Chapter Text
The day he was due for his first ever overnight training session with his new ANBU team, Itachi woke up with a splitting headache and a 100 degree fever.
He stared a little hatefully at the thermometer, willing the number to go away.
His vision blurred just a bit, but when he blinked, the number remained.
Annoying.
He shoved the thermometer back into the drawer maybe a bit more violently than necessary, and resolved to pretend he had never used it.
Fever? What fever? Itachi was a strong Konoha shinobi and about to embark on his first ever overnight training session with his team.
His team of ANBU agents. Because Itachi had made ANBU.
'And ANBU agents,' Itachi thought, firmly shutting the drawer. 'Do not get sick.'
It went alright enough at first.
His dizziness was mostly manageable, and the high collar on the jacket he'd chosen to wear that day helped to cover up the flush of his face.
He'd just wait to take off his jacket till after they'd started training, so he could blame any sweating or visible discomfort on the exercise. A foolproof plan, Itachi insisted to himself.
The training too, wouldn't be too hard, he reasoned.
This was a simple two day session, to familiarize himself with ANBU procedures. The day was to be spent learning to communicate with his teammates, to fight alongside them, starting to get used to their tells. The night was a simple challenge of making a mock camp— learning the duties of what it means to set an ANBU camp (not to be confused with a boring, ordinary shinobi camp), adjusting to sleeping and eating with his ANBU mask on, that sort of thing.
Easy. Simple. Manageable, even with his head pounding and his hands faintly trembling.
For sure.
And he got away with it well enough too. At first, anyways.
The first hour went by simply enough. Itachi breezed through the hand signs Kakashi showed him, helped by the sharingan. (Even if it did make his headache so much worse.)
Kakashi seemed pleased by his progress, nodding at him and motioning for him to continue as he split off to begin a light spar with Shisui.
Leaving Itachi alone with the quietest member of their team.
He hadn't had much opportunity to talk with Tenzo much yet— Shisui, he knew well, and Kakashi he at least knew of well.
But Tenzo, he knew absolutely nothing of, other than the fact that he had Mokuton.
It was incredible, Itachi thought, that the village had managed to keep his existence so quiet. Surely the few remaining Senju would want to sing his praises from the rooftops, make sure everyone in the village knew that their bloodline limit had returned— but apparently not.
Whatever. He'd find out soon enough, he was sure. They were teammates now, after all.
(And even if Itachi wouldn't dig himself, surely Shisui would tell him if he found out...?)
Itachi ignored the older boy sitting beside him, instead cycling through all the hand signs he'd crammed into his brain so far.
Tenzo, meanwhile, didn't bother to hide the way he was watching him. Big racoon eyes all wide and blank in a way that unsettled Itachi, just a little. Not that he'd ever dare to show it.
Then, it happened.
Itachi sneezed.
Tenzo turned, examining him idly before pausing. Examining him again, a little more thorough.
"You're sick." Tenzo finally pointed out blandly.
"No I'm not." Itachi replied automatically, a little stuffy, then sneezed again.
"Your face is red." Tenzo noted in the same measured tone.
"No it's not." Itachi insisted, adjusting his collar to cover up the sweaty flush that he'd woken up with that morning.
"Your voice sounds terrible."
"I'm going through puberty." Itachi sniffled as if offended. "That's to be expected."
Tenzo seemed to consider this argument carefully.
Itachi did not shift nervously while he waited for his answer. Finally, his teammate gave a slow nod.
"You're not sick."
Itachi nodded back, much firmer. "Obviously."
"Captain doesn't have to know."
"There's nothing to know to begin with."
Itachi sniffed again. Whether this one was another offended sniffle or a sick sniffle was unclear.
Tenzo remained silent.
Itachi was glad they could come to an agreement.
Besides, he wasn't sick. Just... a little off color, was all. He'd be fine.
Itachi may have miscalculated.
