Untitled
Chapter 7 – When He was Sick
I don't own Naruto and its characters
"Hokage-sama, if there's nothing you need…" Itachi excused himself. He was halfway through the door when Tsunade called him. He turned around only to be regarded by Tsunade's amused eyes.
"What have you done with one of my apprentice, Itachi?" Tsunade demanded.
Itachi was confused. Tsunade only has three students: Shizune, Sakura and Ino. He and Shizune only have a professional relationship. Even though she was the Hokage assistant, he'd rarely spoken to her. So, he didn't think Tsunade meant her. Meanwhile Sakura, though he saw her as a sister, due to his missions he'd rarely seen her moreover talked to her. And last time he saw her, he surely didn't do anything that made her feel offended. So, that left the blonde medic-nin.
Tsunade continued when realization dawned at him. "You better go see her before she barge in here and pestering me whole day about you for the third time."
Itachi nodded and walked outside her office. He wondered why Ino asked Tsunade about him. What did she need him for until she had to bother Tsunade whole day? Did something bothering her so much that she seeks for him? But if there's something wrong she should've told Tsunade instead of wasting her time seeking for him. Itachi let out a sigh no matter he thought about it, he would never get the answer. It would be wise to ask the girl directly. Luckily for him, he saw her figure stood in the middle of street and from the look on her face clearly something was bothering her.
Itachi made his way to the girl who five years younger than him. He noted her bad habit unaware of her surroundings when something occupied her mind. She didn't even notice he was standing in front of her for a couple of minutes. Somehow Itachi wondered how she'd managed to survive on a dangerous mission if she got distracted so easily and day dreaming like this.
"How long are you going to stand here Ino?"
Ino startled when Itachi decided to speak. She squealed before she looked up. She was embarrassed for not paying attention to her surroundings and even more embarrassed when she realized Itachi had been staring at her.
"Itachi-san." She mumbled quietly and bowed her head slightly.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Ino." He reprimanded her before walking away not missing the fact that Ino had called him by his given name not her usual 'Uchiha-san'.
"I know. I'm sorry I'm not usually like this." Ino said fidgeting. "Ano, Itachi-san…" She started when she saw him walking away.
"Tsunade-sama told me you've been asking about me." Itachi said. He stopped walking and turned around slightly to regard her. Despite being embarrassed that Itachi knew she'd been looking for him Ino saw this as an invitation so she made her way to where he stood. When Ino reached his side, Itachi continued walking with her tagging along beside him.
Itachi waited for Ino to speak and explain to him why she'd been looking for him. Meanwhile Ino debated with herself whether to tell him or not. Now that the person whom she seek for the past few days was walking beside her, she felt so silly and embarrassed for fussing over him to Tsunade-sama especially when her mentor had told him about her unusual behaviour.
"So, why are you looking for me Ino?" Itachi decided to ask after a moment Ino hadn't said anything.
Ino was fidgeting and her heart beat faster. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before answering his question. "I just… wanted to thank you for saving my life, Itachi-san." She trailed off a bit.
Itachi glanced at her. "You don't have to thank me, Ino. It's my duty to protect this village and its people. Besides, it wasn't only me who had saved you that day." Despite what he said to her, Itachi was pleased she had been looking for him just to say thanks.
"It is your duty, but you also didn't have to push yourself, Itachi-san. And just like you said, it wasn't only you who had saved me that day." Ino said looking straight to his eyes. They had stopped walking somewhere in the middle of Ino's sentence. They were now staring at each other.
Itachi wondered what she meant by that. He searched in her eyes how much did she know about what happened that day. And as if reading his thought Ino explained to him. "Sakura told me you helped the other to rescue me when you'd just gotten back from mission and fought their leader alone when you were at your limit, Itachi-san."
Itachi closed his eyes for a second before regard her. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."
Ino grabbed his hand when he was about to leave. "But you could've dying out of chakra, Itachi-san. You used your sharingan, didn't you?"
Itachi was flabbergasted to say the least. He knew what she meant by sharingan. It wasn't just sharingan but mangekyo sharingan. He used it not only once but twice during the fight even though he knew what the consequences by using it with a very low amount of chakra. He could've died out of chakra. Not to mention he would suffer blindness for using it very often. Tsunade had already warned him about it. He wondered if Ino knew or Tsunade had told her about it. After all, she was one of the medics who usually tended his brother and cousin.
"Itachi-san, thank you for saving my life. But please don't force yourself too much next time, alright?" Ino said with a gentle voice.
Itachi looked into her eyes and saw worried etched in those light blue orbs. He knew all along he cared deeply for her. She was the only girl who had captured his attention without even trying and she didn't even realize it. Itachi couldn't stand if someone tried to hurt her physically or emotionally. He was really worried about her well being that day and he'd rather die if that was the last thing he did to make sure she's safe.
