AU, Itachi x Sakura. Timeline and ages are altered in this story.
Enjoy!
Perhaps another time, Sasuke", 8-year-old Itachi murmured, a slight upward tilt to his lips. A languid but graceful hand rose before forming the two finger poke at the last second.
"You have guests", Itachi gestured towards the vibrant duo, sunshine and spring embodied.
Naruto and Sakura rushed past the front door in excitement, running up to the two brothers as Itachi's fingers descended from his beloved otouto's forehead. It had sincerely surprised Itachi that non-Uchiha children had been allowed to visit the main house, for a playdate of all things. But his mother had managed to convince his father to allow it.
Naruto, with his legacy as the late Yondaime's son and Kyuubi vessel , was far from being a typical Village child. Itachi had no doubt in his mind that his mother's forged friendships were the reason why she was able to persuade his father to agree to these outings. The natural fear Naruto's vessel status elicited from others tended to push others away rather than invite them in.
Despite the deeply entrenched divisions that naturally came with clans, his Kaa-san had managed to form deep and meaningful friendships with Haruno Mebuki and the late Uzumaki Kushina. Their weekly tea outings had been a source of comfort and reassurance to the mother and soon-to-be-mothers trio. Despite already being a mother herself, Mikoto had found great joy and solace in being able to share with trusted friends some of the challenges that came with motherhood.
Itachi had accompanied his mother to many of these outings. He would typically be allowed to peruse the shopping stalls while his Kaa-san, Mebuki-san and Kushina-san dove straight into conversation.
After Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto had been born, Mebuki and Mikoto had continued on the tradition in their late friend's honor. Itachi had often used these outings to refine his stealth and reconnaissance skills. Itachi would repeatedly work on distance and chakra suppression, trying to find the right combination of the two that would still allow him to glean salient tidbits from the womens' conversation. The second time he had tried this, his mother surprised him by giving him a detailed report of his progress on the walk back to the compound.
Mikoto knew her son's intentions were not to eavesdrop, but rather to make use of his time and environment to keep learning. Despite that understanding, there were times when Itachi felt like the intruder he was. It was particularly true when his Kaa-san lowered her voice, aware that Itachi was attempting to listen in.
The topic of conversation was always himself, and the brilliant development his Shinobi career was kicking off with. There was a warm and loving sense of pride and appreciation in Mikoto's voice before it dropped a notch to relay her concerns to her friends.
Little did Mikoto know, Itachi had just found the right rooftop to lipread her words and take in the concern marring her features.
"Are we pushing him too much? Will he get to enjoy a normal childhood? Will he resent us for the expectations placed on him?"
"But Nii-san", Sasuke drawled out with a sullen lilt, successfully bringing Itachi out of his musings "it's not my fault they came today."
"Hey! What was that Bastard?!"
"Narutooo! You're gonna get us kicked out!" the just turned 6-year old Sakura screeched, anxiously looking behind her shoulder to make sure no adult was within hearing range of Naruto's shrilly voice.
Where Naruto went, Sakura followed. And vice-versa.
After Minato and Kushina's sacrifice, Mebuki and Kizashi had not hesitated to take in Naruto as their own. Naruto and Sakura were raised as siblings, with Sasuke thrown into the mix due to their mothers' friendship.
Itachi inwardly smiled at Sakura's reprimand. As a toddler, Sakura had developed a charming affinity for the Uchiha heir. The bubblegum toddler became stuck to him like gum under a shoe, following him around when he strayed from the café where their respective mothers chatted.
When asked why she didn't stay put with Naruto and Sasuke, she'd huff and respond with a flat "they're boys". Sakura would then wave away Itachi's remark about he himself also being a boy before reaching up with her arms, the universal sign for wanting to be carried along.
Despite this phenomenon, Sakura was fiercely protective of Naruto, and by extension, Sasuke.
Perhaps, Itachi deduced, these playdates were his Kaa-san's way of ensuring a sense of normalcy for his otouto's childhood.
