AN: HELLO! I would like to formally introduce my latest story A Place to Ruffle my Feathers. I'd like to give a shout out to Raptor3eggs! She really helped me focus to put this story together! Please enjoy!
Uchiha Sasuke had his hands on his knees panting, sweat rolled off his skin darkening the dirt on the ground. He looked to the west observing the setting sun with its enchanting colors lighting up the sky. He stood up smiling, admiring his handy work on the tree trunks around him.
"Sasuke, its dinner time mother is getting worried." a calm voice behind Sasuke's echoed.
Sasuke's eyes lit up as he turned around running to his older brother, "Ni-san!" he screamed wrapping his arms around him.
The older brother gave a small smile to the boy clinging to him. "Hello Sasuke, training?"
The young boy nodded his head. "Yep! What do you think?"
Itachi glanced around noticing were shurikens scattered about, a decent amount had made it to their intended targets. "You are getting better Sasuke." Itachi smiled.
Sasuke puffed his cheeks as he blushed. "That's means it's not good enough! Ni-san help me train!" Sasuke begged.
Itachi gently poked his brother's forehead. "Another time Sasuke, I need to take you home before we both end up getting in trouble."
Sasuke covered his forehead rubbing it. "Ok, ok…" He mumbled. Itachi chuckled at his little brother. "Go collect your shurikens and let's go."
Sasuke rushed off gathering his tools from the surrounding areas when he heard a strange noise, "Did you hear that?" he asked.
Itachi did indeed hear the noise and scanned the training ground for intruders. "Sasuke, hurry up." The Uchiha urged.
Sasuke frowned sensing his brother's sudden urgency. He nodded grabbing the tools at a faster pace. Itachi and Sasuke looked up to the sky as the frightful noise came from above. A bird emerged over the tree line flapping its wings rapidly, and then would stop losing altitude crying out as it flapped harder to regain the lost altitude. Watching carefully Itachi noticed the little bird favored its right wing over the left trying to use it as less as possible. This was causing the bird extra strain on the right wing, which he guessed was why the little thing stopped every so often from over exerting itself. As it crossed the opening of the training grounds the bird's altitude had decreased significantly.
Sasuke had been following the bird with his eyes filled with pity and concern. The bird tried harder to fly, but the wings froze unable to properly flap its wings the poor thing let out one last strangled cry before falling from the sky. Sasuke dashed out in a panic, his arms extended to catch the falling animal.
"Sasuke!" Itachi called his brother's name out in warning but it was too late. He made a leaping catch, gathering the bird close to his chest as he rolled on the ground several times before coming to a halt. Itachi sighed walking over to his dirty brother. Sasuke had his legs and arms curled up with his eyes tightly shut.
"Sasuke?"
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes smiling at Itachi. He stood up gently removing the bird from his chest showing it to his older brother. "Look! I saved him!" The child exclaimed with pride.
Itachi frowned in disapproval… towards the bird and his dirtied clothes. His mother would not be happy about either of them. "Sasuke… Put the bird down. You can't save every animal you find injured." Itachi told his younger brother, and this animal was beyond saving. Unkempt, bent, and mangled feathers, skinny from malnutrition… Itachi would be surprised if it made it through the night.
"No!" Sasuke pouted stomping his foot. "We can't let him die without trying! Fix it Ni-san!"
"Sasuke…" Itachi began; he saw the look on Sasuke's face and sigh. His little brother was close to tears. Face red with anger and his cheeks puffed out twice as big as normal.
Itachi closed his eyes smiling shaking his head in defeat. "Alright, alright, if it gets you to stop pouting."
"Yaaaay!"
"BUT- YOU have to tell mother about this."
The young Uchiha's celebration dance stopped as his face fell. "Ni-san that's not fair!"
Itachi chuckled. "Sorry Sasuke."
Sasuke mumbled under his breath. He walked over to his bag picking it up, following his brother back to the Uchiha compound.
On their way back Sasuke's black orbs never left the bird as he held it gently in the nook of his arm. His heart fell to his stomach getting a good look at the bird. The black feathers were dirty, bald spots were scattered across the body, and the left wing had been bent in a painful position.
"Kuro-chan." He said out loud.
"Hm?"
"I'm going to name him Kuro-chan, don't worry we'll be home shortly. Me and Itachi will fix you right up." Kuro never stirred; just kept its eyes closed breathing heavily.
