Chapter 8
“What do you mean,” otou-san started, “you are watching the kyuubi-jinchuriki?”
Itachi winced, looking away. He knew otou-san would be mad, but it still hit hard with his passive anger.
“Hokage-sama assigned my squad to watch over Naruto-kun,” Itachi said. Naruto-kun was too precious to the ANBU, anyway. They would go rouge if anyone tried to harm or take him away.
“I forbid-”
“You cannot forbid anything, otou-san,” Itachi said. At least he was already telling otou-san before he found out the hard way, what with Kakashi-senpai’s protective streak. (He saw the bodies.) “Its already been so since the his birth.”
Otou-san was angry. Very very angry. “And why did you not tell me?”
“Because I was ordered not too.” Itachi just had to be calm and collected. That’s all. He was reporting his mission findings as an ANBU. ANBU didn’t feel. (Even if his squad were the most expressive emotionally stunted group he ever had the pleasure to work with.)
“My orders come first Itachi,” otou-san snapped. “You are vital to our plans, do not go defecting.”
He would never- “Of course, otou-san,” Itachi bowed. “I simply wanted to assure of the kyuubi vessel was cooperative.”
“You are dismissed.”
Itachi withheld a sigh as he bowed again, rising from seiza and leaving his father’s office. He sighed, tangling his chakra in with Shisui’s. They waited for a moment, walking out of the clan head house premise and into the Uchiha clan streets.
“I take it he didn’t take it well?” Shisui chimed.
“He is not happy,” Itachi said lightly, watching as children bound across their path, smiling unlike most of the adults in the Uchiha clan. The children were all precious.
“We may have to take extreme measures, Hiruzen.”
“Do not speak further, Danzo. We will continue with Minato’s way.”
“His way will be the downfall of this village!”
“Enough-!”
“Itachi.” He let out a breath, tucking Shisui’s turbulent chakra around him tighter. “Everything okay?”
“Stick with me or someone from ANBU for a while,” Itachi said, clenching his hands. “He is making moves and I do not like what they foreshadow. He will not do anything with me there.”
He felt Shisui watching him, felt his chakra fluctuate in his you’re-a-cryptic-and-I’m worried way. Itachi ignored it like always.
“Shishi-chan!”
Shisui stumbled(it was hilarious)as Naruto-kun slammed into his midsection, clinging to him with pure grip even as his bright lively chakra flashed happily. “Hey, Naru-kun!”
“Hide me,” Naruto-kun whispered. “Kashi-nii is trying to make me do homework.”
“Oh the horror,” Shisui exaggerated. “Unfortunately, it is too late. Don’t worry, I will avenge you.” Everyone knew Shisui enjoyed watching Kakashi struggle with Naruto. Everyone. So what was he planning?
Naruto-kun shrieked as hands pulled him in the ground, Kakashi-senpai appearing out of the ground. Itachi watched as Naruto-kun sulked, head hanging down. “Can I at least get ramen?” he whined.
“If you would have successfully hidden from me, maybe,” Kakashi-senpai hummed. “But you didn’t. So no.”
“You’re so mean,” Naruto-kun grumbled.
“As far as I know, that’s what older brothers are for,” Kakashi-senpai chimed, smiling. “Now Shisui-kun, what are you planning?”
“Nothing at all!” Shisui grinned. Suspicious.
“Itachi, my favorite kouhai.”
“I have no idea what he’s planning, Kakashi-senpai,” Itachi shrugged. Normally he was dragged into his plots but he never knew half of what was going on most of the time.
Shisui blinked then smiled, “He needs to do homework, right?” he asked. He whistled, holding his arm out. One of his crows — Mimi he believed — landed on his arm, holding a handful of…papers? “Thank you so much, Mimi-chan!”
“What are you doing?” Kakashi-senpai asked, suspicion decorating his voice.
“Hey kids! Target practice!” Shisui yelled, turning around waving the papers back and forth. Several flames hit the paper at once.
It was gone within seconds.
“Woah! So cool! Could I do that?” Naruto-kun asked, stars in his eyes as Shisui flicked his hand free of the ash.
“Shisui…”
“I’ll show you later, Naruto-kun,” Shisui smiled. “Now, I just have to demonstrate my best ability.”
Itachi watched as his best friend flickered away, followed by a cursing Kakashi.
“Ne, ‘tachi-chan, can you help me.” Itachi nodded, forming hand signs and pulling Naruto-kun out of the ground.
“Why don’t we go get some dango?” he suggested. He could use some dango. Especially since his own little brother wasn’t here but on a trip with ka-chan.
“Kay!”
Itachi smiled and Naruto skipped ahead, flashing his sharingan at the Root agents when they got too close.
Damn it, he hated Root.