A/N: Sorry the beginning of this can be also a bit heavy but it will get better.
Please leave some reviews for my hard work ^-^
"bla" normal talking
´bla´OC thinking
´bla´OC inner
ah and because my OC is at the same age as the others of Konoha Nine I won´t list them up every time the age change. There will be time like this one Itachi is 6 years older than 5, that is because his birthday is on 6 June and my OC on 12 October two days after Narutos some events happens between this time.
Chapter 8: The war is still on
OC 10 years old, Itachi 16 years old
5 years went by and only 2 years left until we graduate from the Academy to become Genins we also got now Iruka as a sensei.
When I look in my mirror I notice that I looked exactly like my old self...just without glasses.
I wasn´t the only one growing and changing.
Both Ino and Sakura let their hair grow out and began chatting more and more about guys and so on.
Hinata seems to get with all her friends more confidence...she doesn´t faint the first second Naruto speaks with her...she can hold out now to the tenth second.
The guys are the only ones that seems to be the same after 5 years only growing in their height.
The greatest change the Uchihas undergo. Hiruzen declared that the clans should organize a festival for the day of the Kuuby attack and open their areas up for the public for at least a week so long the festival last. The first two time were chaotic at least and very tense, but they got better each year and now they are more open to strangers even the feud between Uchiha and Hyuga lessened but the best was that Fugaku got a bit soft. He gave both of his sons more freedom and got more understanding with them.
It was maybe a bit late for Itachi but it was good for Sasuke.
´Itachi...´
Officially declared successor of Head ANBU, took for himself a big work load nearly never showing up to meals or at all at home, he was clearly overworking himself...I just don´t know why.
I spaced out thinking of all this before the main house of the Uchihas, but snapped out of it determined to smack some sense into Itachi and knocked on the door.
The door was opened by Itachi.
"Yuuki?"
"Good morning Itachi, I wanted to help Mikoto with some preparations for the festival" I smiled at him.
"Mother, father and Sasuke are out"
´Perfect for once the luck is with me´
"Can I wait here for her?"
"Sure come in" He stepped to the side letting me into the house.
"Should I wait in the living room?"
"You can. I will make some tea a bring some sweets"
My eyes shined at that.
"Thank you!" I hugged him shortly and then went down the hall to the living room sitting down there. It didn´t take long for him to come in with the tea and sweets he took his place beside me.
An awkward silence settled.
´I don´t know how to begin once we were friends but now I can be lucky to see a thin glimpse of him´
´He remembers our friendship I´m sure so just be honest with him´
"Itachi are you ok?"
He took a few sips of his tea and a bit from his dango.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"You don´t look well, your skin is pale, you a bit skinnier than the last time I saw you and the bags under your eyes rivals that of a panda...I want to become a medic...I read about that...you are overworking yourself and I´m worried...because I care for you...you are a friend of mine...even when we don´t see us anymore"
He looked at me with such a tried look.
"You won´t understand"
"Try me Itachi I have become quite clever myself after growing up with a Nara"
´But still losing against him´
´That he mustn´t know´
´True´
But he just shook his head no.
´Grumble this stupid Uchihas, stupid Itachi´
´Wow you won´t´
´I will watch me´
I shoot up and grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt, standing over him looking down in his face and gave him a good sounding slap.
"Listen Uchiha, I know that you would do everything for the village and your brother, I know you're a damm martyr doing the main work, the dirtiest, cruellest jobs in ANBU, not caring for yourself, always coming back near death doors. But you know what? You aren´t the only shinobi in this village capable handling such jobs, you must not do all of them, because you forgot something important."
First he really looked shocked that a 10 year old girl holding him on his collar, slapping him and now gave him a lecture wasn´t something he experience every day, but while I ranted on he was trying to put his mask up again.
"Nothing is more important that the village" He answered.
"Wrong" he furrowed his brows.
