Title: First Meeting
Series: Naruto
Characters: Itachi, Sasuke, Mikoto, and Mrs. Haruno
Genre: Semi-narrative, I think. Cute when-they-were-little stuff.
Rating: G
Notes: I always imagined that Mikoto would have lots of friends. I don't remember if Sakura's parents were shinobi, this is written on the assumption they were not. Originally written either in October 06 or March 07.



Inky black eyes peered over the whitewashed rail, one small sticky hand holding himself up, the other clutching his father's kunai, probably getting candy residue on the cloth wrapped around the handle.

"Mikoto, really, you should REST. You'll hurt yourself if you keep fussing!"

"The house is a mess. I need a bath. My parents will be here in a couple of hours, I can't let them see it like this! They'll think Fugaku doesn't take care of me!"

The blue bundle in the crib moved, turned, and revealed a single eye, as black as Itachi's own.

"You still don't need to cook a feast for them! Here, let me-"

"Haruno-san, no!"

"AHH! MY HAND!"

The two continued staring at each other. The bundle had caused Mother so much pain. She'd been crying and screaming all night last night. It'd kept Itachi awake, sitting outside her bedroom door, shaking in fear. His uncle had paused next to him while pacing, reaching to pat his head, before stalking off to some far corner of the house. Father still wasn't home; he was in Iwa and wouldn't be home for days.

"I'm so sorry! Please, let me-"

"I'm fine! Really! It just stings!"

"It's bleeding!"

"AHH!"

"Let me-"

But now Mother was trying to clean up the house, because Grandmother and Grandfather were coming, and Itachi had been told to go outside and play, but had slipped back into the house unnoticed to see what the source of all the commotion was.

"I'm such a klutz, really. I wouldn't have been a good ninja anyway. I really admire you."

"Oh, it's nothing. Could you pass the bonito?"

The bundle gurgled, and the eye blinked. Itachi frowned. How had it hurt her so much? It didn't look threatening.

"Oh, we should make a salad."

"I don't think we have any ginger, we may have run out."

The bundle gurgled again, and he reached over, gingerly pushing away the blanket with the kunai. Pink, blotchy skin on a tiny, pudgy body. He blinked. This was a baby?

The baby's face crumpled and turned red. Itachi was completely unprepared for the screaming and wailing that followed immediately after. His ears ached, and he let go of the rail to cover them, falling from the crib and landing badly on the floor. Stings of pain shot up his spine and down one leg, and he tried to scoot back to the door.

"What a voice!"

"He's far louder than Itachi was. I'm coming, I'm coming!"

His mother pulled open the door, gasping. He still sat on the floor, holding the kunai tight in his hand. He hadn't realized that his tiny hand, which could barely fit around the handle, had slipped down and been sliced open on the razor-sharp blade.

"Oh my god! Itachi! What happened?!"

He looked down, seeing the blood drip from under his hand, and his eyes widened. Perhaps he was just stunned by it, but it didn't hurt that much.

She'd already picked up the bundle from the crib and cradled him against her shoulder, while kneeling next to Itachi. "Let me see, dear." she murmured, taking his hand and pulling away the kunai, stretching his hand flat. Only when he actually moved, did it really start to hurt.

"Mother.."

"Shh." Her hand was glowing pale green, laying over his tiny hand, and the pain and blood were still there, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. He raised his hand when she released him, gazing at the line that had not long before been a shallow cut.

He turned to hug his mother, and say thank you, but she had already left the room, Haruno-san in tow, cooing to the baby.

Returning to his room, he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Father would come in when he returned from his mission, and would tell him how smart he was and how proud everyone was of him. He would. He was better than the screaming pink thing that was his little brother.

He didn't even notice when he fell asleep.

Current Location: 87108
Current Mood: awake