Dearest Readers,
*NOTE* This chapter is based pretty strongly around episode 81 (English). By that, I mean the setting and such. ^_^
*There's one part in here that might sound a little bit wrong, I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about.
Read on, Cherubs.
Over and out.
Taste of the New Life
"Are you sure it will be safe for the girls to travel? Especially Amaranth?" Shikamaru asked quietly as he straddled Itachi's waist, placing his hands on the Uchiha's bare abdomen. Itachi ran his hands up to Shikamaru's hips, gripping them gently.
"I'm sure, Love. It will be good for them to be in a large village; it will be a shock for them, but they will enjoy it." Itachi said, pulling Shikamaru down to him. Their breaths lingered between them as they stared deeply at each other.
"How do you think…they…will react?" Shikamaru asked tentatively, causing Itachi to brush hair out of his face.
"Do not worry about that, Love. No matter how they react to seeing you—"
"And you." Shikamaru added, smiling down at him.
"And me," Itachi said, returning the smile. "You and the girls will not be harmed because I will not allow it." His eyes darkened as he thought of Sasuke, knowing that his younger brother would definitely attack at him when he gets the chance.
"You're thinking of Sasuke." It wasn't a question and Itachi knew it.
"Yes, Love. Even though I am aware that your former mentors will be there…it is Sasuke that I am worried about the most. If I know him well enough, and I do, he will attack me…possibly you as well."
"Just as long he doesn't hurt Eli and Amaranth, I don't mind." Shikamaru said, placing a light kiss on Itachi's lips. He saw a mischievous gleam spark in the Uchiha's eyes and let out a yelp of surprise when he found himself pinned underneath Itachi who kissed him possessively.
ItachiXShikamaru
"I'm very excited, Papa!" Eli cried happily, as Itachi adjusted the traditional Japanese hat on her head, making sure that it wouldn't fall off.
"I'm excited as well, Moo now hold still." He clipped the button on the black cloak just beneath her chin, making sure he didn't clip her skin. He helped her put on her Hello Kitty backpack, the look of it contrasting greatly with the darkness of the cloak she wore.
They had opted to return to their traditional black cloaks with red clouds for the time being. Even though they would stick out of the crowd a little bit, their identities would be hidden. Shikamaru had adjusted one for himself and the girls…now he was actually able to see over the collar.
"Alright Boo, chin up." Shikamaru said, clipping the button beneath Amaranth's chin and adjusted her hat also. He tightened the straps on her Hello Kitty backpack that matched Eli's, making sure that it wouldn't slip off. She let out a wet cough, drawing everyone's attention.
"Mama, I don't feel good." She whined as Shikamaru picked her up and placed her on his hip.
"Don't worry, Boo, we're taking you to a place where someone will make you feel better…plus the place is really pretty."
"It is?" Eli asked excitedly as Itachi lifted her off the ground and placed her on his hip as well.
"Oh yes, it is really big and there's lots of people." Itachi added as they turned to the direction they would be heading.
"Are they nice?" Itachi smiled down at her.
"Usually."
ItachiXShikamaru
"Sakura, if I were to keel over from heat exhaustion, would you catch me?" Naruto whined as they made their way to meet everyone at the new teahouse that opened a few weeks ago.
"No, Naruto, and stop being such a teenager."
"I'm not acting like a teenager! We're not too much older than teenagers anyway! You make us sound like senior citizens!"
"All of us are 23…23 Naruto! I'm surprised that I've kept my sanity from being around you for so many years."
Sasuke scowled deeply: he was 23 years old and he still hasn't gone out to find Itachi. His hatred and anger towards his brother still burned fiercely, but he was also angry at himself for not leaving the village yet. If I know him well enough, he's definitely not going to come back here. But I can go to him…only problem is: I have no idea where he could be hiding.
"It's about time you guys got here!" Ino shouted as she saw Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke walk towards them.
"Naruto was slowly us down." Sakura said, glaring at Naruto as they sat with their friends and senseis.
"I was not! Any sane person can tell it's hot as Hell today!" Naruto said defensively. Kakashi leaned towards Asuma slightly.
"See them over there?" He muttered quietly, nodding slightly towards 4 adults in black cloaks with red clouds wearing a traditional Japanese hat and 2 children dressed the same way.
"Yeah…they don't seem like they're from this village." Asuma said quietly, gently tapping Kurenai next to him and indicated who they were talking about.