He wasn't sick (obviously) but... he may have a bit of a sniffle. A bit.
One that had his head pounding and vision blurring as he bounced around the secluded training field. Adding a whole new dimension of difficulty to fighting his captain.
His reactions were slow, his aim off. His head pounded with each shunshin he performed, every leap or kick or punch.
When Kakashi made clones to come at Itachi from different directions, Itachi had a moment of pure panic— were they actually clones or was he just so dizzy he was seeing double?
It was enough to make him stumble.
Before he knew it, he was lying flat on his back, out of breath and dizzy. Kakashi stood over him, looking down at the boy with knitted brows.
When his captain offered him a hand up, Itachi somehow managed to miss the hand all together, (apparently he was seeing double, this time at least) before trying to grab it again and succeeding.
Kakashi pulled him up onto his feet, studying him with a cool gaze.
Itachi struggled not to fidget under his captain's eyes, feeling guilty and embarrassed at his display of mediocrity.
"What's wrong with you?" Kakashi finally asked flatly.
"Nothing, captain, I'm fine." Itachi defended, staring into Kakashi's eyes dead on. Not so much as twitching, unwilling to give up the lie.
Kakashi was hard to read with his mask in the way, but his brows furrowed as he reached out for Itachi in a way that almost conveyed concern— the most animated Itachi had seen of their closed off captain yet.
Itachi stepped back, trying to avoid the hand reaching for his forehead, but this only seemed to make Kakashi more concerned.
His hand was so close to getting near enough to notice how hot Itachi was burning— When suddenly, Itachi's foot caught on a root he could have sworn wasn't there before.
Itachi tripped, falling back and landing with a quiet oomf in the arms of Tenzo. The younger boy stared up at him, wide eyed and disoriented.
Then suddenly, the world was spinning a little harder than before, and he was neatly tucked behind his older teammate. Tenzo standing between him and Kakashi, just a little bit too tense to pass off as natural.
"He's fine, captain. I checked him over earlier myself."
Now Kakashi was looking at them both with mild, confused concern. But slowly, he turned his attention towards Tenzo alone.
Tenzo held firm, arms locked behind his back as he held the standard posture for mission reports.
Standing behind him as he was, Itachi could see the way his fists clenched tight enough to turn his knuckles white.
"...If you're sure. I'll trust your judgment, then." Kakashi turned his attention back towards Itachi, leaning out from behind Tenzo's stock-still frame.
"Take a break Itachi, we'll continue in five."
Itachi nodded quietly, distracted by the thick tension that still held Tenzo still.
"Yes, captain."
As Kakashi turned away, Itachi touched his hand to Tenzo's balled fist, which twitched slightly before relaxing.
"Thank you."
Tenzo didn't look at him, but his posture eased.
"There's nothing to thank me for." His head tilted Itachi's way, just a fraction. "You aren't sick."
...Itachi was beginning to think otherwise.
Itachi made himself scarce, finding a thick tree to hide behind to try to collect himself out of view. He practically collapsed by its roots, sliding to the dirt with a heavy sigh.
His head hurt , and it hurt bad.
He closed his eyes, pressing his palms to his eyelids and willing the pounding to go away.
It... didn't do much.
"Well that was a mess." A dry, teasing voice spoke up besides him.
Itachi cracked open an eye, keeping his hands pressed into his eyes, but shifting one palm a little to peek up at Shisui a hair.
"I've been told to take five." Itachi said, the words coming out a little snippier than he meant them to. "You're interrupting my focus."
"Your focus on... taking a break?" Shisui asked, amused.
"Hn."
Shisui snorted, and plopped down onto the grass beside him.
Itachi ignored him.
Something that proved to be a mistake, when suddenly there was a hand pressed against his forehead.
Itachi slapped his cousin's hand away, but it was too late— Shisui's eyebrows were already rising in surprised concern.
"Hey, you're seriously burning up right now."
"I'm fine," Itachi hurried to insist. "It's nothing."
