WANTED: Itachi Uchiha

Sanjuuhachi

Itachi knew things were bad whenever his mother shouted.

Mikoto was usually so placid and sweet. Itachi could probably count on both hands how many times she had shouted at him and Sasuke as children. Usually whenever his mother lost her temper it was for good reason; one time he and Sasuke had stayed out all night training and came back at the crack of dawn battered and bruised. His mother had been practically steaming when they arrived home, she roared at them and sent them upstairs to wash up before sitting them down for breakfast and smothering them in kisses.

This shouting was different to those motherly roars.

"We should have never allowed that ungrateful girl to stay with us!" Fugaku shouted as he returned home, kicking off his sandals and ripping the haori from his shoulders.

"Excuse me?" Mikoto replied, picking up the haori from the bannister and following her husband.

Itachi listened from his room, the noise travelling throughout the house. As the shouting crescendoed Itachi crept down the stairs and listened.

"She threw a spanner in the works, Mikoto! In front of the Hokage nonetheless! The council was literally on the verge of handing Itachi the title of Hokage and Reina completely shot him down!"

"Perhaps she had her reasons Fugaku. But you do not get to call that child ungrateful when she has lost everything! Would you be saying that if Itachi or Sasuke retaliated the same way?" Mikoto retorted, wild with anger. "We don't know what that girl is going through. So if she blocked the motion I'm sure there is a damn good reason for it."

"Well it doesn't matter now, the meeting has been postponed until she is out of the hospital." Fugaku muttered, picking up his paper in hope that the crossword puzzle would distract him.

"REINA IS IN THE HOSPITAL?!" Mikoto shrieked. "AND YOU'RE SAT HERE?!"

"Reina is in the hospital?!" Itachi exclaimed, barging into the kitchen with a look of dread on his face. "What happened? Is she ok?" Itachi asked, looking from his raging mother to his placid father.

Fugaku sighed, setting down his paper and clasping his hands together. "Of everything you've just heard Itachi, you take away that Reina is in the hospital? Over the fact your opportunity to be Hokage was possibly ruined?"

"Is...she...ok?" Itachi muttered, feeling his eyes begging to activate their sharingan. Mikoto lay her hand on Itachi's forearm, coming to stand between her husband and her son.

"So help me Fugaku, if you don't tell us if that girl is ok, then you'll end up in the hospital yourself." Mikoto spat, her aura dominating the room to the point Itachi couldn't breathe.

Fugaku blinked at his wife. He had never seen her lose her temper in such a way, especially regarding someone outside the clan.

He was in seriously deep shit.

"As far as I'm aware she blacked out after clutching her chest and hyperventilating." Fugaku murmured. "The medical ninja took her straight to the hospital to have her checked out. I don't know anything more than that."

Itachi looked at his father and wanted to scream and shout. Instead he looked to his mother who saw the fear and devastation in his eyes, unable to keep his usual mask in check, and nodded. "Go." Mikoto uttered softly, squeezing his arm gently.

"He can't go!? We need to discuss our action plan with regards to his claim as Hokage!" Fugaku interjected.

Mikoto shot him down with just a single glare.

Mikoto: 1 - Fugaku: Minus a shitload.

•••

When Reina opened her eyes the lights were immediately blinding; she groaned, swathing a hand to shield her face.