The body switch fiasco was over, had been for months, Sasuke was sitting at his girlfriend, Sakura's house, enjoying the peace and quiet now that the knucklehead had embarked on a solo mission. Sakura poked her head in from the kitchen to ask him if he wanted some tea. "Hn."
Sakura frowned at her boyfriend and took that as a yes. She was learning to speak fluent Uchiha, a language comprised mainly of hns and aahs with the occasional tch. What each one meant depended on the tone and whether a glare was present. She hated that about Sasuke, but he was cute enough to get away with it. A knock at the front door disrupted her reverie and she ran into the living room to answer it before Sasuke could rudely slam any doors in any poor unsuspecting faces, although anyone who came to her door should learn to expect it really.
She did her own slamming two seconds later upon recognizing the face looking at her. She'd whirled around and was barracading the door with her body. 'Oh shit!' Inner Sakura was having a breakdown, he was supposed to be dead. She could not have just saw Itachi Uchiha standing on her doorstep. Deciding she was insane or being punked, she carefully opened the door and gasped. He was now glaring at her and tapping his foot impatiently.
"Ummm... c-can I help you?"
"Is my Otoutou here?"
"Gulp... ummmm... S-Sasuke-kun... ummm it's for you..." She jumped aside and immediately took shelter.
Sasuke's eyes widened. It couldn't be... "Itachi?"
Itachi smirked, "hello foolish little brother."
"How? I saw you die!" Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair,pacing the floor as Sakura always did when she was frustrated. Itachi calmly sat in the living room watching his little brother's angst and confusion in a very bored manor while sipping the tea Sakura had handed him upon his entry. He smirked. Sasuke swung around, pointing at Itachi. "You faked your own death didn't you!"
Itachi sighed, setting the tea down gently on the coaster in front of him, "no Otoutou, I was as dead as they come, Madara revived me."
"You mean reanimated."
Itachi wanted to slap his brother for being so dimwitted. "Reanimation is a corpse version of a puppet jutsu only abilities come with the puppets. I wasn't reanimated, I was revived, hence brought back to life in my own body. They are similar jutsus, however revival gives the one you bring back their own will. Madara should have reanimated me. He would still be breathing right now in that case. He was a fool."
Sakura perked up at hearing that comment, "good, the bastard deserved to die after everything he's done to the Uchiha, the Leaf, and to Naruto."
Sasuke glared at his girlfriend for agreeing with his brother. "Hn."
"Now Sasuke-kun," Sakura started, glaring right back," you know you were planning on taking Madara out yourself. Are you honestly that upset that Itachi did it for you, or just that I'm agreeing with him?"
"Hn."
"Shut up, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke glared at Sakura, giving her the finger.
Itachi grinned unrepentantly at Sasuke, finding himself on the receiving end of a patented glare himself. "I love you too, Otoutou."
Since Itachi had massacred the clan on a mission and only joined Akatsuki as a spy for the Leaf, he'd been cleared of all charges and allowed back in the Leaf permanently. Things were awkward for Itachi. His brother needed more time and space, even knowing the truth. After everything Sasuke had been through at Itachi's hands, it was to be expected and Itachi was being patient. Things would never be the same, the best he could hope for was a loose friendship with his brother and that maybe someday when he walked through the streets of Konoha, that everyone wouldn't act openly leery of him. The only ones that even remotely seemed to be willing to give him a chance were his brother's teammates, Sakura and Naruto. Sai called him the Elder Traitor, and Kakashi acted as if he didn't exist. He was very surprised that Naruto was so tolerant of him, the pinkette, not so much, she was in love with Sasuke, therefore she would be more willing to give her beloved Sasuke-kun's brother a chance. Naruto, however, had every right to hate him. He'd been in league with an organization dedicated to extracting the bijou and killing their hosts. Yet it was Naruto who'd made the first overture in his direction, inviting him to join him for ramen at least once a week, with the exception of when one or the other was on missions. Itachi wasn't particularly fond of the loudmouth blond, but he did want to make an effort to fit in, so he'd accepted every time. The Dobe, as his brother so aptly termed him, was pleased that he had almost guaranteed company for ramen whenever he wanted it. He was getting used to Naruto and finding the he rather liked some aspects of his personality, although his brashness he could live without. Itachi was currently sitting across from the blond, enjoying his ramen and trying desperately to hold his tongue at his loud companion's poor table manners and gluttony. He couldn't help but smirk at the same time at the youth's antics, luckily his face was hidden behind the bowl so the Dobe wouldn't be encouraged.
