"Itachi, can we do some kunai training today?" Sasuke threw 4 kunai knives at the tree next to their garden and hit all the targets laid out across the trunk.
"You are already training. And you are doing a good job." Itachi didn't even look in Sasuke's direction.
"No, I mean. Can you take me somewhere out in the woods to do some actual training? Like what you normally do by yourself?"
"I don't have time for that today, Sasuke." Itachi sighed and put one hand up as he was lost in thought.
"What do you mean? You're just lounging around. You've been like this all day!" Sasuke shouted.
"Hm..." Itachi slowly turned to look at Sasuke standing on the patio next to the tree.
"It's already way past noon and all you've been doing is lying around on the porch staring at the ceiling!" Sasuke pointed at Itachi with irritation.
"Really...Have I?" Itachi sat up from his lounging position and ran his fingers across the side strands of his hair.
"Itachi, what's going on with you? You've been a bit off the past couple of days. You've never been this inactive or inattentive."
"Sorry Sasuke, some other time." Itachi stood up from the wooden floor of the porch and put on his slippers.
"Wait, where are you going?!" Sasuke followed Itachi until they were back inside the house.
*Knock knock*
"Itachi! Sasuke! Can one of you please grab the door?" Mikoto was busy washing dishes and preparing some homemade dishes for tonight's dinner.
"I'll grab it!" Sasuke rushed towards the door hoping it might be his dad coming back home earlier than usual.
Though it was never the case, he felt a bit excited at the possible chance.
"Father!" Sasuke grew an excited expression on his face, then slowly went away after seeing that it was Izumi and her mother, Hazuki Uchiha.
"Sasuke! Dear boy, you have gotten a bit taller since the last time I saw you!" Hazuki leaned forward and patted Sasuke on the head.
"H-hi there Aunt Hazuki." Sasuke slightly shied away.
"Hi there, Sasuke." Izumi smiled at the boy. She had been hiding behind her mom and only popped out to greet Sasuke.
"Hey, Izumi," Sasuke responded.
Izumi was beginning to get nervous even before stepping foot inside the head family house.
When word got out that they had been invited by Mikoto for dinner today, she couldn't stop thinking about how awkward it would be if she were to encounter Itachi again.
*****
"Izumi, dear!" Hazuki shouted from the bottom floor.
"Yeah?" Izumi was practicing some hand signs for a new Jutsu she was reading about.
"Mikoto invited us for dinner today at their house. Grab something nice to wear, okay? We're leaving in an hour."
"What?!" She went off balance and fell on her knees.
"Ouch!" Izumi bumped her hips on the wooden floor and struggled to bring herself up.
"Sweetie, you heard me. We'll be eating with the head family today for dinner." Hazuki had opened the door to Izumi's room.
"You mean, we'll be sitting at their dinner table face to face?" Izumi stood up from her fall.
"Sweetie. Of course. We'll be sharing several dishes together. How else do you eat with friends and family? What's gotten into you?"
"Y-yeah. Of course." Izumi spaced out. She couldn't believe it. After what happened last night, how could she face Itachi normally?
What would he think once he saw her? Surely, this would be uncomfortable for Itachi as well.
"But don't you and Aunt Mikoto already meet up every day? I mean. Why are we having this dinner in the first place?" Izumi was beginning to grow anxious.
"Mikoto and I haven't seen each other in about a couple of weeks. And that was the time I hung out with her at the market."
"We haven't had the chance to invite one another for things like this in a while. So, be ready in an hour, okay?" Her mother grew serious.
Hazuki left the room and shut the door behind her leaving Izumi in her room.
Izumi grabbed her nearest pillow and quietly screamed into it.
*****
"Please come inside." Sasuke welcomed their guests and led them inside their home.
"Sasuke? Is that Hazuki and Izumi?" Mikoto yelled from the kitchen.
"Yeah!" Sasuke shut the door behind them and then followed them in.
"Mikoto! It's so nice to see you again. It's been a while!" Hazuki walked into the kitchen and opened her arms to give Mikoto a hug.
"Hazuki! Izumi! You guys are finally here!" Mikoto turned in their direction.
"Oh? But where's Itachi? He must be out busy training all day, I'm guessing?"
"Actually, he's home today." Mikoto smiled.
Izumi went uneasy imagining having to see Itachi this evening for dinner.
"Please, make yourselves at home. Fugako won't be joining us today. He will be on a late evening meeting with the clan."
"Oh, well that's too bad. We'll definitely see him some other time!" Hazuki set aside her bag and began to help Mikoto prepare the dishes.
"I'll be helping out too Aunt Mikoto." Izumi walked up and began washing some of the vegetables.
