When Mothers Meddle

Chapter 4- Scheming Mothers

Itachi

Itachi settled into his seat at his mother's breakfast table. Apparently, this was going to be a monthly event. His uncle was home with a summer cold this time. Itachi couldn't say he minded.

Mikoto smiled and set a teapot in front of him before settling herself into her seat. He poured his tea, waiting as she poured her own. When she looked up at him her eyes were twinkling and he got the distinct feeling that she'd been avoiding looking up at him. It made him uncomfortable but he couldn't put his finger on why, and that made him very uncomfortable.

"How have you been, Itachi?" She sipped her tea.

"I've been well. And you?" It wasn't the whole truth. He was frustrated with the Hokage and the mission schedule he'd been given the last three weeks. Rather than his usual three or four days away on missions, since his mother's party he hadn't been away from the village for more than three days and that had only been once. Most of his missions were a mere two days, and some were single-day missions where he was back the same day. Surely she had better work for him than chunin-level errands?

In place of his missions, he was being sent on village errands. He'd check on ANBU in the hospital and help them complete their reports. He'd attended more meetings in the last three weeks than he'd attended all year. And the final insult; she'd had him working in the tower, reading and updating mission protocol scrolls. The ANBU work and the meetings he understood, but updating the scrolls could surely have been done by a chunin or smart genin. He'd worked on them when he was a genin.

One thing his new schedule had shown him was just how much time his mother and the Hokage spent together. She visited Lady Tsunade an average of twice a week, and sometimes more. He'd also learned how busy Tsunade kept Sakura. She'd scurried past him many times, hurrying to complete one of Tsunade's tasks or see to her own work. Her pink hair, held back by her headband, flying behind her as she swiftly avoided the many people who simply hung around the tower either hoping to meet someone or be assigned an easy task.

"I've been excellent." Mikoto took a bite of food, watching him as he shifted in his seat. "I've seen you working at the tower more recently. It's always nice to see your son being successful at his job."

"To be honest mother, I find it a little frustrating. I've been doing fewer missions and more paperwork."

"Itachi, more paperwork and less action is part of moving up the chain of leadership."

Itachi considered her words, on the surface they sounded wise but they weren't the whole story. Many high-ranking ninja went on regular and long missions, whether they were in leadership or not. "I just can't help but wonder what Lady Tsunade is thinking."

"Have you asked her?" Mikoto's eyes darted to him, narrowed so slightly that a lesser ninja might have missed it.

"I haven't. It's my duty to serve the village of Konoha, not complain that I'm not getting the jobs I like." He sighed deeply, he still had the feeling that she was digging for information. It didn't worry him, in fact, he relished the challenge. What worried him was that he couldn't figure out what she wanted to know. How could he play the game if he didn't even know the subject?

"Have you seen much of Sakura lately?" she leaned across the table, fussing with the plate of rice balls and avoiding his eyes as she asked the question. Her casual inquiry, and her unwillingness to look him in the eye, made him pause. Had she somehow gotten Lady Tsunade to change his schedule so he'd run into Sakura more? He dismissed the idea as soon as it came to him. His mother held great power, in her clan and in the village of Konoha. She did not tell the Hokage what to do.

"We've passed each other in the hallways, but we're both busy with work." That was most of the truth, he buried his face in the last rice ball to hide his face.