Another reincarnation story
05.
Half a year later, Itachi was still suffering the consequences of that night.
On the night of Shisui's seventeenth birthday, Itachi had returned home drunk beyond description. Unable to walk for himself, he was carried home dangling between Kakashi and Tenzou. He had vomited in the kitchen sink and awoken half of his household that night. Barely seeing straight and babbling, Itachi had to explain to his outraged father and shocked mother that it was a unique incident that wouldn't happen again. It didn't help things when Shisui crashed in through the closed window, stammering that Itachi had forgotten his hitai-ate.
Itachi didn't even remember taking it off. He took it from Shisui, more or less slapping his cousin in the process and bound it around his head upside down. He then cursed his preteen stamina in front of his parents, his cousin and his comrades with language he had picked up from Hidan. His mother was aghast and his father looked as if he was about to murder someone.
As Itachi tried to defuse the situation, he only vomited on the tatami again. He remembered his father banishing Kakashi and Tenzou from the Uchiha district and Shisui from their house before Itachi fell unconscious next to his mother's feet.
The headache he had in the morning was the worst he ever had, his other life included. With eyes narrowed and fingers on his temple, Itachi had listened to his father's lecture. For the first time since his return to his child body, Itachi completely agreed and found no words of protest. He accepted his punishment in silence which consisted of 50 rots and one year of shrine duty. He was only allowed to leave the house for his shinobi work or duties at the shrine. Even his private training session needed to be sanctioned by either his father or mother.
The limitation of his freedom wasn't what really bothered him. He could sneak out of the house anytime. If not, his ANBU comrades always covered for him, claiming that their work wasn't done.
What bothered him was the humiliation. He hated being treated like a child, as if he needed the stern lectures of his parents to realize what he had done wrong. It was his own fault that he had let himself come this far.
That and Shisui's smile that tempted him into drinking too much.
That was the reason why Itachi, the unbeatable, fearsome Itachi was hiding in the ANBU shower, stealing all the hot water.
"Lingering again?" Tenzou poked his head around the corner and grinned.
"Ah," Itachi only nodded.
"What excuse do we have today?"
"I was hurt during the mission," Itachi said truthfully, pointing at the open wound on his arm.
"You really should stop getting hurt on purpose just to escape grounding." Tenzou leaned against the tiled wall and handed a towel to Itachi.
"Not many other reasons would suffice, I'm afraid." Itachi said again, accepting the white fluffy towel.
"Your father sure is stern," Tenzou sighed. "I wish there's something I can do."
"I'll think of something," Itachi suggested, putting his clothes on. "Something that doesn't require me to go home every night."
"You mean a mission?"
"That would be perfect," The genius put his shorts on, not bothering with Tenzou in the room. After three years, he had gotten used to his girlish body. Apparently, it wasn't that much of a problem for his comrades, for none had ever said anything.
He followed Tenzou into their planning room where the rest of Ro-han were gathered. Officially, they were off work. Unofficially, ANBU agents were too suspicious to interact with civilians or shinobis outside of ANBU. If they weren't out with each other, they were here stepping on each other's toes.
"What are you still doing here?" One of his team-mates asked and chuckled. The one next to him looked up from his kunai and grinned.
Itachi rolled his eyes. "I have a good excuse."
"Got hurt again?"
"Just a minor wound." Itachi lifted his arm, which he was pressing against the white towel that slowly turned red.
"Does it need to be stitched?" Kakashi asked from behind a book Itachi's present self wasn't old enough to read.
"I don't think so," the youngest of the team replied. He sat down next to Saiku, who was the team's medic. "But it won't stop bleeding."
"Kid, you should stop this." The brunette set his scroll down and shook his long hair out of his face. "One day your father might think you're too young for ANBU."
"His pride forbids him to do so."
"Perhaps your mother, then?" Saiku pulled some bandages out of his pockets. "Isn't she going to say anything about her baby boy collecting scars faster than a drunkard's debts?"
"She's an Uchiha," Itachi murmured. "She will only wonder why I wasn't above injury."
Saiku and some others laughed. "Yeah, and there I thought only the Hyuugas have problems." Saiku frowned. "Looks fine, a clean cut. But try to be more careful next time."
