Not Alone
Itachi spent three weeks, day and night stuck in an office with the Third Hokage. He thought he knew just about everything when it came to assigning mission, but was proven wrong. The Hokage gave him a pretty in-depth lesson on how to determine the proper rank for a mission. Just a moment ago he came a mission sent in from the Daimyo requesting a hunter-Nin to retrieve a scroll that was stolen earlier in the week. To Itachi this seemed like something Shisui would do and he was about to give it to his cousin when the Hokage said he had someone better in mind for the mission.
The knock on the door signaled that this person was here.
"Come in,"
Sarutobi's voice rang through the office. The person on the other side of the door entered the room. Itachi's eyes widened just a bit when he saw that it was Yoite.
"Sarutobi-Sama?"
The older man understood what was being asked and gave his reply.
"Although I was highly against the train you did give my daughter, you didn't think I would allow the talent she had go to waste now did you."
The girl walked in wearing her Jounin vest open, underneath she had a long sleeved crop top and her headband tied around her waist. She had on the standard blue pants and sandals as well, her hair was up in a high pony tail and not down like how Itachi was used to seeing it. He was able to get a better look at her now and noticed that in the four years they spent a part she had matured into a beautiful young woman and no longer that little girl he once knew.
"Come closer child."
Yoite did as told and reached for the scroll her father had for her.
"I expect this will be completed in two days' time?"
"Of course."
She looked to Itachi and gave him a smile before leaving the office.
"You're really going to let her do this on her own?"
"No, there will be a team of ANBU following a bit behind her just in case something goes wrong. That was the agreement we came to, I allow her to go on missions and she doesn't complain about the three man team I send to follow her."
Itachi let the conversation drop and continued to sift through more mission request and assign them a rank and team. It was nearing the afternoon when the Hokage sent him on an errand to the Hyuga Compound. He was greeted by a guard at the front gates and taken to the main house where Hiashi was waiting for him.
"Itachi, the Hokage has you running errands for him now?"
"He just wants me to become more familiar with the Village."
"Ah I see, would you like to join me for Tea?"
"Thank you but maybe another time I promised my mother I would come home for lunch today."
"Yes another time then. Am I to assume you will be present for the meeting I will be having with the Hokage next week."
"Yes Sir I will be there."
"I will see you then."
Itachi nodded his head and left the Hyuga Compound so he could return to his own home. To his surprise when he got home there was no one around but his mother. Normally Sasuke and his team would be there.
'Kakashi must have treated them to lunch.'
Itachi thought to himself as he walked closer to the kitchen.
"Ah, Itachi right on time. I'll have a plate ready for you in just a minute so go wash up and then sit at the table."
The young Hokage to-be did as his mother asked of him, when he came back to sit and eat Mikoto was setting his plate down along with one for herself.
"So are you learning a lot?"
"Yes, it's kind of boring. But knowledge that I need."
"That's good. When are you going to bring Yoite around?"
"She's on a mission right now."
"Mmh, you're not going to keep pushing her away are you?"
"I'm doing it to protect her."
"Itachi, my son she is quite capable of protecting herself. You know when your father would go to the Capital City she would beg him to spare with her. Fugaku said there were times she was able to land a few dozen blows to him."
"I didn't know that."
"Yeah, I could always tell when she would land a good one your father would have a light bruise in that spot. You can't keep her at a distance forever dear. Yoite was raised to be a perfect companion for a Hokage, even more so with her combat training. The Hokage and your father invested a lot of time into her up-bringing, of which I'm sure you remember from when you were a child."
Mikoto paused for a moment.
"Your loved ones are always going to be a target Itachi, it just comes with being a Shinobi. Be glad Yoite will be able to hold her own against most people."
"And what if something like last time happens again. My Sharingon is more advance now and I don't always have full control of it. If she were to get caught in it again I wouldn't be able to forgive myself this time."
"You're worrying to much about things from the past. The Hokage wouldn't be sending her on missions if he didn't think she could handle it."
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I am dear."
Itachi finished his lunch and left so he could return to the Hokage tower. Where more paper work was waiting for him. The seventeen year old prodigy was starting to regret accepting this position, mostly because of all the paper work he always had to do. On the plus side this gave him a small break from going on missions.
Four days, she had been gone for four day now. Every morning since she left Itachi would check in with Izumo and Kotetsu to see if she had shown up at some point. So finally on the fifth night he decided to wait there for a few hours.
"We could have had someone let you know when she got here."
"I couldn't sleep and anyways I don't get to do much aside from spending all day with the Hokage and Council members. It's nice to get away from it for a little while."
"Yeah I hear that, we spend most of our time here guarding the gate."
"Hey guys I see something coming this way."
"Itachi-San please stay back."
Izumo stepped in front of him as Kotetsu walked closer to the gate. The form of four people walking came into view. And it looked as if one of them was being helped walk. Itachi quickly realized who it was that had been injured. Before the two guards could stop him he was outside the gates and at Yoite's side.
"What happened?"
"It was an ambush Itachi-San."
