Summary: It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.
Authors: Disgruntled Minion and Imperial Mint.
Word Count: 6700
Un-betaed.
Know How to Fall.
Chapter 11
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Itachi watched Neji go with a little cheer. He'd have to feel around from Sasuke what this Neji character was like and plan a few stages against him, depending on how Neji would act next. As silly as it sounded, this really was all out warfare. Not only had Neji tried to hit on Naruto, but he'd insulted tea. Yeah, Itachi hadn't missed that.
Itachi decided he'd have to get Lulu on his side as well as she could be a very worthy comrade. And Axel may help too. He needed all hands on deck to protect Naruto from the grabby hands of Neji.
"So, how did you two meet?" Itachi asked casually, trying to feel for more information.
Naruto drifted into the living room and dropped down on the leather couch. He was cold now, the AC in the house finally settling on his skin. He patted the area next to him and leaned against Itachi once the Uchiha sat down.
"Well, we went to the same high school. I had joined an intro to agriculture class, since it was required for the vet class that I wanted to take. My teacher got me into my first team and he was on it. Neji convinced me to join dairy products in the spring and helped me."
Naruto laughed. "There's two hundred and fifty questions that you have to memorize on that test, and they only ask fifty. He drilled those questions into me; you weren't allowed to miss one cause they took away so much from your score."
Itachi could imagine how many nights the pair would have spent together and noticed the slight fondness in Naruto's voice. Naruto obviously cared for Neji - even though it seemed to just be a friendship-care - and Itachi felt somewhat bad for being up himself to Neji.
And then Neji's face came into his brain and he took that back. Sometimes it couldn't be helped. A prick's always going to be a prick.
"It's nice you've had someone willing to help you in that way," he commented instead, slinging an arm around Naruto's shoulders and pulling him in.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Although we didn't like each other when we first met. As a freshman, I was an underclass to him and upperclassman think they can push them around. I threw a rotten egg at him one day and we made our peace after that."
He snuggled into Itachi's embrace, feeling the warmth roll off him. With a grin, he rolled around in Itachi's grip and straddled his hips. "But now that he's gone, I can thank the sponsor that so graciously let me stay for a few extra days in Kentucky."
The grin that had been on Itachi's face from hearing Naruto threw a rotten egg at Neji morphed into one of intrigue. "Oh? And how exactly do you plan on thanking him?"
Itachi moved his hand round to Naruto's back, smoothing across the skin there and meeting Naruto's heated gaze. "You do know that they may be in slight trouble. I mean... it is a rather large bill you owe and there is a lot to pay off. Though," Itachi paused, smirking and snaking his hand a little lower, teasing the material of Naruto's boxers. "I'm sure we can come up with an alternative way to pay the debt hmm?"
Naruto hummed. "I like that idea," he muttered. His hands slipped underneath Itachi's shirt and his fingers ghosted over the skin, drawing goosebumps. "Shall I start now? Give my first down payment and do that pay as you go thing?"
He smirked and leaned down, kissing Itachi's neck. His lips trailed down the pale column, licking and nipping at the skin while his fingers moved up Itachi's chest. They paused at hard nipples and rolled them between his fingers, catching Itachi's lip with his teeth.
Itachi gasped under Naruto's hands, leaning back into the leather couch. His hands drifted up Naruto's back slightly, pulling the blond closer. One hand moved into Naruto's hair, pulling him away from his lips a moment. Naruto was flushed and Itachi smirked, re-capturing Naruto's lips in a deep kiss, pushing upwards with his body slightly.
"Ahh," Itachi groaned, his breathing already heavy and shallow. Naruto was a devil with those hands as they drifted across his skin, torturous and beautiful at the same time in their ministrations.
Letting his hands trail down, Naruto dragged his fingers over the skin. They barely touched the pale skin and he felt Itachi shiver underneath him. A groan left his mouth as Itachi teased him in his own ways.
Those pale fingers played with the trail of hair that swirled up to his navel, tracing it lower past the elastic of his boxers. His hips bucked of their own accord and his eyes rolled back as Itachi continued to tease him more.
