Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
The Last Supper - 1
Uchiha Mikoto was caught between a strange combination of worry and glee. Itachi had seemed far more lively (for her stoic son, anyways) the past few weeks, but more recently, he'd taken a sudden turn for worse. He would spend long hours simply staring out the window, and while that was not unusual for him, she was sure he wasn't unraveling some impossible jutsu or whatnot. If her intuition was correct, he was tangled in a far less tangible problem.
Namely, a lovely problem called Hyuuga Hinata.
While Fugaku had sniffed at the mention of the ex-Hyuuga-heir, Mikoto thought it worked out perfectly. Her Branch status removed the need for messy clan politics or betrothal contracts, and more importantly, her grandbabies would be so cute.
After a moment of thought, she efficiently peeled and sliced an apple.
"Thank you, Mother," Itachi murmured when she handed him the snack. He let her tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear. Even though she was a retired jounin, she hadn't been able to sneak in a gesture of affection since Itachi was five. However, after their near massacre, he'd begun to open back up. If no one was around, he'd even allow her to mother him a little.
Her poor, awkward genius. While the rest of the world only saw the unflappable leader, Mikoto knew how difficult it was for Itachi to show or accept affection. Sasuke (and in the recent years, the members of Team 7) compensated with overblown antics that Itachi could scoff fondly at and tease them over, but anything further was strictly hidden away. Like the jerky movements of an untrained genin, he oscillated between too much and too little. Naturally, showing less was far more acceptable and that was where he settled comfortably unless pushed.
Mikoto sat in the seat next to Itachi.
"You should invite her to dinner."
He gave her a shocked look before shuttering all emotion behind dark eyes. "That would not be advantageous to any party," Itachi dismissed quickly. "While Hinata-san was a prominent member of the Hyuuga, she has long been removed from the intricate political circles to be comfortable with us. You do not need to attempt to create a bridge that is not there. Furthermore -"
"A simple 'no' would have sufficed, Itachi-kun," she said with a knowing chuckle. "Tomorrow night at 7. Bring her." She tried to pat him on the shoulder, and Itachi protested her command by neatly avoiding her hand. Mikoto could barely suppress her smirk. Sasuke always hissed like a little snake at her, but the flicker of resigned annoyance on her older son's face was just as cute.
She could already imagine that expression on her future grandbabies...
AN: I guess Itachi's sadistic tendencies come from Mikoto...
Time to move things along plot wise!