"It will not hinder my performance."
"I know, kid." Saiku shook his head. "I mean it will scar."
"It's not a big deal," Itachi replied. "All shinobi have scars."
Ryo, another team-mate coming out of the shower plopped down opposite them with a loud sigh and placed his feet on the table.
"Careful, you pig!" Saiku barked. "I'm trying to work here."
"Relax!" the baldy grinned. "Kiddo here doesn't mind scars. He knows what's good. Girls love scars."
"Maybe I should stab you in the face, then."
"You're just jealous of my looks."
"At least I have hair."
"Girls love my look." Ryo grinned again, stroking his hairless skull. "They all want a peace of Ryo whenever Ryo's around. When I do this," he winked at Itachi and pointed one finger at him. "None could resist me. Say, Itachi, any cute cousin you could introduce me to?"
"Cut it off," Tenzou slapped him on the forearm. "Itachi is twelve."
"But Itachi has older cousins, right?"
"Yes."
"Any of them that might want a piece of this?" Ryo pointed down on himself.
"No," the genius replied. "My cousins have taste."
Laughter roared in the resting room of Ro-han. Some of the shinobi clapped their hands, other punched Ryo on his shoulder. Tenzou winked at Itachi, giving him a thumbs-up behind Ryo's back.
"Done," Saiku finished his bandage on Itachi's arm and cut off the spare. "Try not to get stabbed in the meantime."
"I'm sorry for the trouble," Itachi nodded his thanks. "I had little time to prepare."
"You need preparation to get stabbed?" Ryo wondered.
"Yes. It has to be at the right angle for my plan to work. The cut must not be too deep to tarnish me, but must be serious enough to qualify as an injury. I must not be injured at vitals points, but must also make it seem reasonable." Itachi explained. "Also, I have to be sure I can be seen, but also must not worry whomever saw the attack. Under no circumstance can I allow my fraud to compromise our mission." Itachi sighed. "I had little more than a second today, so I... miscalculated."
Ryo looked as if he wanted to puke. "You can think of all of that within a second?" He didn't need Itachi to answer his question. "Guys, can't we do something about Itachi being grounded? "
"What can we do?" Kakashi asked, finally closing his book and joining them. "Tenzou and I aren't allowed in the Uchiha district. Any violation of that order might compromise our fragile truce."
"I didn't realize things are that serious," Ryo mused. "Can we ask Hokage-sama?"
"To do what? Tell Fugaku-san how to punish his son because he came home drunk?" Saiku said.
"Come on," Ryo moaned. "Which son didn't come home drunk once?"
"But not when he's twelve." Saiku commented and Itachi blushed.
"I wouldn't know," Tenzou shrugged. "I wasn't let out of Root often when I was twelve."
Itachi threw a glance at Kakashi and received a knowing look.
"Everyone, I thank you for your concern," Itachi tried to end this conversation. He didn't like being the center of attention and really didn't want anyone getting into trouble because of him. "But I'm turning thirteen in a few months. Maybe things will change then."
"So we hold on until June?" Tenzou wondered. "How many more injuries have you planned until then?"
"None," Itachi replied. "It'll become unlikely if I tried this trick too often."
"Sounds like you already have something in mind." Kakashi lifted a brow.
"I was thinking of a longer mission away from the village," the genius suggested, stealing a sheepish glance at his captain. "Maybe something that will require us to go undercover, or stay away for a while."
"I second that," Ryo immediately said, polishing his skull again. "I hear girls from other towns love shinobi."
"Do you ever think of anything else?"
"Not in my time off."
"I can use a change of scenery too, Captain." Said the usually quiet Nagao from where he was still sharpening his kunais. "Assassinations get boring after a while."
"I don't mind going undercover," Tenzou shrugged.
"Everyone," Kakashi said rather seriously. "We are talking about a mission, not a vacation"
Itachi felt a wave of guilt overcome him. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"Don't worry, kiddo." Ryo winked again. "We're on your side."
Kakashi sighed. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. Now go home, Itachi, before your father files another complaint against me."
Ryo and Saiku both chuckled.
"But why, Taicho, you are a bad influence for Itachi." Ryo grinned.
"Yeah, you read porn in public." Saiku added.
