(A/N) Horribly sorry about the missing of the Tuesday update last time, I had it ready, and it was in , it just never went into the story somehow. Again, really really sorry, but both went up on Saturday, so no harm done, right? Princess Hinashi, *smirks* very bold of you to assume this is the end. Or even close, actually.
They reached the Ame border a few days later, crossing without incident. A few miles in, they were stopped by a pair of people, one that was blue and had very sharky-like features, and the other that was hunched over.
"Why are you here?" The blue one asked, placing his hand on his bandaged sword.
"We wish to join the Akatsuki," Itachi said, eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped in front of Sasuke and Naruto.
"You have children with you," the other one said, a female with blue hair.
"We do," Shisui agreed. "Is that a problem?"
"And you have them here why? They don't look like ninja."
"We're ninja in training!" Naruto said, pumping his fist.
Kurama sighed. "Kit, stop talking, you aren't helping."
Naruto pouted, but fell silent, flopping against Kurama's back.
"They are children," the blue one reiterated, narrowing his eyes.
"Is that a problem?" Kakashi asked, narrowing his visible eye.
"We shall talk with Leader-sama. Do not go anywhere," the other one said, turning away from them.
Shisui nodded, turning to Sasuke and Naruto. "Alright, let's set up camp for now, and give Kurama and Bull a chance to rest."
Itachi sighed, but handed the camping scrolls out.
They didn't have to wait long, after a couple of hours a rain started up, then it stopped, and an orange haired person with the fabled Rinnegan came to meet them.
"You wish to join the Akatsuki?" He asked.
Shisui jumped up, and nodded. "Yes."
"You have a jinchuuriki with you."
"We do, it was rumored you were looking for them, but meant them no harm," Itachi said levely.
The orange haired man inclined his head. "You may refer to me as Leader-sama."
Kakashi tilted his head, so much like the dogs he summoned. "I'm assuming we're hired?"
Leader nodded. "You will be paired off, and begin missions tomorrow."
Shisui glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, who's fallen asleep leaning against Kurama, who was also asleep. "And who will watch them? They're just five years old, they need supervision."
"If you so wish, you may watch them instead," Leader said, nodding to Shisui.
Shisui nodded, visibly relieved.
"Congratulations," Kakashi muttered to Shisui. "You're now the de facto babysitter."
"Is it really all that bad?" Shisui shot back.
Kakashi just snorted, and turned to pack up.
Leader eyed him, but didn't comment.
Shisui pouted at Kakashi's back for a moment, then packed up himself, packing his own tent up, then getting to work on Naruto's while Itachi handled Sasuke's.
Leader watched them, silent and unmoving as they finished their packing up and woke up Naruto and Sasuke, who seemed quite fascinated by Leader.
Naruto and Sasuke alike gaped at the city, the sky, and just everything in general. They'd never seen so much rain. It had been drizzling the entire time they were approaching the city, which Shisui had told them was called Amegakure, or the Village Hidden by Rain.
"Does it always rain here?" Naruto asked, catching one of the rain drops on his tongue.
"Yes," Leader said shortly, leading them inside of the base.
"It's called the Village Hidden by Rain for a reason, kit," Kurama pointed out.
"Woah, so many rooms!" Naruto marveled.
"It is a lot of rooms," Sasuke agreed. "Are there people in all of them?"
Leader shook his head. "Those with plaques have people in them now, or will have people in them in the future. Select a room without a plaque. Except the nine-tails's container. He will be in the room labeled 'nine'."
Shisui nodded, glancing to Kakashi and Itachi. "Is there anything else?"
"There is no specified meal time. Cook your own food, get your own groceries, but do not be surprised if they get used," Leader listed off. "Be in the meeting room at 9:00 tomorrow morning with the jinchuuriki."
Naruto found the room with the kanji for 'nine' on a plaque, and went in, followed by Kurama in his one tailed state.
"Wow! It's so big!" Naruto exclaimed, followed by a similar statement from Sasuke, who picked the room next to him. Itachi and Shisui selected rooms across from their respective little brothers, and Kakashi picked the one next to Itachi's.
"I guess we should probably tell you why we had to go missing-nin," Itachi began when they were all seated at a table in the mess hall. Well, except for Kakashi, who'd wandered off somewhere.
Sasuke nodded rapidly. "Yes, it's about time!"
Shisui sighed heavily. "For one thing, Kakashi was not involved in most of this. We just told him about us going missing-nin, and he insisted on joining us. He was a student of your father, Naruto."
