Hierarchical Complexity

by IceHaze

Understanding and predicting the behaviors of humans requires extensive analysis. Understanding and predicting the behaviors of Uchiha Itachi requires a miracle.

7. VI Concrete

Disclaimer: Do I own Sailormoon or Naruto? I cannot tell you; it's confidential. Anyway, how's your sex life? (Thanks to Haley and Chibi who showed me this monstrocity. Sigh)
Timeline: Set somewhere between the events of Ocarina of Time and Takt of Wind, when Usagi and Itachi rescued a thousand LoLcats from the evil klutches of Dr. Gero. (Hmm, I smell a one-shot).
Warnings: Adult-related things that teenagers nowadays are aware of anyway.
Author's Notes: This chapter was meant to come out around August 16th but was pushed back another month due to complications from my betas. One moved, one started work and it became difficult to coordinate. Everything is okay now, though. And with all due respect, unlike some authors that wait a year to update and give you like ten pages, I give you roughly 60 pages of work. So in my defense, I did my best. Two months, sixty pages of leisure writing...yeah that's pretty good. I also have my own writing/editing job outside FF so it does get hard to do this. But I love this story so much I will stick with it if I can. Cheer me on!

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Concrete

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Her feet padded across the tatami flooring, desperate to move at a more rapid pace. There was still quite a heavy list of duties to fulfill. The food was presently in preparation, set in the oven for slow cooking. The vegetables were steaming away and the sound of a whistle caused her to advance more rapidly across the house, the kitchen set as a destination. After one quick sniff of the food and a taste test, she declared the vegetables done. But after quickly looking at the table and finding it barren and empty, she took off once again. Remembering the décor set aside in a spare room, she raced once more in order to retrieve her special vase and flowers. Her feet created more padding sounds until she reached the wooden flooring of one hallway. Her lack of footwear and cotton-made socks caused her to slide and land in a pile of old junk she kept in the room.

"Kaa-san?"

She lifted her head from the pile of mess and removed an old colander from her head.

"I'm okay!"

Her son had not come out from his present location to personally check on her, but she debated against causing drama over his lack of attentiveness to her well-being. The preparations were much more significant than such trivial matters. And it all required consideration to detail. Everything had to be perfect today: the food, the décor, the table setting and especially the people hosting the events.

Mikoto's eyes surveyed the reflection on the vanity mirror. She adjusted her collar to align perfectly on her neck; her apron was retied to keep it from falling off and her skirt received a thorough glide from her fingers in order to smooth out the faint wrinkles. She went over to the dresser to apply a small amount of foundation to give her face more color, and when she was satisfied with the touch-up her face received, she repeated the usual routines of infinite facial gestures to her mirror in order to find approval. After a few minutes, she was thoroughly satisfied with her work.

"There, perfect."

A whistling sound alerted her to the steam pot she had boiling on the stove and she found herself once again, running through the house.

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear." She immediately removed it from the flames and set it aside. Steam gushed out from the container as soon as she lifted the lid. A few stirs and a sample taste later, she announced another dish perfect. Her specialty cooking was no secret to the world. She had been gifted with natural skill for the culinary arts and studied extensively from her mother and grandmother. She took pride in it and the many people from the clan preferring to eat over at her house rather than visit an expensive restaurant further fanned that fire. Had she not had a family, she may have taken to such business endeavors.

"Let's see. Plates, cups, silverware, food…" she frowned as she realized that the table had not been set, and it was getting closer to the time company should be arriving. "Where is that poor excuse of a son?" she mumbled. "Itachi! Itachi! Where are you?" Setting the food aside to cool, she lifted the corners of her apron and took off on another sprint. As soon as she arrived at Itachi's room, she slid the door open without regard to his privacy and stepped in uninvited.

"Don't you ever announce your presence first?"

Ignoring his question, she inspected his entire ensemble, frowning and sharing a tsk of disapproval. "You're not wearing that, are you?"

"I have work soon. I'm leaving now."

"No, you're not."

"Kaa-san…"

"Your work does not begin for at least another hour, young man. In that time, you will sit down and enjoy the wonderful lunch your loving mother has prepared for you."

"And Usagi, I presume."

"Well that goes without saying. After all, this lunch is in her honor."

"Exactly. And instead of creating friction over the odd number of people attending, I have taken the liberty of being the sacrificial lamb in order to leave you two to bond and become acquainted with one another."

"Nice try. But you will be attending this lunch. No exceptions."

Mikoto paid no regard to his grumbles and sighs. She marched over to his closet, pulled out several pieces of garments and laid them across the night stand by this futon. "The lunch won't take but an hour, tops. You can change back right after and get to work in plenty of time." She reached for a hunter green collared blouse, holding it up to her son and frowning as she placed it back in the closet. "Too military. Now, as I was saying, I want you to enjoy lunch with us. This is the first time you've invited a girl over. Isn't that, in itself, a special occasion? It's also all the more reason to represent this family well and dress nicely."

"You invited her."

"Details, details. I'm just doing you a favor. I don't know whether you're too stupid or too shy to do it but your Kaa-san has taken the liberty to take the initiative."

"I resent that."

"You can thank me when you're married."

She went through several more shirts before settling on a buttoned up blouse so light in blue, it almost appeared white. "There, now this one will look quite handsome on you. And it should go with your black pants nicely. Put it on."

He sighed and obliged, removing his former gear and slipping into his mother's desired clothes.

"See? Very distinguished and refined. You have your father's shoulders. It makes you look more proportioned. And you know, women love men that look good in these clothes. I'm sure Usagi will appreciate it."

"Hmm."

"Now let's see about your hair…"

"My hair is fine."

"Sure it is sweetheart. But did you ever think about cutting it?"

"No."

"Okay, okay. We won't cut it. Then let's just get a little of these bangs out of your eyes, and oh you have a small smudge on your face." She licked her finger and smeared it on his cheek while adjusting the hair that fell across his face.

"This is highly unsanitary."

"Oh, hush up. You sound just like your brother. I'm your mother, any disease I have you will contract eventually. It's in our genetic code."

"Whatever."

"And cheer up will you? Women don't like sour men."

"What?"

"I mean smile more. Women don't like men that brood all the time. It frightens them off."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Quiet. Now then, let's see a smile. And smirking doesn't count."

"Kaa-san…"

"One smile Itachi," her hands reached out to stretch his face.

"Stop it," he managed to sputter in his contorted state before he swatted her efforts away.

"Don't be so pessimistic all the time. Just one little smile…"

"No."

"Smiling is natural Itachi."

"Smiling is a reaction. No one walks around with a perpetual smile."

"Must you be so technical with me? I just want you to look nice for Usagi…"

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Mikoto sighed at her son's lack of enthusiasm and hindrance to her schedule. "Look at what you've done. She's already here and we still haven't prepared everything."

"What you've done."

She pointed a sharp finger at her son. "Best behavior. Now go to the kitchen and set the table up while I welcome her inside the house. Go on, off with you."

"Ah."

She walked quickly to the door, eager with excitement. After another quick look at her reflection in a nearby glass frame to ensure her teeth were clean and makeup fair, she slid open the door and offered her guest a smile.

"Irasshai, Usagi."

"O-oh, yes," she bowed along with Mikoto, unsure of the proper protocol of the situation. "I, um, brought some treats. I baked these cookies last night."

Mikoto grasped the bags of treats and held them close to her. "Why thank you sweetie. You didn't have to do that at all. Didn't I say I would take care of everything?"

"Yes, I mean. Well, I thought I should at least bring something."

"Thank you. They smell wonderful. Cinnamon I presume?"

"Yep, one of my favorites."

She squeezed Usagi's hand. "Mine too. Now come, my son is just preparing the table."

They walked into the kitchen to catch Itachi who already had the table set with dishes and was preparing to set the food in place.

"Wow, it looks really good."

"Why, thank you. I hope it tastes as good as it looks." Mikoto watched as an awkward exchange of eye contact occurred between the two. She smiled knowingly. "I'm going to toss this apron in the hamper and freshen up a bit. Itachi, will you finish setting things up in here?"

"Ah."

Mikoto's absence did not lessen Usagi's anxiety. Perhaps it was the fact that she was in unfamiliar territory, but she found that she could not ease her tension.

"So, um, how are you today?"

"Fine. You?"

"Great! And the food looks really good."

"My mother is an exceptionally good cook. I'm sure you'll enjoy her food."

"Yeah. Um…"

"What is it?" He carried the hot rice cooker over to the table, placing it in the center and aligning the dishes of vegetables and meat around their centerpiece.

She smiled softly. "Are you nervous? Having me around, I mean."

"Not particularly."

"Well, what if I told you I was nervous?"

"Of what?"

"I don't know. I mean, this is the first time I'm hanging out with your family. I'm just a little nervous."

"If I told you my father is away at work, would that ease your worry?"

"A little. And how did you know your dad makes me nervous?"

"It was obvious from the other day. Did he say anything to you?"

"No."

"Did he do anything to you?"

"No, nothing like that. And has he said anything about me to you?"

"My father rarely speaks openly about anything other than business. At least, not to me anyway."

"Oh."

"What's up?"

"Nothing, I just…I don't think he really likes me, Itachi."

"He doesn't like anyone, especially people outside the clan. Just stay out of his way and you'll be fine."

"Do I have to keep avoiding him all my life?"

"Only the part that includes me."

"Okay."

"Try not to think about it. It's more beneficial for me that you maintain a good demeanor. My mother has already lectured me about being somber. If she sees you upset, I'll get reprimanded. She'll think I made you cry."

Usagi responded with a sincere giggle. "Okay. I'll cheer up."

"Much better."

"Oh, so you'll smile with her but not with me?"

"Kaa-san…"

She ignored her son and walked over to the girl. "Usagi, you'll have to teach me how to do it sometime."

Remembering Itachi's words, Usagi gave her usual spunky attitude. "Well, it is a gift but I think I can teach you a thing or two."

"I would appreciate it." She clapped both hands together. "Now then, shall we eat?"

The three proceeded to sit at the kotatsu. Mikoto took one side to herself and allowed her son to sit by Usagi.

"Okay, you two, there's plenty of food so please don't be shy about portions. Help yourselves to everything."

Itachi reached over to the rice, filled up two bowls and handed one over to Usagi. He smirked at her current state. She was seated perfectly and properly like he was, albeit with a small wiggle to her feet. She was not used to family dinners. As far as he recalled, she was rarely invited into formal dining with other families, and the clans she mostly associated with did not carry the traditional eating rituals of the older clans such as the Uchiha. And whenever she ate at home, she was either suspended in a high chair, feet dangling, or she was seated in her bedroom floor, feet sprawled out in front of her. He suspected that even sitting in that position for any short period of time was a strain on her legs. And as soon as she began to resituate her feet, did he lean over to whisper.

"Do your feet hurt?"

"A little."

"Unfortunately, you'll have to bear with it a little while. My mother hates it when people don't sit properly at a table."

"I'll be fine."

"If they fall asleep, move them side to side. It should be enough until you get up."

"Okay."

"Now, what are you two whispering about over there?"

They both straightened themselves in a more dignified position.

"Oh nothing, Itachi was just…um,"

"I was just asking her if she wanted komatsuna."

"Yes, that's right. And I would love some, actually."

Mikoto smiled and popped a piece of food in her mouth, mistaking Usagi's current blush for something more. "Well, how do you like the soup?"

"It's delicious. I'll have to steal the recipe from you sometime."

She winked. "That can be arranged. After all, I expect you may want to improve your cooking skills before becoming a mother."

Usagi's face reddened significantly as she began choking on the soup that just entered her mouth. "Mi-Mikoto-san!"

"Oh, no need to be embarrassed, sweetheart." She glanced over at Itachi who was giving her many visible cues to kill the conversation. She sighed. Men never were ready to move on past the sexual part of the relationship. If only they would mature as quickly as women. "I was simply teasing you."

"Yes, well, um, as for children…"

"Yes?"

"Well um…I mean…"

"You want a family correct?"

"Oh well…yes. I do, actually."

Itachi slowed his eating, glancing down at his friend from the newfound knowledge. He had never asked her about anything relevant to the nature, and she never showed signs of wanting anything other than training to better her techniques. After discovering this new piece of personal information, he realized how much he didn't know the girl. Perhaps Shisui was right. Usagi would one day follow down that inevitable path.

"Do you, now?"

"I guess it would be nice to come home to someone every day, to have someone there for you when you need them. I mean, it doesn't have to be anything spectacular and I do enjoy time to myself, but I also like having company over or being in the presence of other people. I don't like being lonely all the time is what I'm trying to say."

"And a family would certainly satisfy that desire. So, how many children are you planning to have?"

"I, uh, never gave any thought to it. I thought I would just go with the flow."

"Well that's fine too, but surely you've thought about how to finance these children and secure their future."

"I'm not sure."

"You have to think about food, clothes, gear for their future work as ninja, equipment. But don't worry, when the time comes, I'll be here to help you."

"Oh well, thank you…I think."

"So, how far in the future are these children?"

"Well, um, I mean, I would like to do some work in my field as a jounin. So I definitely wouldn't think about it until I'm at least in my twenties and of course with a spouse."

