Three Hundred and Thirty.
Mikoto wakes up with her head on Fugaku's chest and Eizo lying across her back. Not again. The chances of them having another child are incredibly low.
Something is not right. Mikoto takes a minute to wake up properly and scans the house with her shinobi senses. Sasuke: in her room. Peanut: in the garden. Eizo-Mori: on Mikoto's back. Fugaku: underneath Mikoto. Karasu: in his crib in Itachi's room. Itachi: nowhere to be found. Shisui: in Itachi's bed.
What is wrong with that picture?
Peanut is outside. Why is he outside? He's never outside at this time of morning, usually he's sitting on either Sasuke or Fugaku.
Ah well. Mikoto pushes Eizo aside and rolls out of bed. She showers, dresses and heads to the kitchen to get coffee and make breakfast. Itachi is supposed to help her this morning. Mikoto makes her coffee and drinks it while she waits for Itachi to come and help her.
Wait…
Itachi is nowhere to be found.
Shisui is in Itachi's bed.
Mikoto slams her cup down on the counter and marches back upstairs to Itachi's room. She finds Karasu sleeping peacefully in his crib dressed in a yellow duck onesie and Shisui tucked up in Itachi's bed dressed in an identical duck onesie, sleeping just as peacefully. Mikoto is about to toss Shisui out the window when she sees a note on Itachi's bedside table. Mikoto picks it up to read it. This better explain everything satisfactorily.
I'm leaving to join Akatsuki. Shisui will live here from now on and take care of Karasu. I will be sending money to pay for their upkeep.
-Itachi.
Mikoto sighs.
Shisui mutters something incoherent and hugs Itachi's pillow tighter.
Mikoto realizes that Itachi must've kidnapped the poor boy in his sleep. When Shisui is not on a mission, it is nearly impossible to wake him from his slumber. And when, exactly, did Itachi get Shisui and Karasu matching pyjamas?
Mikoto walks over to the window and closes it. Itachi left it open...after she sneaked out in the middle of the night thus breaking the curfew imposed on her as part of her grounding sentence, went to Shisui's house alone - also a breach of her grounding sentence - and left the village without notifying the Hokage first. What the hell does Itachi think she's doing? Going rogue and joining Akatsuki? Honestly.
Mikoto heads to her bedroom to wake Fugaku and warn him about Shisui incase Fugaku freaks out upon sensing Shisui's chakra in Itachi's room. When Mikoto arrives in her bedroom, Eizo is awake and playing with Fugaku's hair. Fugaku, who is used to this sort of carry-on, carries on sleeping.
"Go and get dressed, Eizo," says Mikoto. Why did they name him Eizo-Mori if they only ever use the first half of his name, anyway?
"Yes Mummy," says Eizo-Mori and leaps off the bed with a thud. The noise wakes Fugaku who snaps upright, his rinnegan spinning, as Eizo runs off to his room.
"Why is Shisui here?" demands Fugaku, wide awake. How does he wake up so fast, Mikoto wonders. "Where is Itachi?"
"Read this," says Mikoto, handing him the note. "It explains everything and absolves Shisui of all guilt."
Fugaku reads the note. "How does that absolve Shisui of guilt, exactly?" he demands.
"Shisui is sleeping peacefully with no idea he is in our house, let alone Itachi's bed," says Mikoto. "Itachi probably kidnapped him before she left."
Fugaku groans longsufferingly and says, "Where the hell did we go wrong with that girl?"
"Don't ask me, you trained her to be a shinobi," says Mikoto. "90% of what she knows, she learned from you, so if she picked up your habit of randomly doing weird s***, it's on you."
Fugaku pulls a pout that would put Sasuke's to shame. "Well if Shisui is going to stay here, he has to help with chores."
"He'll be taking care of Karasu full time," says Mikoto.
"And so he should," says Fugaku. "But why does he have to stay here, he has a house and parents - those two need to contribute to raising our grandson."
"Well they approve of Shisui and Itachi having a baby even less than you did," says Mikoto.
