Fugaku knocks on Shisui's parent's front door and waits. After a minute, Shisui's mother opens the door. "Lord Fugaku!" she says, surprised. "You're here early."
"Yes, yes I am," says Fugaku. "Good morning to you too."
"Would...would you like to come in?" Shisui's mother asks, still surprised.
"Yes, yes I would."
Shisui's mother opens the door wider for Fugaku, and Fugaku heads inside to find Shisui's father. Shisui's mother follows him. Fugaku finds Shisui's father in the kitchen eating breakfast and reading the paper.
"Morning," says Fugaku. This is going to be fun.
"Lord Fugaku!" says Shisui's father. "Good morning. What brings you here?"
"I need Shisui's clothes and toothbrush," says Fugaku as seriously as he can. "He lives at my house now."
"What?" says Shisui's mother.
"Say what?!" demands Shisui's mother.
"You heard," says Fugaku. "Itachi kidnapped Shisui in the middle of the night and now he lives at my house."
Shisui's parents exchange a look.
"And, uh, you are okay with this?" says Shisui's father.
"Well Shisui is going to look after our grandson while Itachi is on missions," says Fugaku. "And someone told me you don't want the little cutie here, so Shisui lives with me now."
Shisui's parents flinch and then glare at Fugaku.
"You should not allow your daughter to act in such a deplorable manner!" snaps Shisui's father. "She is the clan hier, and yet she has a baby in her teens and kidnaps our son from his own home-"
"His own bed, while he slept, poor guy," says Fugaku.
"Get out of our house," says Shisui's father coldly. "And you better return Shisui. He will not be your babysitter!"
Fugaku stands. "I'll return Shisui just as soon as Itachi tells me I can," he says. "Now his things, if you don't mind."
"I said get out," says Shisui's father, his sharingan spinning.
"Alright, I'll leave," says Fugaku. "But you can't have Shisui back." Fugaku leaves before they can respond. It's not like Shisui's parents are actually able to force him to live with them again. Shisui is a grown adult and can live wherever he wants.
Fugaku heads back to his house where Eizo is running away from Mikoto. Good, Eizo has his pants on now. Well, his underpants. And his shirt is in Mikoto's hands along with Eizo's shorts. "Get back here, you little monkey!" says Mikoto, pouncing on EIzo and forcing him into his shorts and t-shirt.
Mikoto sees Fugaku and says, "What happened?"
"They told me in no uncertain terms that they want Shisui back," says Fugaku. "They can't have him."
"I'll go get him some clothes," says Mikoto. "You'd better go get your paperwork done. Drop Eizo off with Ibiki on your way."
Fugaku takes Eizo from Mikoto and says, "Send Itachi a bill for however much you spend on Shisui."
Mikoto giggles. "Oh I will."
"And remember, Sasuke is grounded for catfighting with Hinata," says Fugaku. "Give her extra chores or something to keep her out of trouble."
"I know, I already have a ton of chores lined up for her this week," says Mikoto. "Now off you go. I'll bring your lunch later." Mikoto kisses Fugaku and pushes him back out the door.
"Yucky," says Eizo pulling a face.
Fugaku heads off with Eizo riding piggy-back on his shoulders. As he walks through the village, the people he passes call greetings to him. When he and Eizo are alone for a few blocks, Fugaku says, "Eizo, you must not tell anyone Itachi has gone off to join Akatsuki, alright? It's a secret."
"Oooh, a secret!" says Eizo, tugging Fugaku's hair. "I can keep a secret. Pirates keep secrets all the time."
"That's the spirit!" says Fugaku, and then falls silent as they approach someone.
Itachi and Kisame are sitting in a sweet shop eating dango. Itachi is wearing her new Akatsuki uniform. Her dark purple nail polish is tucked into her pocket. She'll put it on later.
"Is it true that the Nine Tails delivered your baby?" Kisame asks. Apparently he's finished telling her about the mission they are going on tomorrow.
"Yes," says Itachi.
"That's awesome," says Kisame. "Boy or girl?"
"Boy."
"What's his name?"
"Karasu."
"Can I meet him?"
"Sure, when we go to the Leaf."
"Who's the Dad?"
"Shunshin Shisui."
"Hot damn," says Kisame, impressed. "You did well."
Itachi smirks. Doesn't she know it? She got in before all those little fangirls who came after Shisui for his fame.
A messenger hawk flies through the doors of the sweet shop and lands on Itachi's shoulder. Itachi takes the message from its carrier and the bird flies away. Itachi reads the message. It is from her mother. The short version is that they are keeping quiet about her departure for as long as possible and that Shisui's parents aren't cooperating. Along with the message is a bill for clothing and necessities that Mikoto bought for Shisui and a request to provide funds as soon as possible.
"What's that?" asks Kisame.
"The first bill," says Itachi. "I'm paying for my baby and boyfriend's upkeep."
"Really?" asks Kisame. "So he's a stay at home Dad, then?"
"Yes," says Itachi. "When do we leave for our mission?"
Itachi and Kisame stop at a dango shop on the way to their bounty mission. There are three customers there already. Two beat-up kids around Itachi and Shisui's age and a strange, shiny man. The man grins when he sees Itachi. "Hey Itachi," he says. "How's your baby? You seem to have recovered quickly."
It takes Itachi a second to realize who she is looking at. "Nine Tails, Sir. I didn't expect to see you here."
"It's Kurama," says the Nine Tails. "These are my sidekicks, Dimwit and Slowpoke."
"Those aren't our names!" yell Kurama's sidekicks.
"How is your baby?" repeats Kurama.
"He's fine," says Itachi. "I left him with Shisui, and Shisui with my parents."
"Did you kidnap Shisui in his sleep?" asks Kurama, grinning.
"Yes," says Itachi.
Kisame laughs. "I am loving hanging out with Itachi."
"Did your sidekicks do something right?" asks Itachi. She does not think Kurama would take anyone out for sweets unless he was pleased with them.
"Yes," says Kurama. "They can finally mold their chakra. It only took throwing them off the Valley of End, fighting a mermaid and drenching them every few seconds."
Itachi looks at the two sidekicks. "Go easy on them, humans are more breakable than Tailed Beasts."
"I am going easy on them," says Kurama.
"Good," nods Itachi, and orders her dango.
Kisame orders his own dango and plonks himself as close to Kurama as he can. "So you're the Nine Tails?" Kisame asks. "Can all the Tailed Beasts turn sort of human-like?"
"Yes and yes," says Kurama.
Itachi sits down across from Kisame to eat her dango.
"That's cool," says Kisame, and starts munching his dango. "So where did you get your sidekicks?"
"They are my new trainee guards," says Kurama. "No more questions please."
Unphased, Kisame turns to the side kicks and starts asking them questions instead.
Itachi catches Kurama's eye and they both shrug. Kisame never stops talking.