Mikoto smiled while glancing over at Itachi whom she knew was purposely staring at his bowl. "Naturally. And I'm thrilled you're not waiting too long until you explore that pivotal moment of womanhood. Why, I remember when I was your age and…"

She smiled, nodding along to information as she leaned carefully over to Itachi. "This is embarrassing. Why does your mom want to know when I'll have kids?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

"What?"

"Just…go along with it for now."

"Is this how people in clans act all the time?"

"Sure."

"Okay." She redirected her attention to Mikoto after returning to her spot by the table.

"…and then a little after that, Sasuke was born. I will never quite forget those moments. The pains of child labor, the months of hardships I had to endure…they were all worth it when you think of the final product. I mean just look at Itachi. It's hard to believe this tall strapping young man came from my tiny little womb."

Itachi frowned. "Kaa-san."

Usagi stifled a few giggles. "It is hard to imagine that this guy was just a tiny little baby."

"Yes, they grow up so fast. Just make sure not to wait too long if you want to have children. Your years will fly by faster than you can blink and before you know it, you'll be an Obaa-san like I will be soon."

"Aw, I don't think you're that old. You look very young to be a mother as it is."

"Why thank you. You really are quite the flatterer."

"And you don't have to worry about me. I'll make sure not to wait until I'm too old to have children."

"Wonderful news. I can hardly wait."

Itachi placed a few fingers on his forehead. It wasn't enough his mother already assumed too much of his relationship with Usagi, now she was expecting children from her within a certain timeframe. The world was an antagonistic entity before him.

"There is nothing quite like the gift of being a mother."

"So I see."

"I'm sure your mother would agree with me. Why, she must have had her fair share of stories for you."

Usagi stilled her eating. "Oh…well…"

"Say, why don't you invite her over for lunch sometime? Or maybe I can go see her at your home. I'm sure we have much to talk about!"

"Um, you see…I…"

Itachi watched as Usagi swallowed hard and place her utensils down gently. It never occurred to him to inform his mother of Usagi's predicament. When she asked for information about her prior to the lunch, she was only concerned with Usagi's eating preferences and dislikes. He had forgotten completely about informing her of personal information. He never had friends over she wasn't already familiar with and thus the process of introductions eluded him. He sighed. Another lecture would soon await him for withholding vital details of Usagi's life. His mother hated being caught in awkward predicaments.

"Is something wrong?" Mikoto glanced between her son's serious look and Usagi's sudden anxiety. "I'm sorry, are you and your parents not in good standing?"

"Kaa-san."

"What?"

"Enough."

"No, it's okay Itachi. I'll tell her."

"Tell me what?"

She released a small breath of air before placing her hands on the table. "Well, the thing is, I don't exactly have a family per se."

"I don't think I understand."

"My parents, they died long ago. I was just a baby then so I never got to know them."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She turned with a sharp glare over to her son. "Itachi, never informed me of it."

"It's okay. It was my place to tell you, anyway."

"I'm truly sorry sweetheart. Does it hurt to talk about them?"

His eyes fluttered to a close momentarily, accompanied by a tired sigh. "Kaa-san…"

"Well..."

"Is this perhaps better conversation for a more intimate occasion?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"It's quite all right."

They continued to feast, adjusting to the awkward silence following the previous comments. Mikoto was never comfortable with any amount of silence as the table was usually filled with chatter, even if it meant only her chatter. She looked at Usagi who seemed extremely uncomfortable by the sudden change of atmosphere and even her son was not sure how to address the situation properly. It was at the picture of the two eating before her that a stroke of brilliance painted her mind.

"Usagi, I've been meaning to ask. How did you ever come to meet my son?"

She swallowed her vegetables and contemplated the answer. Small pieces of information floated in her head and she tried desperately to recall the exact details of their first meeting.

"Um, I think it all started with…uh, no that's how I met Minako-chan. Maybe it was that time…no that's not right either." She turned over to Itachi. "Hey, how do I know you?"

Itachi sighed into his chopsticks. "Chuunin exams."

"Oh yeah! I remember now." She faced Mikoto again, suddenly gaining a new enthusiasm and forgetting of her previous sorrow. "I was practicing for my chuunin exam but found myself unable to advance as fast as my teammates. Haruka-sensei was preparing Seijuro most of the time and Hotaru had her father to help her. I didn't have a family and the small amount of exercises I received from my captain weren't enough. Eventually I overheard some people talking about a person who could help me, so I went to find him. Your son helped me out a bit and the rest is history."

"That's very sweet. You know, I started seeing my husband sometime after my chuunin exam as well. I guess it just runs in the family."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Um, I guess."

"So tell me, how did your relationship with my son progress from there?"

"Relationship? Like how we became good friends?"

"Yes and how that further developed into what you two have become today."

"Become today? Well if you mean how close we are, it just turned out that way."

"Yes but how? I am curious as to what exactly transpired in that process."

"Well, I mean, we did a lot of training together. And that brought us closer, I guess."

"Training? But what about your intimacy? How did that develop? What happened after the training?"

"Intimacy?" Usagi made a few hand movements under the table, signaling to Itachi that she had no idea what his mother was getting at. Itachi mouthed a 'later' to her indicating that he would explain more detail at another time. She nodded subtly.

"In the beginning that's how it all started. We were mostly in it for the training."

Mikoto frowned. "Mostly in it for the training? I don't think I understand. How…" Her eyes darted between the two very quickly and then suddenly a sly smile appeared on her face. "Oh, I see now. So then, Usagi, tell me what happened after this training?" She lifted her hands to air quote the final word.

"Yes well…after our training," Usagi repeated Mikoto's gesture, "we began spending more time together and eventually came to a point where just talking and relaxing was good enough for us."

"Well I'm glad to see that you two understood the need for development and ignored your carnal desires for simple physical pleasures. You know, most people don't even realize that a relationship includes good communication skills in order for it to enjoy longevity." She glanced down at her cup and realized her teacup and pot were empty. "I'm going to get some more tea. Would you like some more, Usagi?"

"Yes, please." As soon her body was turned, she hit Itachi to gain his attention. "What's going on? I don't understand anything your mom is saying."

"I'll explain later."

"Why is she saying all these weird words?"

"She's just quirky that way."

"Yeah, I'll say. I mean the way she words things. Intimacy? I wouldn't exactly call my relationship with any of my friends as intimate. I mean, I guess, we have all known each other awhile. And carnival desires? What exactly do carnivals have to do with good communication and longevity?"

"She said carnal desires."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means...look, I'll explain it later."

"You better. I get the feeling you're hiding something from me."

"In due time." His mother lifted the kettle, and he gently pushed Usagi over to her side. "For now, just smile and nod at anything she says."

"Fine."

"There you two go off whispering pleasantries to each other again. I feel completely left out of the loop."

"That makes two of us."

"Excuse me, dear?"

Itachi gave Usagi a small jab on the side.

"Ow."

"Is something wrong?"

"Uh, no. I was just saying thanks for making this tea for the two of us."

She smiled. "Oh, fine. Keep your secrets."

Itachi glanced over at the kitchen clock, frowning when he noticed the time. He immediately put his utensils down and stood up from his seat.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?"

"It's getting late. If I don't get to work soon, I'll be reprimanded."

"But you hardly ate!"

"Yeah, Itachi. You need to eat a little more before you go."

"I'll be fine. I'll just grab something at work."

"You know I dislike you consuming so much junk food. It's bad for your health."

"It will be fine in moderation."

"Why don't I make you a quick snack?"

"Kaa-san, please, I haven't the time."

"But…"

"Oh hey, I know! Why don't you take the cookies I brought you guys?"

"Oh, Usagi that's a wonderful idea!"

"What cookies?"

Mikoto rushed over to the pantry and pulled out one of the small bags of cookies. "Usagi was kind enough to bring these over for our family. Why don't you take yours to work to tie you over until dinner?"

"You want me to bring these to my work?" He held the clear bag up to his face for inspection. The plastic was clear which made the contents inside easily available to see. There were several different shapes of cookies: some stars, some moons and some rabbits. Judging by the smell and brown colors, he easily deduced them to be cinnamon. And while not his favorite, he didn't particularly have a distaste for them either. He continued to inspect the bag and found pink and blue ribbons at the top, tied in a bow which sealed the bag tightly. Finally, there was a picture of a pint-sized baby bear on the front with the hiragana characters for a trademark logo right under indicating it as part of some franchise. Overall, he simply wouldn't be caught dead with such a thing.

"If you don't like them, you don't have to take them, Itachi. You can just eat something else."

"Nonsense, my son loves them. Don't you, Itachi?"

His mother smiled widely, much more than his personal comfort zone allowed. He knew the answer she wanted to hear. "Yes, they look fine. I'll take them to work."

"Good, because we wouldn't want Usagi's hard work to go unnoticed. She brought those cookies especially for our family. I assume you haven't developed a loss of memory or etiquette in proper procedures as to how such behavior is to be addressed?

"Of course not." He faced Usagi and mumbled a quick thank you.

"I believe I have developed the inability to understand human speech at such low frequencies."

"Thank you," he repeated in irritation.

"Much better, now go change and get to work. We women have much to talk about." She made a hand movement to shoo him away.

"Gladly."

Usagi accepted Mikoto's cue to sit down after his presence was no longer among them.

"That boy, he always was quite a handful."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yes well, hopefully, your children won't be such troublesome creatures for you. I love my son, but I would be lying if I said he didn't make me consider turning myself in for mental evaluation every now and then."

"Itachi can be quite exasperating sometimes."

"How do you deal with it?"

"Well, it really depends. For instance, if he just gets in those grumpy moods where everything angers him I usually leave him alone until he starts to invade my own personal space."

"And then?"

"And then, well we usually train in order to alleviate the stress."

Mikoto almost slipped on her hand. "Excuse me?"

"Well, training helps Itachi in many ways. But the one thing that is consistent is that he always tells me it's a really good stress reliever."

"Oh, is that so? Tell me Usagi, does my son pressure you into these training sessions?"

"Not at all! I love our training sessions! Believe me, it's just as beneficial for me as it is for him. I genuinely love them. I think they help us develop some skills and technique, they're good for bonding and Itachi is right. They really are great for relieving stress."

"Skills and technique? Figuratively speaking, perhaps it does help. And it is one way to bond. Well, I suppose if neither of you objects to it…"

"Mikoto-san, if I didn't want to train with your son, I would simply refuse."

"I'm glad to hear you have some backbone. I don't like it when men prey on innocent women."

"Your son isn't like that at all! He really puts my safety first before anything else."

"That does set me at ease. But Usagi, you must know that unprotected…training…leads to many complications. Now my son has informed me that you two are taking every precaution with the situation and that I needn't worry. Is he correct?"

She thought carefully to each and every training session. True, Itachi was a bit tough in training but it wasn't as if he was jeopardizing her life in any of them. Even in the close-range combat sessions, Itachi always made sure Usagi was suited with some type of armor to withstand even his fast kicks and punches. "As I stated before, your son puts my interests first and foremost at all times. You really have nothing to worry about us."

"That's a great relief and a large burden off my shoulders. Not that I don't trust my son, but sometimes, I don't know. I feel as if he keeps things from me."

"I know how you feel. Itachi, during the time I've known him, rarely talks to me about anything. Usually it's me doing the talking. I mean, he talks a lot more now than he used to, but I always feel he's holding back, you know? Like there's a lot of him I don't know about."

"Didn't he ever share with you about his life?"

"No, never. And if he did, it was just small snippets. He rarely even talked about you, if all actually. He's usually too busy brooding or reading something, when we're not training that is. I mean, we do talk a lot together, but he never takes it too personal. I guess, I've always had a natural curiosity about him. The more I get to know him, the more I realize I don't really know your son at all."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Itachi, is very secretive about things—as I'm sure you noticed from all the commotion within this past week. I wish he could be more open to me as well, his own mother. But that's been his nature for quite some time."

"Yeah, and that's okay. I've learned to deal with it. I don't have to know everything about him. I just wish he trusted me more, like I trust him."

Mikoto sighed heavily into her teacup. After watching the swirls of liquid settle, her eyes caught the reflection of a clock behind her. Mounted on the wall was an antique clock her family passed down for generations. And what caught her attention even more on that clock, was the unique design of a yellow bird that popped out every top of the hour. When she recalled that tiny bird, an idea struck her so suddenly. If Itachi wouldn't open up more to Usagi, then perhaps as a mother, she could share more with her.

"If you really want to know more about Itachi, there is something I can do about it."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I think I have a wonderful idea. But first we'll begin with the training phase of your life.

"Training?"

"Yes, and then after that, I will share with you a part of Uchiha Itachi that no one else knows about."

"Really? No one else?"

"Not even Shisui."

Her eyes widened in fascination. "I'm up for this training if I get to learn more about Itachi. What are you going to show me?"

Her eyes twinkled in hidden mischief. "Something I'm sure you will never forget. So, why don't we begin cleaning this place up?"

"Cleaning?"

"Yes, cleaning."

Usagi was guided through several hallways before Mikoto began piling clothes into a basket.

"I'm sure you want to gain as much experience as necessary before you finally make that commitment of matrimony and parenthood."

She blushed. "I guess. But why does that matter right now?"

"Sweetheart, it's always best to understand what responsibilities you will have. These are some of the chores you will have to look forward to when you are a mother."

"Yes, you keep mentioning that, and I've been meaning to ask. Why do you insist that I prepare myself with these things?"

