Serendipity
Chapter Eighteen:
Sasuke, in his kitty form, sat on the couch.
His tail twirled back and forth, impatiently, listening to Izumi talk to Itachi through the phone. Not that there were many people that Itachi spoke to over the phone, but Izumi had him talking to her for hours.
Sasuke was starting to get desperate for Itachi to hung up and pay attention to him instead. He was so close to just transforming and demanding it of him. if only he had the guts…
Honestly, listening in on these conversations had become routine.
Izumi always called Itachi the moment that he was out of work. Any time that he was free, it was like she knew he was available for her to steal. It was like she was determined to fill any moment that Itachi had free to himself with her presence.
Sasuke wanted to say that he listened in because he was perfecting his so call plan to break them up. Really though, he just needed to know what it was that they talked so much about. He wanted to be smack in the middle of whatever kind of relationship they had going on.
Her favorite thing to talk about was herself.
It was a lot of useless information, in Sasuke's opinion, but he figured he could use it against her. Learning about her meant that he knew the things that she didn't like, the things that scared her, and added to his plan on how to cause a break up.
It had taken him a long time to figure out a pattern between Itachi and Izumi.
The two didn't meet every day, but Izumi was the one that planned the dates. Itachi wasn't allowed to plan dates, at least Sasuke thought. He wasn't sure, all he knew was that Itachi hadn't planned a date so far. Izumi did ask Itachi about his ideas on dates, but she either disregarded what he had to say or shot the idea down completely in favor to what she obviously already had planned before asking for his thoughts.
It annoyed Sasuke to no end that she would do that.
It was clear that Itachi was annoyed that she did that, too.
Sometimes Sasuke thought that Itachi would just tell her that he was done trying to entertain her. That he didn't want to be with her, but the words never left the demon's mouth. Itachi would un-clench his teeth and sigh, resigned to whatever it was that she wanted to do.
Itachi had made no progress in breaking up with her, but at the same time neither had made progress on whether or not their relationship was official or not.
A whole month had come and gone in the similar fashion of just planned dates, dates that had increased in number as time passed, much to Sasuke's chagrin. He wanted them to break up already. One of them had to say something and just end it.
Preferably, he wanted Itachi to break it up.
With work and dating Izumi, Itachi hardly had any time left for him. The demon would come home late and knock out. Sasuke missed snuggling and listening to Itachi read his books.
The last shreds of hope Sasuke had was that Itachi had not brought Izumi around the apartment or his friends. Itachi also claimed that they were just dating, they weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, and that was on yet.
Kiba and Shino said that it was just all a matter of time.
He needed to do something now or he really would lose Itachi. Apparently demons didn't easily label relationships with potential mates until they could establish some sort of bond. Sasuke didn't understand it, and neither did his friends, but they said that their research had referred to it as the spark of feeling.
Something that was felt, that spark was supposed to make you care…protect?
Well, anyways. It was supposed to tell the demon what it needed to do as a next step. It was all a vague concept. It was just something that they had read in their demon studies. Sasuke hadn't been there to learn that, but he had searched the books in order to read up on it.
Not that it helped.
Whatever it was, it was thankfully not something Itachi or Izumi had found with each other.
Yet.
The kitten wanted to roll his eyes that he had to even consider that they could. It didn't help that Itachi's friends and mother were always checking in and pressuring Itachi about making it official.
Sasuke thanked every divine being out there that Itachi didn't listen to any of their stupid advice.
That didn't change that Itachi had expressed concern about placing a label on his relationship with Izumi. There was something about it bothering Itachi, and Sasuke wasn't sure what that could be.
But it was that blank tittle that gave Sasuke hope and what had further spurred him in his planning.
Tonight, he was going to set his plan in motion. He will get rid of Izumi for Itachi and solve all his problems.
Sasuke just hoped that it all worked out in his favor.
He was missing doing so many things with Itachi. Enough was enough, he needed his Itachi to himself, how it all was back in the beginning not so long ago! There was zero chill left in this agitated kitten. Sasuke was going to have to get rid of her himself, because Itachi, his poor demon, just wasn't mean enough to do it himself!
Itachi truly was too kind for his own good.
Just like now, his poor demon was being subjected to listen to the rambling of a woman he didn't even want.
Sadly, Sasuke had to pay attention. He needed to get all the details of where they were going today. Keeping up with the conversation was both confusing and exhausting. Izumi jumped from topic to topic, and then came back to whatever she had started with.
How did Itachi even put up with her?
Itachi had been on his phone for the past three hours, and there didn't seem to be a lull in the obvious one-sided conversation.
Izumi had a lot to say and wouldn't let Itachi get a word in edge wise, even when she had asked him a question. It was a bit amusing as she repeated herself a few times and asked Itachi if he understood, making him agree with her. At some points, she was even demanding for Itachi to take her side on what was bothering her, because she couldn't possibly be wrong.
It got to the point where Itachi was apprehensive as to what he was agreeing to.
Although, Sasuke was sure that Itachi more than understood at this point.
Why wouldn't she shut up, he wanted this phone call to be over already. How was Itachi not tired of listening to her talk?
Dropping down to a kitty loaf form in defeat, Sasuke blinked and looked curiously up at Itachi who had suddenly paused in front of him.
"Yeah, I will pick you up. Don't worry about it." Itachi tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder, reaching down to pet Kitty. His fingers were only a centimeter from touching kitty when the kitten stretched up to meet his hand eagerly, purring softly as he allowed Itachi to sink his fingers into his fur.
Kitty got up on both his back legs, motioning for the man to pick him up. Itachi's hand snaked around his belly, lifting him up to his chest in a safe and comforting cradle. Kitty wasted no time burying his face under Itachi's chin, claws hooking into the demon's shirt.
Itachi was already dressed to go out on his date. He was wearing a simple black long sleeve shirt, jeans, and heavy boots.
"I'll see you soon… yes, yes, alright," Itachi said. "I'll be there within the hour." He answered when she asked how long she had. "Bye, okay, bye…"
Kitty began nipping at Itachi's earlobe when the next ten minutes were spent on figuring out who would hang up first.
Itachi finally hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket.
He closed his eyes in slight annoyance only to chuckle when the little creature in his arms, head bumped him. Itachi had to push the little head away, smiling softly at his lovely kitty.
"Alright my mushkitty, let's get some food in you, because it's going to be a long night." Itachi said while walking to the kitchen. "I can only hope to get home in time for some sleep," Itachi tilted his neck side to side, trying to dislodge all the stress he felt over his shoulders.
Dating Izumi was starting to feel more of a chore than he had thought it ever was. He was tired, not in the way that he felt it physically after a long day of work, but more emotionally. Like his soul was drained from his body tired.
Kitty clung to him, refusing to be released but eventually Itachi managed to set him on the table. Kitty rolled over, meowing at him, trying to lure Itachi back to him with those large cute eyes of his. Itachi wanted nothing more than to oblige Kitty and snuggle him the rest of the evening, sadly he had plans and he had to leave soon.
