Ahem, this is the second time that I'm posting chapter 9. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone.
I didn't make that much changes but there was a few things I wanted to redo, so yeah, here you have the revised chapter 9.
It was a normal passive day like every other day in Itachi's life. He was still locked in his room and still as calm and as indifferent as ever. Still nothing of an importance happened in his everyday routine, of course if you don't count running away from home and facing a blue demon something different. But it was already three weeks after that incident and Itachi didn't remember it anymore, or he kept telling himself.
How could he even start to forget the very first day of freedom in his entire life? But remembering it or not didn't matter because he was still where he was from the start, with everything exactly the same way that it was before.
And to top it all off, Kakashi was still on his damned six week mission. Leaving Itachi to carry out his loneliness on his own.
Too deep in his contemplation on his current life, Itachi, not even a bit, expected to see the person who was currently bothering to knock his door. 'What does he want here? And how come he is alone?' Itachi thought.
"Yes?" Itachi said, sitting on his bed.
Kabuto opened the door and entered the room as quietly as the times when he came to check on Itachi with Oorochimaru.
"Hello Itachi-kun. Are you better?"
"Yes." Itachi said shortly. 'He came with Oorochimaru-san to check me three days ago and Oochimaru-san said that everything was ok. So he probably isn't here to ask me about my well-being.' "Is there anything specific I can do for you Kabuto-san?" he asked.
"No," Kabuto pushed his glasses up on his nose. "But, there is something you can do to help yourself." Kabuto said.
Itachi didn't bother to response he just silently sat there and waited for Kabuto to continue.
"I'm here to take your place for one day so you can go out." Kabuto waited for Itachi's reaction, which didn't come. He then pushed his glasses up on his nose again and went on, "you better get ready, it's already noon. Is it ok for me to stay in your room while you are out?"
Itachi looked out the window and said "Although you are welcome to stay, there is no reason for me to get ready. I'm not going anywhere."
"Unfortunately I can't go back. I'm here on Hokage-sama's direct order." Kabuto went to stand near Itachi's bed. "I'll help you get dressed."
Itachi turned toward Kabuto and send him an icy look. "I do not see the point of getting dressed when I do not plan on going anywhere."
"As I said I'm here to see you out of Fugaku-san's house on Hokage-sama's order." Kabuto repeated and took a step closer to Itachi. "And you don't have any reason to object, don't you want to get out of your room and this compound? The order given to me just shows Hokage-sama's generosity. I'm sure you know it isn't an easy task to make your father agree with something he is disapproved of."
"It was not something requested by me. It was Hokage-sama's decision, and not to mention I told Hokage-sama before, that I do not intend to leave this place again." Itachi turned his gaze toward the window again, "And I do not see how it is suppose to help me when I do not actually want to do it?" He mumbled the last part, and for a second Kabuto thought that he is acting like a child that he is.
"So I guess it means I also need to tell Naruto that you refused his invitation." Kabuto said, and grinned knowingly when he saw the tension of Itachi's shoulders.
"What invitation?" Itachi looked at Kabuto and asked.
"Well it seemed Naruto kept asking about you nonstop, to the extent that it was driving Hokage-sama, who was worried about you even without Naruto's constant pestering, crazy. And as a last resort he said that he can invite you over but it was all up to you to either accept or decline the invitation." Kabuto paused for a second. "So what is your decision? What do I say to Naruto?"
"Where is he inviting me to?" Itachi asked.
"Initially he wanted to take you to a tour all over the Konoha but Hokage-sama told him that you are not still in condition to jump around with him. So it's his house."
"What is that I need to do if were to accept his invitation?" Itachi asked, trying and succeeding in hiding his uncertainty which was due to his lack of experience even in this small everyday social relation.
"You should get dressed and head to his place." Kabuto said, extending his hand to help Itachi up.
"Where is his place?" Itachi just ignored his hand, took his crutches and stood up.
"It's fairly easy to find. I'll give you the directions." Kabuto said. He backed off to give Itachi enough space to move and get ready.
It didn't take too long since Itachi didn't have that much variety in his clothes, so he just wore his usual black attire, and waited for Kabuto's directions.
True to Kabuto's word, Finding Hokage's house was easy. It was big and well decorated even from outside. Not to mention that Itachi was here before although his memory of that time wasn't too clear.