"Well, do you want to find yourself with child in the future and not have any trickle of knowledge as to what you need to do?"

"I suppose not."

"And do you want to be overloaded with work without the experience of balancing it out with your time?"

"No."

"And you want to understand more about Itachi too, correct?"

"I guess."

"Then we have come to an understanding, I presume?"

"Uh, maybe."

"Good. Now take these."

Usagi braced her feet and withstood the impact of a heavy basket filled with many articles of clothing. "What are these?"

"Itachi's clothes."

Her face turned a bright red. "W-what do you want me to do with this?"

"Wash them of course. I'm getting Sasuke's laundry ready at the moment. I need to sort them out but Itachi's are ready to go."

"B-but, don't you think Itachi will be upset about this?"

"Not if you're the one doing this."

"And you're sure about that?"

"Of course. Now let's get to it. The laundry room is right through here."

Usagi followed clumsily through several hallways until she was led to a room connecting to the outside area. On one side, there was a bucket filled with what she presumed cold water and soap. To her right was the main patio leading to an area outside with several clothing lines lined up, ready for use.

"Everything you need is right here."

"Oh, yes…but…"

"Just wash them like you would your own. I'll be back to check on you so we can get started on some other exercises."

"Okay…" she whispered into the room, hearing only her echo as a reply. She began to toss in several clothes into the bucket of water. Her fingers traced along clothing that immediately caused her to give cheek. She rushed to dump in the load in bulks, not bothering to separate anything in particular.

"Are you sure he's okay with me doing this?"

Mikoto called out from her side of the house. "Why wouldn't he be, sweetie?"

"Well, I wouldn't like anyone doing my laundry for me. And Itachi is a bit obsessive compulsive when it comes to his possessions. I would expect the same with his, er, unmentionables."

"Oh, he'll be fine with it. He lets me do his laundry, after all."

"But you're his mother."

"And you don't think you hold a special place in his heart? Trust me; it's fine."

"If you say so…" His mother just kept getting more peculiar at every turn but she ignored the matter. Usagi scrubbed the clothes quickly and began to set them out to dry on the lines prepared for her. She was greeted with Mikoto's presence just as she finished hanging the last article of clothing.

"Now, if you're done with that we'll move onto the next phase of your training."

"Training is it?" Usagi muttered. If she didn't know better, she would have thought Mikoto to be using this as an excuse to lighten her load of housework.

"The next thing we'll do is…oh yes! The dishes!

"Dishes? This is the training you had in mind? Mikoto-san, I know how to wash dishes."

"But not like I do. A mother's way of handling dishes is an art form! It requires a keen eye and perfect hand carriage, otherwise you'll simply end up with broken dishes and missed spots."

Usagi was not convinced. "Right."

"You get to it and I'll take care of the floors."

"Got it," she replied unenthusiastically while her hands began to work. She washed each dish while dodging Mikoto's efforts to sweep the floor.

"I appreciate your help so much, sweetie. I usually end up doing this work on my own, with the boys gone all day and whatnot."

"Don't they help you at all with the household chores?"

"The boys don't have steady days off from work. The time they do get, I much prefer them rest; therefore, I end up doing all the work on my own. But you know, when Itachi was a little boy, he would follow me around the house and imitate my cleaning habits."

"Really? That's so cute. Like a baby chick and a mother hen."

"That's what Uruchi thought as well. And now that I think about it, that may be the reason why Itachi is so fastidious with his environment and possessions. It may be a habit that rubbed off from me."

"Yeah, I must confess that aside from public areas in my apartment, my place can get rather messy at times. I hardly have time to get it clean enough to enjoy it. Usually by the time I clean it, it only gets messy again a day later."

"Doing things by yourself can be tasking and time consuming. On top of that you have to balance your regular work. I find it quite admiring actually; you may be much more prepared for life than you think."

"Maybe."

"But being independent is quite something else. You must find yourself lonely being the only one in your household. If you'll pardon my intrusive nature, I would like to know…how did your family pass away?"

"Well, the only family I'm aware of are my mother and father. According to the records Konoha has, there weren't any live relatives from my father's side and they don't have records for my mother since she was a foreigner. But as to their fates, my mother passed away after getting sick from complications of my birth. She only spent a few months with me, so I gathered from documents anyway. My father brought me back here after that but he died in the third war. I was, maybe two then and so I don't recall them at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was born into the clan with many people surrounding me. It's been that way all my life. I can't even begin to fathom what it's like growing up alone."

"You're only as alone as you make yourself to be. I had plenty of friends so please don't pity me. That's just the way it is sometimes, though. Some people get it easy, some don't. It's not fair but that's life. If I stopped and worried about it or singled myself out in self-depreciation, I think I would have grown hating Konoha…and clans for that matter. I probably would have grown up hating your son too."

"I'm glad you have such a positive outlook on life."

"Yes, but I was lucky to be born in a decent environment. There are plenty of people who grew up like me that didn't have it so easy. So when I hear that people like that go off and do all these crazy and dangerous things, I honestly can't judge them for it. They must have been driven mad for the lack of justification of life's unequal distribution of fortunes. I think that in some alternate reality, I could have been one of those people."

"In all sincerity, I never really gave thought to such things. Being born into luxuries makes you take things for granted. I suppose you must think me spoiled."

"No, I don't think ill of you. But I do wish more people would consider us as equals, those not born into a prestigious lineage. Do you think less of me for being born this way?"

"Not at all."

"Good. Actually, Itachi never did either. In fact, when I first met your son, he never really did judge me for it at all. He brushed it off like I was discussing the weather. At first I thought he was a jerk but Itachi taught me so many things. That was the first."

"What's that?"

"The thought was contrary to the matter. When I was little, I guess it was just common to get overlooked because of my inadequacies. My own sensei didn't even expect too much out of me. But your son sees everything the same; therefore, no one is superior to anyone else. In the end, lineage is irrelevant. I found myself admiring him more because of it."

"I'm glad to hear that. Itachi has always been an objective person. In this case, it may have worked in your favor."

"Yes, and I always feel like learning more about him. As I said earlier, your son can be a mystery sometimes."

"Well, if you can get these dishes squared away, I'll treat you to what I promised. In fact, why don't I get everything ready while you finish. We'll call it a day with these chores."

"Sounds good to me."

She increased the pace, excited for whatever surprise Mikoto had waiting for her. And with perfect timing, she finished laying the last wet dish on the rack just as Mikoto was ready for her company.

"Usagi! Can you come in here?"

"I'm coming!"

She threw the towel onto the counter and raced to find the voice.

"Where are you?"

"Just down the hall to your left sweetie."

When she entered the room, Mikoto was crouched on the floor with boxes surrounding her sides. Right by her knees were several photos scattered about and she knew without inspection that they were family photos.

"Are these just from your family?"

"Yes. This is what I wanted to show you. Long ago, I promised myself that when Itachi invited female companions over, I would share the pictures with them."

"A female? Why is that?"

"We mothers love to embarrass our children at times, for different reasons. In my case, I simply want to let you know what Itachi was like when he was a little boy. And to also get a little revenge for the troubles he put me through sometimes as he grew up. Would you like to take a peek? I'm sure you'll learn much about Itachi through the history of these photos. Much more than you've ever known before."

She dropped to her knees instantly and scooted her body towards the pictures eagerly. "Definitely."

"I thought you might. So why don't I show you this album first. It's our celebration album. Every picture in here has us together celebrating some type of festival or special event." She flipped through the pages until a few cluster of photos caught her eye. "Ah, see this? It's Itachi's first day at the academy. Everyone from his class gathered together to take this picture. Itachi put up a small fight but eventually gave in. He never did like taking pictures, even as a child. See the little pout on his face?"

"I do. And why doesn't he like doing these things?"

"Some people think his attitude contradicts most humans and their desire to seek social interaction. But you should know yourself how shy my boy can be at times."

"Yeah, I know. It took a lot of convincing on my part to get him to do the things we did together."

"Oh, what kinds of things sweetheart?"

"Well, for instance that one time we stopped by a festival to get some food before coming back to Konoha, I wanted to play the goldfish scooping game. He got annoyed saying we had no time to waste and that it was in my best interest not to carry a goldfish in a tiny bag of water for a long distance."

"And then what happened?"

"I whined a lot until he got frustrated. Eventually we came to a compromise that if I put the fish back, we could play two rounds."

"We? Don't tell me my son played too."

"Yeah, I asked him to show me how to play when I broke my scoop the first time."

"I bet it wasn't easy for him to do."

"No, I suppose not. Just like the time we fed the ducks."

"Ducks?"

"Yeah, there was another time we were training by a lake and I saw a sign that said 'Feed the Ducks'. He told me to forget it and that ducks were evil so I shouldn't even bother."

"Did you ever feed them?"

"Of course. He can't resist my charm." She smirked playfully. "By that point I think he really did give up on my antics and just let me be. But he got the last laugh when I was chased down the dock by them. Itachi was right. They're evil."

She gave a soft giggle. "You two have such interesting adventures."

Usagi blushed sheepishly. "Yeah I guess we do."

"And you seem to do a lot of 'training' together. In places I find rather bold actually."

"I thought the locations were okay."

"O-oh really?"

"Yeah, and anyway, we don't train as much as we used to."

"Is that so ?"

"Yeah, we just don't have enough time to or desire sometimes. I mean, we do from time to time but not like before. Mostly now he just ends up sleeping on my couch."

"Does that bother you?"

"Not at all. I rather enjoy his company. He doesn't even have to do anything. Just being there is enough."

"I really am glad to see that you two have progressed."

"Me too. Your son is a lot of fun to be around with."

"Fun?"

"Yeah, he's really funny too. He really knows how to make me laugh sometimes. When he's not brooding that is."

"Yes, I suppose he does have a peculiar sense of humor. He gets it from me, you know. Certainly not his father."

"Was he always like that?"

"He was a lot livelier as a child, before the war anyway. Afterwards, he was never quite the same. Sasuke's birth helped him recover from the trauma a little, but I always felt I lost a part of him that one particular day. It was just horrifying for him; I'm sure of it. War is already hard enough for us adults, let alone little four-year old children. And after that, the clan began his intensive training. He grew up quickly and before I knew it, he was a man."

"Do you wish you had more time with him as a child?"

"I wish he had more time with himself as a child. I fear we pushed him too hard and too fast. He complained very little and eventually not at all but, I don't know. Sometimes I feel that I failed as a mother."

"I don't think you did. You were there for him all this time, weren't you? You gave him a home, a family, food, the clothes on his back and your love. There's nothing more he could ask for and I'm sure he appreciates all the hard work as a mother you put in to raise him."

She swallowed, holding back a few tears. "You are so sweet, you know that?"

"U-uh, I mean…well…it's what I think."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to get emotional in front of you."

"No, it's fine."

"Actually, back to the topic of ducks…"

"What is it?"

"There is something I would like to show you. A couple of things in fact."

"What are they?"

"Just a montage of more embarrassing moments to ridicule my son."

"Heh, you don't say…" Usagi's lip only half smiled. Itachi's mother could be frightening at times. Or perhaps it was just a trait found in all mothers.

"Let me just…" her hand picked through the box for the object. And when it squeezed around it producing a unique squeaking sound, she knew Usagi was intrigued. "Here it is…"

"Is this…?"

Mikoto smiled.

"No way. Really?"

"Yes, really.

"This belonged to him?"

"Indeed."

Usagi gave the yellow rubber duck a few squeezes to reproduce the sound. It was a very faint yellow color, almost an off-white cream color. The duck itself was no more than the size of her palm but it probably appeared much larger to a tiny toddler. The right eye was disappearing and the beak's orange coloring was not only faded but chipping away at the ends as well. The rest of the body was battered and torn, worn and dusty. It was obvious Mikoto was honest in that she rarely opened these boxes. She wondered if Mikoto ever opened them at all considering all the cobwebs and dust they collected. Usagi blew at the duck and attempted to at least spruce it up a bit.

"When Itachi was two, he loved to take a bath with his rubber ducks. In fact, he threw a quite a fit if I didn't send him to his bath with his little friends."

"Ducks? As in more than one?"

"Oh yes. He had a whole flock sweetheart. Every night after I gave his body a thorough scrub and rinse, I gave him a few minutes to play at his leisure. He would rock in the water back and forth to create tidal waves in order to make his ducks swim about. I believe he said he was recreating a hurricane if I recall correctly. I'm not quite sure if his friends survived the venture, but I do recall all the water I had to mop up every night. It was certainly a mess."

"That is too cute. I will definitely remember this in the future."

"Cute in retrospect. But it was quite a hassle for me back then. Not as bad as his naked phase, though. That was sheer horror. Terrible-twos indeed."

Usagi snorted her repressed chuckle. She gave the duck another squeeze in the process. "Naked phase? Itachi had a naked phase?"

"Yes, when he was two. Rotten brat. It was especially a predicament in the summer. He would get hot and cry a lot over it so eventually I settled for letting him wear only a diaper. Unfortunately the rascal would yank the diaper off and proceed to run amok in the house completely naked. I let it go thinking it as a phase. We were in the house, all family, so it wasn't a big deal. What was a big deal was when he decided to repeat the action outside the household. It was so embarrassing. I should have killed the habit from the start but seeing as he was my first child, I was a bit inexperienced."