It was just his luck that his schedule didn't match well with Izumi's and they had to go out so late.
Kitty reached up with his paws, stretching with a yawn. Itachi chuckled softly as he shook his head, and begun to prepare Kitty's dinner or he would never get it done.
He didn't have time to be distracted.
Sasuke sighed, watching Itachi with soft longing eyes.
He truly missed Itachi, even though the demon was here with him right now, it didn't feel like he was. Itachi's head was somewhere far away, filled with thoughts of no doubt Izumi and their date. He missed being the center of Itachi's attention.
Flipping over, Kitty began to lick over his fur. He wanted to give Itachi the space he needed to think.
The smell of cooking food eventually called in Kisame, breaking the nice silence that had settled between owner and cat. The other man came into the kitchen begging for food, making the kitten hiss at him.
The two ended up glaring at each other over who was going to get served first. Kisame bared his fangs while Kitty raised to his paws, back arched, tail fluffed and a snarl on his tiny face. Kisame narrowed his eyes, trying his best not to laugh at how silly he thought the kitten looked.
As if a cat could ever beat him, ha!
What was so funny about this was that of course Itachi's kitten would have the balls to even think he had a chance at all.
"Kisame, can you stop trying to pick a fight with my cat," Itachi shot his friend a glare, placing Kitty's meal in front of him. The small kitten turned to the bowl, launching at the food, only to get his little forehead flicked.
Kitty shook his head, but moved to push against Itachi's finger insistently to get to his food.
Not this dumb game again! Kitty growled.
Sasuke figured that if he ate quickly he would be able to set his plan into motion. He was going to be shadowing Itachi on his date, but in order to do that, he needed a full belly. Growling at the offending finger, Sasuke grasped Itachi's hand and started to mock battle with it. His teeth nipped at the skin, while his claws threatened to dig into it.
Kisame pouted, "I want to eat too though!" he whined when he noticed that Itachi was only going to be feeding the feisty kitten currently trying to kill his hand.
"Cook for yourself, I have to leave in a bit," Itachi said, glancing at the time in the microwave. Kisame dropped his pout for a more devious smile.
"Oh, going out with your pretty girlfriend?" Kisame asked, wiggling his eyebrows. He along with the others were so happy that Itachi was finally going steady with someone. This was the first time Itachi had dated anyone for this long, it gave them hope that the two would soon make it official. "Give her my best will you, she has to put up with you all the time, poor girl."
Itachi had become irritated with how happy they all looked, because that was not how he felt. He gave Kisame a look of disdain, his finger moving to caress Kitty's fur.
"She's not my girlfriend," Itachi reminded. While sure, they had been dating, the whole are we official talk had not once come up. Neither of them really had a tittle for the other. Itachi honestly wasn't all too sure what Izumi was thinking, but as far as he was concerned they weren't official.
"Yet," Kisame cut in.
"I don't know if at all," Itachi admitted. He was having his doubts that he wanted to keep things going with Izumi. He was mainly dating her to placate everyone around him, but deep down, Itachi was having second thoughts about them working out. Their relationship just wasn't clicking with him how he had expected it to.
He didn't find her to be bad, and he didn't dislike her but…
"But you two have been dating for the past month or so. You guys have gone out so many times, what's the hold up?" Kisame asked, exasperated with Itachi and his lack of assertiveness where it counted. "You two make such a cute couple."
"That's not a lot of time to know a person, Kisame," Itachi said but before Kisame could put in his own two cents, added "I'm not feeling it either, but I know I can't brush it aside just yet. My mom will be on my case even more if I don't at least try for a bit longer,"
Kisame rolled his eyes, "Izumi seems like a nice girl though, she's so pretty and the two of you really do look cute together. Maybe changing your attitude a bit will help you see differently," Kisame sighed, "Look I didn't know whether Suigetsu and I would work out at first either, but we're so happy together now. You never know."
Itachi scowled, "You're starting to sound like my mother,"
"With good reason my friend. You're a pessimist who doesn't give others a chance. You really need to get out of your headspace and see what's in front of you." Kisame smirked as he said, "Just imagine if I was like you and hadn't given Suigetsu another shot I would still be looking for love to call my own,"
Itachi glared at Kisame, "You can't compare me to you and how dense you can be," Itachi argued.
"And you think you aren't dense?" Kisame snapped in return.
"No," Itachi didn't even hesitate, expression blank.
"I beg to differ," Kisame crossed his arms. That was when his phone rang and he pulled it out to see that it was his boyfriend calling. "I'll talk to you later Itachi, my love beckons for me," Kisame said, answering his phone as he dashed to his room. "We're going to have phone sex by the way!" he called before he closed the door to his bedroom.
"I didn't need to know that!" Itachi rubbed his forehead in annoyance, and then turned back to the kitten that was still fighting his hand, nibbling at his fingers. "Alright, don't hurt yourself now Mush," Itachi said, trying to extract his hand only to have the kitten chase after it. A soft furry cheek pressed into his fingers.
Itachi finally pocked Kitty's forehead, directing the stubborn creature to the food.
It did the trick because once the kitten noticed the food, he dug in, eating heartedly. Small growls and purrs accompanied his hungry bites.
Itachi smiled, running his fingers over the furry head and around flickering ears. Kitty alone lifted his mood that had been brought down by Kisame's prying. Itachi wished that at least Kisame would listen to what he had to say, but no one understood how conflicted he was feeling.
Why would they?
Everyone was all about finding love, and creating bonds and everything. Everything that Itachi just wasn't thinking or worrying about at the moment.
If only life would be so simple and leave him be, he'd be happy with just Kitty by his side as company.
Crazy cat man or not, at least he'd be comfortable knowing that he was at least happy. In taking his risks the last time, Itachi had decided he would never do something like that again, but he felt that what Destiny had said was true.
Itachi did want to express how he felt and go for what he wanted. Not that he knew what that was. He was hesitating but what else was he supposed to do?
The answers weren't coming to him that simply.
"Be a good boy for me, okay. I'll be home late," Itachi said, ruffling through the soft fur. He then moved to collect his keys and wallet.
Before he left, Itachi knocked on Kisame's door and called for him to make sure his kitten didn't need anything before he left later that night on his date with Suigetsu. Kisame promised that he'd check on the kitten before leaving.
Taking one final glance at the gorging kitten, Itachi resigned himself and left to get Izumi.
At this point, he was late.
Sasuke munched fast, his eyes flashing brightly as he looked at the shutting door.
A few more bites, and he jumped towards the couch in the living room. Under it, he pulled out his chosen clothes for the night. Izumi had said that it would be an outdoor setting and seeing as it was night, it might be cold.
Thus Sasuke had chosen a long dark blue shirt, black-jean overalls, and a pair of comfortable high tops. He made sure that the laces were tightly tied, Chiyo had mentioned to him that part of chasing someone meant having the best shoes possible, especially because he'd be on his feet for most of the night.
