0.
He’s so small, Mikoto thought as she looked down at her sleeping baby. I made this.
Itachi is perfect, a beautiful combination of her and Fugaku, barely five minutes old and safe in her arms. The pain of labor was nothing compared to being able to hold her son for the first time. A finger goes up to gingerly pet the feathery wisps of ebony hair barely there, so soft and just wonderful.
“We’ll name him Itachi,” Fugaku said, and if anyone asked the chief, he’d deny that he cried. “That’s my boy,”
1.
“Come here!” Kushina can barely talk over her laughter, waving Mikoto over. “Look at Itachi!”
Minato and Fugaku somehow managed to place a birthday hat on the baby, sitting upright and looking at the adults around him. What was once his birthday cupcake was now a soggy mound of flour, frosting smeared all over the baby’s face.
Mikoto laughed so hard she needed to lean onto her husband. It was obvious Itachi had a sweet tooth despite having only a few of them.
2.
“Aunt Kushina, up please,” Itachi said, arms raised as Kushina immediately scooped him up.
“Happy birthday, kiddo!” she said, attacking his cheek with an onslaught of pecks. “Quit growing up. You’ll be taller than me and your mom, ya know!”
Itachi celebrates his second year of life with his family, his father immensely proud of his young son who Minato deems a genius after completing a complex game of shogi with him.
3.
Itachi woke up to his mother rubbing soothing circles into his back, his head and stomach hurting as badly as it had the night before.
“Awfully rotten to be sick on your birthday,” she said softly. “I’m sorry you don’t feel good,”
“Can I go back to sleep?”
“Of course, Itachi.”
4.
“Here, Mom,” Itachi said, handing Mikoto the shirt that had fallen out of the laundry basket she was carrying. “I got it,”
“Thank you, sweetie,” she smiled down at him. “You don’t have to help me on your birthday, you know,”
Not that she would deny the help, though, nearing the end of her pregnancy and barely being able to pick things up like she once could.
“Is there anything special you want, Itachi?” she asked.
“Just my brother,”
She laughed.
“He’ll be here soon. I promise,”
5.
“Happy birthday, Itachi!” Izumi shouted, handing him a wrapped gift. “I hope you like it!”
“Thank you,” Itachi said.
It was a set of kunai. He had plenty, but it was the thought that counted.
They stayed in the box, stashed away safely in a closet and far from the grabby hands of Sasuke, now starting to toddle his way after Itachi.
6.
“Happy birthday, big brother!” Sasuke shouted, bounding out of his bedroom to tackle Itachi with a hug. “Can we play today?”
“I have school,” Itachi said, watching the way Sasuke’s face fell. “Maybe later,”
Sasuke pouted, all but stomping his way to the kitchen.
“Happy birthday, Itachi,” Mikoto gave him a tight hug before handing him breakfast.
“Happy birthday,” Fugaku said, smiling at his son.
“Dad?” Itachi asked. “Can you teach me a new jutsu?”
Fugaku chuckled, setting aside his paper.
“Of course. That’s my boy, Itachi,”
7.
“Big brother,” Sasuke cried. “I-I wanted to m-make you something for your birthday, and I-”
Itachi listened to the hiccupped sobs of his brother as he observed the mess of paper and glue and crayon around him.
“It’s alright, Sasuke,” Itachi hugged him tightly, feeling Sasuke press his face into him. “I still appreciate it,”
“R-really?”
“Of course, Sasuke.”
8.
Itachi still ached over the loss of his genin team.
His mother tried to get him to celebrate. Izumi dropped off a package of dango.
He ignored any form of celebrating that year.
9.
“I’m so proud of you for making chunin,” Fugaku clapped him on the back, smiling down at his eldest. “That’s my boy,”
“Thank you,” Itachi said, quiet.
The praise from his father felt hollow, almost as if he didn’t view him as a son, but as a soldier.
10.
“Happy birthday, kid,” Kakashi ruffled his hair. “Still doesn’t get you off the hook for today’s mission,”
“Yes, captain,”
11.
“I got you something, even though you told us all not to,” Shisui said, clearly hiding something behind his back.
Itachi rolled his eyes.
“Let me guess, you stole one of Kakashi’s books for me to try to get me to socialize more,”
“How did you know?” Shisui said, a playful look in his eyes as he pulled the book from behind his back.
“You better put that back before you find yourself covered in ninken,” Itachi warned, watching as Sasuke started to stroll out of the Academy.
“Big brother!” Sasuke’s face lit up as he ran over to Itachi and Shisui. “I got the highest mark on my shuriken throwing today!”
“That’s awesome, squirt,” Shisui laughed, dodging the small fist that was aimed at him.
12.
It had been disgustingly hot all day, and when Shisui had offered to skip the boring get together Fugaku had called for Itachi’s birthday, the birthday boy couldn’t say no.
Floating on his back in the river, the cool water on him, Itachi felt at peace. The stress of being a double agent for Konoha and the clan had him unnecessarily stressed out, and he and Shisui needed just a small break.
A break to be themselves, to enjoy one another.
“Thank you, Shisui,” Itachi said, keeping his eyes closed as he felt the warm rays on his face. “This was well needed,”
“No problem, Itachi,” Shisui swam closer.
Itachi opened one eye, recognizing that look.
“Splash me and it will be the last thing you do,” he threatened.
Shisui reached out, splashing water right in his face.
13.
