The Uchiha clan compound is lively. Not in the same way the Inuzuka are, and definitely not the Hyuuga way.
It's warm.
The Hyuuga compound always seem to have this perpetual wind, the compound slightly elevated on top of a hill to add to the impression of a shrine. Not chilly but neither warm. Tepid.
And though the people didn't welcome them with open arms per se, no one seem to eye them maliciously.
The most striking thing she notice though, is that the clan clearly loves its heir.
And Itachi loves them just as much.
When they arrive at the centre of the compound after a walk of greetings and offered snacks, Itachi brings them to a house not that different from the others. Not even the big red and white uchiwa is an indicator of importance, as practically every wall has that anyways, if smaller in size.
"Tadaima."
"Okaeri."
"Okaa-san, I brought my teammates."
Both her and Yoji are in civilian wear, as they don't have any missions. Nagi firmly withholds her curiosity, being inside the only compound she hasn't seen. She has her hair tidied from her face as a sort of subtle gesture of propriety. It wouldn't do to offend them.
"Oh, hello there." Stepping out onto the genkan Itachi's mother smiles at them.
Pin-straight black hair and delicately placed features, she's the image of 'grace and beauty' even in an apron.
"Sorry to intrude." Nagi says, Yoji bowing with her, "I am Hyuuga Nagi and this is Aburame Yoji."
She's sort of gotten used to that, introducing Yoji with herself.
The Uchiha matriarch peer at them and smile gently, "I'm Uchiha Mikoto, Itachi's mother."
Yamato Nadeshiko, is what immediately comes to mind. They give her the decorated candles they bought,
"Come in. Itachi-"
There's the sound of pounding down the stairs and everyone watch when a child about Hinata's age jump towards Itachi with a bright smile.
Nagi freeze.
Oh, damn.
"Aniki! You're back! Play with me?"
"Not right now, I brought my teammates with me."
"Eh? Them? They're different?"
So Itachi's previous teammates had also dropped by.
Nagi step up when wide onyx eyes land on them, "Hello, I am Hyuuga Nagi, and this is Aburame Yoji... I apologize Itachi-san."
Itachi blink and tilt his head.
Nagi, remorseful, confess, "I only bought kunai for Itachi-san's otouto. I wasn't aware Itachi-san also had an imouto."
Just splitting the amount of the kunai between the two is just poor taste.
This is definitely Nagi's fault. Knowing Itachi, he must've made mention of a sister at least once -though he doesn't go on poetic tangents about his brother, he tells them things like he's going to leave early because it's his brother's birthday or his mother asked him to take care of his brother for a bit while she mind some other business-, or Shisui had dropped a comment or two, but she most definitely ignored them, letting her preconceptions gloss over obvious changes.
"Pfft-!"
Mikoto brings a hand over her mouth, mirth in her eyes and Itachi is grinning. His sister's face is red-
Oh, she probably shouldn't have mentioned in front of her that she didn't know she existed. Nagi would've beat up anyone who says that in front of Hinata with the girl's delicate self esteem-
"I'm not a girl!" she- he shrieks.
"Nagi, this is my brother, Sasuke." He meets her eyes, a slight nod.
Nagi blink.
"... Oh. I see. I apologize then."
"Anyhow, let's set that aside for later, food first."
Mikoto asks them to enter into the dining room, Sasuke glaring at Nagi as he clings to his brother.
Though Nagi wasn't particularly hungry on their walk here, the moment the aroma of the home cooked dishes hit her, she's famished.
Yoji and her glance at each other.
Or at least she thinks so, unable to see his eyes like she usually does behind the googles he always wears.
"Sit, you two. It seems Fugaku will be home later tonight, so we'll eat dinner first."
"Tadaima."
As if on cue, there's a call from the genkan they just left and a man appears.
'Strict' is her first impression.
"Tou-san!"
'Loving father' is a close second.
"Sasuke." He says, as he picks up the boy.
He surveys the table, greeting Mikoto with a kiss, "Itachi, these are your teammates?"
"Yes, tou-san."
The Uchiha clan head nod at them and that was it as they start eating.
"What's your favourite food, Nagi-chan? Do you like sweets?"
"Not much, Mikoto-sama. My favourite is soba noodles with herring."
"Aniki likes dango and cabbage!"
Strange combination, but alright.
"Do you want some more dumplings, Yoji-kun?"
Mikoto and Nagi are mostly the ones carrying the conversation with Sasuke's occasional input.
The longer it goes on though, the more Nagi feels uncomfortable.
It's subtle, not blatant to the face but because she'd expected something different, it's... upsetting, to say the least.
Yoji doesn't seem to take notice or is just ignoring it, and Itachi is acting as if nothing is out of place. She keeps her expression neutral.
It's most apparent in Fugaku's words though, what little he says being mostly about his sons.
Midway, Nagi tells herself that she's just unnecessarily hairsplitting.
The unrest doesn't go away though. Not after dinner.
Not when, having taught herself to pay close attention to Yoji, she instinctively turned to him when she sensed his hive stirring.
Not when Sasuke, seemingly having forgotten her earlier offense, happily accepted the training kunai they gave him.
Not when they bid them goodbye and Itachi walk them home (which is- well, at most he should walk them to the gate and return quickly at a day off like this, with his family probably, maybe, hopefully, waiting for him).
Yoji split away to return to the Aburame compound, in the opposite direction of the Hyuuga, as Itachi wordlessly walk the youngest of their team home.
Nagi swear she wasn't planning to say anything, it's not something she can reasonably do something about, if she's not just imagining it in the first place.
Itachi beat her to it, halfway between their compound, walking side by side.
"It's just how it is. They love me, really, but... they can't help it."
Not once did Mikoto or Fugaku refer to Itachi as 'my son' the same way they spoke about Sasuke's every day achievements.
"Itachi-san..." Nagi look at him. After a moment, she reach for his hand to squeeze it, not knowing what to say.
Before she can let go, he squeeze back and pull her out of the way of a raised dirt she almost stumbles over, Too preoccupied with her thoughts.
Nagi watch their steps coincide, even if Itachi has to walk a bit slower to match her pace without forcing her to speed up.
Sasuke is fortunate, to have a good older brother like Itachi. It seems being an older brother has become a defining trait of his, looking back at all their interactions.
Itachi continues, as if to justify his parents falling short of treating him as their own child, "I belong to the clan. I'm the clan's heir. The clan's prodigy. Sasuke is... theirs. Their son. Sasuke is just Sasuke. I don't think they even realize."
Which one is more cruel? That they do it without realizing, or that they do it knowing that it probably hurts Itachi, as precocious as he is.
They arrive at the Hyuuga compound hand in hand.