one_long_mission | Someone just got more than they bargained for

When Itachi did make it back to his room, he was very relieved to see himself, so to speak, attempting to sleep. In this body, he had almost a boundless supply of energy, so he didn't know what Naurto would try.

He knelt by the edge of the bed, and put a hand very gently on his shoulder.

"Are you all right, there?"

"..uh.. s'me..." he muttered, eyelids fluttering open... before closing again. He knew the voice, but could only see a mass of something hella blurry. "Yeah.. ahah... m'peachy~"

Understatement, huge lie.
"Okay..not... what even..happened?"

"Some kind of body swapping... effect." Itachi wasn't sure exactly what it was either. But this wasn't the first time that it happened to him. "It's temporary, though."

He leaned in closer, hoping that would help Naruto see him a little better. But without sharingan on, it was likely to be hit or miss.

"It's me. Itachi." he eventually continued. "I'm in your body, and you're in mine."

"Ita..chi..." when was Itachi this weak? This sick? Itachi was the guy who'd trapped him in that damned genjutsu, and had annoying crows! "..so..why're you.. here?" he mumured, eyes opening halfway.

If this really was the body Itachi was stuck in... then... "You should take that time.... to just... do stuff you can't do with this body... yeah?" he gave a laugh that was more a cough. "I mean... you don't look or... feel that great..."

"I guess I've seen better days, Naruto." he replied before really realizing what the Uzumaki boy had said. And once he realized it, he didn't quite know what to make of it. "You... want me to... But you're..."

"Yeah... I want you to.. go out and.. do stuff... whatever you want." he had to frequently pause to breathe in. "Sorry... if you gotta not look like yourself... but... yaknow, if this thing... has a time limit, then... you should make use of it... all you can."

He didn't have the kyuubi's lifeforce holding him, but he had his undying willpower.
The worst might be that he wasn't craving ramen right now...

"..so.. yeah. What're you doin here... Itachi?" after all, if there were things this confined sickly man wished to do, helping him do them would be a good action. It did not even feel like the man was any threat. Not in this body. There was no akatsuki here anyways.

He could hardly believe that Naruto was serious. He was willing to lie there, probably in agony, so that Itachi could... go... do things?! He even questioned it again, just to make sure he wasn't delusional.

"... th..thank you..."

Now, what did he actually want more than anything else? What would he most want to do in the precious time he had in a healthy body with pretty much unlimited chakra and resources?

So simple, really.

He wanted to see Sasuke's face. Clearly. Without sharingan.

There was a faint smile, but it -was- there.

"Yaknow, Itachi.... m'gonna be Hokage." he paused because he had to. "A Hokage, does whatever's best... for his people.. and that's the best.. for you." he forced a hand to rise, slowly in a limpy salute. "Now go~"

Itachi, in Naruto's body, stood up and gently touched his own face. "Try to sleep, for now. I'll take care of your body, while I'm in it." he assured him.

And he literally ran off, as fast as his feet could carry him. He might have hours like this, or he might only have a few minutes. So he had to find Sasuke. Fast.

And as his benefactor agreed that sleep was the best of avenues open to him, a few ways away, near the house's closest training grounds, was the smallest Sasuke, face scrunched up in concentration. Those training weapons might not be the best, and be unlike real weapons he would use, but they -were- sharp and as Kushina told him, would only serve to make him even better once he used real, perfect-made kunai and shuriken.

He had three kunai and two shuriken in hand, a few more likely available somewhere. Since he was training, he had those bandages on his legs, sporting them in an almost-permanent fashion these days. There were a few targets hung upon nearby trees, seven of them at various angles and locations.
He took a deep breath, gathering his focus, and jumped into the air high. First, two of the three kunai were released, then the third, and as he let the two shuriken fly off as he took out two more kunai, which he hurled upwards with great force. As this was executed, his now-free hand had reached over to slip out a senbon and, spinning in the air to gather more momentum, threw it as well.

The two shuriken hit their target first, and then the two kunai that had been deflected by the last two that were thrown... but the third overall kunai and senbon both missed after their angle went into something unexpected as the two ricocheted off each other.

At least, with this experiment, Sasuke had discovered deflecting a kunai with a senbon would most likely take more work than it was worth for now. The angle was so unpredictable and he'd missed the timing even with his sharingan.
He grunted lightly. On his forehead was that piece of paper he'd almost-permanently had stuck there with chakra.

Itachi was able to find the youngest Sasuke pretty quickly. And for a while, he just hid there, behind a bush, watching his little brother train. He looked... just like Itachi remembered. Exactly like Itachi remembered. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

He went over to pick up every weapon, walking easily up the trees, sharingan having faded since he did not need it and wanted to conserve chakra. He jumped back down after that, taking the stray kunai, and glaring at the senbon after he picked it up. What was it that didn't work? Maybe he'd thrown it way too fast after all?

He took out his weapons again, getting in the usual strange... and this time the weapons failed to reach their marks again. Same misses, although the kunai -had- stuck near the target. The senbon..was.. well, he guessed it was into a tree since the angle he threw it indicated it should have.

