"Where's the other little one, un?" Deidara inquired as she accompanied the Nohara-Uchiha family back to their dango shop, which was just one of the many establishments they owned. The family business mostly ran in the production and distribution of cotton products. When Rin wasn't at the dango shop, she was running the cotton mill with her husband.

"Asleep upstairs," Rin explained, referring to the room they had above the shop. They were wealthy enough to afford more than one estate. "Ever since Daichi turned eight last month, Hikari's been so impatient about her birthday."

"She's turning five in November, right?"

Rin nodded, her eyes growing wistful as she watched her husband and son—both of whom had overtaken the two women. Obito had picked up Daichi and was swinging him around, the boy babbling gleefully as he felt the breeze rush against his face.

"... Does it hurt, un?"

Rin snapped out of her stupor. "Come again?"

Deidara's cheeks went slightly pink. "Like... the process, un. Does it hurt when it... comes out?"

"Oh! Oh, yes it does. Very much so." Rin saw no point in lying to the younger girl. If Deidara wanted to have children in the future, she had to know what to expect. Or, st the very least, what not to expect, like a painless childbirth. "It feels like your insides are being torn apart, sewn back together, and then ripped apart all over again." She said all this with a smile that made Deidara scoot a few inches to the left.

"That bad?"

"Oh, no, I'm one of the lucky ones. I have childbearing hips." She gestured at her waist. "That made things a whole lot easier for me."

"Right, un. More reason not to have any brats for me."

Rin giggled at the repulsed look on Deidara's face, an expression that was combined with a hint of fear.

"Hey!" Obito rejoined them, carrying Daichi on his shoulders. "What have you lovely ladies been talking about?"

"Childbirth," Rin said chipperly.

"Undescribable pain that no woman should have to go through," Deidara intoned at the same time.

Immediately, Obito balked. "Y'know, even walking into a conversation about your monthly bleeds would have been better!"

"Oh, come off it, you," Rin admonished. "It's not as bad as you men like to think. It's like pushing a small watermelon out."

"Imagine a lemon coming out of your penis, un," Deidara added unhelpfully with a small grimace.

Obito lurched into himself as if he had been punched. "Urk!"

Rin rolled her eyes, placing one hand on her husband's shoulder and the other on Deidara's shoulder. "Honestly. You martial artists like to think you're all tough and able to handle the pain, but you can't even handle a single conversation about the miracle of childbirth."

"Deidara-nee looks pale," Daichi piped. "So does otou-san."

"Kid," Deidara managed to bite out. "Don't ever mess with your mother, because she will end you, un."

As they exited the courtyard, a boy with blond hair ran past them and squawked as the string connecting his fox kite to his hand snapped. Uzumaki Naruto stared haplessly after his fox kite.

He refused to lose it to the wind.

"Come back here!" Naruto cried, running after his kite. It drifted past the wall, and Naruto struggled to climb over it, tumbling over to the other side and wincing. But his bruises and scratches could wait—that kite had cost him most of the meager pay he got working at the Nohara-Uchiha cotton mill. Most orphans didn't have any toys—Naruto, at fifteen—had one, which was a white kite with the face of a fox painted on its surface.

The kite floated along the wind, moving in and up-and-down and side-to-side manner, until it finally landed in a tree within the walls of a mansion. Naruto skidded to a halt outside the stone wall, looking up in awe at the house, noticing the fan crest hung across the balcony.

An Uchiha house! Naruto thought wondrously. But it's way outside the compound, and there are no sentries around.

In Akatsuki, the Uchiha family ran the police force, which was composed of both Uchihas and non-Uchihas. The Uchihas themselves all lived in a part of the district; their living quarters weren't too far off the police station.

Curious, Naruto scaled the fencing, his pants nearly snagging in some crevices in the stone. Quiet as a mouse, he tip-toed to the tree, using a wall to help him get closer to where the kite hung. Dammit! It's too high! I'm gonna have to climb it.

Meanwhile, a family of two—soon to be three in a few months, if the woman's slightly rounded belly was any indication—ate dinner inside the house, servants bustling about in different quarters of the place.

"Itachi-sama," one of the servants said with a hasty bow. "The one called Hoshigaki-sama seeks your audience. He is waiting outside."

"Hoshigaki-sama?" Itachi mused, garnering a curious glance from Izumi, his doe-eyed wife. He excused himself from the table, striding to the open front doors, where a large, blue man with gills was waiting.

He'd heard of Hoshigaki Kisame of the near extinct Hoshigaki clan. He was supposed to have a very dangerous kekkei genkai—the ability to eat up chakra—though nobody knew how it worked, for he kept his secret under very tight wraps.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. "You are..."

