Chapter 7: Four
Keichi had proven to be a smart child. He was also an extremely quiet child. He watched everything around him and glared at those that had given his mother dirty looks. He had even found a way out of his crib, without hurting himself, and into his mother's room and onto her bed. It gave her a scare to wake up with her infant son sitting on her bed and watching her. She had gotten used to it. He even woke his mother up when he was hungry or needed his diaper changed. It had freaked Sasuke and Naruto out when they were watching him one day. They had put him down for a nap and had started to make out. It had gotten a bit heavy, until Sasuke felt a stare on them. He pulled away to find his nephew sitting on the table in front of the couch, watching them intently. His eyes widened and Naruto freaked, falling behind the couch. She laughed and said she should have warned them that he could get out of his crib.
But they had seen him progress throughout the few years he was alive. He was four now and Kagome had no time for a relationship. She was always busy with work and raising her son. Word had gotten to the Uchiha clan that Keichi resembled them in looks, with his dark hair and eyes and pale complexion. That was where the similarities ended. He no longer looked like a baby Itachi; instead he looked more like his mother, only more like a boy. Fugaku scoffed and figured she had cheated on Itachi with someone in the clan, but everyone in the clan knew better than to sleep with the heir's wife. No one voiced it aloud, because Fugaku and Itachi were always right.
Sasuke and Naruto had come out of the closet to Sasuke's family. Mikoto had been understanding about it, since Naruto was always sweet with her and he was helping to take care of her grandchild. Fugaku and Itachi weren't. Fugaku, disgusted with his son, disowned him and Itachi mocked him. Sasuke had been kicked out of the house and had moved in with Kagome, seeing as she had an extra room. Naruto and Sasuke spent all their time there when not training or on a mission. And because he was disowned, his engagement had been called off. He didn't care because his relationship with Naruto was growing. Neither cared if anyone knew about it. Sakura had been bitter about this, and often tried to seduce Sasuke to her bed, more so when he was drunk. She even fed him shots in hope of getting him drunk enough to sleep with her. Naruto was always his savior and would drag him away to sleep it off at his place. They still hadn't gone all the way. They didn't think they were ready for that just yet.
Currently Kagome was walking with Keichi through the village, a basket for groceries on Kagome's arm. She secretly trained her son in nin jutsu. She didn't think he was too young to learn, after all, should something happen to her, he would have to protect himself. She had told him this and he nodded, understanding her completely. At the tender age of four, he had unlocked the Sharingan. The Uchiha clan didn't know, not even Sasuke or Mikoto. Kagome didn't think they needed to know. Instead, they did everything in secret, and she had finished mastering wind and water jutsu and became a jounin. But because she had her son and no one to truly look after him, she was never sent on a mission away from the village. She did her shifts at the hospital and the occasional watch at the gate. Once Keichi was older, she would take missions away from the village. That would be in a few years. She was in no hurry.
Keichi looked up at his mother as she looked through the fruit on the stand. She seemed oblivious to the looks she was getting from the men. His uncle had told him that Kagome was an attractive woman, and many men thought so. But being four, he didn't know what those looks meant. Maybe his mother would know, so he lightly pulled on the bottom of her shirt. She looked at him and he felt it was time to say something.
"What is with the looks from the men?" He was blunt, just like his mother.
She looked around, the men turning away quickly, hoping to not get caught. She shrugged and looked to her son. "Don't worry about it, Keichi," she said before going back to what she was doing. He just decided to glare at the men and stay next to his mother. Maybe his uncle Sasuke or uncle Naruto would explain it to him. They seemed to willingly answer his questions. The only question they refused to answer was who his father was. He didn't find it important anymore. His mother and two uncles were enough, and grandma Mikoto tried to spoil him rotten. All he really wanted was more kunai and shuriken. His grandma never brought him any, instead gifting him with clothes and scrolls. The scrolls were helpful, seeing as they held techniques, but he couldn't wear the clothes because he was not an Uchiha. His uncle Sasuke took care of the clothes and got him kunai and shuriken instead.
