Summer gave way to autumn quicker than anyone expected, and Izumi's belly grew rounder every day. Itachi had halted his training for the meantime to care for her, despite the insistence of the nurse maid that she was just as competent, if not more. The money that he had given to Obito was put to good use—the elder Uchiha had expanded his factory and made a new sector dedicated to thread-spinners. They were currently undergoing training to use the factory equipment, and some of the orphans had been rotated to thread-spinning as well to balance out the numbers.

Chiyo's Chicken Rice shop was as busy as ever, and, more often that not, Sasori found himself donning a pink apron and serving hungry customers at his grandmother's restaurant, which was located in the martial arts district, nearby the Nohara-Uchiha dango shop. Sometimes, Deidara came in for the sole purpose of annoying him. Sasori did not take well to it, but since she always made sure she was a paying customer, Chiyo refused to ban her from the store. Well, at least her company wasn't always unpleasant, especially after a long day of bitter old men complaining that they'd seen a cockroach in their tea. (Sasori had personally poured that tea himself and there as hell weren't any damn cockroaches).

"You know, Danna, you should consider making pink your permanent color, un."

"I will if you dye your hair to match."

"I'm an artist, not insane."

Akatsuki was thriving as the leaves fell to make way for the coming winter, and Naruto found that he was able to afford another kite since his old fox one had been damaged when he dropped it in the sewer by accident.

"I'm just a few short!" Naruto persisted in pestering Kakashi, who looked like he needed a pair of earplugs right then and there. "Come on, Kakashi-senpai—"

"I have to make a living, too, you know," Kakashi replied calmly, keeping his eyes on his book.

"I eat plain ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" Naruto whined, pulling the sympathy card.

"So? You love ramen."

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, not missing the way Naruto had dropped the honorific. "I can't give you one you want... but I do have a kite that's within your budget. Deal?"

"Well..." Naruto looked back at Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, who were sitting at their usual table and looking over expectantly. "Oh, fine. But only because my kohais want to play and I have to be a good senpai, dattebayo."

"Pleasure doing business with you, then!" Kakashi chirped, and the coins disappeared into his pocket. "Now, let's see, where was it..."

When Naruto received his kite, he was bitterly disappointed. "What the hell, Kakashi?! It looks like the same paper I wipe my ass with!"

"Sorry, no refunds," Kakashi said, his eyes curving upward as he smiled like the troll he was. "Have fun! Ah, youth..."

"KAKASHI! I'll tell your boss!"

No one had ever seen Kakashi's 'boss' before (or co-owner, according to Kakashi), and many suspected that there was no boss or co-owner to begin with, and that Hatake Kakashi was just being a major troll.

Naruto, however, had yet to come to that conclusion.

"Go ahead, Naruto," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "He came this morning."

"Dammit! I missed him again?!"

"Mm. Tough luck, eh, Naruto?"

Grumbling, Naruto left with his new kite, half-complaining and half-apologizing to Konohamaru and his gang for the kite's poor craftsmanship. Kakashi relaxed his posture, slumping into his chair and putting his legs up on the counter. As he was about to delve into the magical world of Icha Icha, a woman approached his shop, her hands folded around her heavily pregnant belly.

"Kakashi-san!" Izumi beamed at him. "Good afternoon!"

"Ah, Izumi-san." Kakashi's feet returned to the floor, nearly sweeping off some old newspapers off the counter as he straightened in his seat. "How are you? Are you holding up well?"

Izumi gave him a lovely, but weary smile. "I'm doing fine, Kakashi-san. Well, as fine as I can be, anyway. I haven't been out in so long—since the baby's due in three months, Itachi's been swaddling me." She rolled her eyes. "I appreciate the effort, but it's wholly unnecessary. It's like he forgets that he trained me in his Amaterasu as well. And should that fail me, I always have the Uchiha Style to fall back on."

"Men," Kakashi said, clicking his tongue, earning a laugh from Izumi.

"How odd it sounds coming from you," she remarked. "Anyway, Kakashi-san, I'm enjoying the chat, but I actually came here for something. I heard from a friend that this is the best place to buy children's toys."

"Well, I'm not saying that it's the best, but it's the best."

