One Week
Disclaimer: Don't own that adorable usura-tonkachi or his manga. T.T
Chapter Six: Friday
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"How come Chi-nii-chan isn't getting dressed?" Sasuke asked the next morning as his mother tugged his new robe on.
"Nii-san isn't coming to the Festival today," she answered with a strained smile.
He didn't ask why, thank Kami, instead, he ran to his brother and planted a wet kiss on his cheek, promising to bring back something for him. He ran downstairs to check on his father.
"I've made dumplings, and there's rice, so that should do for your lunch," his mother said, briefly embracing him, "You have academy work to keep yourself busy?"
Itachi nodded. His mother hesitated, and kisses his forehead.
"This is the first time we've had a behavior problem with you. I won't pressure you into telling me, but if something's wrong you should at least share it with Shisui-kun."
"He's not my friend anymore."
His mother sighed. "Itachi," she said, "What am I going to do with you?"
He winced, hating that she said it aloud.
Sasuke appeared in the doorway, and announced importantly, "Otou-san says its time to go!"
"Have
fun," Itachi told his brother, but Sasuke was past hearing.
"Festival! Festival! We're going to the Festival!" he
chanted.
000000at000000000the000000000festival000000000
"Tsuki!"
"Dara, Rui!"
"There's
Izuki!"
"Where's Shisui?" Izuki asked them.
"I'unno," Dara said, "But look—cotton candy!"
They laughed and scampered away from the adults to explore. The parents weren't fussed: the Festival was limited to the Uchiha section of Konoha, and every adult would instinctively watch over loose children.
"Seriously," Rui said some time later, "Where is Shisui? I haven't seen his ma or pa either."
"I'unno," Tsuki said, "Look, a magic show!"
And they were distracted once again.
"He must be searching for us somewhere," Izuki decided half an hour later.
"Yeah," Rui agreed, "Check it out! Balloons!"
They shrieked with delight.
It was only when their parents lassoed them in for lunch did they get to know that Shisui hadn't attended the Festival.
"He's got a terrible fever," his father, Sado, said mournfully, "and a cough and I think the doctor said some chest infection. Ayako is hysterical. Such a pity that he's missing this," he paused to smile at his son's friends, "You look adorable…here," he handed them a camera, "Take plenty of pictures, he'd like that."
"Can we go see him?" Tsuki demanded of her mother.
Shisui's father shook his head. "He's out cold, and the infection is contagious. Its already risky with Ayako tending to him, she won't even let me see him."
Rui and Dara's father patted his back. "There, there Sado, it'll be fine. The Festival comes every year, he's not missing anything that can't be made up later."
Sado smiled at them all. "Well, I'll be heading back then," he said, excusing himself.
"Such nice folk they are," Izuki's mother sighed to her husband.
000000000at000000000home000000000
Itachi wandered aimlessly around the house. The ninja academy homework hadn't even lasted him till lunch. Having been banned from TV and radio, the most entertaining thing there was to do was watch the clothes tumble around in the dryer.
He sighed despondently. A phantom Shisui sat on the laundry basket next to him, tugging at his arm. "Itachi, don't just sit here, let's go climb that tree and watch the Festival," he whined.
Itachi obliged, wondering if all hallucinations were this pushy. And was it possible to miss someone so much? 'Missing' was not a concept Itachi could grasp. Whenever his father left for missions (his mother had quit as a kunoichi due to childbirth) he only felt relief. No one would constantly disapprove of him when his father wasn't around.
Sasuke and his mother, people he might've 'missed' were always around him. He had no uncles, aunts, cousins…both sets of grandparents had died before his parents had even met.
So this feeling…this imagining Shisui beside him, joking and laughing, thinking of him with this sweet ache in his heart, wondering what his new Festival garb looked like, pondering over what Rui, Dara, Tsuki, Izuki and Shisui would be doing now, it was new.
Itachi hated it.
Phantom-Shisui nudged him. "That's 'cause you like us. We're your friends. You wanna be with us."
"You sound like Rui," Itachi said, shooting him a withering look. A phantom Rui appeared.
"No," he said, "I sound like Rui."
Itachi blinked. "I have a pretty good imagination," he murmured, "Could I get Izuki too?"
"Already here," she whispered behind him, stepping forward. "How do you like my new kimono?"
She twirled in mid-air in a gorgeous black kimono with silver clouds and a blue obi. "That's what my mother wore this morning," Itachi frowned.
"Hey, don't look at me, I don't pick what I wear. I'm a figment of your imagination."
He sighed as phantom-Shisui made exaggerated puppy eyes at her. "Shisui," Itachi said, "I like Izuki. That's why I was mean to you yesterday. I didn't like the idea of like her when you did too, 'cause you're my first friend."
"You're a baka," a phantom-Dara said, "What made you think Shisui is petty enough to get mad at you over Izuki? He'd understand it better than you do."
"He's a great guy," Itachi agreed.
"You're lucky to have him," phantom-Tsuki put in.
"He's a real find."
"An absolute gem!"
"The nicest person who ever lived!"
