call.
"Hello?"
"Mother."
"Itachi! How much longer will you be?"
"Another three hours."
"I cannot wait to see this girl of yours!"
"She is not 'my girl'. I am her guardian, Mother. That would make her my child." He was amused.
"I apologize for mixing that up. A daughter?"
"She is sixteen, and nine years my junior. I may have spent my last seven years in a country that doesn't care about marriageable age, but I do."
All right, but I suppose you called for an update instead of talking about your adopted daughter."
"Hn."
"Don't 'hn' me, boy. Your father's not doing so well, because another artery collapsed. Sasuke-chan's hiding from all the press in my penthouse right now."
His mother sounded too worried, and was definitely withholding some information.
He let it slide. His mother cared too much, and she liked to talk in person.
"I am sorry I could not come sooner, but other matters that required immediate attention needed me to fix them first."
"My angel." She whispered tenderly. "Always saving everyone. Come home safe."
The call ended, and he closed the phone.
He stared out the window.
He wasn't looking forward to going back. He had left to avoid unavoidable circumstances, and he was definitely not interested in submerged himself into the crap again.
Lucky for him the debutante season was over.
He absolutely abhorred those wretched females, all gussied up in supposed glamour that really did practically nothing to conceal their physical assets, save for those who were considerably more modest.
It reminded him of the disastrous incident that drove him out of his home city.
Automatically, he turned to his childhood to relive happier and more pleasant memories.
A particular memory caught his mind's eye; maybe it had to do with the fact it was December, as the memory happened during the freezing month, or that it was a certain memory that always bothered him.
Seven year-old Itachi sat on the bench in Central Park, bundled up in an expensive ski jacket and fur-lined boots as he watched his four year old little brother run around in the cold snow, pelting the Uzumaki heir with deadly-accurate snowballs.
He was content to watch them. Anything to get away from home was nice.
A hard object exploded into wet, powdery fluff as it hit the back of his head.
Itachi immediately turned around to glare at his attacker.
A girl, likely the same age as he was, was grinning sneakily at him, tossing a very familiar white ball of frozen wetness.
She cocked her head; short twin braids flying, her cheeks pink with cold as he stared at her.
"What? Can't handle a little snow?" she mocked.
He didn't respond. He was too busy calculating the distance between them, and if the height of the bench was advantageous to use.
She took aim, and whipped the snowball at his head again.
He dodged it, and tucked in his legs onto the bench.
As she bent to scoop up more powder, he balanced himself on the back of the bench.
When she stood up, he pounced and leapt off the bench, knocking her over.
"Hey!" it was her turn to glare.
"Hn." he smirked.
She hooked one leg, gripped Itachi's wrists, and tossed him off of her, but locking him under her with a surprising speed and strength.
"Who's the high and mighty one now?" she laughed.
"Get off me." he said, deadpanned.
"Nah." she smiled brightly.
The onyx-eyed boy lay still for a moment, trying to figure out how to get this girl off.
"If I get you off of me in the next fifteen seconds, I win. If I don't, you win. Okay?" he challenged.
She looked warily at him. "Okay."
"One, two, three, four, five-"
He didn't move.
"-six, seven, eight, nine, ten-"
She checked that she was holding him down well enough.
"Eleven, twelve-"
And as quick as a whip, he pecked her pink counting lips with a kiss.
She froze, her chocolaty brown eyes wide.
He gently pushed her off of him, raising her to a sitting position.
He traced one of the two odd red marks on her face.
She was pretty, and she was strong, like his mom when she was mad at Father.
"When we grow up, we should get married, okay?" he asked solemnly.
She thought for a moment. "Okay!"
She held out her gloved pinky finger. "Pinky-swear on it."
He hesitantly stuck out his own pinky finger. "Like this?"
She hooked their fingers, smiling, and she let go.
"I have to go find my little brother. Bye!" and she ran off.
He smiled a little at that childish memory. He never got the girl's name. New York was too big. He'd never find her again.