Their angle was slightly awkward so Itachi pushed his hips up a little, settling Naruto slightly more central in his lap. It gave Itachi perfect access to the blonde's erection, pressing against his boxers, and dark eyes watched Naruto's face as a hand stroked the fabric, teasing Naruto endlessly.
Itachi smirked as Naruto hissed, joining him a moment later when the blond moved his hips down, opening an eye slightly and peering at Itachi with a smile. It was a clear 'two can play this game' and Itachi's stomach jolted, pleasure shooting all over his body.
Naruto's fingers teased the hem of Itachi's jeans before trailing down and rubbing against the bulge in the fabric. His other hand started to sneak inside Itachi's pants when a thumping noise sounded down the steps and into the living room.
"Hey Naruto, I'm ordering some pizza for dinner, what-" Sasuke paused and both Naruto's and Itachi's head shot up. "I'm going to turn around now and pretend that I didn't just see what I thought I saw. When I come back, you two better be watching TV or something."
Itachi groaned in embarrassment as Naruto slid off of him, grabbing a nearby cushion and placing it on his lap. Even if they wanted to now, the image of Sasuke walking in when they were more heated was a rather... unsavoury one.
"I'm going to go get some tea," Itachi muttered, standing stiffly and walking to the kitchen, slightly uncomfortably. Deidara was standing by the kettle, eyebrow raised. Before he could say anything (that was probably a pun on not knowing Itachi was an exhibitionist or something), Itachi focused his glare on the blond. "Don't. Just don't."
Returning to Naruto with a nice cup of tea, Itachi settled next to his blond, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, as seemed to be the norm now, and snuggling slightly.
Naruto smiled and eased the cup of tea away from Itachi. He wanted to try one that Itachi had made and compare it to what he'd had at the diner. It was still too hot for him but it did taste a bit better.
He handed the cup back and clicked the TV, as Sasuke walked back into the living room. It seemed as though the younger Uchiha was content at the scene.
"What toppings?" he asked.
"Cheese and get some breadsticks." Naruto said, watching the TV and not looking at Sasuke quite yet. His face was still hot and he was pretty sure that his cheeks were red.
"Got it," Sasuke said and turned to Itachi. "What do you want Itachi?"
Itachi considered the question. "Do you have any rich teas?"
Sasuke shook his head and Itachi frowned. He knew it was far-fetched to ask for the English biscuit, yet they did go so well with tea. "Breadsticks will be fine then for me too."
Sasuke walked off and Itachi smiled. "Thank you for looking after him," he whispered in Naruto's ear, kissing his temple.
Naruto purred at the simple touch and leaned into Itachi more. "It wasn't a problem," he murmured. "I'm thinking that tomorrow night, we can go to the pond and just relax."
He wasn't happy that tomorrow his day would be so busy that he wouldn't be able to spend much time with Itachi. They'd have to brand calf's which would take most of the day and more than likely, by the time that was done, Neji would be over with his students.
The thought almost made him pout. He wanted to make good on that idea of lounging around with Itachi in nothing but boxers for the day and then spend a night looking up at the stars.
"I'll go with Deidara and Kisame into town tomorrow so Deidara can satisfy his glowing-paint urges. If it's there, he'll find it. We can pick up stuff for you as well if you make us a list." Itachi wanted desperately to just laze around all day with Naruto, but it wasn't an option just yet. There was so much to do and he'd already delayed Naruto by a few days by asking him to stay. It was only fair he let him have a bit of time to work.
"I'd also like to take Susanoo out on a ride, are we allowed to go pretty much everywhere? Obviously not in livestock fields, but she hasn't done a natural cross country in a while and it might be quite nice."
And then, once they came back, Naruto would be free and Itachi could whisk him away. He'd check with Sasuke how busy they were going to be tomorrow and then maybe, if he could, prepare a picnic and take the horses out for an evening meal-come-stargazing trip. Sappy, yes, but Itachi didn't care.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you're free to roam about the property. And it'll give you something to do tomorrow. I'm afraid that I won't get a lot of free time tomorrow, I'm sorry. But the next day won't be as busy, and we can spend some time together."
He sighed and leaned his head against Itachi's shoulder. Dinner was coming soon and he couldn't wait for it. His stomach growled for food and then after dinner with more cuddling.