“Happy birthday, Itachi!” Mikoto cheered, wrapping her eldest in a warm hug. “Your father’s on his way home from work. We’re going out to eat, unless you’re too tired,”
“I’m fine, Mother,” Itachi lied, feeling the ache of his last mission settling into his bones.
His first birthday without Shisui.
“Big brother! Can we get something with tomatoes in it? Please, please, please?” Sasuke asked, tugging on Itachi’s ANBU armor.
“Of course,” Itachi liked to think he was a good big brother, giving Sasuke a tired smile.
He was so tired.
The coup was soon, and the demands the Leaf were making of him tore him apart inside.
His family…
Or his village…
14.
He was alone.
15.
Orochimaru was gone, and he could breathe easily.
Kisame was his new partner, and he enjoyed the swordsman’s company.
“You should have said something if it was your birthday, Itachi-san,” Kisame yawned, nestling into his bed for the night. “I would have done something for you,”
“You don’t need to waste unnecessary time on trivial things such as birthdays,” Itachi responded, bringing the covers of his bed up over his head. “Goodnight,”
“Goodnight, Itachi-san,”
Once Kisame fell asleep, Itachi allowed himself to cry quietly, the pain in his chest burning hotter than the family jutsu.
He should be celebrating his birthday at home. His mother would hug him tightly, tell him to stop growing and kiss his forehead, whining about how him growing older made her feel old. His father would pat him on the back and praise him for whatever latest thing he had achieved.
Sasuke would have hugged him tightly.
Shisui would have made him laugh.
Izumi would have gotten him sweets.
He had no family anymore, and it had been done by his hand.
The pain was suffocating.
16.
“You’re not getting anything for your birthday,” Kakuzu grumbled, handing him the mission scroll for his next conquest. “Quit spending all our money on teashop visits,”
“Sorry,” Kisame apologized for Itachi. “I’ve just been trying to get the kid to stop and rest once in a while,”
Kakuzu’s eyes narrow as he looked from partner to partner.
“A murderer is not a child,” he said before walking away, grumbling more on the low funds of the organization.
17.
“Here,” Konan handed him a slim box, a single black ribbon tied around it.
“Thank you, Konan,” Itachi said, taking it from her hands and pulling the neatly tied bow. Sliding the cover off, he saw a small necklace within the box.
“It’s nothing,” she said, giving him the same level stare she had when she gave out orders. “I overheard from your partner that it was your birthday, and I happened to pass by a jeweler who owed me a favor,”
Itachi put the necklace on, the cool metal of the simple circlets resting against his collarbone.
“It’s nice,” he said.
“I’m going to go get some tea down at the café next door,” she said, turning. “You can join if you want,”
Tea with their second-in-command was a perfect way to ward off the cool air of Amegakure.
18.
Sasuke was getting so big. He was just as Itachi remembered, a little taller, and he looked a bit stockier. Maybe he was getting ready for a growth spurt.
The pain in his chest was persistent, an angry reminder that he had hurt his beloved little brother.
All he did was to protect Sasuke, to let him grow up to be the hero he was destined to be.
“You should rest, Itachi-san,” Kisame chided. “You’ve overused your eyes,”
Itachi simply nodded, following after his partner as they prepared to camp out for the night.
Kisame never forgot birthdays, but Itachi didn’t feel up for celebrating his first year of formal adulthood.
He had been forced to grow up long ago.
19.
“Here,” Deidara rolled his eyes as he basically threw a cup at Itachi. “I heard from Kisame it was your birthday or whatever and I made you a teacup,”
“Thank you,” Itachi twirled the cup in his hand, the red and black glazes oddly reminiscent of his Tsukuyomi. “The craftmanship is good,”
“Just good? You wouldn’t know art if it was shoved in your face, hm,” Deidara turned, storming off towards Sasori.
20.
Happy birthday, Itachi.
Itachi held the note between his fingers, a soft smile on his face. The note had been attached to a bag of fresh dango and a container of mochi, the sweets set aside on his bedside table once he returned home from a long mission with Deidara. Kisame was snoring softly in his bed, fast asleep.
His partner remembered, and something warm bloomed in his chest.
Hopefully it wasn’t blood and mucus this time.
21.
He can legally drink now, recalling the events from the night prior as he woke up, stomach churning painfully. His brain felt like it’s slow to recognize what’s happening, as if it was lagging behind as he turned to his side. Everything hurt worst than usual, and he knew it was from the sake Deidara had all but forced him to drink.
Their leader had decided to have some sort of celebration, the events from the previous night hazy and spotty. He vaguely remembered Hidan jumping onto their table, breaking it in half. Kakuzu nearly killed him for that and mumbled about money the rest of the night over his glass of whiskey. Konan had drank them all under the table, the only one actually able to keep up being Kisame, who was now snoring loudly in the bed beside Itachi’s.
There was a knock on the door before Sasori poked his head in, glassy eyes burning holes into Itachi.
“If you’re hungover, I made a cure and left it next to the coffee pot,” he said, expression blank as he shut the door.
Itachi actually might need that help, fighting off the pain in his chest and the urge to cough.
22.
He’s going to die soon.
He knows this, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting to enjoy his last birthday on this earth.
“Is there anything you want to do today, Itachi-san?” Kisame asks as they walk. They were in the Land of Water, making their way back from a mission. “We could go to one of the teashops on your list of places to visit, or we could-”
“Can you show me the ocean?” Itachi interjects, which he hates doing. It’s rude to interrupt.
Kisame flashes him a toothy smile and leads the way.