Kisame grinned, the action being incredibly shark-like, and revealing a large row of sharp teeth."I am the master of the Demon Shark, Hoshigaki Kisame. I just started up a martial arts club in Akatsuki..."

"Congratulations."

"And I've heard that you, Uchiha-sama, are an expert in Amaterasu. I'd come here today with the request of a... friendly spar." Kisame's smile grew wider, but Itachi was unfazed, simply returning the smile, albeit more politely and less... bite-y.

"Now would not be a good time," Itachi declined, closing his eyes. "Perhaps another day."

But Kisame wouldn't hear of it. "But I'm already here, aren't I? No harm in playing around for a bit. I won't take up too much of your time." The shark-man's eyes gleamed. "It'll be private. No one else shall know who wins or loses aside from ourselves."

Confident, isn't he? Itachi inwardly smirked. "It's not a matter of winning or losing, Hoshigaki-sama. You see..." Itachi turned his body, staring mournfully at the dinner table, where Izumi was waiting. "I'm having dinner." He gave Kisame a thumbs-up, his eyes twinkling. "We're having stew tonight."

"Geh..." Kisame sweatdropped, not particularly caring what the Uchiha was having for dinner. "In the case... I'll wait for you."

"If you have the patience, then by all means, come in."

So Kisame stepped inside and waiting by the lounge, opposite the Uchiha's humble dinner table. The shark-man watched them eat with beady eyes, his gaze lingering on the piece of fish between Izumi's chopsticks before she popped it in her mouth, chewing. Outside, Naruto was still trying to get his kite, using a stick to try and poke it out of the tree. He had found that the tree was not suitable for climbing the hard way; it had too few branches and Naruto had too many bruises to dare dry again.

"Hoshigaki-sama," Itachi's voice cut through the comfortable silence as he addressed the elephant in the room. "Have you eaten dinner yet?" When Kisame shook his head, Itachi invited, "Please join me—we can eat together, then."

Five minutes later, Kisame was earnestly devouring the rice the servants had whipped together.

"Uchiha-san," he said after swallowing, addressing Izumi. "Your cooking is wonderful."

"Ah, it's not my cooking." Izumi chuckled. "While I like to think I'm quite capable in the kitchen, I find that it benefits everyone when the servants cook instead."

Kisame's eyes fell to her pregnant belly. "Right, of course. Apologies for assuming."

"Oh, no, you're all good, Hoshigaki-sama. Anata, correct me if I'm wrong, but Hoshigaki-sama is here for a spar, isn't he?"

Itachi glanced up from his rice bowl, and Kisame could have sworn that his eyes flashed red for a second there. "He is," he confirmed. "After we finish eating, we'll have having a friendly spar."

"Yes... friendly," Kisame felt the need to emphasize.

Dinner was mostly a quiet affair, and Kisame and Itachi had moved to the lounge to have tea while the servants cleaned up after them. As Kisame drank from his cup, Itachi watched him from behind his bangs.

This man is undoubtedly a schemer. He insisted that I accept his challenge under the pretense of a 'friendly spar' so that he can make a name for himself and his new school by beating me. Itachi took a sip of tea. Shame he's not well-versed in the art of subtlety. If he were, I might find myself having more respect for the man. "I'm glad you enjoyed the food."

"Hm? Oh, yes, it was excellent." Kisame's eyes were glazed over, indicating that he was extremely bored of these mundane affairs.

"That's good." Itachi met his wife's gaze from across the room. Izumi had a knowing glint in her eyes, and she mouthed "good luck" and "be quick" before exiting the dining hall. As his wife retreated, Itachi turned to the remaining servant who was cleaning up the rest of the plates. "Oji-san, leave it. I'll take care of it later. And close the front doors as well."

The servant—an old man—nodded once before complying with Itachi's orders and making a hasty exit. The movement of the man caught the attention of Naruto, who was by the window in a new attempt to get his kite back.

Ehh? What are those two guys up to? Naruto wondered, blinking his large eyes.

"Hoshigaki-sama." Itachi stood before removing his Akatsuki cloak and placing it on the chair he had been sitting on. "Shall we?"

Kisame took one last sip of his tea before straightening, his eyes gleaming at the prospect of a challenge. "Yes, let's."

They moved further away from the dining table, Naruto's eyes following their movement. There were twigs and leaves stuck in his hair, and Naruto hoped that helped camouflage him.

Kisame clutched one hand over his fist. "Please!"

Itachi did the same, albeit with less flair. "Please."

Then they got into their respective stances, Naruto's eyes growing wide.

