disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Warnings: male/male

Sasuke: 7

Naruto: 17

Itachi: 13

Minato: 25

Kakashi: 18

Chapter 14

During dinner Itachi watched curiously how his usually shy little brother tried to cheer an exhausted looking Naruto up. It was a reversal of their usual roles and it gave him a feeling of surrealism, like having been caught in a genjutsu whose caster didn't know enough about his target to make the illusion seem real.

It didn't escape his notice either that the blond, despite his apparent exhaustion, ate more food and with less prodding than before. Hopefully it meant that Naruto had taken his warning to heart. Itachi wouldn't have the time to look after two children with the impending visit of Cloud's dignitaries and the secret observation of the Council.

A short chakra surge outside the house made him tilt his head to the side. It seemed there was still some business to attend to before he could rest for the night.

Standing up, he said: "Excuse me, duty calls."

Quickly ruffling Sasuke's black hair in silent apology he looked at their guest and asked: "I trust you will look after him?"

"Always."

There was no guile in those too blue eyes, only the glint of determination. He thought that perhaps he should feel more reluctant about leaving his precious little brother with a virtual stranger, but Naruto gave the impression that he would throw himself off a cliff before he let anything happen to Sasuke. As far as Itachi was concerned, Naruto had already proven how far he would go to protect Sasuke when he rescued the young boy in the woods, despite the bad of his body and mind at the time.

So he gave the blond a sharp nod in acknowledgment and left.

He was not surprised to discover that it was Kakashi who had been waiting in front of his house, as he currently was the only ANBU Itachi had keyed into the sealing wards surrounding the Uchiha district.

"Yo!" the silver-haired Jounin greeted casually. "The newfound father wishes to discuss some matters with you."

Keeping his face devoid of any reaction to the comment and ignoring the annoyance the older Jounin's presence usually caused to rise in him, Itachi asked levelly: "I take it Hokage-sama has called for my presence?"

"No wonder they call you a genius. What was your first clue?"

Ignoring Kakashi's taunt, Itachi sped through the hand-seals for the transportation jutsu and vanished.

O

I

O

Minato was not surprised that Itachi and Kakashi arrived separately, despite the later having been sent to get the former. One would think that those two would have gotten along splendidly, since they were both similar in many ways: introvert, lethal child prodigies.

Perhaps, he mused as he motioned for Itachi to make himself comfortable, Kakashi was simply unable to get along with anyone with the surname of Uchiha.

It didn't take long for Kakashi to arrive and Minato quickly activated the usual seals against spying.

"The results of Naruto's blood tests are quite conclusive. They further prove his claims and your conjecture, Itachi." he informed his most trusted ninja, carefully keeping any feeling out of his voice. He had to think about the situation in an impersonal way or he wouldn't be able to think about it at all.

"You mean to tell me that little genius-boy over there, "Kakashi pointed vaguely in Itachi's direction, "already guessed that the half-crazy blond was your son? If he was under my command I would have made sure to take his blood for testing, too."

Minato closed his eyes and tried to ignore the building headache behind them.

"Any ninja under my command who wouldn't be able to put the facts of a summoning seal targeted at dimensional travel and too familiar features together would be demoted at once." Itachi replied coldly.

Sighing Minato decided to cut in: "Even though the blood tests prove him to be my son, I cannot possibly claim him. He will be listed as the son of my deceased older sister who came to Konoha to search for his last relative. It will be your job to inform him about this, Itachi."

Dark eyes looked at him intently, then the young ANBU asked: "So you do not plan to either give him your name or take him into your clan."

Suddenly uncomfortable Minato broke their gaze and looked down at his clasped hands.

"Minato-sensei?" There was concern in Kakashi's voice and the blond Hokage cursed himself for his inability to deal with this situation with the distance needed to keep a cool head.

"Hokage-sama, if I may, an unclaimed nephew is just as vulnerable as a stranger with your face. There is nothing to keep the Council from snatching him off the streets and interrogating him formally, since Naruto is not even a Konoha ninja." Itachi's clear, cool voice rang through the office, reminding Minato why there had been a need to clarify Naruto's lineage in the first place.

"As much as I dislike having to do so, I agree with Itachi-kun. You cannot let that boy walk through Konoha unprotected." Kakashi voiced his thoughts, his one eye focused on his teacher.

Minato stood up and started to pace restlessly, unable to sit still any longer when his emotions were all over the place. Those two were right and he knew it. And yet…and yet…he couldn't do it.

"I can't take him into my clan, I just can't. Overlooking the fact that Naruto seems to abhor my very presence and would surely object to taking on my name, he makes me feel ill at ease. He didn't bother to hide his distaste for Konoha and most of its population. Whoever takes him in might well be murdered in his sleep." the agitated blond tried to explain his misgivings.

"So, you will definitely not recognize him as part of your clan, San-san?" there was a strange undercurrent in Itachi's voice that made both other men look at him sharply.

Minato simply shook his head in answer.

"Then you will not have any objections to me taking him into the Uchiha clan? I will have to leave Konoha for missions eventually and Naruto would die before letting any harm come to Sasuke." Itachi elucidated, "The Council cannot question enlisted ninja clan-members without imperative reason and have no right to touch un-enlisted ninja clan-members at all."

"That's not a bad idea, but do you think Naruto will consent to become part of your clan? I mean, who would want to be an Uchiha of all things?" Kakashi mused, still trying to get a rise out of the unaffected Uchiha.

Without breaking gaze Itachi replied: "He will do it for Sasuke."

Thinking back to the hospital scene Minato was inclined to agree. He nodded: "You will take care of that matter than. Please make sure that he doesn't leave the Uchiha district before he is fully recovered anyway. And thank you."

Feeling much calmer now that the issue of his son's placement was settled(…and some part inside of him was still muttering the word "son" in bewilderment like a broken record), Minato sat down behind his desk again, ready to fill his two ANBU captains in on the second problem that needed discussion.

"We have one week till the delegation of Cloud arrives. I want all of my ANBU teams to be on high alert, especially those who are shadowing the Council and ROOT. According to all information they are in contact with Cloud and will strike then. I have my suspicions regarding their target and will enforce according orders upon our "guests"."

The smile on Minato's face was grim and steely glint shone in his blue eyes.

"We will set the perfect trap for both, Cloud and the treacherous Council, and then we will watch them hang themselves."

It was already late when Itachi returned to his house. All lights were out and a quick look into the kitchen showed that the dishes had been cleaned; a single plate with leftovers was on the table. Probably Sasuke's work, his little brother worried too much.

Tiredly he ate, cleaned the plate and walked to his rooms.

He felt a small pang in his chest when he saw that Sasuke's door was open and his room empty. A quick chakra search revealed that his little brother was once again sleeping in Naruto's room.

Turning his back on the open door, Itachi went into his dark, cold room and told himself sternly that there was no reason for the hollow feeling in his chest.

TBC

AN: This chapter just didn't want to be written...after the n-th revision I decided to let it be.