Itachi was awoken roughly by his father the next morning.
"Where did you go last night?" Fugaku asked as he shook his oldest son awake. Itachi groaned and sat up. "Where were you so late? You had your mother worrying."
"I was walking."
"Walking?"
"Walking." Fugaku struggled with this visibility for a minute and then his face relaxed.
"Get ready; your fiancé is coming this morning to meet you." Fugaku strode to the door, but Itachi called to him.
"Father," Fugaku turned, "I want you to know that I'm tolerant and I understand why you're doing this… but I hate you for it." Fugaku was taken aback by Itachi's harsh tone, but a cool acceptance passed over his face.
"Fine then."
Itachi entered the tea room later that morning; he sat closely behind his mother and father. He felt angry again, he knew if he looked at his father he would not be able to control it, so he kept his eyes on his knees. He herd two sets of footsteps enter the room, one set heavy and the other steps light. He listened until they His father introduced himself and Mikoto to the future bride and her father.
"Hiroshi-san and Hitomi-chan, this is my son Itachi." Itachi looked up in surprise, Hitomi apparently had been keeping her eyes down too, because she looked up a second after Itachi, and she was just as surprised. "Itachi, this is Hiroshi-san and Hitomi-chan of the Amaya clan."
"Do you two know each other?" Hiroshi asked, looking back and forth at the two children suspiciously.
"No." they said in unison.
"Fugaku-sama, would you allow Itachi-kun and I to go for a walk?" Hitomi asked, her soft voice strong. Fugaku looked astounded to hear such a bold request only seconds after Hitomi had been introduced to Itachi. Fugaku started to say 'No' but Mikoto interrupted him.
"Of course you can! Let them go." She added in a whisper. Fugaku nodded reluctantly. Hitomi followed Itachi out of the room.
"I know a path through the woods." Itachi told her.
"That sounds nice." Hitomi followed Itachi to the trail. They walked in silence for a while, each pretending to enjoy the setting and the breeze, but both were distracted, their minds far away.
"Why did you want to walk with me?"
"Oh! I… I just wanted to get to know you better, Itachi-kun."
"You can't get to know someone better by walking in silence." Itachi frowned.
"I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else." She started to walk again.
"Hitomi-chan!" She stopped walking.
"Yes?" Itachi caught up to her
"Why are you always running away from me?"
"I've never ran. I've walked." She replied, a puzzled look on her face. Itachi suppressed a laugh, and ended up snorting instead. Hitomi laughed at him, and then laughed harder at the offended look on his face. Itachi laughed at her laughing, and soon they were on the ground sniggering like small children. "What was so funny about that anyway?" Hitomi finally asked.
"I have no idea. Do you want to walk again?" Itachi smiled.
"Sure."