Izumi grinned wryly. "Of course, Kakashi-san." She eyed the shelves behind him, which were fllled with all sorts of knick-knacks, including kites, lanterns, spinning tops, bouncy balls, and some of Deidara's clay sculptures. "Hmm... Anything you would recommend for a toddler?"

Kites were out of the question, obviously, until the unborn child was able to walk without falling over. But those clay sculptures of Deidara's were pretty cute, and there were a few without sharp edges. She had taken the liberty to paint them as well, and their beautiful colors were sure to brighten up a child's day. So Kakashi took a couple off the shelf and placed them on the counter, allowing Izumi to examine them herself. As she did, coming back to the tengu one more than once, Kakashi also added a spinning top and a red rubber ball to the mix.

Izumi seemed to be torn between the tengu and a fox, and Kakashi was about to recommend one or the other when a voice whispered into Izumi's ear, "I suggest taking both, un."

"Ah!" Izumi whipped around, and Deidara stepped back so that their heads wouldn't bash together. Immediately, she perked up, placing the sculptures back on the counter to grab Deidara's hands. "Deidara! Am I right or am I right when I say that you made those?"

"Hmm.. the latter, un."

Kakashi's eyebrows lifted into his hairline. So, I'm guessing that this is the 'friend' that recommended Izumi to come here? Makes sense, considering some of the cut for the clay figurines go to Deidara. I didn't even know that they were friends...

"The tengu is so cute!" Izumi gushed, holding up the figurine. "But so is the fox...!"

"Hey, you're rich and I'm not," Deidara reminded her, hooking one arm around her shoulders. "Take both so I can eat tonight, un."

"I concur," Kakashi added. "I am but a poor man in the face of the independently wealthy like you, Uchiha-sama..."

"Oh, stop it, both of you! If it makes you happy, I'll buy both. Also, the carving of the deer up there and the rubber ball, please." Izumi took her purse out and began to rummage through it for the appropriate amount of money.

"Great!" Kakashi clapped his hands together.

"Nice choice, un. Why don't you buy another one?"

"Good try, Deidara, but you might want to work on your persuasive skills a little more," Izumi chided as she handed Kakashi the money.

The blonde woman shrugged. "Worth a try. Wanna get lunch with me at Danna's?"

When Izumi had first heard Deidara refer to Sasori as 'Danna', she had automatically assumed the worse, only to be left blushing in embarrassment when Deidara hurriedly revealed that it was nothing like she was thinking. Apparently, Sasori found the term to be irritating, which fueled Deidara's insistence on calling him that. Sasori didn't really show much ire toward it anymore, however, and Deidara suspected that he'd just grown used to it. And so had she. Not calling him Danna was just plain weird now.

"Sure, I have time. Thanks for everything, Kakashi-san."

After bidding Kakashi goodbye, the two women made their way down to the martial arts district, where loud, enthusiastic kiais could be heard as the masters of each school located there drilled their students.

Rin was working at the dango shop today, and she waved at them as they walked past.

"Danna!" Deidara said cheerily as they strolled into Chiyo's Chicken Rice. "Got any seats?"

Sasori, who was bent over a table to place a cup of tea in front of an elderly woman, nodded, and Izumi could clearly see how familiar that they'd become with each other. "Back corner. I'll wipe it down for you. And you'd better not stick a dango you dropped on the floor under the table again."

A small blush appeared on her cheeks. "That was one time! And I was going to take it off, but I forgot..."

He snorted. "Just don't make a mess, brat." Sasori's gaze flickered to Izumi, and he dipped his head in polite greeting. "Izumi-san."

Izumi gave him a small wave. "Hi, Sasori-san. Umm, nice apron."

Deidara suppressed a snicker, and Sasori gave a long-suffering sigh. "Thank you, Izumi-san."

As the two sat down at their allocated table, they picked up bits and pieces of conversation going around the shop. Most of it was about the economy, and how good it was.

"Akatsuki's future looks bright," said a middle-aged man to his brother. "Did you hear that the Nohara-Uchiha family have expanded their business? Apparently, Itachi-sama is an investor. But that's just a rumor..."

"Really? That's pretty amazing," said his brother. "Any idea what they've done with it?"

"They're going to be making clothes instead of just fabrics and raw cotton."

"The Yamanakas have a hand in the thread-spinning business, too," a gossipy old woman said to her equally gossipy friend, their prune-y lips painted a bright red. "The heiress—Yamanaka Ino—is good with mending, and has entered into an apprenticeship under the head thread-spinner."