Despite the trio's first impressions, they worked, Itachi mused as he slipped away from the center of the ruckus that had settled in his family's living room.
Casting one last glance at his otouto and soon to be regular playmates, Itachi slipped into the shadows of the night to meet his team for their latest mission.
The Uchiha clan was known for anything but their charm, so it was no surprise that the clan was not the most beloved amongst the villagers.
"What exactly do you have against the Haruno's?" Mikoto pressed, and eyebrow raised in teasing question. "You know, it wouldn't hurt for the village to see us trying to form bonds with those outside the clan. Especially with Minato and Kushina's son." Mikoto's voice softening with emotion at the mention of her late friend.
"Beware Mikoto", Fugaku gruffed, his tone more solemn than usual, "The village can take your initiative as an act of good will or a means to an end. With all the suspicion roaming around, people may see it as a move on our behalf to maintain a semblance of control over the Nine-tails."
Mikoto bit her lower lip in contemplation. These were indeed strange times. The Uchiha Matriarch had always been polite and friendly, her lips easily slipping into close mouthed smiles at the talk and antics of local merchants during her routine shopping.
As of late, however, the merchants had grown reserved and tight-lipped with her. They were never outright rude to her. They still remembered and acknowledged her good nature. Lately, though, an edge of wariness had made itself present in the merchants' body language.
Granted, everyone, including the civilian portion of the village, was more on edge now than they had been prior to the Nine-tail's attack. But that sort of unease would be expected to diminish with time, and not remain stagnant or grow.
Mikoto was not naïve enough to think that the new wave of unease she elicited from the merchants was unrelated to the increasing tensions between her clan and the rest of the Village. Were the merchants' respectful manners out of kindness or fear? Were they afraid they would face retaliation from the Uchiha clan should their Matriarch be offended during her daily trek through the stalls?
How would the dynamics change if the village suddenly saw the main family of the Uchiha clan investing themselves in the well-being of the late Yondaime's son? Would the fear be fed or tamed?
Did it matter? Mikoto mentally scoffed at herself. Here she was, thoughts wrapped up in the complexity of the Clan's societal position rather than on the good she stood to do for Naruto. For Kushina.
Mikoto shook her head, having made up her mind. Societal perception be damned. Those sorts of things would never reach out to feed a starving child if it looked each person in the eye. And Naruto… Even if he was the Yondaime's son, the Village seemed more than ready to turn a blind eye to him.
"Even so," Mikoto insisted, "this is the very least I can do for my old friend." The somber undercurrent in her tone let Fugaku know that she would be unmovable in this given her emotional investment in the matter.
Mikoto took a moment to gather herself before letting a mischievous smile erase the sorrow on her features. "And it's not like we won't benefit from this as well. The Haruno's are such a beloved part of the community! And their fresh bread is to die for! But the cherry on top is sweet little Sakura-chan."
Fugaku sighed at his wife's antics, "Just don't go getting any ideas of pink haired Uchiha's." Fugaku pointedly looked at his wife. They'd lived through too much together, seen each other at their worst, and at their most hopeful, to not recognize the mischievous glint in his wife's glistening onyx orbs.
It was her years serving as the Uchiha Matriarch that allowed her to keep her face neutral at her husband's pointed, but truthful, jab. "Dear, if we ever hope to marry off our boys, they are going to first have to learn how to interact with girls. Period. She may be shy now, but just you watch. Sakura-chan will whip our boys into fine gentlemen."
Fugaku's eyebrow rose in amusement, imagining the pink-haired child bringing his eldest son, a boy nearly 4 years her senior, down to her level.
"Hn, you have a point" he acquiesced.
"Of course I'm right. They inherited your good charm, afterall." Fugaku lightly glared at his wife before easing his expression into firm smirk.
"Hn. It worked on you."
Mikoto's flushed cheeks were the last thing he saw before he turned to leave.