Itachi reached the house and stood behind the door uncertainly. Should he knock? Or should he just turn away?
It wasn't like he had to go there, it was a simple invitation, he could accept or he could simply decline, right? But he was already there and it wasn't like he had any other places to go. Just then the door burst open and cut Itachi's thoughts, who didn't have any time to back off before being squeezed in someone's tight embrace.
"Itachi you're ok. I'm so glad. I was soooooooo worried." Naruto stopped here to hug Itachi again, he then continued. "I kept asking my father but he just kept saying 'he is gonna be okay' or 'he'll be fine'. How's that suppose to be comforting, I mean why didn't he said 'he is okay' or 'he is completely fine' so I was worried and worried and soooo worried. I even came to your place a few times but those bigheaded, no offence Itachi but they really are bigheaded, yeah those bigheaded Uchihas kicked me out. I even asked that bastard Sasuke to help me in but he flat out said NO, and I wanted to punch him in his arrogant nose BUT Iruka-sensei was close so I couldn't. Then I thought that I might be able to use my special prank to…." Naruto stopped and looked at Itachi's smiling face questionably. "What?" he asked.
"Hello Naruto-kun."
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah, yeah, hi."
"Naruto how long are you going to keep our guest standing out there?"
Itachi looked up and saw a beautiful woman with long red hair standing in front of the door. And he bowed politely, which was fairly difficult with the crutches under his arms. 'She must be Kushina Uzumaki-sama, Naruto-sama's mother.' Itachi thought. Remembering what Kabuto had said about Naruto's family.
"Hello, I am Uchiha Itachi, sorry for troubling your son last time."
"Hello my dear. Ah, stop doing that it will hurt your leg, isn't it broken?" she came forth and straightened Itachi. "And don't worry about that, it's Naruto we are talking about, I'm sure he would have put himself in trouble even if you weren't there." She then put her hands on Iatchi's shoulders and gently pushed him inside the house. Itachi felt that Naruto's mother is somehow holding him more tightly than necessary, it was almost looked like that she was hugging him.
But still Itachi didn't mind, he let himself be guided inside, it was an extremely weird feeling. Yes, he was hugged by Kakashi before, twice to be more precise and both times he was semi conscious and almost dying, but this was a completely different hug. It felt warm and kind and caring. Just like a mother's hug, yes, a mother's hug, Itachi wanted to laugh at his thoughts, of course it would felt like mother's hug, she was a mother after all. Now Itachi exactly knew how Sasuke felt on those times when his mother hugged him and kissed him on the head.
"Are you okay Itachi-kun?" Kushina asked Itachi, when he seemed to be out of it.
"Yes, I am well, excuse me for worrying you." Itachi started to bow again, but Kushina held him in place.
"Please stop with formalities Itachi-kun. Just feel like it is your own house." She smiled warmly at Itachi.
'Yes my own house, I never want to be in a place like my house, ever.' He thought, but he didn't word his thoughts, he just simply nodded.
Kushina saw how Itachi suddenly went cold by her words so she changed the subject. "Naruto, why don't you take Itachi-kun's to your room. I'll bring you something to eat shortly."
"YAY, mom I want ramen." Naruto said and pushed Itachi toward the steps leading to his room.
"Naruto, his leg is injured be more careful and don't push him around." Kushina said.
"Yeah mom." But Naruto didn't stop pushing Itachi until they were in his bedroom. The very same bedroom Itachi woke up in, around three weeks ago. It was still as messy and as bright as Itachi remember it.
"We are here," Naruto said, he then turn and saw what a mess was his room. He went and grabbed some of his cloths from the floor. "Sorry it's a mess." He tried to arrange the bed for Itachi to sit on. "You have been here before remember?"
Itachi went to bed and sat down. While he didn't let it show, his leg still hurt, and because, despite Orochimaro's order, he refrained from going out and do some exercise in the past weeks, it felt stiff and moving it was a bit hard.
"It's ok if you don't, cause you were unconscious last time and then that blue bastard came…" Naruto clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "I will kick his ass next time. Just you wait you bastard." He shouted to an unseen enemy.
Itachi smiled, seeing Naruto's anger was a new thing, but Itachi couldn't help himself feel touched by his resolve.
