Serendipity

Chapter Eight:

Sasuke jolted awake into a sitting position.

His breathing came in ragged and his small heart pounding harshly against his ribcage.

He looked around in quick succession before realizing where he was. He let out a breath as his body relaxed and his mind stopped racing as he told himself that he was safe. For a moment his eyes clenched, his fingers curling up around the soft bedsheets.

He flopped back onto the bed, seeking the warmth from Itachi's chest.

He was falling back asleep when it dawned on him and he gasped. He brought his small hand to his face and groaned.

He'd spontaneously shifted into his human self.

The tiny four year old frowned as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. He couldn't be doing that. He needed to have control over his transformations. Sasuke allowed himself a moment to relax, glancing out the window where it was slowly becoming light outside. It was early, so he was sure Itachi would still be fully asleep.

He was okay.

He had time to shift back.

His ears perked up when he heard Itachi softly sigh in his sleep. He looked up at the sleeping demon's face and noted that his features were calm and soft. Itachi was really pretty…

Sasuke started to purr at the welcoming warm sight. Itachi…he fondly thought to himself.

Sasuke wasted no time diving back under the bedsheets and snuggling his small body against the sleeping Itachi's chest. He sighed contently, relaxed enough to turn back into a kitten and before he knew it, he was asleep once more.

He was home.

Later that same morning, Kisame yawned as he watched Itachi pack the usual stuff.

They were going to be late for work at this rate, but today he couldn't be bothered. His heart was light with the sight of his friend fussing about that small little fur ball. It was an amusing sight really.

Itachi muttering to himself, making a list of things he might need, worrying about the strangest of things. The little fur ball meowing, trying to get into the bag or hang off Itachi's shoulder, and had to be told to stay still.

Not that the kitten listened.

"You're like a dad," Kisame mused when Itachi started to lecture the kitten to behave and not pay attention to strangers.

Itachi blinked up at Kisame with a frown. "I am not," he retorted, finally getting to his feet, "Let's go."

"Yeah, you are such a dad," Kisame rolled his eyes as he followed Itachi out the door.

The darn fur ball was cradled in Itachi's arms like it was the finest treasure in the world. How could he not think that his friend was acting all parent like- It was utterly ridiculous.

Strangely enough, Kisame was living for this.

A few hours later, Itachi found himself leaving work early with his kitty.

After he explained to Pain what had happened, the man had allowed him to keep bringing the kitten with him. It was best for all of them if what had happened didn't repeat itself. New measures had to be considered so mushkitty would be safe while home alone.

Itachi figure that he needed to learn more about taking care of a pet.

The way the kitten was acting so clingy towards him was worrying Itachi.

He knew that what had happened was in no doubt traumatizing, but now he wanted to help his kitten. He wanted to relax him, and get him to be his cute cuddly kitty once more. That wasn't going to happen any time soon, he feared.

It was just yesterday that everything had happened.

It felt so much like it had been only a few hours, and a few weeks all at once. Itachi couldn't even imagine what it felt like for his kitten.

"What am I going to do with you, I need you to be strong enough to be left alone for a few hours,…maybe I need a self-help book on taking care of a pet…" Itachi muttered as he researched where he could go to get help. He was talking mainly to himself seeing as Kitty didn't care, he simply snuggled into Itachi's side and purred.

This caused Itachi to smile, deciding already that he was going to go shopping again. If he recalled correctly, a pet shop should have help books, and perhaps some knowledgeable employees.

He hoped.

That was why Itachi left the office early and made his way to the pet store that allowed pets.

Kitty refused to go into the cart, for obvious reasons so Itachi had no choice but to carry him over his shoulder. When he spotted an employee on the floor he decided to approach him.

"Excuse me, I need help with taking care of a kitten," Itachi politely said.

The worker looked from him to the kitten sitting on his shoulder, a bright smile painting their face. Itachi briefly glanced at their name tag, noting the name Rock Lee on it.