They stayed like that for a while, Itachi taking small sips of his tea from time to time. They could both smell dinner cooking and Itachi wondered what Sasuke was making. It did smell nice and he suddenly realised he was very hungry.
Eventually they were called to dinner and everyone sat round the table, Kisame included. There was a look on Kisame's face that said he wanted to talk to Itachi, but the Uchiha knew that look as one that was a private talk. Whatever Kisame had been doing, it was important to discuss and he nodded, signalling that they'd talk after dinner.
Drooling at the pizza and pasta that lay out on the table, Naruto happily pulled some slices off and piled up his plate. Sasuke had made a good tomato sauce and Naruto was glad that Sasuke had decided to make his own instead of order out.
Dinner was light and relaxed, no one mentioning anything that would cause debate or arguments. It was nice, and Naruto sipped happily at his water glass. This was what he liked, being surrounded by friends and not having anything to worry about.
The conversation dwindled into comfortable silence as they all finished their dinner, sitting back in their chairs and relaxing. Itachi stretched out his legs, bumping into someone. "Sorry," he apologised, looking around for whoever he had hit. Naruto's grin answered everything.
They began to move to the lounge when Itachi looked to Kisame. He smiled to Naruto before stepping out into the hallway, following his friend.
"What is it?" Itachi asked gently, keeping his voice down.
"First of all, Madara's left a few messages asking why we cancelled our plane journey." Itachi sighed, nothing good could ever last, "And secondly... the land linking to Naruto's is for sale. The man who owned it inherited it from his late father and has no wish to keep it."
Itachi glanced at Kisame, unsure of the information's use. "And..?"
Kisame grinned, "And it's well within our budgets. You know you can get something amazing here for a pinch of the price it would be back home. It wouldn't be so bad if you could expand Uchiha studs to America too. Madara has full control of Europe and he's always been moaning about wanting to tackle the big markets here. Thoroughbreds are in demand here too."
The business side to Itachi woke then and he knew what Kisame was suggesting was a good idea. It was true - Madara had been moaning about a few notable stud farms in America who catered solely for American racing leagues. Customers who had come to Uchiha who were American had praised the horses yet said they were hard to access, being stationed in Europe.
And there was a plot of land right next to Naruto.
With a quick grasp to Kisame's arm in thanks, they both rejoined the group in the lounge. Itachi had a lot to think about now and perhaps an olive branch to offer his uncle.
Naruto glanced up at Itachi once the Uchiha was settled into the couch. His dark eyes gleamed with something that Naruto couldn't place. He pushed the thought aside and leaned against Itachi, enjoying the warmth. Sasuke had sent him upstairs to get dressed before dinner so he was a little more decent despite Naruto's complaining that no one really cared.
He focused back on the movie that they were watching, purring slightly when Itachi played with the little hairs on the back of his neck. He let his head rest against Itachi's chest, listening to the movie with one ear and the Uchiha's heartbeat with another. It lulled him into an easy feeling and he could feel his eyes starting to droop.
"Tired," he muttered softly to Itachi. He didn't want to go to sleep yet, it felt too early. But the long hours of driving and working the cattle was quickly catching up with him.
"Come on then you," Itachi said, shifting Naruto slightly. He'd had the fortune of sleeping earlier but Naruto hadn't. He stood up and scooped Naruto in his arms, wincing at the weight. "Let's get you to bed."
Struggling slightly, Itachi managed to right himself and smiled back at Naruto. "You even get a ride to bed," he whispered, winking cheesily.
They bid everyone else a goodnight before Itachi struggled upstairs, eventually collapsing on Naruto's bed, half-lying on the blond.
Laughing at Itachi's attempt, Naruto pulled him closer. "You don't have to stay up here," he murmured. He didn't want to keep Itachi upstairs if he was still awake and wanted to watch the movie. Not to mention, it was a way to spend time with his brother and teammates. They probably had a lot to catch up on.
With a yawn, he sat up on the bed and padded into the bathroom. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto a hook. It wasn't dirty and he could wear again tomorrow. Why dirty clothes that had only been worn inside for a few hours.