Admittedly, Keichi was tired of staying home by himself all the time but had no trouble convincing one of his uncles to take him to train while his mother worked. The only time this didn't work was when they were away on missions. He would get bored and go to the park alone and look around. There were kids playing together, but when he approached to play with them, they would run away from him, insults coming from their mouths. He scowled and left, flipping the kunai he had hidden and going to practice in the forest. He was always careful and he made sure to be home by the time his mother got back from her shift.
"How does dango sound for dessert?" Kagome asked her son.
His mouth watered. He loved dango so he nodded and took in his mother's smile. She was sweet to him, and he behaved well for her. He never wished to disgrace her, and he wanted to make her proud above all else. She deserved to have someone that would take care of her. His uncles helped, but he knew she needed something more, whatever that meant. He was not sure how to go about it though. His mother was busy with work and taking care of him and feeding his uncles. She did not notice any men. He really wanted to have a long talk with his uncles when he got the chance, and hopefully without his mother overhearing.
He got home with his mother and rushed to his room while his mother went to start on dinner. He wanted to put his kunai and shuriken up before his mother found them on him. She was fine with him having them, but she did not approve of him running around with them at his young age without her or his uncles there to make sure he didn't get hurt. Maybe he would convince his uncle to take him to train, and help him master the kanton. His uncle could do it, so he wanted to be able to do it too.
He came back into the kitchen and sat at the table, watching his mother prepare dinner. There were just so many questions he had, like when could he start the academy. He was eager to learn, even if his mother did teach him many things. He knew she was taking it slow with him, and that there were some things she did not teach him. She was protective of him, and he knew he was still too young to learn some of what she knew. She did teach him the basics taijutsu and ninjutsu, and a few advanced techniques. Because of that, he didn't care that he didn't have friends. They would only slow him down. He admitted that it would have been great to have a best friend, like uncle Naruto was uncle Sasuke's best friend. His mother didn't have friends though.
The door knob turned and he looked to see his uncles come in, both leaning against the other for support. They collapsed in a chair, tired and injured from training. His mother sighed before seeing to their wounds and going back to cooking. He looked at his uncles before standing and getting something to drink from the fridge. His mother's fresh squeezed juice was always so good, especially when she added it to a pot of tea. She did everything in her power to make sure he ate right.
"We have a mission away from the village starting tomorrow," Sasuke informed. "We should be back in a week." Kagome nodded and started to set the table as the food simmered. Sasuke and Naruto made themselves useful by placing the food and juice on the table. Keichi was still much too short to reach anything, except the cups and the food in the fridge. Once that was done, they made themselves comfortable at the table and started to eat, healthy chatter being exchanged.
Scene Change – Another Part of the Village
She smirked as she rubbed her belly. She was pregnant and she was approaching the supposed father now. Yes, it was hard to tell that she was pregnant, but it had been confirmed about a week ago. She could see him approaching now, a few women eyeing him, but he seemed to be walking with a purpose towards the Hokage tower.
"Itachi," she called out, knowing it would get a lot of attention. "I'm pregnant ith your child," she claimed boldly.
"You think you are the first to say that I am the father of your child. I know how many men you have slept with. What makes you think it isn't one of the other men you slept with son?" He looked at her coldly. She was turning to be like his ex-wife, that claimed the child she had was his son. "I highly doubt the child is mine." He moved past her.
"You're such a bastard," she said hatefully. "No wonder she left you. You are unfit to be called a man." People were whispering.
"Do not say such a thing again," he said heatedly at the woman. He didn't touch her, but the threat was there. No one questioned Itachi Uchiha. "You are nothing but a whore after all. Who would believe you over me?" He turned away before walking quickly, glaring at any and all that bad mouthed him. He had better things to do anyways.
Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. It was a little difficult to write, but hopefully the next chapter is a bit easier to write, and hopefully I can get it written faster than the day and a half it took me to come up with this. But as always, read, review, and ENJOY!