Taijutsu users! He squirmed in his hiding spot, his kite forgotten for now. This is gonna be so cool!

Kisame moved first, attacking Itachi with his arms in a series of powerful punches, his feet moving along with the rest of his body. Itachi, with even more grace than Kisame, allowed himself to be pushed back, deflecting Kisame's blows with ease. Then, somehow, Itachi managed to get Kisame's back to face him, and struck at his spine, sending the shark-man spinning backward.

Naruto gaped as Kisame sent a kick at Itachi, only for it to be grabbed; he had to resist from crying out in awe when Itachi all but smacked Kisame's large frame away with only his palms, which looked delicate to Naruto.

"Hehe..." Kisame cracked his neck. "You're good, Uchiha-sama."

"Where is your Samehada?" Itachi had heard that Kisame's sword had something to do with his chakra-eating powers.

"At home. Figured I didn't need it to defeat you."

"Aa. Have you caught your breath?"

Kisame narrowed his eyes. "Save your concern for someone else."

They moved out of Naruto's perspective and the boy pouted, only to be excited again when he saw Kisame flying back into view and slamming into the front doors of the Uchiha mansion. Itachi was soon upon him, striking in all sorts of places that Kisame couldn't entirely defend. With the strike of a palm, Itachi sent Kisame into the front doors again, only for the shark-man to be struck on the side by a wooden table.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Kisame said gruffly. "Again!"

"Aa. Here I come, then."

It was a thorough defeat if Naruto ever saw one. Not five minutes later, Kisame was lying on his stomach, with Itachi air-punching him in the head and neck, showing Naruto what kind of damage he could have dealt had it not been a friendly match.

Itachi didn't need to see Kisame's face to know that his pride had been greatly wounded. "Hoshigaki-sama, thank you for being lenient with me." With that, Itachi helped him up to his feet by picking him up by the armpits.

"... Thank for sparring with me today, Uchiha-sama."

Suddenly, the front door opened from the outside, and both men tensed, Itachi relaxing when he saw who it was.

"Itachi," Sasori greeted, carrying a box of something by his side with his chakra threads. His brown gaze flitted to Kisame, immediately losing what little warmth it had. "You were at today's taijutsu display. Hoshigaki-sama, I take it?"

"I am," Kisame confirmed. "And you...?"

"Sasori."

The shark-man's gaze widened ever so slightly. "Akasuna no Sasori?"

"No. Just Sasori."

"I see..."

Itachi smiled. "What brings you here, Sasori?"

The puppeteer retracted his chakra threads, allowing the box he was carrying to sit on his hands. "A gift from my grandmother. She says that you should come over more often." His gaze flattened slightly. "The woman adores you for reasons that I will never know."

"Tell her I said thank you." Itachi took the box, sniffing at it. "Chicken rice?"

"It'll still be fresh tomorrow."

Kisame let out a low whistle. "Chicken rice, huh? My own gran used to make that. Before, well, you probably already know the story."

"Indeed," Sasori intoned. "Also, Itachi, tell your brother to take his head out of his ass. Being stuck-up won't do him any favors in the eyes of the public, Police Chief's son be damned."

Itachi smirked. "I'll make sure to pass on the message. Hoshigaki-sama, allow me to escort you out..."

Kisame was walked by Itachi to the front gates, Sasori following close behind before diverting to the side, having noticed some movement in the trees.

Sasori narrowed his eyes, his fingers tingling as his chakra threads began to form. His feet padded against the ground silently, and he paused when he saw a blond boy trying to jostle his kite out of a tree with a long stick. Unfortunately, the stick was just a little too short to reach the toy.

"What are you doing here," Sasori deadpanned.

"Gaah! Geez, don't sneak up on me like that, dattebayo!" Naruto glared at the puppet master.

"You're on private property."

"So are you."

"Yes, but I'm not trespassing." Sasori glanced up at the kite. "Yours?"

"Well, yeah. Oh, hey! Did you see the two guys fighting?! It was so awesome. It was all boom, and pow, and smack! The big shark dude never stood a chance, dattebayo!

Sasori cringed away from the boy. Had this imp no concept of 'inside voice'? "No, I didn't see." Before the boy could continue, Sasori used his chakra threads to grab the kite out of the tree, passing it to Naruto. "Here. Don't lose it again. Not everyone is as kind as me."

"Kind?" Naruto scrunched up his nose. "You seem like kind of a jerk... but you're cool as well!"

"Eh?" I'm a jerk but I'm also cool?

"Uh huh! Like that Kakashi guy!"

"Kakashi?" Where have I heard that name before?

