Author's Note: A lot of this is Episode #453, but it does have some detail for the situation of Itachi and Akina progressing relationship. Maybe regressing.
Citations: Naruto Shippuden Episode #453
Chapter's Song: "Who's That Girl" by Hilary Duff
Chapter 17
Competition
Itachi walked down the center of Konoha. Looking ahead at his father outside the police station speaking with three officers before him.
Itachi waited for Fugaku to turn his head to see if he would notice him, and he did. "Father!"
Fugaku turned back to his subordinates. "We'll discuss this again later."
They nodded their heads in unison, and marched away orderly in a line. Fugaku crossed his arms and smiled at Itachi as he rushed over.
"Returning from a mission, Itachi?" Fugaku asked as he looked at Itachi's forehead protector.
"Yeah!" Itachi nodded with pride.
Fugaku and Itachi walked side-by-side in the Uchiha Compound. Fugaku's arms crossed. "We haven't walked together like this in awhile."
Itachi looked up at his father happily. "Well, I'm a Genin now… And I have missions."
Fugaku looked down on his son with a smile. "Oh, I see!" Fugaku looked ahead again. "That's right. Since the Uchiha moved here… Three Years have passed."
Itachi blankly stared up at his father with wonder in his big onyx eyes. "We were pushed to the outskirts of the village, and the upper echelons took away our authority. Many still voice strong dissatisfaction towards their methods. You're aware of that too, right?"
Itachi stared at the ground in sadness.
"We want to regain our power one day and step out from the darkness into the light…" He heard his father's voice continue. Itachi looked up at his father.
"Father, look!" Itachi smiled, distracting his father to smile at Itachi, and then noticing everyone bowing as Fugaku passed by.
Fugaku blushed and raised his hand to humbly dismiss the admiration of his clan. Itachi grinned with a small giggle escaping.
"What's so funny?" Fugaku asked looking down at his son with wonder.
"Sorry, Father…" Itachi grinned and then smiled up at Fugaku. "You're the face of the Uchiha. I'm proud to be able to walk alongside you."
"Enough flattery." Fugaku embarrassingly dismissed it by closing his eyes, but still smiling. "Should we get your favorite snack on the way home?"
Itachi lit up with happiness and gratitude. "Yeah!"
At the dumpling shop, the sign read, "Sold out for today."
Disappointment crossed Itachi's face as well as Fugaku's with his arms crossed. "It can't be helped if they're all sold out…"
Itachi still had a happy disposition today.
"Itachi-kun…" A sweet voice rang out. Itachi turned his head to Izumi standing outside the dumpling shop with a paper bag.
"Izumi…" Itachi addressed back.
"How've you been? Would you like to catch up?" She asked approaching.
"I'm walking with my Father now." He began to shake his head.
"Pardon me, Fugaku-sama." Izumi bowed.
Fugaku placed his hand on Itachi's head for a moment, and then kept walking away. "That's okay. Be home before dinner, Itachi."
"Oh, but…" Itachi raised his hand.
Itachi and Izumi sat out on the dock on the lake with their legs dangling off the edge.
"I'm sorry, Itachi-kun." Izumi smiled looking at him. "Are you sure I didn't interrupt you and your dad?"
Itachi looked straight ahead, but looked in her direction to insist, "Yeah… It's okay. It's been a while."
"Yeah," Izumi nodded. "It's the first time we've seen each other since you became a Genin." She leaned closer. "That's right! I'm sorry I didn't get you anything for your promotion… I didn't even congratulate you. I'm really sorry!" She closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly.
Surprise rose in Itachi's eyes, but then he smiled, "You don't have to apologize so much."
Izumi started to open the paper bag from the dumpling shop. "This doesn't really qualify as a gift, but if you don't mind, won't you have one?" Izumi asked as she unwrapped the dango and offered the dango to Itachi. "My mom loves the tri-color dumplings from that shop. But I guess someone like you who's brilliant and who excels in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu and whizzed through The Academy wouldn't have a sweet tooth." She rambled and moved the dango away from him, her eyes closed. "Sorry for just assuming."
Itachi's head sunk into his collar, too shy to speak up. "Well, since I opened them, I guess I'll eat them all myself." Itachi raised his hand, trying to get the words out, but then looked away as he didn't know what to say.