"No, for real 'Tachi." Shisui shuffled closer, starting to look worried.
Itachi, meanwhile, tried to shuffle away but found his back hitting the tree he'd been leaning against. Trapped.
"You look pretty bad too, are you..? Oh my god."
Itachi winced as Shisui pointed at him accusingly.
"You're sick!"
"I am not!" Itachi hissed.
"You so are! Captain! Hey, Capt—!"
Itachi lunged at his cousin as he began to call for Kakashi. Shisui side stepped him easily enough, ignoring his attempts to silence him.
"Hey Captain, Itachi is sick!"
"Shut up!"
"Captaainnn!" Shisui sang as Itachi lunged at him again, only to again miss.
"What's going on?" Kakashi approached, spelling Itachi's doom.
Shisui rounded on him, pointing at Itachi. "He's sick! Look at him captain, he's totally out of it!"
"Itachi." Itachi froze at Kakashi's tone of voice, calm and disapproving. "I thought you said you were fine."
"I— I— It's nothing, I really am—"
A cool hand pressed to Itachi's forehead. Itachi flinched back, eyes squeezing shut, but he was too late.
The jig was up.
"Mahh… You really are burning up.”
Kakashi sighed, retracting his hand. Itachi almost missed it, the absence of cold skin making him so much more aware of how hot his face felt.
"Symptoms?"
Itachi averted his eyes. "...Head kinda hurts."
"Is that how you reply to your direct superior when he asks for your symptoms?" Kakashi asked, tone just a bit more commanding.
"N-no, sorry." Itachi's shoulders hunched as he began to dutifully list out his symptoms. "Migraine, dizziness, sneezing, um— poor balance."
"And...?"
Itachi hesitated. "My vision keeps blurring, a little. In time with the headaches."
Kakashi clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "And this has been going on since...?"
"...This morning..." Itachi mumbled, shamefaced.
"And you still came to training without informing me of your status because...?"
All Itachi could manage to give him was a half hearted shrug.
Kakashi let out an annoyed sigh that only made Itachi feel worse.
"Listen up. ANBU rule number one!" Kakashi held up a finger, putting his other hand on his hip. "When your comrade asks about your status, you reply truthfully and without downplaying any injuries."
Behind him, Shisui snorted and mumbled something under his breath. Kakashi shot him a withering glare.
"And when your leader asks about your status, you reply truthfully and without downplaying anything— or else."
Itachi gulped, and nodded.
"Now. Go home, Itachi. We'll reschedule this for when you aren't sick."
Itachi's head shot up, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "B-But—!"
"But?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "No buts, shoo. Go rest or whatever."
"But, I mean— I can't—"
Kakashi continued to stare at him, both blankly disapproving and expecting. It made Itachi squirm, feeling both too seen and practically invisible.
"—Tou-san expects this to go well, I can't just come home early!"
"Fugaku will understand." Kakashi shrugged.
'Tou-san will not understand!' Itachi wanted to argue, rather loudly. 'Tou-san will— will—'
"He'll be ashamed!"
"Ashamed is a pretty big word there."
Itachi flushed in embarrassment— both at his own admission and Kakashi's tone of voice.
"This is my first session as an ANBU agent, I can't fail it! Father will be so disappointed in me!"
"Sage, what are you, 11?" Kakashi grumbled under his breath, rubbing at the back of his head in annoyance.
"Uhh, yeah captain. He is." Shisui stage whispered.
Kakashi let out another explosive, overly drawn out sigh.
Itachi somehow felt even more embarrassed than before.
Finally, Kakashi looked at him. Standing tense and shame faced, trying his best to stand firm even as he burned with humiliation and fever.
"I..." Kakashi hesitated, something complicated playing across his face as he wilted. "Ugh."
Kakashi rolled his shoulders back, putting on the airs of their captain once again.
"Congratulations, your... training is being moved."
Itachi made a questioning, hopeful noise.
