DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, SASUKE, OR ANY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE 'NARUTO' SERIES.

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my last chapter!!! I LOVE YOU! =D Okay, maybe not LOVE you love you, but I at least like you. :P And I appreciate the comments, as always. ^___^

Okay! Sorry it has taken so long. T_T My husband was being a douche bag. Yeah, it actually kept me from posting on here. xD Sorry! _ I wanted to post sooner. :(

Anywho! Another rather short chapter. Hope you don't mind too much. n_n;

Part 6

Itachi slowly, groggily opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, rubbing one with his right hand. When his eyes finally focused, the missing-nin was shocked, though not surprised, that he could see perfectly again. Like he could when he was still a hero in Sasuke's eyes…

The rogue shinobi fought back a flood of grief trying to over-take him, but he stubbornly fought it off, blinking away tears. Itachi was however surprised that he still had tears to shed.

Well, I guess I shouldn't be TOO surprised… I haven't cried since that night; I've been repressing all my emotions since then. He thought, trying to pull himself together.

He never allowed him to admit it to himself, but in his heart of hearts, he inwardly wept with anguish every time he had to fight Sasuke. Itachi always just pushed it back, and kept doing what he had to do in order to save Sasuke, AND the village.

He slowly sat up, and immediately noticed a bouquet of flowers next to his bed. Every morning since that first one where he discovered flowers, there had been a bouquet waiting for him. Itachi still didn't know when she placed them in his room, since he was fairly sure he was awake all night.

The solitary Uchiha lethargically swung his feet over the side of his bed. He noticed that Takao-sama was standing in the door way watching him with a guarded expression. Itachi paid no more attention to the elderly man as he noted a drastic change in his body. During the 3 days before the surgery he had forgotten all about the benefits he would be getting by having Sasuke's eyes. He had had only room for grief, though that was all he probably still had room for.

Strength had returned to his limbs, his body. He could take full breaths, and felt no rattling inside his lungs. His eyesight was perfect, his back strong. Energy flowed through his body like he hadn't felt since his days as an ANBU, before the Mangekyo. Before, he had known he was a powerful shinobi. But now, he felt invincible. Almost god-like. Completely revitalized, Itachi stood up, arms at his side as he greeted Takao-sama, and for the first time got to see what he looked like.

Uzumaki Takao looked like he was in his mid to late 60's, a bushy white mustache on his upper lip, and a shiny bald head. A clean-shaven white beard covered his chin and jaw bone area. A beautiful bark red cane was in his right hand, and he was stooped over, putting half his weight on the cane. He looked like he was just becoming frail, so was still pudgy. His body hadn't quite gotten used to being old and more neglected. He was also dressed in white robes, and tan sandals were on his feet. There were blue tattoos on his face starting at the center of his forehead and coming down around the side of his face to taper to a point just above his jaw line.

Bewilderment flashed across Itachi's features for the briefest of seconds, thereupon it was gone and he asked "Takao-sama?"

The old man smiled at Itachi, nodding his head. "Didn't know what I looked like till this moment, did you?" He asked.

His features blank, the former Akatsuki member shook his head almost imperceptibly. Where he would normally conquer the embarrassment coloring his cheeks, Itachi did not. His brother's death had not only broken his heart. Moments later, he managed to swallow his embarrassment.

Takao walked closer, syncing the use of his cane with the same hand holding it.

"How are your eyes healing, Itachi-san?" The doctor asked, his brow creasing with consideration.

Itachi looked, for a moment, as if he were disoriented, turning his head sharply slightly to one side, then up to look at the ceiling briefly, and finally back at Takao, thereto replied softly, with care, "Perfectly." He intentionally left out the part about his body being completely disease free. Why did Takao need to know that?

Dr. Takao broke into a wide smile, laughing gaily, "Excellent, most excellent!" He slapped Itachi's back twice in his exuberance, forgetting that he thought the young man was still gravely ill.

"I... " Itachi started, unsure how to precede. He finally decided to go with a basic 'thank you'. "I wanted to thank you, Takao-sama, I--"

Dr. Takao held up a hand to stop the missing-nin from finishing. "No thanks are in order, son. Any decent human being would have done the same. Say no more, only listen." He told him, resting his hand on Itachi's shoulder to gently push him back to a sitting position. "Besides, you can't be completely rested up yet. You nearly died!" The good doctor said, patting Itachi's shoulder.

"I recall that you told us that you don't call the Fire Country your home anymore?" Takao inquired, not intending to be nosey.

Itachi looked away from the doctors face, his own face blank, emotionless. "Thats right." He answered, purposefully not saying anything else.

"Where do you plan on going after you leave here, if you don't mind my asking?" The clan patriarch questioned, his reasons pure.

"I will probably continue east." His face still blank as he replied.

"Have you ever been that far before? Any place specifically you're going to?" Takao continued his query.

Itachi wondered at the old mans purpose behind asking this line of questions, but answered him truthfully, "No, I haven't. And no, there really isn't a specific place I have in mind."

"Hmmm. I see." The doctor rubbed his chin, pondering what Itachi just told him.

Itachi could tell he was going to ask him something, so he waited patiently for the old man to say what he came there to say.

"Uchiha Itachi, I, Uzumaki Takao, Clan Patriarch, officially ask you to stay with us till you see fit as an appropriate time for you to leave; be it tomorrow, or never. We will welcome you either way. We would gladly accept you into our family." Uzumaki Takao stood, proudly throwing out the offer for Itachi. "Think it over, Uchiha Itachi You've got time. No one will blame you for wanting to mull it over for a spell."

Itachi's mouth slowly fell open at what the doctor had just said. He was completely astonished by the offer, and could see that it was genuine. Never had he expected Uzumaki Takao to be so generous.

But why? he asked himself.

If you enjoyed reading this recent installation then you must leave a comment! Because... it... would be rude not to? o.O; And I'll give you another cookie. -hands you a cookie- There! NOW you have one! Comment, and you'll get another. ;P XDD

I just love writing this fic. XD It's so much fun! Alas, I may not have very much time in the near future to write... the chapter I'm working on right now... because me and my hubby are in the process of moving. And we gotta pack up all our/my stuff in my room. And then we'll have to move all of my big ss furniture, drive ALL the way to the apartment (several miles away), then somehow get them upstairs. And my dressers are NOT light. They're like... expensively good quality heavy stuff. (Have you ever noticed that cheap furniture is like, really light, and the good stuff is heavy?) So yeah. Fuuun times! :D _ Wish me luck!