Hello, everyone! I'm back with chapter 2 of 100 Moments With You. I just got back from a weekend vacation and I had lots of fun. I hope everyone who celebrates had a great holiday weekend! Now, on to the chapter!
I don't own Naruto.
2. Complicated
"Welcome back, Itachi-san!"
Itachi Uchiha walked through the village gates and glanced in the direction of the person acknowledging him. Recognizing the man as Kotetsu Hagane, one of the gate guards, he nodded in greeting before making his way over to the welcoming station.
"Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san. Always nice to see you," Itachi greeted politely.
"Likewise. I take it your mission went well?" Izumo asked.
The Uchiha simply nodded. "It did. I was just on my way to file my report before heading home."
After engaging in polite small talk for a few moments, Itachi summoned one of his crows to alert his girlfriend, Izumi Uchiha, that he would be home shortly. As much as he wanted to go straight home and enjoy her company immediately, he still needed to report to Tsunade. With a quick goodbye wave to Izumo and Kotetsu, he set off in the direction of the Hokage Tower.
"In conclusion, the monk made it to his destination safely. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred on my way back home."
Tsunade nodded at the man standing in front of her, jotting down the rest of her notes before gathering them into a folder. She set the folder aside before grabbing a new one and presenting it to the man in front of her, who took it wordlessly.
"I expected nothing less from you, Itachi. I'm glad the mission went off without a hitch. The folder I've just handed you contains the details of your next mission. It's another simple escort mission. You are to leave in the morning," Tsunade said.
Itachi internally sighed at the news he'd just been delivered, but his outward appearance showed nothing of his discomfort. Under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't mind taking another mission so soon after the last. His reason for living was for his loved ones, and to serve his village. However, these were far from ordinary circumstances. His anniversary with Izumi was tomorrow, and he really didn't want to miss it. She'd been so disappointed when he ended up missing their last anniversary, as well as her last birthday. Of course, she tried not to show it, but he could see it in her eyes. He was well aware that it was all part of his job to miss such occasions. However, Itachi found himself wondering if he should protest, just this once.
'Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt to try. I never make this type of request, and surely Tsunade can find someone else for such a simple mission.'
With that thought, Itachi decided to go for it.
"If I may, hokage-sama, I must respectfully decline this mission," the Uchiha said quietly.
The blonde's eyes widened, shocked by his objection. It was unlike Itachi to decline any mission. She could understand being burned out, had he just returned from a dangerous assassination. But, his last assignments have been a walk in the park. She was truly curious as to the reason.
"On what grounds do you decline?" she asked.
"Personal reasons. Tomorrow is my anniversary with Izumi. I am well aware that I cannot be home for every important event. However, I also missed our last anniversary, as well as her last birthday. Given that this is such a simple mission, is there no way someone else can handle it? We have many capable shinobi," Itachi finished.
Tsunade took in the raven's words, and folded her hands in front of her. Truthfully, she wanted to grant the Uchiha's request. If anyone deserved a break, it was him. Unfortunately, there was one big problem.
"I understand where you're coming from, Itachi. And I feel for you. Normally, I'd be happy to grant this request for you, especially considering the simplicity of the mission. However, our contractor is a well-known political figure. Not only that, but he requested you specifically. My hands are tied here."
Itachi simply nodded in understanding, deciding not to object any further. He believed her when she said she would be happy to grant his request under different circumstances. "Understood, hokage-sama," he said.
If the raven was disappointed, he'd never show it. Tsunade knew that well enough. Still, she truly did feel for Itachi and Izumi. She'd seen the two on dates around the village occasionally, and they made a cute couple. Izumi was strong, beautiful, and a little feisty. She'd make a great matriarch for the Uchiha clan.
"I know you're probably disappointed, but you'll only be gone for two or three days. I'm sure Izumi will understand. Besides, you can always make it up to her when you get back. I'm sure Jiraiya's Icha-Icha books can give you some creative ideas," Tsunade said with a wink.
While Itachi was never one to falter, even the best of the best have their moments. The hokage's completely inappropriate comment nearly made the raven choke on his own spit. He took a deep breath, willing the blood to stop rushing to his cheeks.
