Flick on the Forehead
Summary: We all know Itachi wanted to learn more about what it means to be a shinobi and that he often took little trips alone into the woods for training, but what if one such trip sent him traveling through time? Where would he end up? What would happen? Read to find out.
A/N: Another time travel fic! As is already mentioned, Itachi travels to the past to the time before the Chuunin Exams but after they learned of them and meets genin Team 7. And as the title suggests, there'll be some Uchiha brotherly fluff and a bit of drama and angst. Now, remember, Itachi is a genius so he will catch up pretty quickly as to what happened so I won't accept any complaints about that part. Itachi's just cool like that. This is another one shot dedicated and inspired by a picture I saw and fell in love with. It was just too cute. Hope you enjoy!
R&R
"I'll be going then." Uchiha Itachi, ten years old, the older son of the Uchiha main family, called to his parents before running out of the door without waiting for an answer. Fugaku shook his head and Mikoto giggled as she prepared some breakfast for her younger son, Sasuke, who has yet to get out of bed. Well, the boy was still only four so no one put it against him and he was awfully cute when he just woke up.
"I wonder how he can be so eager to train?" Fugaku mused, still looking at the doorway of the kitchen where Itachi had just passed before returning his gaze to the newspaper he had been reading. Mikoto chuckled as she sliced some tomatoes to go with the onigiri she had prepared for Sasuke.
"He is exceptional, anata. Maybe everything else is too boring now." The Uchiha head just 'hn'd and left it at that.
Meanwhile, Itachi had already left the village quite a ways behind him, jumping from tree to tree with grace unmatched by even the stealthiest feline or the best trained ninja. He will have to train alone today, as Shisui was out on a mission. Itachi didn't like training with anyone else, as they either wanted to baby him or fawn all over him, so he kept to himself. He had to get stronger. He had to. Jonin he might be but Itachi still felt as weak as he had been when his teammates and sensei were killed.
He didn't feel exceptional at all.
Yet people kept saying it. "Itachi is so strong", "Itachi completed that mission on his own", "Itachi lived up to the Uchiha name", "Itachi took the Chuunin and Jonin Exams by himself and set unreachable records", "Itachi is so smart and skilled", "Itachi is a genius" and on and on and on! It was driving him crazy! If he was really so exceptional, then why had his first friends and teammates die right in front of him? Why hadn't he been able to do anything!?
He wasn't exceptional. He was as human as everyone else, yet no one seemed to get that. He had to be perfect.
So Itachi escaped them all, those who fear him, who have expectations of him, who admire and all but worship him. He escaped by going out into the woods to train and explore and think about ... anything, really. He just wanted some peace and quiet and to be as far away as he could from people, from the missions and ranks and expectations. Away from everything.
Well, not everything. Itachi smiled as thoughts of his adorable little brother filled his mind and a warm feeling filled him. Sasuke would never be too much. He could spend an eternity with his otouto and still want to see him the very next second. Some might call it a brother complex but it was just unconditional love for the younger boy. Itachi would do anything for Sasuke.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the by now familiar sound of gawking and flapping of wings. He looked up and couldn't help but stare in wonder with the matching smile as, once again, most of the ravens in the forest took flight to greet him. Ever since he was six, he and the ravens had a special relationship. Ever since the day he had thrown himself over a cliff, wondering the meaning of life, the ravens followed him, one especially. It had strange red eyes but it was more of a partner to him than a pet.
Itachi smiled and formed a series of hand seals so fast that not even the Sharingan would be able to catch them. It was a jutsu he himself has made when he established a pact with ravens. His form slowly started to dissolve into dozens of ravens before the birds flew in all directions, only to meet together and reform back into the boy a hundred feet away. Itachi was panting but had a pleased smile on his face. He was getting longer and longer range each time he tried this teleportation method. He had started out with barely two feet away. He considered it a great improvement.
But today he wasn't out here for training. He was out here to explore. He had overheard from two older jonin that there should be an interesting abandoned temple in this part of the forest, not even visited by the ANBU that patrol through this area, so he had decided to check it out. Who knows? Maybe he'll find some long lost scroll or unearth a secret older than the village itself? Or maybe he'll have an adventure? And so he had packed a light lunch and brought a bag of food pills with him, as well as his small katana and enough shuriken and kunai to defend himself should the need arise and took off.
He never thought he'd end up with what he had.
He had found the shrine with little to no difficulty. All that training with Shisui and the time he had spent in the forest had without a doubt paid off. The shrine was beautiful, even in the sorry state that it was. Its red paint still stubbornly clung to the walls and the kitsune statues guarding the entrance were intact, almost untouched by time or weather. Itachi made his way inside, admiring the endurance of the place, especially since no one has tended to it for years. He wondered if it had been abandoned after the Kyuubi attack.
And that's when it had happened. As soon as he had entered the inner chamber of the shrine, a big light engulfed his body and Itachi heard and saw no more. He woke up what felt hours later and he scowled. It looks as though he had fallen for a trap and had been knocked out for the whole day and night, if the sun was any indication as it rose from the tree lines. Kami-sama, his parents must be worried, and worse still, Sasuke, too. Great, he was even going to get into trouble for the first time in his life.