But Naruto wasn't up for talking more. He ran toward the wall and scaled it with relatively more ease than he had before, now exuberant that he had his kite back. He sat on top of the wall to wave at Sasori. "Thanks for helping me, senpai!"

He disappeared to the other side of the wall, leaving Sasori to stare at where he had been before taking his own leave.

Dawn had just arrived when Deidara awoke from her slumber, groggily sitting up in her bed and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She lived nearby the Uchiha district, where the police station was. Her home wasn't big, and the majority of her wealth came from the trust fund of her deceased parents.

The long-haired woman was making herself tea when a very loud voice from the place next door declared, "Yosh! Another day has arrived, and the flower blooms youthfully yet another time!"

Deidara groaned to herself, knowing what was about to come next. Might as well be prepared, un. She wasn't planning on doing any fighting today, as she would be hitting the market, so she dressed in a plain blue yukata. She had just finished tying up her hair in its usual style when someone knocked on her door.

"Deidara! Are you up? Today, we shall do five-hundred laps around the Uchiha district!"

"No thank you," Deidara said as she opened the door, her face not even twitching when Maito Gai grinned back at her. "I have plans today, un. And while I can appreciate your dedication to fitness and general well-being, I'm not a complete nutcase like you, un."

Gai turned his head to the side, sticking his nose in the air. "Well, I suppose that's fair. Women aren't usually able to handle my training regimen..."

"Cut the misogyny, un. That stopped working a long time ago." Deidara shoved past him, tucking a storage scroll that had her purse and her clay creations contained into the sleeve of her yukata.

Gai was irked. "As usual, your cool and hip attitude—which is reminiscent of my Eternal Rival's—is my downfall! As punishment for not being able to convince you, I shall do five-hundred laps around the entire city. And if I cannot do those five-hundred laps—"

"You'll leave me alone?" Deidara suggested dryly.

Unfortunately, Gai stuck by her side, insisting on accompanying her to the market.

"It is only right for me to a escort a fair lady like yourself!" Gai proclaimed, and Deidara struggled not to roll her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Thank you, Gai." Deidara didn't sound very thankful at all, but Gai was not deterred.

"You are most welcome! And if I should fail in my quest to protect you, then I will—"

Deidara never got to hear what he would do (though she had a good guess of what kind of ridiculous challenge he would assign to himself next) as they had reached the market place. It was bustling as usual, with shop vendors opening up for the day and inviting customers inside to try their food or buy their clothing. The marketplace was built around the Nohara-Uchiha cotton mill. In the Nohara-Uchiha building, there was space for other vendors as well, including a man that sold kites and another that sold goldfish. Both were popular with the children, and the Nohara-Uchiha couple got part of the earnings as per their agreement with the shop vendors.

"Kakashi! My Eternal Rival!" Gai cried when he saw Kakashi behind the counter of the kite shop, reading an orange book.

The silver-haired man sighed through his mask, closing his book (but making sure to mark the page he was on). "Yo, Gai." He leaned outward so that he could see Deidara. "Ah. Back with more goods to sell, Deidara-san?

"You know it, un." Deidara released the clay from her storage scroll, her creations sprawling across the table. Kakashi took one—a small dragon—in his hand and examined it with his good eye. The other eye—his left eye—had a pink scar across it, a souvenir from when it had been rendered useless.

"Non-explosive?" Kakashi questioned casually, setting the dragon to the side.

"Do you even have to ask? I'm not an idiot, un." Deidara planted her hands on her hips, looking around. "By the way, where's Obito? I was expecting him to be here today, bothering you to hell and back."

"Oh, he's having a friendly meeting with one of his cousins. I wouldn't expect him to be out for a while."

"Cousins? Any idea which one?"

Gai, who had been thoroughly ignored for the majority of the conversation, interrupted, "Kakashi! As soon as your boss comes back—"

"We're co-owners, Gai."

"—I challenge you to a noble round of juggling poultry!"

Kakashi blinked slowly. "What."

Deidara couldn't help but stare when Gai produced a squawking chicken out of seemingly nowhere. When did he...?

"I have heard from a very credible source that juggling chooks is considered an art in a distant land!" Gai insisted.

"Art?" Deidara scoffed. "Yeah, right, un. Whoever said that must have been dropped on the head a few times. There is nothing beautiful or remotely artful about juggling chickens."

Kakashi sighed, knowing how vehement Deidara could get about her art. "I'll pay you a few thousand ryo for everything, Deidara."

"Only a few thousand? You're swindling me, Kakashi, un." Nevertheless, Deidara handed over her clay creations in exchange for the money. As she counted her money to the side, absently watching Kakashi serve a customer while Gai bothered him about juggling chickens, she noticed a blond boy loudly talking to a group of people.

