one_long_mission | It's so pretty...

Tenten was another one who had managed to escape the people she'd been with, humming with some amusement to herself as she wandered the festival. After all, how was she supposed to buy them each a nice surprise if they were hovering all over her all the time? A candied apple on a stick in her mouth, she takes a moment and smooths her dark red kimono before moving on, eyes wide as she takes in the festival.

However, she's not distracted enough not to notice the kid wandering around on his own. While that was strange enough, that face was unmistakable. Nearly dropping the apple, she moves quickly to intercept.

"Uh... excuse me," she tries, only lightly tapping the kid on the shoulder. "Are you...?"

He turned in place, then his eyes went wide. Oh! Oh no. Um.

Um.

He flailed about mentally for a moment before he moved forward and hugged her around the waist. "I'msorryIsiccedNeji-sanonyou."

"Whoa!" She takes a step back to keep her balance and just blinks down at him, holding the sticky treat carefully out of the way so he didn't get it on his clothes, or worse, in his hair. "Hold on, what are you talking about? What's this about Neji?"

He colored a little and pulled back, putting his hands behind his back as he gave her a -very- apologetic look. "I didn't think he'd go tearing off like that but we were talking to Naruto-nee and she mentioned you and he mentioned you and I recognized what he said and I'm sorry! He wouldn't believe me that the older mes aren't bad. I've met some and none of them were and uh. Um." He spluttered to a stop.

"I apologize if he overreacted, it as my fault."

...He did look an awful lot like Itachi, and the way he spoke when flustered was far too similar to be coincidence. "Hey! I said slow down!" She frowns at him, trying to piece together everything he's saying.

"You know Neji? And you're...?" As she resolves his words, there's no doubt, though her expression darkens just a hint into something dangerous. "He knows you and had the nerve to go off on me?!" Oh, there would definitely be words exchanged about this. For now, she pushes it out of her mind and just stares at the child with no small amount of fascination. "Hold on, how did you know who I was?"

He nodded his head immediately, relaxing a little when she didn't seem upset. "I'm Itachi mmhmm. He's known me for a while now. He was the first person I met when I got here and he took care of me until mom got here. She's still trying to convince him to move in full time. I think he might be weakening a little since he shares more meals with us than away now." He paused a bit and bounced on his heels. "I saw you going around the village with the older-me. You looked happy so I remembered it, that's all."

"Your mom is here?" Tenten's shock is clear to see. Does Itachi know this? And Sasuke? What would that mean for them? There's no way their mother would approve of the kind of relationship they had, that was just...

For now, she pushes it out of her mind after making a note to tell the two of them about this bizarre situation, blinking as she returns her attention to the child. "Herring soba," she says finally, bringing the apple to her lips again with a small smile. If Neji moved in with the other Uchihas, what could he really say against her? "That's his favorite food."

Her cheeks color again as she blinks at him. So that's how he knew her? "...Oh. Is that weird?"

He looked away for a moment, then back up to her face. "It's not... It's not -weird-. It's just... all the other older mes are so -sad-. But he was smiling, and so were you, and I'm glad that at least -one- older me is happy and not, well, dead or dying or miserable. The first me I met was so miserable, he ran away from me."

He bit his lower lip. "It was really sad, when I caught him he tried to scare me but I could tell he didn't want to hurt me so..." He hitched up a shoulder. "And I've seen the one living with us now. I peeked in looking for mom after Neji-san went after you... he's so -sick-..."

"I dunno if that's just... something I have or will have or if that's something that happened to him but... Maybe you should know about that too? Since you're happy and like the older me and stuff."

He gave her a shy smile after saying this, peeking up at her.

She's quiet for a long moment as she just listens to him speak, apple hanging forgotten at her side. Were these the Itachis from her own world? The ones she knew would murder the clan and become missing-nin? If her Itachi was sick, would he even tell her?

That wasn't any expression to have in front of a child, though, and she exhales through her nose, trying for a small smile, knowing it still looks worried. "I'm sure everything will work out just fine," she says automatically with a nod. Casting him another glance, her smile turns a bit more reassuring. "I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure he stays happy. And healthy, so don't you worry, okay?"

He gave her a frown that clearly said he could tell she was putting on a face for him. "Well... when I was really little I used to get tired super easy. That stopped after I started learning ninjutsu though." He paused and shrugged.

