He had him. He just had to execute the next move with precision and he'd win. Readjusting his position and focusing his breathing, Yukio prepared himself for the assault. The bushes around him hid his position perfectly whilst offering him an excellent vantage point of his target. Yukio had been waiting for hours patiently, waiting for the man to let his guard down enough that Yukio could make a successful move.

It was mid-summer in Fire Country and the atmosphere was hot and humid. It had brought the Village of the Hidden Leaf to a slow halt with everyone too hot to work or train. Even Naruto had taken a break from Hokage duties to find some shaded respite with his Hyuuga wife. The wooden walls of Yukio's house were humming with the heat and he felt a drop of perspiration trickle down his temple as he hid under the bushes in the corner of the garden courtyard, grateful for their cover. The walled garden courtyard was still and silent except for the tinkle of the water feature at its center under the cherry blossom tree, the koi gulping at the surface enjoying the warmth and the crickets.

Navigating the perimeter of the garden was a veranda, off of which were many doors and shoji screens leading into the main body of the house. Beside an open shoji screen, offering a glimpse into a neat and ordered master bedroom, was Yukio's target. The man's back was pressed against the wooden wall of the house, his legs splayed out in front of him on the veranda and his feet bare. His face was impassive as he dozed, his long hair neatly bound at the nape of his neck and his non-descript dark blue general shinobi attire hung loosely on his lean frame. His body was shielded from the sun's onslaught but the roof's overhang and his breathing was low and even, signaling he was asleep. Settled between his legs was a certain pink haired Kuniochie, similarly to her partner, her breathing symbolized she was also asleep – enjoying the late afternoon heat no doubt. Her back was pressed to the chest of the man and her head lolled unceremoniously to the side on his shoulder. She lacked his grace and poise but it was clear she felt safe and comfortable, as her bare legs stretched out in front of her. The man's arms were curled around her sides and his hands rested haphazardly on her abdomen, a gentle reassurance to her sleeping form and a mild reminder of his possessiveness.

Yukio swallowed as he steeled himself for his move, he watched intently as a butterfly flickered past their sleeping forms and landed gingerly on the lip of the half empty sake bottle at their side. Two empty cups and a large plate littered with senbon sticks and dango crumbs adjacent to it. They had clearly been enjoying an afternoon snack in the summer sunshine of their private garden when they'd dozed off. Foolish, thought Yukio and he smirked, relishing this gifted opportunity.

With a sudden spirt of speed he blurred away from hiding place in the blink of an eye. He first leapt upwards and over the balustrade which ran around the edge of the veranda, his feet kissed one of the walls before he soundlessly dropped onto the boards of the decking and sped towards his target. His eyes were fixed intently on the man's peaceful face, his body coiled in excitement that he was finally going to win. His body instinctively leant forwards, shoulders tight, and his arms reached out in front of him – fingers splayed wide ready to victoriously pluck his prize away from the man.

The glint of the bell came into sight at the man's thigh, loosely hanging from a red cord out of his trouser pocket. Yukio's eyes dropped down to gleam excitedly at the bell, his anticipation and exhilaration barely restrained as he tried to soundlessly race down the veranda towards them.

Then, just as he was about to reach for the bell, as his fingers gently caressed the smooth shiny surface, Yukio felt a firm pressure against his forehead. His eyes darted upwards to be met by the calm black irises and a small smirk on the otherwise stoic face of Uchiha Itachi. His eyes widened as he realized he'd be caught and Itachi's index and middle finger were pressed firmly to the center of his large forehead. Yukio yelped and his hands flew to his forehead as he lost balance and fell backwards onto his rear with a resounding thud.

Itachi's smirk widened and his eyes softened as he regarded the now slumping figure of his six-year old son. The boy was glaring at him angrily, his black eyes boring into Itachi's own with nothing short of murderous intent and his lips pressed into a flat line. He scrambled back to his feet so he could be eye level with his father and sucked in a deep breath which puffed out his chest. When he looked like this, Itachi got flashbacks to another little Uchiha boy who would look at him like this.

Just as Yukio sucked in another breath to vent at his father, he was bluntly interrupted by Itachi's soft tone, 'Your mother is sleeping'. Itachi's eyes flickering to the softly dozing from of his wife lying against him.

Yukio begrudgingly altered his tone, but his angered stance remained, 'I almost got it, Otou-san' he hissed.

Itachi regarded him and then said quietly but firmly, 'You've been sat in the rose bush for 93 minutes.'

Yukio instantly deflated. 'You knew?!' he whined. His shoulders slumped and his black eyes fell to the floor. The shoulder length black hair, akin to his father's, washed over his dejected expression.

Itachi allowed a loving smile to spread over his face and there was a low rumble in his chest similar to a chuckle, 'but you were much better this time, Yukio-chan. A lesser shinobi would not have noticed.'

