13 years later
"Alright kids. Welcome home." Jiraiya said to the three shinobi as they stood in front of the main entrance to Konoha but unlike the last times they were here which was to spend some time at home; they had a mission to watch over the Chunnin exams since this year's one had the Hidden Sound Village which has unknown capabilities.
"I missed Konoha." Natsuki said. The years had seen the team change both physically and mentally. Physically she had grown into a well developed young woman with shoulder length mahogany coloured hair; grey eyes and fair skin. She also has double pierced earlobes as well as one on the top and middle of her right ear. She wears a standard jounin jacket with a black shirt underneath and a pants with one full length legging and one thigh high legging.
"But we still have a mission to complete sensei; so I doubt we'll have the luxury of 'enjoying' our return." Itachi said in his usual serious tone. Itachi has also changed his once base-neck length hair grew down to his mid back and tied with a red band. He wears normal civilian clothes with the Uchiha symbol on the back of his shirt.
"Way to spoil the moment Itachi. Come on man we're here for a month that's the longest time we've ever been home, can't we just let loose for once." Dairuko complained to his uptight teammate. Dairuko wears a standard jounin uniform with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and fingerless gloves with the exception of his jounin jacket which is customised with weights that double training and protecting him from small blades like kunai and shuriken. He is also the tallest one out the three and most physically complete as well with well defined muscles and he has short spiky light blonde hair with dark brown eyes and tan skin
"What is your definition of "let loose", Dairuko?" Itachi asked "sleeping with women; gambling or drinking?"
"All of the above Uchiha and besides my gambling has kept us afloat when sensei goes with our wallets."
"Whoa don't get me involved with this." Jiraiya said with his hands up
"Just don't over do it Dairuko." Natsuki sighed
"See now you guys are making me sound like I'm some alcoholic, sex-crazed gambler."
"You are an alcoholic, sex-crazed gambler, brother."
"Within reason I am."
"That much is true."
"Here I was thinking you guys had matured." Jiraiya said
"Come on sensei you've known us for 13 years you know this is how we are."
"Fair enough;" Jiraiya started "I'm heading to Hokage Tower to get a full briefing on our current mission and I will you three in the park to discuss it around about ten okay?"
"Hai sensei." they said unison and Jiraiya left
"Seeing as we got the rest of the day to ourselves..." Natsuki trailed off "Itachi; Dairuko and I were heading to the Ramen shop and I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"
"Nani?! I wasn't-" Dairuko was cut off by Natsuki's elbow to in his ribs "Baaaakaaaaaa." he groaned in pain
"Well Itachi you wanna join us?" she asked with a gleam in her eye.
"Sorry Natsuki not today;" Itachi said calmly "I need to be alone today." and he walked away leaving a saddened Natsuki behind
"You realise what day it is right?" Dairuko asked as he walked up behind his sister
"Yeah but he shouldn't be alone especially today;" she said thinking about how recluse Itachi gets on the anniversary of the Uchiha Massacre "he has too much pride to admit he feels alone."
"Well;" Dairuko started as Natsuki turned to face him "he sees himself as our leader and as leader he feels that he needs to constantly be strong."
"But he is one of the strongest people I know." Natsuki's spirits were going down and Dairuko noticed and decided to intervene the best way he knew how
"Nonetheless. Nee-chan why don't you just drop off our bags and I'll meet you at Ichiraku's." he said as he dumped his bag on her and ran away.
"DAIRUKO!" she screamed but he was long gone
After Natsuki dropped off their bags at home she took a moment to walk around the was a bit dusty because her and Dairuko don't stay here often. She let out a heavy sigh at the thought of cleaning up which lifted some dust and made her cough. 'Damn dust. Damn Dairuko. Damn everyone.' she thought as she made her way to the living room table where she placed the very first team picture they took(her personal favourite); with Jiraiya doing his Toad Sage pose,Dairuko giving a huge grin with a thumbs up, Natsuki pulling her eye down and sticking out her tongue and Itachi was just smiling.
"Good times when life was simple." she said to herself
Natsuki made her way to Ichiraku's to meet up Dairuko and catch up with an old friend but when she got there all she saw was this orange jumpsuit -wearing, blonde kid and no Dairuko.
"Dairuko." she muttered
"Hello there take a seat." the man behind the counter said with his back turned
"Why so formal ?" she joked
"Natsuki is that you?"
"One and only," she walked around the counter and gave him a hug "so how you been, Ramen-san?"
"Aren't you little old to still be calling me that?"
"Hey if it ain't broke don't fix it." she shrugged,
"Where's Ayame?"
"Oh I sent her out for ingredients so I can make my special bowl of ramen for Naruto here who made it to the Chuunin exam finals."
"That's right after I win this tournament and become a chuunin I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage!"
"That's a bold thing to say Kitty Cat." Natsuki teased the orange genin because of his whiskers
"I'm all about bo-HEY I'm not a cat." Naruto said which got him a pat on the head when Dairuko and Ayame appeared by the door holding groceries
"And we're here, thanks again Dairuko." Ayame said
"You quite welcome now I'll just be going before-" Dairuko was cut off
"Before what Brother?" Natsuki said standing with an annoyed look on her face. Dairuko didn't even look in her direction because he could feel her stare burning a hole in his skull
"Before uhm, uh... you know that thing I have to do must be done right, Ayame? I told you about that thing on our way here remember?" he said hoping Ayame got his back
"Sorry but you never mention anything to me." she said with a giggle as Dairuko pleaded with Natsuki when a certain Uchiha walked in
"Am I late?" Itachi said and took a quick look around the room when he made eye contact with Dairuko he knew what had to be done "If I am I apologise Dairuko was supposed to bring me here on time."
