Karasu-chan

Chapter One

Chapter One

Uchiha Itachi is a prodigy.

Rising to the rank of ANBU Captain by the time he was thirteen, Itachi has handed situations that would leave lesser ninja stuck in a traumatized state for the rest of their lives. Taking note of these facts, it wasn’t a surprise that the teen was a pacifist.

Itachi loves his otouto though, so he strives to make the world as safe as he is able. It was the reason he took the assassination mission with the target registered as his own father. Konohagakure would not survive as one of the Five Great Nations if they dissolved into a civil war. The coup d’état was eradicated in its forming stages. When Itachi was sworn in as the next clan leader, he made the most satisfying and controversial decisions of his young life – he eradicated the patriarchal system the Uchiha had established and gave the headship to his mother.

Since then, life in the village was better. It was peaceful, the Uchiha were less secretive, less suspicious. Itachi’s home life wasn’t filled with stiff formalities and strict behavior expectations. Sasuke was experiencing the childhood Itachi never had.

It left the eighteen year old happy, if slightly envious.

Pulling him away from his thoughts, Itachi glanced up curiously at the sound of a familiar shout. Speeding over the rooftops was the number one prankster of Konohagakure, Uzumaki Naruto. A squad of ANBU was on his tail and Itachi chuckled in amusement when he noticed it was his own team that was giving chase.

As Naruto drew near to Itachi’s resting spot, the dark-haired team darted up and caught the rambunctious boy with the finesse of any older sibling. Naruto struggled for several moments before annoyed cerulean eyes darted up towards Itachi’s face. The struggling was immediately cut off as Naruto grinned widely, his arms wrapping around Itachi’s neck tightly.

“Karasu-chan!”

Ignoring the snickering of his squad mates, Itachi peered down at Naruto curiously. “I’m not a female, Naruto-kun.”

“How would I know that, Karasu-chan?” Naruto enquired curiously, still snuggling against Itachi’s lean frame. “Your hair’s long and pretty like Sakura-chan’s and you could be using a genjutsu on your voice.”

“I don’t have breasts.”

Itachi’s monotone voice cut through his team’s giggling as they watched the exchange more intently, wondering at Naruto’s response. The blond turned towards the only female of their squad, observing the incline of her armor before turning back to Itachi’s own chest plate and studying it.

“Then you’re flat like Sakura-chan.” Nodding decisively, Naruto once again tightened his arms and rubbed his whiskered cheeks against Itachi’s pale neck.

The eighteen year old could only sigh as his team once again dissolved into giggles. This had started years ago, when Itachi’s first ANBU assignment was to watch over the blond Jinchūriki. He had immediately stuck to Itachi’s side, initially accepting the fact that Itachi just kept his hair long and that he was actually male. As the years passed, Naruto’s curious nature came into play again and again as he tried to see what Itachi actually looked like beneath the mask. His recent attempts – which had been going on for several months now – were to annoy Itachi by claiming he was female.

It wasn’t working, but Itachi would allow the twelve year old to try.

“I believe you have a limpet, Karasu-kun.”

Itachi glanced up at the smooth voice, smirking at the sight of Hatake Kakashi covered in dripping hot pink paint. The Jonin was his former ANBU Captain, and apparently the victim of one of Naruto’s most current pranks.