Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
House of Glass - 4
Despite being caught in his thoughts, Itachi waited until Hinata had entered the house before he looked up.
"It is very rude to spy on a comrade like that," he said as he perused a suspicious patch of shadows in the trees. "Rokudaime-sama."
What was with his students and their recent penchant for hiding in foliage? If he also found Sakura loitering in a tree, Itachi was going schedule appointments for them with Ibiki.
Purely out of concern for his team, of course.
"Aw, Itachi-sensei, you're no fun!" Naruto's long frame dropped soundlessly to the ground. He was easily the biggest of their group - big body, big dreams, and even bigger heart - and to Sasuke's chagrin, towered over the Uchiha by at least half a head. This included the scarce inches his little brother's preferred hairstyle afforded him. Naruto moved with a loping grace that was more wolf than fox as he bounded up to Itachi and his trademark grin was stretched wide across his tan face. Ever since his bout of training with Gai and Lee, his smile seemed to gleam even in the dim lighting. "Just wanted to see what she looked like."
Why did everyone have such a sudden curiosity regarding Hinata? It wasn't the first time some strange puzzle or another caught his interest. Admittedly, Hinata was far more attractive than most, but that wasn't saying much since his previous obsession had been with the chakra-enhancing properties of a rare type of fungus. Team 7 had poked fun at him for months due to the fungus's rather...phallic...shape.
"Why would Hinata-san's appearance have any relevance?"
Naruto laughed nervously. "Well, Sasuke gets automatic sibling-privileges to these things, and I approve and...well..." The future Hokage rubbed the back of his head and smiled like a shy school-boy. For all of Naruto's accomplishments and the people in his life, the Kyuubi-vessel still had his moments of self-doubt, especially when it came to his place in the Team 7 family.
Itachi rested his hand on Naruto's head, even though now he had to reach up to do so.
"My foolish brother receives no more rights than you do in regards to such situations," he reminded Naruto firmly. Then his face darkened. "Though his rights to much of anything are in great danger of being reduced given the lies he's been spewing. What has Sasuke been telling you?"
Naruto brightened, his earlier insecurity forgotten. It always amused Itachi that even though the blond didn't have a malicious bone in his body, Naruto always enjoyed ratting his teammate out to Itachi.
"Sasuke says that you've been going to see this girl called Hyuuga Hinata. He says she'd really pretty and shy and not at all like Sakura-chan," - given the evil little grin on Naruto's face, Itachi inferred this was point in the conversation where the medic kicked Sasuke into a wall - " and that you're acting like the Ero-sennin."
Itachi felt an eye twitch.
"Jiraiya?" he questioned warningly. "That Ero-sennin?"
Naruto shrugged. Don't kill the messenger.
"And yet you believed him," Itachi added with a raised eyebrow. His aura began to darken forebodingly. The blond's smile began to reveal a tinge of nervousness.
"I'm only confirming Sasuke's hypothesis with factual evidence just like you taught me, Itachi-sensei! And I've clearly seen enough to disprove his hypothesis so thankyouandI'llseeyoulater!"
Naruto teleported away with a grin that showed too many teeth to be considered joyous.
His aura no longer roiling with displeasure, Itachi stared at the empty spot where the Rokudaime had once occupied.
He had to chuckle.
Team 7 will always be his cute little students.
AN: Writing Itachi is turning out to be more fun than writing Hinata. What. And Team 7 is always near and dear to my heart.