"Well, that's easy I can help you with that completely!" Lee said, moving to lead Itachi to some self-help books and even throwing in a few tips of his own. Itachi was overwhelmed with everything he was being told as he placed five different books on cats in the cart.

"I'm mainly interested in figuring out how to leave him on his own while I go to work really. When I have tried so far he destroys things around my apartment." Itachi cut in when he felt he had been fed so much knowledge he didn't think he needed. Lee was truly enthusiastic, and while Itachi appreciated it, he felt that if he didn't speak up the man would never stop talking.

Lee blinked, crossed his arms, and leaned in to inspect the kitten.

"Hmmm….May I?" the man asked, reaching his hands out, palm up.

"Sure," Itachi hesitated, but then handed Kitty over.

The kitten meowed loudly, reaching out for Itachi, claws out as he became aware of the new man holding him. The man looked the small kitten over, making it tense up. Kitty started to have his fur stand on end, a slow threatening growl emitting from his chest.

When he started to full out growl Itachi tried to reach for the kitten again but Lee had flipped him over and was now looking at his genitals.

"Hey!" Itachi snapped, feeling dislike over this for some reason or the other.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out his age and it's hard to tell if I don't fully check," Lee said and expertly opened the kittens mouth, looking at his teeth. "I see," he finally said, almost like he had an epiphany.

"What?" Itachi asked, itching to snatch his kitten back into his arms.

The kitten bit Lee's hand then, but all Lee did was smile like it didn't bother him. "The problem is that he is still a baby, he looks to be about three to four months, meaning he's about four to five years if he were human. You can't leave him alone for too long, not until he's at least six months." Lee handed the kitten back, "Six months will definitely mature him a bit more."

"Until he is six months?" Itachi was perplexed, readily taking his kitten back into the safety of his arms.

Lee then explained how cat's aged and the type of care they needed for each stage. Itachi was boggled to find that his kitten was practically still a baby. He sort of knew that he was, but he was not aware that such an age was so crucial.

From then Itachi hung to every word that Lee spoke, taking special note of everything he would need to do as a pet owner.

The mother cat would only now start weening her kittens and teaching them to eat and hunt on their own. It was a stage where Kitty will most learn.

Itachi had a long way to teach his kitten.

In his sixth month he would be a teenager and start rebelling. Okay, nothing too bad, Itachi figured as he looked down at the Kitty looking all around him in curiosity.

In one year he would be fifteen years old, allegedly.

It made no sense to Itachi. No matter what way he looked at it, it just felt like at the end of the day Kitty would always be his tiny little kitten.

Once Itachi had the information he filed the necessary papers and turned them in to Pain with his request.

His kitten was allowed to return to work with him until he reached the six month maturity.

"I think that everyone is glad that you are going to keep bringing him around," Kisame commented as he watched Itachi cook. "Everyone seems to like him. I saw Konan and Sasori so pissed when I told them what happened yesterday."

"Kisame, set the table," Itachi cut in, quickly adding the finishing touches to tonight's meal.

"Oh, okay," Kisame started to do as he was asked. "Where did you go anyways? We all missed you at lunch and then you didn't return, Deidara had to come and tell me that he and Sasori were dropping me off." Kisame rolled his eyes, "You know how annoying that damn blond is? And then he went on to say that no he wouldn't stop anywhere I wanted to go and that his Dana needed to get some sleep! The nerve of that guy…" Kisame reached from the plates, counting three.

"Deidara is just determined to take care of Sasori because he loves him." Itachi commented. "You know his dream has been to be a devoted wife to his mate," Itachi could have laughed at his own words. Deidara had never said as much, but the way he acted, he might as well have.

"Yeah I get that okay. I get he loves Sasori and blah blah, but dude needs to chill. I can't believe that Sasori puts up with his nagging ass at all!" Kisame complained as he pulled out some spooks and forks. "How does he not feel suffocated by someone being in his space and controlling what he eats all the time,"

"Sasori likes being taken care off," Itachi reasoned. "He enjoys the attention and care that Deidara gives him,"

"To that degree? It would drive me insane," Kisame scoffed.