Sasuke didn't own many shoes, but he was sure these would work just fine.
He then made sure that his pockets were filled with what he would need. He had the extra key to the house, the extra key to the Jeep, and the cell phone that Chiyo had given him in case of an emergency.
Looking at the digital time he flinched, he only had seconds left.
Closing his eyes, Sasuke used his newest power that he had recently learned. It was still a bit finicky, but Sasuke was able to teleport. All he had to do was think about where he wanted to be, and then allowed his body to travel there in a flicker.
The tiny raven gasped as he appeared at the front of the buildings main entrance.
Sasuke felt a rush.
It wasn't exactly where he was hoping to be, but it worked out. He jumped up to the roof, effortlessly and ran across until he came to where the underground parking gate opened. He looked over the edge, biting his bottom lip as his heart raced.
Sasuke had been practicing the last two weeks.
He had managed to calculate when cars would exit and when he should jump onto them. Jumping on a car was tricky, especially because the person driving could feel if something had knocked into the car. Being light on his feet was going to be the key to getting on Itachi's jeep in minimal detection. The other thing would be covering his aura, the last thing he needed was Itachi sensing that he was around.
With someone like Itachi, that was important.
The man was great at his job, definitely the best. Itachi would be able to sense him and pin him down as a target if he didn't control his strength. Sasuke had planned and practiced all of this, but it didn't stop him from being incredibly nervous.
His heart rate picked up when the time came.
He knew better than anyone the sounds that the jeep made. The whirring and cranking of the gate as it clicked to slowly open. The Jeep drove up fast, coming to a stop at the opening that lead to the road.
Sasuke's swallowed hard, his palms sweating.
Sasuke's eyes focused, determined, and jumped, clear across towards the stalled Jeep.
It all happened in a few seconds. First, the snuff of his aura as he landed on the roof of the jeep, the slight slip as he faltered in his movements and Itachi being good at accessing when there were no oncoming cars had turned sharply and quick, expertly taking to the road.
Sasuke, cursed under his breath when he thought that his shoes had hit the roof a bit too harshly, no he knew they had.
He was sure Itachi heard him.
Sasuke quickly noted that Itachi was looking out through one of the mirrors and jumped off to the side, clinging onto a blind spot. He prayed that he hadn't been seen. That Itachi had not sensed him and wasn't going to get out to investigate.
His small heart felt like it was going to fly out through his mouth.
This could not be how they first met, no.
Closing his eyes he prayed, for those few seconds, holding his breath.
He was glad when Itachi didn't get out of the car to investigate. Itachi instead merged into the main road, driving smoothly through traffic. Itachi was patient and drove safely for the most part, and Sasuke was thankful about that. His trembling body relaxed a bit and he let out a small laugh, he had done it.
He was successfully following Itachi!
Sasuke let out a deep breath and made his way back to the roof, keeping low. He looked around, conscious that if anyone saw him they might alert Itachi. Having a child on the roof of your car probably wasn't something that would be looked over.
His sharp claws dug into the metal, keeping him steady as the Jeep picked up speed.
The ride was longer than he anticipated, and cold at that.
Sasuke was shivering by the time they had reached their destination. He jumped off when Itachi started to park. He hid behind a few cars away, taking a moment to sneeze and right himself. Sniffling, he looked to see where Itachi was.
The demon had gotten off the Jeep and made his way to the fancy house that he parked in front of. Itachi looked around as he reached the front door, and knocked.
Sasuke took that moment to walk to the driver side of the jeep. Using the spare key that was usually kept in the kitchen cabinet, he opened the door and scurried inside. He was careful in closing the door, letting out a sigh of relief at the warmth of being inside.
His hand settled over the seat, where Itachi's warmth lingered over the suede material.
Sasuke climbed towards the back, eagerly pulling one of Itachi's sweaters on himself. Itachi always carried extra in case his friends needed one, or something came up. Right now, Sasuke was glad that he did, burying his nose into the black hoodie.
This one still held Itachi's scent.
The next moment he lost himself, purring as he was practically swimming in Itachi's sweater, and scent. Sasuke had to snap himself out of it when Itachi opened the passenger door for Izumi. The sound of her happy voice was like ice water to all his warm fuzzy feelings.
He glared.
This was the first time that he was seeing the woman in person.
Kisame was not wrong, she was pretty.
Sasuke was not going to lie. A part of him was hoping that she would be ugly. It was disappointing to find out otherwise. Seeing her next to Itachi and how he guided her to her seat, they looked like the perfect couple. Izumi was nice and polite, thanking Itachi before buckling up.
She seemed just as nice as Itachi. Like two idiots meant to be. His small heart clenched at that thought, his small body curling in tighter into itself.
Itachi walked around to get into the driver seat. When he took his seat, he asked her if she needed anything before they left. She smiled sweetly and told him that she had everything she needed.
They were so perfect together, they…no!
Sasuke shook his head.
No! He was not here to put himself down.
He was here to ruin this date!
Yes.
Itachi turned the car on and asked about their destination. When Izumi confirmed, they were on their way. For as much as Izumi spoke with Itachi on the phone, in the car, she turned the music on and started to sing along.
Itachi would glance at her every now and then, looking like he wanted to say something but also not wanting to bother her.
Sasuke looked between them, feeling like he was suddenly missing something.
"What was the address?" Itachi asked as he pulled up the GPS on his phone. Izumi was fiddling with her phone before she beamed at him.
"Here!" she said, flashing her phone to him for a second. Itachi blinked when she pulled it back before he could have a look. "Let me send it to you so we can sync up," she typed away, her smile bright while she sent him all the details.
Itachi opened her text as he received it a second later, and input it to the GPS on his phone.
"This is a restaurant?" Itachi asked, unsure of the place. She had described it earlier to him, but had refused to let him look into it. She said she wanted to keep an element of surprise until she was able to talk to him face to face.
"Yes. My friends suggested it because they have a hunting ground where we can catch our prey and then we can cook it," Izumi looked at him with excitement. "A lot of couples join in not only for the idea of getting to eat for free but because of the competition."
Itachi wasn't sure what to expect, but didn't shoot down her idea.
Itachi never did.
It was something that Izumi really liked about him. Itachi was always open to new possibilities and letting her do what she wanted.
"Alright, let's get going," Itachi gave her a smile of his own.
"Yay," Izumi cheered. The moment that he pulled out into the road she was reaching for the radio to play a random song loudly. She was no longer nervous as to what Itachi might like to listen to or not. She wasn't scared about what he might think of her. If anything, she wished that he would say something about her.
Deep down, she hoped that it was positive and that Itachi found her interesting.
Itachi flinched at the sheer volume she placed on the music, but didn't comment on it. Izumi shot him a side way glance, with a smirk as she waited for the song to drop the lyrics. It was by her favorite singer and the lyrics conveyed what she wanted Itachi to understand.