"Yamanaka Ino? But she's rich!"

"I know. But she hangs out with ruffians, like that Uzumaki boy."

"The one who ruined Hoshigaki-sama's name?"

"Yes, that one."

"How did that get out?" Izumi whispered to Deidara, frowning slightly. "Itachi didn't want anyone to know about his involvement. He likes to keep a low profile." She pursed her lips. "The only person I told was you and Rin. Perhaps someone overheard. I should really be more careful..."

"It's fine, un," Deidara reassured her. "It wouldn't hurt for Itachi to gain a little recognition for all the things he does. He's actually pretty involved in the community, un."

"Well, I guess not." Izumi patted her belly. "I hope nothing bad comes of it. We already have our hands full with the little one, and he hasn't even been born yet!"

"How do you know it's a he?"

"Gut instinct." Izumi winked at her. "You'll know the feeling when you enter pregnancy, Deidara."

The blonde woman shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not even sure if I want to have kids. Especially with how Rin described the childbirth part..."

Izumi gave her a sympathetic glance. "Oh, she gave me the same talk. I think she just takes joy in scaring her juniors because it asserts her status as a more experienced woman."

"Geez, she must have a lot of time on her hands, un."

Sasori appeared just then, putting all end to baby talk as he placed a plate of half a whole chicken, ginger and shallot, and two bowls of ginger rice down on the table, each thing attached to a chakra string.

"Aw, you know what I want," Deidara said with a smirk. "I didn't realize you thought of me that often, Danna."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that this is the only thing we serve besides tea, right?"

She waved a hand at him. "Same difference, un."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Training ground behind Obito's house again?"

"Three o'clock," Sasori confirmed before leaving.

Izumi blinked slowly. "Okay... What was that?"

Deidara shrugged. "Ever since he beat me bloody in a fight, we've been using each other as sparring partners and measuring sticks almost every day. So far, he's ahead of me, but that's only because he's been doing this longer than me, un." Her eyes burned vehemently. "I nearly beat him last time! I didn't see him sit down for a week."

"I recall that you were avoiding chairs around the same time," Sasori said as he walked past with another plate of chicken for another customer, having overheard her.

"It wasn't fair only you to had to stand up, un." Deidara grinned, her teeth sharp. Then she turned back to Izumi. "After the kid's born, wanna spar? I've gotten better, you know."

Izumi sweatdropped. "I only won last time because Itachi spent hours training me in that move." But she brightened at the challenge. "But sure, why not? It's been a while that I've been able to train, let alone fight, so go easy on me, okay?"

"Like hell," Deidara said, leaning back into her chair. "If I did that, I doubt that there'd be much left of me."

"Hey, hey! Don't play your abilities down so much. My only advantage against you is my Amaterasu. My sharingan never activated, remember?"

As the two females kept each other company in the restaurant (and by extension, Sasori as well), a group of individuals dressed in unfamiliar fighting robes were ambling down the street. The symbols that they wore on the back of their clothing was foreign as well, but those well-read would be able to distinguish them as warriors from a northern country—Otogakure.

"Ehh," the only female in the group muttered, chewing on a senbon in her mouth. "So this is the heart of southern taijutsu? Doesn't look like much."

"Can it, Kin," the leader barked.

"Tsk. Sorry, Akado-sama."

The five martial artists were well known in Otogakure, Akado Yoroi being the confident leader and Tsurugi Misumi being his second-in-command. The remaining three were Tsuchi Kin, Abumi Zaku, and Kinuta Dosu. They were quite powerful in their own right—they had to be if they were being trained by the ruthless Yoroi.

"Hey." Yoroi tapped a passing man. "Do you know where we can find the martial arts district?"

"Huh? Oh, just go straight and turn left. You can't miss it—they're pretty loud."

"Right."

The man went on his way, and Zaku muttered something about "getting the friendly on with the locals" but shut up when Misumi sent a half-glance his way. The passerby had been correct when giving them directions, as they arrived at the martial arts district in no time at all. Trailing behind the five foreigners was a long-haired man wearing a large straw hat that shadowed his facial features.