"Whoever they are…something's off about them. Judging by their demeanor…they're stronger; definitely not people someone should mess with, but they didn't come here without a reason." Kakashi whispered back to him, Gai now joining the observation.
"They're most likely part of some kind of group." Gai said, observing the ring on their finger, assuming that they all had the same symbol on them.
"What kind of group?" Kurenai asked, her eyes brushing over them.
"I'm not sure, but they're dressed the same way and they're all wearing some kind of ring…something joins them somehow." They turned back towards their students.
"Guys," Kakashi said quietly, interrupting their cheerful conversation. Their faces became serious when they saw the way their senseis were looking at them.
"Yeah, Kakashi-Sensei?" Naruto asked, determination set in his features.
"There are 6 suspicious people here: they're in black cloaks with red clouds. Four of them are adults and two of them are children, however, the children shouldn't be a problem. When they leave, we'll leave and follow their movements, got it? They're not here without a reason." Deidara chuckled quietly.
"The silver-haired one…what's his name?"
"Kakashi Hatake." Shikamaru said softly, glad that his back was turned to them.
"A former sensei of yours?"
"Something like that."
"He's good; I'll give him credit for that. So they're the ones we will encounter eventually?"
"Very soon, by the sounds of it." Itachi said, wiping the milk off of the side of Amaranth's mouth.
"Mama, that girl has weird hair." Eli said incredulously as she looked at Sakura.
"Yeah, she's pretty isn't she?" Eli nodded.
"Can I go say 'hi'?" Shikamaru smiled down at her.
"No, we don't talk to strangers."
"Oh...well, she seems nice anyway."
"I'm sure she is." Itachi stood and placed Amaranth on his hip.
"Let's get moving. Since we're going to face confrontation, we need to be in a place that's usually peaceful."
"They're leaving." Kakashi said, watching them walk out of the teahouse. They stood and exited, Kakashi looked over his shoulder at the students.
"Whatever happens, don't put yourself in any kind of dangerous situation. Is that clear?" They nodded, including Sasuke, and they followed their senseis after the unknown visitors of the village.
ItachiXShikamaru
They walked in silence, each member of Akatsuki putting on the mask that their reputation was based on. Shikamaru's heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. After about 5 years of being away from this village, he didn't know what kind of changes to expect from his former friends and senseis. If they changed at all. He didn't know how he was going to react to their presence or how they were going to react to his…and Itachi's.
"You guys aren't from this village, are you?" Asuma asked as he, the other senseis, and their students stood in front of them. Shikamaru felt his heart stop at the sight of his former sensei. Asuma-Sensei…still smoking cancer sticks. He smiled lightly behind his collar as he eyes drifted to the others. They all have changed in a physical way and his eyes darted between Ino and Choji. They've grown…and changed. None of the Akatsuki members answered.
"Playing the Quiet Game, huh?" Akatsuki still remained silent.
Itachi's eyes wondered to Sasuke, who was standing next to Kakashi, glaring at them. He was honestly surprised at how much his brother had grown; he hadn't heard him speak yet, but he imagined that his voice was much deeper.
"We're not letting you go anywhere, you do understand that right?" Asuma said, as he and the others were becoming agitated by their silence. Kisame grabbed the handle of his sword and slammed the tip into the ground.
"He's getting on my nerves." He hissed as he glared at Asuma from beneath his hat. Deidara started to pull the split-ends from his hair, a somewhat bored expression on his face.
"Same here, Kisame, but Munchkin said that we have to be peaceful. As tempting as killing them may be, we can't." Deidara said, not taking his eyes away from his hair.
"Kill us, huh?" Naruto said, pushing himself in front of the senseis, glaring angrily at Deidara. "I'd like to see you try. Four against 15: you're not in the position to say that you'll be able to kill all 15 of us." He growled as Kakashi grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back roughly.
"Have you learned nothing over the years that you've been under our guidance? One of the many things you should have learned is to not taunt your opponent." Kakashi said calmly, but with a slight edge as his eyes moved from one Akatsuki member to the next.
"But Kakashi-Sensei, you—"
"Naruto, shut up, this is not the time for you to be a complete idiot." Sasuke hissed venomously, his dark eyes roaming over the people opposite them. The blonde turned to look at Sasuke angrily, fists clenched. Meanwhile, Shikamaru took Eli and Amaranth to the grass to the right of them, putting them out of harm's way. He rolled his eyes when he heard Naruto growl as he walked over to stand between Itachi and Deidara again.