With a sigh, Itachi got to his feet and checked himself for injuries. He seemed unharmed. Good. He didn't even have a bruise! That's when he looked around the temple again, only to stop in his tracks. The temple looked even worse off than when Itachi came in! The Uchiha quickly ran out into the courtyard, but it was so overgrown with wild plants that Itachi couldn't find the little stone path he had walked up just a few hours ago!
'What is going on?' Itachi wondered as he traveled through the woods, looking around and seeing that many things have changed for the forest. The ravens didn't fly along his path, not even the one that always, always stayed with him as long as it could. The paths he used for training that very morning were gone, overgrowth covering them and hiding them from sight. Itachi was just lucky that he knew the way so well or he would have gotten lost a long time ago.
He still traveled at a slower pace just to make sure, so he reached the edges of the village, where all training grounds were, half an hour later. He looked around and got even more confused, as things were different here too! He was either dreaming this up or in some parrarel dimension or something.
Itachi's attention was then drawn by the sound of kunai and shiruken hitting a mark on a nearby tree. Three shuriken then six kunai, off the mark by two inches to the left. Yes, Itachi could tell by the sound alone. He had heard the sound enough times to know what it sounds like. He couldn't help but be curious as to who would be up at the crack of dawn and training. He had honestly thought only he did that. And so, as if drawn in by the sound, Itachi left the safety and cover of the trees so he could enter the clearing inconspicuously.
He peered around the tree and saw a panting blond boy maybe a couple of years older than him, dressed in kill me orange clothes that seriously irritated Itachi's eyes. The boy had a Konoha forehead protector, meaning he was a ninja, most likely a genin judging by his still clumsy skills. What surprised Itachi was when the blond turned around to the side and Itachi caught a glimpse at his startlingly blue eyes. He felt his own widen as he knows only one person who had eyes like that and blond hair coupled with it, but Yondaime has been dead for already four years. Yet this was as if watching a far less graceful but far louder younger version of the legendary Yellow Flash.
"Damn it," the blond grumbled before falling on his behind. He had obviously been at it for some time and he was tired but he jumped back up to his feet in a few seconds and ran over to the target, took out his weapons and started all over again. No matter how many times he missed, the blond never gave up, doing the same thing again and again. Itachi watched for an hour and the blond had yet to stop. By now, he even had blisters on his arms, a few shallow cuts from when he would angrily snatch the weapons and he had sweated right through the ugly orange jacket. His blue eyes looked slightly hazy and Itachi could see that he was close to collapsing, but the blond obviously wasn't leaving until all his hits landed where they should.
Finally, Itachi decided to interfere before the blond passed out. He stepped calmly into the clearing, took out his own kunai and shuriken and took aim. Despite both three kunais and three shuriken being thrown at the same time, by the same hand, they still hit the target perfectly, which should be impossible since throwing stars needed a different way of twisting the wrist when letting go, but Itachi was so practiced, he could pull it off. Before he could even speak, the blond whirled around and Itachi took note of the three whisker like scars on each cheek.
"TEME! I said I don't need your he ... lp..." the blond finished lamely when he saw that it was not whoever he had thought Itachi to be. He stopped pointing his finger at the younger boy and instead rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else."
"It's alright. Sorry to interrupt your training, but I wanted to offer advice." The little raven haired boy said and the tween cocked his head in curiosity.
"Advice?"
"Yes. You see, you're throwing the kunai wrong because you threw the shuriken first." He took out another shuriken and demonstrated by giving a flick of his wrist and sending it flying right into the center of one of the targets. Blue eyes watched with rapt attention. "Like this, you get used to the flick and you make it with the kunai, too, and kunai are not meant to be thrown like that. Shuriken can make an arch in their path but kunai are supposed to go straight ahead. A direct path, so to say. Do you understand?" He looked towards the blond even as he threw a kunai at the target and it landed blade to miniature blade with the shuriken. The boy gawked at him before determination filled his eyes and he nodded. After a few tries, the blond cheered when every hit landed. It wasn't the perfect center but it was in the bullseye and that was apparently more than enough for the blond, because his stomach suddenly started growling.
A blush coated his cheeks as he smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry." Itachi smiled back to show he didn't mind, as it was normal. It was probably around nine already, which would make it a four or so hour long training session without a break for the blond. No wonder he was hungry. "Mind joining me for breakfast, dattebayo?"
Itachi was about to decline when his own stomach made a protest and the raven blushed. The blond laughed good naturally and extended a hand to mess with Itachi's hair. Itachi swatted at the hand with a small chuckle. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, by the way." Black eyes widened for a fraction of a second before everything fell into place.