It was just one of his more cherished memories of an uncorrupted childhood.
"Signor Uchiha, we are about to land." A disembodied voice intoned.
"Grazie." he replied curtly. "Ino."
She shot up like a bullet. "Siamo a New York?" she asked excitedly. [Are we in New York?]
"English, Ino." he gently reprimanded. "We are in New York."
"Dio." she said admiringly, staring out the window. "It is so sparkly!"
"They are only luci." But he too stared out through the plastic, remembering the very same sight when he left seven years ago.
Smatterings of snow decorated rooftops, with patches of wet spots polka-dotting the runway.
They stepped out of the jet, Ino laughing with delight.
"Bella, bella, bella!" she cried out.
"Ino." the Uchiha admonished warningly.
"Sorry." she stuck out her tongue at him. "But it is so beautiful!"
He gave her a small smile, and began to walk towards the sleek waiting Aston Martin sitting idle for them.
She hurried after him. "What about our luggage, Itachi?"
He didn't say a word, and climbed in.
She turned and scanned her surroundings, noticing a luggage cart that was creeping silently behind her.
"Oh." And she scrambled in after him.
Inside the luxurious car, Itachi was dialling on his phone.
Ino slid in next to him in the backseat, pulling her hands into her sleeves.
"Mother? We have arrived. We shall be at your penthouse shortly, provided that we don't get too caught in traffic." he shut the phone.
"What do I call your mother?" she asked idly.
"I suppose she is your nonna. Grandmother." he disclosed.
"I see."
They were silent for the rest of the journey, and it was a full hour before they made it to the Upper East Side.
"Dio. All the buildings here are so pretty!" the blonde exclaimed.
"Si." the dark-haired man said shortly, and led her to the apartment building between two languorous maples.
A doorman, clad in a navy-blue uniform, stood steadfastly at the teak doors.
His jaw dropped.
"Itachi, what a surprise!" he said jovially, grinning like a madman. "You came back!"
"Yes. It is a pleasure to be back, Jonathan." the Uchiha allowed a smile. "Seven years since."
"Mikoto's gonna be ecstatic." he nodded. "Sasuke's staying here as well, you probably know. Who's the miss?" he gestured towards the female Yamanaka.
"Ino, meet Jonathan Caldera, the forever-annoying doorman of my mother's building." There was an indignant 'hey!' inserted. "Jonathan, meet Ino Yamanaka, my ward."
"Hello." she supplied softly.
"Hey." he grinned at her. "Ward, eh? That would mean you're Itachi's daughter of a sort."
"Si." she nodded, blinking. "I mean, yes."
"Pleased to meet you. Just enlighten me of your name if I ever don't allow you entry."
Itachi and Ino walked inside, and went in the elevator to go to the eleventh floor.
The dark-eyed man motioned for Ino to look closely, and slowly punched in a numbered code.
"The elevator opens into her penthouse." he stated as an explanation.
They went smoothly up, and stopped.
The doors slid open, and a mix of classic black and white hit their eyes.
A long-harried woman rose from a pinstriped sofa.
"Itachi!" she shrieked, rushing over to throw her arms around her oldest son.
"Mother." he didn't embrace her back, but he relaxed his body instead of tensing.
Mikoto let go, gazing at him. "You've grown so much, my angel."
She turned to Ino, looking at her critically, softening to a motherly stare.
"Hello, darling." she hugged the teenager. "I'm Itachi's mother, which in your case is grandmother. You must be Ino."
"Might I call you grandmother in Italian?" the Yamanaka entreated the dark-eyed woman.
"If it's shorter than grandmother, and it doesn't make me feel old." she joked.
"Nonna, where can I get a glass of water?"
"No need to get it, darling. Kara! Bring three glasses of water!" Mikoto barked to the hovering maid nearby.
"Where is Sasuke?" Itachi asked.
"He's in his room. I suppose he should meet his niece." Mikoto rose gracefully, and walked off to the hallway where the bedrooms were located.
