By the time Itachi reaches the Hokage's tower the moon has taken its place in the sky- and the Hokage has replaced himself with one very busy clone.
"You haven't told him?" He's only conflicted about opening the door when he hears the serious-sounding mumbled tones behind it- "They just got back today-" Naruto sighs "- I'm currently having dinner with Sasuke!- For kamis sake- I figured they could rest a little before-"
By the pause in their conversation, Itachi knows he's been detected.
Even before the door opens with a content looking Kakashi on the other side.
"Seems like now might be a good time-." He says, giving itachi a one armed hug that makes him stiffen awkwardly- despite how good it is to see an old friend. Just about the only shinobi still living Itachi could call a friend.
"Itachi! Wonderful timing as usual." Shikamaru says dutifully from Naruto's side.
"Does this have to do with our mission tomorrow?" Itachi asks, separating himself from Kakashi's side and finding no point in being coy. The men nod as the door clicks closed behind them.
"There's been a request made -for you and Sasuke to escort two of our best shinobi- and we think the reason for the trip may be of interest to you." Shikamaru answers bluntly, earning him a scowl from naruto.
"Before we get into that-" Naruto shifts his gaze to Itachi and his expression softens.
"-What's this about wanting to stay in the village?"
"I'd like to rebuild the compound." Straight to the point. All three of the men looking at him let their eyes go wide- it's Kakashi who is quickly smiling.
"Really?" His excitement is thinly veiled. Itachi nods in affirmation and can't help the small smile tugging up one corner of his mouth.
"That would be an excellent move for village morale-" Shikamaru notes.
But it's Naruto who seems to truly understand what that means.
"Ah,-" the Hokage begins slowly, folding his arms across his chest and nodding. "Sasukes a little weird about that place- dattebayo?"
Itachi nods, letting dark eyes meet blue ones over the large infamous desk. Another plea.
"I'll talk to him."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage"
"How many times do I have to tell you it's just Naruto-"
"Good luck with that one- he still calls me lord sixth sometimes." Kakashi rolls his eyes and nudges Itachi with his shoulder.
"Just paying respect where it's due-" Itachi shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets and being grateful for wearing his street clothes rather than a uniform for once.
"Who knows, if Naruto dies young you might be next in line- "
"I'm getting too old to die young at this point Shika-" Naruto complains.
"Should I summon Sasuke?" Shikamaru asks- ignoring him.
"No, the real me is with him. I'll update him after my work here is done-"
"So who are we escorting tomorrow?" Itachii asks with furrowing brows
"Ten-ten and Lee." It's Kakashi who answers and Itachi turns to face him.
"Lee… That's the green fellow right?"
"No- that's Gai. It's his mini me" Kakashi replies, waving a hand dismissively.
"Oh! The little green fellow-"
"Yes. And if you two are finished- I'd like to get to the interesting part." Naruto cuts off the pairs' side conversation, leaning on his desk with his elbows and leveling them with a mischievous grin. "Ten-ten is a weapons specialist with a deep knowledge of a vast array of ninja tools-"
"I've never met her, but who hasn't heard of her? She hand crafted the new standard issue Jonin kunai right?" Itachi asks, pulling one out and spinning it around one lazy finger.
"Yep, the one and only!" Naruto says smiling. "Recently she's been locating and collecting legendary weapons-" Shikamaru adds. That makes Kakashi's ever present smirk deepen and Itachi's brows raise.
"The Honjō" he whispers it.
Because it feels so fragile it may slip away and shatter if he speaks it too loud.
Because he's only ever heard of the Honjō once.
The wind whipped past him so quickly it sent the tips of his hair into chaos- lashing his face in a way that stung more than the particles from the building sand storm.
He felt a hand pull him- though the sand was so thick he couldn't see them.
Logically, it had to be Shisui.
It was just the two of them out there.
But Itachi has never been a person of blind faith. They'd spent hours in the shelter of a conveniently placed cave in a sand colored rocky mountainside. Telling stories and sharpening their shuriken to pass the time while they hid from the storm.
