It wasn't until the pounding at the door matched the throbbing between his eyes that Itachi realized he had fallen asleep. Wincing from a sudden headache, Itachi blinked owlishly and surveyed the unfamiliar room. The events of the previous day flashed before his eyes and Itachi recalled why he was slouched in an uncomfortable chair with Sasuke sprawled across his lap. The eight year old was snoring loudly, completely oblivious to the world. Itachi shook his head, a wry smile at the corner of his lips as he settled back, content to ignore the world for a few more minutes. For a short time he could allow himself the illusion of peace.
The incessant thundering upon the door shattered that dream, startling Sasuke awake with a snort and sending him tumbling to the floor with a yelp. Rubbing his forehead grumpily, the eight year old glared at Itachi.
"Why do you always hafta get me up early?"
Before Itachi could plead his case the hammering at the door answered for him. With a grimace Itachi rose to his feet, wincing as he rubbed a stubborn kink in his neck. Sleeping in a chair all night had done nothing to aid in the healing process from his stay in the hospital.
"What do you mean, he's not here? Where is he, then?"
There was only one person the loud, boistrous tone could belong to.
"Naruto," Itachi muttered as he made his way to the door. Sasuke followed several feet behind him, prepared to make a break for his room at the first sign of a conflict. Itachi held a finger to his lips and waited silently, abruptly swinging the doors wide open. With a strangled shout Naruto fell forward, his balance compromised from the unexpected movement.
"Dah! Itachi! You're here!"
"Yes," Itachi replied in a monotone as he leaned against the door frame. "Your persistence was difficult to ignore."
"Oh, that?" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was just going to ask if you wouldn't mind if I took Sasuke to Ichiraku's. You know, now that he's back and - What happened to your face?"
Sasuke had approached during the blond's tirade, and shot a dark look at one ANBU as though they were the ones to blame for his brother's battered appearance. "Danzo hit him."
"Danzo?" Naruto gaped, "I thought Granny said he was supposed to leave you guys alone!"
Itachi laid a warning hand on Sasuke's head before the younger Uchiha could speak further. "Danzo has a reputation for ignoring the Hokage's orders," he said plainly.
"Why that dirty, rotten, snake headed, rat-fink!" Naruto exploded.
Itachi clapped his hands around Sasuke's ears as a few other choice insults followed. Sasuke glanced up questioningly, and Itachi minutely shook his head. "Naruto..."
"If that two sided cutthroat ever shows his face around here again I'll - "
"Naruto!"
The blond stuttered to a halt as Itachi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Naruto, did you have a reason for coming here?"
"Oh, yeah..." Naruto shifted his feet. "I just wanted to know if you needed someone to help look after Sasuke today and all... I mean, it's been a while since we've all seen him and I was hoping we could take him to the park or something. Oh, by the way, Sasuke, Iruka asked me to bring your puppy over. He says he's getting tired of it chewing all the furniture."
Itachi stared blankly as the news registered. "Puppy...?"
"You brought Itachi!" Sasuke shrieked in joy as Naruto held up the scruffiest mutt Itachi had ever set eyes upon. The eight year old raced forward, grabbing the rolly polly dog and squeezing it to his chest.
"Itachi?" the elder Uchiha whispered in disbelief. That fleabitten mange is what I can expect for a namesake? The fates did conspire against him.
"Look, Itachi!" Sasuke cried out in exhilaration, "Can we keep him? Please?"
"I..."
"Please, Itachi! We've never had a dog before, and he likes me already! See?" As if to prove Sasuke's point, the puppy lapped his face with its sloppy pink tongue. Sasuke giggled and turned his huge dark eyes upon his brother. "Pleeease! I promise I'll take care of him an feed him an he can sleep on my bed so he doesn't bug you!"
Itachi hesitated. Of all things he had anticipated upon his return, he was the least prepared for an animal. He was already facing enough trouble with Konoha and the ANBU, and Itachi knew exactly who would be left in charge of the mutt. However, the hopeful gaze of his brother tore at his heart. The expecting trust in Sasuke's eyes was something he had never expected to see again in his life, and he would do anything to let it remain there forever.
"I... suppose we could work something out..."
Sasuke's radient smile was reward in full. Leaping forward he tackled his brother around the middle, nearly squashing Itachi the puppy in his enthusiasm. Itachi grunted from the impact, a smile of his own forming as he gently tapped Sasuke's forehead.