Itachi couldn't talk to her properly over the song, as she jammed and danced in the seat beside him, every now and then her hands reaching out to touch his face as she belted the lyrics. Itachi plastered on a wry smile, trying his best to get away from her.
Izumi simply giggled as she continued to sing along, her lashes lowered as reached for one his hands.
Itachi might have driven a bit faster than usual, just so they would get to where they needed to go. He had never heard of the restaurant that they were going to. Reading the small description on it made him curious.
It sounded like a place he might actually like.
Once there, Itachi climbed out first to walk around and open the door for Izumi.
She thanked him with a slight laugh to her tone, climbing down on her pretty high heels, and he hoped that she would be alright. The restaurant she chose didn't match her choice in clothing and footwear, and that worried him a bit.
The last thing he needed was for Izumi to get hurt and his mother yelling at him for not taking proper care of her.
For the entire car ride Sasuke had been holding his hands to his ears, wishing for the ride to be over. His poor ears ached from the high volume, and it didn't help that the speakers were at the back, closer to him.
It got so bad that his tail and ears popped out to mix with his demon form, just so his ears could press flat to his head.
Relief washed over him once they had reached their destination. Itachi parked inside the large parking lot, which was huge compared to other restaurants. The restaurant itself resembled a park, with strung up fairy lights, and surrounded by large trees. There was no telling at first glance how big it was, or how deep the forest went.
Sasuke waited for Itachi and Izumi to get closer to the crowd of people. Music was playing, there was a lot of dancing, cheering, and happy chatter.
Sasuke opened the door to the jeep, jumping down to follow. His small nose twitched as he was assaulted by the smell of raw and searing fresh meat. It made his mouth water.
Shaking his head from getting distracted, he did his best to keep up. He didn't want to lose sight of either of them.
Although, where they were didn't look much like a restaurant, as it was an open area, to be honest. Sasuke weaved in and out between all the adults, maneuvering clear to where he needed to be, only to be stopped when someone grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Sasuke cursed under his breath as he was spun around by a tall, bored looking lady.
"Geez," she breathed, pulling a walkie talkie to her lips she called, "I found a run away, I'm bringing him back to playpen," she said before turning to Sasuke. "Come on Kiddo, back to the kid area or your parents will freak," she said, pushing Sasuke along.
Sasuke wanted to protest, but she wasn't listening to him. He pouted, arms crossed as he found himself joining the children in the care area. The place was well lit, a fence keeping a bunch of children of various ages trapped inside. All of them were happily talking to each other.
Sasuke wanted to get out, but that wasn't going to be easy from where he was. Turning his head to where he last saw Itachi he quickly found him. The location of the care area allowed the children a clear view of where their parents were- or in this case, where all the adults were gathering around.
Sasuke's bit into his lower lip, looking towards Itachi, who with a few others was facing the center stage, where a man with a microphone stood.
The man was clearly cracking some jokes, taking his sweet time to get down to the rules of the hunt, with good reason too, seeing that many participants were taking their own time signing up for the competition.
The man on stage introduced himself as "Master of Games," before he finally got to the rules.
First rule was that they would be entering the forest only as couples. No one else was allowed to participate.
The second rule was to keep to themselves, no attacking other couples to get to the goal.
The third rule was that they could only use what would be provided for them, anyone using outside help of that would be disqualified.
Besides that, having fun was a crucial rule that they wanted them all to follow. There would be time limit of two hours, and then everyone had to come back, whether they had hunted something or not.
The idea of the hunt was to work in sync with your partner to search out and catch the best catch. No one was allowed to hunt anything but what was listed in the paper that they would be given, along with following the marked area in the map that they would be provided. Any catches they made would be kept for them to eat as a free meal that they would cook and prepare themselves.
If not, they could leave empty handed or purchase some of the food the restaurant had to serve.
The one thing written in gold was also the rarest and only one couple would be able to catch it. The couple that was able to find and catch it would win the completion, and that night's title of king and queen.
Not everyone joined the hunt. A lot of the customers here came to witness the hunt and enjoy a night of fine freshly caught food. They were also notably people who were already married and well bonded in their relationship compared to the younger couples joining the hunt.
Sasuke's hands clenched when he heard the master say that this would be a test to see how well couples matched with each other. The idea that Itachi could realize that Izumi was for him really brought pain to his chest.
Sasuke didn't have a name for that feeling. It made him nervous. He wanted more than anything to bury himself in Itachi's chest to make that uncomfortable feeling disappear. He didn't think he could breathe if Izumi became a permanent fixture in Itachi's life.
Sasuke was busy from keeping his eyes from watering when couples started the friendly growling and the competitive remarks to other couples. The smug looks, and dramatic taunts were all part of this little show that made it worth watching.
Children, of course, weren't allowed to participate, join, or come near the area where these adults will be acting out. Little ones were to be left in the care center with the care staff to watch over them. Kids would have their own little games and apparently get to enjoy a meal of their own.
Annoyingly, Sasuke fell under that category.
It was devastating to think that he would be stuck behind supervision just because of his supposed age. He wasn't a child! He was a big boy capable of taking care of himself, thank you very much.
Damn it, this situation he was in just wouldn't do.
Sasuke looked around at the staff in charge of taking care of the children. Most were busy grouping the kids, asking if any of them wanted to play games or participate in the challenge. Of course, all of them wanted to be in the challenge.
The most notable of the care staff was the strange man dressed in all black. He was taking his job of watching the children extremely seriously, mainly telling them to stay, sit down, shut up, or stop all their running.
Although his eyes were covered behind black round sunglasses, you could tell he was active in his job and clearly watching every child there.
Sasuke kept looking over, interested in the finely dressed old man standing next to the strange man. Sasuke couldn't help but feel that there was something important about that person, his clothing especially.
His suspicions were further confirmed when the crowd turned and the old man addressed them with a wave and gentle smile. The light brightly hit him so everyone could get a view of his white and golden robes.
"Now before we begin, we have to give a special thank you to our own, Hokage Sarutobi. It is an honor that you will be crowning our next king and queen, sir" The master had the crowd cheering loudly at his statement.
"Please, please, get the drinks flowing and the hunt started. I look forward to enjoying the sight of all catches tonight!" The Hokage raised his cup, giving his blessing for the festivities to start.
The crowd went wild, doing as asked.
Sasuke blinked, staring.
So that was the Hokage.
He had learned from school that the Kage was the leader of a main region, for Konoha, in the leaf region, it was Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen. The man to be said to hold a lot of knowledge and power that would be passed on to someone worthy in the upcoming years.
The man was at his old age, and had yet to name a successor for himself.
Many anticipated that he would grant that to his grandchild in the next ten years, but at this point their region was just holding their breath. His grandchild hadn't shown much promise in his abilities to succeed his grandfather.
Many feared that he'd die or get attacked before he had time to name a proper successor.
Sasuke honestly, didn't know or care what that would mean of the future of their region. He could understand that it was important. Even more so that such an old, and important man was here participating in such trivial events, but his mind was selfishly turning back to what he was here for.