Itachi silently agreed. The way Deidara was with Sasori was a bit too much like a helicopter spouse. Not that it mattered to him. Itachi wasn't bothered as it was none of his business what Deidara and Sasori did as a couple.

"Be thankful then that you are not the one dating him," Itachi said as he turned off the fire once the food finished cooking. He had made some fish and rice, along with a stir fry of vegetables and cabbage. All of it topped with a special secret recipe sauce that his mother had taught him a long time ago.

Kisame's mouth watered as Itachi filled each plate with morsel after morsel of food.

The kitten on the floor was winding himself around Itachi's feet, meowling loudly to get some of that deliciousness.

"Mushkitty, get up here," Itachi called, tapping the table twice with his fingers to signal where he wanted him.

The kitten perked up and jumped all the way to the table, struggling as he nearly missed, and clawed his way up all the way in sheer determination.

His tail flicked around playfully as he watched Itachi.

Itachi made eye contact, "Now sit and wait," The tail ticked up and down impatiently as the tiny kitten sat. His little head though following each of Itachi's motions and Kisame watched amused as the kitten vibrated looking like it would pounce on the food at any second.

"How the hell did you teach him to stay still," Kisame wondered as he himself waited to pounce on his own food. It was the first time that Kisame ever saw the kitten actually do something that Itachi asked of it.

"I didn't, he's a good listening," Itachi set out the final plate. "Well when he wants to," he said, motioning for Kisame to claim his portion. Itachi then grabbed his own plate out of the way and called, "Go."

That was when the kitten pounced on the plate of food that had been set out for him. Itachi had been careful to make sure it wasn't too hot and so the kitten wouldn't burn his mouth.

"I wonder if he even tastes the food with how fast he eats," Kisame commented, while taking a bite of his and then groaning at how good it was. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he too started to shovel it all down.

"Are you even tasting?" Itachi threw back at him, eating his own meal at a more leisure pace.

"Oh God, yes," Kisame moaned, shoving more food into his mouth. "So good dude, you should open a restaurant,"

Itachi shook his head in disbelief of how his friend was acting and continued to eat, watching happily as his kitten ate every last bite. He was glad to see that his wounds had healed so fully and that fur was growing where it had been torn out.

His mother's remedy truly was amazing, working so fast.

Itachi actually had never seen it work so fast on anything before.

Usually demons healed well on their own, with no need of outside help. That didn't mean that there weren't cases were they couldn't and thus needed a healing demon's help. Other times they would need help, but even then it took weeks, if not months.

Their anatomy and the way they function was strange, and all its own.

That was the case for demons. His kitten had to be as mortal as humans and a healing demon could help, but most times humans died. They were fragile and delicate all on their own, a kitten was even more so.

There was no denying though, the gashes the kitten had had were like a distant memory. Almost like they had never been there.

Soon his kitty would be good as new, and Itachi was thankful.

While that was true, Itachi couldn't help but think how lucky this kitten was that he found him. Not once, well that he knew of, but twice, this kitten had nearly lost its life out there in the streets…left all alone because…

Did Kitty miss his mother?

He wished he could ask, but animals couldn't really tell anyone what they felt, or had seen or gone through. Itachi just wanted to make sure that from here on out that his kitty was going to be happy and well taken care of.

He wasn't going to let anyone get the chance to hurt him ever again, if he could help it! The urge was so strong in him, wanting to always be there to protect and care for Kitty….

Sadly, a long time ago he had come to the realization that not everything could be in his control. That sometimes people or those around him hurt and there was nothing that he could do but be there to help them. Just like this situation of what ever happened, or however his kitten got out and into the hands of that man.

Itachi just thanked the God's above that he was able to get to his kitten in time to save him. He couldn't help the situation, but he was so thankful that it had not meant the end.

Finishing with dinner, they moved to the living room with Kisame to catch up on their shows that they liked to watch. The two got to talking about Kisame's growing relationship with his current love interest and about Itachi's lack of love life.

A few shows in, Itachi finally called it a night.