By now she was struggling to breathe, her next words coming out in between breaths.

"Itachi…just…wow."

"Here's a picture to prove my statement."

Usagi struggled to take hold of the picture and when she did, she found herself, once again, at a loss for breath and clutching to her stomach.

"We were getting ready to take our summer photos underneath this beautiful tree. Everything was perfect. The wind was blowing gently and the fields smelled of beautiful lavender mountain lilies. I had a beautiful sunflower sundress, my husband was actually in a pleasant mood, the sun wasn't too bright, and the temperature was great. Just everything about that moment was perfect. We were gathered on a blanket by our picnic, cuddled together like a cute family. The photographer was just about ready to take the photograph when Itachi, at the last minute, decided to stand up, snag off his diaper and toss it aside. The results are as you see, my son in all his naked glory. He then proceeded to run off across the field of flowers, and my husband almost fell over twice on the steep path trying to get to my son who, at that point, began to roll down the hill in the buff."

"I can't…oh…gosh that is too funny." Usagi wiped away a tear. "It hurts my stomach just thinking about it."

"Well I'm glad you find it amusing, and I suppose it was so even back then. But you should have seen the look on everyone's faces who managed to catch that moment in the fields." She buried her head into her hands. "I'm still embarrassed thinking about it."

"Wow. Did it ever die off?"

"Luckily by the time he was three he became a little more aware and self-conscious. I truly do think it is the fabled terrible-twos. Usagi, when you have children, make sure you are mentally prepared for the trauma they will cause you."

"Noted and stored."

"Good. And this is why I said I keep all these pictures. It's my payback for all the stress my children have given me. Itachi, however, was just a little more of a handful than Sasuke. I don't know whether that's a credit to my newly gained experience from raising him or that Sasuke was simply well-behaved."

"Well, at least that's in the past now. You're not thinking of having more children are you?"

"Oh, good heavens no! I did want a girl when I was pregnant with Sasuke but alas, another boy. After those two, I decided I wouldn't try for more. It was just too much work and two was plenty. But every now and then I do wonder what it would be like if I did have a little girl I could spoil like a princess. I eventually settled with the notion that I would rely on grandchildren for that dream."

"That's good. And hopefully we won't have to worry about any naked phases with them."

She chuckled. "No, I hope we don't." She stole a peak at Usagi's watch and realized the time. Her husband and son would be returning home and expecting their dinner. "Oh will you look at the time. It's already four. I need to move fast if I'm to get my family's dinner ready."

"Dinner? You just made lunch and it's only four. Isn't it a bit early?"

"Well, as you know, I tend to have more traditional dinners at my house. Preparation for the vegetables and meat takes about an hour. I then need at least another hour to finish the actual cooking. Then setting up the table, preparing the tea...it's my usual routine. Usually it feels as if once one meal is over, I get right to work on the next."

"Wow, and on top of that all the housework for the day and the shopping. You really do a lot Mikoto-san."

"Well I'm glad somebody appreciates my work. But that's the life of a mother."

"When I get married and have a family, my husband's going to split the housework with me."

"That seems to be the contemporary trend considering more women are at work. But please don't admonish my family for our traditions. I genuinely love what I do for them."

"I wasn't. But I do wish Itachi would at least do his own laundry from time to time."

"I suspect if you stay over more often, he would have to."

"Excuse me?"

"I think you know." She winked and began putting away her pictures.

Usagi was completely lost but nervously laughed it off as Itachi did warn her that his mother was quirky. "Um, do you mind if I hold onto this duck for a while?"

"The duck? Why would you want such a thing?"

"To repay Itachi for all the trauma he's caused you." She gave the duck two squeezes.

Mikoto smiled wickedly. "Very well. It's yours for now."

"Thanks."

She allowed Usagi to help her finish cleaning up the storage room. As soon as she was sure everything was put in place, she watched Usagi nervously rocking on her feet. The girl was probably at a conflict as to what she should be doing.

"Um, I guess I should go now. You have a lot to do…"

She thought hard about several things that happened to attack her mind at the moment. It was nice having Usagi around. A female partner was a very nice change of pace. She found she could engage in conversations that only her friends in the gossip chain could. When she was in the house, there was very little room to engage in her type of conversations. It was a fact that she did tend to run her mouth, but very rarely did her sons or husband return the act. They were often very quiet unless coaxed into talking, mostly from her whining. And so, as she busied herself doing chores around the house, it was a common routine she adapted to hum to herself, recite lyrics, or try to picture herself in another world considering there was very little to communicate internally. Having Usagi around was a wonderful change of scenery; she felt many spectacular things regarding the girl. And a part of her longed to hold her like the long lost daughter she never had. That part, was reluctant to relinquish the feeling so soon. And given the fact the girl had no family of her own, it was probably a motherly instinct that pushed her into giving in to that selfish feeling.

"Well, if you're not too busy tonight, how would you like to stay for dinner as well?"

"I really couldn't. Mikoto-san, you've done so much for me already. I would be imposing."

"I insist. Your company was enjoyable today, Usagi."

"But…"

"It would make me very happy if you stayed."

"Well, okay..."

Mikoto's earnest looks and glittering eyes didn't allow her the capacity to refuse such an offer. And the more thought that was given in to the request, the more earnest she felt about her desire to stay as well. There was just some type of connection there, much more than a friend and a friend's mother. She felt gravely reluctant to let the opportunity slip away.

---

"Are these all the records we have?"

"Yes."

"There's nothing more?"

"No. Blonde female. Birthday: June thirtieth. Born to parents Kenji and Ikkuko Tsukino. The father was a merchant for Konoha while the mother was a resident of Iwagakure. The girl was living with her mother for a few months until she died of complications derived from the birth of her child. She was then moved here to live with her father until his passing during the attacks in the village from the third ninja war. The former Hokage, yondaime, assigned her to the second ward of the youth treatment center. She lived the rest of her life under the ward of the village until she was granted her own quarters around the age of ten."

He turned the papers to view both sides and sifted through them only to find a very thin pile. "Is that it? There's nothing more to the folder?"

"Well, we have a history of medical, academic and work-related documents. Health seems to be good for the most part. Academic-wise, I mean aside from a few punctuality problems and average test scores, there really is nothing bad. Work seems to be in check too. She hasn't given the team any trouble, has completed all her missions and follows protocol as instructed. Captain, the girl seems fine, and she comes off clean. There really is nothing too extraordinary about this case."

"That's what worries me."

"Sir?"

"No, it's nothing. Thank you for the work. I'll let you get back to your previous assignment."

"Yes, sir. And if I find changes in development, I will inform you at once."

"Very well." He gave a firm nod before relieving the officer from his office. After the man left, he sighed into clasped hands, deliberating every piece of information from the files that lay before him.

"You seem troubled by all this."

"Of course. You can look at these files yourself." He placed the pile into an envelope and slid them across the table in frustration.

"Ah, this is the girl that defeated Michio a few years back."

"Yes, I figured that out as well. Back during that final round, I found it peculiar that she was able to defeat Michio so easily."

"I wouldn't call it a quick battle. She did suffer her fair share of scrapes. In fact, had it not been for that final move, he may have actually won."

"Yes, but she shouldn't have even battled on par to begin with. The fact that she was able to withstand so much damage and on top of that, able to battle the sharingan so well left an unsettling feeling within me. No ordinary person carries that much stamina, much less a girl. For months after it, I played the battle over and over in my head. I tried to replay every piece of detail I could think of, making sure not to overlook anything possible that could enlighten me to the exact events that transpired and the results that followed the exam. But not once, did I find any trace of victory for the girl. I reevaluated our clan's training regimen based on that one battle. A girl with no lineage or bloodline was able to conjure up a unique attack and defeat an Uchiha? It angered me but more than anything, I was worried that our clan's capabilities were jeopardized. If she could defeat us, what would that say about other people like her or worse, other clans? It puzzled me since then but knowing now what truly happened has eased my concern for any insufficiencies I once believed of our clan. Unfortunately, that raises another problem, and I understand with perfect clarity what exactly happened."

"Itachi. You think Itachi helped her achieve victory."

"I know he did. There's no way that girl could have made it that far on her own and defeated one of our boys unless she received help from the inside. If anyone could bring it out of her it would be my son. But to think Itachi would reveal our clan's secrets is maddening. I never thought my son would betray his own clan."

"I don't believe Itachi did such a thing."

"What makes you say that?"

"In retrospect, we can see that the girl received some amount of intensive training, mostly likely from your son. But claiming Itachi took it beyond simple exercises would be insulting of your son's integrity. Itachi is an honorable shinobi and would not reveal our clan's most internal secrets. It was probably information readily available to anyone who cared to give it even a casual glance. Furthermore, it was obvious from the battle the girl had very limited knowledge of our true abilities, especially the sharingan. I doubt the training delved too far in. The girl probably picked up what little she could from Itachi if they engaged in any type of basic training exercises."

"Perhaps. But it still concerns me. If Itachi is serious about the girl, it means she'll become more involved with our family. And with that comes the dangers of being exposed. I wouldn't even put it past her to try to work her way into Itachi's good graces and our family just to get the information she needs."

"You think her to be a spy? She doesn't exactly exemplify the qualities required of such a task. And Fugaku, let's not get ahead of ourselves. If I recall correctly, it was that type of thinking that led your son into an interrogation room over a matter of his personal intimate affairs."

If Fugaku was not careful to hide emotions, a blush may have appeared on his face. He cleared his throat to regain his composure. "I had every right to be suspicious with the way my son was acting. If he was simply engaging in sexual activities for leisure, he should have made an indication of it long ago. And now that I'm on the subject of the girl, I have to say that I'm disappointed in my son's choice of women."

"The girl is fairly attractive. She appears healthy and energetic. It's obvious why your son found her appealing. What objection do you have against it?"

"There's more to a relationship than appearances. I would expect my son to have the same standards as I would when it comes to women."

"Does this have anything to do with her lack of a colorful pedigree?"

"The girl is insufficient and a danger to my son's future."

"The file indicates there really is nothing to worry about. The girl isn't involved in anything illegal that could tarnish Itachi's reputation."

He didn't turn to acknowledge the old man's statement.

"Or perhaps you have more trivial things to consider?"

"There is nothing trivial about a father wanting the best for his son."

"Then am I to understand you don't believe this girl fulfills Itachi's needs? Or rather, your needs."

"You heard Tekka. The girl doesn't even have so much as volunteer work on her resume. She works with the team to further only herself. Everything she has accomplished has been purely selfish."

"Well that's a bit unfair, don't you think? Most ninjas are concerned with progressing and increasing their rank. After all, if we all get stuck on D-rank missions for life, how will that benefit our society? No individual growth means no national growth. It's a team effort, Fugaku."

"This girl wouldn't understand the needs of this clan. The pressure will become too much and it will break her. What purpose will she have then if she can't serve her clan, her husband?"

"Husband? I think you're pushing things a little too far. This is only a stepping stone in Itachi's development."

"Excuse me?"

"Fugaku, how many men do you know that actually end up with their childhood sweethearts? You yourself didn't marry your first girlfriend, something of which Mikoto herself is unaware, I'm sure."

"Hmm."

"This is Itachi's first relationship. What are the odds he will actually be with this girl when the time comes for him to marry? I'm sure he will have moved on by then."

"Then what do you propose? I let them gallivant about their ways?"

He sighed before collecting his cane and hat. Once he was sure his weight was fully supported by the wooden object, he made his crawling move towards the door. "Rubbing the rice too hard when trying to clean it only grinds it into brittle powder."

"So what? I sit here and do nothing?"

"What I say is irrelevant to what action you take. I know you too well. And as you stated before, he is your son. But just remember that life has a way of taking its own course. There's no need trying to undo something that hasn't been done." With a tip of his hat, he bid Fugaku a silent farewell. After closing the door behind him, he watched as a group of boys gathered around Itachi's work station.

"Well, boys what have we here?" The man snatched an item from the table and waved it around to the crowd. "Aw, they're cute little cookies. And look, they're even wrapped up with ribbon and a tiny teddy bear sticker."

Itachi's hand swiped his bag at lightning speed. He ignored the men and continued scribbling notes in his binder.

"Better watch out boys, his lover gave him those cookies. Wouldn't want to piss him off, would we?"

"I'm hurt she didn't make the rest of us any cookies."

"She can keep the cookies. I wouldn't mind if she shared herself with the rest of us."

"Hey, Itachi, when you're done with her, let us know. We'd all like a go."

In an attempt to save Itachi from all the jeering, his cane shot out to make a quick swipe of the area. Several officers offered curses as others received the message to give Itachi some distance.

"If you have enough time to fool around then I expect you've finished all your work. In that case, I may be taking it too easy on you. We'll work on tomorrow's load today as well. I expect full reports and analysis back to me before sundown. Anyone who isn't able to complete their tasks, well I hope you brought your nightwear, because you'll be needing it."

"Come on, old man. Give us a break."

"We were just messing around."

"Get back to work you miscreant maggots!"

They replied with groans and reluctant affirmations to their duties.

He watched as Itachi began to make his way to the filing cabinet, ready to begin the next day's paperwork. "Not you."

"Sir?"

"I suspect the moment I leave, they'll simply parade about your desk more. If that's the case, I'll excuse you for the rest of the day."

"Are you dismissing me, sir?"