Now that Naruto had mentioned bed, Itachi was tired too. While Naruto was in the bathroom he slipped into a pair of sleeping shorts, keeping a top off as he noticed the heat. He waited hesitantly at the edge of the bed, unsure whether he should just get in or ask for Naruto's permission.
After brushing his teeth, Naruto shuffled into the bedroom and smiled at Itachi. "You can get in 'Tachi." He chuckled slightly. "You slept naked already in my bed, you can get in without asking, I won't be bothered."
Covering up a yawn, he dropped onto the bed next to Itachi. "But thanks for being considerate about it." Pressing a quick kiss to Itachi's neck, Naruto leaned over to turn the floor fan on and then ducked under the covers.
Itachi sighed deeply and smiled, seeking out Naruto in the bed. The fan cooled the room and allowed Itachi to comfortably draw Naruto into his arms.
"Good night, Naruto," he whispered in the darkness, the light being turned off just as they got into bed. "See you in the morning."
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When the alarm went off in the morning, Naruto scrambled for it, almost falling off in the bed process. It was finally shut off and he glanced at Itachi's sleeping body, glad that the other male was still asleep.
Rubbing at his eyes, Naruto crawled out bed and made his way around the room. He knew it like the back of his hand and didn't need a light to get ready. It was still dark outside and casting one last glance to make sure Itachi was still asleep, Naruto slipped out of the room.
He met up with Sasuke and they made their way to the barn. Horses needed to be fed and the cattle had to be looked over. The newest part of the herd needed to be branded and it would be easier to start now while it was still cool out.
It'd take most of the morning to get them separated and then a while to brand them. Not to mention, they'd be working near an open flame to do the branding and it was hot enough without the flames.
"You get the left and I'll get the right?" Naruto asked Sasuke.
"Yeah. We'll check the herd while they eat. By the time we finish, they'll be ready to work and we can let the others run around in the fields today. No need to keep them inside the stalls all day." Sasuke answered.
With a sigh, Naruto glanced to the sun the had just started to show on the horizon. It was going to be a long day.
Itachi woke up slowly, blinking away the sleepiness. The bed was slightly warm, but absent of Naruto and he guessed the blond had gone out to tend to the livestock. He stretched out, groaning as his neck clicked.
Naruto's dog yawned noisily as Itachi entered the kitchen, padding over to Itachi and sitting by him at the table. Itachi smiled and scratched Axel's neck, greeting him warmly. Over a bowl of cereal (that he had found in one of the cupboards), Itachi planned his day.
He was going to ride Susanoo in the morning before it got too hot and then go into town with Deidara and Kisame. In town he'd pick up more information about the plot of land next to Naruto's and talk to an estate agent. He'd need to get as much information about the land and prospective buyers before making a deal. After that, he'd phone Madara and present the case to him. Well, and expect a verbal lashing, but that was neither here nor there.
Itachi dressed in scruffy clothes, planning to shower and dress properly once Susanoo was eating. He exited the house and looked upwards to the sky, shaking his head at how hot it was already.
Setting the saddle on Kyuubi's back, Naruto tightened the cinch. Next to him, Sasuke was dealing with Chidori who didn't want to stand still. The young horse could sense that they were going out to work the herd and kept prancing around.
Naruto chuckled at the action as he moved to slip the bridle into Kyuubi's mouth. The ceiling fans above them helped to circulate the air around but didn't do anything for the hot summer air. Naruto grabbed a water bottle and swallowed a mouthful before leading Kyuubi away from the ties.
The stallion pinned his ears back at Chidori as they passed and nipped the young horse in the rump. She squealed, pranced a bit more and finally settled down. Sasuke shot Kyuubi and Naruto a look but quickly finished tacking her up.
Kyuubi whinnied as they left the barn and Naruto looked up, smiling when he saw Itachi walking towards them. He would've thought that Itachi would sleep in a bit more, but it was probably ingrained in him to get up early. Horses needed to be taken care of and they always came first.
"Good morning," he said. "How'd you sleep?"
"Wonderfully thank you," Itachi replied, letting Kyuubi sniff his hand. "Just come to feed her majesty and then get properly dressed. Is there anything I can get you from inside?"