Izumi began eating, and watched as the pink piece of dango was brought to her mouth. He gulped in his hunger, and glared in his frustration. Izumi noticed his frown that made her feel very awkward. "Don't tell me… Do you want one?" She asked.
He turned his face away, hiding his blush behind his bangs. Izumi offered just by handing the dango out to him. Itachi took one. "Thank you."
He ate in joy. Blushing slightly at hearing Izumi giggle. "Is it strange?"
"Oh no, it isn't that." Izumi said, shaking her head to then meet his eyes. "I've known you for quite some time, but I didn't know what your favorite foods were."
Itachi's blush remained and he glanced away. "Rank and gender have nothing to do with what someone likes to eat."
"Yeah, that's true." Izumi nodded, smiling. "Sorry."
Itachi smiled back, but then Izumi started giggling wildly to the side. "I'm sorry…" She laughed and looked back at him. "It's because, Itachi-kun… You looked so ready to use your Sharigan. It was funny."
Itachi turned his head away as Izumi stretched her arms in the air to get out the remainder of her laughter. "Okay. I won't laugh anymore. Sorry, Itachi-kun."
Itachi awkwardly tapped his finger at the end of the dango skewer. Izumi leaned in. "Sorry, sorry! Let me make it up to you." She said. Itachi raised his head to glance at her. "Is there anything you want?"
"Anything I want?" Itachi faced Izumi face-to-face, letting go of his skewer.
"Yeah!" Izumi nodded, smiling.
Itachi stared directly into her eyes. "That's right. She's…"
Izumi realized what he was thinking, and sadly looked down to the water. "Yeah… I thought so. But that's something I can't give you."
Itachi looked down to the water, as well. Understanding.
Akina stared down from the top of the hill at Itachi and Izumi sitting on the dock together, she felt a discouragement drowned her heart as she fixated her emerald eyes on their Uchiha crests. Her eyes then shifted to another aura coming from her left side down the dirt street. "Tenma."
Tenma stopped at her side, standing right in front of the stairs that led straight down the hill to the dock. He always had a brash demeanor. "You here to see Itachi?"
"Uh, no." Akina shook her head slightly.
"Then why are you here?" Tenma cocked his head to the side.
"Are you here to tell him about a mission?" She was emotionless.
"Don't answer a question with a question!" Tenma scolded, pouting, "Yeah."
"Then why I'm here is not urgent." Akina replied and turned away.
"I'm no idiot… She's sad…" Tenma looked down to Itachi, seeing the other girl. "Stupid Itachi."
"Hey!" Tenma called out, making Itachi and Izumi look behind them. "We have another mission. Stop flirting." He ordered as he turned his back to walk away.
Itachi stood and Izumi barked back, "We are not flirting!" Izumi looked up at Itachi standing above her. "Itachi-kun… I can't give them to you, but I'll pray for you. I hope your Sharigan awakens really soon. And when it does, I'll congratulate you!"
Itachi stared blankly down at her. He nodded. "Thank you. Later, Izumi!"
Sora-ku
Team Two stood before Granny Cat in the dark home, full of cats. Minazuki stood in the front, Itachi to his back left, Shinko, and Tenma to his back right.
"How was the kunai you bought the other day, Itachi?"
"Yes, it was quite amazing."
"'Quite amazing, eh?" She asked smoking her pipe. "You're good with words. It's lightweight and has a sharp edge. You couldn't get it anywhere else for that price."
"Father also extends his thanks." Itachi bowed.
"Ah! I don't need your thanks… How about a discount on the price of this next request, Captain?"
"That and this job are two separate things." Minazuki placed his hand on his hip, grinning. Tenma held a white cat.
"I understand that, but—"
"All right, so we have a mission. Do you understand the specifics?"
"I don't get it, Minazuki-sensei!" Tenma barked. Holding up ears. "We just have to find a cat, right? So why do we have to wear this?!"
"Tenma, as always you're so sassy." Shinko nagged.
"Huh?! What did you say? You got a problem?"
"Hey! Pipe down!" Granny cat scolded. "You'll wake Tamaki."
Tamaki in bed behind Granny Cat, seemed to begin to cry to wake from sleep, but then dozed back off. Team Two all sighed in relief, as well as Granny Cat.
"I'm not asking you to find a mere lost cat. It's a search for a Ninja Cat." Granny Cat explained. "What's more, you'll be going into the Den of Cats, where cats congregate."
