Family dinner

Itachi stared at nothing for an unknown period of time.

`A little brother? Little sister? Both? `Those thoughts kept repeating themselves in his mind.

Uchiha Itachi is a four and a half year old boy who always had all the attention of his parents focused on him, in his past life he had no siblings either, so one would expect that jealousy or fear would arise from this news. Normal feelings that many older siblings feel, fear that their parents no longer love them, that they prefer the new baby...

But that kind of thing didn't cross the mind of the Uchiha heir.

What Itachi was currently feeling could be described as a combination of two feelings: The feeling after having finished some super difficult exams and knowing that you've done well but you're still looking forward to the results, and the night before Christmas.

He is excited, nervous and anxious.

"-I broke him, dattebane! I broke my godson! I'm the worst godmother in the world, Mikoto and Fugaku are going to kill me! I should run away- But where? Mikoto will hunt me until the end of the world! And Fugaku-"

Itachi blinks and looks at his godmother. Kushina is doing a strange dance, she turns and moves her hands and legs in a strange and very comical way. Her face is pale and beads of sweat break out on her forehead, she seems on the verge of a panic attack.

"Kushina-oba? Are you alright?"

The shocking news is temporarily forgotten as Itachi makes sure his godmother doesn't have a stroke.

"Itachi!" She drops to her knees and places her hands over his shoulders. "You're fine! You're back! You had me so worried, dattebane!"

Comical tears well up in her eyes as she hugs him. The boy, not knowing what all this is about, pats her awkwardly on the back.

"There, there." He mutters, not knowing what else to say.

After calming down Kushina lets go and looks seriously into his eyes.

"Itachi-kun, your parents didn't tell you about the baby, did they?"

He shakes his head.

Kushina slumps her shoulders and seems resigned to her fate.

"I could pretend not to know anything." Itachi's words make Kushina look at him with the same intensity and joy that a man lost in the desert would look at an oasis.

"Seriously, dattebane?!"

"Hn." Itachi nods.

"But," Kushina sighs and smiles at him nervously. "Asking my four year old godson to lie... That would not be right. No, what a true ninja has to do is face the consequences of their actions! That is my ninja path, dattebane!"

Itachi looks at her with admiration, admitting your mistakes and facing the consequences instead of taking the easy route is not something they would do much. In fact, most humans will 90% of the time take the easy road. Even more so when facing the wrath of his mother was the consequence, he is seen veteran ninjas shake in fear when being the victim of his mother`s glare.

"Come on, Itachi-kun." Kushina grabs his hand and gently pulls him away. The boy follows her to his house.

The streets are snowy and the sky dark, the only thing that illuminates their path are the streetlights placed every few meters. The neighborhood in which Itachi lives is one of the richest in the village, mostly there are mansions and large houses. Most of the inhabitants are wealthy ninjas, with the occasional equally wealthy civilian here and there. Despite being very close to the center of the village, it is a neighborhood with little traffic and the duo hardly see another couple of people walking through the streets.

`Village. Whoever called the "Hidden Villages" villages have never seen a village in their lives.` Itachi thinks.

Konoha has a population of over 80,000, a population that continued to grow even in times of war. In fact, the war did wonders with the size of the population, since the ninja villages are the safest areas during wars many people wanted to move there to avoid becoming another civilian casualty in the war.

"I am home." Itachi yells once he enters home, he takes off his shoes, coat, scarf and gloves.

"Itachi!" A black blur approaches him from the kitchen.

"Ugh!" Itachi falls backwards with the black blur on top of him, grunting and trying to shake the lump off of him.

"I was so worried! I spent hours looking and couldn't find you!" Shisui raises his head and looks at him with tears in his eyes.

For anyone the view would have been very pitiful, Shisui is the perfect image of someone hurt and worried.But Itachi is not anyone, he knows Shisui like the back of his hand and recognizes the crocodile tears.

"The rules didn't say I couldn't ask someone for help. Just like there's no limit to where we can hide."

Itachi remembers last week when it was his turn to be the hunter. That time Shisui didn't even bother to hide, he waited until the chase started and he led him to a building. The chunin entered the building and smiled cheekily at Itachi.

That particular building is the Chunin Headquarters of the village, a building that only ninja of chunin rank and above are allowed to enter. It has several rest rooms, a library, some training rooms and dormitories available for all chunin (mostly used by chunin who are on duty patrol to rest between shifts).

Itachi not being a ninja was not allowed in the building, the poor boy spent several hours guarding the building in the freezing winter weather, while Shisui was warm in a cozy room reading comics and drinking hot chocolate.

"Itachi! Don't tell me you had poor Shisui looking for you for hours while we were eating ramen!" Kushina put her hands on her waist.