In the Akatsuki town square, all four taijutsu masters with a school were training their pupils outside their respective dojos. Kisame had the least amount of people training thanks to the smear on his name; the other three—Obito, Hyuuga Hiashi, and Akimichi Choza—had an ample amount.

Striding confidently, Yoroi and his disciples (and Misumi) approached the nearest master—Hyuuga Hiashi. The man raised a perfectly arched brow when he noticed Yoroi.

"Can I help you?" Hiashi inquired.

"You teach martial arts here?" Yoroi demanded.

Hiashi, not appreciating the tone very much, pursed his lips. "Yes. Why, do you wish to learn?"

Yoroi smirked infuriatingly. "Who's the master?"

"I am."

Yoroi put his fist into his open hand, Hiashi reluctantly returning the gesture. "My name is Yoroi. I come here as Akatsuki is famous for its martial arts. I am a master of the Hidden Snake. I'd like to test our style against Akatsuki's martial artists."

Hiashi stepped back from him, a sneer on his face. "Practice?"

"Yes."

"Tch. Provocation, rather... Stand aside!" Hiashi whipped around to his pupils. "This a battle between masters. Come."

"Oh, it's not me you'll be fighting," Yoroi said casually, and the group of foreigners parted to allow a man with long hair and a large straw hat to pass. "Wouldn't it be better..."

The man removed his hat.

"... To fight the grandmaster of the Hidden Snake, Orochimaru-sama?" Yoroi finished, bowing to his own master, his disciples following suit.

People began to murmur, and Choza, who had gone to get a snack while his disciples practiced, pushed his way out of the gate of his dojo. "What's the matter?" he asked one of his students.

"Orochimaru-sama," Hiashi repeated with a grimace. "One of the famous Sannin, I see... No matter. I'll send you back to the north with your tail between your legs."

Orochimaru's chuckle was raspy. "We shall see, Hyuuga-sama..."

The two men stood apart from one another, Orochimaru with his arms crossed and Hiashi making a quick display of his prowess with the Gentle Fist before moving into his own stance. Orochimaru uncrossed his arms.

The wind blew dust across the square as the crowd watched with bated breath. In the chicken rice shop, Deidara and Izumi glanced outside, curious as to what was happening. Sasori stopped mid-way to his customer's table to watch as well.

The Hyuuga struck first, gracefully and silently with open palm strikes. But Orochimaru deflected them all effortlessly, and Hiashi was barely able to block the strong kick that went his way. Grimacing, Hiashi tried again, but Orochimaru fought harder and faster, and was able to parry each and every blow. Then he spun and kicked backward, his foot landing on the Hyuuga's sternum, and forcing him back. While Hiashi was down, Orochimaru took no chances—like a snake in the grass, he bit his prey (not in the literal sense). Everyone winced as Orochimaru kicked Hiashi across the face, sending him tumbling away. But Hiashi used his momentum to force himself up, just in time to block another one of Orochimaru's devastating kicks.

Normally, the civilians would be roused by a taijutsu battle.

But nobody seemed to be enjoying the mostly one-sided fight. Hiashi's ankle was compromised when Orochimaru planted his heel into it, and used his other leg to strike Hiashi up the chin, stretching his neck painfully.

The fight continued until Hiashi dragged Orochimaru to the dusty ground with him, and slapped his foot against the pale man's cheek. Hissing, Orochimaru turned his body in the dirt, using a leg to repeat the same move to Hiashi, only much harder.

There was a loud crack.

Hiashi's cheekbone had been fractured at the very least. He was slower to get up, and slower to hit, something that Orochimaru used to his advantage. He dodged all of Hiashi's open palm strikes, before sending a closed fist his way and punching Hiashi brutally across the face.

The Hyuuga patriarch flew backward with a snapping noise, falling harshly onto the ground, dust settling onto his clothes.

"Very good, Orochimaru-sama!" Yoroi praised like some kind of overzealous fanboy.

The crowd was silent. Nobody clapped for Orochimaru's win. They simply stared as Hiashi was helped up by his students. Ignoring the Hyuuga, Orochimaru set his sights on his next opponent, Akimichi Choza, completely oblivious to Obito's vengeful glare.

This man was a snake. He fought with no honor.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chiyo demanded when she caught Sasori trying to leave the shop. "I know there's excitement going on out there, but you mustn't interfere." She glanced at Deidara over Izumi's head. "That goes for you as well. This a matter of honor and pride."

