Konoha Times {OC x Various} Naruto AU

Chapter 62

Fugaku made the first move. He led his team in Nami's direction.

"Nami, you look absolutely stunning. How are you holding up?"

"Hello Fugaku. I'm doing well, thank you. How is Mikoto?"

"She is doing very well. I'll give you her number, she has been meaning to ask you to join her one day for brunch."

"That would be lovely. Thank you."

Fugaku pulled out a notepad and began to scribble Mikoto's number. Genma was the next to speak up.

"Hi Nami," Genma said. Nami could see the hesitance in his eyes. Can't blame him with the way our last interaction went. Madara put the fear of god into him.

"Hello Genma."

Fugaku handed the paper to Nami and nodded for his team to follow him to the elevators. Genma looked hesitant at first – like he had something more he wanted to say – until he gave into his boss's directions.

"Nami, enjoy the rest of your day. I am glad to see you're doing so well."

Itachi stayed put, waiting for his father and the other company to make their way into the elevator. He didn't speak until the doors closed and they were out of sight.

"Hello, Nami."

She winced at the sadness that surrounded him before bursting into a wreck of emotion.

"Itachi I need to talk to you... I don't know where to start. I think... I want... Perhaps if we... Fuck, none of this is-"

Itachi closed the space that separated him from Nami, who was still rolling her hands around and searching for the words she wanted to say. He moved swiftly and pulled her into a deep embrace. The kind of embrace that makes the room fade to white. An embrace that erases all surrounding persons and objects. The kind that scares and soothes simultaneously.

"I've missed you Nami."

Nami hugged Itachi back. She stayed silent and let her arms wrap tightly around his torso.

"I need to be in that meeting upstairs. Can I take you to dinner tonight?" Itachi asked while breaking their embrace.

Nami almost said yes until she remembered she would have her niece and nephew to watch tonight. Every week night.

"How about Saturday?"

Itachi gave a curt nod and made his way to the elevator. She waved to him as the elevator doors closed in front of him.

Given the fact that it was now Wednesday, it would be a long, hellish wait till Saturday.

~~~

Nami would be going to Iruka's every night this week. He usually didn't get home till about eight o'clock at night. She wrote in the mornings and babysat in the evenings.

Sakura had come over and walked with Nami and the kids to get dinner.

The four of them sat at the ramen bar, anxiously awaiting their bowls. Nami kept her mouth shut when she noticed Sakura got extra everything in her ramen. It was only when Sakura got her third bowl with extra everything that she raised an eyebrow.

"Auntie, I'm so tired," her nephew yawned.

"Okay, let's head home. Your dad should be off any minute now."

As the two women walked the children home, Nami noticed how gentle Sakura held their hands. She honestly thought that Sakura wouldn't have been the least bit interested in looking after her niece and nephew until it dawned on her. Nami stopped in her tracks.