Ok, I won't complain that I had no time and stuff anymore since it actually bothers me myself

instead I'll simply say, that the worst stuff is now already over

I have my term papers done, my driving licence, and the test period slowly comes to its end

what I want to say is, that soon my updates will become more regular.. at least that's what I hope

but since I really had to much stress, I couldn't really think of some good way to continue this story..

So please enjoy this short, "filler chapter" in honor of the never ending filler weaks.. months.. years.. of Naruto shippuuden

I hope you can forgive me and stay faithful to me even though the dramatically decreasing review rate proves the opposite..

Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto ;)

Rather too big than too small

It was a nice afternoon. The sun was shining and a soft, cool breeze blew through the trees of the forest of death. It was a refreshing wind, a wind you want to close your eyes when it strikes your face, a wind you want to breathe in as it rushes through your hair. This can grant you some beautiful moments of tranquility, provided, of course, that you wear the right clothes. If you happen to find yourself, for example, in a state of not wearing any kind of top clothing at all, every single breeze can be like thousands of needles piercing through your naked body. How something like this can happen? Well.. for example when your friend misses you in her hot fight and burns your clothes accidentally. Quite unlikely you say? Well.. you have to know, out there in the Ninja world are many lies and false promises, but only one truth. And this truth is, that for a genius like Itachi Uchiha, nothing is impossible.

Anyway, this genius called Itachi Uchiha made his way through the forest with chattering teeth. He was cold. Awfully cold. And alone. Yes, maybe it had been Sayuri's suspicious non-stop stare on his chest, maybe Seishi's gleeful grins and insinuating comments, but in the end he somehow "lost" his teammates and walked on for himself. Just what were they thinking anyway? It wasn't his fault his clothes got burnt. It was Sayuri's! She was the one who couldn't watch out while she was going berserk. And what had been the result? Had she been punished? No, in the contrary! She even got a reward! He nearly.. he.. thousands of girls pine for stealing a kiss from him, him the impersonation of absolute perfection, the genius, the prodigy. And what did she do? She rejected him! She slapped him right in his alabaster skinned face. That's something no one of the Uchiha Clan should ever experience. Bitch. He didn't even know why he gave her the chance to. Usually he'd never come to such... such ideas. It was just.. when she looked at him with tears in her huge, beautiful eyes begging for forgiveness, he felt so sorry for her. He was the one without shirt, he was the one with the wound in his hand, yet she was the one he felt sorry for. Ridiculous. He just couldn't take it when she cried. Her soft hand touching his, her trembling lips and then, when she whispered those words.. 'There has to be something.. something I can do to make up for it.. anything.' Yes, that has done it, this one word 'anything'. It had switched his brain off. It had made him wanting to ravish her. Maybe she was a witch after all and casted a spell on him or whatever. And maybe he was exalting himself to something he definitely wasn't and depreciated Sayuri to something she wasn't as well, to be madder at her and less mad at him. But it didn't work. He just couldn't be mad at her. Nothing she had done, she had done on purpose and she was simply too cute to be hated. In fact, he still wanted to kiss her even though that slap should have brought him back to reality. Jeez, if someone knew what he was thinking about, he wouldn't only lose his reputation.

Being so deep in self-contradicting thoughts he didn't even realize that he was being watched the whole time. Only when the leaves started to rustle, he noticed that something was wrong.

He startled and looked around him. For the first time since quite a while he remembered where he actually was. In a "forest of death" with loads of unknown dangers, all alone, and with a task he had to complete in less than two more days. Very well done, Itachi, honestly.

He started to be ashamed of himself. He really acted like an idiot! Now he had to live with the consequences. But Itachi wouldn't be Itachi if he didn't find a fitting object to carry out his aggressions on. In this case it was the dumbass jumping from a tree, yelling some stuff and trying to make a surprise attack. It didn't take much to dodge, jerking him at a tree and pinning him on it with some well focused Kunai. As this had been too easy, he was already prepared for some hitch. For the guy to be a kagebunshin and the real one attacking any moment, for the friends of him appearing somewhere and assaulting him from behind, but nothing happened. And the guy didn't disappear as well so he had to be real. Itachi was confused. Was there actually someone stupid enough to run at him right ahead?