One of the ANBU answered him. He was looking over Yoite and saw a large purple bruise on her right side. In the dark it was not hard to miss with her skin being such a pale color.
"Itachi I'm fine it's just a bruise."
She took in a breath and winced in pain while grabbing her side.
"That's more than just a bruise you could have a broken rib. Come on."
He picked her up bridal style and headed for the hospital. Yoite struggled a little bit in his hold.
"I can walk on my own, you don't have to do this."
"You shouldn't have gone on that mission in the first place."
"I think I handled that mission just fine, despite the fact that I got hurt."
"That's not the point, it's not safe for you to be leaving the Village."
"Itachi I'm not a little kid anymore. You can't keep me cooped up here doing nothing all the time."
Itachi stopped walking and looked right at her.
"I can, and I just might."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No I'm not Yoite, you could have gotten seriously hurt had you gone out there alone. I was against this whole thing the moment you walked into that office."
Yoite struggled more to make Itachi put her down, but the older teen would not let go. They were just about to reach the front steps of the hospital at this point.
"I made a deal with my father so I could do missions, and up until now everything has been okay."
"He may have a say in it now, but pretty soon he won't"
Itachi stopped talking as he entered the hospital and a nurse approached them.
"Lord Uchiha, Lady Yoite what happened?"
"She was ambushed during her mission, she might have a broken rib or two."
Itachi set Yoite down on the stretcher that was brought out.
"I can talk and walk for myself, Itachi."
He sighed and gave her a look that said, 'please don't fight with me right now.' The girl understood his look and kept quiet so the nurses and doctors could do their job. Itachi fallowed them to the room she would be in but had to wait outside while they examined her. The doctor on duty wanted to alert the Hokage of what happened, but Itachi told him that wouldn't be a good idea at this late hour. The doctor came to reason and agreed. About an hour later Yoite was fine and Itachi was allowed to enter the room now.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
Yoite wouldn't look up at him, Itachi pulled a chair up to the bed she was sitting in.
"Are you going to ignore me now?"
"What's the matter Itachi, you don't how it feels do you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You couldn't even go five days without knowing what was going on? I went four years of not knowing. Four years of thinking I did something wrong. Four years of thinking you had replaced me with someone else."
"How did you know that?"
"I have my ways. Do you know how that made me feel? You pushed me away and then started dating her. I just couldn't understand why, and I felt unwanted by you."
Itachi didn't say anything for a few minutes while Yoite quietly cried. He didn't know she felt this way and he didn't think his short relationship with Hana would hurt her like it did. Itachi ran his hands through his hair and sighed for the umpteenth time in a single night.
"I tried everything I could to keep my mind off of you. But no matter what I did you were still all I thought about. I pushed you away because I was trying to protect you from my enemies."
"I can take care of myself, I don't need you to do it."
"Yeah well you sure proved that with this mission."
"Geez are you going to hold that against me forever. It was one mistake Itachi it will never happen again."
"One mistake is all it takes Yoite. How can you not understand how much you mean to me?"
'"You were talking about taking my rank away from me. A rank that I worked so hard to get, I didn't take the test like a normal person would. I took on the missions that were required for this rank and I won't let anyone take that from me. Not even you."
She was nearly yelling at him at this point and it only got worse when he raised his voice more too.
"I'm not trying to take it away from you, I'm trying to protect you. How many more times to I have to say it?"
"So limit what I can do, or put me on a team with other Shinobi."
"We are supposed to be getting married in the fall Yoite. And when that happens you won't just be the third Hokage's daughter. You'll be the fifth Hokage's wife is that clear enough for you. Other Villages and Countries that we are not on friendly terms with will see you as an easy target to get to me."
"That doesn't mean you can keep me trapped here in this Village like I'm some sort of prisoner."
If Itachi ever went bald it would certainly be because of Yoite. He wanted to pull his hair out but settled for running his hands through his hair again. It was like talking to a brick wall with her, why didn't she just understand he was doing this for her own good. Not to keep her trapped but to keep her safe.
"I am going to get nowhere with you and this conversation."
He said with a more leveled voice.
"Then I guess this conversation is over and you can leave."
"No, I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving you again."
"I said leave Uchiha."
Yoite reached for the pillow behind her and hit Itachi with it. He was stunned but not by being hit, she had never called him 'Uchiha'. The girl had multiple nicknames for him but calling him by just his surname was not one of them.
"Please don't do this."
Itachi said almost begging her not to force him to leave.
"I asked you to leave, so do so. I don't want to see you right now."
He leaned in and kissed her on the side of her head then left the room. Any other man would have left the hospital all together but not Itachi Uchiha. He had talked to Yoite's doctor and the man said he was going to keep her here for a few hours so she could rest and then discharge her by the afternoon. He also suggested that Itachi go home and get some rest himself, he could see the dark circles under the teens eyes. But he insisted on staying, he spent the rest of the night and most of the morning in the waiting room.
When the sun started to peek through the window in Yoite's room she was just about fully awake. The was a knock at the door and then it opened, a nurse came in with a trey of food and her clean clothes as well.
"We had your clothes washed for you Lady Yoite."
