Crimson Seal - 1
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Here's the next chapter!
Thunk.
The kunai sunk into the target stuck to the tree, the tip sliding through the first layer of bark beneath it before coming to a complete halt. A series of claps could be heard afterward and Itachi turned to smile at the small child that sat on a trunk nearby. "Again! Do it again!" Sasuke cried out, still pressing his hands together repeatedly.
A chuckle sounded off to his right. "You heard him, Itachi. 'Do it again,'" Shisui spoke from his spot on a branch, immediately catching the child's attention.
"Shi! Sui-shi!" Sasuke called out as he reached skyward towards the tree tops. "Flying Su-shi! I wanna fly!"
Itachi couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.
Shisui frowned down at the child from his perch. "I'm not a sushi. You're a sushi." He jabbed a finger down at Sasuke and the child copied him a second later. "Yeah, you're the sushi."
"Flying sushi!" Sasuke turned his finger to point at Shisui this time. "Fly! Fly!" His other hand waved up and down alongside him, mimicking a bird's wing.
"No wonder you can't fly." Shisui remarked, watching as the young child continued to beat his 'wing'. When Sasuke stood up and began to hop up and down on the trunk Shisui launched himself down from the tree, landing on the grass next to him. "No flying for you." His hand settled on Sasuke's head, ruffling his hair. "Silly sushi."
"Su-shi!" the child repeated, reaching up to try and ruffle his hair now.
Shisui dodged the small hand trying to reach his locks, stepping back to look at Itachi who merely grinned at him. "You could try distracting him now, you know?"
"I could," Itachi agreed, but didn't take a step forward to help Shisui with his younger brother. At the moment it was much more entertaining to watch all of this.
"Aren't you helpful?" Shisui said, blinking when Sasuke got a hold of his hair and yanked on it. "Hasn't your mother ever told you not to do that to people?" Shisui was looking back to Sasuke now, his gaze kept flickering between the child and the dark hair he held in his tiny hand.
"Not people! Sushi!" Sasuke announced to which Shisui just sighed as his hair was given another tug.
Itachi chuckled as his friend started to try and uncurl the fingers around his hair. He was starting to consider going to help as Sasuke caught more strands in his fingers when a voice sounded behind him, "Itachi? Oh, Shisui, you're still here too? You two didn't need to watch Sasuke for this long."
He glanced behind him to see his mother coming down the path, giving a grin when Shisui spoke from beyond him, "It's no problem, really. Getting my hair pulled on by a child was on my bucket-list, after all."
Mikoto laughed softly at the scene that must be unfolding itself in front of her. "Sasuke, let go of Shisui's hair."
"Sui?" the child asked, and must have given another yank as Shisui muttered an ow not long after, prompting Sasuke's following laughter.
His mother just smiled though before her gaze settled on him. "I know you both need to leave the village soon but do you have a moment Itachi? I need to speak with you about a family matter."
"Sure." Itachi threw a smile back at his friend behind him. "Sorry, looks like you're on your own for now."
"You owe me, Itachi!" Shisui shouted after him as he walked away, muttering soon after to his young brother. Probably trying to convince the child to let go of his hair yet again.
Itachi followed his mother along the trail until she stopped halfway back to the house. "What did you want to talk about? It is Sasuke?" There wasn't many other reasons why she couldn't discuss whatever it was in front of him and his friend, Shisui, another member of the Uchiha clan. Typically family matters involved the whole clan, not just his family. He had learned that a couple years ago.
"No. Nothing to do with Sasuke." His mother assured him with a smile. "It's really a future family matter."
Future family matter? The first thing he could think of was that she was going to have another baby, but she wouldn't need to talk to him alone for something like that. Sasuke would definitely be ecstatic at that sort of news. It would probably have been enough to make him let go of Shisui's hair. Which his friend would have been grateful for. If it wasn't about that though there wasn't many other options. "What's going on?"