Itachi picked up the tale. "The Uchiha clan was planning a coup. They refused to respond to negotiations, and therefore it was you, Sasuke, being left alive while the rest of the clan was killed, or a civil war in Konoha, which would lead to another Shinobi World War."
"Danzo ordered us to, and gave us the ultimatum. We took the side with less bloodshed. As bloody as the newly named Uchiha Massacre was, it would've had nothing on a civil war with the Leaf, followed by a Shinobi World War," Shisui said, stirring his cereal.
Sasuke got up from his seat, moving towards Itachi. Itachi tensed slightly, but relaxed when Sasuke attached himself to Itachi's side. "Nii-san, for the record, I think you were right."
Kurama growled slightly in agreement. "On the plus side, Shisui is not known as a participant of the Uchiha massacre, neither is Kakashi. As far as anyone knows, Itachi stole Sasuke and Naruto from Konoha, and Kakashi and Shisui went rouge to find them, or something else ridiculous like that. Sarutobi confirmed that Shisui, Kakashi, and you two will be welcome back in Konoha, should you so choose."
"We were planning on taking you back to Konoha for a bit when it would be time for you to become genin if you hadn't left," Shisui said. "We figured you might want to have headbands to actually slash."
"I wouldn't be welcome in Konoha, but if you had any out of village missions, I would be able to see you then," Itachi said, patting his brother's head, only slightly awkwardly.
Naruto frowned slightly. "Would we be placed with other jounin-sensei? And what about teammates?"
Shisui shrugged. "Up to the Hokage. We did hint that one of us would like to be your sensei. And may have suggested potential teammates."
Itachi shook his head. "Kakashi did want to teach you, Naruto, but your brother may take you instead. Kakashi will most likely insist on teaching you instead, Sasuke."
Loud crashes and other rather worrying noises came from about where the front of the building.
Shisui heaved a sigh and stood up. "I may want to go check that out. Naruto, Sasuke, you two stay here and finish eating, I promise to drag anyone interesting back here for you to meet."
That seemed to mollify the slightly irritated kids. Sasuke detached from his brother and hopped back into his seat. "You'd better Cousin Shisui."
Shisui sweatdropped, and walked off towards the sounds.
Now that he was getting closer, he was beginning to catch snippets of the conversation.
"If you blow that thing up, I will personally take you back to Iwa, boy!" A cranky voice snapped.
"Well, what am I supposed to do with it?" A much younger voice snapped right back.
"Recycle it! Use it again!" The cranky one replied waspishly.
"Don't fight," a younger voice then either of the previous ones said timidly. "That's bad."
Shisui rounded a corner, almost shocked to find a blond kid, perhaps nine years old, arguing with a redheaded teenager Shisui recognized as Sasori of the Red Sand. Even if he really should be in his thirties or so. A second redhead, this one much younger, perhaps five, around Naruto and Sasuke's age, hid behind Sasori, and clutched tightly to his pants.
"Hello!" Shisui chirped, trying to defuse the situation.
Everyone in the hallway turned to face him, and Shisui smiled disarmingly.
"Hello," the smaller redhead offered quietly.
"Who are you?" Sasori snapped waspishly.
"I'm new, Shisui Uchiha. Or Shunshin no Shisui."
Sasori grunted. "Sasori of the Red Sand. The blond nine-year-old idiot is Deidara Bo, and the kid is Gaara. Youngest child of the current Kazekage and jinchuuriki to the one-tails."
The kid now identified as Gaara waved timidly, having moved behind Sasori again. Deidara waved at him as well, and accompanied it with a blinding smile.
"Hello Gaara, Deidara. Would you like to meet my brother and my cousins? My brother is the nine-tails container."
Deidara grinned. "Sure! Better than being stuck with this stick in the mud! He doesn't understand true art!"
Sasori frowned at the blond.
Gaara glanced up as Sasori, hesitation clear in his eyes. Sasori sighed and gestured to Shisui. "Just go, meet a fellow jinchuuriki. Just don't kill anything."
Shisui raised an eyebrow, sensing a story there. Ultimately, the redhead hesitantly came over, and Shisui offered his hand. The kid took it, and allowed Shisui to lead him down the hall, Deidara following close behind, chattering on about how art was an explosion.
"Art is fire," Shisui mused. "Explosions work too though, I suppose."
"Shisui-nii, who's this?" Naruto asked, bounding over.
"Gaara, meet Naruto Uzumaki," Shisui said with a wide grin.
(A/N) Isn't baby Gaara just the cutest?! I will be updating this Saturday, but not after that until December. Oh, Saturday is my birthday! We can celebrate together by reading an update!