"You should have left it in the forest Sasuke." Itachi glanced at the bird fearing this wouldn't crush his brother's heart when it died.
"You said you would fix him Itachi, so that's what we are going to do." Sasuke smiled.
Itachi slid the door open to his house letting his brother trot right on in.
"Tadaima." The boy's said taking off their shoes.
A woman with long black hair and fair skin, wearing an apron came around the corner with a smile on her face, "O ka-" her smiled faded as shock replace it.
Uchiha Mikoto stared at her youngest. He was covered head to toe in dirt grinning happily carrying something even filthier than him in his arms. Itachi sighed mumbling under his breath knowing full well his mother was not pleased. Before she could ask the eldest why his brother had come back in such disarray Sasuke ran up to her lifting the bird to her face.
"Look Kaa-san! I saved Kuro's life!"
Mikoto pulled back slightly disgusted by the thing. "K-Kuro?" She asked confused.
Sasuke nodded his head beaming from ear to ear. "Kuro, the crow I saved Kaa-san. Can we keep him?!"
"Sasuke-chan that bird is filthy, plus it doesn't look like it might live that much longer..."
Sasuke reverted back to his pouting face. "Pleaaaasssseeeee?" He begged.
Mikoto faltered, wanting to refuse her sons request. She spared Itachi a sideways glance and he smiled sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders. So this is how the bird pass blockade number one, and number two was slowly crumbling afterwards. Mikoto let out a small huff and patted her sons head.
"The bird can stay for just a little while Sasuke."
Sasuke was about to give his mother a hug when her grip tighten on his head preventing him to moving any further.
"Ah, you need to go take a bath first young man." Mikoto scolded. "Hand the bird to your brother, and don't take too long. Dinner will be ready shortly."
Itachi shot his mother a pleading look and she just happily smiled, though her smile laced with unsaid words. Maybe Itachi will perhaps learn his lesson next time he brings in dirty animals in the house. Sasuke reluctantly handed over Kuro to his brother and ran upstairs to take a bath as instructed.
"I find this as gross as you do yet you force me to carry it. How cruel Kaa-san." Itachi mumbled.
Mikoto smirked at her son's words. "Grab a few towels and set the dear outside on the porch. Wash your hands afterwards and come help your Kaa-san set the table Itachi-chan." Mikoto smiled leaving her son at the mercy of a bird.
Itachi had gathered a few towels making a makeshift nest for the bird setting it down outside on their families porch. The crow's stiff body relaxed when Kuro's head touch the soft towels. Kuro tried to close his wing; he let out a small caw in pain. Itachi's gruff expression softened, the wing really needed to be dressed or the crow could possibly never fly again. He reached out to examine the bird when his mother called.
"Itachi-san, please come set the table."
"Coming." He called back.
Itachi, Mikoto, and a scrubbed clean Sasuke sat around a table eating their dinner.
Itachi looked at the empty seat adjacent to his mother, "Clan meeting?" he asked.
Mikoto nodded her head. "He'll be back tomorrow."
"Done!" Sasuke yelled, slamming his bowl on the table. Itachi smirked at his little brother, Sasuke had scarfed down all his food in record time.
"Sasuke-chan…" Mikoto's voice stopped her son from taking another step outside the dining room. "The bird will still be there, sit back down and enjoy this dinner your Kaa-san has prepared for her family." She told him sternly.
Sasuke dragged his feet all the way back to his seat and sat back down.
"Sasuke, after we are done with the dishes why don't you and I go out and gather some food for the crow." Itachi suggested.
Sasuke leaned over the table with bright eyes. "Really?!"
"Really."
Mikoto sighed. "You spoil your brother too much Itachi."
Sasuke held up a large beetle to Itachi. "What about this Ni-san?"
Itachi examined the bug nodding. "Crows will eat almost anything, so this will defiantly do."
Sasuke smiled brightly shoveling the bug into a small bag which was filling up quickly with slugs, spiders, and other insects. He raced back to his porch pulling out a slug and placed it next to the crow's head.
"Here you go Kuro-chan, eat up. I brought you a yummy, slimy slug."
Mikoto sat next to her eldest who was leaning against the porch's sliding door. Kuro turned his head away from the slug refusing to eat it.