'I wish you were a lesser shinobi' mumbled Yukio to his feet.

Before Itachi could react to this small act of defiance from his son, there was a burst of laughter from the woman in front of him. He looked down to find Sakura awake, her green eyes lovingly staring at the sad form of their son. She pushed herself upwards, crossing her legs and twisting to face his little slouched form. Sakura reached out a hand and placed it on his arm, pulling him into her lap and cradling him.

Yukio wriggled and pouted up at his mother as she ruffled his hair and tickled his tummy, 'Okaa-san! Stop! I'm…I'm a shinobi!' he managed between suppressed giggles.

Itachi regarded the scene with a warm smile as Sakura continued to fuss over the writhing form of his son. It warmed him inside that, at six years old, Yukio was not subjected to the same rigors of the Uchiha clan as he had been. Sakura doted on her son far more than Mikoto ever had, particularly when it came to Itachi. As the clan heir and demonstrating such promise at an early age, he had been expected to train and excel for the greater good of the clan.

He was snapped out of his musings by Yukio settling into Sakura's arms and mumbling, 'Naruto-Oji-san teaches Minato new jutsu,' Yukio's bottom lip pushed out to display his displeasure, 'and he doesn't have to catch a stupid bell.'

Sakura sighed running a hand through his hair and placing a kiss on the top of his head before she turned an exasperated look at Itachi. Itachi's only response was to raise an eyebrow at her, not moving from his comfortable position against the wall of the veranda.

Sakura huffed and pulled a face similar to that of their young son, she then mouthed silently at him whilst overly articulating her lips to make her point, 'TEACH HIM A JUTSU.' Itachi curtly shook his head and maintained his stoic facial expression. Sakura pinned him with a glare and then tipped her head towards the sulking form of their son.

Itachi watched her and then let out a small breath, pushing himself off of the wall, leaning forwards and crossing his arms over his chest. 'Yukio,' he began, 'do you understand why you must acquire the bell from me?'

Yukio looked up at him from his mother's lap, 'Yes,' he murmered, Itachi looked at him pointedly and Yukio huffed, 'First I must master the basics before I learn more complex jutsu, that way, I will have a good foundation to build upon and respect for the skills,' Yukio mechanically answered.

Itachi nodded curtly and uncrossed his arms, with a small smile on his lips he pushed himself up of the floor and regarded Yukio. He watched the boy stand up from Sakura's lap and dust himself off so that he was stood facing him. Over Yukio's shoulder he saw the large pleading jade eyes of his wife. Between the look of abject misery on Yukio's face and Sakura's imploring stare he found himself rather defenseless. Itachi chuckled and shook his head, he locked eyes with Yukio and suggested, 'how about I accompany you to the genin training ground and practice shuriken techniques with you?'

Yukio's countenance brightened, 'and then teach me a new jutsu?' he asked excitedly.

'No. Bell first, then a new Jutsu,' at the grumble Yukio gave him, Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder and added, 'perhaps there will be another chance to take the bell whilst we practice?'

Yukio gave him a bright and determined grin before disappearing into the house whilst yelling, 'I'll get my shuriken!'

Itachi watched him disappear through the open shoji screen, using a short cut through their bedroom to his own room housed along the corridor to the right. A moment later he felt Sakura's arms snake around his waist from the side. He moved his arm around her shoulder so that she could tuck herself into his side under his arm. She smiled whimsically after their son and then turned to look at him, 'would one Jutsu be so bad?'

'I believe it was you, my koi, who made it abundantly clear he was too have a normal childhood free from the pressures of shinobi training until appropriate or necessary. However, he is our son and thus he is demonstrating great potential at a young age. Adopting Kakashi's bell technique gives him something to work towards whilst offering us a legitimate excuse to stall his development until it is 'age appropriate',' he replied flatly.

Sakura regarded him quietly with a gentle smile on her lips, the man had an answer for everything and whilst occasionally infuriating it was also something she loved about him. She leant up on her tip toes and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before saying, 'teach him one. Something basic, he worked so hard to get to that bell and today is the closest he has managed in a while.' She paused and then grimaced, 'besides that time in the market – I still cannot bring myself to look the fruit stall vendor in the eye and we'll be eating carrots for months.'

Itachi's lips twitched at the corner in a smirk at the memory and his arm instinctively tightened momentarily around Sakura's shoulder in a small demonstration of affection. 'A basic jutsu?' he mused.

Sakura regarded him for a moment and nibbled her bottom lip, she then pushed back up onto her tiptoes so that her lips were against the shell of his ear, her breath hot against his skin, 'I could make it worth your while tonight,' she teased. Before Itachi could answer or confront her she slipped out of his grasp, bent to pick up the glasses, plate and sake bottle and daintily padded through the master bedroom into the house, firing him a cheeky grin over her should as she passed through the open shoji screen.