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh heartily at his reaction. The raven was one of the strongest, if not the number one strongest shinobi in the village. He'd seen the goriest battlegrounds, and never even flinched. The thought of a simple dirty comment making him falter was laughable.
"Wow, Uchiha. I never would have thought you were so shy. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone I made you blush."
Itachi resisted the urge to sigh, before bowing and taking his leave.
'Damn.'
Izumi smiled to herself as she gave a quick stir to the rice she was making. She'd received a message from one of Itachi's crows, alerting her that he was back in the village. Though he'd only been gone for a couple of days, she still missed him terribly. It might not have been as bad if she regularly left the village for missions, but mentoring a team of genin made that a rare occurrence. Nowadays, most of her days were spent chaperoning her team while they did D-rank missions for the villagers. Though as their skills improved, she had faith they'd be sent out on more difficult missions in no time.
The brunette checked on the fish that was baking, pleased that it was coming along nicely. It wouldn't be long until lunch was done, so she hoped that Itachi wouldn't be too much longer. She was incredibly excited for their upcoming two-year anniversary the next day. She'd already gotten him a kunai set that she'd seen him eyeing. However, she wondered if that was enough. Glancing at a vase of flowers she'd picked up earlier in the day, she couldn't help but think back to an earlier run in with Ino Yamanaka.
"Eyeing some flowers, I see. Isn't your anniversary with Itachi-kun tomorrow?" Ino asked as she rang up Izumi's purchase.
"It is! He's supposed to be home later today. I'm wondering what I should get him besides the deluxe kunai set from the shop," Izumi replied with a smile.
A sly smile graced Ino's features, and the brunette knew she had to be thinking of something sinister, or perverted. She was almost afraid to ask. Though knowing Ino, she wouldn't have to.
"Why don't you get some naughty lingerie and surprise him? Men love that. I'm sure even Mr. Emotionless would too!" Ino exclaimed.
Alright, so perverted it was. Normally, Izumi would be annoyed by Ino's chosen nickname for Itachi. However, she was too stuck on the word 'lingerie' to care. Mumbling an awkward 'thank you' and taking the flowers, Izumi bolted out of the shop while the blonde proceeded to giggle to herself like a schoolgirl.
Coming back to reality, Izumi checked on the food again and saw that it was about done. Taking the fish out of the oven, the brunette couldn't help but wonder if Itachi really would like something such as naughty lingerie.
Just as she finished that thought, Itachi walked through the door.
"Welcome home, Itachi-kun! You're just in time. I'm in the kitchen plating our lunch!" Izumi called to him.
The raven came up and hugged her from behind, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek while holding her. "It smells great, Izumi. Thank you. Did anything eventful happen while I was away?" he asked, before releasing her.
Izumi shook her head. "No, not really. Koizumi somehow got his head stuck in a trashcan during a clean up mission, though. Does it make me a terrible sensei if I laughed for a bit before helping him?" she asked, grinning at the memory of her clumsy student.
"Even if it did, I wouldn't tell," Itachi replied smoothly.
"Good answer," Izumi laughed, "Did your mission go okay?"
"It did, thankfully," he replied, suddenly feeling slight apprehension. He knew that he'd have to tell her that he was leaving for another mission first thing in the morning, and he really wasn't looking forward to it.
"Glad to hear it! Was there anything special you wanted to do for our anniversary tomorrow? Or would you rather stay home and have a simple dinner?" Izumi asked, walking to the other side of the kitchen for some napkins.
"I actually have some unfortunate news regarding that. While I was giving my report to Tsunade-sama, I was assigned another escort mission. I leave tomorrow morning. I'm sorry," Itachi said quietly, feeling bad for disappointing her yet again.
The brunette stopped in her tracks before slowly turning to face him. She was trying to maintain her composure, but the hurt in her eyes was obvious. "Aa, I see. Did you try explaining to her that we had plans for tomorrow?" she asked.
Itachi debated taking a few steps toward her, but decided against it. It was probably best to give her space at the moment. "I did, and I was denied. Apparently, the contractor specifically requested that I accompany him. I'm less than thrilled about it. I know how much this meant to you."