To what was the most important thing to him.
His Itachi.
He had to find a way to get out into the main field. His eyes narrowed when he saw that each couple was being handed different wristbands to represent them, and a bag full of supplies. Sasuke moved forward, his eyes set on just following after Itachi and Izumi no matter what.
Just as he reached the end of the playpen and was going to exit, he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and turned around. Sasuke gritted his teeth, unhappy at how he was being treated.
"Not there brat," The tall man that had been standing next to the Hokage groused, "Play nice, you'll be on my team you little trouble maker."
Sasuke wanted to protest.
"Hey there, I'm Konohamaru!" a bright eyed boy with dark brown hair invaded Sasuke's space the moment he was placed back inside the care circle. "I will be the next Hokage, you know!" he said with a large grin plastered on his face.
"I'm Udon," a shy boy next to him waved.
"Hey I'm Moegi." A girl with wild orange hair greeted while pushing Konohamaru aside, "Don't mind him, he thinks that he is entitled to Hokage just because his grandfather holds the title," she rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I'm super mega strong for my age, smart, and well rounded!" Konohamaru snapped, shooting her a glare.
"Well rounded? What's that supposed to mean mister I play pranks to get everyone around me in trouble!" she argued right back.
Sasuke grimaced, watching as the two started to fight.
"Guys, please stop fighting." Udon pleaded with his friends. He looked to scared to get involved in their argument.
The man looking after them panicked, urging them to stop as well.
Sasuke took a step back, watching closely as they got entangled in each other. Konohamaru had attacked Moegi.
Sasuke took a few more steps glad that everyone was engaging in entertaining the children. It was his chance, and he took it. He ran out through the exit and into the crowd of grown up's, glad to be away from the group of children.
Itachi quickly got into the game.
From the moment that they had gotten the hunting list and map of the area, his mind was already making plans. The possibilities were endless and he could probably have it completed in less than a minute.
Before he could get ahead of himself, he felt a tug on his side. He was brought out of his thoughts, reminded that the purpose of this competition was to have fun and work with your partner. He couldn't do this on his own, he had to include Izumi into it.
Redirecting his plan in his mind to include the woman currently twisting his shirt, Itachi got an idea.
He turned to Izumi, his tone low and serious as he explained to her what he had in mind. She nodded at him obediently, her eyes flickering from where he was pointing at the map to Itachi's face, a small blush taking over her cheeks at the stern and focused gaze that he owned.
Seeing Itachi so invested and focus on something was truly a sight to behold. She didn't think she had ever seen him look any more handsome than he did right now, being so authoritative with her. She swallowed hard when he asked her if she understood.
Honestly, she didn't hear half of what he had to say to her.
"Sure, I got it!" she lied.
"Alright," Itachi turned from her. Unlike many of the other couples, Itachi and Izumi had stayed relatively outside at the forest entrance. The last thing that Itachi wanted was to get lost before they had a plan. It was part of him being meticulous not to just jump in blindly, even if this was just a game. "Let's get going and get to this part here," he gestured forward.
Izumi squirmed. She wanted to press closer to Itachi the deeper they walked into the darkened forest. It was a scarier than what she had thought it would be. Taking a deep breath, she kept following him at a respectable distance, her eyes locked onto his back.
She had chosen this place in order to see how well they worked as a team. She knew that Itachi was often out in the field, so he'd be comfortable with the situation.
Her, on the other hand, this would be new to her. While she was a lawyer and got to meet interesting people who had done so many crazy things, they were all stuff she had heard off. She had never experienced it.
She had never been in the middle of the action.
She had never thought that it was for her, or her place to be in what could be a dangerous situation. That was what Itachi did though. He went out of his way to bring peace and justice to those who needed it most. He was always placing himself in some form of danger, going above and beyond, being this amazing person that she felt was far from her reach.
She wanted to be able to stand next to Itachi and say that she was comfortable with keeping up, helping him if he ever needed it. The thought had crossed her mind several times, to work and take a more active role in justice like Itachi had. This was part of not only proving that they were compatible, but that she was capable as well.
Proving to herself, just as much as proving to him.
Balling her fists, she pushed her fear aside and kept up with Itachi. She had no clue what it was that they were doing. She didn't know what they were hunting, but she was trusting in Itachi and following his lead.
Sasuke dashed through the shadows of the forest, his eyes glowing red as he kept followed both Itachi and Izumi.
Being small with so many boisterous people focused on the events going on at the front meant that he was able to slip through a lot easier than first anticipated. Well, it probably helped that the staff had been focused on entertaining a bunch of kids.
His eyes found Itachi quickly, relief filling his chest as he followed. Sasuke couldn't help but think that he'd always recognize and be able to pick Itachi out of a crowd.
His senses were just honed in on the demon that always provided warmth and safety to him.
Their pace was simple, meaning that Itachi was thinking about what they were doing. There was no going in blind when Itachi planned things. No doubt that he had planned it well enough so that it wouldn't burden Izumi.
Itachi was always considerate like that.
Otherwise, Sasuke knew his Itachi would have already gone in and won this whole stupid hunting game. It was Itachi's job to go hunting and bring justice to others. Doing something like this had to be child's play for his Itachi.
For Sasuke, this would be the first time that he was going into something like this in his demon form. He could still vividly remember joining Itachi in his missions as a kitten. Not that it had been that long ago, but it surely felt like it.
He missed seeing Itachi at work. Sasuke was filled with excitement at the thought of seeing Itachi unleash his strength.
It was his dream to stand next to Itachi in one of these missions. Sasuke was upset that it had to be Itachi and Izumi sharing the moment.
True to what he had learned, Sasuke never let them leave his sight. He followed closely, conscious to the fact that Itachi could sense him out and try to catch him. He was banking on Itachi considering the other couples being around not to grow suspicious of him being there.
So far, both demons were focused on hunting something, keeping a low profile to lure that thing out. A cautious move on Itachi's part. It would be less effort, and give someone as inexperience as Izumi a chance to participate.
Izumi nodded her head, following Itachi's lead with eagerness whenever he turned to instruct her.
Jealousy bubbled deep in Sasuke's chest, hating the sight of the two of them planning their traps.
Traps that he made sure to dismantle so they didn't catch anything. He let some of his aura disrupt the trail from creatures entering the assigned area. He made sounds, making any prey turn the other way. He did anything and everything that he could think about so that they wouldn't succeed!
It was a bit tiring, but nothing he couldn't handle.
Itachi instantly had picked up that something- or someone- was following them.
He could sense the energy of a demon exposing their traps. Itachi was apprehensive, instead of getting irritated that his plans were being messed with, he was oddly intrigued.
The sweet aura was warm, and beckoning. It spiked something within him, wanting to see who it was that was giving them a hard time. It made him want to trap that little energy and well, he didn't know exactly what he would do once it was in his reach.