Itachi wanted Naruto's day to progress as smoothly as possible so that they could spend more time together later. If he was able to help, Itachi would have, but he knew he'd cause more trouble than good if he offered help, so it was best to stay out of things, especially as this was Naruto's livelihood.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. There's some bottled drinks in the fridge and a cooler in the pantry. Can you fill the cooler up with them and just put some ice in it from the freezer?" he asked. Cold drinks would be nice in this heat and he'd forgotten to get some this morning.
He had planned on sending Sasuke to get some while he started working the herd but this would save a bit of time.
Itachi nodded, stroking Kyuubi. "I'll leave it in the barn here then." He took a step back and smiled, "I'll probably see you later then. I'm going to have a ride around and then go into town later so I may not see you for a while."
Laughing, Naruto swung into the saddle. "Have fun while you're in town. There's a bowling alley down the street from the store if you want to poke around a bit." He smiled and leaned down to give Itachi a quick kiss. "Thank you for helping with the water. Have a good ride."
Itachi regretfully parted from Naruto, watching him for a moment before heading inside. If Itachi believed in fairy tales and such, he'd admit he was head over heels. Actually, he had to admit it anyway.
Inside the barn, Itachi was greeted with Sasuke and was, presumably, his horse Chidori.
"Good morning," he greeted pleasantly, smiling at his brother. They hadn't been properly alone in a while and Itachi was happy to keep the slight distance between them.
"Morning," Sasuke answered and looped some rope around the horn of his saddle. "Susanoo is in the stall next to Wichita, close to the end. Naruto said it'd give her more views of the ranch than just a middle stall."
He glanced at Itachi over Chidori's back. "This is Chidori. Naruto helped me pick her out and I've been training her ever since." He patted her neck and was rewarded with a soft bump from her nose. "She's a good horse and I'm proud of her, even though she's trained Western and not English."
Itachi walked over to the horse, noticing her age. She was quite young and most likely still in training.
"Don't worry Sasuke. There's no need to be defensive with me." Itachi glanced up for a moment before looking down at Chidori's nose and rubbing her muzzle gently. "I don't care which riding style you prefer, it's your choice and you're happy. I happen to know, unlike some people, that a different style of riding is more favourable to some people, even if it's what they consider 'wrong'."
They shared a look, knowing exactly who these 'some people' were; Madara.
"And I must say, you've raised a fine young lady here." Itachi stepped away, heading to Susanoo. "Just spare a bit of love from time to time for 'Noo. She'd like that."
Feeling a bit better, Sasuke led Chidori out of the stable where Naruto was waiting for him. He mounted up and they walked out to the large field where the herd was grazing. It'd take a while to get them all to the other end where the holding pen was and more than likely, a few would try to escape on the way.
He grinned at Naruto as they started to jog. "So, you and Itachi go at it like rabbits yet?"
Naruto sputtered and shot him a glare. "Why would you even want to know something like that? Are you secretly a perv and all these years you never told me?"
Sasuke laughed. "Just curious. As Itachi's younger brother and your friend; I have to look out for both of you."
Waving a hand, Naruto brushed the comment aside. "I think you've just been waiting for something like this to happen so you have blackmail over me. Admit it!"
Dark eyes danced with amusement. "Now why would I do something like that? Its not like I don't have that picture of you, walking around with just chaps and cowboy hat on. Think Itachi would buy it from me?"
With another round of laughter, Sasuke urged Chidori into a lope and Naruto quickly chased after him. "You're a bastard!" He shouted.
Sasuke simply laughed as Chidori sped up, picking up on his good mood. He had never thought that he'd feel this carefree but slowly it was coming back. He glanced back at Naruto who was enjoying the chase as well.
Maybe Itachi was just what Naruto needed, and vice versa. And if only Itachi would stay, then everything could stay like this.
In the barn, Itachi prepared Susanoo's feed. He slung the bowl over her stable door, peering into her stable.
"Get up lazy," he said, looking at the form of his horse sprawled on the floor. Slowly, her head raised up and she snorted, flicking her ears back. They had this problem most mornings when Susanoo wasn't competing. She was as stubborn as a mule when waking up.
"Come on! We're going for a ride around the ranch today, a bit of free cross country perhaps. I'm also going to look at the land next door, have a look at it."