"I retract my previous statement," Deidara said as he stared, annoyed, at Naruto. "The kid is more annoying." Naruto whirled his attention back to him, taking a step forward.
"What the hell do you think you are?" He yelled, making Deidara snap. He ripped off his cloak and threw it behind him along with his hat as he glared angrily at the blonde boy in front of him.
"Who the hell am I, Brat? The name's Deidara: former terrorist bomber for multiple villages and an S-Ranked missing-nin. Challenge me, Brat, and I'll make sure you'll regret it." He growled, brushing his bangs out of his face, revealing the mouth on his palm and his scope.
"'Former' terrorist bomber?" Naruto asked, trying to hide the confusion and newly found fear in his voice.
"Since I joined this organization, I have not worked with any village." Deidara said shortly, not breaking eye contact with him.
"And what organization would that be?" Kakashi asked, staring steadily at the blonde man. None of the members spoke for a moment.
"Should we tell them cause I'm all for it." Deidara said, still staring at Naruto, starting to make him feel intimidated.
"Akatsuki." Itachi said quietly, his voice barely audible. The senseis' eyes went wide as their students looked confusedly at them. Akatsuki? What would they being doing here? Especially 4 of them…I thought they usually traveled in pairs, not groups of 4. And why do they have 2 children with them?
"What's Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, noticing their senseis' change in demeanor. It's too risky to have the students here; they could get seriously hurt…or killed. Kakashi thought as he tried to think of a way for them to get away without a member of Akatsuki getting to them.
"We are all S-Ranked missing-nin and the most wanted Shinobi. We're the real deal, Sweetheart." Kisame said, grinning from beneath his hat.
"Well…with the exception of Munchkin." Deidara said, looking over at Shikamaru who had his face lowered, making sure that no one could see it.
"Yeah, I'm the outsider of the organization. I'm not as badass or dangerous as everyone else. Maybe I should massacre a whole village to gain your statuses." Shikamaru said, chuckling lightly.
"You may not be as badass as we are, but that little gift of yours is very dangerous." Deidara said, looking down at him. Little gift?
"So all members of Akatsuki are the most wanted Shinobi…ever?" Sakura asked uncertainly, knowing that she wasn't the only one feeling fear and intimidation just by being in their presence.
"Right, Pinky." Deidara said, igniting Sakura's fiery temper. She shoved her way through Kurenai and Asuma and stood next to Naruto, both of them giving the Akatsuki members deep glares.
"Uh oh, looks like you hit a nerve, Deidara." Kisame said as he looked at Sakura. Naruto growled again. I don't care if these guys are S-Ranked missing-nin! Just because they're the most wanted Shinobi, doesn't mean that they can come to our village and degrade everyone they come across!
"That's it! I've had enough of you guys!"
"Naruto! Don't do anything stupid!" Kakashi shouted, pulling him back again. Naruto struggled against his sensei's hold as Sakura turned back to Deidara who was staring at her evenly.
"Why are you guys here?" Naruto stopped struggling to hear their response.
"We are looking for a certain…someone." Itachi said quietly, his dark eyes brushing over them again.
"And who is this someone?" Asuma asked as Shikamaru reached underneath his hat and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.
"We will not disclose that to you." Itachi said, again in a quiet tone. They felt frustration rise in them. They were looking for someone, but they won't tell them who. Whoever this person is, they're in danger and they needed to act quickly.
"Well if you won't tell us who this someone is, then we'll just have to prevent you from leaving here." Asuma said as he, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Gai prepared to attack. Their students felt themselves tense as they realized that they've never been in a fight with people like the Akatsuki before. Sasuke and Naruto, however, were full of anticipation. Kisame removed his hat and tossed it aside and smirked at Kurenai in front of him.
"Naruto, Sakura, get behind us." Kakashi said, staring at the Akatsuki member in front of him, not realizing it was Itachi.
"But—"
"Naruto, don't argue." Sakura said and dragged him behind their sensei. Shikamaru smirked at the small trace of irony: he was going to fight his sensei and Asuma had no idea.
"You must be the youngest," Asuma said staring at Shikamaru, "You've only said one thing so far…who are you? There's Deidara," His eyes darted to the blonde, "and Kisame." His eyes darted to him.
"We don't know who he is either." Kakashi said, nodding at Itachi. The Uchiha reached up and slowly removed his hat, tossing it behind him. Their bodies froze and Sasuke glared angrily at his brother. He's here…after so many years, he's come back. Didn't think he would be stupid enough to do so.