'So it hadn't been hours but years since I was knocked out. Or is it something else?' He wondered as they made their way into the village. He instantly knew it was something else as nobody made a fuss about his return. If he had been missing all these years, then the villagers would have immediately run off to tell his father of his return. So this meant he must have, somehow some way he did not currently understand, been sent off to the future. It was a good thing he ran into Naruto or he might have ended up making a commotion in the village and as such drawing unwanted attention while trying to figure out what was going on. But because he met Naruto, he recognized that this was the boy born four months after Sasuke, the boy Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko in the night he was born. Itachi had seen the little boy only a handful of times before but it would be impossible to mistake him for anyone else.
"I'm Itachi. It's nice to meet you, Naruto-kun." The twelve year old beamed at him as he lead Itachi to his favorite ramen stand. The cook and his daughter happily greeted Naruto and immediately served him a bowl, making it painfully obvious that the blond frequented the stand a lot.
"Who's your new friend, Naruto?" The girl asked as Itachi ordered. To his delight,they did have dango and so he ordered a small bowl of miso ramen and a big plate of dango.
"Oh, this is Itachi! I just met him this morning and he helped me with my training." The blond paused only so long to answer with a happy grin before going right back to his food. Itachi sweat dropped but it kind of went with the rest of the blond's character. It just fit.
"I just gave you some advice."
"Still, thank you for helping Naruto. Rare few do." The girl said in a hushed voice as Naruto asked for another. She handed him his order and Itachi nodded, said thanks for the food and started eating. His meal and half of Naruto's ended up being on the house because the pair were obviously very fond of the blond. Itachi followed the blond as Naruto made his way off towards another training ground near the little stream with the nice red wooden bridge. Itachi was listening to the blond chatter as he watched the places they were passing. No one threw him a second glance because all of their eyes were focused on the blond, glaring at him as if they wanted him to disappear in a swirl of flames. But Naruto was obviously used to it and just ignored them.
"You should meet Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei and the teme. They're all pretty cool and nice, although Kakashi-sensei is a bit of a pervert and Sakura-chan has a scary temper and the teme is a teme." Itachi looked back at the blond, arching an eyebrow at the blush that had appeared when talking about 'the teme'. Did Naruto have a crush on this boy? That's ... sort of cute. He'll have to look after the Naruto of his time when he goes back. He was already fond of the funny blond. 'He might make a good friend for Sasuke.'
"Oi! Sakura-chan!" Itachi looked up when the blond bellowed suddenly, waving up ahead. Itachi focused on a red dressed, pink haired girl with a really big forehead that nearly blinded him when it reflected the sun. "Ohayo!" He watched as the blond hurried over to her and she disinterestedly greeted him. "So where are the others?"
"Kakashi-sensei will be late as always," the kunoichi, Sakura apparently, answered with an annoyed frown but she soon brightened up. "And Sasuke-kun usually arrives at around this time!" Itachi froze in his spot, eyes going impossibly wide at his little brother's name. He's going to meet a grown up Sasuke? What should he do!? "By the way, what are you doing here so early?"
"Oh, I wanted to introduce you guys to a new friend of mine that helped me out this morning." Naruto blindly grasped for Itachi before wrapping an arm around Itachi in a headlock and drawing him closer. "Sakura-chan, this is Itachi. Itachi, this is one of my teammates, Sakura-chan." Emerald eyes widened when they took in Itachi before she squealed and grabbed him, hugging him close.
"Kya~! He's so cute, Naruto!" Itachi felt his eyebrow twitch. He was not cute, damn it. Nor was he a puppy to be fawned upon like this. It brought up bad memories of his own fans back home when he was in the Academy or a genin after that. Didn't girls get that? He was not something to be ogled at! Thankfully, his reputation at least made them fawn over his skill now and not his features he had no idea where he got from. He looked like neither his chichia nor his oka-san. Or any of his uncles and ants or his grandparents... his features seem to be a skip in generations or altogether new in the Uchiha blood line. Not that he didn't still resemble the rest of his clan. He was just (and here Itachi swore he would kill anyone who dared say 'exceptional') different.
"Yes, but you shouldn't suffocate him to death, Sakura-chan." The blond replied with a sweat drop and Itachi really wished he wasn't so polite so he could roll his eyes at the antics of the girl.
"Suffocate who to death?" The two genin nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard the unexpected sound of their sensei's voice behind them. They looked over their shoulders and it was, indeed, Hatake Kakashi there, Icha Icha Paradise and all. Sakura had yet to let go of the ten year old but she almost did when she saw her crush, Uchiha Sasuke, standing beside the jonin, a scowl on his face. Like usual.
"Morning, sensei, teme!"
"Hn," for the second time that morning, Itachi froze up with eyes wide open as he heard the all too familiar Uchiha grunt.
"Morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura's chirp confirmed it. It was his little brother. Well, Sasuke was probably older than him now. Now ain't that a weird paradox.
"So, what are you two doing? Naruto found some puppy or kitten or something?" Kakashi asked flipping a page of his book, not even looking up or apparently waiting for an answer.
"No." Sakura said, still not believing that her sensei was on time. "Although, is it the Apocalypse?"
"Yeah, you're not late." Naruto said curiously.
Kakashi frowned but never looked away from his orange little book. "Hey, I'm not always late."