"True the village is important, but you are also important you protect the village but when you decide to overwork yourself you forgot that you have people who care about you...people for they you are important, too, people like me. You can be replaced for missions, guard duties or filling out files, but you can´t be replaced for the people who care about you...Don´t you understand? I care and it hurts to see you like this hearing about you nearly died again..."
´Pot calling the kettle black, you are the same when It comes to help people for that you care´
´I know it and I don´t work myself in the ground´
´You once nearly did´
´I know and that is why I want him to realise this´
By now I was crying, my tears were falling down on his own cheeks
´Curse my soft heart, curse that I always cry so easy´
Itachis eyes widened seeing me cry for the first time...cry for him.
"You just have one live Itachi"
´Ah there we aren´t sure, look at yourself´
´Shut it!´
"Don´t lock us out of it, you mustn't be alone, we can also help you, you know. We want you to be happy living you live to the fullest...falling in love...marry someone...getting children...whatever would make you happy and make you smile...and not running yourself down into an early death."
I let his collar go and sank back on the floor shaking violently from my tears.
´Wow wow wow get it together our inner demon is acting up because of that´
´I know but seeing him like that...knowing of the disease he will get when he continue...I want to help ….but I´m helpless, I can´t help him more than this...only hope that it is enough this time´
´Hush hush we will work on this, when he continues we will find a way to stop him´
"Yuuki" I looked up to him seeing the guilt in his eyes he reached for me and hold my face carefully in his hand and wiping my tears away with his tumps.
"Don´t cry" he mumbled still locking our eyes and I had the feeling he looked in my soul searching for something drawing nearer until our foreheads touched and whatever he looked for he seemed to found it closing his eyes completely relaxed his posture and face he now looked really peaceful.
"I can´t promise anything...but I will try it Yuuki" my tears slowly stopped at that admission and I somehow managed a shaky smile.
"You really would?"
"Hai, so please stop crying" he wiped my last tears away, he again gave me this strange warm look.
´What is this look? It is so deep..´
´Uchihas have emotions don´t forget that.´
´I don't but do you know what his gaze hold?´
´I´m not sure but he cares for us, ….ever since we meet him I think, but why I don´t know maybe because we are also close to his brother?´
´Could be´
"So you will try to come to the festival this time? I´m sure Sasuke would be happy about that"
"Only Sasuke?"
"Uhm..your mother and father, too...and me" I said shyly and averted my eyes his face was still so near and he didn´t let my face go yet.
"I will come"
"Yay" I hugged him grinning at him but let him go again to look back to our sweets.
There only laid one dango.
´This time it is mine´
I reached for it but again he was faster.
´This time I have a plan boy, here I come´
I used our close proximity and tackled him with a bit swing so he was surprised by that and fell on his back with me on top of him snatching the dango out of his hand and eat it giving him a winning smile. For a moment his eyes narrowed and I just shot him a challenging look, but then he broke in a full belly laugh startling me completely.
´Wow I heard him chuckling and laughing a bit but this open and full heartily...what is going on is he going mad?´
´It sounds so good and I got my dango´
He door to the living room slid open and revealed the other ones when they set eyes on Itachi under me having a good laugh their faces were priceless the best was Sasuke with the face that screamed "Who are you and what did you do with my brother".
´Man I such moment I miss a camera we will never see such faces again´
´Fugakus is also great he seems to be at a complete loss´
Mikoto was the only one who got the biggest smile I ever saw, sadly they coming in cut Itachis laughing short he already came down of it wiping his happy tears out of his eyes and hugged me and mumbled something that I didn´t catch.
Sitting up first, I let him stand up and going to his brother asking him if he liked to train. Sasukes unbelieving face remained but he nodded and followed Itachi out. We looked after both of them.
"Whatever you did Yuuki...Thank you" Mikoto said.
"I did nothing only talked...the rest lies by him" she smiled at him.