Naruto put down his empty bowl, his Tenth one, and sighed, rubbing his bloated belly. "Itachi, I think we need to find you a girlfriend."
Itachi nearly spewed his ramen and did end up choking a little. He glared at the blond while wiping his dinner off his chin. "Hn. I'm perfectly fine without one."
Naruto laughed, "Everyone needs love, even a bastard like you."
Itachi glared even more. He hated Naruto's nickname for him, Big Teme. Itachi rolled his eyes, mentally preparing for the oh so predictable onslaught of a Naruto speech.
"As I said, I'm fine, Naruto. I appreciate your concern for my happiness, but it's entirely unneccessary. I'm still getting settled in here and do not need such complications."
Naruto cocked a brow, "don't think you can find a woman to have you, huh Big Teme."
Itachi snorted, not taking the obvious bait as he stood from the table. This conversation was over. He thanked Narto for the company and left his part of the money on the table. He ignored the Dobe's protest at cutting the conversation short as he made his way back toward his apartment.
Naruto spent the better part of that day making a list of available women for Itachi. Unfortunately, most of the women were unsuitable to the Big Teme. He sighed and went to the training grounds to get Sasuke's input.
"I'm telling you, Teme, he's lonely and needs a girlfriend!"
"Hn. Naruto, leave Itachi alone. He doesn't need your meddling," Sasuke replied while throwing a barrage of shuriken at the target.
"But Teme..."Naruto whined.
"Shut up, Dobe, end of discussion."
Naruto turned and stalked off, he hadn't given up, but he knew Sasuke well enough to know that Sasuke wouldn't be talking about it anymore that day. "Sasuke-kun..."
Naruto smirked hearing that voice, Karin. He stopped in his tracks and turned to watch the redhead annoy the crap out of Sasuke. "What do you want."
"I want you to train with me, Sasuke-kun."
"No."
"But Sasuke-kun..."
"I said no, now leave before Sakura catches you harassing me and puts you in the emergency room again."
Karin frowned at that unpleasant memory and huffed, stalking away past Naruto. The lightbulb went off in Naruto's head and he chuckled in sadistic glee. He just figured out who should be Itachi's new girlfriend.
Later that night, Naruto was grinning from ear to ear, he'd successfully infiltrated Hokage tower and hit pay dirt. He had the body switch scroll in his hands, who said lightning couldn't strike twice. He grinned, slipping into his window. Sleep was hard coming that night, he could barely contain his excitement. Now all he had to do was get Big Teme close to Karin and perform a simple jutsu and hope that neither Uchiha brother decided to kill him for it.
It turned out that getting the two together was simple. He asked Itachi to accompany him as per usual, which Itachi accepted, and had already told Karin to meet him at Ichiraku's for a blind date guaranteed to make Teme jealous. The meal was awkward, Karin and Itachi were both glaring at him. Naruto was nervous, Itachi was very formidable and he knew he was playing with fire. 'Worth it,' he thought evilly.
Naruto started his plan, jumping up from the table yelling," bathroom, be right back," as he dashed off. Naruto didn't go to the bathroom, instead he hid around a corner and watched the soon to be lovebirds silently eating their meals. He smiled, pulling out the scroll and beginning the jutsu.
Itachi felt weird, he glanced around, looking for an enemy attack but saw nothing amiss, well nothing except the fact that he was sitting across the table from himself. He choked on his ramen for the second time that day. Itachi glared, putting his hands up while doing the release sign,"release." His eyes widened, why was his voice so feminine? He was in Karin's body! His body jumped up pointing and screaming that someone had stolen their body. Itachi got even more irritated if that were possible and glared at himself, so it was Karin in there. "You stole my body, Karin, I didn't do any jutsu. You will give it back."