JAPAN TSUNAMI CALL TO ACTION: I know a lot of people read this story, so I want to challenge the readers. I've been thinking about the Tsunami in Japan and wondering how I can help. Obviously one person's funds can't cover everything, and I can't go there because of school. I want to challenge everyone who reads this chapter to give at least 1 dollar towards an organization specifically for the Japan tsunami. So far I've had over 3,000 unique readers for this story. That would be over 3,000 dollars towards helping the Japanese people after what happened! I hope everyone who reads this will be encouraged to help, as even the smallest gifts matter in the long run. (I'm planning to donate too, so this isn't an empty call to action.)
Thanks!
- For Jesus
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It was several days before Itachi could leave the hospital. During that time he received a number of visitors and several more obnoxiously childish gifts. Needless to say, Itachi was quite relieved when he was able to hobble out for the first time on his new crutches. Kakashi refused to allow the torture to stop there, however, and insisted on carrying every single stuffed toy to Itachi's apartment.
"I think I'm going to hate you for this," Itachi griped as he tried unsuccessfully to outhobble Kakashi.
"I'm sure you'll come to forgive me," Kakashi said pleasantly, easily keeping up with Itachi's stumbling pace.
"Oh! Itachi-kun!" a small girl with orange hair ran up to them, her eyes wide in excitement. "Are you - I mean, do you have anything to do later - or um... um, maybe you need some help or something?"
Itachi stared at her open mouthed. "Um, actually - "
"He'd be delighted," Kakahi broke in. The girl gave a shrill scream.
"Wait, hold it!" Itachi's eyes widened and he swung to look up at Kakashi. "What did you just put me up to?"
Kakashi ignored him. "He'll meet you at Ichiraku's tonight, Moegi" he told the girl. "Six o'clock work?"
"Oh, wow! Wait till I tell Konohamaru!" the girl squealed again and leapt into the air before running off.
"Kakashi, what do you think you're doing!" Itachi shouted in horror. "I'm at least ten years older than her!"
"Oh, come now," Kakashi ruffled the Uchiha's hair. "It's just a harmless crush. I'm sure she'll get over it as soon as she realizes how old you really are."
"Kakashi, you're trying to murder me with embarassement!"
Kakashi face was serious despite his obvious jibe. "Consider it my personal revenge."
Itachi had nothing to say against that, and he decided to sulk the entire way back to the apartment. Looking over his shoulder, Itachi searched for the little black dog Kiba had given him.
"Otouto," he called as he saw the puppy attempting to dig up someone's flower box.
The puppy raised its head at the sound of Itachi's voice and scampered over. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as Otouto snapped at his heels before returning obediently to Itachi's side.
"Otouto?" he questioned. "That seems to be a rather personal - "
"I know," Itachi's voice held the slightest snap to it as he stared ahead. He had understood ahead of time that the dog's name meant 'little brother.'
Kakashi sighed. One word concerning Itachi's past and the kid would completely remove his mind from the world. As much as it seemed otherwise at times, Kakashi was constantly reminded that Itachi would never be able to fully move on past the clan massacre.
Itachi smiled slightly as he watched Otouto dart around. The smile never reached his eyes, which were still as dark and troubled they had been his entire life. He knew he would be think of Sasuke every time he saw the little pup, but that was what Itachi wanted. He needed a to be reminded that despite all the good things that had happened over the past few weeks, everything wasn't okay. It never would be.
Glancing through the crowd, Itachi recognized that despite the villages' turn of favor after his attack, he was still an outcast. Just because he had more sympathizers in the village didn't mean he was out of danger. There was still a constant barrage of dark looks and whispers of traitor from many of the citizens, particularely the older ones who had been more affected by Itachi's crimes. Even with Tsunade's measures of protection, Itachi knew he would still have to watch his back. He was grateful when he reached his own room and was able to lock the door behind him.
Otouto gave a huge yawn as they entered and immediately hopped up onto the bed for a late afternoon nap. Itachi looked around the place, wondering if he should see about doing some redecoration. He was used to simple living, but for some reason the room looked horribly bland.