Itachi blushed furiously and nodded his agreement.
Maybe he shouldn't have done that. When Kakashi showed up with a new mission scroll two days later, the young Uchiha was sure his captain hated him. While Kakashi read out the requirement to Ro-han, Itachi observed the eyes of his comrades grow wider and wider. At the end, Ryo and Saiku were sitting there with his mouths hanging open.
"So, our objective is to sneak into Lord Gorimura's stronghold, protect him from all dangers and eliminate his enemies." Kakashi finished and placed the scroll on the table. "Clear?"
"A guarding mission?" Tenzou wondered. "Who is this Lord Gorimura?"
"A daimyo in the land of Iron," Itachi explained, remembering it from his other life. "He's distantly related to our daimyo and is to be elected shogun should the Samurai go to war."
"So we guard an important person," Ryo didn't sound thrilled. "Splendid!"
Like his team-mate, Itachi considered a simple guarding mission beneath them. But at this point, he was willing to accept any mission if it led him out of Konoha.
"It's a little more complicated," Kakashi grinned under his mask. "Our client wouldn't state his name. He let us know that his Lord despises shinobi and wouldn't want anyone around. Our mysterious client couldn't provide any passage into the stronghold, so we are on our own."
"Could he provide anything?"
"Not really," Kakashi shook his head. "Only with the knowledge that we should find our way in ourselves."
"That stronghold is well guarded, sneaking in would not be easy." Itachi added. In his other life, he and Kisame had accompanied Sasori on his mission to take that stronghold. Even with Sasori's performance of hundred puppets, Kisame's grand Jutsus and his own effort, the fight had taken a whole day.
"What do you know about that stronghold?"
"It's located on the top of a mountain. Only one road leads to the gate." Itachi remembered. "Climbing up is not a problem, but staying out of sight is. By day, the range of vision reaches to foot of that mountain. At night, they light lanterns to illuminate all sides of the slope."
"Is that Lord somehow paranoid?"
"He dislikes shinobi for a reason," Itachi said. "He's been injured by one once. Ever since, he guards against our kind very well. I suggest, we use subterfuge."
"Disguise?" Kakashi lifted a brow. "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Taicho?"
"Hokage-sama let us know, that Lord Gorimura is celebrating his fiftieth birthday in four weeks time. Many would be invited." Kakashi sat down and smirked. "There's a minor lord, who has a fable for young maikos, which we could use to our advantage."
"Oh, no," Itachi gasped. He instantly realized what his captain was suggesting. He knew he shouldn't have laughed at Kakashi.
"Oh, yes," Kakashi grinned. "You are going to be our maiden maiko."
Saiku was loudest in his laughter. Nagao turned his mask in his hand nervously and blushed. The other two were quickly whispering to each other, both giggling at Itachi.
"Please, Taicho!" Itachi almost begged.
"Uhm... Taicho." Ryo seemed not really sure if he should say this. "You realize that Itachi is not a kunoichi, right?"
"But pretty enough to be one."
Itachi wanted to vanish. His face was bright red now, flushed by anger and shame. He knew that his look was his curse.
"It might work," Tenzou said matter-of-factly. "Itachi is the maiko, we can be her household. If he gains that little lord's favor, he might bring us into the stronghold as entertainers."
"That's the plan." Kakashi nodded.
"You can keep up a henge all day, can't you?" Ryo poked Itachi slightly.
"Henge won't do," Kakashi interrupted. "We might encounter enemy ninja on our way, they might be able to look through it. We must rely on disguise alone. Why the long face, Itachi? I thought you wanted to leave?"
Itachi sighed, making his team-mates chuckle. Biting his lower lip, the genius stood up and towered over his sitting team-mates only a little. Kakashi gave him a look that indicated a question while Tenzou and the others were already discussing strategy.
"I accept, Taicho," Itachi hissed. "Thank you for your concern."
"Anything for a friend," the pervert captain grinned. "You can sing and dance, can't you?"
"I'll go practice."
Grumbling inside, Itachi made his way home, already plotting how to hide his preparations from his parents. He couldn't imagine his father being happy about seeing his first son in a kimono, singing and dancing like a girl.
And he really should be more careful with what he wished for in the future.