Susanoo slowly stood up, moving to her feed bowl and ignoring Itachi. He smiled, when he was back from his shower and getting ready, her breakfast would have gone down and she'd be good to ride.
As he made his way back to the house, Itachi fancied he could see two figures riding out on the flat landscape, but they were already too far away and he wasn't sure if they were horses or cattle.
Out in the fields, the cattle raised their heads as they entered the area. A few shifted away and Naruto laughed at their reaction. He glanced around and sighed. "Where's Axel?"
"Probably being lazy inside the house." Sasuke answered.
Rolling his eyes, Naruto pressed his tongue to his teeth and whistled loudly, the sound echoing across the fields. In the distance, a bark sounded and Naruto patted Kyuubi's neck. Axel often forgot what he was supposed to do and needed to be reminded every now and then.
Soon enough, the Koolie appeared next to them and panted happily. "Go on," Naruto said, pointing to the cattle. "Round 'em up."
With a bark, Axel trotted forward and started to circle around the herd. Naruto moved to the other side, jogging around and pushed the herd together. A few stray cattle were grazing away and Sasuke went after them. It would be a good way for Chidori to practice her cutting skills.
As he brought the stragglers in, Naruto drifted over to Sasuke. "I think we should just drive all of them over to the pen. Send all of them through the chute, brand the ones that need it and let the others go that don't. This way we can look over all them for an injuries."
Sasuke nodded. "Sounds good." He looked out to the field. "Three left. I'll start driving the herd in and you can bring the last three in. Chidori already brought in a few."
They separated without a word and Kyuubi perked his ears as they approached the remaining cattle. Naruto grinned as they raised their heads at them and bellowed, not wanting to move from their patch of grass.
"Sorry boys, but I don't think you have a choice." Kyuubi snorted and pawed the ground, making Naruto laugh as they settled into work once more.
Itachi exited the house a little while later, riding boots and jodphurs on. He wouldn't bother with a hat today, it was too hot. Plus by the looks of things, the scenery around was fairly flat and he'd once been in a competition to see who could jump the best, bareback, with no hands and blindfolded. Risky, yes, but he'd won it. The jumps had been in a straight line and pretty small, but still. It was all about trusting the horse.
"Let's get you tacked up then," Itachi said, looking around for some sort of tack room where either Sasuke or Deidara would have put his tack. He selected his general riding saddle and bridle, putting them on Susanoo and leading her out of the stable. There was a small mounting stool on the ground and Itachi climbed on it, using the extra height instead of heaving himself up. It got tiring after a while, especially with such a tall horse.
Kisame had mentioned the land was a few acres over and Itachi began with a walk, then a trot, schooling Susanoo even though they were riding pleasurably. Training was a constant thing and even one say off could cause the horse to slacken in control.
Eventually, Itachi pushed her up to a canter, the wind blowing through their hair and cooling him down in the sun. He was lucky Susanoo was grey, any darker colour and she wouldn't have been able to sustain the canter for as long as they had, not being used to the weather.
The land Itachi was looking at was separated by a thick fence. It was electrified, most likely to keep Naruto's livestock out, but he could see the main house easily. There were a number of barns and Itachi wondered if, at some point, it had been a stud farm. It certainly had the look of one.
Deciding that it would be close to twelve soon, Itachi and Susanoo made their way back, galloping through the fields and enjoying the ride. It was incredibly relaxing just to enjoy a free ride, which he admittedly found very little time for back home. He wondered if Naruto and Sasuke would be joining them for lunch or if they'd just wait until the task was done.
.
Naruto looked up as a small dust trailed flew across one of the fields and he smiled when he realized that it was probably Itachi and Susanoo. Behind him, Axel was barking at the straggling cattle who tried to draw out entering the pen.
Once they were all inside, Axel slipped through the fence and kept to the edge as he circled around the pen. Sasuke whistled to the dog from his position next to the chute where he'd send the cattle through to Naruto.
The dog barked and made its way over, getting out of the way before Sasuke opened the gate. He made his way to a small platform where he could stand and watch the herd without getting trampled.