"One condition, Touto..." he ordered firmly. Sasuke glanced up worriedly, waiting for the terrible order that the dog be kept outside.
"You will not name him after me."
. . . .. . . .. . . .
"Can I call him Naruto?"
"Um, I don't think Itachi would like that," Naruto insisted, flattered yet sensing that naming the puppy after the jinchuriki Itachi had once hunted would be but one more blow to the former Akatsuki. Not that Itachi didn't deserve it, but Naruto found it difficult to hold against him. As time went on it was becoming more and more difficult to hold grudges.
Naruto was surprised at how well Sasuke was taking the news of the massacre. A flash of anger stabbed through him as he recalled that it was Itachi who had slaughtered the Uchiha clan in the first place and then abandoned Sasuke to face the impact of his actions alone. While Naruto could forgive the crimes enacted against himself, he could not redirect the blame from the man who had commissioned Sasuke on a killer's mission. What was the Hokage thinking, leaving Sasuke in the care of the very man who had murdered his parents? It made no sense!
At the same time...
Naruto recalled the battle in the woods some time past, when Itachi had charged him with caring for his younger brother. The same words had rung clear in the forest as they had before Naruto and Sasuke had left the house that morning. Itachi had entrusted Sasuke to Naruto's care, the one person that few would even dare speak to. A jinchuriki. The same tailed beast container that Itachi had at one point attempted to hunt down. The words Itachi had spoken that day could have been a plea that someone willing to see past all crimes of the past would look after his brother. He had acted as though he truly cared, and Naruto's doubts were quelled once more as he recalled the ferocity with which Itachi had defended Sasuke in the ruins. Itachi cared about his brother.
And he had trusted a jinchuriki to protect him.
Why?
"Naruto! You're not listening!"
"Huh?" Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and glanced down at Sasuke's sullen features.
"You're upset, aren't you?"
"Nah, I'm fine," Naruto blustered, his face turning beet red as he rubbed his neck. He could hardly pass on to Sasuke the thoughts running rampart in his head, and he set them aside to mull over at a latter time. "Um, so what were you saying?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I said, we could call him Sakura instead. Itachi wouldn't mind that, right?"
"Sakura's a girl's name."
Sasuke sighed in exhasperation. "If you don't take any of my suggestions, we'll never find a name for him!"
Naruto could have grabbed at his hair in frustration. Sasuke as an eight year old was nearly as bad as Konohamaru had been at that age. Albeit he was smarter, but the fact remained that children have a one track mindset which takes few realistic factors into consideration.
"Just call him... Ichiraku!" Naruto profferred as they neared the restraurant.
Sasuke gave him a dubious look. "Why don't we just call him 'Ramen?'"
Naruto gave him a blank stare, then grinned doofishly. "Yeah, that's it! We'll call him Ramen! It's a perfect name!"
Sasuke continued to stare unnervingly. "I was kidding, you know."
. . . . . . . .. . .
"So, who's your new friend?" Teuchi asked, setting a plate of leftovers down for the puppy.
"We thought about calling him Ramen," Sasuke said doubtfully, "But then we might as well call him 'Onigri,' or 'Steak' - except Itachi hates steak." He took a large bite of ramen as though to fuel his imagination.
"What's wrong with Ramen?" Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of noodles.
Sasuke sighed long sufferingly, wondering whether all grown ups were so hare brained. "I liked 'Itachi' better," he moped, watching with disinterest as his noodles slipped off his chopsticks and plopped back into the bowl.
"Why don't you just call him 'Tachi' for short?" Ayame piped up.
Naruto and Sasuke turned in surprise, not having heard her approach. Cocking his head to the side, Sasuke considered a moment before grinning. "Hn, maybe Itachi would let me call him that," he agreed.
Ayame beamed at the two, patting the scruffy black puppy on the head before setting a dish of dango in front of Sasuke. "Here, a little treat for the occasion," she winked. "If you still have name trouble you could always offer to call him Jiraiya. I guarentee Itachi will be properly horrified enough to allow 'Tachi' to pass."
Sasuke smiled half heartedly, his eyes dour as he watched the sticky sweet syrrup drip from his candy. For the sake of being polite he took a small bite, shuddering at the sugary taste.