But it was begging him for something…
He licked his lips, eyes flashing red as something deep inside urged him to hunt that little demon down. To pin them down and-
"Itachi," Izumi squeaked, jumping out of her hiding place and towards him. She was panting hard, looking distressed about her surroundings. The hair on her head was frazzled, her face pale like she'd just had the blood drain out of it.
Frowning at her interruption, he turned to her with slight annoyance clear in his eyes.
His red eyes set themselves over to the shadows. Anticipation laced over him as he thought he saw something. Itachi was about to move to chase down what he had seen, but was stopped by Izumi suddenly jumping towards him, screaming her lungs out.
Her arms wrapped tight around his torso jostling him enough to lose track of that precious, familiar energy.
"What's wrong?" Itachi asked her, perplexed because she was scrambling all around him, still screaming. She ended up stepping on his feet, and kicking his legs in her efforts of clawing herself against his chest. Itachi had to grab her wrists and steady her.
"Something scratched me," She complained, releasing her hand from his hold and jabbing a finger to her bare leg. She was wearing cute sandals, with short shorts. It wasn't the ideal thing to wear, especially when she knew that they would be moving through a forest and hunting today.
"Well, you shouldn't be wearing shorts that are that short." Itachi carelessly commented, ready to tell her how it made her vulnerable to branches scratching at her skin.
Although, clearly the marks on her were made by some demon.
So, Itachi had not been wrong.
They were being targeted.
Izumi furrowed her eyebrows, a disappointed frown crossing her lips as she punched at his chest. Itachi hissed, looking back at her.
"You're an asshole! I dress nicely for you Itachi." she snapped, unable to hold her anger in. She had been trying so hard to get compliments from him, and although at first it seemed like there was some progress, Itachi's words were often few and far from each other. It was still hard to get him to look past practicality. "I want to look good for you, but you never compliment me properly. Just once please stop thinking with your brain about useless things and tell me what you really think of me!" she was begging him at the end of her small argument.
She was just frustrated.
Why couldn't she get the right reactions out of him?
Why couldn't he just look at her?
"And I've told you that I don't need you to do that, I need you to dress comfortably," Itachi felt like he was repeating himself again. He had told her this many times. "I want-"
"That's not the point!" she cut in. "Damn it, I just want to look good for you. I want you to be proud of having me by your side. I want you to show me off as your woman!" She cried, stomping her feet and causing more noise than was necessary.
"Calm down, let's move to a different area. I think there's someone already hunting in this area," Itachi said instead of getting in an argument with her. It wasn't the time or the place for them to fight.
Izumi opened and closed her mouth, wanting to do nothing else but yell at him. Instead she pursed her lips, nodded her head, and followed Itachi deeper into the forest. She looked around warily, flinching as she walked on the uneven ground.
She gasped, tears threatening to fall when he reached back to grab her by the wrist. Clearly he was helping steady and direct her back to safer ground.
Izumi now realized that she had chosen the wrong shoes for this. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed, there was no time to ponder that. It was best to see what they could hunt down quickly so that they could spend the rest of the time cooking together. She had to salvage the night with something, it couldn't end with them arguing.
She refused to ever end a date like that.
She had wanted to win, but now all she wanted was to just sit down and eat. She was too upset to face anyone or care if they finished this hunt properly. She couldn't help but feel like she had messed everything up.
She felt so stupid.
She sniffled, light sobs falling from her lips as she tried her best not to full on cry.
Itachi suddenly made a shushing sound, making Izumi pause and look at him expectantly with wide eyes.
Had Itachi seen something?
She wanted to protest when he let go of her hand in order to check behind one of the trees. These trees weren't normal either, the girth of them being wide enough to cover about three people at once.
She took a step back.
Looking back and forth she tried to see if she could see anything when she felt a chill go down her spine at something behind her. She spun around, but saw nothing.
She moved closer to Itachi, seeking his protection.
Her hand moved to grip him but he was out of her reach in the next second. He had turned to her with a slight assuring smile.
"Izumi stay here, I'm going to get us that deer," Itachi signaled forward.
Izumi took a look, but she couldn't see what he was pointing at. Her eyes narrowed, shifting into a red color. She hadn't yet locked in on the target when he was gone.
"Wait, Itachi," she called, but it was too late. Itachi had disappeared into the shadows, leaving her alone. "Wait!" she cried, not moving an inch. She curled into herself, wishing that she knew what direction Itachi took, because she was scared and alone.
She had wanted to do this together. Her heart was frantically beating the more she heard the sound of someone walking around her. Izumi turned left, right, and up, looking swiftly to where the sound was coming from.
She looked down when she heard snickering and gasped when she saw a small bloodied pale child. It took a step towards her, crazed eyes flashing red, baring sharp little fangs. Izumi faltered, her feet slipping over the slope of the large roots protruding from the tree, and fell backwards.
She hit the ground hard.
The next moment she let out a blood curling scream.
Itachi was at her side with his catch within seconds.
"What's wrong?" he asked when he found her on the floor, hysterical. He hadn't gone too far knowing that he needed to keep an eye on her, but he wasn't sure what had scared her so much this time.
"There's a ghost!" she cried, scrambling to get to her feet. "It tried to attack me, fuck Itachi that thing was horrific," she talked fast, repeating herself. Itachi was left baffled, trying his best to calm her down. Flicking her hair behind her, Itachi threw her over his shoulder, tucked the deer under his arm, and decided they had enough.
He took them out of the forest.
Itachi and Izumi got back to report their catch and were allowed to cook the meat for themselves in one of the barbecue areas. They were one of the first couples to return with something that wasn't considered impressive in the slightest.
A lot of other couples were still in the game, making the crowd cheer for them. There was already a favorite couple that everyone wanted to see win.
Izumi was sitting stiffly at one of the tables while Itachi worked to skin the deer. He kept glancing at her worriedly.
"Are you sure you are okay, we can pack this up and head to your house and cook it," he said, his tone low and assuring. He wanted to ensure that she felt well. Seeing her look worn down and pale was a concerning sight.
"No, no I'm fine. Besides my parents are there, they are going to want to talk with you and yeah, it wouldn't be a date anymore," Izumi said, taking a deep breath to further calm herself. She kept fidgeting in her chair but was doing her best to breathe and calm down. She didn't want Itachi thinking that she was incapable of handling something as simple as a hunt.
It was her first one, she'd do better the next time!
They were demons after all, this had to be a piece of cake.
"What did the ghost look like?" Itachi asked as he continued to slice through the skin and fur. Izumi watched him, enthralled by how skillfully his hands moved and cut through the flesh. It was as if he had done this before.
She had wanted to show off.
She felt sad and disappointed.
"Like a dead kid or something," Izumi murmured, eyes lowered as she tried to keep her sadness to herself. "You know, creepy."
One of the patrons of the restaurant that was walking around paused at their conversation.