"Thank you."
"Uhm, my Lady if I could say something?"
"Yes go ahead."
"Well it's just that Lord Uchiha has been here all night and I think he's been waiting for you. We all suggested he go home to rest because he looked as if he hadn't slept in days but he refused. The Hokage even had some from ANBU come and get him, but again he sent them away. Now I know it is not my place to comment on your relationship. But I'm sure if you were to allow him to come and see you even if for a moment he might go home and get some rest."
Now it was Yoite's turn to sigh. She loved Itachi even in her young age Yoite always knew he would be the only one for her. And she knew he loved her, but he needed to understand that she was her own person. She wanted to make a name for herself and not just be known as the Hokage's daughter or the Hokage's wife. He needed to learn to trust that she could handle things on her own.
"You can let him come back here."
"Yes ma'am Lord Uchiha should be pleased that you will allow him to see you."
"I'm sure he will be."
'That man always finds a way to get what he wants.'
Yoite eat the food that was brought to her and by the time Itachi got to her room she was done. When he walked in she was able to see exactly what the nurse was talking about. He didn't sleep at all the whole time she was gone on that mission.
"Why didn't you go home?"
"I told you I wasn't leaving you."
"You look like death just walked in."
"Well maybe you shouldn't worry me so much."
He gave her a soft smile, and Yoite accepted it with her own. Itachi sat on the side of the hospital bed and put Yoite's hand in his.
"Look my relationship with Hana didn't mean anything, I don't even know why I did it. I'm not trying to take your freedom from you, I want you to be able to do what you want. When I become Hokage there will be limits to the kind of missions you will be allowed to do, and they will never be solo. There will always be a team assigned to assist you in the missions. Is that something you can accept?"
"Yes."
"I know you're not the kind of person who likes to sit around and do nothing, because neither am I. So I don't expect you to be some stay at home housewife."
"I want to teach at the academy."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I want to teach the little ones. I didn't get to go to the Academy, so this could be almost the same thing."
"I think that would be great. I'm sure they will all love, just like I do."
Itachi cupped her face with one hand and kissed her on the lips. Yoite leaned into kiss him back, she placed her hands on his chest and moved closer to him. Itachi's hand slid down from her face to her arm, and came to rest on her side. When this happened Yoite pulled away.
"Ow,"
"What's wrong?"
"I still have the bruise on my side."
"Why do you do this to yourself? You should have had the doctor heal it."
"I'm fine, bruises heal on their own."
"Okay,"
The doctor walked into the room.
"Good morning you two. Lady Yoite I have your discharge papers for you to sign and then you are all good to go."
"Thank you."
Yoite took the papers from the older man and signed them. Once done he left the older two alone in the room.
"I should get dressed. Can you help me get up?"
Itachi nodded his head and helped her out of the bed. She winced a little in pain but that was because she was still sore from her ribs just recently being healed. She started changing her clothes in front of him.
"Couldn't have gone to the bathroom for that?"
Itachi turned around to give her some privacy.
"It's not like it should matter anymore. I'm going to need your help putting on my shirt."
"Okay,"
He turned back around to help her. She was facing him in just her bra. Itachi averted his eyes to her shirt it looked more like a piece of cloth to him.
"I would hardly call this a shirt."
"Will you just help me? I still can't lift my arms without it hurting."
He pulled her shirt up over her head and struggled a bit to get it on. Yoite gave a huff when it was finally down. Next he helped her put her arms in the sleeves.
"When we have kids you are not allowed to dress them. They will suffocate before the clothes are even on."
"Kids, you're already think about kids."
"I'm pretty sure your mother is going to want us to have kids as soon as possible."
"I do not doubt that."
Itachi helped her put her vest on and she zipped it up a little so no one would see the giant bruise.
"I think you need a bigger vest."
"No I don't, and beside I tried the bigger one it didn't fit. I looked like I was wearing a dress. These thing just wasn't made for someone with slightly bigger than average breast."
"Okay I think we're done talking about this."
"What's wrong Itachi does it make you nervous when I talk about my breast? You can't tell me you're that innocent still?"
Itachi chuckled while looking down at the ground before he looked back up to her.
"Yeah that's what I thought."
"I know you still are."
"Oh, and how sure of that are you?"
He closed the space between them and took a hold of her vest. He unzipped it and gentle ran his hands along her sides, like a whisper of a touch.
"I can tell because when I touch you like this you get goose bumps all over your skin and your heart starts to beat a little faster. Your breath becomes heavier too, this shows me that you're not used to being touched like this."
"Okay, so maybe you win that one."
"Let's get out of here. I'm hungry."
"Then maybe you should have gone home, instead of spending all night here."
"Whatever come on we're going by my place."
The two teens left the hospital and headed to the older ones house to get some lunch. Yoite was very great full for this. She didn't like hospital food at all, so any chance to have Mikoto's cooking she was so in for it. Not only that but she missed the woman, ever since Yoite had returned to the Village she had been wanting to see her mother like figure. And now she was going to, she felt somewhat at ease about everything while she walked hand in hand through the Village with Itachi.