"Hello Sasuke." Itachi said softly, looking calmly at his younger brother who clenched his teeth and fists. Itachi was unfazed by Sasuke's evident anger as he unclipped the buttons of his cloak and tossed it aside.
"Itachi." He hissed, venom dripping from his voice.
"I told you he was still pissed at you." Shikamaru said, turning towards him.
"And how would you know?" Sasuke barked at him, taking a few steps forward. Shikamaru turned his eyes to him, his face still concealed by his hat.
"You don't need to know how I obtained that piece of knowledge." He said coolly, smirking at Sasuke's irritated growl.
"It doesn't matter how you know that I'm angry at Itachi, I'm going to kill you both anyway."
"Sasuke, stay back. I know you want to attack them, but be smart." Asuma turned to Shikamaru. "Alright, we know Itachi, Deidara, and Kisame…so who are you?" Shikamaru smirked as he stared at his former sensei.
"Must you ask me such a question?" He asked quietly, reaching up to remove his hat.
"Who are you?" Shikamaru chuckled.
"Have you truly forgotten me, Asuma-Sensei?" He asked as he tossed his hat behind him along with his cloak.
Asuma felt his heart clench at the sight of his former student. After giving up hope of finding him such a long time ago…he was here. Ino and Choji pushed their way to the front of the group, staring at their ex-teammate. That can't…be Shikamaru. The Nara stood with the majority of his weight on his left leg as he crossed his hands behind his head, smirking at their response to see him.
They didn't know how to feel or react to seeing Shikamaru in front of them. He was no longer the person they once knew…and loved. His darkened and confident demeanor seemed foreign for them to see on him. His slender figure was outlined in black clothes that showed his midriff and upper back and his dark hair brushed just below his jaw line. Shikamaru stretched his arms above him before placing them on his hips, making eye contact with his former sensei.
"You never answered my question, Asuma-Sensei: have you truly forgotten me?" He asked, his voice soft and challenging.
"No, Shikamaru, we haven't forgotten about you." Ino said, taking a step forward. "We…we looked for you. We…w-we missed you."
"Well isn't that sweet? You guys missed me."
"What happened to you, Shikamaru?" Asuma asked, grabbing Shikamaru's attention.
"What do you mean 'what happened' to me? You make it sound as though something bad has happened."
"Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled, pushing his way to the front of the group again. "Look at yourself! You're part of an organization of murderers and traitors! They brainwashed you to believe that what they do is right! Shika—"
"I joined voluntarily." Shikamaru interrupted, staring evenly at him. He…he joined voluntarily? Why? Their eyes landed on his headband that was tied around his leg, seeing the line carved into it.
"You betrayed the village." Ino whispered, her eyes becoming wet and anger rising within her.
"Mama," Eli called from her place on the grass, grabbing Shikamaru's attention.
"Yeah Moo?" They stared incredulously at him. 'Mama'? Shikamaru's a…what?
"Amaranth and I are hot."
"Alright, you can take off your hat and cloak but don't get your dresses dirty." The girls threw off their hats and cloaks and Eli flopped down on her discarded cloak, her white and pink dress brushing her knees.
"Eli, help your sister." Shikamaru said, seeing that Amaranth was having trouble rolling onto her cloak. Eli stood and helped roll her on top of it, making sure that her white and purple dress was pulled down. Once Amaranth was able to sit up, they both continued their drawings.
Sasuke and the others watched the girls draw on the grass. They're identical. Sasuke thought as he looked at their midnight black hair that brushed their jaws and their small figures. He saw one of the girls had dark black eyes, but he couldn't see the other's face.He saw that the other girl was wearing leg braces, causing her to sit with her legs straight. She must have a leg deformity.
"I did not betray the village, Ino." Shikamaru said, drawing their attention back to him.
"Yes you—"
"No…I left, but I did not betray anyone or anything." Eli came running towards Shikamaru and held up a piece of paper to him.
"Look Mama, I drew you and Papa!" Shikamaru smiled down at her drawing, seeing him and Itachi holding hands and smiling.
"That's very good, Eli." He said, kneeling down to be at her eye level. "Can you do me a huge favor?" He asked dramatically.
"What?"
"Can you draw you and your sister?" Eli's face shone brightly.
"Of course I can!" She began to run back to the grass.
"And a chicken." Itachi said after her, making her stop and look at him.