As he had flipped into the air, however, he had noticed something with his sharingan... how he had not previously, he wondered. It was so bright! "Someone's there?"

Itachi stood up. But of course, it was Naruto that Sasuke saw.

"Hey, Sasuke." he tried to speak like Naruto would speak. He didn't think he really had the time to explain everything that had happened, so he didn't even attempt to try. "Couldn't help but see you training. Good work there. Thought you could use a break."

And then without warning, he poked him. Not in the forehead (that would be far too obvious) but in the arm.

"Tag! You're it."

"Ah, it's older-Naruto!" he shifted off the sharingan, because boy that was getting pretty blinding. "Break? You brought snacks!?" he asked, yes hopeful...

Before.. "HA!" replacing weapons training by stamina training? Good plan. "Cheater!!" he took off after him as fast as he could, making a note to retrieve his weapons later.

Itachi knew Sasuke was after him, so he darted this way and that. He leapt on trees, turned tight corners, jumped, rolled, flipped... He hadn't been able to move that way in a while! Not without conserving a tremendous amount of stamina and chakra first, and it was still only for a few moves. This... this was something out of childhood.

Sasuke ran after him, trying to do what he did, met with some success, but not nearly as good with those movements.

He HAD to get him!! ...he did remember one particular moment, long long ago.. and grinned.
He waited until Naruto was out of sight and then quickly proceeded to summon a bunshin, then rushed up a tree.If his stratagem worked, Naruto would eventually come closer since he wasn't moving an inch, and THEN he would drop down on him! And so, pressed against the tree, fitting within a niche where the bark had misgrown up a branch, he waited for his chance...

It wasn't something that Itachi (or probably Naruto) would fall for, but he let himself fall for it.

"Now, where could he be?"

Itachi dropped to the ground, rolling playfully with the Sasuke that practically landed on him from above. Oh, he laughed so hard. And he wasn't even out of breath!

"Aahha! Got you!" the clone had poofed out the second he'd connected with his target. He felt like such a genius! "You're it now!" he was quick to disentangle from him before rushing away, taking his flight to the tree trunks, now able to most flawlessly manipulate his chakra and stick wherever he may want. "Try'n catch me~"

This might be stamina training, but tag was pretty fun in itself!

"You're on!" He rolled up to his feet and took off after Sasuke this time.

But where Sasuke could summon one clone, Naruto could summon a bunch. So, Itachi used the technique to surround Sasuke with a bunch of Narutos, all jumping in on him in a big dogpile of fun. Eventually, they all disappeared, save for the real one whose stomach was growling like a fox.

"Okay, now it's snack time." he laughed.

"Uwaah!" was Sasuke's reaction as all those Naruto came at him. "Cheaaaater!" he protested as the pile dropped to the ground. Even though he sounded mad, he was laughing a second later at the sound.

"You're always hungry, aren't you?" he gave a sheepish smile as his stomach echoed the other's. "I should eat too... eheh~" he looked over the set of tees nearer the house. "Gotta retrieve my weapons first though!" Older-Naruto was such a great fun-loving guy as much as he was himself!

With that much energy, Itachi guessed that Naruto probably was always hungry, and he nodded.

"I could really go for something sweet, though." he smiled, as he ran past Sasuke. He couldn't afford to wait around. The thought of enjoying some dango without having to worry about whether he could stomach more than a few bites of it? And with Sasuke?! He couldn't pass up the chance. "I bet I'll beat you back to the training grounds, though!"

It was a race!

There was a bout of overjoyed laughter as he ran back. "No fair~ you're so much faster!" he called out. "One day I'll beat you~" besides, his body did still need to grow.

After the weaponry was retrieved and safely stored within their pouches and holders, the two were on their way to the food district... running all the way. Sasuke was getting somewhat breathless, but still followed. "Somethin' sweet huh?" he was no fan, but most places did not -just- have sweet things.

It didn't take him long to find a vendor that was putting out some fresh sticks of dango, among other treats. Nevermind the fact that all the real Naruto seemed to eat was ramen.

"Tell you what. This one's my treat. Is there something you want?" he smirked while he ordered several sticks of different flavors of dango for himself.

"Hmm... Sesame's good!" it wasn't that sweet, and....
..since when did Naruto like dango so much? "Eheheh~ you're funny, older-Naruto~" he gave a smile. "You know... dango reminds me of niisan." there was a fond smile on his lips. "It's his really most favorite thing on earth." he might just chalk it up as coincidence really, since he did not know Naruto that much.

"Oh... can I get one to bring back to niisan too?" he asked, big eyes looking up to him. "He loves hanabi dango the best~"

"Sure." Itachi replied, still trying to sound like Naruto would as he placed the order. "I hadn't seen him around, though. Didn't even know he was here."

Naruto was probably a terrible liar, but Itachi figured he'd try. He honestly had no idea how Naruto would react to that kind of question.

It wasn't long before they were both sitting down with little plates. Itachi took a big bite off his stick, and just... enjoyed the flavor of the dough and the sauce. It tasted better than Itachi remembered it. Of course, when you feel so sick, nothing really had that good of a taste.

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