Hekki bottom everyone
Sidenote: Today is my birthday everyone. I am not sure what I have planned for the day but I know my sister might be making me her strawberry cake that she has done for me for the past three years. At least I hope she is because it became kind of a tradition for me. Then my mom said she was going to make me beef stew because that is what I said I wanted. I am now 26 years old.
Reviews: Yeah but it will have a serious touch to it also.
Youngcoco18: I will try my best.
Guest: I'm glad.
naruita14: Je suis heureux.
Mkayemolina: You know I will get the details out there as best I can.
yuzukikuran476: Thank you and here you go.
Ita1412: I'm not going to lie because I don't like lying but I agree with you about it feeling a little rushed so I get what you were saying about that and I am glad that despite that you still want to read the story. I hope you like the chapter and leave another review.
Enjoy the chapter everyone.
Naruto traveled through at least six villages before he heard about Itachi again. It was two months of no contact from Konoha too. He avoided writing Sasuke now not because of what was going on at the village but because he didn't want to lie to Sasuke about Itachi not wanting to come back. He didn't want to face Sasuke even if it was through a letter.
"Still haven't written my brother I see," Itachi said sitting on a tree staring down at Naruto.
"I'm not going to write him either," Naruto said getting ready to attack.
"Why are you being so difficult? Just tell him what I said and go back to the village." Itachi said.
"If you really don't want to go back don't make me do your dirty work," Naruto said looking down.
Itachi found it weird and jumped down from the tree.
"Is there a reason you don't want to go back?" Itachi asked as he walked toward Naruto.
He still stayed his distance away so Naruto couldn't catch him especially because he knew Naruto had chakra cuffs now. He hasn't really left Naruto's side since they met up a few months ago. Naruto just didn't know how near Itachi was.
"That's none of your business," Naruto said.
"Why are you being so difficult?" Itachi asked sighing then sitting on a rock across from Naruto.
"Difficult? Seriously? You're telling me I'm being difficult but you won't tell your brother yourself that you don't want to go back to the village." Naruto said.
"That is not being difficult. What am I supposed to say to him?" Itachi asked.
"Tell him you don't want to come back," Naruto said.
"I think you're just prolonging the mission so you don't have to go back to what you can't seem to face," Itachi said hitting the nail on the head.
"Your one to talk," Naruto said. "It seems we're both avoiding something we don't want," Naruto said not looking at Itachi.
"What are you running away from I wonder?" Itachi asked crossing his legs an elbow on his leg while his face in his hands while he stared at Naruto.
"You don't need to know," Naruto said looking away not facing the Uchiha.
Itachi suddenly stood up and started walking back and forth.
"I have a plan for you," Itachi said.
"What?" Naruto said confused finally looking toward Itachi.
"Why don't we switch up this game we've been playing? What do you think about that?" Itachi asked.
"What's the catch?" Naruto asked.
"If I catch you within a week you tell me what you're running from," Itachi said.
"What do I get if I win?" Naruto asked.
"I didn't think of that," Itachi said tilting his head back because he was confident in his ability to catch Naruto in time.
"You didn't even think I could win, did you?" Naruto asked slightly annoyed.
"Do you want me to be honest?" Itachi asked with a smirk.
"You're a bastard too I see," Naruto said laying out his stuff. "When will this game start?" Naruto asked as he laid down.
"Tomorrow," Itachi said with a small smile.
"Okay," Naruto said turning over to get some type of sleep.
Itachi didn't know why he was doing this he just couldn't help but find Naruto amusing and that kept him coming back even though he could have run away a long time ago. He knew Naruto was running from something he just didn't know what. He wanted to find out though. He didn't really understand why he wanted to know but he wasn't going to ignore the feeling. He saw the sadness in Naruto's eyes and that bothered him a lot and he couldn't even explain why.
The next morning Naruto was already gone and Itachi was excited to start looking for him. If Itachi was being honest it felt like Naruto got a two-day head start and that was probably because the Naruto that was there last night was a clone and the real Naruto was in the mountains.
"I should have noticed that was a clone," Itachi said shamefully. "Now to catch the real one," Itachi said.
Itachi couldn't believe it but he really did find it hard to find the real Naruto. He caught three clones within a two-day span and he didn't want to keep running into his clones but that had to mean that Naruto set the clones up way before he made the game change.
The week was coming to an end sooner than the Uchiha expected and he still didn't spot the real Naruto and that was probably because he entered the Fire Nation and Itachi wasn't going to go there.
He just waited the week out before he came toward Itachi which he sensed on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. The Uchiha most definitely wasn't amused by Naruto's play but Naruto and he didn't make any rules on what Naruto did so it was only fair. It annoyed Itachi that he was outsmarted by the blonde but he didn't say anything as the blonde came out of the Fire Nation area.
"So, I won what do I get?" Naruto asked as he walked up to Itachi.
"You indeed did win even though you just waited inside the Fire Nation for the week to be up," Itachi said slightly annoyed.
"Fair is fair Uchiha," Naruto said.
"Fine come along with me," Itachi said walking off as the blonde followed.
It has been two days since then and neither really talked about anything that needed to be talked about. It was either something about where they were going to sleep and what they were going to eat. It was never something important. They wouldn't talk about why they didn't want to go back to Konoha.
As they were getting comfortable, they noticed Garuda coming right to Naruto.