"You are." All three genin intoned and the silver haired man might have been pouting behind his book and mask.
"So if it's not an animal, what is it?" The jonin asked and Sakura and Naruto grinned.
"Not 'what' but 'who'!" Sakura spun around, Itachi still in her grasp and now exposed to the eyes of his little brother who was now taller than him. Icha Icha Paradise fell to the ground as Kakashi and Sasuke stared at Itachi, both having instantly recognized him, before Kakashi had to restrain Sasuke like during their first training when the younger (older?) Uchiha launched at past Itachi with the Chidori already chirping its deadly tune. Sakura stared wide eyed while Itachi had instinctively leapt out of her hold so he wouldn't be striked down. Naruto's gaze swiveled from the cursing Sasuke on the ground, yelling profanities that would make even sailors blush, to the perplexed looking Itachi.
"What's going on?" He asked when no one said anything (other than Sasuke's cursing) for a whole of five minutes. He walked over to the ten year old to check him for injuries but Itachi waved him off, gaze sorrowful as he stared at his trashing brother. Naruto's closeness to the pony tailed raven only fueled Sasuke's anger more until Kakashi had enough and bent Sasuke's arm at a painful angle while he leaned down to whisper some reason into the boy's ear, because he knew he couldn't match the raven's volume now that he was in full swing.
"Sasuke, snap out of it!" He hissed but the boy didn't let up. "That Itachi is not the one you're hunting for! He doesn't know anything about the massacre! He's too youn-" But before he could finish, he felt small but strong hands grab him and throw him spectacularly over a young shoulder and he landed harshly on the ground. Luckily for his head, the grass and earth were soft so he didn't crack his skull open. He stared up at the blazing Sharingan red eyes of a ten year old Uchiha Itachi as the boy still held onto his hand and arm, ready to put damaging pressure should he try anything. "What the-"
"No one hurts my otouto." Itachi all but growled and gave a warning squeeze. Sakura screamed in fright and alarm when the Fuma Shuriken cut the boy in two ... only for his supposedly cut in half body to burst into ravens which flew away and behind the once again standing Sasuke, where they started reforming into Itachi. Three inches shorter he may be but he still had the stance of the older brother Sasuke had admired for more than half his life and that just further set him off. His Sharingan came out and the two Uchiha glared at each other before springing into action at the same time. They drew their kunai and clashed in the middle, metal against metal, before springing apart, forming the same hand seals and breathing out the same giant fireball. Kakashi cursed and lifted up Sakura and Naruto and took them to the top of the tallest tree so that they could observe but not get in the way. It was getting too dangerous.
The fight didn't last long, however, as Itachi did not want to hurt his younger brother. No matter the reason Sasuke had attacked him for, he will never willingly injure the little brother he swore to protect. So he did the only thing he could. He took out all his shuriken and kunai and jumped high in the air. Sasuke recognized the move - of course he did, he trained himself into the ground for months to master it - and got ready to dodge from all sides. None of the flying weapons hit their mark, or so Sasuke thought until Itachi took out his small katana and cut a single wire Sasuke only now saw and the chain reaction had Sasuke tied up and hanging in the air, spreadeagled style and a wire around his chest.
Itachi landed on a single wire right in front of him with a grace water would envy him for and lifted his right hand. Sakura and Naruto, fearing what he may do, somehow wiggled out of their sensei's hold and free-falled to the ground, Kakashi hastily following them, more curious than worried. Sasuke's rage disappeared in a slight wince when a finger flicked his forehead, leaving him stunned as he stared at the smaller Uchiha before him. "That's enough, otouto." And just like that, the fight was over, Sasuke not even cursing anymore, the Sharingan red fading back into black. He just ... kind of hung there.
''Sasuke!''
''Sasuke-kun!? Are you alright?'' The other two genin of Team 7 stopped right in front of the younger Uchiha, shocked that he had been defeated so easily. After all, they had seen Sasuke fight, but this ten year old boy seemed to be in a league of his own.
''What the hell, teme? Why did you attack a little kid?'' The blond asked, coming closer to free his teammate, but Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Naruto looked up at him in confusion and the silver haired man just shook his head. ''Sensei?''
''Just let them deal with this.'' Kakashi said and Naruto hesitantly nodded, stopping in his tracks. Sakura looked worriedly between them and the two Uchihas, bitting her lip.
Itachi ignored them, focused solely on his brother, who was one second scowling at him, then he would look away, look back up at Itachi with a strange look in his eyes that broke the pony tailed boy's heart, then looked away again, only to glare at him a few seconds later again. He didn't know what to think of all of this, as it was not something he had ever seen in his little brother's eyes. He wasn't sure how to deal with it when he had so little information.
Why would Sasuke attack him? Did they have a falling out over the years? Itachi severely doubted that he would allow such a thing to happen and make a rift between him and his most important person. After all, he was sure Sasuke was his sanity's guardian and keeper. He had given his entire heart to Sasuke so there was no way Itachi could live without his little brother because of a stupid fight or something like that.
It was time to get answers.
