Hey, I'm sorry for the total shortness of this chapter, but I am SOO busy lately, that I haven't the time to write too much. But I'll hopefully do more tomorrow. And it doesn't help the fact that I'm uhh... being stalked... yeah...

Well, enjoy this chapter, even though it's hardly a chapter.

P.S., It really makes my day when I find I have a new review *hint hint* ^-^

Orochimaru glared at the incognito Itachi, who glared back.
This time, training was going to be SERIOUS.

"Now, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, narrowing his snake-like eyes. "Show me what you've—"

But he wasn't able to finish the sentence, since Itachi quickly flung a kunai directly in the middle of his forehead. As it jabbed into his head, Orochimaru's eyes widened with shock. Itachi turned his back on the creep with a smirk as he walked back to the lair. "My work here is done," he said.

Unfortunately for him, he heard exactly what he did NOT want to hear.

Poof!

That meant only one thing…

Itachi turned around to see a log, right where Orochimaru was standing, with a kunai sticking out. He slapped his forhead with his hand. He didn't see Orochimaru anywhere in the trees, so he shrugged and started again for the lair…

But when he started walking again, he bumped right into Orochimaru. He quickly staggered backwards.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kunnn!" Orochimaru excitedly jumped over to the Uchiha and took his hands in his own. "You are so fast!"

Itachi harshly tugged his hands away from Orochimaru's and glared up at him. Dang it.

"I feel that I have taught you rather well," Orochimaru continued. "But I have some news for you. And it's not very good news, either."

Itachi perked up a little. "What is it?"

"The fox boy knows where our lair is," Orochimaru said, rather seriously. "So Kabuto and I are off to defend you. I promise they will NOT get to you."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Okay," he said, not quite sure of what else there was to say to that. Besides, it was Sasuke they wanted, not him.

Orochimaru gazed down at his beloved (ew, I can't believe I just wrote that and am keeping it…). "Stay. Put." Those were the only two words he uttered.

"Wait, excuse me?" Itachi asked.

"Stay put. Don't leave the lair while we're gone." Orochimaru said this as if it were normal every-day thing.

Before Itachi could say anything else, Kabuto had appeared at Orochimaru's side.

"Orochimaru-san," he said breathlessly, as if he were hurrying to get there. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, Kabuto."

Itachi just stared at the scene, not believing his eyes. Was this SERIOUSLY happening!

The pedophile turned to look back at Itachi. "Don't you DARE do anything reckless," he said.

Then, the two shinobi were gone in a puff of smoke.

Itachi's jaw dropped to the ground

It was bad enough that he didn't get to celebrate his birthday.

Now he might get to go back to Konoha.

Although he thought about his beloved hometown every single day, Itachi didn't want to go back to LIVE there for a while. It was difficult enough just to be sent there on a mission.

Looking on the bright side, he had a while to be away from stupid frickin' Orochimaru and his biggest fan, Kabuto. Both were nothing but an annoyance to Itachi, and probably Sasuke, too…

Unless he was just like them.

Itachi sat up from his bed as this thought ran through his head. "No, that's… that's impossible! Sasuke can NOT be that idiotic!" As far as he knew, Sasuke was far from an idiot.

Now Itachi wanted nothing more but to go on a search for Sasuke.

So that's EXACTLY what he did.

As he got ready to go, he felt the usual presence on his shoulder.

"Aname, don't even try to stop me," Itachi said crossly.

The girl shook her head. "I'm not," she said.

Itachi looked up at her, shocked. "You're not? Is this a joke?"

Aname shook her head again, very seriously. "No. In fact, this is the proper time. I wanted you to wait until right now."

"Then why are you here?" Itachi asked curiously.

"I'm just making sure," said Aname, eyeing beneath Sasuke's bed, "that you don't forget anything."

Itachi didn't seem to notice her intently staring under his bed. And he didn't notice as he packed his suitcase what she had made hover underneath everything else he had packed.