"Since you put a barrier around Ichiraku Ramen there's no use pretending not to know of their game, Kushina." Mikoto leans against the wall with an amused smirk. "Shisui get up off Itachi, and both of you go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

"Hai Mikoto-mama!"

"Hai, Kaa-san."

The two boys walk off towards one of the bathrooms while Kushina follows Mikoto towards the kitchen.

"You have prepared Nikujaga! They do have carrots though." Kushina makes a disgusted face.

"You're 22 years old and you're still a picky eater." Mikoto shakes her head. "Wash your hands in the sink while I prepare another dish."

Kushina looks over and sees six plates on the table, all ready to be brought to the dining room.

"There are six servings? And you want to make another one?" The redhead looks at her curiously.

"Itachi, Shisui, Fugaku, Minato, you and me." Mikoto clarifies.

Kushina's eyes light up at the mention of her husband.

"Is Minato joining us? Wait! How did you know I was coming to dinner- The barrier! If you knew about it-"

"Then, of course, I knew where and with whom Itachi was. Predicting your actions is pretty easy, I didn't even have to try." Mikoto takes out another bowl and begins to fill it with vegetables and meat.

Nikujaga is a traditional dish consisting of various vegetables and meat stewed with sweetened soy sauce until all the ingredients get soft. Accompanying the nikujaga is also a miso soup and rice. The miso soup is still on the fire and it will take a few minutes to be at the perfect point.

`That's Mikoto-chan alright, wait!-` Kushina turns to her friend with her hands on her waist.

"Easy to predict? Are you calling me an idiot?!"

Mikoto looks at her innocently.

"Oh my! I would never do that!" Mikoto's words are full of sincerity and honesty, and are accompanied by the most innocent look one could see from a woman in her mid-twenties.

Uchiha Mikoto is the very image of innocence, no soul would dare to doubt her word.

"Lier." But Kushina has known her for over ten years, she knows how mischievous actually is, the so-called "The Kind and Gentle Princess" (a nickname no one used since before the war).

"As for the seventh plate, it's for Souji."

"Souji?!" Kushina screams at the top of her lungs, her eyes light up but immediately go out. All emotion disappears and she is replaced with annoyance. "That bastard is in the village?" She spits out the words in disgust.

"Kushina..." Mikoto looks at her pleadingly.

"No! I won't forgive him!"

"It was a mission, it was his duty."

"That- that is not fair!"

Mikoto sighs and rubs her temples.

"It's not fair of you to treat him so coldly because of what happened. Souji had no choice, the mission was critical and he was the only one who could complete it. I know, I know. He was like a brother to you- to us ." Mikoto emphasizes the last words and looks at Kushina intently. "His actions hurt us, but they hurt him as well."

Kushina collapses and plops down on a chair.

Okita Souji used to be a member of the Mikoto Squad, a squad consisting of Mikoto, Kushina, and Souji. They were a first class squad, despite the youth and inexperience of the three members they quickly made a name for themselves.

The three of them formed a close, siblings-like bond.

That bond was put to the test when during a mission six years ago Souji "died". Both Mikoto and Kushina blamed themselves for the death of their friend and brother, thinking that they were weak or unqualified for their ranks. It was a hard blow, and for a while they stopped talking to each other. It was Mikoto's pregnancy what repaired the bond between the two. They remembered the hours they spent talking about the future, about their children calling "Oba-san" and "Oji-san" to the other two.

What really happened is that Souji was assigned to an infiltration mission in Kiri, a mission only he could carry out because of his bloodline. A secret to almost everyone who knew him is that he was not born in the Country of Fire, he is originally from the Country of Water. More specifically, Souji is a member of the Yuki clan. His bloodline is what allowed him to infiltrate the ranks of the Mizukage and provide vital intel to Konoha during the war.

When Kiri left the war, Souji's mission was over. So Yuki Sei died and Okita Souji resurfaced.

His return to Konoha was met with mixed reactions, though the specific details of his mission were not revealed it became public that he had infiltrated behind enemy lines and provided vital intel to Konoha (This was made public to prevent rumors of possible betrayal. One of the consequences of this kind of mission is that people in Konoha could end up suspecting that the infiltrator betrayed them, then the ninja will be greeted with suspicious looks and scathing comments. The worst thing for one's morale is to spend months or years infiltrated somewhere, risking your neck every second, and when you arrive home receive a cold and hostile welcome. That's something that prompted many ninjas to betray their villages. Their reasoning is that if they are going to be judged for something they didn't do they may as well do it).

Some of his friends welcomed him with open arms, others not so much. Mikoto, after punching him in the face hugged him and then ignored him for a month. After which she invite him to have tea, and the rest is history.

Kushina on the other hand couldn't forgive the perceived betrayal. The redhead is very familiar with loss, being one of the few survivors of a destroyed Nation, and for that very reason she had a hard time accepting that Souji is alive. For her, losing someone is something definitive, she cries, screams and hits some stuff, then with a lot of effort she keeps moving forward. Kushina was not prepared for someone she mourned, someone whose death she accepted and learned to cope with, come back from the dead.