"Essentially. Go home and finish your work there. I'll inform your father that your aide is no longer needed here for the day."

"Ah."

He watched the old man leave and sighed a relief. It wasn't as if the men were a complete distraction. He had learned long ago how to completely ignore interference with his work. But perhaps taking the rest of the day off from the station would prove beneficial for his assignments. He would be able to accomplish much more at home. After gathering his documents, he braced himself for the inevitable teasing as he walked out of the station.

"Hey, Itachi, tell your girlfriend I said hello."

"Yo, man, when's the wedding?"

He ignored all the jeering and senseless ruckus those statements evoked. The day was exceptionally annoying and he was mentally drained over enduring such painfully awkward conversations. It had been the same since that dreadful Thursday morning when Usagi had decided to open her big mouth. And he suspected since then that the recovery time would take quite a while. It had always been the same with any other officer's undertakings. Similarly he recalled another officer caught in an affair with an engaged woman. It took quite some time for the event to die out but even now some still whispered words behind closed curtains over his ordeal. The quickest way for a scandal to fade out of existence was for a new one to emerge. Sadly, he would bear the brunt of the joking until the next one.

"Just ignore them. They're only messing with you."

He gave Shisui a quick recognition of his presence before continuing his walk home. "I know."

"How is Usagi, anyway?"

"A victim of my mother's affection."

"I take it your mother has grown fond of her already?"

"Adores her, mostly because she thinks she's my girlfriend. Which makes it my first alleged relationship, so you can understand her excitement."

"Your mom was just about to give up on you and focus on Sasuke for grandchildren. This news, albeit false, surely has raised her spirits about your potential for siring children."

"I know. Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately? What's the problem?"

"Nothing really. I'm just wondering where this will go if it gets out of control."

"Out of control?"

"Well at some point this game has to end. I can't go back on my word to my mother. She's already assured she doesn't believe me. But I'm at a loss as to how to squelch this false rumor. There has to be something."

"Well there is a solution to your problem."

"Really? And what would that be?"

Shisui stopped and stood in front of Itachi, placing both hands firmly on his shoulders to cease his movements. "Itachi, you're going to have to break up with her."

"Stop fooling around." He shoved his friend aside and continued his pace.

"I know I know. But it's not a bad solution. You fake an amicable breakup with the two of you deciding to stay close friends and then you're off the hook."

"Only one problem. My mom will just try to patch things up again and then we're back to square one."

"Yeah, maybe. Got another solution?"

"Have Usagi tell her the truth and explain everything. Now if I can just get that woman to shut up for one minute so we can talk. My mother won't believe my words but perhaps if Usagi was with me to help explain it, she would begin to believe in the misunderstanding. Which leads to my other minor issue. I have to let Usagi know what's going on. Her choice of actions and words as of recent have not helped my problem at all."

"You mean you haven't told her yet? Never mind that, you're trying to say she hasn't caught on to what's going on?"

"Usagi is…how should I put it…?"

"Naïve?"

"I was going with stupid, but that works too."

"That's no way to speak about a lady."

"She offers me a few choice words all the time, so we're square."

He chuckled. "I can tell you have a pretty close friendship with her."

"I guess."

"Well then there goes solution number three."

"And what would that be?"

"Just go out with her so the rumor will be true."

"No."

"Alright, just a suggestion. But try to tell Usagi as soon as possible. It's not in good mind to keep her in the shadows from all this. She'll run into trouble later on."

"Trouble?"

"The clan. They're laughing it all off now but believe me, considering your position, all eyes are going to be on her. You're an important political figurehead in this clan, Itachi. Usagi will be heavily scrutinized and her very existence will be torn apart and shredded for analysis to judge whether or not she's suitable for you…if you let this spiral out of control."

"I know. I'll try to clear things up soon."

"That's not all. You're going to have to give her a fair warning and watch over her well-being even if the truth gets out."

"You don't think the clan would hurt her, do you?"

"Well, not the actual members. Some probably won't be bothered by her presence at all. I was referring, instead, to your little fan club. The girls that like to gossip and giggle every time they see you. Don't you think they'll be a little antagonistic toward a girl that shares so much intimate time with you?"

"I actually never thought about that. I had forgotten they were still around."

"You know how vicious those girls get. Just look at the ones in Sasuke's generation and how awful they treat Sakura just because she's on the same team as him."

"Usagi isn't exactly fragile. If they ever crossed her, I would actually be more concerned for their well-being."

"Perhaps so. Where is she now anyway? How did it go with your lunch?"

"It went fine, the only problem being my mother asking her about children. Other than that it ran fairly smooth."

"Well that's good. I'm sure it made Usagi very happy. She doesn't have a real family so this extended one should cheer her up."

"Extended?"

He smirked. "I'm sure your mother will be ready to adopt her after finding out she's an orphan. It's just a mother's instinct to protect children. Usagi's been her whole life without a family. Hanging around yours will give her a good idea of what it's like. That alone will bring her much happiness."

"Hmm."

"Which brings up another dilemma. If you're not going to find a suitable solution to keep her around, then you should break it off immediately. It will be too cruel giving Usagi that taste of paradise and then snatching it away from her once she's accustomed to it."

"Yes. I know."

"Give me the details later, then. I have to go meet the old man now."

"Ah."

He walked off even before Shisui disappeared from sight. He was tired, hungry, fed up with the teasing and mildly irritated from the combination. At moments like these, a shower, hot bath and some warm food was all he needed—accompanied with much needed rest. And when he saw the familiar red parasol hanging by the entrance to his home, he offered silent gratitude for having endured yet another day at work.

Ignoring the sounds of steaming vegetables and the smell of chicken being boiled in a stock of garlic goodness, he went straight into his room and began stripping off his vest and socks. His meal was going to be ready soon, if his mother maintained her usual punctual routine. He decided to bide his time and get some much needed relief for his feet by resting on his futon. In that small amount of time he first laid down, he began recalling Shisui's words. It was true, he needed to relay the information fast before Usagi was in too deep. But how to go about doing that was a different story. Luckily, Usagi was a bit more attentive and so telling her flat out would be much simpler than his luck with his mother. In a critical situation such as this, it was better to be as open and direct as possible. It was his style, anyway. He sat up on his futon, contemplating the exact moment when he would talk to her. Perhaps if he just visited her as normal, asked her for a walk or initiated some other type of activity to make the transition into the conversation easier. If he spoke rationally, she would probably come to the same conclusion and end the interaction with his family mutually. Then they could go back to the way things were without anyone being suspicious, without anyone thinking anything more of…."

"Itachi, I love you…"

His eyes narrowed and he dared not turn his head. A sharp breath escaped him, his eyebrows bore down, and a familiar pull of skin below his eye appeared as quickly as it left. And before he could utter another word, his ears were greeted with a high-pitched noise that fluctuated in tone. The sound repeated two more times before his arm reached out to attempt to cease its existence.

"But why don't you love me, Itachi? Why…why? Didn't I mean anything to you?"

"Give it to me."

She scooted back and held the object out of his reach. "What about all those good times we shared? Did they mean anything at all to you?"

"Usagi, give-me-the duck."

"No! He's mine!"

"That's stolen property."

"It's abandoned property, which makes it perfectly legal that it is currently in my possession."

"Just give it-to-me…" By now he was on knees trying to retrieve the item as Usagi effectively rolled out of his way. "Where did you get it, anyway?"

"Your mom."

"My mother?" He stopped struggling suddenly and immediately stood straight on his knees. "Usagi, what else did my mother show you?"

"Just some pictures."

"Of what?" His voice projected the hidden anger he was currently withholding.

"Um, let's see. There were a lot scattered but I do recall a few. You and Sasuke holding hands under a tree. And believe me, that one was too cute for words. Then there were some of you guys starting out in the academy, one of you eating watermelon. There's a picture of you guys dressed for the festivals your family attends."

"She had no business showing you any of those. And you should have just made an excuse to leave instead of sitting there watching them. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Your mom invited me for dinner, and I've been helping her around the house. Plus I couldn't resist when she promised to show me your family album."

He ditched the duck as he sat by his kotatsu. He hated the fact his mother still kept those pictures. When they were younger, she sometimes showed them off to Auntie Uruchi when she was over and a few other elderly Uchiha women. Most of them were dead by now except for Uruchi and he quarreled with his mother often about eradicating them completely. Since the issue was never brought up again and he heard no teasing from anyone, he imagined she gave into his wishes. But now he knew the evidence of his childhood still existed. It made him uneasy about everything. Particularly that one incident.

"Is that…all…she showed you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay."

"Wait."

"What?"

"Well, there is something I wanted to ask you."

"About what?"

"Just a random thought. I wanted to know…"

"Yes?"

"Would you feel awkward if I decided to strip right now?"

"Excuse me?" He raised a confused eyebrow, mortified of the suggestion.

"Well, it is a fairly hot day and I just figured the less I had on, the more comfortable I would feel. Oh and hopefully your family won't mind if I decide to run about the house completely bare."

The brow slowly lowered until his face was now marred with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "How much…did you see?"

She smiled with pearly white teeth. "It would be much easier to tell you what I didn't see."

He closed his eyes, attempting to calm the storm that was brewing in his body. Once he was confident his mind was rational again, he stood up abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Usagi's eyes widened when he activated his sharingan. "Itachi? What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill her."

"No! Damn it, just wait." Her feet slipped and she landed on her knees twice before successfully standing up.

"And then, I'm going to burn this house down and all the evidence with it."

"Stop that!" She hooked her arms and miserably attempted to ground her feet and restrain his movements.

"Usagi, let me go."

"No. You don't have to do this!" She squeezed harder but found it was impossible to harm his steel body. It was dragging her halfway across the room.

"Don't bother stopping me."

"I'm your friend so please just listen to me for a second!"

"Then be a good friend, and help me hide the bodies."

She let go of her squeezing hold and ran before him, pressing her hands flat against his chest and grounding her feet once again to attempt to stop his actions. "Look, just listen for a second. This is not the right solution!"

"You're right…"

She stopped and relaxed when his body no longer pushed against her hold.

"I just have to destroy the photographs."

"What? You can't!"

"And why not?"

"They're your mother's pictures. A memory from your childhood and they mean a lot to her. You'll break her heart if you do it."

"Then at least let me destroy the bad ones."

"Oh come on! Don't you have a sense of humor? Besides, it's not like your mom is posting these up on bulletin boards across Konoha!"

"But she could."

"If your mother wanted to humiliate you in that way, she would have done it already."

He sulked back to the floor.

"Aww, is it so bad that I saw them? You were a little kid. I'm sure being fully nude is completely natural at that age."

He said nothing but grumbled some words she barely caught.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise. It'll be our secret."

"I still don't like it that you know. Maybe I should take my own measures to ensure that you never speak of the situation."

She gulped when his sharingan bore into her eyes. "Take it easy, okay? You might give me some type of brain aneurism or something."

"All the better to keep you silent."

She glared. "Why are you so upset? They were baby pictures; there's nothing wrong with them."

"Hmm."

"So what if I saw your…uh…thingy…"

"Usagi?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

"Well I was just saying…it was so small…" She became nervous when Itachi's sharingan eyes became much more menacing. She immediately flailed her hands. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that you were a baby then so it doesn't count as me seeing you now. And I'm sure you're very big now…uh…well…that is I haven't actually seen your thing now but I'm sure you're a very decent size! I wasn't trying to insult you. That is, uh, please don't kill me."

"Just stop talking about it you stupid girl."

"Shutting up now."

"If I agree not to destroy those damn pictures will you refrain from bringing this up ever again?"

"Deal."

"And I assure you, if I so much as hear a word, a whisper, an exhale of breath in regards to those photographs, you will not only never make it to jounin but I can assure you that you will never make it to the next year. And I can easily make it look like an accident. A horrific, unfortunate, doleful accident. Am I understood?"

She giggled weakly. "You're only half serious right?"

He frowned and sent a small wave of power her way.

She quickly erased the humor on her face. "Understood. And sorry. You're right, I should've run. But I was curious."

"About what?"

"I just wanted to know what you were like. I don't know much about you so I was wondering about the secret life of Uchiha Itachi. You never tell me anything really deep about you. I hardly know anything about your life outside mine, including your family. So I was just curious as to what I was missing out on."

"Nothing of interest to you."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Usagi," he warned.

"My lips are sealed and no one will ever know of this incident. Yubiwa?" She held her pinky finger out to him.

He intertwined his finger with hers after a moment's hesitation. "Ah."

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both disengaged when Mikoto entered.

Itachi frowned. "No, nothing at all."

She smiled. "Well, dinner is ready. But I was thinking…"

All ears perked to listen.

"How would you two like to have dinner here? Fugaku and I could use some quiet time alone, and it really isn't a bother at all. I'm sure you two have much to talk about."

"Well, I don't know…" Usagi turned to Itachi for the final decision.

"Ah. That's fine."

"Oh well, then yes. I'm okay with it too."

She smiled. "Good. Then I'll be back shortly with your dishes."

Usagi leaned against the small table as soon as she left. "Is that okay? Isn't it kind of rude not to eat at the table?"

"My mother isn't the type to offer a choice for something of which she isn't fond. If she gave us the option, it means she's genuinely okay with it. Besides, I'm used to eating in my room a lot."

"But, don't you want to share a meal with your family?"