"Oh Papa, you're silly." She said before making it back to the grass. 'Papa'? Itachi and…Shikamaru are…parents? Sasuke thought in disbelief as he glared at his older brother who was looking fondly at his children.
"Why did she make you taller than me?" He asked, looking down at his lover who smiled up at him.
"Maybe because she thinks I'm more domineering than you." Shikamaru said, smiling sweetly.
"You are not more domineering than I am." Shikamaru let out a snort of laughter.
"Says the guy who couldn't get glitter off of his arms for a week." Deidara and Kisame chuckled quietly.
"I remember that: you were pissed." Deidara said, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
"In my defense…it was glitter glue. Get off me." Itachi said flatly, making Shikamaru's smile widen.
"Wait," Naruto said, his anger disappearing as he bright blue eyes darted between Shikamaru and Itachi. "Those kids…are yours?" He asked uncertainly.
"Yes Naruto, Eli and Amaranth are our kids. I haven't been killing people…in cold-blood; I've actually brought two to life."
"Wait a minute," Sasuke said quietly, his dark eyes still on his brother. "If they're your kids as well…" He said slowly as Itachi looked at him. "Then that means…"
"They have Uchiha blood, yes." Itachi finished for him, everyone's attention on him. Sasuke made eye contact with him, not understanding why his brother would have kids since he knew that he would pass down their bloodline.
"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked, nodding towards Amaranth who continued to draw, completely oblivious to their conversation. Itachi narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, activating his Sharingan. Sasuke smirked as he activated his as well, knowing that he had hit a nerve. He took a couple steps towards his brother, feeling eyes stare at him from behind.
"Deidara…Kisame," Shikamaru said in a deathly whisper, "Make sure Eli and Amaranth don't get hurt." They nodded and went to the girls, placing themselves in front of them.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Sasuke asked his smirk widening. Itachi's face was emotionless, but his eyes held an intense amount of anger. One of his daughters, one of his children, had been insulted by his own brother.
"I didn't think that you'd be able to get knocked up, Shikamaru." Sasuke said, directing his eyes at the Nara. Oh shit…insulting one of the girls is one thing…insulting Munchkin is something else…insulting them both…Sasuke's going to die a very slow and painful death.
Itachi felt his anger reach its peak: Shikamaru, Eli, and Amaranth were his whole world…they were the only people in this world that he cares about. He cared about Sasuke, but he is more than willing to kill him now after what he's said about his family.
"Sasuke, you may insult me all you wish to, but you will not do the same to Shikamaru, Eli, or Amaranth." Itachi said coolly, feeling anger radiate from his lover.
"It doesn't matter who I insult…none of you will be around to hear it when I'm through with you!" Sasuke shouted, lunging towards Itachi, Chidori crackling.
Itachi effortlessly brushed it aside, grabbing his wrist with his right hand and grabbing his hair with his left. He…he brushed off Sasuke's attack like it was nothing. How? Naruto thought as he stared at his teammate. Kakashi knew that he and the others should do something, but knowing Sasuke…he'll shout at them to let him handle it.
"Little Brother, while I am glad to see that you have learned to use Chidori, there is one thing that you have not learned to use." Itachi said calmly, tightening his grip on his wrist.
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Common sense." Itachi jammed his knee into Sasuke's elbow, causing a sickening crack to penetrate the air along with Sasuke's screams of pain.
Naruto ran forward and knelt next to Sasuke, seeing that his elbow joint was completely broken in half and pouring blood onto the pavement. He turned his blue eyes up to Itachi, glaring at him.
"Papa, why is he crying?" Eli asked as she hung on Kisame's back, looking over his shoulder with wide eyes.
"He wasn't being very nice, Eli. He was very mean to Mama and Amaranth." Eli's eyes narrowed and she pushed passed Kisame and off the ledge towards Sasuke on the ground. She looked down at him angrily, her white and pink checkered dress blowing around her knees.
"You were a meanie-head to my Mama and sister. You're not nice." She said and kicked Sasuke in the shin and walked to Itachi and wrapped her arms around his right leg, laying her head against him.
"Hey, look at you Kiddo." Deidara said brightly, looking over his shoulder at Amaranth who was crawling up him to look over his shoulder. They saw her small hand appear on top of his shoulder, grip his shirt, and pull herself up, resting her chin on him and smiling at her parents.
"You're growing up too much, Boo." Itachi said, smiling proudly at her.