"To... my house. Where you will be expected to rest , until you go home as scheduled."
Shisui practically lit up. "Your house? We get to go to your house?"
"Itachi gets to go to my house." Kakashi huffed.
"How is that fair—?!" Shisui yelped, grabbing on to Kakashi's arm. Kakashi poofed into smoke as soon as Shisui touched him, replaced by a log.
Shisui spinned around, pointing accusingly towards where Kakashi was now packing up the little gear they'd set out so far, blatantly ignoring him.
"Captain, Captain this is a group training session! You can't just split Itachi off from us, you know! Come on! Come on!"
"I've been trying to figure out where this guy lives for a year and you get the invite to come inside in your first week!" Shisui hissed, disbelieving. "This is so unfair."
The two of them stood in the living room of Kakashi's apartment— one of them much more excited to be there than the other.
"You can be sick instead, if you want." Itachi croaked, the act of speaking in itself making his throat hurt.
Shisui took a look at him, sweaty, snotty and miserable, then grimaced.
"No thanks."
Yeah. That's what Itachi thought.
"How are you even sure this is my real apartment?" Kakashi re-entered the room, bringing with him an armful of blankets.
"Maybe this is just my decoy apartment, to throw off my snooty little kohai when they go poking their noses where they don't belong."
Shisui scowled, pointing accusingly Kakashi's way. "Yeah right, they don't pay you well enough to afford that."
S ranked ninja, The Copy-nin, Kakashi of the Sharingan, looked at Shisui flatly.
"Shit."
Kakashi rolled his eyes, and carelessly dumped the pile of blankets onto Itachi's head.
Itachi could have at least attempted to get out of the way, but just sort of let it happen instead. Not even blinking as the blankets tumbled over his head, burying him in an instant.
The darkness was kind of nice, actually. And it was warm, too. Even if his feet were sticking out of the safety of the blankets, rapidly feeling colder as the rest of him warmed up.
"Get comfortable."
"Shouldn't he take a bed or something?" Shisui asked, but Kakashi was already turning away.
"I dont care."
Still buried in cloth, Itachi wiggled his toes, then slowly slid his legs up so he could be completely submerged in the blankets.
"Hey, come on Itachi." Shisui reached out to the blankets, intending to untangle his cousin from the mass. "Let's get you in bed."
A hand shot out of the pile of blankets, slapping Shisui's own hand away, before retreating back into its burrow.
"Seriously?" Shisui's brow twitched, exasperated, and he got to work trying to wrestle Itachi out of his nest.
"At least get onto the couch, come on 'Tachi!"
Itachi kicked haphazardly at his cousin as best as he could without being able to see. He had impressive aim, for a sick, blind 11 year old trapped under heavy blankets.
Shisui only just barely dodged the kick, yanking at the blankets. Only for Itachi to pull them tighter around himself and hunkered further down on the floor, moaning in protest as Shisui began to attempt to drag him out of his protective cocoon by his feet.
Kakashi ignored them both, turning towards the 4th silent member of the team— standing in the corner as still and somber as someone waiting for a death sentence to be handed down to them.
Tenzo went rigid as Kakashi looked at him with clear disapproval.
"Tenzo." Kakashi crossed his arms. "You lied to me, as your captain, about the status of a team member. That merits a serious reprimand."
Tenzo's lips were pressed together so tightly they were nearly white. He nodded, face ashen.
"I understand, captain."
"Your punishment." Kakashi thrust a piece of paper forward, which Tenzo stared at blankly.
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out with faintly shaking hands to take the page.
He looked down at it with the kind of expression that said he fully expected to see his own death warrant signed and just waiting for approval. But instead—
"This is... groceries?"
"'Sick boys need soup.'" Kakashi said in a tone of voice like he was quoting someone.
Tenzo looked up at his captain like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Possibly both.
"Don't do this again, or I'll have to punish you seriously. We'll talk about it more later, but for now..."
