Getting settled

[youngesthokage]

This village was.... interesting. Not in a bad way, exactly, even though it didn't look like home, but this place was better than the last one he'd found himself in. He'd claimed a house a bit up the cliff face, where he could look out over the village, and he was sure eventually he wouldn't be the only inhabitant.

After all, this place seemed as baffling as the last. But, he was sure, he'd still get found by the ones who mattered eventually.

Thus, he settled himself under a tree, back leaned against it, as he nibbled some local dango.

(OOC: Alrighty! Itachi has been here a while and has made a little niche for himself. For those who know him from other places, he will know you too! Sub-note: if you have an AU with him feel free to pick it up here on his post.)

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[itachi_san]

Itachi had gone for a walk, a very long walk... He wasn't intending to cross worlds, but apparently he had, as he found himself in a place he didn't recognize at all. He'd also come to the realization that he no longer knew how long he'd been walking. In the world he'd come from, it was probably only minutes. But here it felt like days, if not weeks, had gone by. And suddenly, thoughts about where he'd ended up were replaced by even more basic needs - hunger, pain, exhaustion...

[youngesthokage]

There was no mistaking the face. Then again it was rather close to one he saw in the mirror often, if not older. It was the posture that really gave him away though, and he was quickly on his feet and approaching the man, just a bit cautious in case he was wrong. "Itachi?"

[itachi_san]

He looked up at the sound of the voice, the recognition of a familiar face was more than evident. He reached out his hand toward his partner, took a few more steps closer, and dropped to the ground where he stood.

[youngesthokage]

He made a strangled noise of shock and bolted forward to gather up the fallen form, carefully applying chakra to him and utterly certain he'd used too much to get here. "I'm sorry you had to come look for me."

[itachi_san]

When he had the strength to resist, he pushed the hand away.

"You didn't come back for me... You didn't even come home..."

[youngesthokage]

He didn't let him, holding him closer and using the rejected hand to brush his hair out of his face. "Shhh. I didn't mean to go anywhere. I can't really do what you do, remember? I can't choose to go home from the places that I end up."

[itachi_san]

It was a true statement, yes, but it certainly didn't make the other man feel any better. He'd already lost Sasuke. That said enough right there.

"Then I'm TAKING you back..." he hissed. "What good is choosing to go across dimensions if I can't even choose to leave that house of her's."

[youngesthokage]

"Okay, now shhh." He gathered him tightly to him and kissed his hair, holding him tightly to him. "I wasn't... trying to be cruel."

[itachi_san]

Itachi was shaking.

"There is nothing crueler than being forced to live through your worst nightmares, and then have to replay them back in your head with no relief while the very faces of those whose lives you've destroyed stare back at you and coddle you!"

[bunsofsteel]

There's no hostile intent at all as a perfectly aimed kunai thunks to the ground out of seemingly nowhere, embedding itself in the grass about half a meter from the other's foot. Perched atop the roof of this weird cliffside house, Tenten rests an elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand, spinning another kunai around her finger as she waits for the other to notice.

[youngesthokage]

He peered at the kunai for a moment before turning his gaze up to her. "I hope very sincerely that you weren't aiming at me, as that would have been terrible aim."

[bunsofsteel]

In an instant, the other kunai is released from her fingers and slamming into the trunk of the tree behind him, close enough to shave a few hairs from the top of his head as she grins down at him, hardly offended. "I could aim elsewhere if you'd rather~?"

[youngesthokage]

"Hmmm but then you might damage my clothes and I'll admit that they're not as easy to locate here as my last place of residence." He peered up at her, reaching to brush hair out of his face.

[bunsofsteel]

"Heh." She just grins again, taking hold of the edge of the roof and leaping down to the ground to set a hand on her hip, watching him carefully. "So what's the trick to getting out of this place, Itachi-sama? Already went around the village, seems pretty boring, really."

[youngesthokage]

"I haven't honestly determined that. I believe it's a place removed from the Hotel as it was days before I saw anyone that seemed anything other than a working civilian."

[bunsofsteel]

"Removed?" She arches an eyebrow and lets out an amused hum. "That would be nice. I've started doing that stupid thing with every door I've gone through, you know."

Without a moment's hesitation, she approaches the other and drops down to crouch beside him, resting her back against the tree. "But if it's removed, does that mean it's one of those side-universes you mentioned, or you mean, like, separate completely?"

[youngesthokage]

"I think... separate completely. I can't remember a day in the hotel where there wasn't people identifiable to me as Hotel residents, but here... no." He peered up at her with a slight shake of his head.

I demand a reset button

[itachi_san]

Part of Itachi cursed his low stamina and weakened chakra reserves. Despite his partner's sharingan, he seemed absolutely unable to copy Itachi's strange ability to move between different worlds at will.

That meant not only did he have to make multiple trips, but he also had to rest in between. It also meant the Hokage spent the first day or so of their family vacation alone at the mountain cabin they'd secured, waiting for the rest of the family to actually arrive.

Fortunately, it wasn't too long before cries of "Papa!!" "I wanna go rock climbing? Can we go rock climbing?!" and "Hurry up, Mama!!" heralded the rest of his little clan's arrival.

Annnnd we'll call that other thread a nightmare on his first night while alone I'd say.

[youngesthokage]

He shifted a little, debating actually getting up... then decided not to, settled back int he grass in a pose not dissimilar to the first time he and Itachi really ever spoke. He nibbled on his Dango and pretended he didn't notice a thing, even when Isamu decided to jump on him.

yeah, let's go with that.

[itachi_san]

Minoru would have jumped on him too, but he was busy practically dragging Itachi up the hillside.

"Next time... we're picking a world with a beach..." Itachi dropped to his knees next to the Hokage. (At which point, Minoru jumped on him) The child around his neck certainly didn't help him catch his breath any faster. "...not... not a mountain..."

[youngesthokage]

"...Sit down all the way and just breathe, won't you?" He stared at him, shaking his head.

[itachi_san]

"...Minoru, go run around and play for a little while." he urged the boy off his back. "There are lots of trees to climb. And they're much taller than I am..."

Thankfully, that worked, and Itachi slumped right next to the Hokage against the tree.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..." he apologized with a soft smile. "You didn't eat all the dango out of spite, did you?"

[youngesthokage]

Isamu burrowed in against his dad and closed his eyes, apparently intending to nap right there as he was being ignored.

"Would I actually do such a thing?" He offered him one.

[itachi_san]

"I'd hope not." he added, taking it and immediately eating some of it. "Or else I'd be pretty hungry."

With the date of the surgery looming, it had actually been Mikoto that suggested a vacation. Granted, that meant it took a little more convincing to get Itachi on board with the idea, but eventually he did relent.

[youngesthokage]

He looked over at him for a moment. "Do you remember the first time we actually got to properly talk, as ourselves?"