"Hey, did you know it was Gai-san who kicked his ass at last? I heard from Lee that when Kakashi-san was about to be defeated and was at that bastard's mercy, Gai-san suddenly jumped in and save the day."
"So he was captured?" Itachi asked. He sounded a bit hopeful, maybe he could ask him about the demons he was talking about.
"Uh… no, he escaped." Naruto said. "But it's better this way, now I can kick his ass myself. I'm going to train harder than before. And then when I'll be put into a group which is in few months I can become even stronger."
"What grouping?"
"What? You don't know? Ah, well, after we finished the academy we will be put in three man cells with one sensei, and we go to different missions. What about you Itachi?"
When Itachi looked at him questionably Naruto added, "Are you going to be put in a team too?"
"No." was Itachi's short reply.
"So how do you train?" the blonde said, but then he thought a little and continued. "Could it be that you don't want to be a ninja? But Sasuke always says that all the Uchiha will become a ninja, because of the police force and stuff."
'What about the police force? Do all the Uchihas become a ninja? And should I tell him about Kakashi-san. He talks a lot. He might let it slip to Sasuke in one of his speech.' Itachi thought. When Naruto saw Itachi's thoughtful face he hurriedly said, "It's ok if you don't tell me. I mean both my parents told me not to ask you many questions, and it's really not my business and…"
"Kakashi-san is training me."Itachi finally said.
Naruto blinked a few times. "Cool, it must be fun training with him isn't it?" His face was all smile.
"Hn," 'If you count looking at a person reading a pervert book AND looking bored all the time, fun, then yes it is fun.' Itachi added in his mind.
"Yeah he is always teasing Iruka-sensei, and he is always looking bored but he is actually a jonin and you know I heard he is a genius. Did you know he became an Anbu captain when he was about 14 or somethin'? Ah, what am I saying, of course you know since he is your sensei and stuff."
'No, I do not, of course know,' Itachi thought with a pang of… a pang of what? What do you call the feeling of suddenly knowing that you absolutely don't know anything about the person who made your life completely different? indifference? Irresponsibility? Shame? Or maybe jealousy? 'Does that Iruka-sensei know this much about him? Yes there is no way he does not know. I mean he sees him most of the days. They probably talk more freely. There is no limit for the time of their conversations and there is no secrecy between them and their clan and their own life. Wait, is Kakashi a part of a specific clan?' Itachi wanted to bang his head on something at this point.
"Hn." Was Itachi's response.
"Ah, know what? You probably haven't seen Iruka-sensei yet. Did you?" Itachi shook his head. "How about we go and see him this evening? He is almost always in the academy." Itachi just looked at Naruto.
"Of course we only go if your leg is fine." The blonde added hurriedly.
"And if he actually wants to go." Kushina said while entering the room with a tray of two bowl of ramen. "You forgot to close the door again Naruto, I can hear your voice all over the place." Itachi went to get up but Kushina came to him with a speed that was a bit too fast for a person holding two bowls on a trey and gave him his bowl. "Ramen is the only thing this boy and his father always want to eat. Do you want me to bring you something else Itachi-kun?"
Itachi who was still trying to get up while holding the bowl and reaching for his crutch all at the same time said, "No, this is completely fine, sorry for the trouble."
When Naruto's mother saw his struggle, she hovered over his slim form and firmly said. "Stop trying to get up and being polite and don't apologize anymore. If we didn't want you here and thought of you as trouble, be sure that you weren't here right now." Her voice was a little threatening, and Itachi found himself sitting down and nodding. But then he remembered his manners and hurriedly added, "Yes, forgive…" He didn't finish his sentence when he saw the look in Kushina's eyes.
"Now my child as you are our dear guest today and Naruto had already chosen the lunch, what do you want to have for dinner?" She smiled warmly at Itachi.
Itachi's mouth hung open. 'My…my child? Is she talking about me? Choosing what I want to eat? For dinner? Am I going to be here for the dinner too? What should I do? It is surely impolite to say what I want to eat. And what if they do not have the ingredient? And if it is difficult to make? Or they might not even like the food I choose, or maybe…' Itachi's train of thoughts were cut off by Naruto's voice.
"Come on Itachi. Don't be shy just tell her if you want to eat ramen for dinner too." Kushina suddenly was at Naruto's side and whack him on the head.