Kakashi placed a hand on Tenzo's shoulder. Tenzo's eyes flickered between it and his face, still looking like he wasn't really able to comprehend what exactly was going on right now.
"This isn't ROOT. Being sick gets you a day or two off to recover, not whatever you're thinking about."
"I— Y-yes, of course." Tenzo bowed his head, much deeper than he needed to. "I'm sorry, Captain."
"I know." Kakashi said simply. "Now go, your punishment is waiting and those groceries won't buy themselves."
"'Sick boys need soup.'" Tenzo echoed a little faintly.
Something strange flickered across Kakashi's face for just a moment before it vanished. Leaving his expression closed off, their unreadable captain yet again.
"You got it."
Tenzo practically stumbled out of the apartment, clutching on to the grocery list like it was a lifeline.
Kakashi watched him go with a carefully neutral face, not a hint of whatever he was thinking slipping through.
Finally, he turned again to the Uchiha shaped idiots in his living room.
Shisui had finally managed to get Itachi onto the couch by picking him up all together, tangled nest of blankets and all, then dumping him there. Itachi seemed content enough, burrowed back into his mess of blankets, looking like he was already halfway asleep.
Looks like Kakashi would get to keep his bed after all. That was nice.
He sat down on the couch next to Itachi's head. The kid cracked open an eye to squint up at him a little blearily, then shut it, ignoring him.
Kakashi’s brow twitched as he was suddenly overcome with the desire to bully his junior.
"Remind me why I shouldn't just send you home right now?" The older boy asked idly.
That got Itachi’s eyes to shoot open, wide and a little panicked.
"No, don't!"
"Why?"
"Cuz'—" Itachi blushed, sinking into his blankets a little sheepishly. "I don't want tou-san to know I messed up my first training."
"You only messed it up when you decided not to stay home sick to begin with." Kakashi pointed out, and the shame on Itachi's face grew even more stark.
"—Then, because I'm already here. And it would be more effort to get rid of me now than it would be to let me stay."
"Oh would it?" Kakashi asked, amused by his teammates' turn to logical threats.
"If not because of me, then because of the fuss Shisui would make if you try to get him to leave now." Itachi pointed out a little smugly.
Both of them looked towards where Shisui was having way too much fun examining Kakashi's bookshelf.
"Hmm. Well argued. I suppose I have no choice then, do I?"
"Itachi squinted, equal parts smug and suspicious at how well this was going. "No, you don't."
"Mahh... outplayed by an 11 year old. I've fallen so far." Kakashi reached out and ruffled Itachi's hair a touch more roughly than was comfortable, leaving his hair a total mess.
Itachi made a disgruntled noise, but didn't do much to stop him.
"Sleep. I'll wake you when the food is ready."
Itachi sunk deeper into his blankets, still squinting at Kakashi a little suspiciously through his messed bangs.
When Kakashi turned away, he hesitantly closed his eyes, tucking in to try and sleep.
Kakashi gave him a few moments, before he was turning back to look his way again.
Kakashi watched Itachi for a minute, burrowed into his couch, so quick to fall asleep that it almost gave him cause for worry.
...It wasn't a very comfortable couch.
He'd gotten it for cheap, and only because Genma had made fun of his living room for feeling like a morgue. Gai had encouraged him to 'decorate to suit his tastes' enough times that he'd finally given in to the teasing, which had won him one dog print couch from a shitty second hand store down the street.
He could afford nicer, but nicer didn't come with cute paw print patterns on its cushions.
The last time he'd fallen asleep on it, he'd woken up with an awful crick in his back that had annoyed him all day. It'd probably feel even worse, to someone already sick and aching.
...His bed was pretty big anyways.
It was dark out, when Itachi was gently shaken awake.
He squinted, vision blurred. The dimmed light of the room didn't help much in his struggle to process what was happening.
He somehow felt even worse than before, thoughts a slog and mouth so dry it hurt.
