Naruto Short Stories

Reunion

Notes: Time travel shenanigans happen. Outside POV of older Sasuke meeting newly recruited Itachi.

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The sound of rain hitting the roof is loud. It drowns out any sounds that Yuko's feet make as she moves from table to table, absently wiping them down. There isn't much purpose in it besides trying to find ways to look busy. Business had slowed down due to the bad weather, leaving the tea shop empty aside from Yuko and a boy sitting over in the corner. 

Him being here isn't... odd per se. His cloak looks like it comes from Ame, which isn't that far off. His hat looks like it comes from Rice, which is. And his nails are painted black like people that come in from Sand. Yuko's not sure where he's from, why he's passing through, and she's not about to ask. She's worked here long enough to pick up on a pattern of people who frequently come in when it's stormy. Sure, sometimes it's the occasional merchant who got caught in the rain and needs shelter. Almost every other time, it's a shinobi. 

A tea shop where it rains more often than not? An optimal place for shinobi to talk or conduct business. Not as optimal for Yuko and her cousin who work here, but they make it work with what little self defense her Oji-san taught them. 

He looks young, but that doesn't mean much. Yuko's seen shinobi a lot younger than him stumble into this shop. In a big cloak like that? Who knows how many weapons he might have. She wishes the rain would let up a little bit so he could leave and she could spend the rest of her day in peace.

The boy from maybe Ame, Rice, or Sand ordered very little at the start, a cup of tea and two sticks of dango. As time went on, however, he'd continued to order an accumulating amount of dango that put her cousin's sweet tooth to shame. In short, he's simultaneously amusing and terrifying. 

The shop isn't exactly silent, the rain outside is deafening after all. The boy has to raise his voice every time he asks her for more dango. The lack of conversation is stifling though, and the atmosphere feels awkward even though Yuko tells herself it's probably all in her head. It isn't awkward unless you make it awkward, that's what her Oji-san likes to say. 

Abruptly, the boy spoke. "I apologize," he says, turning his ink-like eyes towards her. They look sort of shiny and the statement feels a bit rushed. "I've overstayed my welcome." 

He inclines his head so fast and far that Yuko sort of feels like royalty! Ah, so she didn't imagine that awkwardness. 

His hair is staticky and sticks up in a few places that makes Yuko want to pat it down. So... cute! A little serious and definitely awkward, but very cute. Yuko feels slightly unprepared for this development. She's used to being ignored for the most part. Not being ignored usually means something drastic, like... getting kidnapped and being used as leverage against someone! Okay, so maybe that's never actually happened to her. It's her cousin's fault for putting so many ideas in her head. 

With that sudden bout of cuteness, Yuko is effectively blinded to any danger this potential shinobi may have. 

"Oh, no!" She says, waving her hands a bit frantically, responding in kind to his sudden and rushed gesture. "You're completely fine Kokyaku-san!" Yuko pushes the rag she was using a little further away, focusing her attention on him. "Lots of people come here to get out of the rain. It doesn't matter how long you stay." 

Yuko had actually been wishing that he'd leave for a while now, but she couldn't say that to his face! Especially now, with this kid and his shiny black eyes that look like they could drown her with his tears! He doesn't look like he's about to cry, but what does Yuko know? 

Not knowing when to shut up, Yuko continues. "I'm not sure why kokyaku-san is here in the middle of such terrible weather, but I'm not so cruel as to make someone stand in the pouring rain. Especially someone who's already paid thrice over." Yuko looks pointedly at his plate of dango.

His cheeks flush. "I've been waiting for an... acquaintance of mine. I'll be here for a little longer then if it's truly okay for me to stay."

She really couldn't say no to that. Yuko smiles reassuringly at him, and he appears to settle down again. Instead of continuing to purposelessly wipe down tables, Yuko picks up a romance novel her cousin left a couple days ago and sits behind the counter. 

No later than twenty minutes into this new arrangement does the wooden door to the teashop open with a surprising squeak. A figure breathing heavily looms in the doorway. He must've ran here to get out of the rain. Everything about him screams, 'lives out in the woods!' from his worn cloak to the ragged purple scarf tied around his head. He looks like he might be a little taller than the person who's been sitting in the corner.

The new traveler, strangely enough, bears a strong resemblance to the the boy who's been ordering dango for the past couple hours. It's a little harder for Yuko to make this connection at first because his hair is covering one of his eyes. An acquaintance, huh? She discreetly looks back at dango-san, maybe there's some sort of family drama?

Seeming to collect himself, scarf-san surveys the room. They predictably latch onto dango san, the only person here aside from Yuko. She doesn't catch the brief look of shock in his face.

Itachi, a name Yuko's unaware of, does, however. He takes in the appearance of this new stranger subtly, taking note of the sword peaking out from underneath his dusty cloak and the frayed state of his clothes. He looks alarmingly similar to anyone part of the Uchiha clan. 

"New kokyaku-san," Yuko intervenes, aware of the tension brimming between them but unable to pinpoint where it's stemming from, "welcome, please take a seat." She gestures to the seat across from Itachi, assuming that this is the acquaintance he mentioned earlier.

"I'll take your order as soon as you're ready, our menu is on the board. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." Yuko bows to both of them, moving to take a seat down behind the counter again before dango-san stops her.

"If it's no trouble, I'd like to order more dango please," he says quietly. Something's strange about the way he says it. Yuko, a little more wry, nods acquiescently. 

Right, these two are probably both shinobi. So unlucky. She doesn't want to chance actually getting caught in a potential fight between these two. She leaves to go back into the kitchen.

The atmosphere is tense and silent. Trying not to be seen as shaken as he feels, Itachi smiles menacingly at the stranger who's probably an Uchiha and probably not Uchiha Madara. 

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. I must say, you look familiar, do we know each other?" Itachi pointedly asks.

"Nisan," the stranger breathes. 

... What?

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