"Don't get mad at him cause of something I said okay? I don't mean to keep causing that. I'm sorry again about Neji-san. I know he's super nice but he looked really upset and wouldn't listen at -all-."

"I'll talk to him about it, okay?" She gives him another smile and tilts her head in invitation as she starts to walk toward a nearby bench, taking a seat and offering him the candy apple to lick from if he wanted some.

Resting her elbows on her knees, she just sighs and stares straight ahead for a moment. "I know Neji was upset. I know why, too. It'll just... maybe with time, he'll learn better. So don't worry, okay? He had to find out eventually."

Another smile, and she tries to change the subject. "So you're friends with Neji, then?"

"Mm." He took the apple and promptly took a bite, looking at her as he settled to sit beside her as he sucked on the bite before chewing, ordering his words. He didn't speak until his mouth was empty again. "He's been helping with my training. He was really mad at Naruto for teaching me Kage bunshin when he heard I fainted. He's super protective."

He rolled his eyes on a huff. "It's like Iruka all -over- again."

She can't help but laugh -- the kid had him pinned down perfectly. "He is really protective, isn't he? I bet if you tried to tell him though, he'd just huff and ignore you, right?" This kid would be good for Neji, she could tell already. After all, if he could see Itachi as he really was, then maybe...

A beat, then she lightly pokes his shoulder. "You shouldn't be fainting from learning jutsu, though."

He couldn't help it, he flushed. "I'd been training a lot already and then I ran into Naruto and I showed him how bad I was with Fire jutsu without augmenting, I don't think he understood what that meant, and then he showed me Kage Bunshin and I did it -twice- to get it right. And then I fainted. That happens though, when I train too far with chakra. Usually I just fall asleep after speed training and stuff."

He couldn't help the pout. "Neji-san keeps carrying me home without permission from training like Iruka used to before I came here. It's embarrassing."

She can't help but glance to him and cover her mouth with one hand as she laughs. His way of speaking was too adorable not to! Sometimes it felt like dragging more than one sentence out of either Itachi or Sasuke was like pulling teeth, but this boy--!

"I'm glad you've met Neji," she says finally, still trying to stifle her laughter and giving him a bright smile. "And if you're training hard enough that he's stopping you, that's a hint that you're overworking yourself." So Iruka was a sensei even back then? Huuh...

He wrinkled up his nose on a huff. "At least he's older than Iruka. It's worse when it's your teammate doing it! I mean, it's bad enough I'm so much younger right? But he's tall for his age and it's not fair because he picked the most horrible nickname ever and refuses to not call me it even when we get new genin into the team." He shook his head, looking a bit horrified. "Neji-san's not like -that- at least. He's more like Sensei, just prettier."

She laughs again, seized by the inexplicable desire to ruffle his hair, but instead she just lets him have the apple, thoroughly amused. So Iruka wasn't his sensei, but his teammate? "And what does Iruka-sensei call you, hm? I promise not to use it on you, but~" She leans in close with a conspiratorial grin, "Maybe I'll use it on your older self. He'd like that, you think?"

She laughs again and sits back, tilting her head as she waits for his answer.

"I don't think so at all." He gave her a long stare. "But... it might be funny. Iruka calls me Tachi-chan." He took another bite of the apple, shaking his head.

"Tachi-chan?" Her cheeks go red as she tries to stifle more laughter, imagining just what kind of faces her Itachi will make in response to that. Probably make one of those protesty noises and pout. Finally she manages to swallow her giggles enough to offer her pinky for a promise. "Well, I'll keep my word and not call you that, okay, Itachi-kun?"

He gave her a long hard stare, then hooked fingers with her. "Okay."

She can't help but laugh again as she releases his finger, leaning back against the bench. "Don't worry, if he gets annoyed, I'll make it up to him, somehow~"

Though she's not responsible if Sasuke starts taunting him with it.

He stared at her for a beat. "....I don't wanna know."

If she were cruel, she could tease him about it, but instead she just laughs and gives into her desire to ruffle his hair. "So tell me more about you and Neji, hm? Does he still act like he has a massive stick up his behind?"

He blinked at her. "Uh... No? I mean. He's kinda like dad about sweets, but he poked me in the head with chakra a couple times when he decided I was focusing too hard and thought it was funny...?"

"He thought something was funny?" Sure, Neji had lightened up a lot in the three years since their first Chuunin exams, but... "I think you'll be good for Neji. So it's you, Neji, and your... mom, right?"

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