"You saw a ghost," he whistled, "That's not the first time I heard that! They say this forest it full of them, we like documenting all sightings so if you wouldn't mind writing about it in a review, thank you," he handed them a blank card, before dashing away.
Izumi frowned at the odd interruption, but Itachi didn't look all that concerned.
"How rude, we are not reporting that!" she huffed.
Itachi smiled, "As you wish,"
She returned the smile, a tint of pink warming her cheeks. "Thank you Itachi,"
"Come, help me with this," Itachi gestured for her to come closer. Izumi squeaked as she reached to help Itachi and saw some guts. She laughed as Itachi got squirted by some blood when she squeezed the wrong area.
"Sorry," she giggled, for a moment feeling a lot better.
"That's alright," Itachi said, using a napkin to wipe the blood away.
The two then worked together to separate the meat.
"Have you ever eaten it raw?" Izumi asked.
Itachi nodded his head, "Yeah, it's very tasty when raw," he said. Meat was meant to be eaten raw by demons, it was the best at that state, especially if freshly killed. That is what made this restaurant so popular.
"What, when did you?" She looked at him with awe. She was all too used to having everything finely cooked and prepared for her.
"I've gone hunting with my friends, all the time really. Every now and then we still do after a mission, but It all depends," Itachi said. "Right not all of them have different things going on."
"Do…do you think I could try some? I heard from mom and dad that it was a common practice in the past but not something that is done today. Something about many of us no longer able to digest it raw," she said.
"That's because most creatures have something they vary with them, be it bacteria, or an illness. Only the strong are viable to live past something that can cause you poisoning or stomach issues," Itachi explained. "Perhaps, since you have not tried any when young it's best if you don't. You could have a reaction,"
"A reaction?"
"An allergic reaction," Itachi said. "Here," he gave her a cube of bloody meat.
She hesitated, "Won't it give me a reaction?" she asked.
"It's clean, but just lick at the blood if you want to get an inkling of how it might taste." Itachi instructed.
Izumi gently stuck her tongue out to take a taste. She spat as the blood made contact and she shook her head with a shiver.
"No," she coughed, shocked at the flavor.
"It's okay," Itachi shrugged, not caring that she didn't like it. It had to be an acquired taste for someone that wasn't used to it.
"Sorry," she said, bowing her head down.
She suddenly felt bad that she had not been able to eat it.
"It's not up to everyone's tastes, it's alright," Itachi assured her. "I'll start cooking for us now," he said, preparing the fire. Izumi watched him as he seasoned the meat and cooked it. Once one plate was done he handed it to her to take the first bite.
She hummed in pleasure when the food tasted delicious, unlike anything she had ever had before. "This is incredible," she cheerfully said, moving to take another bite.
Itachi offered her a smile, glad she was enjoying the meal as he continued to cook. He cooked more for her and finally a bit for himself. Once that was done and she was nibbling on a bone, he started to clean up his area.
Itachi sighed once everything that they had not used had been neatly packed into a to-go box.
Izumi was looking out at the other couples, noticing that many came back with empty hands. Although they came back empty they looked like they had fun. A couple was saying that they had pictures of a ghost, and she realized some came to just hunt for ghosts.
What she envied was how each couple shared happy warm looks between them. How closely they stood to each other, holding hands and sharing in the moment. Something she had been unable to do with Itachi.
She was a failure.
Amazingly one couple was successful, getting the title of the night. They were a crowd favorite, and it had not been the first time that they had won. They looked so good standing there together, gloating and basking in the cheers of the crowd. That could have been her and Itachi, the new reigning king and queen if only she hadn't gotten all scared…
"Ready to go?" Itachi asked when he noticed that Izumi was getting sad.
"Uh, yeah sure," she turned to him with a forced smile.
They had enough for the night, he decided. He reached for her hand, leading her back to the jeep, opening the door to her. She refused to carry the left overs in her lap, saying that she was tired and her feet hurt.
Itachi noted that her feet looked sore and dirty.
"You really need to dress more comfortably," Itachi chided her.
"Itachi, not again, I just wanted to impress you," She said in defeat.
"I know, I understand Izumi, I'm not dense. You look beautiful but..." Itachi frowned, looking at her feet, "Was it worth getting hurt?" he asked her. He didn't know what else to say that wouldn't hurt her feelings.
Izumi was left conflicted.
She liked that Itachi called her beautiful but at the same time she felt like it wasn't how she had wanted to hear him say it.
"I'm sorry Itachi," came from her instead. "I'll do my best to dress better for you."
Itachi felt bad when he saw the crestfallen look on her face. "Izumi, I…"
"It's okay Itachi," she cut him off, trying to hide her feet.
It wasn't okay, he knew, but she looked like she was done talking with him and Itachi had nothing else to say so he closed the door.
Izumi felt tears prick her eyes as she sunk into her seat.
Itachi opened the back door to set the box of leftovers at the bottom of the seat. He shut the door and walked around the driver seat. He wanted to get home fast. This night had not gone well and he was drained from it even more than before.
Unknown to him, Sasuke, who had been hiding in the back, let out the breath he had been holding. He was glad that Itachi didn't notice him as he was hiding under his sweater, keeping as still as possible. His heart clenched at the idea of getting caught.
That was so close.
Sasuke shifted to see where Itachi was, and when he noted that he wasn't getting into the car just yet, he turned his attention to Izumi. He reached to pull on her hair.
The sobbing Izumi gasped, tensing on her seat.
Sasuke sat pretty where she could see him and waved at her, with a sinister grin on his face. Izumi's eyes widened dramatically. Her mouth kept opening and closing, but there wasn't a sound escaping her lips.
Itachi paused just outside the driver side when his phone suddenly went off. Turning his back to the door, he answered his phone.
Kisame was calling him.
He frowned since he noticed there were a few texts and calls he had missed. He had not realized that he had missed so many calls.
All of them within the past two hours, this fact was concerning.
Kisame would never call like this unless something urgent had happened.
"Finally, damn you, why haven't you been answering?" Kisame roared on the other end of the line. Definitely sounded urgent. "Well who cares!" Kisame barked before Itachi could give him a smart ass reply, "Itachi that little demon of yours isn't here, I can't find him!" panic was clear in the man's voice now, overpowering the frustration he had felt at Itachi not answering.
"What?" Itachi asked, confused. "What do you mean!" he demanded. He had a deep gut feeling, he understood what Kisame was saying, but he didn't want to believe it. There was no way.
"I can't find that damned cat of yours is what I mean," Kisame huffed, "Suigetsu and I have looked all around and we can't find him. I'm sorry Itachi, we don't know where he is…" the regret was clear in Kisame's voice, this was not what he had wanted to tell Itachi.
"Did you check in my room?" Itachi quickly asked, finding that his body was slightly trembling in panic. He fisted his free hand, taking a deep breath to steady himself. It wasn't the time, he had to stay calm.
Kitty needed him.