"Eli, look at your sister! Isn't she doing great?" Shikamaru said excitedly, kneeling down so that he could wrap an arm around her and point at Amaranth.
"Good job, Sis!" Eli said brightly, making brief eye contact with her sister.
Amaranth hiccupped and then coughed a mouthful of blood on Deidara's front. Coughs wracked her body as Deidara lifted her from behind him and Itachi took her from him, feeling her shake in his arms. A painful cough went through Amaranth, causing her to spit up another large mouthful of blood onto the pavement. Shikamaru pulled a tissue from his pocket and gave it to Itachi who wiped Amaranth's mouth and face. She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. She's sick…very sick by the looks of it. Kurenai thought, feeling her womanly instincts kick in.
"She's…sick?" Sasuke asked painfully as he managed to push himself into a sitting position with Naruto at his side.
"Brilliant deduction, Sasuke. My God, if we didn't have you around, I don't know what we would do." Shikamaru snapped, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"If you insult her for not only being physically disabled, but having a potentially deadly disease…I will not hesitate to kill you." Itachi said quietly, looking down at Sasuke.
"Potentially deadly disease?" Sakura asked from her place by Kakashi.
"Sasuke," Itachi said softly, ignoring Sakura's question as he walked over and knelt in front of his brother, Amaranth's face buried in his neck. "I did not come here to confront you nor anyone else. Amaranth is very sick and this person we are looking for most likely knows how to treat her in time."
"In time?" Sasuke asked gruffly, glaring at him.
"The normal treatment for her particular disease takes at least 6 months to take effect. Because of her age and the severity of the disease, it's possible that she won't make it that long." Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He actually heard worry in his brother's voice.
"However," Itachi continued, "Even though Amaranth has medical issues, there is something about her that I'm sure you'll be…interested in." Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"And that would be?" Itachi rubbed Amaranth's back, grabbing her attention.
"Boo," He said softly, receiving a moan in response. "The person who was mean to you wants to say 'sorry', but he can't do that if you don't look at him."
Amaranth raised her head and looked at Sasuke, her Sharingan flashing in the light. Sasuke's body froze in disbelief as he stared at the little girl. She…she's a toddler and she's already activated her Sharingan? How?
"H-how?" Sasuke stuttered, not able to break eye contact with Amaranth.
"I am honestly not sure. Her eyes have been that way since her first birthday a year and a half ago."
"She…she's two and a half years old and she's already activated her Sharingan?" Sasuke asked loudly in disbelief, making Kakashi's eyes go wide. What? A child that young…? No…it's not possible.
"She's activated her Sharingan?" Kakashi asked from behind Itachi who looked back at him and stood, Amaranth locking eyes with the silver-haired man, answering his question.
"Papa, what's a Shar…." She couldn't pronounce the word, but she looked up tiredly at Itachi who smiled at her.
"You are a bit too young to quite understand it yet, but I will tell you about it eventually." Amaranth laid her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes, dozing off to sleep.
"She needs to go see her." Shikamaru said, making Itachi turn towards him. He silently asked him if he wanted to go to Tsunade with him.
"I'll stay here." Shikamaru said, smiling softly at him, pulling Eli against his leg. Kisame stood and grabbed the handle of his sword.
"I'm going with you, Itachi. You're not going alone." Kisame said roughly as he walked over to him. They turned, but Itachi looked back and made eye contact with Shikamaru. Asuma watched them carefully, feeling the connection they both had. Itachi Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara…who would've thought? Itachi smiled softly at his oldest daughter.
"Eli, here are the rules—"
"No wild parties, no random boys, no beating other people up, and no coming up with ways to make Mama cry." Eli recited, smiling brightly at him.
"You've corrupted them, Itachi." Shikamaru said lightly, putting a hand on top of Eli's head.
"You'll thank me later." He turned towards Kakashi. "I know that you do not wish for us to leave, however…Amaranth is sick and needs medical attention immediately. If you wish to come with us, you may, I am not stopping you." He…he's telling us to go with them? Kakashi turned to Gai.
"Gai…we'll go with them." Gai nodded and Naruto was about to say something, but Kakashi gave him a look that prevented him from doing so.
"Fair enough; we will be back soon, Love." Itachi said over his shoulder as he, Kisame, Kakashi, and Gai disappeared.
ItachiXShikamaru
Alright Gang,
Reviews would be peachy. ^_^
When-Rabbit-Howls