"If you want to eat in the kitchen with my father then be my guest."

She cringed. "Um, your room it is." She twiddled her fingers impatiently for a few seconds before glancing over at him. His features indicated he knew she had more to say and it wasn't in her nature to withhold information from him when she was eager to speak.

"What?"

"I was just wondering something. You said earlier that there was something you wanted to tell me…about your mom acting peculiar during lunch. I wanted to know what that was about."

"Oh well, it's a bit complicated but here goes."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when you came barging into the interrogation room that day?"

"Of course. I remember it."

"Okay, now do you remember what exactly it was you said to everyone to clear my name?"

"I told them you spent the whole night with me."

"Yes. Now think about that and think about what you are insinuating. Then try to picture my mother's reaction and why she has been behaving in a peculiar fashion."

"Oh. Hmm." She placed a hand under her chin, humming along to her brain's attempt to piece the information.

"Do you understand?"

"Well, let's see. She keeps asking me about children…"

"Yes."

"She keeps treating me really nice…"

"Yes."

"She seems very fond of me being part of this family…"

"Exactly. Do you understand the pattern now?"

"Yeah I get it. Your mom wants to adopt me!"

"What?"

"It makes perfect sense to me. She even said you were a failure to provide grandchildren and kept bugging me about it. Plus she's been really nice to me so maybe she wants me to join your family and provide her these children!"

"It's official. You're an idiot."

"I'm not stupid and my logic makes perfect sense. She seems really keen on me getting along with you and wants to include me in more family activities. Plus she wants to help me in my training to become a mother so it's obvious she wants to adopt me. Hey, Itachi wouldn't that be cool? You and I can be siblings. You can be my bigger brother!"

"That is not happening."

"Don't be such a downer. And now I have an excuse to squeal over Sasuke too. He'll be a cute little brother for me."

"That certainly will not happen."

"Why are you so upset over this? Don't you think I'll make a cute little sister for you? I mean we're already really close to each other. I've seen your baby pictures and I know more about your past than anyone else. And this will be good for us because we can hang out more without anyone worrying."

"My mother is not thinking these things of you, and you are not my new little sister."

"Aw, I think I can blend into this family well. No one will know the difference."

"You look nothing like us."

"I could be your mom's illegitimate child from an illicit relationship she had with your gardener."

"We don't have a gardener. And stop giving into your manga's fantasies. Don't corrupt my mother's integrity."

She stuck her tongue out. "Hateful boy. But fine, if your mother is not thinking these things about me then what is she thinking of me, genius?"

"Sex." He said it bluntly before she could interrupt in a similar fashion like his mother.

"Your mother was thinking about sex with me? Wait, is that why she's asking about children and getting friendly? I'm not like that and actually I think that's biologically impossible. Plus she's married."

"No, you stupid girl!"

"But you just said she was thinking about sex!"

"She wasn't thinking about sex with you! She was thinking about sex with me!"

Usagi's horrified eyes scanned Itachi up and down.

"Not like that, you moron!"

"Then what?"

"She was thinking about us!"

"Us how?"

"Well, she was thinking of our compatibilities and future."

"I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"She thinks that we're…"

"Dinner!" Mikoto slid the shoji doors open and presented the two with a tray and their meals.

Usagi's mouth salivated at the sight of all the food. "Great, I'm starving!"

Itachi sighed heavily.

"Was I interrupting again sweetheart?"

"You? Never."

"Okay then. Carry on. I'll just be in the kitchen with your father if you need me."

Usagi carried the tray over to the table, eagerly anticipating the flavors of each dish.

"This looks so good. I helped your mom make it so please let me know how it is."

"Hmm."

They broke their chopsticks and offered their custom phrase before diving right into the meal.

"Hey, what were you saying right before your mom came in?"

He chewed his vegetables. "Mmm?"

"Something about us." She swallowed her food and moved on to each dish excitedly.

"Oh. I'll tell you after the meal."

"Okay. And by the way, how did you like your cookies?"

"Cookies?"

"The ones I gave you earlier for work. Were they good?"

"Ah."

"Glad you liked them. And this really is delicious. I'll have to come over more often; this is food is awesome."

His brain resounded warnings to the situation. Shisui's words echoed in his mind and he knew then that the problem could escalate if Usagi continued down this path unless he pushed her away. Perhaps the solution at hand was to guide her in that direction instead of a lengthy explanation which appeared much too complex for Usagi, anyway. "Usagi…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking…"

"What is it?"

"I think maybe it's best if you didn't come over too often."

"What? Why not?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and he immediately searched for better words.

"It's not that I don't want you here. Well, actually that's not entirely true…"

Her eyes began to glisten with a hint of tears.

"Wait, I mean, I like hanging out with you. But just not with my family…"

Her lips began to quiver slightly.

"No, well, the thing is I…look. Never mind okay? Just forget about it." He rethought his procedures carefully in order to avoid a crying girl in his room.

She placed her chopsticks down sharply and stopped eating, ignoring his suggestion to move on.

"What is it?"

"If you don't want me around, just come out and say it. You don't have to keep making stupid excuses."

"What?"

"My mom doesn't think that of you. She was thinking about our future and compatibilities," she repeated in a falsetto of his voice.

"I was serious about that."

"Just be honest with me. The truth of the matter is, you're the one not comfortable with me around. You're just trying to make excuses for yourself and using your mom as a shield."

"That's not true. I just don't think this situation is right for us."

"Are you embarrassed by me?"

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Oh, so everything is fine and you have no objections to hanging out with me in private—when no one knows of my existence. But lo and behold the clan gets wind of my presence and you're suddenly uncomfortable? I didn't think you were that type of guy, Itachi."

"I'm not. This isn't about your lineage or lack thereof."

"Then what's wrong? I mean, no one is against me coming over. Your mother is okay with me, your father hasn't said anything according to you and no one in the clan has confronted me either. So what's the problem?"

"It's the problems that will come later down the road. My mother…"

"Stop trying to bring your mother into this. It's obvious you're the one with the problems here. If you're not comfortable with me hanging around your house, just say it. I'll go. It's not a big deal."

"Usagi, don't be upset."

"I'm not upset; I just wish you would be more honest with me. It feels like everyone's in on this big secret that I don't know about. Usagi is too stupid. Usagi is immature. Usagi won't get it."

"I don't think you're stupid."

"You just said a while ago I was."

"You're not. Just you're thinking…"

"…is stupid?"

"I was going to say…eccentric. And fine, if you must know, there is a reason I want to keep a low profile with you. But I'll tell you only after we eat, when I know there won't be any intrusions from my mother whom I'm sure will be listening in and interrupting us again."

"Forget it. I'm not in the mood anymore."

"Is something wrong?"

He dropped his head to the table. "Like that."

Mikoto smiled innocently. "I just wanted to check up on you and see if you wanted more tea."

"No, we don't need more tea."

"Actually, Mikoto-san, I was just…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing, but I have to—"

"You're not leaving are you?"

"Well…"

"It's the food isn't it? I knew the recipe was outdated. I should've gone with something more modern." She gasped. "Did I accidentally put carrots in them!"

"No, you didn't…I mean, the food is wonderful—"

"Then it's the tea right? I knew I should have gone with Jasmine tea."

"No, my tea is perfectly fine. I was just thinking that perhaps it's best I just go now. I mean, before it gets too late."

Mikoto immediately glared at Itachi. "You did this, didn't you? You made her upset!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Mikoto-san, it's just not the right environment."

"Say no more! No problem, I completely understand."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "What are you up to now, you crazy woman?"

"I know just how to fix things like this. Sometimes, you just have to set the mood properly. I've had plenty of experience with Fugaku so I know how this works. You two just sit right there."

"Mikoto-san, I think it's best…"

"Not another word, just sit right here." She added a little pressure to Usagi's shoulders and pushed her back down to the floor.

"I will be right back. Just wait you two."

"Okay…"

They waited patiently for her as her feet scurried across the floor. There was a loud crash, some arguing with her husband, more scurrying and then she was back—breathless over her mini marathon run.

"I…have…them." She struggled to catch her breath.

Usagi and Itachi frowned as she slammed a vase of flowers and some scented candles onto the table.

"This should help set the mood and patch things up between you."

"I don't get it. Candles?"

Mikoto winked at her. She placed the vase of flowers in the middle of the table and then arranged the candles on Itachi's kotatsu around it before lighting them up. After she was done, she backed out of the room and shut the lights off. "Don't you worry about me. I'll make sure to give you two plenty of privacy!" And then, she was gone.

"Your mom, is by far, the most curious person I have ever met. She's been acting weird all day. Itachi, is she sick?"

"And twisted," he mumbled.

"And why did she turn off the lights? I can't see myself eat." Usagi made an attempt to resume her consumption of the food but frowned when her utensils hit the wooden table repeatedly.

"Are you saying then you'll stay?"

"I, well…I might as well. I don't want to upset her."

"Good. And I promise to explain it later when I know she won't interrupt. For now, I'll just go turn the lights back on." He did as he said he would and followed his action with an attempt to blow out the candles before Usagi stopped him.

"Hey, wait. I kind of like these candles. They smell nice. Let's leave them on for now."

"And burn off oxygen in an enclosed area? What's wrong with you?"

Usagi sighed into her food. "You really are romantically stunted aren't you?"

"Are you suggesting you want a romantic ambience?"

"Of course. Girls love these kinds of things. Didn't you know that?"

"I prefer to keep things professional between us."

"Oh don't get so cocky. It's not about you. It doesn't matter who I'm with—be it a girl or a guy. I can appreciate a romantic setting. It's visually appealing to my eyes."

"Deep down, you're just like regular women I guess."

"Naturally, that makes me normal. What about you?"

"What about me?" He reached over to a bowl and began placing pieces of cabbage onto his plate.

"I never see you do anything manly."

"Manly? You don't think all the work I do constitutes being a man?"

"Okay, I guess you do manly things being in Anbu and working out but I mean things normal guys do on a daily basis for recreation."

"Enlighten me."

"Well for starters, do you have any dirty magazines?"

He choked on his rice. Why did people insist on asking these things while he had a full mouth? "No, I don't have such a thing."

"See that's what I mean. Normal guys go to the magazine shop and buy those dirty magazines of scantily dressed women with big breasts and butts. Kakashi does it, Iruka does it and heck even Naruto does it."

"I don't find photographs of women with absurdly large body parts to be remotely entertaining or visually pleasing for that matter."

"This is why everyone thinks you're gay."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not gay."

"But you said that you don't find those magazines intriguing."

"I don't find those type of women appealing. It takes much more to garner my interest."

"So, you like intelligent girls?"

"I never gave it any thought but an intelligent girl who knows when to shut up about a faux pas subject does sound remarkably attractive right about now."

"Calm down. I…well…what about underwear? A lot of guys keep their girlfriend's underwear."

"I don't have a girlfriend. And even if I did, I wouldn't purposely keep a pair of her undergarments with me. That just sounds disgusting and unsanitary."

"Yeah. And I don't even want to think about what guys actually do with them. Do you know?"

"Why do you always ask me these ridiculous questions?"

"Well, because you're a guy. You're supposed to know these things, you know?"

"No, I don't know, all right? I have no idea why men decide to hold a woman's used and filthy undergarments hostage for any period of time. Now enough with this nonsense."

"I'm only asking because of your mom."

"What does my mother have to do with any of this?"

"Earlier she was saying how much she really wanted a baby girl. Instead she got stuck with you two and was hoping one of you could bless her with a granddaughter. But from the way you're acting, I'd say I have a better chance of providing her these grandchildren."

"Whether or not I have children is completely irrelevant to her life. If I choose to live alone then she must learn to respect that."

"Why would you want to live alone? Don't you want to marry someone someday? Have a family with children and a wife?"

"Not if they're going to be anything like my mother or as annoying as you."

"But won't you be lonely? I mean, if all your friends and your brother get married and have families of their own, they won't spend as much time with you. So won't you be lonely being by yourself all the time?"

"I'll manage."

"Well, I guess it's okay. Everyone chooses the kind of lifestyle they want. But, Itachi, I promise you this. No matter what happens, I'll always be your friend. And I'll always be there if you want to talk to me."

He smiled bitterly as he recalled another conversation with Shisui. Usagi would indeed be married someday and her husband would be less than pleased about her spending intimate time with another man behind closed doors. "And what of your future husband? Won't he be upset seeing you alone with me?"

"If my future husband loves me as much as he's supposed to, then he should trust me and understand that I have friendships outside the marriage. Whether those friendships are with males or females is irrelevant. A friend is a friend."

"Is that so? Well then tell me something. Do you think it's possible for a man and a woman to know each other for a long time and not develop feelings?"

She paused for quite some time, deliberating the answer. "No, I don't think so."

He stopped mid-bite.

"But feelings, that's a vague concept. Feelings can be anything from love, being in love, caring, compassion…the list goes on. If two people, regardless of gender, know each other for that long, they are bound to grow some type of relationship and develop feelings. It doesn't have to be romantic feelings or attraction. Sometimes, you just learn to care for each other or you become friends, like with us. And even if it is love, it doesn't have to be one type of love."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, I love Naruto, Minako-chan, Mako-chan, and Ami-chan. They're all precious friends to me. I love all my friends because they mean so much to me. Together, we've been through a lot so naturally we would develop feelings for one another. It's a different kind of love then when 'falling in love'."