She was shocked, delighted, angry, disgusted, happy, and much more.

What annoys Kushina the most is that Souji never told them anything, for years he left them thinking he died, that he died BECAUSE of them. That is something the redhead could not forgive, nor accept.

So ever since Souji came back Kushina avoided him like the plague.

Mikoto had her reservations but she was much more understanding, she understood the importance of the mission and understood Souji's feelings. She knows that it was not easy for him, she knows that every day he must have gone through many torments.

And so Mikoto found herself in the awkward and tense situation of being the bridge between her best friends.

`Is like being the middle child, what a nightmare.` She sighs and takes the plates to the dining room, there she sees the two children sitting very close to each other whispering.

"Ehem." She clears her throat, both looking at her with identical looks of curiosity. "Help me put the table."

"Hai." They respond in unison.

`At least Itachi already has a friend and he is becoming a bit more open. One less worry, those two on the other hand. Kushina clearly misses him and she wants to mend their bond but she is too stubborn to acknowledge her feelings. And Souji feels too guilty to push. What a pair...`

The bell rings and Mikoto looks at Kushina before walking towards the entrance. Kushina raised her head from the kitchen table and looked at the wall that separates the kitchen from the corridor that leads to the hall with great intensity, as if she expected to magically develop a Byakugan to see through the walls.

`And there are those who call the Sharingan a creepy dojutsu... How come nobody talks like that about the Byakugan? They are the ones who can see through walls` Mikoto shudders remembering when she first learned about the abilities of that dojutsu.

Since in her class she had several Hyuga who were obviously in love with her (boys and girls) she no longer felt comfortable using the Academy's changing rooms, and she didn't even feel comfortable in her house. That paranoia worsened when she saw a male student activate the Byakugan in class and obviously look in her direction, before getting a nosebleed. That's when she had the terrible epiphany, if the Byakugan can see through walls it can also see through clothes. In the following Taijutsu class she challenged every Hyuga in her class and beat them into submission. She made it clear that if they use her Byakugan again to spy on her, she will break all the bones in their bodies, and if they don't learn their lesson then...

Needless to say, since then the Hyuga have given her a wide berth. They stopped spying on her with their dojutsu, but it seems that their obsession with her only got worse. Mikoto then had the second terrifying epiphany, many Hyuga are masochists (or at least her fanboys and fangirls).

The matriarch opens the door and sees two men chatting among themselves.

A man with bright blue eyes and spiky blonde hair that falls to his neck, two locks framing either side of his face. Hee wears the navy blue Jonin uniform with a white haori over it.

Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, and Kushina 's husband.

The other man is a few inches taller than the blond, has long dark hair in a low ponytail, and green eyes. He wears a green kimono, a brown haori, and a red scarf.

They are both very attractive, and very androgynous in appearance.

"Good afternoon, Mikoto-san." Minato smiles widely and raises up a bag that he is carrying in his hand. "I brought some sweets for the children."

"You spoil them too much." She answers before turning to Souji. "You too, too much candy is bad for their teeth."

"They're babies, milk teeth will fall out anyway. At least they could make the most of it while they don't have to worry about carrying." Souji nonchalantly answers.

Mikoto shakes her head and gestures for them to come inside.

"Fugaku is finishing some reports in his office. Souji, do you mind telling him that dinner is ready? I still have to finish some things in the kitchen."

"You invite me to dinner and immediately send me to do errands." He complains in a good mood, with a smirk on his face.

Mikoto punches him in the shoulder and he sticks out his tongue at her before running towards the Uchiha patriarch's office.

"He is more childish than my son."

Minato laughs and rubs the back of his head.

"He's been through a lot, it's normal for him to want to have fun." The look in his eyes becomes more serious. "Should I talk to Kushina?"

"Yes, she's sulking in the kitchen."

The two walk towards the kitchen.

"I was not sulking!" Kushina protested.

"Eavesdropping on conversations is rude." Mikoto scoffs.

"Hmph." She snorted and crossed her hands, turning her head in the other direction.

"Kushina." Minato places a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? I know you miss Souji."

"Bu-"

"No buts." Mikoto interrupts her, her words are harsh but fair. "We live in a dangerous world, Kushina, and our profession has an 82% death rate before the age of 30. The war is over but the world has not become less dangerous, anything could happen. Tell me, could you live with regret if Souji were to die on a mission? Could you live with the knowledge that you ignored him for years, that you could have mended your relationship but you did nothing."

The three are silent for a few minutes.

"Let's go eat dinner, the food will get cold." Kushina gets up and walks towards the dining room. Her face is blank, and she moves mechanically.

Minato and Mikoto share a worried look before following her.