Itachi didn't know why he did what he did. Maybe it's because the worried look on her face when she looked at him and he wanted to comfort her. He raised his free hand and gently caressed her cheek.
Ino blushed by his action. Despite her confusion by his sudden affection, she felt warm, comfort and safe. His gentle looked were telling her not to worry about anything. "Itachi-san…"
"Aaaww! So sweet..." A voice startled them both and broke their moment.
"Mikoto-sama!" Ino gasped. She released her grip on Itachi's hand immediately.
"Okaa-san." Meanwhile Itachi regarded his mother like nothing had happened. Well, nothing happened right? They were just talk.
Ino fidgeted and flushed for being caught by the Uchiha matriarch. She's afraid Mikoto still thought they really had a secret relationship as Shisui so kindly put it. Moreover she had been looking for Itachi at his house just last week.
Mikoto resisted for not giggling at the sight of blush that appeared on the girl's face. She couldn't resist teasing her son and Ino for having such a cute moment when she was on the way home from visiting the neighbour. They claimed, scratch that, Ino claimed they didn't have any relationship but the way they acted was like a couple. And what made it so amusing was the two of them didn't even notice.
"Am I interrupting you?" Mikoto asked teasingly.
"Er... no." Ino shook her head. "We were just talking." She said and stole a glance at Itachi which didn't go unnoticed by Mikoto.
"Where have you been, Kaa-san?"
"Oh, I was visiting Yukio-san. He was sick." Mikoto said.
"OH NO!" Ino slapped her forehead at the mention of sick word. Her sudden outburst made Itachi and his mother turned their attention to the girl.
"Something's wrong, Ino-chan?" Mikoto asked when she saw a horrified look on Ino's face.
"I have to go back to the hospital now! Tsunade-sama would have my head if she knew I was ditching my patient again!" Ino said still pale that she just realized her shift hasn't ended yet. She excused herself before dashing to the hospital leaving an amused Mikoto and Itachi behind.
Mikoto chuckled lightly stealing a glance toward her first born son. "Your girlfriend is quite funny ne, Itachi-kun?"
Itachi sighed. "You know she's not my girlfriend, Kaa-san."
"Yet." Mikoto said firmly. "What? Do you not like her?" She asked when Itachi gave her a look. Instead of responding to her question, Itachi just walked away to their home. "Itachi-kun, if you don't move fast somebody will take her away from you." Mikoto slightly yelled at his retreating back.
Itachi perched on the tree. He leaned over the trunk and let his eyes closed enjoying the peace that his surroundings provided. The wind was blowing gently shaking the foliage and the sun was beginning to set, its red and orange rays were illuminating the cemetery where Itachi's tree was. He didn't know why he had chosen it of all places he could find in Konoha. But at the moment Itachi was buying time or better yet hiding from his obligation to attend the clan's meeting.
It wasn't that he was such irresponsible person for not fulfilling his duty as the clan's head but he was sick with those people who always tried to mend with his life. It was after all his life therefore he was the one who planned and decided whatever with his life not them. Well, unless Kami-sama decided otherwise of course. And if they were going to have a meeting he will be the one who initiate it not the elders. And if there's something wrong, they could come to him or if it's a big matter they could go to the Hokage directly.
Itachi wouldn't follow his father's step for allowing them to influence his decision. It wasn't he didn't appreciate them, he did if they did it for the improvement of the clan. But when came to a family matter Itachi wouldn't allow them to influence his decision. He didn't want any of his children suffer the way he did as a child. He had lost his childhood due to the hard training his father made him just because they'd seen a great talent on him. Itachi did all his father said him to only because he didn't want his father did the same thing to Sasuke. He wanted his brother to grow up like other kids, playing and having friends, something he never had when he was young. So Itachi tried hard to become what the other expected him to be. And here he was; became a prodigy in his year, an ANBU captain when he was fifteen, the head of his clan and the strongest among the Uchiha as they said.
Itachi's trained of thought was cut off when he felt another presence. He had concealed his chakra before so the person who had just entering the cemetery didn't notice him. He watched as the young girl walked and stopped at a tomb. He knew her as one of Sasuke's friends, Yamanaka Ino. The young girl knelt down and placed a bouquet of flowers before clasped her hands and prayed. Then she began to talk.
After a moment, the blonde hair girl stood up and Itachi was stupefied by the sight of her. She had a far look in her eyes when she gazed at her surroundings. She smiled softly and closed her eyes enjoying the way wind blew her hair. The remnants of the afternoon sun illuminated her slim figure. In that moment Itachi had just realized how beautiful she was. He never really noticed her before, only saw her at glance. The girl turned her gaze toward him as if realizing something. Did she notice him been watching her? But that was impossible since the foliage covered him.