"What's the difference?"

"Between what?"

"Loving someone and being in love with someone."

"Well, it's really hard to explain, so I'm just going to tell you what my friend told me."

"And that's what?"

"Do you love your mother?"

"I suppose."

"Are you in love with your mother?"

He smirked. "I see now."

"I'm not too certain what falling in love feels like because honestly, I don't think I've ever had that feeling. At least, I don't think so anyway. I mean there are guys I find attractive, but I never really gave it much thought considering how tough my life has been. There was just never any time to stop and think about it. You know?"

"As a matter of fact, I am quite familiar with the situation."

"Yeah, but if it's anything like what the manga I read say, then it's a really complex feeling. Most people don't think rationally, and all day they think about that person. Then when they leave each other, the only thing they ever think of is seeing that person again. Supposedly, your heart beats faster, you get a little nervous and there's always a feeling of excitement."

"Sounds bothersome."

"I'm not sure how much to believe it. I guess we won't know until it happens, right?"

"Hopefully life will spare me the pain."

She chuckled. "Sure. But anyway, does that answer your question? I mean, I tend to jumble up my words and speak random ideas but I hope my thoughts weren't too sporadic."

"No, that explains it. A lot actually."

"Why are you so curious?"

"About what?"

"Well, you never really want to talk about things like this. You usually tell me to shut up. But now, I don't know. You seem so curious about it."

"I won't deny I find the subject matter fascinating to some degree. I suppose it's just my aptitude for gathering knowledge in regards to human behavior. It also might be attributed to my training in Anbu as I was required to understand the human psyche and development in order to aide my work."

"That's so twisted. You mean, you guys use things like emotions against your victims?"

"You know I can't discuss things like that with you."

"Enough said. That speaks volumes. But on the other hand, I shouldn't be so offended. After all, we all do things we're not quite proud of from time to time. Like me, whenever I go on missions, I always wonder if the things I'm doing will inadvertently affect other people out there."

"Good or bad are vague perceptions people go by in regards to how they are raised. What's good or bad to me may not necessarily be the case for you; therefore, we are trained not to think about that. Are only job is the mission. We put faith in our leaders that tasks handed to us are beneficial for everyone and that our lives are not being risked for trivial and personal agendas. Don't you have faith in our Hokage?"

"I do."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, I guess not. Sorry, I didn't mean to get introspective. Sometimes, when I have a thought, my mouth tends to run carelessly without stopping."

"A habit I've learned long ago."

She threw a piece of rolled napkin at him. "Anyway, how do you like the food?"

"It's good."

"I helped make it so give me credit where it's due. Your mother put me on a training schedule today."

"Training?"

"Yes, or so she says. It was mostly household chores and cooking. It could have been training for motherhood, but to be quite honest I couldn't help but think she just wanted help to make it easier for her."

"That would be my mother. She's much more manipulative then most people assume."

"Yeah, I couldn't even get a word in to object. Plus she does that thing where her eyes get all cute and big. I'm pretty sure she does it just to get what she wants."

"Yes, I know that look all too well, especially from a particular rabbit."

"You have rabbits in your house? Where are they?"

He continued to stare at her.

"Ah ha, very funny. I do no such thing."

"No? Then who was it that cried that one time until she was allowed to take a break from training?"

"Must've been your brother because I don't recall such an act."

"How about the time said person complained and whined until she was given a specific batch of cotton candy?"

"Cotton candy…cotton candy. Nope, not ringing a bell."

"Or perhaps the time this girl entered my home without permission and demanded I train her?"

"Whoever this girl is, she has absolutely no regard for your privacy and is extremely detrimental to your well-being. You should issue a restraining order on her immediately."

"Believe me, you have no idea how tempted I am."

"Oh come on, I'm not that annoying."

"You may want to rethink that."

"I'm just a little energetic at times; that doesn't constitute annoying."

"Honestly, you're just like my mother…"

"And how is that, sweetie?"

Itachi sighed into his cup having already sensed her presence down the hall. "Have you nothing better to do with your time? What about the intimate moments you wanted to share with your husband?"

"Itachi, that's no way to talk to your mother."

"That's right. After all, your caring mother wanted to check up on you. I was wondering if you two would like some dessert. I have strawberries and whip cream unless you two prefer to do it with chocolate syrup."

"Do what with chocolate syrup?"

Itachi immediately stood up. "Kaa-san, I need to speak with you."

"Oh don't be shy. I just…"

"Now." Itachi practically pulled her into the hallway and slid the door shut behind them. "What are you doing now, you insane woman?"

"I'm just trying to help you out. The tension seemed high and I was simply trying to set the romantic mood."

"We don't need your help."

"Oh, I'm sure you don't need your mother's help to get Usagi to give in to your physical necessities. But is it a crime that your mother simply wants the best for you?"

"Kaa-san…"

"You're getting grumpy again. Perhaps you do need to get laid immediately."

He blushed faintly in the cover of the corridor's dark shadows but hardened his attitude to dissipate it. Maybe playing along would rush her off the vicinity quicker than arguing with her. "You know, you're right. You're absolutely right. It's been a tiring day at work, my body is at the pinnacle of stressed and I could really use some time with Usagi to ease it. So will you please give us privacy the rest of the night? Will you promise me that? No more interrupting us? We need some alone time together to alleviate our stress."

Mikoto nodded happily. "Of course! Your mother understands these things well. I'll just take your empty dishes and let you be."

"Thank you."

They returned back into the room to see a bored Usagi who quickly readjusted her seating pattern.

"Did you enjoy the meal, Usagi?"

"Yes, I enjoyed it very much."

Mikoto began piling the dishes on top of each other with careful hands. "Delightful. I'm glad you did. And if you're going to be spending the night over, I can lend you some clothes in the event you were not able to bring your own."

"Oh, I didn't realize I was spending the night."

"Neither did I," Itachi muttered quietly.

"Well, Itachi just informed me that he was considering having you over for the night. I was concerned about your attire and wondered if you would like to borrow a gown of mine."

"Well…"

"Great, I will be right back and I promise after that, no more interruptions."

"Okay." Usagi watched Mikoto retreat and close the doors behind her before she turned to Itachi. "A sleepover at your house? I'm really going to have a sleepover at your house! That's awesome! And I didn't even bring any games or anything. We could've had so much fun like the other night! But we can still read, draw, talk and oh! I still have some nail polish in my purse. We can paint each other's toenails!"

"No."

"Okay, fine. I won't paint your toenails…permanently. But will you at least let me experiment with one? I think you have really cute toes. And I have some dark nail polish in my purse that will look good on you."

"No, you stupid girl and…'I have very cute toes?' What the hell does that even mean?"

"It's just something I noticed. I was looking at your toes tonight and realized how cute they were. See?" She pointed to his toes. "They are just so squishy and cute!"

"That doesn't even make any sense. And will you just drop it? It's not happening"

"Fine, I won't talk about your toes and we don't have to paint your toenails at all."

"I mean you are not sleeping over at my house. End of story."

"But your mother just said you were the one that suggested it."

"She was mistaken."

"Then you don't…want me here?"

"It's not that I don't want you here..."

"Oh, are we back to that argument again?"

"No, we're not. I simply think this is breaking the professional boundary."

"Oh please. You've slept with me plenty of times in my room. How is this any different?"

He frowned at her choice of words and because it really wasn't any different. He decided to go about it at another angle. "I just think that this has been enough excitement for one night. Furthermore, I wouldn't want to keep you up from your studies or missions for tomorrow."

"I'm completely free tomorrow. The only thing I was going to do was read manga when I wake up at noon."

"There, another reason. My family wakes up at early hours, often before dawn. If you spend the night, you won't be able to sleep in."

"I bet if I ask your mom nicely, she'll let you sleep in. I can do that thing with the eyes. And think about how nice it will be to sleep in for a change."

"I don't sleep in to the afternoon, ever. It's highly unproductive. And I have work in the morning so that would also be impossible."

"Maybe your mom can help you get out of it if you tell her you're hanging out with me?"

"Highly unlikely. We Uchiha take pride in our work ethics. It is a vital attribute for our clan which distinguishes us from other groups and outlines our integral qualities. To allow one person unscheduled personal time off without proper advanced notice is highly irresponsible, against protocol and simply improbable."

"Oh, I think I can get you some time off for you and Usagi whenever you would like it. And if you want to sleep in, I can leave a note for your father when he leaves for work."

Itachi glared in the intruder's direction.

"Wait don't get mad! I promise that I will leave you two alone after this. I simply brought Usagi her change of clothes."

"That's great! See Itachi, it will all work out. Sometimes you won't get if you don't ask." She accepted the small pile of robes. "This is a yukata."

"Yes."

"A very short Yukata." Usagi began unfolding the robes to inspect them. "And it's very…"

"Sexy?"

"I was going with revealing but yes, I suppose…" She folded the item back with mild concern. "Do you have anything else?"

"I have some lacy lingerie I got back on my birthday a few years ago."

Usagi patted the pile of robes. "Actually, you know what? This will work out just fine."

"I'm glad. And don't you worry about anyone interrupting. Fugaku and I will be sound asleep."

Usagi smiled. "Okay."

"Fast asleep, deep asleep. So far into the sleepy realm that not even a war could wake us. So don't concern yourself with modesty or conservative values. We won't hear a thing. In fact, our bedroom is on the far side of the house, very far. In a corner of the house very opposite from here, meters away. We could even wear earplugs if you're still bashful. That way you could scream and nobody…"

"Good-night, Kaa-san."

Mikoto regained her wits and retreated slowly. "Yes, understood. Have a good night you two." She slid the door shut and disappeared for the rest of the evening.

"Your mom's really nice. She really goes out of her way for guests. Although the choice of clothing is rather odd, but I'll take what I can get."

"Just hurry up so I can go next."

"Really? You mean we can have the sleepover after all?"

"Go before I change my mind."

"Okay, I won't take long."

She left before he could even reply. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Itachi collapsed back onto his futon. The day had not been any more progressive than the previous days. His mother was still insistent on imposing in his life and Usagi was still a clueless idiot. The only reason he agreed to having her stay was to have some peace and quiet from his mother which would give him the opportunity to explain a few things to Usagi. At the very least, one issue could be resolved from the entire calamity that ensued since that fatal statement. He rested for half an hour more, relaxing in the solitude of his room and relishing in the lack of presence from any other household member. After a few more minutes, he heard Usagi's feet sliding along the floor before entering.

"All yours. And oh, Itachi?"

"What?"

Usagi tossed the duck from before after she gave it a good squeeze. "I took a shower with Koji, you want to take one with him too?"

"Very funny." He grabbed the duck and placed it on a high shelf before walking off to the restroom. "And for you information, his name is Maki." He slammed the door behind him.

It didn't take him long to finish. In his experience with showers, women often took the longest. What information he gathered from Usagi led him to believe women followed suit with many more bathing rituals in regards to enhancing their scent, skin and facial hygiene. He didn't know whether women simply needed more care with their bodies or were much more vain than men but it did increase their time in preparation. However, with his case as well as most men he knew from bathhouses and family, it was usually very simple. Get in and get out. He knew his speed was not an illusion when he returned back to his room in record time to see Usagi completely shocked.

"You're done already? I only got like three toes painted."

"I don't waste my time in the bathroom. It's not a hobby of mine."

"Well excuse me for wanting to look good."

"Time is in direct correlation with necessity."

"I have no idea what you just said but my instincts tell me I have just been insulted so screw you." She stuck her tongue out before coughing from the nail polish inhalation.

"Stupid girl."

"Shut up and get over here so I can paint your toenails."

He gave his hair a quick dry from his towel before tossing it aside. "You are not painting my toenails."

"Just one. I just want to see how this one looks on you."

"For what purpose if I'm never going to wear it on a daily basis?"

"You never know. You might grow to like nail polish on your toes. Plus polish is good. It keeps you from biting your nails."

"Why would I bite my toenails? When would I even have the opportunity to do that?"

"Well not your toenails but your…you know what? Fine. Whatever. Just sit there and watch me."

He did as she suggested.

"Why do women practice these things?"

"Because it makes us feel good. Plus it's artsy."

"Painting your toenails does not constitute art."

"But slapping some paint splatters on paper is?"

"Those art pieces from the gallery were from people who actually put in psychological thought to the process. You're simply trying to make your feet colorful. Or whatever that's supposed to do. I don't know."

"It makes my feet look good. See? The yellow matches my hair."

"I highly doubt men will be concerned with what hue your toenails are painted with."

"What will they be concerned with?"

He glanced quickly at her legs. "Never mind. And are you really wearing that color in public?"

"Not this time, maybe some other time. Right now I'm going to experiment with another color. Pass me your wet towel."

He faltered. "You just painted your whole foot only to take it off again? Then what the hell was the point?"

"I wanted to see how it would look on me." She began to wipe down each toe.

"You couldn't tell from one toe?"

"No, you need to do the whole foot in order to gauge it properly."

He sighed. "Women."

"Look, if you're not comfortable with sitting there watching me do this, then we can do something else. You're just lucky I'm not waxing my feet today."

"You actually wax?"

"Of course, but not to remove hair. I don't grow any. The properties in the wax make my skin so smooth that sometimes after long missions, I wax anyway to make it feel good."

"Waxing for leisure, sounds painful."