"Oh I don't disapprove of them having a baby that much," says Fugaku. "The part I disapprove of is all the underage sex."
"Oh, I see," says Mikoto, understanding. "Now who's going to break the news to Shisui that he lives here now?"
Shisui wakes up because someone is shaking him. "Wake up boy!" says a familiar voice.
Shisui's blood turns cold. "Lord Hokage…?"
"I'm not here to hurt you this time," says Lord Fugaku, dragging Shisui out of bed. "Get up, you need to go and get breakfast while I go and get your things. You're staying here from now on."
For a moment, Shisui is confused. Then he realizes he is in Itachi's room. "How did I get here?!" Shisui asks.
"Itachi kidnapped you in the middle of the night and left to join Akatsuki," explains Fugaku. "You are not in trouble. Now come and have breakfast. I'd better carry Karasu until you know your way around properly." Fugaku picks up Karasu, who already has a distinct chakra signature, and drags Shisui downstairs to the kitchen.
"What's Shisui doing here?" asks Sasuke from where Shisui assumes the table is.
Fugaku forces Shisui to sit down beside Sasuke and says, "He lives here now. Itachi ran off to join Akatsuki."
"Why does Shisui need to be here though?" asks Sasuke. "Did his parents kick him out?"
"No, he's here to look after Karasu," sasy Mikoto, handing Shisui a bowl of something and a spoon. "Itachi kidnapped him in his sleep."
"Yay!" Eizo's voice reverberates through the room. "Shisui is living here now!" He hugs Shisui from behind, narrowly avoiding upsetting Shisui's breakfast.
"Eizo-Mori!" snaps Mikoto. "Get back upstairs and put your pants on, you can't run around in just a shirt and your bare bum!"
Itachi can't help looking over her shoulder the whole way to the Hidden Rain. She runs as if pursuit is hot on her heels. She left without permission or notifying anyone before she left. Technically Itachi had permission to join Akatsuki. But not official permission to leave the village. The Clan and the Council are against Itachi joining Akatsuki. They expect her to return to ANBU and her duties as the Uchiha Clan heir. That is why she left in the middle of the night.
Somehow, Itachi feels as though Akatsuki is where she belongs.
After hours of travelling at her maximum longdistance forced march pace, Itachi finally arrives in the Land of Rain. It is around midmorning when Itachi finally reaches the Hidden Rain Village. She sneaks past the guards and heads straight to the tower in the centre. A flock of paper butterflies flies through the rain, circles around Itachi and flies ahead of her, leading the way.
Soon Itachi arrives at the central tower, where Akatsuki is assembled and waiting for her.
"Welcome," says Yahiko. "We've been looking forward to your arrival."
"The real question," says Konan, as her butterflies reattach themselves to her body. "is who will partner up with Itachi?"
"I call dibs!" says Kisame.
"You can't do that, I want a better partner!" snaps Kakuzu.
"The laws of dibs have been invoked," says Itachi. "No one can dispute the Laws of Dibs."
"Very well," Yahiko says, smiling. "Itachi will pair up with Kisame. Welcome to Akatsuki, Itachi Uchiha." He steps forward and shakes Itachi's hand.
"Yes!" says Deidara. "Another girl in the gang! There's too many smelly old men."
"I am not smelly!" snaps Kakuzu.
"Yes you are, you smell like money and greed," says Nagato, grinning.
"That is an acceptable thing to smell of," says Kakuzu.
"Here is your uniform," says Haku, handing a pile of clothing to Itachi. "We had it made as soon as you warned us you would come to join us soon."
"Things are gonna get real fun around here," grins Suigetsu. "I can't wait to find out what colour nail polish you pick."
"Purple," says Itachi.
"Let's go get some now!" says Kisame, grabbing Itachi's arm and dragging her towards the door. "I'll show you where the good dango is around here!"
Itachi smiles. "I think we are going to get on just fine."
"Let her change first!" calls Yahiko.