He made a noise in protest as someone helped guide him into sitting, fitting something smooth and warm into his hands. A bowl. He stared at it blankly— apparently taking long enough struggling to understand what he was supposed to do with the bowl that it annoyed whoever had helped him to sit.
The person reached for the bowl, taking the spoon in hand and lifting it to Itachi’s lips, helping him to eat.
There was a familiar giggle and then a sharp, "Shut up."
'The captain...?' Itachi wondered, a little disbelieving as someone who felt like Kakashi brought a spoon full of miso to his lips.
Maybe this was a fever dream...?
Either way, the soup was hot and soothing against his throat and it hurt to think— so he might as well just accept this was happening.
Hushed voices surrounded him, the playful, familiar hum of his cousin playing back and forth with the much less familiar rumble of the captain. Every so often interjected with the soothing, mellow tones of Tenzo.
It was a background of sound as good as any white noise machine.
Itachi thumped against something —someone— warm besides him, leaning into their much larger frame. They tensed for a full few seconds before relaxing, and the spoons full of miso resumed being brought to Itachi's lips.
Someone was giggling again. It sounded like Shisui, so Itachi ignored it. His cousin would tell him what was so funny later, if it was really so good.
Time seemed to blur.
Before long, there was no more soup. Voices continued to float around Itachi like pretty bubbles of sound. Muffled and incomprehensible but soothing all the same.
He felt pleasantly warm, though the dimmed lights of the living room were still bright enough to be annoying .
Easily fixed by simply keeping his eyes closed— not that he'd really opened them to begin with.
Finally, someone nudged him into moving.
Itachi didn’t bother to even crack his eyes open, instead turning to tuck further into the captain’s side. Kakashi sighed, another long suffering, overly drawn out noise that was half show and half genuine exasperation.
At this point, Itachi was beginning to fit the sound into the same category of ‘acceptable to ignore’ as Shisui’s chuckling.
Itachi made a quiet noise of protest as arms wrapped around him, bundling him in one of his many blankets. They picked him up carefully, holding him in a way Itachi couldn't remember being carried in last.
When he was small, he was sure. Very, very small.
It made him feel safe in a way that he might have been embarrassed by, if he was any more conscious of himself. As it was, he only leaned further into the person carrying him, tucking his face into their neck and continuing to drift.
Dim light turned to proper darkness as they stepped into some room. Itachi was lowered carefully onto something soft, his carrier checking over his blanket to make sure he remained well bundled.
"Th'nks, kaa-san." Itachi mumbled sleepily.
The person tucking him in froze, and there was a very loud, very ugly snort that cut off into a pained wheeze which Itachi ignored. Much more content to nuzzle into unfamiliar pillows and sheets, blissfully unaware of the world around him.
Shisui, meanwhile, gripped his stomach where Kakashi had jabbed him, wheezing in both pain and muffled laughter.
Kakashi glared at him venomously.
"Not one word."
Shisui only continued to wheeze, incapable of speech.
Kakashi bullied him from the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Itachi to his peace.
Kakashi returned to the living room, ignoring Shisui, still giggling as he trailed behind him.
“Come on, don’t be like that, captain kaa-sa—!” Shisui just narrowly dodged another jab aimed at his stomach, launching back and clinging to the wall as if that could save him.
It could not. As evidenced by Kakashi immediately aiming another jab his way, which did connect.
“This is abuse.” Shisui groaned. “Unlawful, unjust abuse.”
Kakashi clicked his tongue disapprovingly, and continued back into the living room.
Tenzo watched them both with barely disguised exasperation, tucked into his own chair with his own bowl of miso he’d helped Kakashi to cook.
"This is not going to be a regular thing." Kakashi warned, throwing himself onto his couch and picking up his own bowl, which had grown cold as he’d hand fed Itachi.
This did nothing to stop Shisui from looking absolutely delighted.