"And he hardly moved! But he pushed Hoshigaki-sama's whole body away! With one hand!" the boy shouted, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Itachi-sama is so cool!"

"Right?!" a girl added, nodding excitedly, her blonde fringe covering the right side of her face. "Itachi-senpai is so handsome..."

Yamanaka Ino, Deidara realized, remembering how Ino had hugged Hitomi when Deidara's spider had 'attacked' them, ready to take the brunt of the damage if it meant protecting her sister. And that boy must be one of the orphans working at the cotton mill if his clothes are any indication. In contrast to Ino's clean appearance, the boy was dressed scruffily, his hair uncombed and his face dirty. Why would someone like Yamanaka, who comes from a rich family, hang out with a no-name orphan, un?

"He pushed him with one hand?" a younger boy repeated, skeptical. He was likely also an orphan, his state of dress being similar to Naruto's. "That sounds fishy to me, Naruto."

"Believe it, Konohamaru, the only thing fishy about the match was the shark guy!" Naruto continued on with his account of yesterday's events. "Anyway, Itachi-sama totally had him beat, but Hoshigaki refused to admit defeat, and jumped on Itachi like an angry dog, dattebayo!"

Daichi, who was practicing serving customers with the goldfish man, was listening intently to the conversation. Wow, Itachi-nii is so cool... He turned to the grandpa that ran the shop. "Ojii-sama, can I go and bring tea to my otou-san and Itachi-sama?"

"Go right on ahead," said the grandpa.

"Thank you!"

"Hey, did you hear that?" Deidara said to Kakashi once he was free of his customer. "Hoshigaki from yesterday's taijutsu display was beaten by Itachi of all people, un. Isn't that guy a pacifist?"

"Don't be so quick to write him off, Deidara," Kakashi chided, his eyes lifting momentarily from his book. "Itachi may be a pacifist, but he's fiercely protective of his family. He's not an idiot either—he knows that he needs to be able to defend himself and his family, which is why he created the Amaterasu fighting style. It's unique only to him, and perhaps Izumi-san, which is why it's not easily countered."

"Indeed!" Gai agreed. "I once challenged Itachi-sama to a sparring match, and found myself devoured by the gaping jaws of defeat! Even now, I train hard in hopes of defeating him! That goes for you, too, my Eternal Rival, Kakashi!"

"Huh." Deidara raised both of her eyebrows at Gai's declaration. Despite his exterior, Gai was a very proficient taijutsu user, and well respected in the community for his skills. He had no kekkei genkai either, which made his prowess much more impressive. He was even considered part of the "Big 4", a group of master taijutsu users, which also included Uchiha Obito, Deidara herself, and Uchiha Shisui.

"Maybe later," Kakashi said when Gai opened his mouth to challenge him to chicken juggling. "You know, when I'm not... alive."

Deidara snorted at Gai's dismayed expression before noticing Daichi hurrying past with a tray of tea in his hands. "Hey, kid! You're going to spill that if you hold it like that, un." She walked over to Daichi and took the tray from him. "What's the rush?"

"Deidara-nee!" Daichi looked faintly embarrassed. "Well, I know that otou-san is meeting with Itachi-nii today, and I wanted to congratulate him on his win against Hoshigaki-sama..."

"Aa." She smiled down at him. "Let's go, then. I'll help you carry it, un."

"Thanks, nee-chan!"

"I thought Hoshigaki was good, but his defense was pretty terrible," Naruto was saying as Deidara and Daichi passed the group of teenagers. "He was beaten up like a loser dummy, dattebayo!"

Deidara's lip curled. "That kid has no business speaking so flippantly of a taijutsu master, un," she muttered to Daichi. "Don't end up like that, or your mother will skin you."

Daichi cocked his head. "But if he can do it, why can't I?"

"Because he's an orphan. He doesn't know any better because he never had anyone to teach him. He doesn't have parents," she clarified when Daichi still looked confused.

"Oh..." Daichi blinked up at her. "Do you have parents, Deidara-nee?"

Deidara smiled. "I did, once, but not anymore."

"What happened to them?"

"Ah, well..." Deidara shrugged. "Life, un. Then death. They're one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. I suppose that they were closer to one side than the other, un."

As they neared the room where Obito and Itachi were conferring, voices drifted through the air. It was mere idle conversation, so they wouldn't be interrupting anything special.

"Morning," Deidara greeted. "Daichi wanted to bring you some tea."

"It's freshly brewed!" Daichi added.