"Where are your teammates?", Itachi asked the shorttaken Shinobi. He looked quite frightened. "E-ehm.. they're not here, really! We've split up.. to.." "You split up?" He wasn't sure whether he should believe him. "You wanna tell me you're running all alone through this fucking forest with hostile Ninja everywhere?" Saying this he realized how dumb it actually was. Maybe he should just be satisfied that there was someone as reckless as himself.

"It was so hard to find someone.. We thought it was the best.." Itachi couldn't believe that they had been the ones who were laughed at in the beginning. "P-please don't kill me..!" It was ridiculous how many pathetic creatures were calling themselves Shinobi. Itachi sighed. "Just give me your scroll and fuck off." It wasn't half that embarrassing when he returned with the second scroll. Maybe he could even say something like 'I knew, I was better off without you..' or 'If you wanna have something done you should do it yourself'. The fact that he ran off out of stupidity and acted like a little child would be forgotten.

"I-I don't have it.. one of the others has our heaven scroll.." Itachi didn't know what made him more disappointed, that he got the wrong one or that it was actually a heaven scroll they were talking about. As if they hadn't already enough of that kind.

"Please tell me you're trying to deceive me and you have an earth scroll with you." That please alone showed more than enough that he was at the end of his rope. "W-will you spare me if I say so?" Itachi was a very patient person, but even he had his limits. "Do you have it or not? The truth, please, or I really consider killing you!" "N-no! I swear! I swear on my life! Please! Don't kill me!" Itachi rolled his eyes. "You're lucky that I have enough of killing for today." They nearly had some fatalities after all. The eyes of the guy widened even more if it was possible. Itachi looked at him more closely. The hopeless Ninja was a little taller than him, but not much. He took all the positive energy he had left, and yes it was a miracle that there was some, and smiled. "I'm sure we'll come to terms, though."

"Well? Did Mr. 'I'm-too-good-for-your-company' get himself together again?" Seishi. It had been only a question of time until he'd find him. Should Itachi be thankful that he had been that sensitive and gave him some time? Rather not. One thing was sure, this had nothing to do with sensitivity but more with the idea of spending some time all alone with Sayuri. "Shut up!" If he had forgotten why he ran off, he remembered it now. Sayuri walked next to him and stared on the ground. Knowing her, she certainly blamed herself for Itachi's leave. "You got yourself new clothes?" Seishi noticed that Itachi's chest wasn't naked anymore. "And for this reason you had to leave? Why didn't you just ask me? I would've felt honored to give you mine!" Actually, he needed some appreciation. It was amazing how he was able to run berserk in the morning, loosing consciousness, talking about his children traumas during noon and being all back to normal as if nothing had ever happened in the afternoon. Pretty awesome, even Itachi had to admit it.

"It's a bit to big for you, after all.. Who did you rob this of?" "That's none of your business!" Itachi wasn't really proud that he defeated an enemy and all he earned from it was an old shirt which didn't even suit him. But it was better than nothing. "Ok, ok...", Seishi gave in, "Rather too big than too small, right?", he added with a big grin on his face. Itachi had to bite his lip. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what Seishi was hinting at. And so was Sayuri. She raised her head and glared at Seishi. "Shut up! That's not funny!" Itachi had to bite his lip even harder. "Oh, sorry honey, but I believe you're the only one who sees it this way.." Seishi chuckled. Itachi's lip was about to start bleeding. "You're such a.. such a.." Sayuri didn't come any further. A choked attempt to pant for air interrupted her. Seishi and Sayuri gave Itachi a puzzled look. Then Seishi grinned even more mischievous. "Well, Sayuri, I guess we have to stop this. We're making Itachi laugh and we both know how much he hates this."

A short period of silence followed. Sayuri wasn't sure whether she should be relieved because of Seishi's sudden change of heart or start to make fun of Itachi as well and Itachi on the other side wasn't sure whether it was smart to say something on that and, if yes, what.

But luckily Seishi soon helped them out of their uncertainty. "Just kidding! This story is just too hilarious and Itachi looks soooo cute when he's laughing!" And so they had no other choice than remembering those days, whether they wanted or not.

It was two years ago, some time after the fateful mission Sayuri and Itachi had been nearly killed. Itachi had been just released from hospital, his wounds not completely healed yet, and the happenings had brought the three teammates closer together than ever before. They were a team, three in one, an unity swearing to always protect each other and never letting another one being hurt. So it was time to jam a wedge between them and remind them of the true priorities of a Ninja: First the mission, then the comrades. And who in the world was more suited to deliver this message than Kakashi Hatake himself? Not to mention that he was Sayuri's older brother and more than interested in the dubious company his sister associated with. Especially in those times, when Sayuri exhausted her full potential of childish stubbornness.