"You ever hear of the Honjö sword?" He peered at his friend curiously and shook his head before returning to his sharpening stone. "They say the first Uchiha clan heads- before the days of Madara- forged it to cure the ailments of the Uchiha-"
"What is that supposed to mean? 'Ailments' is rather vague-" "Some say it cures our eye sight when it fails us- others think it relieves us of the burden of our emotions- most think it lifts the curtain between this world and the next-"
"So noone actually knows-"
"Didn't stop people from killing over it-"
"Where is it now?"
"Noone knows," shisui shrugs and resumes sharpening his own shuriken. "But it's rumored to be right here in Suna- in the depths of a cave just like this one."
Itachi scoffs.
"Right."
"Rock lee is coming?" Sasuke groans.
Naruto nods, mouth full of food, from across the table.
"He's not that bad once you get to know him-" Sakura adds casually from his side.
"I'm sure." Sasuke says flatly, begrudgingly taking another bite of the delicious Yaki oni giri Hinata made for all of them.
"Metal lee is a little weird, but his dad seems so nice!" Sarada adds which earns her a scoff from Boruto.
"Those guys have no chill-" The boy groans
"Fair point" Sasuke agrees with a nod.
"Ten ten should be able to reign him in a bit, hm?" Hinata asks quietly, finally joining them at the table.
"He's a great Shinobi" Naruto says pointedly, almost as if he's lecturing both Sasuke and Boruto.
"Ten-ten is super cool too! This one time she had a bo-staff and was like swwsh sw-sw-swsh!" Himarwari pantomimes a series of blows with her hands in an imaginary line- like she's holding a stick.
She receives a warning look from hinata-which is still rather soft, like the rest of her- and the child settles back down into her seat.
"Ten-ten is great with any ninja tool. Have you been to her shop?" Sakura turns her attention to her husband who nods as he chews and swallows the last bite of his food.
"It's been a while actually. I should stop in there- I've been meaning to get a new tanto-"
"You really should, her craftsmanship is amazing." Naruto chimes happily.
Then as if in a poof, Naruto suddenly recalls a few very busy clones who have finished with their business.
He masks it in a level of nonchalance his younger self could never have achieved.
However he'd never been too subtle with his words.
"Maybe, you could stop by there after you get back, hm?" His eyes dart to Sakura and then back to Sasuke- who visibly tenses."-You should have quite a bit of time off actually-"
"What?!" Sarada practically yelps, her attention snapping back to the conversation rather than Boruto who had been flicking stray peas at her until Hinata gave him the same look she'd given Himawari.
"Time off?" Sakura asks, looking up to Sasuke's eyes- which are currently locked on Naruto.
"I suppose so-" He says without looking away. "-Did he talk to you?"
"Maybe a little." Naruto admits, a grin pulling at his lips. "I think it will do all of you some good. Besides, we miss you here in the village when you're gone! You should know that by now-" Sakura leans into Sasuke's shoulder practically beaming and hugs his arm.
"That will be so great!" Sarada pumps an excited fist in the air "We'll finally have time to train together! It's going to be so great! I've been needing to-"
"Slow your roll there, kiddo! He's still got to go on his mission tomorrow" Boruto interhects lazily, as if the whole thing is boring him. Sarada shoots him a pointed glare and scoffs.
"I'm allowed to be excited. Wasn't it you who was all excited for him to train you last year!"
"That was different!"
The kids bicker back and forth, even himarwari has a few words. Hinata gives them all a look again. But this time it isn't as soft. Naruto thinks it may even be scarier than Yamato sensei's look.
"Dad-" saradas small voice breaks through Sasuke's train of thought - one involving his irritation with his brother for going over his head to the Hokage-
"Hm?" He hums, peering down at her. How she's grown-
"What's the Honjō? He said ten-ten is looking for a legendary Uchiha blade"
"It's actually quite the mystery according to your uncle" Naruto answers for him, with a mouth full of rice.
"It has a pretty basic legend- I can show you some papers that ten-ten's given me about it later when we get home." Sakura adds from his side, smiling down at their daughter. It pulls a smile up on one side of his frown.
"Don't most legendary weapons have a legend? Isn't that the whole point?" Boruto groans. Sasuke laughs and nods his head. Hinata shoots her son another glare-one that he seems to take as his final warning because he straightens his posture nervously. Which earns him a smug look from over saradas glasses.
"It's older than any written history for our clan- I always figured it was just hopeful thinking on our clans part- since no one has ever found it-"
"And ten-ten found it!?" Sarada yelps giddily.