"Garuda what are you doing here boy it's late?" Naruto said happily to see the familiar bird that knew his chakra signature as much as Sasuke's.
The bird was Naruto and Sasuke's special messenger. They always used their summons to send messages. Garuda dropped a scroll into Naruto's hands as it nuzzled into Naruto's neck enjoying the blonde's presence. Itachi found that extremely peculiar with how the to summon was acting toward someone that didn't summon it.
"Thanks, buddy," Naruto said getting comfortable on the floor.
Naruto didn't realize how much he missed talking to Sasuke within the time he was gone. He missed his best friend and he actually found himself shocked by how much he missed everyone else in the village. He was starting to wonder what they were all doing until he read what was written on the paper.
"What's going on?" Itachi asked noticing the blonde's personality change.
Naruto didn't talk for a little while before he looked at Itachi. Itachi could swear he saw the world ending in Naruto's eyes and he really didn't understand what was going on.
"What happened?" Itachi asked getting up.
"Sasuke is getting married and he wants me to come back for the wedding and the reception," Naruto said.
"Is that a bad thing?" Itachi asked.
"No, it's the best thing I've heard in a while," Naruto said as he looked at the sky.
"Then why do you seem so sad about it?" Itachi asked as he leaned against the rock, he was near.
Naruto didn't look at Itachi or even say anything because he honestly didn't want to talk about it especially not to someone who didn't want to tell him their reason.
"How about this I tell you why I don't want to go back and then you tell me why you don't want to go back deal?" Itachi asked.
Naruto at first was going to say no but then something in Itachi's eyes made him want to open up.
"Deal," Naruto said.
Itachi leaned so he was staring at the open skies with the stars out.
"Do you know everything that happened with my clan?" Itachi asked.
"I thought I already said I didn't know everything because it wasn't my business," Naruto said.
"Ah yes, the only person that doesn't judge and doesn't know what goes on in clan politics," Itachi said.
"Are you calling me stupid?" Naruto asked as he pets the bird.
"No, you're by no means stupid but I do have to say your naïve," Itachi said.
"Okay I will take that," Naruto said shrugging his shoulders.
"You can't be blamed for that anyway considering you were born from a clan that died out but anyways clans are always about clan first... well not all of them look at the Nara's they are loyal to the village before their own. My point is that my clan was backed into a corner and the only thing they felt like they could do was a revolt against the village instead of just letting the problem die out. I don't want to deal with the council nor do I want to be there with Danzo. I... don't belong there on clan property after what I did to them. I can't be there," Itachi said shaking his head.
The area went quiet aside from the bird noises from Garuda. It was five minutes later when Naruto decided to start talking about his own problem.
"Everyone is moving on without me," Naruto said softly it was so soft that Itachi wanted to hear it twice.
"What?" Itachi asked moving a little closer to Naruto.
They have managed to keep a good distance between the two of them since they have been together but it seems like it was slowly breaking.
"Everyone is moving on without me," Naruto said while throwing something into the fire they made as he pets the bird.
Itachi made a strange face confused, "What do you mean?" Itachi asked.
"Everyone is getting together and no one really hangs out anymore aside from being with their spouse or whatever. It gets kind of lonely being home by myself. When this mission came, I was actually relieved but still confused in a way." Naruto said not looking up.
"I'm sure that they don't mean to do that," Itachi said.
"I know they don't but I don't want to be the reason no one is happy," Naruto said as Garuda nipped his hand making Naruto pet him more.
"How about this go back when you're ready and you can be with me until you're ready?" Itachi said not really understanding why he wanted to help the blonde but, in his heart, he knew it was because he felt bad for the blonde.
"Thank you but I have to go back for Sasuke's wedding or he will be upset and I want to be there for my best friend's wedding," Naruto said.
"Fine after the wedding find me again and we can travel the world until you're ready to stay there," Itachi said.
"Why don't you just come back?" Naruto asked.
"I won't come back Naruto but I will take you all the way up to the Fire Nation and then I will be on my way. If you want to find me, I will be in Ame," Itachi said.
"Fine," Naruto said looking away.
He quickly wrote a letter to Sasuke telling him he would be back in a week's time and sent Garuda on his way with a pat on the bird's head and it was gone.
"Why does the bird seem so fond of you?" Itachi asked once it was gone.
"When Sasuke was out for a mission once he left Garuda with me so we could stay in touch and around that time I guess you could say he got really close to me. I know Sasuke was jealous when he came back home. Now he knows my chakra as well as Sasuke's probably even more so. I know he could find me if I went missing," Naruto said with a small smile.
"All Sasuke would have to do is summon him and have him look for you," Itachi said.
"Yup," Naruto said as he laid back down.
(In Konoha)
"He said he is coming back," Sasuke said to Lady Tsunade and Sakura.
"That's good do you think Itachi will be coming with him?" Tsunade asked.
"I don't know he never said anything about him," Sasuke said sadly.
Sasuke really wanted his best friend and brother back in the village but it seems like they were both struggling with coming back home. He said that Naruto should take the mission because he saw the dullness in his eyes and was worried about him. He knew it was right for his best friend but he still missed him.
"Don't worry so much Sasuke he will be back soon," Sakura said as they left the Hokage's office.
"Yeah I know," Sasuke said putting his arm around her.
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