"That explains this Ninja Tool." Shinko realized. "We need this cat tool which allows us to understand cat language meow?"
"Still…" Tenma argued. "If it's only intel work, why…" Tenma glanced annoyed and shocked at Shinko love-struck by how cute Itachi was. "Huh?!
Itachi adjusted his white ears on his head with a blank expression.
"Wow! That looks great on you!" Shinko mewed.
Tenma behind her looked disgusted. "You graduated at the top of the class at The Academy! Have you no shame?"
"Shame?" Itachi tilted his head. "Appearance has no place in understanding a mission, does it?"
"Huh?!" Tenma reacted annoyed at Itachi for being smart.
"Okay, no fighting." Minazuki broke in to get Itachi and Tenma's attention. Handing Shinko a photograph and then Itachi. "This is the picture of the Ninja Cat that we're looking for."
"This cat is…" Tenma said, looking at the chubby white and orange cat.
Shinko waved a cat toy at a cat. "Meow, meow, meow! Awww, don't say that you're super cute! Meow, meow."
"You're wearing that thing, so cut it out with the cat talk." Tenma barked. Shinko looked up at him. "It's even harder to understand, especially with your heavy accent."
She grinned with bedroom eyes at Tenma as he wore a pair of cat ears. He turned and blushed. "What?! It's a mission so it can't be helped! That being said, this is an embarrassment to my clan…"
"You say that, but it looks so cute on you!"
"Hey, Shinko! What's so funny?!
"All right! All right! First, let's gather intel. We'll split into two teams. Itachi and me, and Tenma and Shinko. Scatter!" Minazuki said as he disappeared, with Itachi close behind.
Tenma scoffed. "Let's get going, too!"
All the cats Itachi encountered loved him, he was sweet in his petting of them. They met countless cats pointing them from one location to the next. A human size cat spoke with Minazuki as he showed the picture for the chef cat to point to his right. Minazuki bowed.
Minazuki came to Itachi, "That was pretty quick. Let's rendezvous with Tenma and Shinko."
"All right. I'll go get them." Itachi insisted.
Shinko played with a cat, Tenma sulking behind her. "So what's the matter?"
"It's nothing…" Tenma refuted. "No, there's something… This current mission. Rather, that Ninja Cat. It seems that cat is pretty special."
"Huh?" Shinko whined as she looked at the picture again. "Since when are you a cat expert?"
"I'm not!" He barked. "The leader of our clan— I mean, my dad's sick… The medicine is for his treatment, it calls for some of that Ninja Cat's whiskers."
"Then you should take some, right?"
"It's okay, right?" Tenma asked happily.
"I dunno," Shinko nonchalantly stated to make Tenma fall over from being so relieved previously. "Keep me in the dark. If you take it without me knowing, it's okay."
"That's true. Just don't tell you-know-who!"
"Huh? Talk about being a coward!" She jabbed. "Are you that jealous because Itachi who's way younger than you, skipped a bunch of grades and graduated first in his class?"
"If it wasn't for him—"
"What? You'd be ranked at the top?"
Itachi stood outside the screen door, listening.
"I didn't say that!" Tenma hissed.
"Yeah, yeah…" Shinko discarded. "Anyway, Itachi sure is awesome. There's no point in competing with him."
Itachi took a deep breath and placed his hand on the door.
"I'm not competing with him! And it has nothing to do with being top-ranked!"
"We've found out the location of the Ninja Cat." Itachi blankly stated once he had opened the door fully. "Please regroup with Minazuki-sensei."
Guilt braced their faces behind their awkward smiles.
In a warehouse with boxes, Itachi and Minazuki peaked around the corner, as did Tenma and Shinko from the other side. "Ah, rejected again!" They heard the orange and white cat say, spotting him leaning on sacks of food, sardine cans finished, and a bottle of liquor in his hand. "And the clan just keeps harping on about me getting married!"
"So he was chasing around some female cat and ended up her of all places." Shinko said.
"Seems like it." Minazuki-sensei replied.
"It seems as though our mission is complete, but…" Tenma said fixated on the cat.
Itachi looked at Tenma. Knowing he needed the cat's whiskers.
"Okay, I'll go." They all looked as Minazuki said it. "Everyone, hang back here."
"Hey!" Minazuki friendly greeted with his arms up, approaching the cat.
"What do you want?" The drunk cat spat.