"Mother's a little…eccentric." the man murmured.
"Tua madre é folle?" her blue eyes grew wide. [Your mother is crazy?]
"Assolutamente no." he glared at her. [Absolutely not.]
She cringed. "Mi scuso." [I apologize.]
The Uchiha matriach floated back into her antechamber, with her second son trailing behind her.
"Ino, meet your uncle." she said proudly.
"Uncle?" Sasuke, with surprised eyes, stared at his brother. "Itachi?"
"I've decided to come back." the man said dryly. "And Ino's parents died, so I am fathering her."
"Oh. I was wondering why the hell she looked my age." Sasuke stared at Ino.
"It is rude to stare, Zio Sasuke." the blonde said haughtily.
"Sorry. Nice to meet you, Ino." he clumsily apologized, and sat down. "So you've heard what I did, Itachi?"
"With whom?"
"Haruno Sakura." he stared down at his hands. "I know, I'm best friends with her, and enemies with her, and I screwed up all that."
"A worthy choice." Itachi mused. "I've always liked her."
"Watch it. But now she won't speak to me. She thinks I told the society pages, and now they're printing up a bunch of shit."
"Who do you think did?"
"Probably Naruto. By accident. He's the only one I told." the youngest Uchiha grimaced. "I'm going to kill-"
"Hush, Sasuke." Mikoto soothed.
"What about Sakura? Has she told anyone?"
"She told Karin, and you know how Karin is. Biggest gossiper, yet she keep all secrets if you make her promise. And she's Sakura's best female friend. Course she keeps Sakura's secrets. Only Naruto's stupid enough."
They would have continued if it wasn't for Ino.
"Itachi, Zio Sasuke, I apologize for interrupting, but I am fairly sure that Itachi's jet-lagged or something from the flight as I am. Talk tomorrow." the blue-eyed girl implored.
"Yes. Ino is right. We should go rest anyways. It is past ten o'clock." Mikoto cajoled.
Sasuke sauntered back towards his room without another word.
"Very well. Is there enough room for us, Mother?"
"Actually, you and Ino have to share your old room, my angel. It is only temporary, I promise, until I find you two an apartment." she sighed. "Good night." she skimmed back into the kitchen, presumably to get something to drink.
The remaining pair walked to the bedrooms.
Inside the elder Uchiha's old bedroom was as untouched when he left it. His desk by the window, his navy bed by the right wall still lay in the same places as it did seven years ago.
"There is a futon in the closet. I will sleep on it." Itachi said.
Ino didn't object, flopping onto his bed. She pulled out her high ponytail, tossed it on the night table, and wiggled under the covers, apparently too exhausted to change. "Buona notte, Itachi." she closed her eyes.
"Buona notte, piccola." and as quietly as he could, the Uchiha opened the closet, pulled out the futon, and lay on it.
It was an exhaustive day, and they both needed to sleep.
.:雪:.
The next morning, it was cloudy, and the skies threatened to snow again.
Ino had changed into a fresh long turquoise sweater and grey tights, and was gently trying to wake the Uchiha up.
"Itachi, get up." she frowned as he rolled over without a sound.
She brightened with an idea, and spoke louder. "Padre, svegliati!" [Father, wake up!]
He shot up, nearly hitting the laughing girl in the nose.
"You called me padre." he accused. "Are you dishonouring your parents' memory?"
She immediately sobered. "Ma mio padre... mio padre non hanno prova di spirito." [But my father... my father wouldn't have minded.]
"Mi scuso." He fell back into his makeshift bed. "Dio, why are you waking me up so early, piccola?"
"I want to go shopping!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "And you, mio padre caro, is going to take me!"
He groaned. "Why not have Mother take you?"
"Nonna left already, saying that she had to go visit Kushina Uzumaki."
"Fuori. I am going to change."
She scurried out happily, clutching her iPod, earbuds already jammed into her ears.
He sighed. Out of his luggage he grabbed a worn black sweater and black jeans, putting them on.