Dumping the large bag of gifts Kakashi had retrieved from the hospital, Itachi began sorting between the okay-ish and the downright ugly. He threw the pink bunny slippers to Otouto, who began knawing them sleepily. Grimacing at the purple and orange toad, Itachi tossed it back into the sack. Quickly following that were the giant yellow duck, the green lizard, an orange and blue butterfly plushi, a child's coloring book (he detested whoever had brought that), a pile of juvenile fiction, the romance novels from Hinata, Kakashi's gigantic stuffed bulldog (which wouldn't fit in the bag), a stuffed dinosaur (which looked uncomfortably like the one that had belonged to a younger Sasuke), a white stuffed bat, a pair of orange legwarmers from Guy, an unmarked packet of tea (which Itachi suspected was from Danzo), three puzzle books, a purple rat, Sai's rock, a bottle of perfume (obviously from a girl), the orange hat, a blue and white striped scarf, a detestably cute green sweater, another scarf in purple and yellow, a red jacket, three identical stuffed rabbits in white, brown, and black, a horse plushie, a red pair of earmuffs, and two boquets of flowers marked 'for Itachi-kun.'
Gingerly lifting the stuffed pink bunny rabbit by its ears, Itachi was about to surrender it to Otouto when someone knocked on the door. Hastily he hid the rabbit behind his back and opened it. To his horror Moegi stood there.
"Hi, Itachi-kun!" she called. Moegi put her hands behind her back and drew with her foot in the dust. "Are you ready to go? Mom says we can't go alone, but she picked out a new dress for me to wear!"
"Uhh, it's only five o'clock," Itachi pointed out, mentally cursing Kakashi for doing this to him.
Moegi looked at her watch and moaned. "Aw, man, I was hoping you wouldn't notice!" she cried. "I couldn't wait to see you, and I - ooh, is that for me?" Moegi's eyes widened as she saw the rabbit behind Itachi's back.
Itachi flushed and tried to imagine there was a hole in the floor he could escape through. "Uh, actually, I mean - sure, why not!" he quickly thrust the rabbit into Moegi's hands, thrilled to be rid of it.
The results were not entirely satisfactory. "Oh, Itachi-kun, you do care!" Moegi squealed shrilly as she hugged the rabbit to herself. "Imagine, I finally have a boyfriend!"
Itachi mentally groaned. What had he gotten himself into? "Ah, yeah, that's very nice, Moegi. Look, I kind of have to get ready - "
"Oh yes, say no more, Itachi-kun!" Moegi agreed. "I will wait for you! Remember, six o'clock!"
Itachi grinned tightly and quickly closed the door. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the wooden frame and begged for death.
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Itachi would have gladly 'forgotten' the time and skipped out on the entire evening, but Kakashi would have nothing of it. He personally ensured that Itachi made it to Ichiraku's in time, despite the fact that he practically had to drag the Uchiha to the resteraunt.
"Honestly, it's not like you're going to your execution," Kakashi pointed out.
"That's what you say!" Itachi responded. "Wait till we get you stuck on a date with Kurenai!"
Kakashi stammered, his eyes darting in obvious nervousness. "Uhhh, maybe we'll discuss this at a different time?"
Itachi smirked in triumph.
Moegi was already there with her parents when Itachi and Kakashi arrived. Moegi's mother seemed to consider the arrangement harmless enough, though she watched Itachi warily out of the corner of her eye. Moegi's father, on the other hand, rounded on Itachi immediately.
"Don't you think you have me fooled, Uchiha," Moegi's father lectured as he waved his index finger in Itachi's face. "If I suspect, even think you've hurt my little girl, you're going to get a fist between the eyes so hard you won't be able to see for a week!"
Itachi wondered if there was a polite way to tell Moegi's father that he hadn't even wanted to be here in the first place. He decided not to take any chances of upsetting anyone, and merely nodded in response. Moegi's father appeared satisfied, and he took a seat next to his wife at a table nearby.
"So, Itachi-kun," Moegi batted her eyelashes endearingly, "What do you want to order?"
Itachi refrained from saying he only wanted tea and forced himself to browse the menu. "I suppose whatever the special is today," he said blandly as he counted the handful of ryo Kakashi had given him for the resteraunt expenses.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Itachi," Teuchi smiled as he came to take their order. "I must say I never expected to see you here with a pretty little - "
"Just tell me the special," Itachi cut him off grumpily. Leaning his elbow on the table, he rested his cheek in his hand and sulked. Kakashi was definately going to get it for this.
"Oh, could we get Naruto's favorite ramen?" Moegi asked hopefully.
Teuchi laughed. "Are you kidding? You'd be hard put to get Naruto to name a preference when it comes to his favorite food. How about some old fashioned Tonkotsu ramen?"
"Oh, that's be wonderful!" Moegi cried out enthusiastically. "What do you think, Itachi-kun?"