"Naruto, not everyone are like you ramen-freak. Let him think." Kushina smiled up at Itachi. "Itachi-kun, just take your time and think about it."
"Am I going to stay for dinner?" Itachi asked, his uncertainty was shown in his words.
"Of course, unless if you don't want to stay. If that's the case I'll tell Minato myself that you couldn't stay."
"Hokage-sama?"
"Yes, he wanted to see you when he comes home tonight. But it's ok, you don't need to force yourself." Kushina was all smiles and Itachi knew that she really meant what she was saying and that they won't really be upset if he were to go.
"No, it would be my pleasure to eat dinner with Hokage-sama." Itachi said. "And while I am sure everything you make will be delicious, I like to have ramen again."
"YAY, I knew your taste is great Ita…" Kushina hushed Naruto.
"Are you sure Itachi? You don't have to listen to Naruto."
"No, I really like your ramen."
"But you haven't eaten any yet."
"But I can tell from the wonderful smell." Itachi hold the bowl closer.
Kushina didn't let it shown on her face, but it pained her greatly to see how touched Itachi looked just by a simple ramen and the fact that he could choose to either stay or leave for dinner or even decide on his own food.
"Then ramen it is." She went to the door. "I'll call you when the dinner is ready."
When she went and closed the door behind herself, Naruto started talking again.
"So what do you say?" Itachi looked at him questionably.
"Do you want to go and see Iruka-sensei?"
"I prefer to go some other time."
"It's fine, we can go anytime." Naruto said and went on eating his ramen.
"Your mother is a wonderful woman." Itachi almost whispered. 'Yes she is great. In fact both of them are great, Minato Namikaze-sama and Kushina Uzumaki-sama.' He thought. 'Wait a minute! Kushina Uzumaki-sama and Namikaze-sama? Why Naruto is called by his mother's family name? Is it alright to ask him about his family? Wouldn't it seem impolite or something?'
Just at this moment Naruto broke Itachi's thoughts and started talking, and Itachi wondered for a second if there comes a time when Naruto stop talking? But surprisingly it wasn't annoying to Itachi, on the contrary it was most welcome by him, who didn't have anyone as a friend to talk to him about nonsense and simple, normal things which happened in everyone's everyday life.
The next hours passed in a blink of an eye and when Kushina called them for dinner Itachi thought that it's a bit early for dinner, but then he looked out the window and saw that it is already night.
When Itachi and Naruto entered, they saw that Minato was already seated on a chair near the table, while Kushian was preparing the dishes. Itachi suddenly felt embarrassed. Both by the feel of not being experienced enough to dine with other people, and the fact that the person he was going to dine with were the Hokage and his family.
Upon hearing the boys entrance, Hokage stood up and came toward them. He extended his hand for a handshake with Itachi. Itachi looked at the hand torn between shaking his hand and bowing. Minato upon seeing his hesitance, extended his hand and took Itachi's, then he shook his hand firmly.
"Hi, Itachi it's been a while." Hokage said, his smile broad and his resemblance to Naruto unnerving.
"Hello Hokage-sama." Itachi said, keeping his head bowed. And a bit uneasy about the fact that Minato was still holding his hand. Then he felt the tightness in Hokage's hand and looked up.
"I don't like to be called Hokage when I'm in my home with my family." Hokage cut it without a room for protest or discussion, with a glint in his sky blue eyes.
"I understand Namikaze-sama." He saw Minato's frown and resist the urge to bit his lip nervously. But the frown was there for only a mere second and Itachi wondered if it was his imagination.
Hokage finally released Itachi's hand, and instead put his hand behind his back and pushed him toward the table.
"Yahoo, ramen." Naruto shouted from behind Itachi. "Hey dad."
"Hey my boy, how was your day, did you mange to give Itachi a headache with your constant rant?" He winked at Itachi.
"No, of course I didn't." Naruto said, while pulling a chair out to sit, a playful pout on his face. "We had a great time, ne Itachi?"
"Hmm." Itachi said, but then he remembered that Hokage and his wife were also present and said, "Yes."
"Yeah, sure. Like Itachi would tell no." Hokage ruffled Naruto's hair playfully.
"No really, it was fun." Itachi said and sat down on his chair.