"Oh darn! I completely forgot to grab some green peas, and some fish for the dish!" Mikoto panicked.
"Hazuki, I'll be right back! I'm going to head over to the store quickly!" Mikoto removed her apron and grabbed her bag.
"Mikoto, I'll go grab the rest with you." Hazuki joined.
"Oh, Hazuki, you don't have to, but the help would be appreciated." Mikoto smiled.
"Izumi, stay here and finish cutting out the ingredients. We'll be right back!" Hazuki dried her hands and then followed Mikoto to the door.
"Itachi! Come down and help Izumi with the preparations! Hazuki and I will be out to grab some more ingredients for dinner." Mikoto called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Understood. I'll be right down." Itachi had been standing in front of his door for quite some time. Actually, since the knock on the door early on and hearing Izumi's name being called out.
As Mikoto and Hazuki headed out, Itachi stepped down the stairs and headed over to the kitchen.
As he entered the kitchen, he could see Izumi cutting up the ingredients on the kitchen counter. Her back towards him.
She wore a nice dark skirt followed by some dark thigh highs that went from her toes and up a little past her knees. Her top was a light purple off-shoulder crop top blouse that showed her waist from behind. From the back, her hair was styled into a waterfall braid with her hair curled all around.
Itachi couldn't help but stare at how cute she looked. After a few seconds of staring, he was beginning to feel awkward just standing there mesmerized by her, so he decided to join Izumi in the preparation.
"Hey, Izumi." Itachi greeted her calmly and walked forward.
Izumi almost jumped in place from that familiar voice.
"I-Itachi. Hey..." She waved and then quickly turned back to cutting the ingredients.
Itachi looked over the ingredients that Izumi had already washed and cut.
"Hold on. You are doing the preparation completely wrong."
"W-what?!" Izumi was confused.
"These cherry tomatoes aren't supposed to be cut into 4 slices but rather in half. That is to allow for the distribution of the flavor more evenly across the curry as an addition."
"And those carrots are not to be shaved but rather chopped into cross sections. This is in preparation for the Nikujaga dish."
"Furthermore, you've avoided skinning the potatoes and proceeded to chop them. These were meant to be smashed and shaped for the Imo mochi."
Izumi began to grow a bit embarrassed. She didn't think she was doing anything wrong, to begin with. No one told her how to prepare them in a specific way. She only saw herself as being helpful.
"Here, like this." Itachi grabbed the knife from Izumi's hand and began to cut the rest of the vegetables calmly in the correct and intended way.
Izumi stood still watching Itachi majestically cut the fresh ingredients next to her while Itachi was explaining.
She couldn't help but stare at the movement of his arms and hands. The way he was handling the knife so flawlessly. Like a child mesmerized by glittering stars. Izumi was beginning to space out when suddenly a cherry tomato was shoved into her mouth.
"It seems that I have lost you in the process."
"W-wuah?" Izumi's mouth was full, and she couldn't properly speak as she tried to chew and swallow the cherry tomato.
"I've called your name a couple of times, but it seems you've lost your focus."
"S-sorry, Itachi. I was...my mind was...n-nevermind." Izumi directed her eyes away from Itachi. She had hoped that he hadn't noticed her drooling over him by cutting off some vegetables. No, what would he even think of her?
"Don't move." Itachi leaned closer to Izumi's face and wiped the side of her mouth with his thumb. The juice from the cherry tomato had begun to drip at the side of her lips.
He then brought his thumb over to the side of his lips and began to lick it clean.
"I-Itachi!" Izumi reacted in surprise at Itachi's gesture.
"What? You act as if we haven't done anything more intimate."
Izumi stood silent and thought about last night and about the moment Itachi left her sitting on her bed on her own. She wanted to know why Itachi did what he did. He had to have had a reason for kissing her and doing all that stuff to her. What was she to him?
"Itachi...why did you...last night. When you showed up in my room you —."
Itachi quickly cut her off by covering her mouth with his hand.
"Itachi, I can't find my paper bombs. I need it for the academy tomorrow. Iruka-sensei was supposed to teach us about how to properly place them." Sasuke was looking around the hallway.
"Sasuke, they are right over there on top of the coffee table in the living room. I laid them out for you so that you wouldn't forget them tomorrow."
"Oh, found them! Thanks, Itachi! Sasuke grabbed them and placed them inside his satchel. "I'm going to go outside and practice my kunai throwing a bit more. See ya." Sasuke walked out and headed into the garden.
"If we are going to talk about this matter, I suggest we talk in a different room." Itachi grabbed Izumi by the wrist and quickly took her upstairs and inside his room.
He closed the door behind Izumi and locked it.