"Says the man who's probably been stabbed a few times in his life."

"Point taken."

"Okay then, what are we going to do if you don't want to do this?"

Itachi stood up, walked over to a wall and turned the lights off. "We are going to sleep."

"Sleep? Already? Okay that's it. You are not allowed to arrange these things anymore. This is the worst sleepover ever!"

"Just go to sleep."

"Where?"

He threw two blankets at a corner on the opposite side of his room. "Over there, good night."

"Asshole, at least give me the futon. I'm your guest."

"It's my bed."

"I let you sleep on mine the other night."

"I worked hard all day. I deserved it."

"See? Asshole."

"Just shut up and go to sleep. We may be sleeping in but I need plenty of rest. I'm exhausted, Usagi."

"Okay."

"And make sure you stay on that side of the room." He drew an invisible line with his fingers. "I don't want to catch you sleeping on my side during the night."

"Somehow, I'll fight the temptation."

"Sleep."

She tried to do as he suggested. After burying herself under the covers, she turned left then right and then left again until she decided to roll around completely—entwined between the sheets. Her legs then bent to give her body a fetal position. Not liking that, she stretched them up again, only to pull them up in the former position once more. She then began using her feet to help her scoot across the floor, dragging her body and rearranging herself into different positions constantly. Her head faced the door until she rotated to face the opposite wall but moved back to face the door again. She followed with another rolling action and began to do so back and forth, back and forth—covers trapping her even further into one large lump of sheets. She wiggled her toes, wiggled her feet and rocked slowly on her back. When that still didn't lull her to sleep she released a heavy sigh—much to her companion's annoyance.

"Stop moving around like a little child," he gritted. "Lay still and go-to-sleep."

"But I'm not sleepy. I'm wide awake. Can't we do something else?"

"No."

"What about a pillow fight?"

"A what fight?"

"A pillow fight."

"What the hell is that?"

"You've never heard of a pillow fight? Where did your childhood go? A pillow fight, you just grab a pillow and hit someone with it. Like this." She grabbed the pillow nearest to Itachi and closed the distance between them to hit him with it in a rapid barrage.

"Stop that, it's annoying."

"Now this is a sleepover!" Usagi continued the assault

"I said, stop it, you annoying brat!" Itachi tried in vain to ignore her and get to sleep. If it was anyone and anything else, there would no problem. Usagi, however, had an annoying habit to keep him fully distracted and disrupt his inner peace.

"Make me!"

Fed up with it all, Itachi grabbed his pillow and dealt a powerful blow at Usagi. He watched in horror as she was thrown across the room, collided loudly against the wall and splattered down onto the floor. His concern grew when she wasn't moving, for it was quite possible he had just committed a murder that night. "Usagi! Are you okay?"

She wiggled her body and slowly rolled to her back. "That was the best pillow fight…ever! You're even better than Mako-chan. She could only knock me on the ground. But that was…wow!"

"Oh uh, I'm glad you're health is intact." This girl was certainly a glutton for pain.

"It is. But now that we've got the pillow fight out of the way, we need to move on down the list."

"Usagi, can't we just sleep. Please?"

"Come on, just a few more things so we can call this a real sleepover. Sleeping now would just be pitiful. After that, I promise I won't bother you and we can sleep."

"Such a child," he grumbled under his breath. "Fine. What's next on the list?"

"Gossip."

"Men do not gossip."

"Oh come on it's not that hard. You just have to reveal something that's secret to most people. So what information do you have to relay to me?" She fell on her stomach and propped her head with her hands to direct her attention to him.

"I can't reveal confidential information to you; you know that."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Not work stuff. Like people stuff. You know, scandalous things."

"I haven't a clue to what you are referring."

"Okay, I'll go first so you can see how it's done. Remember that guy back in the interrogation room. I think his name was Inabi."

"Yes, the one that had you in a stranglehold."

"Your selective memory amuses me. But anyway, just yesterday I was walking to the library when I saw him making out with a girl in a dark part behind the building. Judging from the uniform, I say she's probably part of your clan too."

"That's ridiculous. Inabi wouldn't engage in intimate acts out in a public area during a busy time of the day."

"No really, it's true. I could tell it was him because when he grabbed me that day, I noticed a watch almost coming out of his pocket. It was a silver watch with…"

"…a fox embedded on the face. Yes…"

"Believe me; they were going at it like they were starving for each other. It was actually kind of awkward so I just left without making my presence known."

"That is completely uncharacteristic of him."

"I know, scandalous right?"

"If other people knew…"

"Mesmerizing, right?"

"I rather like this information."

"You do?"

"Yes, it puts me one step ahead of him. I find it perfect leverage for any future confrontations." Itachi chuckled evilly.

"See? Gossiping is fun right?

"It's informative."

"Whatever. Okay, now you go."

"What?"

"Just think of any juicy gossip that first comes to mind."

"Juicy? What does that entail?"

"Like, something I just told you. Something so uncharacteristic of people or something you think they would be too embarrassed to let anyone know."

"Okay, I think I have one."

"Really? Go on, share!"

"Okay, do you remember Anko?"

"Yes…"

"And you know Kakashi, correct?"

Usagi wiggled in anticipation of the gossip. "Yes, yes!"

"Well, there was one day I was making a trip to the academy to deliver some documents of a covert operation to the Hokage when I walked by a room with a door that was barely open. I noticed the two there hovering over a desk."

Usagi eyes widened as she scooted closer to Itachi. "What were they doing?"

"There were some papers scattered about on the desk. Anko was sitting down on the desk while Kakashi was leaning over her."

"Then what?" She leaned in closer to hear the story.

"Well, it turns out they were filing away papers from an operation. Apparently, there was some discrepancy between the analysis received by the Hokage and the analysis they were currently investigating. The results of the formula they concocted used incorrect logarithms and the exponents were established incorrectly. Therefore, they had to recalculate all the information presented to them while making sure that no other employees as well as any higher authorities discovered that such a mistake ever transpired."

Usagi collapsed onto the floor. "That's it? That's the big gossip?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"There's nothing juicy about it! And it's work related!"

"It's not related to my work. And you said it had to be something uncharacteristic and embarrassing. Kakashi and Anko are not ones to mishandle documents and nothing is more embarrassing then to be found liable for jeopardizing information about a special mission which would inadvertently affect the lives of civilians over a simple mathematical equation."

"Itachi?"

"What?"

"You suck at this. Do you know that?"

"Shut up." He had never been told he was bad at executing any particular task before. It was a slight dent to his ego. "Look, I did my part. I engaged in your frivolous activities. Now will you please adhere to my request and sleep?"

"Okay…but first…"

"What now?"

"I want to hear a story."

"How old are you?"

"No, I meant, I want to hear your story. The one you were going to tell me earlier."

His scowl disappeared. How could he have forgotten the purpose behind this orchestrated mock sleepover? "Oh, yes. I did promise you, didn't I?"

"Yes."

He cleared his throat. "Very well. It's a bit lengthy so just bare with me. And you have to assure me that you will let me finish this conversation in one go. No interrupting me with any type of response until I am completely finished. Am I understood?"

"Yes, but if it's going to be a long one I want to say something before we sleep."

"Fair enough. You first."

"I just want to say, thank you. Thank you for letting me spend time with your family. I know I can be embarrassing at times…I'm not the best friend to bring to any family—especially one like this. I know you say you're not bothered but how could you not be? I mean, I don't really have anything to offer you or your family and I'm not exactly what your family may consider the best of companionship considering those facts. But you stayed with me these past few years and you invited me into your home. You and your mother have been so nice to me and now I know what it feels like to be loved by a family. Your mother hasn't known me for long but it already feels like we have some type of connection. And when she hugs me…I get this big warm feeling in my heart that makes me want to cry from the overwhelming joy. For so long, I wanted that feeling Itachi. And now I have it. Your mother is like the mom I never had and you're like the big brother I never had—always watching over me and helping me. All my life I wanted a bigger brother—to take care of me from time to time and give me advice, train with me or just play with me. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for everything, Itachi." She cleared her voice and wiped a few tears before her smile returned. "Okay, now your turn!"

He paused and with less elegance than he was accustomed to, opened his mouth to release an incoherent squeal.

"Are you okay? I'm finished. You can go now."

But how could he? After that statement? He had to tell her the truth, however. She deserved that much and a promise was a promise. He was a man of his word. After careful deliberation, he opted for a remedied version of the conversation he originally planned in his head. She would still be informed of some of the problems at hand, but he decided against casting her away as Shisui suggested. Apparently, she was already in too far.

"Well?"

"The truth is…"

"Uh, huh…"

"The truth is…"

"Yes?"

"The truth is that my mother…acts this way when women are around."

Usagi's confusion was evident. "What? Act how?"

"The way she's acting. You see, every time I bring female companions over, she thinks I'm in a relationship with them, so she feels like she has to meddle in my affairs. That's why she was asking you all those questions."

Usagi rolled on the floor in amusement, unable to control her laughter. In one quick wave of understanding, everything made sense—especially all the things Mikoto was doing that day. "Really? That's it? That's why she was acting so strange? That wasn't long at all."

"No, I suppose not." Not this version of the conversation, anyway.

"Hey, that explains why she was showing me all those photos and asking me about kids. And why she gave me this Yukata or was talking about us making noise and sleeping together and putting the candles and flowers on the table. She thinks we're having an affair!"

Itachi sighed into a deep relaxtion over having released the built up burden. "Yes, I'm glad you understand now."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. And the way I've been acting too. I probably didn't make things any better for you."

"No, not at all."

She giggled more before clutching her stomach again. "This is so funny! If I laugh any harder I might go on myself."

"Please, don't. That's disgusting."

"It was just an expression. And I still can't believe she thought that of us! I mean, me with you? Please."

"Yeah, I know..." Itachi paused. He immediately took a defensive stance to her words. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing personal. It's just, you're more like a big brother to me, Itachi. "

He wasn't quite sure whether to be offended or relieved by the statement. But at the very least, he was reassured with her position on the situation.

"And just look at us. Can you really picture us two in an intimate relationship? I think I really am going to go on myself; this is so hilarious!"

"You've had your laughs. Enough."

"Fine. And I really pity you. This happens with every girl you bring to the house? Even co-workers? It must get annoying. How do you deal with it?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? It happens often, right?"

"I just don't recall how the problem is eradicated each time."

"Probably because the second a new one comes in, the old one gets kicked out. That's usually how it goes. Your mother will probably move on when another woman comes into the picture."

"Yes, perhaps."

"Hey, are you okay? You don't look too happy."

"I'm fine. I just…it's just the whole situation."

"Well, it is quite an ordeal."

"Yes."

"If you want, I can talk to your mom when I have the time and straighten this whole problem out."

His eyes searched for hers. "Really? You would do that?"

Usagi's mouth opened to release a heavy yawn and slurred response. "Sure. I can talk to her when she's not busy and alone. That way there won't be a misunderstanding."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for," her yawning persisted.

"We should really get some rest."

"Yeah, I know. I'll go over to my corner. Good night, Itachi. Thanks for the sleepover."

He watched her scramble to her covers and snuggle under the blankets. This time, there was no exaggerated movements to accompany her attempt to sleep. She rolled once to cover herself and pick a comfortable position and then her eyes were shut. When she released a relaxed sigh and fell right to sleep with quiet breathing, he covered his own sheets around himself.

"Good night, Usagi."

If she did have the opportunity to speak with his mother, the problem would be eradicated instantly and there would be no need to shoo her away. Maybe, everything would fix itself right after that. And knowing Usagi harbored no personal feelings eased his tension on the matter. The situation was suddenly less complex in his mind. Everything would be just fine and perhaps their futures would actually greet them with pleasant weather.

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End.

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Author's Mumbles:

*Cracks knuckles* Jeez, that was a long one wasn't it? But it WAS mostly dialogue so not that bad. They seem long but there really isn't any place I find I could cut it at. The chapters flow like a story of their own. This chapter was focused more on character interactions and speech and required little psychology since most of it I wanted to be left up to the reader. Hope everyone enjoyed it and will still stick with the story. As soon as one chapter is done, I usually take a small break from it to clear my mind by working on other stuff. So when the next chapter will be up is uncertain. I hope not two months again but we'll see. I would really like a chapter a month but because of the length of these chapters, it's not always possible. But I think I'm doing my best. My effort is admirable. Or maybe you disagree and will proceed to kick me around. Haha! If you must yell at me for my lapse, do so in a PM. :)

On another note, I rather like Mikoto and how she's turning out to be. So much different then her children and husband. But I think it works and reminds me of my mother sometimes as well as some people that have PM'ed me and their mothers/grandmothers. Inspiration for her is also drawn from Satoshi's (Ash) mother from Pokemon. Inspiration from all my characters comes from the series and different people I've come to know. I even base Itachi on one of my betas! Interesting huh? Anyway, thank you for all the support. Keep it coming.

Also, shout out to my betas Chibi and Haley. You guys are awesome and so patient with me. Thanks for all the help and inserts for this story. This wouldn't be possible without you guys.

~Icehaze

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Preview of next chapter:

Usagi decides it's time Itachi is introduced to her world. Insert a mission impossible sequence, a flirting blonde, two hyperactive girls (maybe three) and an upset father and you have yourself the next chapter of HC. Itachi is really going to need some backup.