"Captain, would you nurse me back to health too if I ask real nice?” A cat's grin stretched across Shisui’s face as, in the corner, Tenzo perked up a little. Unable to fully disguise the way he looked almost hopeful.
“Cmon Captain, won't you feed me some soup too?"
Kakashi smiled threateningly.
"Oh? Open up then."
"Huh—Hckk—?!"A spoonful of soup was shoved into Shisui's mouth, hard enough to risk choking him. Leaving him sputtering for breath as Kakashi only looked on, still smiling at him with a threatening sort of mildness
Shisui coughed, needing yet another moment to catch his breath. Finally, when he regained control of himself, he scooted away from Kakashi, leaning towards Tenzo.
"Captain's a tsundere, Tenzo." Shisui stage whispered to his teammate.
Kakashi pretended like he hadn’t hear anything.
Something cold touched his head, making Itachi twitch. He rolled, moaning in discomfort in his sleep.
"He's not looking so good." Shisui whispered.
Kakashi frowned, reaching out and brushing away strands of hair that stuck to Itachi's head with sweat. He hesitated.
"We... might have to bring him home."
"That'll piss him off once he's awake."
"I'd rather deal with a pissed off, sick Itachi than a pissed off Mikoto who wasn't made aware of how bad her son's condition is."
Shisui shuddered. "Point."
Kakashi reached out towards Itachi, shaking him gently.
"Itachi, wake up."
Itachi moaned, shaking his head.
"Itachi," Kakashi put on his stern, commanding captain voice. Leaving no room for argument. "Wake up."
Itachi jolted, eyes snapping open as he slurred, "Y-Yes captain!"
Hah. Worked every time.
“Status.” Kakashi maintained his commanding voice, and Itachi swayed, looking visibly disoriented.
Finally, he croaked out a raspy, confused, “Um… bad?”
“I’d assume so.” Kakashi snorted. “One second.”
The young man stood, leaving Shisui to try and soothe the now awake Itachi.
“Wha’s… Wha’s going on?” Itachi slurred as Shisui ran a comforting hand through his tangled, sweaty hair.
“Shh, captain’s just getting something for you real quick, okay ‘Tachi? You look… pretty bad right now.”
“I don’t wanna go home.” Itachi whispered, sudden tears springing to his eyes. “‘Sui, I don’t wanna go home.”
The distress in his young cousin's voice broke Shisui’s heart ten times over, his expression twisting.
“Shh, it's ok, ‘Tachi, it'll be ok, I promise.”
Itachi let out a weak moan, the noise pure distress. Shisui could only continue combing his fingers through his hair, wishing his cousin’s pain away.
Kakashi re-entered, Tenzo at his side, holding a thermometer. He settled on the floor beside Itachi’s head, fitting the thermometer into his ear.
Itachi jerked away from it at first, having to be guided into staying still by his cousin, still doing his best to hush at him soothingly.
All three of the boys waited, hunched over the bed, as the tiny screen blinked, measuring Itachi’s temperature. The only noise in the dark room, Itachi’s soft sniffles.
Waiting for that little thing of plastic to beep felt like the longest 30 seconds of Shisui’s life.
Finally, it beeped.
Kakashi withdrew it, staring at the screen. Shisui and Tenzo both craned their necks to get a look at it.
102.
Fuck.
Kakashi passed the thermometer back to Tenzo, who accepted it silently. He shifted, moving up onto the bed, beginning to pick Itachi up.
Itachi let slip a cry of protest, reaching out towards Shisui, who gripped his hand back just as tight. He was weeping softly now, mumbling into the cloth of Kakashi’s shirt through his tears.
“I don’t wanna go home, I don’t wanna.”
Shisui bit his lip so hard he could taste blood. He opened his mouth, knowing it was stupid but unable to stop himself from asking a weak question.
“Do we have to bring him back?”
Kakashi tucked the shivering Itachi into his chest, making a conscious effort to not give Shisui the cold stare he instinctively wanted to pull out.
