Karasu
Itachi kept his promise to Shirohime during her pregnancy, visiting whenever he had the time. He had even begun to tell his family that he was leaving for a mission, even when he had a few ensured free days. Shirohime claimed she could feel their child's power growing as it continued to develop within her womb. His favorite thing to do during her last trimester was lay his head on her thigh with his cheek pressed against her swollen belly, his hand placed at the top to feel their child's movements.
Itachi was away on a mission when Shirohime went into labor, unaware that his child was being brought into the world while he shed the blood of his village's enemies. She was alone when she birthed her child, staying awake and aware the entire time by sheer force of will as her body was stretched to its limits and the pain threatened to incapacitate her. She gave birth to a healthy boy, his face a near copy of his father's, right down to the creases on either side of his face. The boy inherited the Hyugas' white eyes from his mother, though in a certain light they were almost pink. She named the child Karasu, remembering a story Itachi had told her about an experience he had with crows as a child. Itachi arrived at her simple log house a week later, his face lighting up as he discovered her nursing inside.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for his birth. I just returned from a mission near the border," he said, his apologetic tone a stark contrast to the look of happiness she saw in his eyes.
"Do you want to hold him?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
Shs handed Itachi the baby as he nodded, awestruck. He looked down at the baby's face with a look of such joy that Shirohime nearly cried.
"I named him Karasu," she said as Itachi continued to hold his child.
"It suits him. Our little crow," he replied, his smile widening.
He stayed with them for a few hours before heading back, promising to return as soon as he could. It was difficult for him to contain his joy as he neared the village, meeting his child had left him a little dazed, almost as though he were drunk. Unfortunately for Itachi, Fugaku noticed his elevated mood almost instantly and pulled him aside.
"You seem a little too happy over a successful mission. What's going on?" Fugaku asked him, his tone even.
"I… Uh…," Itachi began, not sure of what to say. He jumped when Fugaku leaned in close to his ear.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you found a pretty girl to spend some 'special' time with," his father whispered, shocking Itachi by putting so bluntly a matter that they had never discussed.
"Guilty as charged," Itachi whispered back nonchalantly. He could always play off the mystery woman story without actually revealing anything about Shirohime; he would use only the vaguest of details so that it would be impossible to connect the two.
"That's my boy," Fugaku said with a wry smile, his unusual behavior continuing to shock Itachi.
It was only when he overcame his shock that he noticed the faint scent of sake wafting from his father. No wonder he was acting like a teenager over the subject of his son getting laid, he had been drinking. Itachi let out a sigh as his father gave him a congratulatory half-hug.
"Psst. We should share a drink as father and son to celebrate the occasion," Fugaku said in a less than quiet whisper.
"If you say so," Itachi said with a laugh.
He stayed up in the kitchen with his father sharing a bottle of sake until late in the night, Mikoto entering on more than one occasion to tell them to quiet down while Sasuke was sleeping. What none of them knew was that Sasuke had already snuck out of his room and was hiding outside the kitchen window. He snickered quietly to himself on the third attempt to quiet them, nearly jumping out of his skin when Itachi poked his forehead with the first two fingers of his right hand from over the windowsill.
"Stop sitting out in the grass and get in here. Mayne mom will stop yelling at us if she finds you out of bed," Itachi said in mock-menace. Sasuke went blue in the face as he pictured his mother's wrath at finding him not only out of bed way past his bedtime, but sneaking around to spy on his brother and father.
"O-okay," Sasuke stuttered out.
Itachi picked him up by his shirt and pulled him into the kitchen. Sasuke blinked in surprise when he saw Fugaku snoring away in his chair, his head on the table. He looked back to his brother, wide-eyed. Itachi threw Sasuke over his shoulder and took the younger boy back to his room, tucking him in for the night and telling him to get some sleep.
Itachi stumbled back to his room, no longer trying to fight the effects of the alcohol. He dropped to his knees on his sleeping mat, leaning forward until he fell on the padded surface. He fell asleep quickly with a smile on his face, his last thoughts being of Shirohime and their son, Karasu.