"What do you do here?" Fukaku asked
´All business like ever´
´But he is a bit better than before...he doesn´t anymore look so down on me´
"I wanted to help Mikoto with the decoration"
"Ah I nearly forgot that I asked for your help"
"Hn" Fugakus line that he will go now into is study and won´t come out until dinner.
"I will make new tea and get the things then we can start just a minute" she hurried away and I sat back down on the table.
´I hope we could reach him´
´You sure broke a bit of his wall for sure´
Mikoto came back with the tea and the fire lanterns that we wanted to paint.
On the way back home I meet Ino, Cho and Shika.
"Yuu-chan" Ino waved at me.
"Hey everyone, what are you doing?"
"We were on our way gathering the others" Shikamaru answered.
"Huh for what?"
"Did you forget?" Ino asked.
"Oh! Narutos birthday"
"Yes we want to get presents and also make a date to meet up on the first festival day to make it a birthday party for him"
"Ino that is a great Idea" It wasn´t too late when we got the other together and discussing what each one will present Naruto and also made an appointment to meet up on the first festival day.
I went to go as Sasuke hold me back...we found him first because we were near the Uchiha district and that he finished early his training with his brother.
"Thank you Yuu" he mumbled.
"Nothing to thank me for" I just grinned.
"I´m just glad to have him back" he said and then turned on his way home.
The day of the festival.
It was only after lunch but mother said we need to get ready I just wondered why so early, but soon got my answer when I watched her putting on her Kimono.
´That took and full hour...and we should wear one too? God no´
"And now it is your turn" She said happy.
"I went shopping with Mikoto and found a perfect one"
´No luck, we got out of that the last few years but I think she is feed up with us about that´
´Our luck really sucks you know´
´We live long enough with it we should be accustomed to it´
´Won´t get me stop cursing it´
My mother took a really beautiful Kimono out. It was a blue one with silver koi's and water ripples on it underlining my grey blue eyes and the obi was a pure silver one. It took hellish long to get it on but in the end I really looked good. The last touch was that my mother gets my hair in a messy bun and pinned it with a silver hairpin that had a beautiful lily ornament.
"Done my little one. You really look beautiful I´m sure the boys will be after you"
"Mom" I complained utterly embarrassed.
She only laughed at.
"You better hurry now or you will run late and don´t forget your getas"
"Hai" I went as fast I could out to the meeting point.
´God damm this kimono and getas we are slow as a snail and we can´t move freely´
´I know but can´t be helped´
´I hate clothes like this´
´Stop pouting´
´Not until we are out of this´
Our meeting point was the gate of the academy but it looked like I was the first one here so I leaned against the gate frame and waited.
"Looks like I´m the first one, troublesome"
"Shika!" I turned to him and skipped to him, he first didn´t recognised me
"Yuu?"
"Hai" He stared at me.
"Do I look funny?" I asked self-conscious. He snapped out of his staring getting a faint blush.
"N-N-No you look...great yes you look great." He rambled and looked everywhere but me.
´Ah cute Shika, sadly he only wears some shorts and green shirt´
´I really envy men for having a higher temperature and so be able to where nearly every time of the year a shirt.´
´Or even less of it´
´Don´t go there inner...not yet´
´Aha alright I will spare this until we are 16 but then sweetie I will give you hell together with your hormones´
´Can´t wait´
´But now use you chance and teas him´
I did and stand now right in front of him leaning in to him getting my face again nose to nose with his.
"Really you think that?" I was rewarded with a darker shade of pink on his cheeks.
He swallowed.
"Y-Y-Yes"
´Let us see how red he will get after this´
I leaned a bit more in having my cheek beside his before I turned slightly and place a chaste kiss on it
"Thank you" I said lowly beside his ears seeing how they turned slowly beet red.
He was shocked into silence and I leaned back giggling. He needed a little moment to get himself together.
"You do this on purpose"
"Yes" I chirped.
"Why tormenting me"
"Because Shika your reaction is just so sweet" I grinned at him.