"I just overheard your story and I sympathize, so I wanted to talk."
"Can you even understand the feelings of a male cat who's been rejected meow?"
"I do!" Minazuki leaned in, still friendly, but awkwardly smiling. "I do understand that feeling!"
"I see!" The cat meowed. "So you're not popular with the ladies, either."
That comment shot Minazuki right through the heart. It made all three of his students hold in their laughter. Itachi a mild snicker, Shinko literally holding in laughter with her hand, and Tenma embarrassed to snicker, as well.
"Uh… Yeah, that's it." Minazuki continued to play along.
"Well, have a drink meow." The cat said as he handed Minazuki a glass.
"They just don't understand a male's charm." Minazuki added as the cat overfilled his glass. "That's why ladies just don't have perspective or rather a discerning eye—"
The cat then sliced Minazuki across the face, the glass flying out of his hand! "Don't insult her!"
"Look like there's a breakdown in communication." Itachi assessed, all three of them surprised, they sprung into action.
"Damn it!" Tenma sneered. Taking out a kunai to throw. "We should have done this from the start!"
The cat dodged the kunai to kick it away and land on all fours, facing the three. "What's going on meow, you brats?" He dashed off, bouncing off Minazuki on the ground as he ran left. "I'll take you on!"
"You're not getting away!" Tenma shouted as the three pursued the cat, Tenma in front, Itachi, and Shinko behind.
Itachi leaped up to the top of the boxes to take the lead.
"Damn it, he's going on ahead?!" Tenma picked up his pace and turned right at the end of the opening of boxes. Crash!
Shinko came out to look at Tenma pitifully knocked back on his back from hitting the crates head on, and the cat slipping through a small hole just big enough for him.
Itachi jumped from crate to crate. He then heard Shinko cry, jumping down to find her, she had been pounced on, his paw prints still red on her face.
"His paws… Fluffy… Fluffy…" She said deliriously before keeling over.
Itachi's brows furrowed. "He's pretty good."
Itachi took of running in the opposite direction. "We have to do something about his mobility first…" Itachi spotted him up on the steel beam, running. "He's balancing himself with his tail, but that's not all, those whiskers enhance his spatial perception. In that case…"
Itachi placed kunai in his hand, stopping as he faced off with the cat before he jumped. Itachi was surprised, and kept running, while throwing his kunai. Two kunai missed.
"What are you aiming at meow?" The cat mocked.
Itachi hit the kunai that missed with two kunai. The cat spun midair to dodge and faced Itachi up on the beam. "You're pretty good with those kunai, but you've still a ways to go, meow."
"Yeah, you're right." Itachi smiled. "I thought I could have managed five millimeters more…" Itachi then pointed up to make the cat look above him at a kunai stuck in the steel beam above him.
"Huh?" He proclaimed as the kunai wiggled loose, falling down to cut off three whiskers. The other kunai fell, hitting him on the head to knock him unconscious and fall off the beam. "MEOW!"
Itachi caught him, gently smiling. "Things went well here… But will it be in time?"
Tenma sped ahead, seeing whiskers flying loose in the wind. They were just out of reach as he tried to snatch them. "Don't underestimate, Speedy Tenma!"
He dashed and jumped to grab all of the whiskers. As he was midair he looked down to the hole below him. "This may end up causing more than just a scratch."
Tenma then felt a rope wrap around his ankle as he then fell and slammed into the crates again face first, upside down.
"I'm glad we were in time for both." Itachi sighed at the other end of the rope.
"I… Did it!" Tenma murmured as he still held onto the whiskers.
"Thank you for your help." The butterscotch and black-stripped father cat said to the four Konoha Ninja.
"I did tell him to hurry up and settle down…" The fluffy white mom cat admitted wiping tears. "But I never expected him to fall in love."
"This one has good skills, but no eye for judging females." The father cat stated as he placed his paw on the orange cat's shoulder.
"I just wanted to find the best bride for the sake of our clan." The orange cat confessed.
"The most important thing is that you're okay." The mom cat added.
"So much pressure and responsibility for his clan… A bride…" Itachi thought.
"You fulfilled the mission just as I requested… Is what I'd like to say…" Granny Cat stated with her arms crossed. "But what happened to his whiskers?"
"To keep the fighting to a minimum, there was no choice." Itachi stated.