"Come on Kuro, you need to eat to get better." Sasuke pleaded to the bird. Kuro let out a harsh caw.
Itachi and Mikoto knew he was trying to tell the boy he didn't want to "get better". "Poor thing…" Mikoto mumbled. Yet Sasuke wouldn't give up. He pushed every single kind of bug he had stashed in the birds face. Kuro pushed each bug off the towel with his beak, finally burying his head in the towel wanting to be left alone. Sasuke reached in to grab another bug and panic when he pulled nothing out.
Mikoto stood up placing her hand on her son's shoulder. Sasuke turned around to give his mother a hug as he cried, he wanted to help the bird but it wanted to die. His child-like mind couldn't understand why it wanted to go so badly.
Itachi removed himself from the door and walked to his family. "Do you still have some miso on the stove Kaa-san?"
"Yes, just a little bit left." Mikoto nodded. "But why do you ask?"
Itachi left leaving his mother's question hanging in the air. If the bird wanted to die, so be it. But Itachi would be damned if he didn't try to help as well. Sasuke wanted the thing to live, so maybe a cup of miso soup will warm the bird's spirit up. He came back with a bowl filled setting down on the floor. Sasuke sniffled, pulling his head out of his mother's stomach.
"Ni-san?" Sasuke asked as Itachi sat on the floor gently picked up the towel nest with Kuro in it.
He gave a cry out in protest but didn't move from the fluffy nest. Itachi held up the bowl of miso soup to the bird and waited. Sasuke crawled to his brother hovering over him and the bird. Kuro stirred, smelling the warm liquid next to it and his eyes snapped open. Sasuke gasped and Itachi raised his eyebrows in shock.
"Wow Ni-san! You got Kuro to open his eyes!" Sasuke chirped.
"How peculiar," Mikoto commented. "I don't think I have ever seen a crow with red eyes before."
Those red eyes were checking people surrounding him, but remembered there was warm food nearby and sat up slowly, cawing a bit out in pain.
"Easy," Itachi distressed to the bird. "Let me help you." Kuro stilled tilting his head to Itachi getting a better look.
Kuro looked away from Itachi glaring at the miso in his hands. "Here you go." He held up the soup right below his beak, Kuro hesitantly dipper his beak in the bowl, his red beady eyes lit up cawing happily. He dipped his beak back in and lapped up the rest of the soup.
Itachi and Sasuke smirked turning to their mother. "What?" Mikoto asked genuinely confused.
"Looks like we are not the only ones who like your cooking Kaa-san." Itachi mumbled. Sasuke covered his mouth holding back snickers.
Mikoto coughed in her hands. "Well then… If anyone… or thing enjoys my cooking that much, they can't be all that bad."
Sasuke perked up. "You mean?!"
She nodded her head. "Yes, Sasuke," Mikoto let out a lighter hearted chuckle. "The bird can stay… permanently. But you are going to have to be responsible for him young man. That means giving him food and water, and most importantly baths. I'll even talk to your father so you don't worry about him." She winked.
"Thank you Kaa-san!" Sasuke cheered wrapping his arms tightly around Mikoto's waist.
"Caw!" Kuro called. He had finished the miso soup ruffling his feathers as he settled back down in the towel nest closing his eyes.
"Must be tired after dealing with you two knuckleheads this evening." Mikoto teased.
"Hey!" Sasuke retorted.
Itachi held a finger to his lips. "Kuro-chan is asleep." He whispered.
Mikoto and Sasuke giggled at their new house resident. Kuro had spread his wings out wide sleeping on his back making little noises whenever his foot twitched.
"Come on boys; let's leave Kuro-chan to a good night's sleep. He probably hasn't had one in a while."
"Kay." Sasuke whispered. The three Uchiha's made their way to their rooms. Later that evening a figure came down the stairs roaming into the kitchen grabbing a towel. They placed the towel over Kuro's body. He cawed gently in his sleep, making the figure smile as they made their way back to bed.
AN: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter of A Place to Ruffle my Feathers! I kind of liked how Mikoto gave in because a bird loved her cooking haha. :D.
I would LOVE to hear back from you guys! This may turn into a M rated fic later on... And you will find out possibly in the next few chapters :P *coff,coff* I'd like to update every week (I just need to focus!)
Later!
Kuro