"Give it up already.. this is useless.." Kakashi shook his head at the sight of the ridiculous behavior of his little sister. "No way!", was her answer for the third time now. "I won't lose to those donuts!" She took a deep breath and sucked her belly in. But it really was futile, her dress didn't seem even closely to fit. "Sayuri, this has nothing to do with any donuts.. you're eight years old, you're still growing! Did you honestly believe those dresses would fit you forever?" He was right, of course, but Sayuri didn't want to accept it. "That's not it! I'm fat!", she said close to tears and was about to hit the mirror. Kakashi restrained her. "What are you talking about? You're not fat! Just what is wrong with girls and their distorted perception?" He gave his sister a closer look and let his eyes glide at her chest. "We both know the reason why those clothes won't fit.. You really got your mother's genes." Sayuri looked at her brother worried. The eye he didn't hide with his frontlet looked sad. He didn't mention their mother very often. "Don't compare me with her..", she whispered and turned away. "I have to fit in this dress! Even if it kills me!", she tried to bring the topic back to the point. "Why don't you simply buy a new one?" Kakashi couldn't understand what was going on with her. When he grew out of his clothes he had no problems at all with buying some new. "You don't get it!", she nearly shouted at him. "This dress.. Itachi had told me once he liked it.." Sayuri blushed and stared at the ground. The mere thought of Itachi made her heart beat faster. But Kakashi rolled his eye. "Then give it to him!" Sayuri couldn't believe it. "Shut up and help me here!" She turned her back at him meaning he should close the zipper. Kakashi sighed and decided to give it a try only to quiet her. Yet, once he closed it for only a centimeter, she panted for air. "Are you really sure about that? Is that Itachi really worth it?" Sayuri glared at him. "He saved my life! Why don't you stop saying bad things about him?" She couldn't take it anymore. Ever since she was out of hospital her brother was so shortspoken when she talked about her hero. "What's your problem?" Kakashi was thinking what he should say without making her hit the roof. "I know what he has done and I'm really grateful.. but.. it might be better you wouldn't intensify your relationship with him anymore." Sayuri flinched. "W-what do you mean?" Her face took the color of a tomato. "It's not like I.. We're just friends! Ok? Friends!" The tremor of her body showed she was lying. "And now get me in this dress! I have a very important mission today!" She didn't know herself how she should handle this mission without breathing. "About that mission..", Kakashi started. "NO! I don't want to hear anything anymore! Nothing about Itachi and nothing about my dress! Just get it closed already!" It was useless after all. Kakashi sighed and gave in. "Well then you'll find out soon enough.. Breathe in and do something about your big breasts!"

Seishi and Itachi didn't know where to look at. Should they look at the Hokage who was standing right in front of them as it was appropriate, should they look at Sayuri who had problems standing straight, was snow-white in her face and looked as if she'd collapse any moment or should they look at the infamous Kakashi Hatake who was just introduced to them as the leader of their new mission?

"Sayuri, are you alright? You look pale.." Seishi decided to be worried about Sayuri. She forced herself a smile. "Y-yeah.. I'm fine." Her voice was higher than usually and she appeared to have problems with breathing. Kakashi had a look in his face, Sayuri knew as his ironic I-told-you-smile even though his face was nearly completely hidden under a mask. Sayuri answered with her evil Shut-up-stare and for a few moments no one in the room understood what was actually going on.

Hokage-sama started to laugh. "Ah.. Sayuri-chan.. you don't need to be so nervous only because your brother leads this mission today. I'm sure he'll behave!" Laughing he gave Kakashi a pat on his back. And devious as he was, he agreed and laughed along. Seishi bowed towards Itachi and whispered "how cruel does he have to be that even his own sister is afraid of him?" into his ear. Itachi nodded.

The mission they had to handle was an easy D-Rank mission. All they had to do was heading towards a village nearby to provide Konoha with textiles and stuff. It was really no big deal, so why did they need a guy from ANBU with them? It made no sense at all.

Seishi and Itachi weren't able to be any more appreciative of Kakashi's presence once they saw, that he was doing nothing else than carrying Sayuri the whole way on his back. As if she couldn't walk for herself. But she clung to him as tightly as she could. Something was wrong between those two.