"Aw, thanks, squirt!" Obito chuckled, taking a cup as soon as Deidara set the tray down on the table. "Hey, Itachi, you take one, too."

"Thank you, Daichi-kun," Itachi said as he took the remaining cup and the pot.

"Y-you're welcome. I, uh, um..."

Deidara grabbed his shoulders and pushed him forward so that he was standing closer to Itachi. "Hey, stop stuttering, un. You wanted to come up here, didn't you?"

Itachi's features softened ever so slightly at the sight of Daichi twiddling his thumbs. He's a lot more nervous than Sasuke used to be... "Did you want to tell me something, Daichi-kun?"

"Yes!" Daichi blurted. "You're super cool! I heard that you fought with Hoshigaki-sama of the Demon Shark! And you beat him really quickly! Is that true?"

Itachi blinked, halting his teacup's journey from the table to his mouth. "Who told you that?"

"One of the workers at the cotton mill. Uhh, Uzumaki, was it? I can't remember."

"Naruto?" Obito suggested.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Was the duel supposed to be private, Itachi-san?" Deidara inquired, sensing the tense vibes that had suddenly sprung up around Itachi. From what I've heard, Hoshigaki-sama recently started his own school. It would be detrimental to his reputation if his defeat were to be made public.

"Ah, Deidara," Obito said hesitantly. "We have a lot of things to discuss. Could you please leave us for now? You too, Daichi."

"Aww..." Daichi pouted.

"Right, I'll leave you to your private business, un," Deidara said, taking Daichi by the hand. "Come on, kid, don't make that face. I'll blow something up for you, if you want?"

"Okay!"

Kisame walked into his dojo, sipping tea and acknowledging the greetings his disciples gave him before returning to their katas. It was a good morning. Too bad it had to be ruined when one of his newest disciples ran up to him, looking frantic.

"Hoshigaki-sama!"

"Yes?" Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Problem, Goshiki?"

"I heard that you were beaten by Itachi-sama—"

Kisame spat out his tea.

"—everybody in Akatsuki knows about it by now!"

"Nonsense!" Kisame snapped, trying to regain his composure. Shit! What the hell?!

"One of the orphans at the cotton mill in the marketplace was talking about it!" Goshiki insisted. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Hrr!" Kisame pushed his empty tea cup into Goshiki's hands, marching off to the marketplace. How dare they! How dare they!

Back in their private room, Itachi sighed contently as he took another sip from the tea Daichi and Deidara had brought in. "Whoever made this... has excellent taste. Wouldn't you agree, Obito?"

"Definitely." Obito hummed. "You know, Itachi, everything in Akatsuki is costly nowadays. It means that the economy is good, and everyone can afford to spend money. Clothing is an essential in our daily lives, and they'll be lots of demand for clothing in the near future. Rin and I have the cotton mill, but we were thinking to hire thread-spinners as well. To do that, however, I'm going to need your partnership."

"And my expenses," Itachi added.

Obito grinned. "Yeah, and that, too. But it'll be a good investment!"

"Business has never been my forte."

"Ah, but it's mine!"

Itachi wasn't swayed. "I'm not in need of any money at the moment."

Downstairs, Kisame stormed in through the entrance, his fearsome sword, Samehada, strapped onto his back. "Who the hell is Uzumaki Naruto?!"

"That's me!" Naruto, who was sitting at a table with his friends, turned in his seat and raised his hand up. There was an empty ramen bowl in front of him.

Kakashi looked up from his book. Gai had gone somewhere else, and he'd been hoping for some peace and quiet. The silver-haired man sighed, putting his book down. I can never catch a break, can I?

Taken aback by Naruto's blatant behavior, Kisame lifted his robes and stalked over to the Uzumaki orphan, grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him up in the air effortlessly, much to the horror of his friends.

"You rascal! You ruined my reputation! Do you have any idea what kind of damage you have caused?!"

There was a breeze of wind, and, suddenly, Kakashi was there, pulling them apart. "Maa, maa," he chided. "This kid is my... ward. Why don't we talk? But before that, you should probably calm down, Hoshigaki-sama. This is a popular establishment, after all."

"Your ward?" Kisame's lip curled in disgusted anger. "He ruined my reputation! He said I was beaten by Uchiha Itachi. What the hell is going to happen to my martial arts club?! Who will want to be my disciples?!"

To the side, Daichi was cowering at Deidara's side. The woman herself didn't look too impressed at Kisame's behavior, though it was warranted. The man's reputation had gone down the drain, after all. He was likely having a case of tunnel vision, and didn't see the additional damage his outbursts were having on his standing.

"Is everything going to be alright?" Daichi whispered.