"Kawaii," Ayame whispered to Naruto, giggling as Sasuke manfully took another nibble at the dango. "It's hard to believe he and you-know-who are the same person."
"Yeah," Naruto said absently, his mind playing back to the unfeeling, dead eyed criminal who had faced him at Orochimaru's lair. We can't let that happen to him again. Somehow things will be different this time.
As soon as Ayame's back was turned Sasuke shoved the dango plate under the table, hiding his own half eaten stick in the teapot. He just hoped Naruto wouldn't decide to drink any...
Watching as the blond voraciously devoured his third bowl of ramen, (courtesy of Teuchi slipping him another free coupon - Sasuke noticed Naruto's rapidly dwindling funds), Sasuke wondered how he and the Naruto he had known in school could be the same. The Naruto he remembered had been a dobe and a nuisance. Every day he pulled a new prank on Iruka Sensei or bragged to Sasuke how much better he was than anyone. Sasuke had always ignored that Naruto, which had made him even more angry.
This new Naruto had changed as much as Itachi had. He didn't just look older, he acted more grown up. Like the old Naruto he still talked too much, but Sasuke noticed that the new Naruto didn't glare at him anymore. Naruto didn't hate him like he used to. Instead he smiled at him as though he were an old friend. Like Itachi though, he got this sad look in his eyes every now and then, as though he were remembering.
A sudden picture flashed through Sasuke's mind, an image that he knew didn't belong. Naruto stared up at him, fists clenched tightly at his sides, tears running down his cheeks as his eyes bored into Sasuke's very soul. He was saying something that Sasuke couldn't understand...
Sasuke gasped quietly, his hand twitching involuntarily and sending his bowl skittering across the table. Naruto yelped as ramen slopped across the smooth wood. Instantly Ayame was there with a towel, giving Sasuke time to escape to the bathroom where he promptly lost his lunch.
What was that? Sasuke wondered in trepidation as he wiped the back of his mouth and stared into the mirror. He felt mean again, like he had done something horrible; something worse than breaking Kaasan's favorite mirror or spilling juice all over Itachi's carefully written report.
Surreptitiously Sasuke studied his reflection from all sides. Do I look mean? Was he turning into a monster like the ghost stories Yashiro Sama used to tell him and the other children at night? A thrill of horror ran through him. What if dreams did come true? What if he became an evil creature and hurt the one person he cared about most in the world? Itachi...
The thought was too much for Sasuke, and he collapsed against the wall with a shuddering sob. Ducking his head in his arms, he cried until he heard the door open and felt Naruto's hands on his shoulders.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Don't wanna be mean," Sasuke choked out softly.
"Huh?" Naruto asked in concern.
"I don't wanna hurt anyone!" Sasuke wailed, his sobbing reaching the point where it was uncontrollable.
Naruto muttered something under his breath and ran to the door, calling for Ayame before returning to Sasuke's side. "Hey, it's okay," he reassured. "What makes you think you'll hurt someone?"
Sasuke sniffled loudly and wiped his nose on his sleeve, scared for some unknown reason by the look of wary concern in Naruto's eyes. The door opened once more as Ayame entered. With a soft gasp of compassion she knelt down, pulling Sasuke into her lap and stroking his hair until he calmed down.
"There, now," Ayame said softly, "Everything's okay. You're probably just feeling a little sick from the luncheon. Any fever?" She pressed a cool hand against Sasuke's forehead, shaking her head with a kind smile. "No, you're not sick. Have you been having bad dreams lately?"
Sasuke blew noisily into the handkerchief that Ayame whipped out before he could make for his sleeve again. Tearfully he nodded, earning a sympathetic frown from the young waitress.
"You know, dreams don't always have to come true," Ayame assured. "Sometimes they're like little warning signs, telling us to be good or else we could get into trouble."
"Then if I'm bad the dreams will come true?" Sasuke asked hopelessly.
Ayame hesitated a moment, thinking out her answer. "Every decision counts, you know; even the little ones. If you always think out your actions and be careful to do the right thing even when it's hard, then you'll never have to worry about the dreams coming true."
Even though Iruka had never told her of Sasuke's night terrors, Ayame instinctively guessed what the young Uchiha was terrified of. It would be folly to expect him to have no recollection of his past life, she now realized. She could only hope that it wouldn't tear him apart in the end. No child should endure the memories of a criminal.