"Don't you think this is going too far?" Kakashi couldn't understand what was going on in her head. How could she wear clothes she didn't fit in any more for ages and expect him to help her out? "Kakashi, If I move only an inch too much I'm done for so please carry me.." Her voice was less begging than commanding. But Kakashi didn't care. It gave him the chance to spend some time with his sister for a change. He had nearly forgotten how sweet she smelled and how soft her skin was. "And all that just for this guy.. you really have to have some masochistic nature." Kakashi would never go that far for a girl. "That's my decision, ok? Are you jealous or what?" Jealous? Kakashi nearly tripped when he heard his sister's words. He hadn't been prepared for that. "Be careful! My dress will get torn!" She really wanted to provoke him. You're going to regret this, Kakashi thought to himself knowing nobody would see him grinning under his mask.

"Let's make a break here." Kakashi stopped on a huge meadow. They hadn't been walking for a long time and it wasn't even dark but Sayuri wasn't the lightest person after all and her permanent bleating made him losing his mind. Anyway, it didn't seem like a bad idea when Seishi sighed "finally" and let himself fall on the ground. Face forward. He was lying there, on his tummy, for a few seconds while the others were staring at him confused and Sayuri was gliding carefully from Kakashi's body.

Then, as suddenly as he fell, he jumped up again and grinned "It's alright! Nothing happened!" His three companions stared at him even more puzzled. They didn't know whether they should be worried or laugh at him. "You sure?" Sayuri pulled herself together and overcame her urge to roll on the floor laughing. "Suuure", he purred even though he seemed to have some problems with standing straight.

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, if he says so.. it's not like I cared." But as time passed, it became worse. He started to behave even stranger, he driveled clouded stuff and hummed self-composed melodies. Sayuri and Seishi couldn't even enjoy their bento anymore. Kakashi ate somewhere in secrecy so no one could see his face under his mask. When he came back, he found Seishi bending over his sister touching her at suspicious places. "Sa-yu-ri! You seem to suffer so much in your dress! Let me help you out of your misery." And Sayuri screamed and tried to stop him, but it was no use. If Kakashi hadn't been wearing his mask, everybody would have seen his jaw dropping. "Get your hands off her!" A single kick was enough to jerk Seishi through the air right at Itachi, who was actually only starting to understand what was going on. "If you even look at her again, I promise you I'm gonna kill you with my very hands!" Seishi, however, didn't even listen to him anymore. He had already found a new victim. "Oh my... you're shirt is so soooft. Sooooo sooooooooft." Seishi rubbed his head on Itachi's chest like a cat. It was futile for Itachi to try to stop him, he seemed to have manifested an unbelievable amount of strength. "I loooove Mama Uchiha's laundry!" Itachi was desperate. Mama Uchiha? That was going to far. But what should he do to stop him? "Give it to me!" Now Seishi began to doff Itachi's clothes. When he felt his cold fingers on his bare skin, Itachi got sick. His face took some color between blue and green.. turquoise? Well, anyway, he somehow managed to get Seishi's hands from him, only to have them rearranged around his neck. "You're so beautiful!" Itachi knew that, alright, but Seishi was the quite last person he wanted to hear that from. "You look e-xact-ly like my brother! I mean... you don't.. you'd look like me then.. I mean.. your eyes.. no.. his were white.. what I want to say.. I love you!" Another thing he had never wanted to hear from Seishi. When Seishi tried to kiss him, not just for fun like he always did, but honestly, Itachi got really sick. He struggled with all means. "Onii-san! Don't you want to help him?" Sayuri couldn't take it anymore, yet she couldn't do anything herself, since the slightest movement too much would mean bye-bye to her clothes. "Is he my sister or what?" Of course, Kakashi would never admit that he actually enjoyed the situation. This "fight" was a pretty rare sight and full of unexpected turns. For example, when Seishi finally landed a kiss on Itachi's cheek and the pure disgust gave him the power to throw him away. He trembled and looked as if he had to vomit any moment. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Yeah, it was really a rare sight to see a full-blooded Uchiha in such a situation. Kakashi was happy he came along, this was more than interesting.

Seishi already wanted to ensconce himself in the high grass, but Itachi already grabbed him and dragged him up. "Now tell me! What on fucking earth did you take?" Seishi laughed. "Funny you ask!"