"One day Yuu I will pay you back" he promised grumpy.
"Yuu, Shika!" We heard then the voice of Ino coming at us in a purple kimono with Choji also in a brown one.
"Cho! Ino! You look great!"
"You too!" Ino said admiring my Kimono.
"So saw I right? you flirting with Shika?" She asked lowly so the boys couldn´t hear.
"Ah no Ino don´t misunderstand we are friends and I just love it to tease him, my little revenge for always losing in shogi"
´Sure that is why?´
´Na not only because of that...he just looks so cute every time and we love both cute things´
´True hahaha´
"Ah I see" she grinned widely.
"But you sure have your eyes set on someone, I'm right?"
´Wow she has a good intuition´
I blushed slightly.
"AHA! You have! Say who?"
"No!" I hastily turned away just to see Hinata and Sakura coming up to us.
Hinata wore a lavender kimono and Sakura a dark green dress.
"Hey everyone" they greeted and then turned to me and Ino.
"What did you talk about?"
"Yuu-chan here has a crush on someone but won´t tell who, maybe when we tell who we have an crush on she will tell us, so girls?" She looked predatory like to the other two girls.
"Ah-Uhm-n-N-N-Naruto" Hinata stammered out under a heavy blush. Inos gaze wander to Sakura who also blushed slightly
"S-S-Sasuke" she hides her face in her hands now.
"And you Ino" Hinata questioned and it was now Inos turn to get a blush.
"Uhm...there is this guy...in the park...his name is Sai...and he is a bit awkward but total cool. Oh you should see one of his drawing they are great."
´Sai, wow´
´Remember Danzo was pulled out of his position and Ne fused with ANBU, basically we freed him from Ne´
´Hehehe and now Ino met him early on and didn´t break her friendship with Sakura over Sasuke´
"So Yuu, who do you have a crush on?" Ino asked a bit louder than before, I hear the others perking up so I quick looked over them just to be totally embarrassed, because everyone was assembled and even Sasuke and Itachi heard Ino question me.
´Wow girl you are overheating´
´So embarrassing´
I was red up to my roots.
"Ino, please" I pressed out and she registered now that the others stared.
"Oh...hehehe hey everyone" She tried to distract them from the early said words what seemed to work. I just hurried with bowed head over to Sasuke and Itachi not seeing the curious gazed from Shika, Itachi and Sasuke.
"Great you could make it Itachi-kun" I greeted exited and he gave me a smile.
"You look great Yuuki-chan, don´t you think so too Sasuke?"
"Hn" I looked away with slight pink on his cheeks.
"Is everyone here?" Ino asked in the round. Sasuke, Itachi, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino and us girls where there only one missing was Naruto.
"Now yes" Naruto called, clad in a white short and orange shirt. We all had our presents with us hidden in pockets or little bags we will give them him when the fireworks start this evening.
"Then let's go!"
When we came to the main street we saw so much stands that it really was hard keeping track of everyone.
´That is why I hate crowds´
´And because of the scramble´
´A yes that too´
I walked beside Itachi and Shikamaru who fall back early to us. While I looked at all the stands I completely missed how they sized themselves up and down just to have a silent male conservation that no female could understand.
"Yuu look there" Shika abruptly said grabbed my hand and pulled me away.
´What-?´
´Wow he got bold´
Shika bought me to a big stand full of sweets and my earlier surprise vanished replaced by awn looking at all the sweets.
I got myself then a bag of cherry bonbons.
"Want one" I asked Shika.
"Yeah" I gave him one a careless move because next thing I knew someone stole a bonbon out of the little bag.
"You know Yuuki to much sweets aren´t good for your teeth."
´He just didn´t do what I think he did?´
´He stole a bonbon directly under your nose´
´He won´t accept defeat it seems´
I throw a threatening look up to him, but he smiled cheeky at me and popped the bonbon in his mouth. I heard Shika asking Sasuke what the hell that was and his answer that from early on we had this war going about sweets and he just should ignore it.