EARLIER
Dairuko walked around the village aimlessly as he planned on being late to meet his sister as payback for that elbow to the ribs and forcing him to go in the first place.
'Serves her right.' he thought 'Where to now is the question.' He continued thinking when he walked pass the Hokage Mountain, he back stepped and stared at the iconic mountain.
"Now I know where I'm going." he said with smirk on his face
After reaching the top of the mountain Dairuko just sat on top of the First Hokage's head and looked over the village.
"If were still a kid I'd probably hide in one of their noses..." he sighed when a all too familiar voice came from behind him
"Why are you here Dairuko?" the voice said
"Uchiha Itachi...of course it'll be you here." Dairuko stated as Itachi took a seat on the Second Hokage's head he also looked over the village like Dairuko
"You didn't answer my question."
"True. I'm admiring the view which is quite nice actually." Dairuko then turned toward Itachi "Better question is why are you here Itachi?"
"Same reason as you I guess." he said as they turned toward the horizon again
"Itachi."
"Dairuko?"
"Have you ever wanted to be like them?"
"Who?"
"The Hokages."
"At one point...Why are you asking this?"
"Its just that I always wanted to be a shinobi the greatest shinobi but a Kage was the furthest thing from my mind. Makes me feel like I lack ambition almost...almost."Itachi gave a slight chuckle at Dairuko
"Dairuko you and me have been friends for a long time and to this day you still surprise me with your uncanny ability to go from serious to joking mid -sentence."
"What can I say, it's part of my charm unlike you whose strong silence got them girls weak in the knees."
"I'm as interested in 'them girls' as you are Dairuko."
"Yeah girls see you, they see long relationship potential they see me they see a one night thing; so in essence you keep the long term and I keep the short term."
"So even outside the battlefield we are a formidable team."
"That we are Uchiha...that we are." Dairuko laughed.
"Should go meet Natsuki before she loses her mind." Itachi said
"Talking to me," Dairuko said as he stood up and walked to the edge and was about to leap off when turned to face Itachi "or yourself?" and Dairuko leapt off
Dairuko was back to wandering the streets of Konoha again until he saw a young woman struggling to carry some groceries so he decided to help her (it was pure coincidence that she was hot). As two of the bags were about to drop he managed to catch them she thanked him and apologised then tried to take back the bags but he insisted on carrying them to her destination.
"So what's your name?" she asked
"A young lady might want to introduce herself first before asking someone his name."
"Oh gomen I'm Ayame."
"Nice to meet you Ayame I'm Dairuko." and the two continued their talk until they arrived at the ramen shop
PRESENT
"See I told you I had something to do." Dairuko added but still got hit for talking
"I-Itachi you came." Natsuki said in disbelief
"Well you did invite me." he said before Dairuko who recovered from being hit in the face grabbed the two under his arms and said "Now that the 'Great Uchiha Itachi' has joined us can we finally order something I'm starved." this earned him eye twitches from both Itachi and Natsuki but they were too hungry to disagree.
"Four bowls of your special ramen ." the forth bowl was for Naruto who had been quiet and patient for so long but little did they know he was asleep on the counter.
"OI! Blonde Cat wake up." Dairuko said while shaking him awake
"I'm not a cat you stu-" Naruto was cut off by Natsuki shoving ramen in his mouth which halted all objections as he ate bowl after bowl along with Team 0 who celebrated being back home for the first time in a long time with Ayame.
After celebrating until late at night Itachi -who had left earlier- now stood alone in the cemetery to pay his respects at long last. As he walked pass the many tombstones with the Uchiha name on it; although he had Natsuki and Dairuko, there has always been a void. Itachi may not show it but deep down he hates Konoha for what they did to his family and clan however he understands their reason but more than anything he hates himself for not being there to help them.
"I'm sorry." he said out loud and stood in front of the graves of his family Uchiha Fugaku; Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Sasuke in silence until he placed the flowers before moving to each tombstone and placing a single flower on each.
"It's not your fault Itachi." Itachi turned to face whoever was talking
"Natsuki...Dairuko what are you doing here?" he asked
"What's it look like Itachi we here to pay our respects just like you baka." Dairuko added with a smirk.
"Why? You didn't know most of these people."
"True however;" Dairuko started and Natsuki finished "We know you Itachi and you knew these people therefore your loss is our loss." she said before using her chakra strings and taking two thirds of the flowers and splitting it between herself and Dairuko who added "We're a team Itachi hell, we're borderline family and though we can't carry your burdens we sure as hell can carry you." with that Team 0 placed a flower on each tombstone.
Once they finished pay their respects the three walked home with Dairuko lagging behind to give Itachi and his sister some space -he could be nice like that. There was silence between Itachi and Natsuki with the occasional wildlife sounds.
"This is it Itachi...ano...arigatou." Natsuki had a habbit of blushing and getting nervous when alone with Itachi.
"That's why I'm here Natsu-chan." he said staring into her soul or at least that's what she felt; not to mention that voice, its no wonder why the women love him; sure Dairuko had looks the two of them are probably equal in almost every way...almost
"Well thanks Itachi goodnight." she rambled and ran inside...she's not ready
"Goodnight." Itachi said softly as he walked away after bidding farewell to Dairuko
"This is going to be a LONG mission," Dairuko said to himself after watching the whole scene unfold from his position in the back "but let's hope there's enough fun for me while those two play Romeo and Juliet."