In the dining room the boys are discussing something with Fugaku and Souji, Fugaku is sitting at one of the heads of the table, with Itachi on his right and Shisui on his left, Souji is sitting on the other side of Itachi. Kushina's entrance catches their attention and they all turn their heads.

The redhead paused for a second before going over to where Itachi and Souji were sitting, she stood behind Itachi.

"Do you want to sit next to Ita-chan?" Souji starts to get up but Kushina puts a hand on his shoulder stopping him. She picks Itachi up in her arms, sits down and places the boy on her lap.

Itachi looks at her confused, then looks at Souji, they both look equally confused.

"How was your mission?" Kushina's voice seems disinterested and bored.

"Eh? My mission? What m-" Souji looks at her like an owl.

"The one you came back from this morning." Kushina rolls her eyes.

"You knew I was- It doesn't matter." Souji shakes his head and looks at the redhead with a relieved smile, having realized something very important: she still cared. "It went well, there were no complications. It was just a routine B-rank mission."

Mikoto and Minato gesture for him to continue talking.

"Uh, I had to patrol Section B of the Northern border."

"Iwa," the redhead makes a face. Since the death of Uchiha Obito the Uzumaki has disliked Iwa more than ever.

"Yeah-" Souji continues talking about his mission.

Itachi looks at both of them with a raised eyebrow, not fully understanding the situation. The heir knows that Kushina and Souji used to be friends but had a fallout a few years ago, but Mikoto never gave him the details and neither Kushina nor Souji felt comfortable talking about it. He is glad that his godparents are making amends but he is a child of almost five years! Sitting on someone's lap is embarrassing!

The heir was going to get up but his mother and Minato caught his attention, out of Kushina's field of vision the two are making frantic gestures for him to stay where he is. He sighs and nods, turns to the table and sees Shisui gesturing to his lips.

Shisui mouths a word.

`Buffer'? Oh!`

Understanding what is happening he squeezes Kushina's hand in support. The redhead tightens her hug slightly in response.

Dinner runs smoothly, Shisui entertained him with funny stories he probably made up (`There's no way there's an immortal demon cat that hunts genin!` Itachi is certain), and his godparents relaxed enough to have a casual conversation.

After dinner Itachi and Fugaku clear the table as usual, while Itachi begins to wash the dishes the patriarch prepares the dessert and drinks.

"Leave it Itachi, I'll finish washing the dishes later."

"No, Tou-san. It's my turn, go to the dining room. I'll finish in a few minutes." Mikoto is the one who usually cooks dinner most of the time, so Fugaku and Itachi take turns washing the dishes. It used to be Fugaku who washed them but a few months ago Itachi decided that he was old enough to help with the housework. He is a big boy! His parents established a reward system for him, every time he did an errand he received some points and at the end of each month he could exchange those points for an increase in his allowance or certain privileges like going to eat at his favorite restaurant.

Fugaku looks him in the eye and after a moment nods.

`I need lots of Ryo for when the baby is born, there are lots of things I want to buy for my imouto or otouto!`

After finishing washing the dishes Itachi returns to the dining room.

On the table there are several empty plates or with remains of the strawberry cake that was served as dessert, a tray with crackers, glasses of tea and some glasses of sake.

Fugaku and Minato were drinking a bottle of sake while chatting quietly about something. Shisui listens carefully, intervening from time to time. Mikoto, Kushina and Souji are engaged in their own conversation.

The Uchiha heir, seeing that his godmother is comfortable and relaxed, decides to sit next to his best friend. He grabs his piece of cake and starts to eat.

`This is heaven!` Itachi sighs with satisfaction as he chews.

Shisui and the men looked at him amused.

Itachi eats in silence, half listening to the conversations around him but not intervening. It was until he heard something that alarmed him.

"Mikoto-san, have you tried this sake? It's from the Rice Country." Minato passes a bottle of sake to Mikoto but is interrupted by Itachi who jumps in between.

"Kaa-san!" He screams, standing on the table. "You can't drink sake!"

Shisui burst out laughing as the adults looked at him in surprise.

"Y-you look like a cat!" He said between laughs.

Mikoto snapped out of her stupor and picked Itachi up in her arms, sitting him on her lap.

"Don't jump on the table, sweetie." She scolds him quietly. "And could you tell me why I can't drink sake?"

"Uhh." Itachi looks at Kushina with panic-filled eyes. The redhead has a look identical to his.

Mikoto notices the interaction and smiles sweetly, a smile so sweet and sick that sends shivers down Kushina's spine. Fortunately Itachi didn't see that look.

"Kushina-chan~" Souji and Minato discreetly move away from Kushina, who looks at them with betrayal in her eyes.

`Sorry Kushina,` think the two men. `You dug your own grave!`

***

NOTE: I wrote this last year and I forgot about it, lol.