''Why did you attack me, Sasuke?'' Itachi asked and Sasuke's eyes flashed with untold rage at the question. Itachi wondered if he should maybe tighten the wires a bit so Sasuke would not attack him again.
''You dare ask me why after what you did?!'' The twelve year old Uchiha hissed, getting railed up again and renewing his struggles. Itachi sighed and took hold of one of the wires, tugging slightly and completely immobilizing Sasuke again. '''Let me go, you son of a bitch!''
''We have the same mother, otouto.'' Came the calm reply with an arched eyebrow.
Sasuk growled almost savagely at the title the ten year old had given him. ''Don't you dare call that! You bastard, just let me go!''
''We also have the same father. Seriously, Sasuke, what's going on? Why did you attack me?'' Itachi asked with a sigh. Sasuke looked at the younger version of his older brother and took in the confusion in his black eyes and something finally fully clicked into place.
''You ... really don't know...'' He mumbled and Itachi leaned closer to hear what he was saying, but Sasuke remained silent, brooding over the revelation as if the greatest secret of the world had just been revealed. ''You don't know ... You're too young to know. You're what, ten? Yeah, you're definitely only ten. So you don't know.''
''Know what, Sasuke? What should I know?''
Sasuke looked ready to answer, but then he looked at Itachi's face, saw the loving and doting brother he had thought gone forever and decided against it. It may just be a temporary illusion or whatever, but he wanted his brother back, even if just for an hour, for a second. He wanted the Itachi that would flick his forehead and apologize for being too busy to teach him jutsu, because at least that Iachi had been caring. He wanted that Itachi that he had lost. So he just shook his head and ignored Itachi's frown. He knew his brother wouldn't like being kept in the dark, although Sasuke really doubted that would be the case for much longer. Itachi was just smart like that.
Itachi sighed for who knows which time and lifted his small katana, making the two genin behind him tense up again when they saw the weapon. He paid them no mind as he easily cut one of the wires and all the other wires soon snapped as well, freeing Sasuke. The younger brother landed barely keeping his balance but he stayed on his feet. He glared at the wire that casually fluttered to the ground but let it go. He had ore important things to worry about.
''How did you get into the future?''
Itachi shrugged, not really sure himself. ''I was in the abandoned shrine in th forest when something I thought of a a trap blinded me and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was still there, but I was somehow in the future. Eight years, too, if my calculations are correct. Then I ran into Naruto-kun and we went for breakfast and now we are here, my own little brother trying to kill me and refusing to tell me the reason.''
''You shouldn't have been in that temple to begin with,'' Kakashi scolded as he approached the two brothers with the other two genin. Itachi looked him up and down, raised and eyebrow before snorting in a very uncharacteristic manner.
''You are not really in a position to chastise me, Kakashi-san, was it? You are not of a higher rank.''
Sakura spoke up before Kakashi could even open his mouth to retort. ''You may be cure but that is no way to speak to your superior in both years, rank and experience!'' She scolded and Sasuke actually rolled his eyes at her.
''He's not his superior in anything other than years, Sakura.''
''Eh? What do you mean?'' Sakura and Naruto asked in the same voice, perplexed looks in their bright eyes. Naruto even cocked his head to the side like a cute curious fox and Itachi watched in fascination as a slight blush entered his brother's cheeks. It was only for a second before a superior smirk came onto his face, pride puffing up his chest a he crossed his arms.
''He's a jonin, dobe. Probably been one for a few months now.'' Sakura's and Naruto's jaws promptly and Itachi sighed as they turned to gawk at him. He was used to it, really, but he preferred it when it didn't happen.
''Y-you're a jonin!?'' Sakura screeched as she turned to look at the younger boy. ''B-but you're younger than us!''
''And he took the Chuunin and Jonin Exams all on his own.'' Sasuke added and the two other genin's jaws became one with the ground. Kakashi sighed and rubbed his head. His day had just gotten far more complicated than it had any right to be, considering he had even came on time for once.
''We will have to report this to the Hokage as soon as we possibly can. Maybe he knows how to send Itachi back to his own time without messing things up any further.''
''Hell, no!'' Naruto suddenly came back to life and jumped over to Itachi. ''I'm not letting him go just like that! He's going to teach me some cool jonin stuff for the Chuunin Exams!'' He placed a hand around Itachi's shoulders
The ten year old chuckled when he saw his brother rolling his eyes. "Sure, Naruto-kun. I'm sure both you and my otouto will use the 'cool jonin stuff' well."
Naruto and Sakura blinked at him stupidly and Sasuke started massaging his forehead. "Your little brother?"
"Why, Sasuke, of course." He replied and watched with some strange sense of satisfaction when the two genin's jaws dropped open for who knows which time in the past half an hour of him being in their presence. Then Naruto leaned into the two Uchiha's faces, causing Sasuke to scowl and blush while Itachi just looked amused. The scowling raven haired boy reached out and pushed Naruto away, making sure the blond is further away from Itachi and the ten year old chuckled at his brother's jealousy.