"I don't think it's funny! Tell me now!" Itachi should have known, that the fact he tripped over his feat right after he stood up from bed, had been a bad omen. "Weeeeell... I had some beer today morning.." "Yes?" Seishi always drank beer, that couldn't be it. "Then I had one tequila.. or two..." Itachi raised his eyebrow. He still wasn't satisfied. "And some time ago I took that pill from your bag.." Pill? What pill? Itachi tried to remember some pill in his bag, but all that crossed his mind was his Mum, smiling at him and saying something like "I put something in your bag so you don't look that fierce all the time".

"Y-you took my antidepressants?" Kakashi turned to his sister. "Let me see.. you have to guys in your team, one is a drinking junkie and the other a crazy dealer?" Sayuri just stared at the two. "You know.. I'd love to disagree with you.. but somehow that's not easy.." Kakashi watched the situation for some time, then started to laugh. "An Uchiha taking antidepressants! When I tell this the others.." Itachi heard him and turned around. "I-I'm not taking any! My mum wants me to.." Kakashi couldn't stop any more. "Maybe you should listen to her! It wouldn't hurt you, I'm sure.." Itachi let Seishi fall back on the ground. "Hey!" The situation was going to escalate at this rate. "Stop it! Everyone! We have a mission to -"

Sayuri seemed to have forgotten something important when she made an impulsive gesture. Luckily, the loud noise of something tearing apart reminded her. "Kyaa!", she screamed and even Seishi suddenly came back to his mind. Not because of her scream, no, rather because of those exposures.

"Turn around! Both of you!" Kakashi found a lot of things funny, but not when two boys stared at his half naked sister as if she was some piece of meat. Seishi and Itachi did what they were told to, still quite reluctant. "What just happened? I can't remember anything..", Seishi asked Itachi. "Forget it..", he sighed. "Are you.. red?" Seishi was pretty confused.. The last thing he remembered was that he slowly lost his consciousness while they were walking to their destination. "Forget it, I said!"

There was something far more interesting now, anyway. "What does rule number 36 say about a Ninja's clothing?" Kakashi's voice sounded very strict. "A Ninja has to always wear clothes providing the best conditions for his mission. He has to be able to move in them, they must not limit his flexibility in any way, fit to the individual body measurements of the Ninja and be handy in storage of weapons and scrolls, as well as in camouflage." Did he force his sister to learn all rules by heart? "And does your clothing fulfill this conditions?" "No.." "I beg your pardon?" "No, Sir, Captain, Sir!" Seishi and Itachi exchanged some meaningful glances. "Why, I wonder?" "Because.. Please! You can't be serious.." Kakashi's voice staid straight. "Oh, I can. Why, I wonder?" ".. Because, I wore clothes, which were far to small for my body and limited my every move. I couldn't breathe in them and endangered the success of our mission. I was selfish and stupid and beg for your, my teamleader's forgiveness."

"You shall be forgiven.. You're lucky, we're heading towards a village known for its boutiques. Let's buy something for you. And I perfectly know who'll pay." He turned towards Seishi and Itachi who were both lying on the ground and desperately tried to suppress their laughing. Vainly.

"Gosh, this was really embarrassing, that your brother forced you to say this.." Back in the forest of death, Seishi had tears in his eyes because of all his laughing. Itachi and Sayuri looked at each other. Thinking back, they had never told Seishi who really behaved embarrassing that day. Now that he remembered, that day Itachi had given in and had laughed. And only bad things happened because of that. "Which reminds me Seishi.. did you already give me your part of the money I spent for Sayuri's shopping-mania?" Unbelievably, he always lent money to him. Seishi flinched. "...Anyway.. Did that guy you have your shirt from have a scroll or anything helpful?" Oh right.. there had been something which brought them to this topic at the first place. "Guy.. what guy?" Sayuri. Slow as always. Itachi simply ignored her. "Nope.. they had a Heaven scroll, just like we do." "A Heaven? Well that's great!" Now Itachi was the slow one. "Great? Why?" Seishi smiled. "Just think about it. There are six teams. Three with a heaven and three with an earth. That means, there are only two more heaven scrolls except ours. One had those Ying, Yang, whatever, and another one that guy who is now half-naked. In other words.." Now Itachi got it as well and grinned with anticipation. "In other words, the next one we meet will have an earth scroll for sure."