His mother paused, suddenly not seeming as sure how to say whatever this was about. "You know me and your father were talking with the Hyuuga family, right?" He nodded, knowing when she said the Hyuuga family she meant the Main Branch. Specifically, Hiashi. "And you know he has a daughter?"
He paused, not sure where this was going. Or rather wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him with his own thoughts. Surely his mother wasn't implying what he thought. "Yeah, Hinata Hyuuga."
"Yes!" Mikoto practically jumped in the air at his answer. As if she had won a prize or something. Though this really shouldn't be surprising her. Hinata was as old as his brother and a part of the Hyuuga family, of course he knew who she was. "Hinata," his mother spoke in a calmer voice now. "When she comes of age, sixteen. You are going to marry her-"
He blinked, unable to avoid the sudden compulsion. Him, Itachi Uchiha marry Hinata Hyuuga? Their families didn't exactly get along. There must have been a lot of convincing on both sides for such a marriage to be agreed upon. Each side had to have something up their sleeve concerning the marriage and he wasn't completely sure which it would benefit more. The Hyuuga could be quite deceptive to get what they wanted, the Branch House was evidence enough of that. His own family wasn't exactly filled with angels either though. They were up to something.
Figuring out what that was could be difficult though. He couldn't exactly ask his own father and mother, the two that would definitely know what was up. Shisui might know something or he might be able to figure it out with some time.
The marriage was still pretty far away which would give him plenty of time to investigate as well. He just needed to figure out what his clan, his parents were up to. He couldn't let them use a little girl in their schemes.
"-Hiashi, me and your father already signed the contract. So it's a settled matter. There won't be any changes made to it anymore since today was our last meeting on it and when we decided on the last few changes," his mother's voice floated back to him as his mind began to take in what she was saying once more.
"The last few changes?"
"Yes. Originally, your brother was going to marry Hinata, but we all decided it would be better if you were the one to marry her." Well, he could certainly understand that with all the angles the two families must be coming at this from. "Are... you okay, Itachi?"
He looked back to her quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll see you in a couple of days." Itachi walked back with her to were Sasuke was, waiting until she picked him up and was heading back to the house before he turned to Shisui. "Can you tell my squad I'll be a couple minutes late? I'll meet up with them along the way so they don't have to wait for me."
"Sure thing. See you later." Shisui gave a wave before disappearing into the trees.
Itachi took off at a sprint a moment afterward, heading toward the village. He went from one rooftop to the next until he caught sight of the compound below and dropped down to the front door, not wanting to go about this the wrong way. After a series of sharp knocks the door swung open and Hiashi's glaring face was staring straight at him. Itachi started talking immediately, not wanting to give the Hyuuga a chance to interrupt him, "I'm sorry about coming here so late. My mother just told me about the agreement. I was wondering if I could see Hinata, just for a moment," he added quickly. "I have a mission so I can't stay very long, but I wanted to see her before I left."
Hiashi was silent for what felt like a minute before he stepped aside. "Come inside." When Itachi stepped over the threshold the door closed behind him a second later. "Follow me." Hiashi led him down a path to the main house in the compound, walking along the outside until he came to a halt, sliding the door to the room open.
After waiting a moment Itachi stepped past him into the room, his eyes flickered around before settling on the small bundle on top of a mattress in the middle of the room. He walked over quietly, not wanting to wake her, especially at this time of night.
Itachi settled on the ground beside her before turning his gaze on her, pausing. He had seen the unusual hair color before, but only in passing. It wasn't the trademark Hyuuga dark brown, hers was more black, with a tint of purple or blue to it. Right now in the moonlight it was purple, short except for the two long strands in the front on either side of her face. The light even made her skin look paler, and would surely make her white eyes glow. Her smalls arms were currently wrapped around a stuffed leopard, easily twice her size. She looked so... innocent.
And both families were going to use her, but he knew his would be worse. Even with all the time he had before the marriage took place he couldn't waste it. He would need to start looking into the real intentions of this arranged marriage right away. Preferably both families' motives.
He parted the bangs on top of her head, leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead. "I promise I'll keep you safe, Hinata."