"Wow, you really do look like the teme," the Kyuubi vessel muttered, still critically studying the two brothers. Then those incredibly blue eyes widened and he looked at Sasuke with something akin to fear. Before anyone could blink, the blond attached himself to Itachi's arm. "I don't care what happened, I am not allowing you to kill my new friend, Sasuke."
"Oh, for the love of-! Dobe! I won't kill this Itachi! This one doesn't even know what happened!" Sasuke finally lost his cool - for the second time, but the first was because he saw the past version of the man who had killed his entire family and clan, so that didn't really count - and shouted at the blond, causing Naruto to frown at him.
''Oh, so you'll just ignore this little event and go ahead and kill the one that does know what happened? That kinda sucks, you know.'' The blond accused but Kakashi stepped in before they could argue further.
''That's enough, you two. Naruto,'' he said, looking at the blond. ''What Sasuke does is none of your business as it is a clan matter. Sasuke,'' he turned to look at the raven. ''Forget it for now. Let's just take Itachi to Sandaime-sama and see to it that Itachi is sent home. Itachi,'' the silver haired man looked finally to the even younger version of his young friend and fellow ANBU. ''I think you should be prepared for your memories to be erased.''
''There's no way anyone could break the barriers I have placed around my mind, Kakashi-san.'' And Kakashi shivered at hearing that title said in that voice. It had been four years, after all. ''Shisui has tried with his Sharingian, as had other few in my clan, but they have been unsuccessful and even ended up having severe problems because of it later on.''
''I didn't mean with the Sharingan, Itachi. No one powerful enough is left for that attempt, anyway,'' the last part was muttered but Itachi didn't need to hear it. His eyes were just as sharp without his Sharingan active to read even the slightest movement of Kakashi's lips, even beneath the mask. He frowned but didn't mention it. He had a nasty suspicion something terrible had struck his family and clan and that Sasuke blamed him for it, so he was not going to push his luck about it. ''I meant one of the Yamanaka was going to enter your mind and erase your memories.''
''I guess you didn't hear about the one time they tried doing just that, Kakashi-san.'' At the strange and interested looks he was getting, Itachi continued. ''A month ago, back in my time, they sent me on an important mission to gather vital information meant for the Hokage's ears only. The plan was for me to gather said information, deliver it, report it and then have someone erase it from my mind. Apparently, it was impossible, as Inoichi-san said my 'mental barriers' are too strong. They speculated it might have something to do with my Sharingan but my clan members have tried training me against hypnosis and other such things before I had my Sharingan and they would jump out in front of me and try to use Tsukuyomi on me, but it never worked. In fact, they ended up in Tsukuyomi themselves. Inoichi-san himself had barely escaped it when he entered my mind.''
Kakashi took a long moment to absorb this information before sighing warily. ''Can you do it yourself, then? Lock away these memories?''
''I will have to try.'' Itachi said in a manner that said he probably wouldn't give it his all. After all, he thought he might find a way to make things better this time around if he had enough information and knew what had went wrong in the first place. If he could prevent that, then maybe Sasuke wouldn't hate him now. And judging by Kakashi's suspicious look, he must have caught on to his plan, too, but shrugged it off. They'd just have to be more careful about what they reveal to the ten year old.
And so they made their way back into the streets of the village, going straight for the Hokage's office on the other side of Konoha. Sakura felt too awkward and too embarrassed to talk, not to mention thinking Sasuke might need this time with his nii-san to fix everything, so she kept quiet. Sasuke was in his brooding mood again and was quite content to just walk quietly through the village with the occasional glance at his brother on his right and the dobe on his left. Kakashi's nose was buried in his porn, as usual, and so it was up to Naruto to make conversation for them all. He talked mostly to the two Uchiha, getting answering grunts or 'hn's every now and then.
As for Itachi, he spent his time studying his surroundings, taking in as many details as he possibly could. He ignored the fawning fangirls his little brother was getting, or the glares the blond Kyuubi vessel was attracting, or the whispers his won presence was causing. He was glad he had his backpack on his back as he knew that the big red and white Uchiha fan there would arise too much questions he was not willing to answer to anymore other than the few that will need to know.
Instead, he focused on the little and big details and changes. For one, he noted a great big lack of the Uchina crest anywhere. Where were all his numerous relatives? Surely some of them had a day off to relax after their missions or the younger ones from their training? But he saw no Uchiha fans, nor did he see any dark heads and pale faces. Then he noticed that no one made room for the Uchiha Police patrol teams that should come through in a matter of minutes. He knew their schedule by heart almost, so he knew that one of his aunts and two cousins should walk by here now. Well, maybe they changed the schedule, but that schedule has been the same since the formation of the Police, so that couldn't be it, either. Unless there were too few a members to fulfill the regular ratio? The Uchiha had always been the most numbered clan in the Five Nations.
But the thing that disturbed him the most was the pitying glances older people threw Sasuke and the ANBU he could see well hidden on the roofs or in the trees. Was Sasuke under suspicion? Why would his little brother be under any suspicion? Sasuke was a good kid. He may have turned a bit mean but he remained the cute little brother Itachi knew was waiting for him back home.