"I know, un," Deidara ground out. "But..."

"You feel useless just sitting there," Chiyo acknowledged. "As do you, Sasori. Are you two going to challenge him?"

"No," Sasori answered for both of them, ignoring Deidara's outraged expression. "He's obviously considered the best of the north if he is a grandmaster." Sasori's eyes sharpened. "The best deserves the best, wouldn't you agree?"

Deidara narrowed her eyes. "What the hell are you up to?"

Izumi bit her lip. The best of the best? Does... does he mean...?

Chiyo seemed to catch on. "I see. I like it when you use your brain."

Sasori sniffed. "I always use my brain, baa-sama. If I didn't, I wouldn't be alive right now."

"You didn't use to," Chiyo said vaguely, shaking her head.

Deidara had caught on as well, but she wasn't a happy camper about it. She was still sore about the loss she had suffered at the hands of that supposed pacifist the other week. "Fine," she said begrudgingly. "But the only reason I'm letting this slide is because I want to see snake-boy's ass kicked, un. Very, very thoroughly."

Neither of them could do that, they knew. Hiashi was one of their best, yet Orochimaru had made the Hyuuga his plaything. Sasori and Deidara would only stand a chance if they faced him together, something that they weren't willing to do just yet for a number of reasons.

Outside, they could hear the flurry of more fists—the sound of Orochimaru engaging Choza in battle. The rotund man was far hardier than Hiashi, who focused more on precision and lethal or debilitating attacks, and the Akimichi taijutsu style was mostly centered around raw power and beating your enemy into submission with your fists. It lacked the discipline the Gentle Fist had, and while it was effective in its own way, it would not work against a grandmaster like Orochimaru, who had speed, agility, and sheer force on his side. The Hidden Snake was truly a formidable style.

From their position, Sasori, Izumi, Deidara, and Chiyo saw Choza slide across the cobblestone on his stomach painfully. Then he was still—knocked out by a blow to the temple.

Kisame had it no better—refusing to take out his Samehada for a simple spar was his downfall. Had the chakra-eater been present, he might have been victorious. But his defeat was more graceful than the others, simply standing up and brushing himself off to save face before limping back to his dojo. More slander on his name would do him no good.

Deidara's lip curled. "Obito's next, un. Can the Uchiha Style stand up to the Hidden Snake...?"

Sasori sat down next to her. All the customers were busy staring outside, just like them. "I doubt it. Obito may be a master... but the you can tell from the way he moves that the northerner is in a league of his own."

"Well, shit, un. I suspected as much..."

"You dare?" Obito was snarling in a rare display of anger. "Your taijutsu is unique and formidable... but there is no honor in the way you fight."

"Honor?" Orochimaru hissed. "And who are you to speak to me about honor, boy?" His tongue swiped over his lips. "Regardless... you're the south's last chance. Tsk, it seems like no one here can defend themselves, let alone fight..."

"You bastard!" Obito rushed at him, backed up by years of intensive training in the Uchiha Style.

The heats of all watching beat quickly as the two danced around each other, Orochimaru putting the Uchiha on the defensive.

"Hang in there, Obito-sama!" some were shouting. "We're depending on you!"

Obito fought bravely.

But it wasn't enough.

He went down with a blow to the head.

"OBITO!" Rin burst through the crowd as soon as the match was over, having not been allowed to interfere. She bared her teeth at the Sannin as she crouched over her husband. "You sick fuck. Get the hell out of my sight!"

Orochimaru clicked his tongue. "I can respect a wife's duties. Come." He turned his back on them and walked to Chiyo's Chicken Rice, his team trailing close behind him.

"How did you know he was coming here?" Izumi wondered, staring at Sasori. She'd been pondering how Sasori would get into contact with Orochimaru without leaving the store.

"He can't keep his eyes to himself," Sasori said shortly. "It was obvious. And from the state of their clothes, they've been travelling on the road for a while now. This is the only restaurant in the vicinity that's not a sweet shop. It's only natural that he would come here."

And he was right. Because ten minutes later, Orochimaru and his gang were all seated in the restaurant and gnawing on the bones of their chicken, their rice bowls empty.

"No one in Akatsuki knows any martial arts at all!" Zaku laughed obnoxiously.