"Everything will be fine, un," Deidara reassured him, patting his head. "Kakashi's got this. And I'm here, too, you know."

"Ah, I see. Naruto, I think it's best if you apologize."

"What?!" Naruto was outraged. "I didn't do anything wrong! I just told the truth, dattebayo!"

Deidara sighed. Has this boy no brain? There are some things that just don't need to be said, un.

"Enough of your bullshit!" Kisame snarled, grabbing at Naruto again. "You—"

"Maa, maa, maa, maa, maa, maa," Kakashi protested again. "Hoshigaki-sama, please calm down." He shot Naruto a stern glare, but the orphan boy was unrepentant.

"Wow, six times!" Konohamaru muttered in the background.

"Itachi-sama is upstairs!" Naruto growled. "Go and seek him out if you have the guts, fishbrain!" Then he turned and took off upstairs to where Itachi was staying.

Sharing an outraged glance, Kakashi and Kisame followed him, along with a crowd of people.

"Come on," Deidara said, picking Daichi up and following the crowd. "Hardly anything ever happens around here, un. Like hell I'm missing this!"

"Don't be too angry," Kakashi was cautioning Kisame, but the shark didn't seem to be listening. "Hoshigaki-sama!" Argh, Naruto, you idiot! You're making my job very, very difficult!

"Itachi-sama!" Naruto called into the open room where Obito and Itachi were. "There's this weirdo trying to kill me just for telling the truth!" The crowd caught up to him and Naruto turned back momentarily. "Itachi-sama, tell these guys that you beat Hoshigaki-sama in a spar!"

The dumpling that had been on a journey to Itachi's mouth fell onto his plate as Kisame glared murderously at him, Obito, Naruto, and then Kakashi.

Then Deidara spoke. "Ne, Itachi-san, did you enjoy the tea?"

All heads turned to the brazen woman, who looked unaffected by everything that had happened thus far. "Daichi brewed it himself, you know, un."

Itachi managed a smile. "It was delightful, thank you for asking."

"Is Izumi well?"

"She is."

"Uh," Obito cut in. "What's going on here, guys? Kakashi?" He looked to his longtime friend for answers. Kakashi merely shrugged, pointing at Kisame, whose chest was heaving.

"Itachi-sama," Kisame began. "You've got to clear my name."

"Hoshigaki-sama..."

Kakashi, who had had enough of the smug look on Naruto's face, whacked him across his head. "Oi, Naruto. Why would you bother Itachi-sama for all this bullshit?"

"I'm not lying or anything!" Naruto shot back. "I saw the fight when I was picking up my kite! It's the truth, dattebayo!"

Kakashi shook his head. "Even if it was true, you shouldn't have told everyone. There are certain things that shouldn't be said." This boy was seriously going to be the death of him.

"What's wrong with admitting to the truth?!"

"Oh, a whole lot of things, un," Deidara chuckled dryly, capturing Naruto's attention for one moment.

"Because it might cause embarrassment for others!" Kakashi hissed.

"What embarrassment?!" Naruto shouted, like he didn't know of such a thing.

"What embarrassment?" Suddenly, flames seemed to burn behind Kakashi as he stood up straight and loomed over Naruto, who was quickly losing his bluster.

"Uh..."

"I'll show you what embarrassment is. ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"

"GWAAAHHH!" Naruto went flying through the air, nearly hitting his head on the roof as he fell to the ground and hopped away, clutching his rear end.

Deidara went slack-jawed, her face becoming shadowed, as did most of the people gathered, as Kakashi had jabbed his fingers up Naruto's ass in what seemed to be a very painful manner.

"Deidara-nee?"

Deidara glanced down at Daichi, who was trembling.

"I... My body no longer feels safe."

"You and me both, un."

Itachi sighed, getting up from his seat and walking over to Kakashi. He placed a firm hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder. "Kakashi-san, there was really no need for such... drastic measures."

Someone coughed in the crowd; the sound was covered by giggles.

"What's with all the commotion?" a voice growled, and the crowd grew quiet and parted. "Am I invisible or something? Why the hell were you all laughing?"

Daichi further hid behind Deidara at the sight of an imposing figure. Or, rather, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke's military boots clicked against the wooden flooring as he approached Kakashi and Itachi. In the room, Obito had his legs kicked up on the table, intending to watch the proceedings with a grin.

"Captain," Kakashi said smoothly. "It's no big deal—"

"What's no big deal?" Sasuke lifted his chin to look the taller man in the eye. "I saw everything. I'm warning you all..." He turned to the crowd, his sharingan spinning in his eyes for the added intimidation factor. "Anyone who causes trouble on my turf will be dealt with."