Could it have anything to do with Sasuke's rather strange and violent reaction to Itachi's mere presence?
By the time he had finished his musings, they have already made it to the Tower. The receptionist told them that the Hokage had just left a meeting and that they should ot disturb him unless it is truly serious and urgent, but Kakashi waved him off and told the chuunin at the desk that it was really important. The man nodded and rang the Hokage's office, rather surprised that the Hokage immediately summoned them in. After all, that meeting had been three hours long and who knows how much the Council and the advisors had bored the old man. But he was the Hokage so he let Team 7 and their little time-traveling companion through.
Itachi wasn't at all fazed by the shock the man received when Itachi came to stand beside Sasuke, Naruto on the scowling raven's other side. What he was surprised with was the single tear that leaked down the old cheek as Hiruzen stood up, walked up to Itachi and fell on his knees before the ten year old and bowed until his forehead was touching the floor, his Hokage hat long since having fallen to the ground.
''Uchiha Itachi, I am so sorry. I beg for your forgiveness.'' He said formally but very emotionally and all pieces suddenly fit into place in Itahci's mind. He closed his eyes and lifted his head, as if looking up at god and wondering just how much damage he has done. By the hatred of his brother and the lack of the Uchiha's presence in Konoha, he had a pretty good guess and he only prayed he had had a good reason for it.
''Sandaime, please stand up.'' He told the old man in a tight voice and Team 7 looked at him even more strangely than when Sarutobi had fallen to his knees before him. He hung his head and massaged the bridge of his nose. When the old man made no move to do as he said, Itachi sighed and looked up at him through his bangs and eyelashes. ''Was it for a good reason?''
''Yes, it stopped a wa-''
''Then promise me you will tell that reason to Sasuke, that you will explain everything, and I will gladly forgive you.''
''The you of this time will disagree strongly with this course of action.'' Sarutobi warned and the four forgotten shinobi looked from one to the other, as if it were a really interesting tennis match and they daren't miss a moment of it.
Itachi snorted. ''The me of this time must have been placed in a tight corner when he decided to keep Sasuke in the dark about it. It was a stupid decision.''
''And how do you know Sasuke is not in on it? That he doesn't already know?''
''Because he would be hating you and Konoha and he probably wouldn't be here right now, but somewhere out there with the Itachi of this time.'' Itachi reasoned with a look on his face that suggested he was talking with a rather stupid person. Hiruzen huffed and stood up.
''I will agree to your terms. I will tell Sasuke everything after you leave.'' The pony tailed Uchiha nodded to this approvingly while Sasuke frowned at them. Why couldn't the old man just tell him now? Or better yet, why doesn't Itachi tell him? ''But how did you figure anything is out of place?''
''I don't think that's something I want to discuss. Not after I did figure it out and was forced to face the reality of it.'' Itachi dismissed. ''Could you tell me how I got here?''
''That depends on what you did before arriving here.'' The Hokage said as he walked back to his chair and sat down, his hat once again on his head. And so Itachi told him how he got here, about the abandoned temple and the time he spent in the future. After a moment of thought, Sarutobi sighed tiredly. ''That temple has always been void of life other than those who are destined to enter it.''
''What's that supposed to mean?'' Naruto couldn't stay quiet any longer and decided to butt in. He ignored Sakura's glare and instead focused on the old man.
''It means, Naruto, that no one has ever been to the temple but the few that were meant to go there. No one knows how old it is or who built it, nor do we know how it chooses who should come and who shouldn't. All we know is that people go to the temple, enter it and come back changed. They usually speak of strange dreams they had while they slept in the temple, yet they never say what is the content of said dreams. We tried finding the temple years ago, when Namikaze Minato disappeared to find it. He came back from the temple after we searched through the entire woods and he started studying sealing techniques. Years later, they came in quite handy.''
''Wait, you searched the entire forest and never found it?'' Sakura asked incredulously and the Sandaime nodded. ''But how is that possible?''
''It would seem that the temple is dedicated to Inari and as such disappears behind an illusion every time someone not meant to enter it comes near it. Not even the Sharingan can see through that one.''
''Not even Sharingan?'' Sasuke and Kakashi asked in surprise while Itachi just frowned.
''So you are saying I was able to find it for some special reason?''
''Yes, and it brought you here. Perhaps I should contact your older self and have him come back. It would seem a storm is brewing if you of all people were sent from the past.'' Sarutobi sighed and pressed the intercom on his desk. The secretary poofed into the office and Sandaime started speaking before the man could greet him. This was too important for pleasantries. ''Get me the fastest hawk in here in the next five minutes and get Tenzou. He and Kakashi will most likely have a guest to receive at the borders in a matter of hours.'' Said silver haired man stiffened and frowned at the Hokage while Sasuke started bristling. ''Hold off any calls, meetings and especially advisors and councilors. I have no time or patience for them today.''
''Right away, Hokage-sama!'' And with that, the man ran off after a brief bow to the village leader. Sarutobi sighed tiredly and sat back in his chair.
