{I don't own Naruto, or anything of any worth. u.u}

{I warn you this chapter has some disturbing imagery}

The Carving

Ch 14: Never Goin' Back

"O...Okaa-san?" He looked confused for a bit. Then his face cleared, "How did the meeting go?"

Her answer was a wide and loving grin. He smiled back, "Good." He rested his head on his pillow.

"Go back to sleep dear one," She kissed his head and stroked his hair like she used to when he was little. He indulged her for once not pushing her away. Soon he fell back to sleep and she retired for the night...

...Itachi woke later then usual. He heard the sound of giggling coming from across the hall. He shook off the sleep from the night before and got out of bed only to come face to face with the evil looking raven staring him down from his dresser. The pillow case was gone. Itachi growled one little gaki was going to pay for messing with his stuff. Marched to his door and rested his hand on the knob. He thought for a second Sasuke was really to short to reach the tall dresser. How could he be messing with the bird in the first place. His mother perhaps saw the pillow case out of place when she had come into his room during the night and removed it.

Itachi felt foolish over the whole situation. The damn thing wasn't that scary after all, "Darn! I'm no baby. It's just chunk of wood. It doesn't even look that real," He lied to himself. The faint sound of rustling feathers sent him out of his room quickly...

"Hey Naru-chan! Today's Saturday that means 'Tachi-nii will be out training with father in the morning but then maybe we can convince Okaa-san to make a picnic and make him take us to the park, or out in the woods for lunch," Naruto nodded excitedly. Sasuke grabbed the boy and headed out to the hallway. He and Itachi nearly crashed into each other.

"There's my little Tenshi-chan," Itachi practically jumped over his brother and scooped his angel into his arms giving him a breath-taking hug and kissing his head. He absently kicked his little brother in the rear then carried the struggling blond fox child with him downstairs to get breakfast, "Oi, 'mornin' Sasu-gaki." Sasuke hissed rubbing his backside then got up and followed Itachi and his Naru-chan.

"Good morning," Mikoto met the boys at the table with bowls of oat meal.

"Awe!" Sasuke groaned as he sat down, "I hate oat meal." Itachi put Naruto down making sure he was between his brother and the cute little blond. Naruto stared quizzically into the bowl of grayish brown mush. There rested a spoon in the thick sticky stuff. Itachi leaned over to whisper, "S'not so bad, Naru-tenshi." Naruto smiled and took a bite. It wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't really good either. Sasuke rolled his eyes and stirred his pretending to eat.

"Sasuke only hates it cause it's only good if you put sugar and cream in it," Itachi explained dumping sugar into his own bowl and adding cream from the small chilled pitcher in the center of the table. Sasuke grabbed fro the pitcher, but Itachi jerked it away keeping it out of his reach. He leaned over Naruto's bowl and poured in some cream and sugar before allowing Sasuke to have the tiny vessel. He stirred it for the little boy. Itachi picked up Naruto's spoon offering him a taste. Naruto opened his mouth and allowed the boy to feed him. He used his teeth and lips to clean the goop off the spoon. Naruto smiled as he chewed the mush. It was much better with a little sugar.

"You know what's really good?" Itachi asked.

Naruto shook his head, "Uh-uh."

"A little cinnamon. Let me get you some. He reached for a stick of bark and a small grater. He rasped the bark against the metal sending particles over the boy's cereal. Naruto inhaled and smiled in a dreamy way that made the other boys melt like over heated ice cream.

"That smells good!" Naruto squeaked, "I never had cinimom 'fore."

"That's cinnamon little angel," Itachi patted his head a little sad that such a sweet child has been deprived of so many little things he and his bratty brother took for granted. Sasuke was thinking along these same lines.

"'Tachi-nii?" Sasuke looked past his brother, with a concerned eye, at the blond.

"What is it onii-san?"

"Can we have a nice picnic with Naruto this afternoon? I mean if Mother says it's OK?" Sasuke looked pleadingly, "I mean Naruto, never got to have one before. He well he never gots to do an' have lots-a-stuff we get to." He tilted his head looking at the blond who was absently chewing his oatmeal. It suddenly seemed that his throat was to tight to swallow the offending gloop.

He sniffed. But then he smiled and swallowed the food before continuing to eat, "S'OK Sasuke-kun, 'Tachi-san. You two are so nice to me. Never thought anyone'd care 'bout me 'nough." He smiled, "Thank you for everything, but I probably should get home, Yoshida-sama'll get in trouble if Hokage-sama thinks he's not takin' care of me..."

Mikoto came in quickly, "You will not be going back there!" She was alarmed. She would not let that vile man touch her newest son.

Naruto shrank back in fear, "Sorry, but I gotta. Hokage-sama mussn' know 'bout me bein' a bad boy." His lip jutted out and tears welled up in his eyes.

"What? You are not a bad boy," Mikoto protested.

Naruto shook his head, "Uh-huh, I run'd away."

"You did no such thing and you will never have to go back to that awful place again," She put her hands on her hips. This gesture told Sasuke and Itachi not to talk back, but Naruto, innocent soul he was continued to protest.

"...But I gotta." His head fell his hands came up to meet his face, "If I don' get back soon Yoshida-sama will be even angrier."

Mikoto grabbed the boy and squeezed him to her, "Listen Naruto-kun. I will have a talk with the Hokage. You are not a bad boy. You are a very good boy. Who is this Yoshida-sama?"

"He keeps my 'partment for me," Naruto looked into her dark eyes. His eyes seemed three shades bluer in the midst of his tears, "He says I'm a brat and a stain on the village and Hokage-sama don't deserve to have such a 'miss'ake to deal with. So 'ee saves Hokage-sama trouble 'u hitten me. He punishes me for Hokage-sama." Naruto hugged her neck and cried, "I'm sorry, I'm such a bad boy. I'll be good! Promise!" He cried into the woman's shoulder. Itachi and Sasuke exchanged confused and hurt looks.

"Itachi!" Mikoto barked, "Watch your brother, and stay out of trouble. When your father comes down tell him I am taking the child to the Hokage. He and I are going to have a long chat, then when we get home..." Her voice softened, "I promise to take you three on a nice picnic this after noon. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am," The brothers called in unison. She walked out carrying a frightened and crying child. He held on to her for dear life.

"Obaa-san, please don't take me there! I'm scared!" Naruto begged into her shoulder.

"Naruto-kun, I promise nothing bad will happen...to you at least," Naruto shivered at the deadly calm in her voice. This woman, like her husband had been trained to be an elite ninja, just because she had retired to raise a family did not mean she was not dangerous. That went double when she felt her family was threatened; Naruto was family and his safety and emotional wellbeing were being threatened. This Yoshida must be the cruel monster that was charged with watching over Naruto. He was not doing a good job. He seemed to be going out of his way to hurt the child based on the child's words alone and ignoring all the physical evidence of abuse and neglect.

She was going to give the Hokage a huge piece of her mind then she was going to go find this Yoshida person and do to him ten times worse the he had ever do to her sweet little light...