"I thought everyone was supposed to be good," Yoroi added. "Turns out that they were all just bums."

"They can't even fight or defend themselves," Kin said, practically quoting Orochimaru. "Looks like we'll be raking in the money pretty soon..."

"Indeed," Orochimaru chuckled. "My martial arts club will be the most popular in the south."

Sasori scoffed as he picked up their empty plates and bowls, eyeing the leader. "You think you're so tough after beating a few nitwits?" Forgive me, Obito. "Wait till you beat the best, then you can talk." He turned to leave, but Orochimaru, who had narrowed his eyes, called after him.

"And just who is the best? You? Her perhaps?" The snake-man pointed his chopsticks toward Deidara, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Izumi standing awkwardly beside her with her pregnant belly.

"Oh, no," Sasori answered. "We're good. Better than your lackeys at any rate, and strong enough to kill you if time permits. But he's better. Better than all of us."

"Who is it?!" Yoroi snapped. "Tell us already."

Sasori smirked. "Why, Uchiha Itachi, of course." He left them gaping, and heard Orochimaru mutter, "Go."

"Anata!" Izumi burst through the doors, where her husband was sitting on the lounge with a cup of tea, unwinding after an afternoon of training. "There's a man—a grandmaster—who is coming over here right now to fight you." Her eyes flashed indignantly. "He has done nothing but insult us, including Obito. Anata... I know this is sudden, but you're Akatsuki's last chance."

Itachi listened to all this in silence, the only sound being the clinking of his cup against the table. "Who is he?"

"Orochimaru of the Sannin. From the north."

Itachi nodded, standing. "I see. Izumi—"

"I know." She took his hands and kissed him. "I'll be safe in the other room. Try not to break anything."

Izumi vacated the hall just in time. The front doors flew open and a huge crowd of people—mostly civilians who had come to watch the final showdown between south and north—led by a pale-skinned man with long hair streamed into his house.

His poor manners did not impress Itachi. One did not simply storm into a private estate without any warning.

He knew that Orochimaru and he would not get along the moment the snake pushed his servant out of the way.

"Itachi-sama," Orochimaru greeted eagerly, if not impatiently. "I have heard great things about you. You are a master in Amaterasu, a deviation of the Uchiha Style, correct? I am Orochimaru-sama, founder of the Hidden Snake."

Good lord, Itachi thought exasperatedly, his hand twitching as if he wished to strangle the other man for his insufferable monologue. It's like Kisame all over again. The key difference being that Kisame at least tried to be polite.

Orochimaru opened his mouth to speak again, but Itachi held up a hand.

"That's enough," he said. "From the looks of you bringing so many people with you, you're after a duel with me."

"Of course." Orochimaru saw no reason to deny truth from them anymore. "I intend to open a successful martial arts club. I've heard that you are the best, and it's only logical for me to test my prowess against you."

"Is that so?" Itachi raised an eyebrow calmly. "If you want to open a martial arts club... you have no need to fight me. Just find a good place to open."

"Don't be ridiculous." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. 'You have every intention to fight me. I can see it in your eyes."

"Can you, now?"

They stared challengingly at one another, and the crowd began to clamour in anticipation, urging Itachi to fight and defend the southern martial arts. While the Uchiha liked to keep a relatively low profile compared to other taijutsu users like the masters of the four schools or the Big 4, his reputation as a formidable fighter was well-spread. None had ever seen him in action before, but they trusted the city gossip.

Itachi stepped aside. "Then by all means, come in. The rest of you, please stay outside."

Satisfied by his compliance, Orochimaru and his team strode inside after Itachi. Despite his clear instructions, the crowd followed as well, though most remained outside since there wasn't enough space for everyone.

"Out of the way!" A team of police officers, led by none other than Uchiha Sasuke, parted the crowd with their orders. "Move, move." The doors were wide open, allowing the officers easy access.

Sasuke wasted no time in approaching his brother, who was giving the crowd of people an uneasy stare.

"You morons," Sasuke seethed at the gathered people.

"I'm glad you're here, otouto," Itachi said, unruffled by the glare that Sasuke sent him. "Could you please escort these people out of my house? This room is too small."