Further down the line, Naruto whistled, signalling that he was ready. Kyuubi stood further away from them, resting under a tree with Chidori. They wouldn't be needed right now, but should something go wrong and a calf escaped, they'd still need to be ready to chase.
He had decided to go with an electric branding iron so he wouldn't die by heat. Still, he pulled his shirt off to help cool off a bit. A few scratches wouldn't hurt but overheating sure would. Once they got going, Naruto would send Sasuke back to the barn to pick up the cooler.
A heifer bellowed at him as she clanged into the squeeze chute and Naruto pushed a bar behind the animals rump to keep her from backing out. She was one of the new ones and he smoothed the hide down and apologized before bringing up the iron.
When he pulled away, an 'N' and 'U' stared back at him, the U cutting through the N in a clean mark. Pleased with the brand, he opened the gate and let the heifer go. As soon as she left, another took its place, starting a seemingly endless trend.
Itachi could hear the sound of animals being branded as he led Susanoo back to the stables. The sound was familiar as they heat-branded their thoroughbreds with the mark of their family, a tradition that had been around for centuries. It was true a freeze-mark was less painful, but it had to be redone a lot. With a hot-iron brand, it was a single brand and they had the stud vet anaesthetise the area before applying the iron.
Susanoo turned to munch on her haynet, whickering at Wichita as she was turned in. Itachi left a moment later, crossing the path back to the house.
"There he is," Deidara greeted him, shoving a plate into his hands. "We're eating here so hurry up. We need to hit the shops and quickly!"
Itachi looked to Kisame, who was eating his own sandwich. "I know, but we'll just have to put up with it for a while."
They ate lunch in silence, exiting the house with enough money and bags in case they needed them.
"I'll go ask Naruto if we can use his truck," Deidara said, walking off and leaving Kisame and Itachi alone.
"I went to look at the property," Itachi began, walking over to the shade so the sun didn't wear them down before they even left the ranch.
"Yeah?" Kisame questioned.
"Mmm. It looks as if it was a stud at some point so wouldn't need too much fixing up. I was hoping you could distract Deidara while I go get some information about it. He wouldn't be able to keep it a secret and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up if it turns out an unlikely venture." Itachi had his business tone on, serious by the expanding of Uchiha. If he had to present this to Madara, then he had to make sure all loopholes were caught.
Naruto had just let out a steer when he noticed Deidara walking up to them. A calf banged around in the crush and Naruto secured the back end before looking up at Deidara.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Can we borrow your truck so we can go into town?" Deidara asked, looking at the calf who looked back at him. It stuck its tongue out and licked its nose and Deidara resisted the urge to stick out his tongue back.
"Sure. The keys are in the hallway in the glass bowl. Can you pick up a bottle of aloe too, I think we're gonna need a back up one tonight." Naruto glanced down at Sasuke who had pulled off his shirt too. The pale skin was already starting to look red despite the sun screen he'd put on.
"No problem." Deidara answered and jogged back.
Naruto smiled and turned his attention back to the calf. It yelled at him when the brand hit, and trotted out as soon as the coast was clear. Behind him, Axel barked at two cows who were trying to push through the chute at the same time.
He placed his paws on ones back and pushed, trying to get her to move back. With an annoyed grunt, the cow finally moved to the side and let the other one go. Naruto counted the head left over in the pen and sighed. They were almost done and then they could go in and relax.
Deidara ushered everyone into Naruto's truck, frowning at the wheel as he got in.
"Do you want me to drive?" Kisame asked. Deidara shook his head.
"Nope, I'll be fine!" He chuckled, turning the engine on and putting the truck into reverse. The truck jolted before stalling and Deidara's eyes bugged out slightly.
"On second thoughts, maybe it would be a good idea."
Quickly clambering into the back, switching places with Kisame, Deidara strapped up and they were off, smoothly and controlled under Kisame's hands. They waved to Naruto and Sasuke as they passed, continuing on until they hit the town.
People milled about lazily, avoiding the sun as best they could. They found somewhere to park and Kisame looked pointedly at Itachi.
"We'll go to the local shop and look for your paint while Itachi phones his uncle," he said to Deidara, taking the blond off with little protest.