"Guys," phantom-Shisui blushed, "Stoppit, you're embarrassing me!"
"These are all my opinions of you aren't they?" Itachi said, lying back on his branch. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the Festival. When he opened them, all the hallucinations were gone but for phantom-Shisui.
"Talk to me," he said, "I'm your friend. I wouldn't be stupid enough to get mad at you for liking the girl I do—you can't help it any more than I can. In fact, I'm more likely to be mad because you blew me off for such stupid reason!"
"Is taking advice from your hallucination really a good idea?" Itachi wondered aloud.
"Sometimes, to hear your inner voice, you have to let it out of you first," phantom-Shisui said solemnly.
00000000000000at000000000dinner00000000
"Itachi, how'd you spend your day?" his mother asked him.
"Reflecting on my actions and their consequences," he answered truthfully.
"Is that another way of saying you wasted the whole day lazing around?" his father rumbled.
"Danna-sama!"
His father fell quiet.
Sasuke beamed at his brother. "The Festival was fun! I bought you this," he said, holding out a tiny wooden falcon, exquisitely carved. "I won it!"
Itachi smiled at his him, and pocketed the bird.
"Shisui didn't come as well," his mother informed him, "Apparently he's very ill."
"Ill?" Itachi croaked, his heart suddenly freezing over.
"Poor boy's had a 105 degree fever this afternoon," his mother said sadly, "Ayako-san is terrified, and she won't let the doctor leave. He's their only son, after all."
In Itachi's mine (which, granted, wasn't a very logical place) Shisui falling ill was is fault, tying in with being mean to him the day before.
"Okaa-san, may I go see him?"
"Absolutely not—" his father stopped at the look his wife gave him. Sometimes, he had to be reminded that he was not the only power in the house.
"I thought you said he wasn't your friend?" Itachi's mother questioned.
"I was wrong!" Itachi said, distressed, and out came the whole story from Shisui's kick-the-can game on Sunday to Izuki's kiss on Wednesday and being a jerk on Thursday.
His mother's eyes grew wide. What had she been doing? Here her child was making his first friends now, he'd had his first crush, had been miserable because of her…how could she have not paid more attention? Had she really thought being a mother was just packing lunches and hugs and kisses and telling her children to be careful? She didn't know her own son, had never guessed that he too was human, capable of fear and happiness, laughter and worry. For the first time, she felt as though she was really looking at Itachi.
"Danna-sama,"
she said decisively, "You go to the Moon Festival tonight, I'll
catch up after I take Itachi to Shisui's home."
"No, you
have to—" he broke off abruptly as he saw a new fire in her eyes,
and then he realized he was wrong: it wasn't a new fire, just an
old one he hadn't seen in a very long time. It was the fire that
had fueled her with the determination to kick his ass during their
chuunin days, with the iron will that had enabled to complete any
mission stoically during her stint as a jounin. It was the same fire
he'd first fallen in love with, and the fire he'd hoped their
children would inherit, and the fire that she'd locked away when
she fell pregnant and gave up her career as a ninja for him.
It was the fire that made her eyes, though without sharingan, the most famed eyes in the clan's current generation.
This was not a woman to mess with.
0000at000000shisui's000000home000000
"Absolutely not," Ayako said sternly, "My son has a contagious chest infection! I cannot allow Itachi to see him, how would I live with myself if he catches it too?"
Itachi looked to his mother. The women had been arguing for a while now. Both were determined not to back down.
Suddenly, they heard a faint voice from upstairs.
"Just a moment!" Ayako gasped, rushing to her son's side.
She reappeared at the landing then minutes later, looking distinctly triumphant.
"He wants to see Itachi, but doesn't want him to catch the infection. Dr. Eri says the contagious stage should pass tonight, so if you could just come back tomorrow…"
Itachi's mother sighed. "Very well," she said, "Is it alright if I bring him by in the morning and let him spend the day here?"
"Around nine," Ayako suggested, "He can have breakfast with us."
They said goodbye and walked out.
"Okaa-san?"
"Yes, darling?" she smiled in a loving tone he'd never heard before.
"I know I'm grounded, but may I go see Dara and Rui? I'd like to apologize."
So she took him to their house, where the twins were getting ready for bed and their elders getting ready for the Festival.
Rui and Dara heard him out patiently, and forgave him. As Rui explained, "Shisui trusts you, and really likes you. That's good enough for us."
His mother took him back home, and hugged him hard.
"I'm proud of you, Itachi," she smiled, "And I know it's a little late, but I'm going to start being a real mother. I'm really happy that you told me what you did today—and remember, in the future, whatever it is, I'll try to help. Your okaa-san is pretty flawed, but she's going to try. Is that okay?"
"You won't tell otou-san?"
She laughed. "Not a word without your permission."
He smiled, and it took her breath away. He threw his arms around her, and she thought she finally knew what happiness was.
"Itachi," she whispered, "I love you honey."
"Love you too, kaa-chan," he mumbled into her neck.
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Ah, I love Itachi's mom! Let's just pretend that those two-three pages from the manga where she's all ants-in-my-pants-y are just the result of a seriously bad day, hmm?