"Uchiha Itachi."he said quietly the second lunch started, eying the girl as she brought out her bento.
Distinct light eyed turned to him.
"Sakura."she said softly, and Itachi sensed the wariness in her voice. He gave a small polite smile, applauding her use of caution given her situation.
He inclined his head as well, receiving one in return, and he tried not to let his eagerness show at the prospect of someone his age in class with him show on his face. A shinobi never shows their true feelings, lectured his father's voice, and he tried best not to 'shame' the clan by betraying his anticipation of a child that could understand him. Her movements as she opened her bento were generally smooth, with a small hint of jerkiness to her limbs, but for the most part, they left no room for wasting energy he thought, opening his own bento with the same grace. He also noticed that she was stiff as a board the entire time.
She had been in a coma as of late he thought, recalling the details his father had told him that morning, the real reason he had been late, since his father had been insistent to lecture him on not letting an 'upstart nobody from nowhere' beat him on any of the exams. While Itachi saw the logic on social standing of his clan depending on his performance, and he understood their concern, he couldn't help but think that the girl would not be that ahead of him in anything. It was no disregard for her on his part, he had seen by her calm, collected note taking that she was a studious person and she was already in the graduating class after all, but he simply had the advantage of being raised by a taciturn father and within the village itself. In terms of the exams, he would dominate, he was sure.
"You like onigri?"she asked quietly, taking small bites of her own rice-ball, along side the rest of her somewhat simple meal, it seemed to be a very nutritious meal. He wondered who had prepared it.
"Yes. Especially with tomatoes."he said softly, and noticed that she peered at him strangely, before returning to her food.
They ate in silence for a while, before Itachi gathered the nerve to ask;
"Who made your bento?"
"I did."
He took in this information, the bento wasn't at all messy, even pretty, and he noted that she had great dexterity in her hands.
"You can cook?"
She nodded slowly before she returned to her food, and he to his. The rest of lunch was spent in a wonderful, not quite comfortable silence, but near enough, and Itachi was glad of it.
AN: I do not own Naruto, that right belongs to its Mangakai, publishing company and various animation studios. This is me just having fun with its characters.
Before anyone asks, yes I know that Itachi isn't technically born in cannon. In reality, I took a bit of artistic license in this story to add him, because, one, it's Itachi and how can I not include him, and two, well, I kinda need him in the story for some aspects I have planned to work. So.. Yeah. Yay Itachi being six years older, now?
Oh, and as to his attitude seeming too cheerful or eager or OC, or anything of the like... Well he's four. No matter how mature, no matter how intelligent, a four year old would want a friend, and would be rather curious, even relieved to see a child similar to them. Itachi himself is passive in nature, and wouldn't receive Sakura's attitude nor 'genius' as a threat as Kakashi has(no matter what his clan thinks), and also, I've always imagined him as a soft spoken, somewhat shy child that was awkward in his interaction with other kids, stunted in his social growth because of his strict upbringing as Clan heir and relieved prodigy. To see someone that is his age, someone that interacts just as he does, would be a relief and something to be met with eagerness and anticipation. Well, at least, that's my interpretation of him at that age and his reaction to Sakura.
And as to everyone reacting positively(with the exception of Kakashi obviously) to Sakura one thing to say about that: The Hokage accepted her into the village, most Shinobi can read the underneath beneath the underneath and understand that he wouldn't do that willy nilly, and that she's being monitored by the Minato, so, they do not see her as an immediate threat.
On that note, thank you for anyone that has reviewed so far, and for reading!
~Peace,
Moon Witch