"I wanna go home now," Sasuke pleaded, longing for the sanctuary of his room. He needed to know that Itachi was there for him; that his big brother loved him and wasn't afraid that he was evil. Itachi was reality, and he made the bad dreams go away.
Even back in the past Itachi had been there to chase away the nightmares, sometimes staying awake far into the night to protect Sasuke from the monsters. Kaasan always worried that Itachi would be too tired the next day and wouldn't be able to go to school, but Sasuke knew better. Itachi was invincible. Nothing could harm him, not even the night terrors. Sasuke was safe as long as his brother was around. Nothing in the world, not even Danzo, could ever hurt Itachi.
And Sasuke would never have to hurt him, either. Itachi was the best in the ANBU. Even if the bad dreams ever came true, Sasuke would never be able to harm his brother.
. .. . . . . .. . . .
Itachi spent the day worrying over Sasuke and rearranging the furniture. He cared for the setup as little as Sasuke had, and set to immediately to make the place feel more like home. Itachi didn't know why he bothered, considering that the more familiar the house looked, the more ghosts would rise up with it, but he set to the task with an energy he hadn't felt in years.
Sasuke's room was top on the list, and Itachi shook his head in dismay upon seeing the sparsely furnished quarters. The closet was well stocked thanks to Tsunade's foresight, but clearly she had sent a shinobi for the shopping. Ninja, with their typical blue and green uniforms, were not expected to consider color clashes as an important role in children's clothing selections. The closet and drawers were filled with everything ranging from lime green to an almost pinkish red to the brightest orange Itachi had had the misfortune to set eyes upon. Clearly a colorblind shinobi had been assigned to this particular mission.
With a shake of his head Itachi made a mental note to take Sasuke shopping for a new wardrobe as soon as his guards would allow it. Maybe he could even make a bit of an outing out of it. Shopping had always been in the women's line of work, but Itachi craved a chance to spend some quality time with his brother. Whether for punishment or reprieve, the fates had granted him a once in a lifetime chance to relive the years of Sasuke's childhood. Itachi was determined not to waste it.
Perhaps he could even buy a few more toys for the eight year old as well. Most of them had clearly been trashed years before. A single box of grimy, dust covered trinkets had been carelessly packed away, then ever so carefully taken out and washed as though they were the most precious objects in the world. Raurie had been carefully tucked under the blankets, its head resting on the pillow. A lump rose Itachi's throat and he bit his lip against the rise of emotion as he gently slid the dinosaur out and studied it in the light.
Worn and tattered, the stuffed toy gave testament to five years of ninja games and bedtime stories. Up until five Sasuke had carried it everywhere, crying whenever it couldn't be found. Itachi could recall more than one occassion when he had hunted for it outside in the pouring rain, Sasuke's only concern being that Raurie would be the one to catch pneumonia.
Rubbing his thumb over the patches Mikoto had sewn on whenever the dinosaur was torn during an exceptionally rough game of ninja tug-of-war, Itachi hugged it tightly to his chest. The nostalgia raging through him was almost too much to bear. He wanted his little brother back, to know the great shinobi Sasuke would have been had the massacre never happened. He wondered what his brother would be like now had the clan never decided to revolt. Had Danzo never given the order for the clan to be annihilated. Had he never been forced to carry out the sickening deed himself.
How Itachi longed to hear them again, to know that his parents were alive and there for him, when all he had to do was pull back the rug in the sitting room to know that the past could never be erased. He wished his mother was there, her kind eyes and her gentle voice supporting him in spite of his outer indifference. Mikot had always held a special love for him, her eldest son.
Itachi missed her most of all.
A silent tear dripped onto Raurie's head, a single raindrop containing the agony of the centuries. With the utmost care Itachi tucked the dinosaur back in, smoothing the coverlets impeccably as was his habit. Even if Sasuke was eight and considered by Fugaku to be 'too old' for such nonsense, he would be relieved to know that Raurie had slept peacefully while he had been away. Almost tiptoeing out of the room, Itachi quietly shut the door, locking the memories within.
He didn't enter the room of his parents.
.
.
.
.
.
This was supposed to be an entirely different chapter plot! Clearly I should not write late at night; my angst side comes out the worst at that time.
No, the whole world does not evolve around Ichiraku's, but Naruto's world certainly does. Next up is Team Kakashi... I think. If the Uzamaki keeps interfering we'll never get away from that restaurant.