Izumi shook her head and walked toward Itachi, placing a hand on his cheek. The raven unconsciously leaned into her touch.
"Don't feel bad, Itachi-kun. It's not your fault. I'm not angry with you. I'm angry at the situation. The village works you like a dog, because they know you're the best they've got. It's unfair. I should go and give Tsunade-sama a piece of my mind." Izumi said, annoyance evident in her tone.
"I suppose nothing I say will stop you from doing that, will it?" Itachi asked with a sigh.
The brunette simply smirked.
"Oh, you know me so well."
With that, Izumi marched out of the apartment and towards the Hokage Tower, Itachi in tow. The lunch made with love was left forgotten. Izumi had a mission of her own.
Tsunade was in the middle of a briefing with Sakura when the door to her office suddenly flew open.
"Oh, Tsunade-sama! I'd like to have a word with you!" Izumi barked, marching into the office like she owned the place. Itachi simply followed behind her wordlessly. It was useless trying to talk sense into her when she was like this. She was an Uchiha, after all.
Sakura raised an eyebrow and turned toward her master. "Tsunade-sama, what did you do to get Izumi-san all pissed off? You didn't spike someone's drink again, did you?"
The blonde could only roll her eyes at her disciple. "Of course not! What do you take me for!? Actually, don't answer that."
Shaking her head at her master's antics, Sakura turned back to Izumi and Itachi. "What in the world is going on? I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up!" she exclaimed.
"Our anniversary is tomorrow, and I'm being sent on a mission first thing in the morning. We came to hopefully have a respectful discussion regarding the situation with Tsunade-sama," Itachi replied, glancing at Izumi from the corner of his eye as to say not to start anything.
"I can't respect this decision. Tsunade-sama, you know that Itachi-kun has missed my birthday and our last anniversary. Every shinobi knows that things like that are part of the job description, but can't you give him a break just this once? So what if this guy specifically requested him?" Izumi ranted.
"Our contractor is an important political figure! I don't know what you want me to do. Uchiha was requested, so he has to go. I understand wanting to be together during your special day, but can't you celebrate when Itachi comes home?" Tsunade asked.
The brunette looked as if she was about to burst a blood vessel, so Sakura decided to chime in. "May I make a suggestion? What if Izumi-san goes along on the mission? Would that work?"
Tsunade contemplated the suggestion for a moment, looking torn. "That could be a potential solution, but we were only contracted for one shinobi."
"It doesn't matter to me if I don't receive compensation. I'd just like to be with Itachi-kun tomorrow. Besides, wouldn't it be better to have two shiobi just in case something unexpected happens? That is, if it's okay with you, Itachi-kun," Izumi said.
"That's fine with me. At this point, it is the only solution I can see with the best outcome for everyone involved," the raven replied.
Tsunade nodded, finally deciding to allow it. It was true that it was the best possible solution, and she honestly didn't feel like dealing with a pissed off Izumi. She felt a headache coming on, and just wanted everyone out of her face.
"Sure, whatever. I'll throw in an extra mission allowance for you two as compensation for the inconvenience. Find an onsen or a fancy restaurant on the way back, and consider it my anniversary gift to you. Oh, and Izumi? If you barge into my office like that again, I'm assigning you D-rank missions for a month," the blonde hissed.
The brunette let out a nervous chuckle, feeling slightly intimidated now that she wasn't as angry. She decided that it'd probably be best to apologize, especially considering the woman was willing to compromise. Not only that, but Tsunade definitely didn't need to give them an extra mission allowance. "Understood, Tsunade-sama. I apologize for my outburst, and I am glad we were able to come to an agreement," she said, bowing deeply.
"Apology accepted. Now, both of you get out of my sight so I can continue my briefing with my disciple."
With a nod of their heads and one last bow, Itachi and Izumi took their leave from the office. It wasn't the ideal situation, but at least they'd be together for their anniversary.
Making a relationship work as shinobi could be complicated, to say the least.
There you have it! Shinobi life sure can get complicated, can't it? I was thinking about making a part two of this with anniversary fun for the next chapter. If I do that, it may or may not contain adult material. If that's something my readers might want, please let me know! If you enjoyed this chapter, please review and save it to your favorites! Until next time!