Kisame had fallen asleep in the couch, and was murmuring something about his current boyfriend, and giggling.

No doubt a wet dream, Itachi figured as he scooped his kitten into his arms and turned off the television.

Walking into his room, he took a deep breath as he closed the door. He was amazed that the kitten didn't wake up at all as he placed him on the bed.

Itachi got ready for bed and then changed into more comfortable clothes and finally got into bed, reaching for his desk lamp and the book he was currently reading. It was an adventure book, an adult one with situations that were gruesome and delved into very dark thoughts that usually got Itachi thinking about his line of work.

His thoughts never really stayed on the dark of it, as he could easily rationalize what the author was thinking and trying to express. Sometimes the exploration of that which others fear was fascinating. Although, not even the human mind could come up with something as gruesome as reality and the truth.

Itachi enjoyed learning about both.

As he was reading, he felt the soft touch of his kitten nuzzling into his arm, before climbing into his lap. Itachi glanced down as it position itself to look at the page, large red eyes blinking curiously. Itachi leaned in a bit forward, and started to read aloud, slightly amused at how the kitten seemed to hang on his every word.

Every now and then the kitten would turn to look at him, before looking back at the page.

Itachi had never had a pet before.

He didn't know whether it was normal for them to have such curious expression and sharp intelligent eyes. He was sure his kitten understood to a certain extent, or at least realized that he was talking and was just following the sound and flow of his voice. The twitch in his ears flicking against Itachi's lips told him that the kitten really liked listening to it at the very least.

Itachi wasn't certain what it was, but it was comforting, and that slow and lull of his purr made his mind calm and drift, his eyes inadvertently becoming heavy with sleep.

Yawning lightly he told the kitty it was time for bed.

Reaching to turn off the night light and setting the book aside, he pulled the covers over both of them, and drifted off to sleep, with his kitten tucked against his chest.

Days will pass, and six months will surely come and go, but Itachi could only hope that he would share that time with his kitten.

He was happy right now.

Truly though, he should have known better than to think that such happy peace would last.

"So, this is Itachi's little apartment…" Orochimaru drawled, a slow smile coming over his pale lips. Yamato gave him a blank look as he nodded his head once.

Orochimaru leaned back in the passenger seat of the car that Yamato was driving and placed his hands over his lap. His golden eyes never once wavered away from the building that Yamato had pointed out to him.

Littered around them was the evidence of Itachi's jeep entering and leaving the apartment consecutively. There were pictures of him walking about with a kitten, a small gray one with red large eyes that Orochimaru was not fully intrigued by.

There will be nothing better than to truly hurt you Itachi, and what better way than by crushing that which you care so dearly about… the snake bitterly thought. Uchiha Itachi, the young demon that not only had turned him down so harshly and broken his heart, but his pride as well.

For a while many didn't take him seriously just because a baby demon with no rhyme or reason to be as cocky as he was had actually harmed him. Fuck it, even now many laughed at him. Orochimaru's anger clearly showed in his golden eyes as he glared at the building.

"What do you plan to do, boss?" Yamato asked when he noted the seething man.

"For now, I will just sit back and watch until there is a clear opening for me to get my hands on that kitten that Itachi seems so fond off…" Orochimaru licked his lips, "I'll make that kitten obey me and I'll rub it in his face so much that Itachi will burn with jealousy!" the man cackled.

Yamato frowned with a look of concern on his otherwise passive face, "But what if the kitten grows sad that he can't be with Itachi,"

Orochimaru's stopped laughing and turned to sharply glare at Yamato, "It's a fucking animal, it has a pea sized brain and no sense of loyalty, do you seriously think that I can't make it prefer me!" he snapped.

Yamato flinched, "Sorry, I just thought…"

"Well you thought wrong," Orochimaru crossed his arms, "Now drive us home. I must get my sleep. I've done plenty of scheming for tonight. We will continue tomorrow."

Yamato silently nodded his head and drove away, silently thinking that Orochimaru was being a bit too... petty.