Sasuke seemed miffed, but it was obvious that something bigger than the hostility he had toward his brother had reared its ugly head. Itachi had no doubt that his younger brother had heard of the crushing defeat each of the four school masters had faced at the hands of Orochimaru alone.

Hesitantly, Sasuke took a step forward and whispered in his brother's ear.

"Itachi," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, and for a second, Itachi heard a child version of his brother shouting for his aniki. "As much as I hate to say this... Make sure you win for our honor." He spun on his heel to face the people. "Everyone, out!" The combined force and authority of the police officers sent the crowd out the door, though they stayed gathered in the front yard. Sasuke was the last to leave, and he gave his brother a short, begrudging nod before closing the front doors, leaving a medium-sized crack for observation purposes.

Now, only Itachi, Orochimaru, and the rest of his group stood in the hall. Orochimaru's group lined up at the side of the room while Orochimaru and Itachi faced each other.

Orochimaru must have been itching for battle, because he jumped at Itachi instead of waiting for his opponent to attack first, like he normally did. He lashed out with his long arms, and Itachi caught his blows, even when Orochimaru went high and low in a demonstration of amazing flexibility.

Orochimaru was slowly but surely pushing Itachi backward, though the Uchiha had yet to do anything but defend himself, his face stoic as ever. Orochimaru did the high kick that had done major damage to Hyuuga Hiashi, only for Itachi to merely bend backwards like a drooping willow tree branch, totally avoiding the snake-man's leg.

Itachi parried more heavy strikes from Orochimaru, his eyes—onyx and not red with the sharingan—never leaving Orochimaru's face, even when the pale man lifted his leg to kick. Itachi lifted his own leg, stopping Orochimaru's kick with a loud crack that had the people on the sidelines wincing.

Orochimaru jumped backward, putting distance between himself and Itachi to regain his composure. He sunk into his stance once more, Itachi doing the same except with his Amaterasu stance.

Seconds had barely passed before Orochimaru went on the offensive again, spinning around in the air to give his punch more power. But it was parried once more, and Orochimaru hissed in frustration when the barrage of punches and kicks that he delivered next were all dodged or blocked.

After going in for a low, Orochimaru ended up on the ground, hut sprang back up with shocking speed, Itachi barely making it out of the way as Orochimaru's feet soared through the air...

And smashed the table that had an expensive China vase sitting on top of it.

Itachi frowned, showing feeling for the first time since the battle had started. "That was Ming."

Orochimaru stared at the smashed vase. Then at Itachi. "I'll pay!"

"Aa."

The battle resumed, going much like it did before, the only difference being that Itachi was now attempting to attack and succeeding half the time. Blood sprayed from Orochimaru's nose as his head snapped backward, courtesy of Itachi's powerful punch.

Baring his teeth, Orochimaru did an axle-leap into the air, cartwheeling. Itachi dodged just as Orochimaru's heel damaged Itachi's dinner table and sent the glassware toppling to the ground.

Scowling, Orochimaru promised, "I'll pay!"

Itachi rolled up his sleeves, folding them to keep them in place. "I can't let you break anymore things," he deadpanned. It was time to get doubly serious.

Orochimaru went for Itachi's legs again, but the Uchiha evaded his sweeping kicks. Then he lashed out, landing a harsh kick to Orochimaru's side. Orochimaru spun in the air again, but Itachi caught his heel this time and spun him around and around before releasing him, jumping up, and kicking the woozy snake-man away.

Orochimaru rolled once, then twice on the tiled flooring, his team rushing to where he stilled. But he quickly got up, shooing them away and glaring furiously at Itachi.

They rushed at each other once more, exchanging blows before Itach's forearm caught Orochimaru in the chest, making him fall. He halted his fall by landing on his hands and flipping upright again, but Itachi was on his case once more, and the snake-man's defence was hurried and clumsy.

Itachi's leg swished through the air in a motion that Yoroi couldn't even catch, and then Orochimaru was flying backward, half-landing painfully on the floor and a chair.

He did not get up.

His team was instantly by his side.

"Shit, boss!"

"Boss, you okay?"

"Get up, Orochimaru-sama!"

"I'm up!" snapped Orochimaru. "Now, Dosu..." He jumped into the air, and Dosu pulled the sword he carried out of his holster, throwing it into the air after Orochimaru.