The mother and father cat stared at the missing whiskers. "So you cut them?" Granny Cat spat. "Well, it's my fault for not giving you a heads up on his skills… You didn't bring them back?"
Itachi grinned, trying to lie. "No… They blew away in the wind."
Granny Cat suspiciously looked at obvious Tenma. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. Thank you for your efforts." She sighed. "Itachi… Next time you come, I'll have you take care of the debts the Uchiha have racked up."
Itachi awkwardly grinned once again.
The sun set over the horizon of the mountains as Team Two headed home.
"Good thing you got what you needed, eh?" Shinko smiled at Tenma as she walked in the front with him.
"Well, yeah…" Tenma said.
"Cheer up, will you?" Shinko scolded. "The fate of your clan rests on it, right?"
"It's not that critical!" He awkwardly smiled. "But… If this cures my dad, my clan will be secure."
"That Ninja Cat… And those grownups… They're all thinking about their clans…" Itachi continued to contemplate.
Tenma looked over his shoulder at Itachi lost in thought and turned to sternly face him, bending down face-to-face. "You'd better not be thinking that you saved me."
"That thought hasn't crossed my mind." Itachi blankly replied.
"Even if you didn't end up helping me—" Tenma shouted for Shinko to punch Tenma over the top of the head. Itachi watched as Tenma squatted, holding his head in pain. "What are you doing?!"
"Why are you still saying stuff like that?" Shinko scolded, smiling with her fist tight. "He's your friend! Of course, he's going to help you!"
"Huh?!" Me? His friend?!" Tenma pointed back with his thumb, annoyed.
"I was just fulfilling my mission." Itachi said at the same time with his hands up.
Shinko got between them to punch Tenma in the gut and elbow Itachi in the gut for them to fall back.
When they regained their composure, Shinko shook her finger in Itachi's face. "You stop being so difficult, as well!"
Itachi just nodded. Shinko then turned to Tenma. "All right! Isn't there something you want to say to Itachi?!"
Tenma was annoyed and pointed straight at Itachi's blank face. "I swear I'll make it up to you for this."
Itachi was surprised by his sincerity; his surprise further rose as Shinko then elbowed Tenma in the face. "Why can't you just say thank you?!"
Tenma fell over. "Shinko, that hurt too much!"
Itachi smiled and laughed. "Friend, huh?"
"Akina!" Itachi called out, spotting her leaving the Hokage's office as Team Two arrived home from their mission, headed for The Hokage's Office. The Mochizuki Princess turned gracefully around to see Team Two.
"Tenma," Itachi grinned, placing his hand out towards Akina. "This is Mochizuki Akina."
"I remember her from Academy," Tenma glared in annoyance.
"Oh, really?" Itachi asked, looking to Akina grinning awkwardly.
"She beat Tenma up!" Shinko chuckled from behind Tenma.
"Right," Itachi thought out loud.
"I'm sorry for that. I should have apologized the other day." Akina bowed.
"The other day?" Itachi questioned, but continued his original thought. "Could you help, Tenma?"
Akina remained bowed, but her head glancing up to Itachi, a strand of her ebony hair falling forwards. "With what?" Akina asked with curiosity.
"Tenma," Itachi smiled. "She can make the medicine for your father."
"Oh?" Akina asked, looking at Tenma, for him to take the cat whiskers from his pouch. Akina took the whiskers from his hand. "You can count on me. I'm a Mochizuki after all."
"How much will it cost you to make?" Tenma asked.
"Don't worry about it." Akina waved her hand.
"Thank you, Akina-chan." Tenma bowed with sincerity.
Itachi smiled, stepping closer to Akina. "Huh?"
"Here," Itachi said as he suddenly put cat ears on Akina. "As payment."
Akina blushed, pouting, and taking them off with her left hand. "I can't get attached if he just sees me as a friend…" She flicked Itachi in the forehead with two fingers, he allowed her to, holding his forehead with a smirk. "Give them to Sasuke." She smirked back and then turned away.
"You're so annoying…" Tenma sighed.
"Huh?" Itachi looked to Tenma.
"Do you like Akina or that other Uchiha girl?"
"Izumi?" Itachi blushed.
"Ooh! A love triangle!" Shinko squealed.
"It's not a love triangle if Akina doesn't like Itachi back." Tenma corrected.
Itachi felt very crushed and awkward at that honest assessment, glancing to see Akina disappear amongst the crowd a distance off.