"Sure. Whatever." Itachi refused to look up and drummed his fingers on the table. Seeing Moegi's father give him a disaproving glare, Itachi sat up and forced himself to appear semi-interested.
"It's so nice being here, isn't it, Itachi-kun?" Moegi commented as Teuchi moved to take her parent's orders. "It's so romantic and beautiful!" Moegi hugged her new pink bunny rabbit and started as she remembered something. "Oh! Flowers! Did you bring me flowers, Itachi-kun? All girls get flowers on their first date, right?"
"Uh, I think I left them at my apartment," Itachi said squeemishly. He couldn't believe the situation he was in. Technically speaking, he was twenty-one years old. He didn't know how to deal with an eight-year-old girl who had dillusions of romance!
"Oh, that's all right!" Moegi replied to his excuse about the flowers. "I'm sure Mr. Itachi Usagi will still be happy." She hugged the rabbit tightly to herself. "Hey, we just got back from a mission yesterday! What kind of missions have you been on, Itachi-kun?"
Oh, just taking people's jinchuriki, trying to kidnap Naruto, torturing Kakashi, keeping myself alive so Sasuke can murder me, killing a few people here and there... Itachi searched his mind frantically and finally replied, "Housecleaning." He had been sorting through his room after all.
"Oh, really?" Moegi looked slightly disapointed but carried out in her typical prattling manner. "Me and Udon and Konohamaru cleaned out a river yesterday, and I almost drowned! Ebisu Sensei said he nearly had a heart attack!"
I wonder why. Itachi tapped his chopstick against the table and tried to pretend he was absolutely fascinated by the conversation.
"You know, Mommy says your dangerous, but you don't look too dangerous to me, Itachi-kun."
Itachi saw Moegi's mother cover her face in mortification of her daughter's words. "Well... ah... I mean..."
Itachi was saved from the akward situation as Teuchi arrived with their orders.
"Here you are, Ichiraku's famous Tonkotsu ramen!" Teuchi announced as he set the bowls in front of them.
"Oh, boy!" Moegi shouted. "As Naruto, says, uh... oh, whatever. Let's just eat!" With that she clapped her hands together and dug into the ramen.
Itachi had lost his appetite completely, but he picked through the dinner as best he could. While Moegi chattered senselessly, Itachi devised a number of schemes for getting even with Kakashi. He wondered if it would be considered a criminal action to rid Konoha of the annoying imbecile.
"Oh, and then of course you have to kiss me afterwards!" Moegi's voice drove back into Itachi's world with a crash. "All girls get kissed by their boyfriends afterwards, after all!"
"Whoah, hold it!" Itachi quickly stood and put his hands in front of himself protectively. "No one said anything about kissing!"
"But all people kiss when they're 'together,'" Moegi argued. "You are my boyfriend after all, right?" She held up the pink bunny rabbit as proof.
Itachi flushed and glared at the table where Moegi's parents were chuckling over the situation.
"Look," he said cautiously, "I'm glad you like the rabbit, but it does really mean anything further than that. I mean..." Itachi fumbled for words, trying to find a way to tell Moegi he wasn't her boyfriend without hurting her feelings.
This time Moegi's father came to the rescue. "He means that he just wants to be a friend right now, Moegi. You're both too young to have a boyfriend or girlfriend right now. Itachi will be a good friend, but I don't want things going any further than that." He gave Itachi a hard look, as though to warn the Uchiha not to attempt anything.
Itachi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his thanks to Moegi's father.
Moegi's face fell, however. "Oh," she said softly, "I see." Her lower lip quivered and she hugged Mr. Itachi Usagi to herself. "I guess we have no choice but to part." Scooting her chair back, Moegi walked slowly to her parents and requested they leave. Her mother comforted her and gave Itachi a sympathetic wink, while Moegi's father tried to decide whether to blame the situation on the Uchiha or Kakashi. Itachi returned a sheepish smile and quickly gathered his crutches before hurrying out the door. Never again would he allow himself to be trapped in that kind of situation!
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Wow, I have so many nice people reviewing for this story! You guys are really an encouragement!
I have plans for one or two more chapters before things return to the regular Naruto plot, but I can add more if people are really liking these.
I had a hard time coming up with a name for Itachi's dog. I wanted it to be something special to Itachi, but I didn't want it to be too obvious either due to the memories that would be attached. Sasuke was my first choice, but I decided to change it to "little brother" instead. Still has the angst, but not too bad. :)