The Sannin caught it, and slashed at Itachi with every intention of hacking him to bits. And he might have succeeded, had Itachi not been the grandmaster of Amaterasu. The Uchiha evaded the blade with a grace that came only from years and years of hard work and training.

The next time Orochimaru thrust his sword at Itachi, he grabbed his arm and swung him around, tossing him into the air. Orochimaru recovered, landing on his feet, the end of his sword hitting the ground with a metallic noise.

Itachi glanced to his left, where a brown feather duster sat in a vase. He grabbed it by the wooden end, dodging Orochimaru's sword just in time. Itachi flicked the feathery end of the duster into the Sannin's face, making him splutter from all the feathers that got stuck in his mouth.

Orochimaru spat out the feathers, infuriated by the indignity he had suffered. He thrust his blade at Itachi, who parried with the wooden end of the feather duster in such a manner that it wouldn't be cut in two. Mostly, he just avoided the sword, snapping the wooden end of the duster at Orochimaru's wrist every time he got near enough.

The Sannin swung his blade at Itachi's legs, but he jumped and landed safely, narrowing his eyes. Itachi's eyes flickered red momentarily, and he wagged the end of the feather duster as if he was scolding a naughty child.

Even more enraged, Orochimaru attacked with more energy than ever, slicing and slashing the places where Itachi had been, spinning and moving his feet expertly.

During the spin, Itachi managed to spank him three times with the feather duster, making the Sannin jump and hiss.

Yoroi coughed into his hand.

Having lost all sense of self after that, Orochimaru shrieked with rage and ran at Itachi with the sword held above his head.

Itachi stuck out his arm, the end of the feather duster digging into Orochimaru's armpit just in time to stop the sword from touching him.

Itachi thrust the duster, sending Orochimaru stumbling backward.

His disciples breathed heavily, unable to believe their eyes.

With a vengeance, Orochimaru lunged at Itachi again, slashing his sword, only for Itachi to slap his hand so hard with the feather duster that the pale man was forced to drop it. As it fell, Orochimaru nursing his hand, Itachi kicked the blade aside, and the sword rotates three times in the air before landing tip-first into the door.

Outside, Sasuke lurched backward, nearly falling over himself.

Once more wouldn't hurt, Itachi decided as he snapped the feather duster's wooden end against Orochimaru's rear end again, making his spine arch in agony. Orochimaru scrambled to turn around, only to be met with a feather duster digging into the skin of his throat.

A hideous snarl on his face, Orochimaru was forced to halt, breathing heavily.

"Are you still going to open that taijutsu club?" Itachi felt the need to ask as he cornered Orochimaru against the wall.

"What's the point?" The Sannin hissed at him. "My northern arts have lost to your southern ones. Do you not see the problem of that?"

"You're wrong. The problem isn't the origins of the art." Itachi's coal gaze bore deep into Orochimaru's soul. "It's you."

Slowly, Itachi moved back, letting his arms fall to his side, still gripping the feather duster. Gagging, Orochimaru massaged his threat.

Sasuke was curious as to what had happened when the doors suddenly opened, sending the crowd shuffling back to make way for those coming out. Orochimaru, looking wholly embarrassed and furious, led his team down the path the civilians had created for them.

"Who won?" someone asked.

"Obviously, Itachi did," Sasuke answered, sneering at the Sannin as he walked away. "Did you see the look on his face? It is obvious he lost."

At that point, honor and pride was restored, and the citizens began to shout, "Go home! Go back to the north and don't come back!"

Orochimaru didn't say a word as he left, nor did anyone from his team.

In the distance, Sasori and Deidara were warming up when they heard cheers coming from the mansion of Uchiha Itachi.

They exchanged a glance.

Nothing needed to be said. Deidara grinned widely at her sparring partner, feeling a renewed energy flowing through her veins. "Shall we?"

"Aa." Sasori emerged a puppet from his storage scroll, eyes gleaming. "I won't hold back."

"I'd be offended if you did, un."

They leaped at one another.

"Sasuke-shishou?" Daichi glanced up at Sasuke a week later. "You seem distracted today."

"Hm?" Sasuke spared him a glance. "It's nothing. Now prepare yourself. Don't wail if you draw blood."

In the near vicinity, Obito and Rin eye watching, pride shining in their eyes as they watched their son grow up.

Life went on as usual.

Until the war started.