"Itachi-san?" But he heard her calling out his name.
"Itachi-san…"
Itachi felt someone shook his body gently. He opened his eyes and met with the light blue orbs that had just entered his dream. But why she was in his room?
"I'm sorry to wake you, Itachi-san. But you need to eat and drink your medicine." Ino said feeling bad to wake him from his peaceful sleep.
"Oh, Mikoto-sama said she had to attend a meeting with the villagers for the upcoming festival but she couldn't leave you alone while you're sick, so she asked me to look after you." Ino said as if reading his thought.
Itachi let out a sigh knowing too well that it was only his mother's mischief plan that Ino was looking after him while he was sick and the so called meeting was only an excuse so that Ino was giving in to her request. His mother clearly took advantage of Ino's caring nature and innocent for her plan to succeed.
"Ano, you don't mind, do you Itachi-san?" Ino asked and stared at him nervously.
"No." Itachi said earning a smile from the girl. "I'm sorry if my mother made you do this, Ino."
Ino shook her head and smiled at him. "It's okay. I'm glad I can help, besides Mikoto-sama looked so worried about leaving you alone."
Itachi sighed inwardly. 'Okaa-san!' She knew he only had a common fever and with enough rest he would be better but she might exaggerate it when she spoke to Ino. He made a mental note to reprimand his mother for not doing it ever again.
"Here I made you porridge." Ino handed him a bowl of porridge. Itachi took it and eat it. Meanwhile Ino sat silently next to his futon watching him eat.
"Have you yourself eaten?" Itachi asked.
Ino shook her head. "I'm not hungry. But I will after you finish your lunch." She added after she caught Itachi was about to reprimand her.
"So, how are you feeling? Do you have a headache?" Ino asked him after she took the empty bowl from Itachi and put it in the tray. She handed him a glass of water with his medicine. Itachi nodded and drink his medicine and water.
"Thanks." Itachi said while handed over the glass to Ino which she took and put it in the tray.
Ino put her hand in his forehead to check his temperature. If only she brought her medic pouch she could've known exactly his temperature, she had searched the cabinet where Mikoto had told her where the medicines were but she couldn't find a thermometer. She pondered for awhile whether she should go home or to the hospital to get it.
Ino flustered when she realized what she had been doing. She pulled back her hand immediately. "Go…Gomen, Itachi-san." She bowed her head slightly. "I should warn you before…"
"It's okay, Ino." Itachi cut her off. Truthfully, he was taken aback when Ino had leaned closer and put her hand in his forehead to check his fever. He couldn't say anything only stared at her pretty face. Itachi realized how close they were, he could study her face carefully. Her eyes weren't light blue like he and people always thought but they were aquamarine. She had a small pointed nose and her lips were thin and rosy. He had wondered how her lips felt against his own. He was snapped from his own thought when Ino's speaking.
"Itachi-san, I think you should change your shirt and go back to sleep." Ino said when she noticed his shirt was wet because of sweat. She then took the tray and left his room. Itachi only stared at her retreating back and the closed door. 'Someday she will make a good wife', Itachi thought.
Thirty minutes later Ino knocked on Itachi's room but received no reply. Assuming he was asleep, Ino opened the door and peered inside, indeed Itachi was asleep. Ino invited herself in and walked toward his futon and knelt down beside him. She put her hand to his forehead and felt his body was still burning. Ino rummaged through her medic pouch for a thermometer, which she had her bunshin got it from her house while she's washing the dishes. Once she found it, she put it under his armpit.
Ino watched him sleep while waiting for her thermometer worked. Every girl out there would kill to be in her place right now, to be this close to the most sought out bachelor in Konoha. Ino laughed at the thought that his fan girl would kill her if they found out, but then again gossip about her and Itachi was spreading through out the entire Konoha like a germ. Ino wondered what Itachi thought about it. He hadn't said anything back then when his cousin 'accusing' him for having a relationship with her.
She noticed long ago that Itachi was handsome and she even thought him more handsome than his brother. Even though he always looked cold to the others, she knew Itachi was a loving and caring person. She could see it in his eyes. And what made Ino respect him was the way he treated everybody else with respect and politeness despite he liked the person or not. That's why Ino always greeted him every chance she got. She knew he wouldn't ignore her just like Sasuke did back then when they were children.
After a moment, Ino took the thermometer and frowned when it read 38.5 Celsius degrees. She had wondered how he had gotten sick in the first place. She assumed it's probably because he had overworked himself that his body finally drop. Ino left his side and went to the kitchen. She took the basin from the kitchen cabinets and filled it with warm water. When she was about to go back to Itachi's room, she heard a knock in the front door. She wondered who it was. She put the basin in the table and went to the front door. She opened the door only to be greeted with two old men.
TBC
Thanks for reading and as always please review...
-Rurippe-