''You should be able to return home by going to the temple again. I suggest you say your goodbyes now, because you won't be able to return to the temple if anyone is following you. Those who are meant to enter the temple must find it on their own, so even if someone who were meant to go in one day were with you, they would be rejected this time around, and so would you.''
''I see.'' Itachi said and then bowed to the Third before looking at the genin team and their jonin sensei. He smiled at the silver haired man in a way that sent shivers running down his spine. ''You better look after them.''
''I will never let a comrade die.'' Kakashi swore instantly and Itachi was pleased with his answer before turning to wave at the still stunned kunoichi, who really didn't know what to make of all of this. He turned to Naruto and smiled a nice smile at the blond.
''It was a pleasure, Naruto-kun, to befriend you, even if for this short a time. Thank you for the breakfast and for being Sasuke's friend,'' here, he ignored the flushed spluttering of both boys and the amused snickers of Hiruzen and Kakashi at their reactions and just continued. ''Please do continue looking after him.''
''No worries, dattebayo,'' Naruto said with a grin despite his cheeks still being rather red and his hand rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Itachi just nodded happily before finally turning to his little brother and quickly striking before Sasuke could react. The twelve year old Uchiha winced slightly from the light stinging the flick on his forehead had caused and he absently rubbed the spot as he frowned at his brother, ignoring how warm he felt at the affectionate act he had not received in four years, not counting the one when Itachi had him strung up.
''I hope you live a happy life, otouto, and that you can forgive my many mistakes and failures as a big brother.'' Sasuke opened his mouth to protest without thought and Itachi chuckled when he caught himself and glared out of the window. ''I'm happy to see you have made friends and I hope you know I will always approve of your love interests, unless they are harmful to you.'' At this, Sasuke turned as red as the tomatoes he loved so much. It actually got even worse when Itachi let his eyes go briefly to Naruto and back before winking at his brother. Sasuke would make the tomatoes jealous with the red he had achieved. He was just glad Itachi had decided to whisper his last words to him and not say them so that the rest of the room's occupants could hear them. ''This one is quite the keeper, too. I wish you all the best, Sasuke.''
''Itachi,'' was all Sasuke managed to say before gawking was heard and the ten year old dissolved into ravens, the flock flying out of the window before anyone could react. Itachi didn't look back, didn't dare to, as he knew that he would cave in a little if he did. Sasuke will now need some time to absorb what Sarutobi was about to tell him and if he caught sight of his little brother, Itachi knew he wouldn't be able to leave, even when his older self arrived.
So he looked away, facing forwards and forwards only. He soon left the village, trying to not think about the truth he had found out yet he could not get it out of his head. He now wished he could erase these new memories, but he refuses to take the easy way out. He will live with the knowledge that he will one day kill his entire clan other than Sasuke so he can know what signs to look for in his relatives as to what has caused him to act against them in the first place. Judging from what the Sandaime had been about to say when Itahci had cut him off, it had something to do with war. He will have to keep an extra close eye on them from now on.
He found the temple as easily as he had the first time and he entered it, experiencing the same bright light and the black out that followed. He woke up about an hour from dusk in the past, if the state of the temple outside was any indication and so he quickly hurried home. He was relieved when the ravens followed him through the woods, like usual, and he felt the sudden need to be with his brother, so he picked up the pace. He made it to the Uchiha Compound before he knew it and he ran past all his aunts, uncles and cousins, focused only on the main house up ahead, where he could see his father approaching the door after a hard and tiring day of work, no doubt.
He nearly sent Fugaku to the ground, much to his father's astonishment, as he ran into the house. He just barely avoided his mother on the way as he ran to his little brother's room, where he found Sasuke reading from one of his old study scrolls. The younger brother looked up and his face lit up when he caught sight of his nii-san and he immediately put down the scroll, running to Itachi.
When he wrapped his little arms around his brother's waist, Itachi didn't waste a second to gather him up properly and hug him tightly, closely to his now relaxing heart. Sasuke giggled at the affection his brother was showing him so openly for once and hugged back tighter. After a minute like that, Itachi pulled back to look at the younger boy and he relaxed further when he saw no anger, anguish or hate in those black eyes so similar to his own.
''Okaeri, nii-san!'' Sasuke happily greeted his older brother and Itachi felt lighter already. Whatever the future may hold for him, he only wanted this smile on Sasuke's face to stay there forever. Hopefully, his older self will not waste the chance he had provided himself. Whatever he has to go through until he gets to that point in time, where he has to worry about explaining everything to Sasuke one day, he will let that be something he will worry about tomorrow.
Today, he has a little brother to make happy.
''Tadaima, Sasuke.'' He answered with a small smile, giving his brother a flick on the forehead and watching the familiar reaction. Whatever tomorrow may bring, today was today and he will be the Itachi of today. The Itachi of tomorrow may have tomorrow's worries.
OWARI
A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! This is my first story in the new 2018! May all your wishes come true and happiness always follow you, no matter what you do. Bye!
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