"Yes, I looked there too!" Kisame said, "I figured I might as well before needlesslt calling you, but he's not there,"
Itachi racked his brain, trying to think of any and every place that his kitty loved. He had to be hiding somewhere, maybe unhappy that he got left behind. But for the life of him, as he rattled each place off to Kisame and the man said he looked there already, Itachi couldn't figure out where his kitten would have gone.
"AAAAAHHHH!" the piercing scream from inside his car made Itachi actually jump as he turned to look at Izumi. The woman had her eyes glowing red, claws, and fangs out as she looked towards the back seat.
Taking a look, Itachi didn't see anything.
That didn't change that Izumi looked like she was ready to attack something.
"Kisame, I will be there, keep searching please. I'll make it there as soon as I can to help you," Itachi said, hanging up before Kisame could acknowledge his command, and opened the door, narrowing his eyes. "What's wrong?" he growled at the demoness.
"The ghost, it was just there, right now!" She snapped, looking from him to the back seat. Her eyes widened when she saw nothing, for a moment she felt like she was going crazy. Her mouth worked, opening and closing but no sound came from her.
Itachi followed her eyes, confused when he didn't see anything. He decided to ignore her and climbed inside.
"Something important came up, so I have to go drop you off quickly," Itachi said, turning on the car. He didn't care if she was sitting properly and with her seat belt, the car ripped out into the street with no mercy.
She jolted against the side, and finally managed to right herself on her seat.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Her fear of what she had seen earlier brushed aside at the cold, calculated look on Itachi's face. Somehow it was much more frightening than the apparition of a bloody child in the backseat that had scared her earlier.
Itachi didn't respond to her as he sped through traffic, weaving in and out of tight spaces between cars and had her gripping her seat for dear life. She gritted her teeth, trying once more to call his attention but before she knew it the car screeched to a halt, and he turned to her.
His emotionless eyes had her freezing, biting her lip, "Get out," he coldly cut.
"Not until you tell me what is going on," she growled, baring her fangs.
"Someone important to me has gone missing, now get out," Itachi said it in such a way that left no room for questioning. Izumi nodded her head, jumping out of the car. She had barely closed the door before Itachi was already half way down her block, not caring for the speed limit.
Izumi shook, trembling on her own two legs as tears pricked her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that night alone. Relief over the fact that she was standing on solid ground washed over her, followed by a sadness she couldn't explain.
Itachi had looked so scary then and there, that it left a heavy weight in her chest. She didn't have any fun, and he didn't even ask if she was okay. His departure and reason was so abrupt it left her confused and angry.
She couldn't help but feel cold and abandoned in that moment as she just stood there and cried.
Fucking Itachi!
Someone important…
Who the hell could be more important than her?
Sasuke flinched at the way Itachi's words cut through Izumi's demands, ending anything else that she had to say.
Confusion filled him at what Itachi had said. Someone important to him was missing…Sasuke felt his chest tighten as he sat behind Itachi's seat comfortably. His mind didn't register the fact that Itachi was probably breaking the law with how fast and recklessly he was driving.
Itachi's panic was all consuming, filling the jeep with the intent that Sasuke was sure he could taste, and he didn't like it. It was suffocating, Itachi's panic…
For a moment he wondered what had caused it. Jealousy pierced Sasuke at the fact that someone important existed in his Itachi's life.
He was upset one second, and floored the next when Itachi suddenly growled, gripping the steering wheel as he let out a small curse, "Damn you mushkitty, please be home and safe,"
It was him.
Itachi's important someone was him.
Sasuke felt himself shrink into himself, unable to believe that he had caused this feeling in Itachi. Biting into his lower lip, Sasuke couldn't help but feel guilty.
He had come out to ruin the date, to have some fun with making Izumi miserable. He didn't think that he would be making Itachi feel bad over it too. No, he was here to make sure that Itachi was happy not hurt him. He needed to keep Itachi safe, the same way that he did for him.
Sasuke couldn't help but feel that he had failed at his role.
The sound of Itachi kicking the door open and jumping out of the jeep had Sasuke snapping out of his thoughts.
Slowly, taking his time, Sasuke staggered out of the car. Stashing his clothes away, he transformed into his kitten form and made his way back home, exiting up to the stair way that Chiyo had conveniently left open.
It led him to the front entrance.
There he saw how not only Itachi, but Kisame, and Suigetsu called out to him. Each man was running around like chickens with their heads cut off with no clear direction.
Not that they'd have any.
The worried, and broken look on Itachi's face had tears piercing his eyes. His guilt doubled, feeling sorry that he had caused such a look on Itachi. That had not been his intention, ever.
He slid in through the gates. He rushed over to Itachi, running so he could jump into his arms when the raven haired demon spotted him.
"Mush, where have you been!" Itachi said the second he was holding him close, his nose pressed into the side of his neck, as his fingers caressed over his small head and back. Sasuke meowed softly, reassuringly, because he had just been playing around.
He didn't mean to scare Itachi.
"There he is," Kisame huffed in relief while Suigetsu chuckled.
"Of course he'd only come to his owners voice, he was probably just exploring around and not caring that we were calling him," Suigetsu slightly joked, but really hoped that was the case. He couldn't remember leaving the door open for the kitten to run out. Unless it happened while he and Kisame were making out at the front door.
"He will be the death of all of us," Kisame groaned, but clearly relieved to have kitty back. He could already imagine his death if Kitty had not been safely found.
"Thank you both for helping me look," Itachi said, while the kitten in his arms nuzzled and purr against him aggressively. Just having Kitty in his arms was a huge relief.
Kisame and Suigetsu smiled at the cute sight.
"No trouble at all," Suigetsu said, causing Kisame to glare at him.
"What do you mean no trouble, that little demon will cause the very destruction of this city if he keeps doing this!" Kisame roared.
"Oh my gosh, stop exaggerating babe," Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "Now, I believe that you promised me a deep, deep massage," Suigetsu said, making his way towards the elevator that led to the parking structure. "And I mean real deep,"
Kisame stretched, "Well Itachi, Kitty, I have to go. Boyfriend duties call," Kisame winked as he rushed after his boyfriend.
Itachi blinked after them, before his attention was pulled back to the kitten currently trying to nibble at his chin and claw his collarbones. Itachi smiled, keeping him close as he went back to his apartment.
When he finally laid down to sleep, in the still silence of his bedroom, his thoughts started to wonder to what had happened that night.
There was a nagging feeling at the back of his head over the energy he had felt in the forest. The urge that had pulled at his chest even now…
With Kitty purring softly beside him Itachi couldn't help but wonder, who had it been that caused such a reaction out of him. It was like he had to possess it. The feeling was strange, almost the same that kitty elicited in him but not at the same time…it was frustrating not to be able to pin what the feeling was.
Possessiveness…protectiveness…his...belonged to him...
He had to be going insane.
Itachi shook his head, trying to forget about hunting down that demon. He was just tired and it meant nothing. He had a bigger worry on his plate.
He really should apologize to Izumi.
He'd fucked up tonight, royally.