Now that Itachi was alone, he could look for the estate agents. Kisame had said there was only one around here and he found it easily. He entered the shop, sighing in delight as air conditioning beat down over his body.
A man in a suit looked up from his desk, standing to walk over to Itachi. "Can I help you sir?"
Itachi nodded, "I heard there was a large plot of land around here for sale, bordering onto a ranch. I was wondering if I could get the details to the land."
The man had been a little surprised at Itachi accent, but recovered well. "Sure, come take a seat," he said, leading Itachi to his desk. He moved to a filing cabinet behind him, opening a drawer and flicking through files.
"Here you go, sir." The file was handed to him, the image of the main house on the front of the booklet. Itachi took a moment to flick through, looking quickly at the pictures.
"If you're looking to buy the land for building purposes you should probably know that a few other investors have been asking about it. Of course they haven't been in, which is why I'm telling you, but I reckon that patch of land will be sapped up fairly quickly. It's a prime location for building work, shame about the ranch next door for a business perspective." The man sighed.
"It's unfortunate, but if a corporate business buys the land and builds on it, they'll be pressuring the ranch owner to pack up and move. Things could turn nasty, I've seen it before."
Itachi placed the booklet on the desk. "And how do you know that I'm not a corporate businessman?"
The estate agent smiled. "I reckoned by those boots you've got on that you're into the equine industry and not looking to build."
Itachi nodded and asked for a pen and paper.
"These are my details. If anyone asks about the land I would be grateful if you could let me know."
Itachi stood up and shook the man's hand, collecting the booklet and leaving. He crossed over to the shop, eyes widening at the sheer size of the building.
Kisame was waiting for him by the door and they moved through the cool building. "Deidara's already gone off to the toy section. It's our job to look for the paint." He explained.
They passed by clothing aisles and a small section of food, pausing to pick up some aloe. Kisame picked up the large bottle; judging from what Deidara had said, Sasuke was pretty red.
"Perhaps we should pick up something for dinner, maybe try and make something from home?" Kisame asked. "Sasuke probably hasn't had a home meal in a while and I'm sure Naruto's never had anything before. Except the tea."
Itachi nodded, running through what he could make. If it was a traditional English meal then there were countless things he could make. He turned to Kisame.
"Cottage pie, chicken and mushroom or bangers and mash?"
Kisame looked thoughtful. "Probably a little too hot for the cottage pie... and the bangers and mash are bog standard. Get them anywhere really. Though with the chicken and mushroom, you'd have to make it all."
Itachi nodded and set off to buy the ingredients. He could buy ready-made pastry for the last minute, even though it went against every culinary instinct he had. The rest was easy. They could have new potatoes and runner beans with it.
"You better go find the paint, I'll go get the food. Meet back here in about ten minutes and then we'll get Deidara?" Kisame nodded and Itachi separated from him, hunting down everything he'd need for dinner tonight.
Kisame moved through the store, finding the paint section easily. A lady behind the counter pointed him out to the section that he needed and he browsed through the colors. They'd need two different colors for the teams.
He selected a bright red color for Itachi's teams and an orange one for Naruto's. The bright color's would stand out nicely and make things much more fun. Grabbing a few of each color, he moved to the front where Deidara was waiting with an armful of water pistols.
Kisame shook his head and set the paints on the counter and jumped to the side when Deidara dropped the pile of water guns next to the paint. The blond bounced in place, anxious to get back.
"I suppose I'll get all of this then," Kisame sighed, pulling out his wallet.
They met Itachi in their designated spot, each of them holding bags.
"We can dump this in the truck and then I need to make a phone call."
Deidara and Kisame looked solemn all of a sudden and nodded. "We'll meet you back in the truck then."
Itachi walked round the side of the shop until he came to a shaded area. He lent against the wall and brought the mobile phone Madara had supplied him with out of his pocket.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, dialling the international code and then Madara's number.
.
Notes:
Thank you again for all of your support! Please go shove some at Disgruntled Minion too, because she is utterly amazing and would love to hear praise from you guys too.
Any comments, positive, negative, concrit, are always appreciated! Now I'm going to go enjoy the english sun. Have a brilliant sunday everyone!
(oh and any DW fans? sooo close. So so so close. I may be a bit overexcited haha)