"Yeah, and it's gonna be even more fun next time." Naruto said and filled his bowl. "We're gonna go and meet Iruka-sensei at the academy. And I'll introduce Itachi to the bastard and others, and then we can go to the ramen stand and eat ramen, and after that…"
Minato looked at Itachi's solemn face, when Naruto mentioned the next time. "I think that's for Itachi to decide, Naruto." He cut him off.
"But I'm sure he is ok with it too, aren't you Itachi?" Naruto said loudly and punched Itachi's shoulder in a very friendly manner. But then the Hokage saw how Itachi's face started to show the signs of discomfort and smack Naruto on the head.
"What do you think you're doing boy. Itachi is not only injured but he is also older than you. Show him some respect."
"ow ow, why did you do that?" Naruto said, rubbing his head. "HUH? He is older? No he isn't." he turned to Itachi. "Are you?"
Itachi silently nodded.
"But you didn't say anything when I said we are the same age and such back then." Naruto didn't practically sound offended. He just sounded curious, which was weird to Itachi.
"It was not important." He then looked at Minato. "It is ok Namikaze-sama. I do not see anything wrong with Naruto-kun's behavior toward myself." He took the bowl from Kushina politely and while addressing Naruto he continued, "But I am not sure about next time."
"Ah? That's too bad. But we can do lots of things and there are a lot of people I want you to meet …"
"Naruto." Kushina chided. "It's impolite to talk while eating."
The rest of the meal passed in silence. After they all finished. Namikaze started talking with Itachi.
"Itachi, if it's fine with you, can you tell me about your plans for the next time you go out?"
"I am very grateful for your concern this time." Itachi said, his eyes down cast.
'This is not a good start, he is going to decline.' Minato thought.
"But I would appreciate it if you could let me choose the time, next time." Itachi said.
'That's it? He is fine by going out?' Hokage was surprised. "Sure. Of course it is something you should decide on."
Then the silence fell on the room. And considering that there were two of the loudest shinobis in the whole Konoha were also present made it more eerie.
'Why it is this hard to talk with the boy?' Hokage wondered briefly. 'And why the hell are you silent Naruto? We tried a thousand times to get you to shut up and you never listened.' He let out a sigh.
Itachi who was somehow lost in his thoughts came back to his sense by Minato's sigh and decided that it was time for him to leave. So he stood up and took his crutches.
"If you will excuse me, I think it is time for me to go back."
"You're going already? But there is still some time." Naruto said.
Hokage also stood up to help Itachi with his crutches.
"Yes, but I think it might take me some time to get to the Uchiha's compound." Itachi said, and bowed his head as thanks to Hokage. It didn't go unnoticed by Minato how Itachi refused to use the word 'home'.
"I will accompany you." Minato said.
"No." Itachi said shocked. "I mean it would be a bother and…"
"Nah," Hokage said and waved his hand in the air to indicate that it was nothing. "It's no problem. And you're also injured. What if something happens on your way back?"
"Then I'll go too." Naruto said and without waiting for any sign of confirmation from either side. Put on his orange jacket.
Minato just sighed.
"It was nice of you to come here Itachi. If you can, I'll be glad to have you here again." Kushina said when they were at the entrance.
"I apologize for all the trouble." Itachi bowed his head.
"What did I tell you about apologizing?" Naruto's mother said with the same tone she used back then. Itachi raised his head to apologize again when he found himself in Kushina's warm embrace. It was a single hug, she didn't want to comfort him, she didn't want to save him and she absolutely didn't mean any weird thoughts, she was just simply holding Itachi. But it meant a world to Itachi.
When she finally let go, Itachi bowed again and fell in step with Hokage and his son to go back to the prison he didn't want to leave this morning, and it was very amusing to him that now he absolutely didn't want to go back there.
Review of the next chapii: "Itachi you know you need to explain something. Now you can do it here right in front of this idiot or we can go somewhere else. It's either fine with me." Sasuke looked at Itachi with the look that said he wasn't kidding and he would tell everything in front of Naruto if don't comply. "Fine…" "Wait! Are you threatening Itachi?" Naruto came in front of Itachi. Itachi suddenly had a feeling that the same thing happened to him a few years back was about to happen again and he really didn't want a repetition of what happened back then.
Chii out.