Obito rolled his eyes. Sasuke, Sasuke... what a ham!

"I wasn't causing any trouble," Kisame said when Sasuke's gaze lingered on the shark-man. "My name was ruined. I am only here to claim justice."

"Justice? I am justice," Sasuke sneered at Kisame before turning that sneer to Itachi, who was gazed back impassively. "You barbarians are fighting all the time with no regard for others." He turned that terrible sneer onto Deidara, too, who sneered back. "What kind of age is this? The Stone Age? Still talking about taijustsu? This is the age of guns!" To make a point, he pulled out his own gun, making a few civilians flinch back. "Guns. Got it?" The boy moved in a circle, eventually ending up facing Itachi, pointing the gun right at his brother's face. "And you... you disgrace to the family!"

"Otouto—"

"Quiet," Sasuke commanded, his voice dangerously low.

Itachi fell silent, though his eyes, still coal black in the face of Sasuke's red sharingan, were unyielding. Then his arm shot up, wrapping his hand around Sasuke's hand—the one that held the gun.

Everyone held their breath.

"Deidara-nee, what's happening?" Daichi whispered.

But Deidara didn't answer the boy this time, too focused on what was going to happen next. Was Sasuke really going to shoot his brother in the face? What happened next was almost too fast for her to catch.

Itachi's pointer finger, in one swift movement, pushed the round of bullets from the gun. It bounced once against the wall before clattering to the ground, the chakra-enhanced bullets spilling out.

Sasuke glared murderously at him.

Itachi merely stared back, eyes expressionless. Then he walked past Sasuke, bending down to pick up the bullets and the casing. "Otouto. We taijutsu users are energetic. Sometimes, we talk too loud. But that doesn't mean we are uncivilized." He dropped the bullets into Sasuke's hand. "We are civilized people. So please do not pull the gun out on us again."

"Oi, Sasuke!" Obito decided it was time to make his entrance, pushing between Kakashi and Itachi to get to the younger Uchiha. "You're working too hard, as usual. Hey, Kakashi, go set up a table. It's on me, 'kay?"

Kakashi shrugged before doing so. "Your funeral."

Sasuke, who rather liked Obito despite his loud, obnoxious disposition, scowled. "Fine." He turned to the crowd. "What are you looking at? Get lost!" Alarmed, the civilians all left, leaving only Deidara, Daichi, and Kisame to remain behind. Unbothered, Sasuke gruffly allowed Kakashi to lead him to a table.

"Well, Hoshigaki-sama," Deidara spoke up. "As you please."

"As you please," Itachi repeated, and both martial artists put their hands together in a show of respect.

Kisame, who had significantly calmed down, did the same. "Aa."

When Kisame was gone, Itachi turned to Deidara. "Did you fight with Sasori yesterday?"

"I did, un. Problem?"

Itachi smiled. "None at all. Tea?"

Deidara shrugged. "I don't see why not, un. Wanna come, Daichi? You can sit with your idol."

"C-can I?"

Itachi nodded. "You're welcome, too, Daichi-kun."

"T-thank you!"

Sasori was the last one to enter, and Obito gave him a short nod as he sat down opposite Itachi and him.

"Why so secretive?" the puppeteer asked.

"I'm not a businessman," Itachi replied, tossing a brown pack of money at them both. "This way would simply be better. Obito mentioned he had another partner he scouted for his ambition. I didn't realize that it would be you."

"Aa. And I didn't realize that we'd be partners as well."

"Take this to buy the equipment and hired help you need. Pay me back if you make a profit."

Obito blinked. "You sure? It might take a while."

"Take your time."

"One more thing I want from you two," Obito said, and both men tensed. "It's about my son..."

"Daichi-kun?" Itachi said.

"Yeah..." Obito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, grinning. "I just wanted your input on something. Do you think that I should start training him? Or should I wait for a few more years?"

"I'd start now," Sasori suggested, crossing one leg across the other. "It's never too early to start learning how to defend yourself, especially in a world full of taijutsu masters."

"Agreed," Itachi put in. "Except... Don't go overboard."

Obito nodded. "Then it's settled. Thanks for coming. Oh, and Sasori, tell your grandmother that the rice was great."

"Wha—" Sasori glared at Itachi. "That was for your mouth, not his."

The younger Uchiha shrugged. "Does it matter whose mouth it goes to, as long as somebody is fed?"

"Hrr, I suppose..."

Obito laughed heartily. "We're going to make a great trio. Our clothes and cotton will be known as the finest in the land. I just know it!"

A/N: We're still in peacetimes ^^

For now.