After dragging a comb through his long hair, and securing it with a discreet black tie, he met an excited Ino.
"We are going to need warmer clothes, padre. It is…congelamento."
"Freezing." he translated for her.
"Freezing." she repeated. "More jeans, naturalmente. They are all good, and fashionable. More sweaters, jackets, scarves, mittens, hats and boots too. I need a new pair of boots."
They bundled up with the warmest clothes they had, and went downstairs.
Jonathan greeted them at the doorway, and was about to allow them out when someone wearing a bright orange coat almost barrelled into the long-haired pair.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to almost run you- Itachi?"
"Good morning, Naruto." the dark-haired man acknowledged him as if he saw him yesterday.
"Itachi! I didn't know you were coming back!" the blond boy grinned. "How was Italy?"
Only then the Uzumaki noticed the girl beside him.
"Is that your girlfriend? Isn't she…kinda…young for you?"
Ino laughed. "I am Ino Yamanaka, Itachi's ward."
"Pleasure to meet you, Ino. I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" he crowed. "So you're like Itachi's kid?"
"Kind of. He is taking care of me from now on because my parents died earlier this week." she closed her eyes.
"Sorry. I know what that feels like. I was practically raised by Mikoto because my mom and dad were almost killed in a car crash and didn't wake up for three years." his cerulean blue eyes glazed over. "But now they're awake and alive and seriously kicking some butt. Anyways, I was going to see Sasuke, so see you later!" he ran into the elevator, and waved at them as it closed.
"He is very kind-hearted." Ino commented.
"He is. He owns a fox, a falcon and a dog, all of which he found injured. If I'm not mistaken, his girlfriend is Hinata Hyuga, who is just as kind as him." Itachi began to walk out, leaving Ino to scramble after him.
"Aspettare, Itachi!" she yelled.
He slowed, and she hopped beside him.
"Where are we going first?" she demanded.
"We are going to Bergdorf Goodman's first." He was surprised at his good memory. "We have to cut through Central Park, it is a lot faster."
They were silent for most of the walk to Central Park except for Ino exclaiming her delight at nearly everything in a mix of English and Italian.
Finally, they reached the Park.
A couple children ran in front of them, giggling as they launched snowballs at each other, with cold mothers and cold nannies watching from the background.
Ino looked with longing at the snow. "I wish to play."
"Maybe tomorrow. I shall get Naruto and Sasuke's friends to go out with you."
A loud feminine yell cut through the near-silence.
"REPLAY! SURRENDER! ACHERON! GET BACK HERE!"
Three dogs- a golden retriever, a white-and-grey husky, and a brown-and-white King Charles spaniel- rushed at Itachi and Ino.
"Cani!" the blue-eyed girl cried happily, and knelt down to pet the spaniel and the retriever.
Meanwhile, the husky was circling Itachi amusedly.
A brown-jacketed figure wrapped with a beige scarf ran towards them.
"I'm so sorry! My scarf got tangled with their leashes, and I accidentally let go." she apologized frantically. "Acheron, boy, stop circling that man!"
She grabbed his leash, and tugged gently. "Sorry about him. He always does that." She reached for the other two leashes.
Itachi couldn't speak.
On her pinkened cheeks plastered with wet brown hair, were two identical unnatural red squared patches.
Just like the girl from his memory.
.:雪:.
As above stated, this is for the 100 prompt ItaHana challenge.
Hopefully the Italian wasn't too confusing.
Translations: (forgive me if it's wrong, I'm using a translator.)
Signor- Mr. Piccola- little girl. Si- yes. Perché?- Why?. Grazie- Thank you. Dio- God. Luci- lights. Bella- beautiful. Zio- Uncle. Buona notte- Goodnight. Mio- my. Caro- dear. Fuori- Get out. Naturalmente- naturally. Aspettare- Wait up. Cani- Dogs.
By the way, the divider 雪 means snow.
Drop a review; I'd like to hear your comment.
:E hypheniated