When Mothers Meddle

Chapter 16- Bold Decisions

Itachi

Itachi groaned at the light pouring in his window and rolled over, burying his head under a pillow to deaden the pain.

He groaned again as the memories of last night came back in fragments that he couldn't piece together. This is why Tsunade had a rule against drinking on a mission.

Had he proposed to Sachiko? Gods, he hoped not. He sat up in bed, settling his feet on the floor and knocking a glass of water over in the process.

He watched the water flow over his discarded pants dispassionately. They needed to be washed anyway.

Resting his elbows on his knees to hold his aching head he leaned over and closed his eyes against the light. If Sakura were here she could no doubt heal him, but that wasn't ever going to happen. Was it?

The damnable clan was seeing to that.

Footsteps outside his door made him tense. He tried to rise, with the idea of facing the possible threat, and sat back onto the bed as the door slid open.

"Ah, you've risen from your slumber."

Shisui's cheery voice grated on his nerves, but he suspected his cousin was here because he'd saved Itachi's ass last night. Shisui and Shikamaru? That didn't make any sense. Why was he remembering Shikamaru?

"Please tell me I didn't do anything I'll regret." The words echoed through his head, reverberating inside his skull and making the ache worse. He winced, why had he spoken so loud?

Shisui bowed before him. "You're welcome. Don't speak, take this."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at Shisui but took the tablets and a fresh glass of water from him.

"You, my fine friend, need a shower."

"I can't sleep more?"

"No, your mother is expecting you for lunch." Shisui grinned with his announcement. Itachi considered punching him.

"I need to sleep more before that happens." Itachi set the glass down on the floor, next to the spilled one, and flopped back on his bed.

"Oh no, my fine friend. You need to be at your mother's in half an hour." Shisui, probably the only man in the city who dared provoke Itachi, pulled him back to sitting.

"How late did I sleep?" Itachi stretched his neck and rubbed it.

"It's noon."

Half an hour later a slightly more presentable Itachi found himself deposited at his mother's front door. The shower had cleared most of the fog from his mind. More importantly, that cleared fog had brought back the memory of talking with Shikamaru last night.

"Itachi!" His mother met him with her usual smile and ushered him in.

Why had she asked for this? They'd just had dinner last night. He rarely saw her more than once a week, unless there was business that needed taking care of.

He supposed it was right he was here then. Because there was business to take care of. It was business that required some careful negotiation though.

He followed his mother into her dining room surprised to see the table set for six, with his Uncle Daisuke and Sasuke already seated.

The table was filled with a spread set for a king, or, he supposed, the head of a clan.

"Please sit down." She pointed at the seat he usually filled. "We felt, with the clan meeting tomorrow, this was a good idea. We're glad you suggested a meeting. We can discuss plans and possible changes coming up."