The crowd got thicker and we lost Kiba and Shino first, then Sakura, Hinata and Ino went to a stand and we lost sight of them, one after another went his own way and in the end it were just Shika, Sasuke, Itachi and me left. It wasn´t bad at all, we planned to meet in the park on one of the plateaus there when the sun has set.
We were just talking a bit about training when we heard some squealing. Itachi and Sasuke´s heads snapped up looking fast around and spotting the incoming fangirls.
"Shit" Sasuke cursed seeing some groups coming out of the alleys slowly cutting the escape routes.
Then two girls from behind us turned trying to grab him he evaded and took Shika with him then pushing him bevor him in an alley beside them.
"Run!"
Itachi then grabbed my hand quickly making his escape in the alley beside us.
´Run faster they are right behind us´
´Can´t, the kimono´
Itachi saw the problem and then just sweep me up in his arms.
"Lay your arms around my neck and hold on tight"
"O-oky" I blushed brightly.
´Who wouldn´t when a guy literally swept you from your feed carrying you princess style making his grand escape´
He jumped with me up on the roof.
´What view´
´You can see how this festival goes from one clan district to clan district´
He only paused shortly seeing me admiring the view but then moved hearing a few konochis following him up on the roof. He was fast but hold back because of me, he decided to go to the Hyuga district making some bushins to lay false leads for the following fangirls and laid a genjutsu over us to buy some time.
He landed beside the entrance to the Hyuga part and let me down carefully.
"Sorry that you got caught in this" He looked a bit guilty but every now and then he scanned the area.
"It is quite alright I can understand it...fangirls are scary" He nodded at that.
"A look they have mochi" I took his and dragged him with me to the stand and got us some.
We were fast done with them but when I wanted to take his last bit I stood on my tiptoes leaning slightly forward getting his attention then leaned more in and took the bite out of his hand swallowing it and giving him an evil grin.
´He better had not thought I forgot that he stolen a bonbon´
He looked calculating down the street then at me with light narrow eyes, yes he saw that the street down into the Hyuga area was filled with sweet stands.
´The game is on, maybe we get the chance to embarrass him a bit instead me getting embarrassed´
´So short you want to see him blushing?´
´YES´
´I don´t think Itachi can blush, impossible´
´Let us see´
We went to the next stand getting some dangos and as always fight for the last one this time he won by unfair means being taller than me holding a hand on my head keeping me down. The other one over some Wagashi I won through looking behind him saying "Fangirls" and snatching the last bite again. This goes back and forth for a good while until we came to our last stand while the sun began setting. It was Taiyaki this time. Eating it while talking about just everything our likes, dislikes and so on.
Suddenly he leaned a bit down reached for my face and wiped a bit of sweet bean paste out of the corner of my mouth letting me blush madly.
´PAY BACK, he has some crumbles´
´Thank you I will do this´
Before he could straighten up again I also reached for him getting the crumples from his cheek and right on time to this a voice sounded at the right from us.
"Wow baby cousin are you on a date with your cute little girlfriend here?"
"Shisui" His voice hold a death thread and he got a glare...but with this light ...blush on his cheeks it looked I was at a loss of words to describe this combination Itachi glaring daggers at Shisui but at the same time blushing.
´Here I see the impossible...does the world end now?´
´No but...wow uhm...´
Shuisi hold his hands up in defence.
"I was joking, joking" Itachi getting his cool quickly back gave him a last death glare.
"Yuuki I think it is time for your meeting with the others"
"Ah!"
"I will bring you"
"Thank you Itachi-kun"
Shuisui having enough death threats for today didn´t say anything but raised his eyebrow at us.
He swept me again up in his arms and bought me to the park were the others waited.
As Sasuke asked him to also watch the fireworks so he stayed with us until the end when we gave Naruto our presents making him cry over all of us out of happiness to have such great friends.
Hope you liked it and leave some reviews ^-^