"Well no-" Naruto sighs out with a laugh and runs a hand through his already disheveled hair. "But she did find some interesting leads-"
"And that's what your uncle and I will be going to investigate with them tomorrow." He says with an eye crinkling smile that he can often only summon up for his daughter.
"That's so cool!" Himawari yells excitedly "-what if she actually finds it!?"
Sasuke doesn't find his brother back at their house.
At first he doesnt worry.
He tucks his kid in, - answering the girls long list of questions about the honjō as best as he can. He even gets a snack after making love to his wife; in the way you only can when you've missed someone for so long. It's when he's growing tired and everyone's asleep that he figures he should go retrieve him.
He doesn't worry because he doesn't know where he is.
No, he worries because he knows where he is. And he's never thought dwelling around that place would be good for either of their souls.
The very spirit within them.
With in that place.
Itachi wants to give life back to a place he once took it from.
He knows that.
Understands it, even.
But he has to wonder if spending all those days and hours cleaning it up.
Actually being there.
Scrubbing blood stains like he'd once done as a child who still wanted to live there- It does something to you.
And for as deadly as Itachi seems, Sasuke is painfully aware of just how fragile he can be.
"It's nearly dawn." He calls up to a silhouetted rooftop somewhere near the back of the compound.
The place is even worse at night.
"Would they even want me here?" The humanoid shadow calls down to him. Fragile.
"Why? For wanting to rebuild?"
"For even being here." He sighs.
Itachi- in shadow- peers down at his hand as if he might still see blood.
"Itachi-" Sasuke says softly, but in the silence of the earliest hours of the morning his brother hears him clearly. "-orders are orders."
It's silent for a moment.
Painfully quiet.
Like a ringing in their ears.
And when Itachi's voice cuts through it- it's welcome.
Though his words are bitter.
"My choices are still my choices."
"And that one's been made. There's no use in worrying about what ifs-"
"Do you think it's a good idea?" Itachi asks, his voice softer as his face illuminates from the moon light- when he finally peers up at his brother.
"What?" He knows but doesn't want to answer the question.
"Rebuilding." Itachi scoffs, and Sasuke sighs, pulling his cloak around him to shield from the cool humid breeze beginning to coat the compound Settling into it's pathways like he remembers it did as a child.
For a second the rows of buildings in front of him seem more colorful.
A spark of life.
"Maybe bad memories aren't the only memories engrained in the wood here."
They smile at each other.
Because they can both feel it.
Because they both know.
"We need sleep Itachi-" he breathes, his neck starting to be sore from craning it to see him.
"I know"
"Its going to be a great time dealing with rock-lee first thing in the morning-"
"Oh! The little green guy- Kakashi complains about him sometimes- says he's crazy fast though-"
"It still weirds me out that you hang out with kakashi-" Sasuke scoffs.
"Sensei's are people too, Sasuke-chan!" Itachi hops down from the building and tries to ruffle his brother's hair; but is immediately blocked and given a fed-up pointed glare.
"Yeah, I just didn't peg you as-"
"What? As one of the cool kids?" Itachi smirks.
"I was going to say the type to have friends." Itachi laughs, shoving his brother lightly and they soon fall into step beside each other.
The moon above them guiding them to their home away from home.
As long as he's back at the compound soon he doesn't mind- and he can't help but focus on the twinkling shine of the Uchiha crest that dances in the moonlight.
Given a good cleaning it would shine like silver
"Do you think we'll actually find the Honjō?" Sasuke asks thoughtfully.
"Who knows?" Itachi shrugs. "It's too early to tell."
Author's Note:
i wanted to apologize for the late chapter update, i unfortunately had a death in my family, and given the theme and nature of this fic, ive found it difficult to return to.
but, the loved one i lost has always been supportive of my writing and i know they wouldnt want me to give up on it.
So here we push on, and i will do my best to resume regularly scheduled weekly chapter drops.
this chapter was fun to write and finish editing because we're finally dipping into some lore!
if you havnt heard of the Honjō, it really is a legendary japanese sword. beautiful story and craftsmenship! the weapon in my fic is of course, loosely, based on this one- though were giving it a good ol' Naruto twist!
as always, thanks for reading.