He didn’t so much as say anything, but the look alone was still scathing enough to make Shisui flinch, averting his eyes.
“I-I know, but—”
“It’s for the best.” Kakashi said disapprovingly. “It’s either his home, or the hospital. I think you can guess which one Mikoto would react better to us bringing him to.”
“I—” Shisui wilted. “I know.”
Team Ro took to the rooftops, the still quietly crying Itachi wrapped up in Kakashi’s arms. If the boy was held perhaps a little closer than necessary, well, no one commented.
It was a slower trip than it would have been usually, Kakashi taking it slow and steady to avoid jostling the already upset boy in his arms. Itachi fluttered in and out of sleep, though at least the cool winds seemed to help soothe his temperature some.
Finally, they crossed the threshold of the Uchiha compound. Shisui didn’t know if he should breathe a sigh of relief, or inhale an apprehensive breath to hold.
When they arrived at the head house, there was an awkward moment where they all just sort of… stared at the door.
Kakashi nudged Shisui, who gave him a deer in the headlights look, before turning to nudge Tenzo.
Tenzo stared at him blankly, and Shisui nudged him again. Tenzo continued to stare blankly, and Shisui was starting to think he was too nervous to be the one to knock too—
When Kakashi finally rolled his eyes and used his foot to knock on the door.
All three of them tensed. Itachi, in Kakashi’s arms, still weakly crying into his shirt. Whether it was from pain, confusion, or just the distress of having his requests ignored to instead return him home— Shisui didn’t know and tried not to think about.
A solid minute passed in awkward, shuffling silence.
Finally, Kakashi nudged Shisui again. Shisui made a strained, protesting noise, and yet again turned to nudge Tenzo— but before he could, Tenzo knocked anyway, much louder than Kakashi’s kicks. If he were any less nervous and any more expressive, he might have even rolled his eyes Shisui’s way.
They waited with bated breaths. After what, to Shisui at least, felt like an agonizing century, there was a noise behind the door.
Uchiha Mikoto opened the door with sleep mussed hair and a confused frown glued to her face. She took them in, one by one, before her eyes finally landed on her boy, held in Kakashi’s arms.
“...What happened.”
It was an order from a jonin commander, retired or not. Pure steel and authoritative presence.
All three standing boys felt their spines straighten in response, Shisui mentally shooting off a prayer to Amaterasu to see him through this trial intact.
“Itachi’s sick, Mikoto-sama.” Kakashi spoke, taking a step forward. “102 degree fever, headache, dizziness, shows signs of confusion and disorientation, but he’s half asleep too.”
Instantly, Mikoto softened with worry, taking her own step forward and reaching out towards her child. “Oh, baby…”
Mikoto’s hand touched Itachi’s shoulder, and he hunched in on himself further, curling into Kakashi, who began to look painfully awkward.
“Um, if you’d like to take him, Mikoto-sama…?”
“Of course.” Mikoto reached out again as Kakashi tried to drop Itachi into her arms.
It was easier said than done however, when Itachi seemed determined to cling to Kakashi like some sort of monkey. Face buried in his shoulder, hands wrapped so tightly in his shirt that his knuckles were white. Really looking like his life depended on not letting go.
Kakashi looked more and more pained with each passing second that left him still holding the Uchiha heir; While Mikoto began to alternate between looking more and more worried and more and more amused.
Shisui and Tenzo joined in, trying to help by untangling Itachi’s fingers from Kakashi’s shirt. Yet another losing battle, as all that seemed to do was make the boy more upset.
‘Oh man,’ Shisui had half the mind to think as he tried to pry Itachi’s hand off of Kakashi’s back. ‘Itachi is going to go insane with embarrassment later over this.’
It somehow got even worse when a gravelly, tired voice appeared behind Mikoto.
“What’s happening here now?”
“Fugaku,” Mikoto glanced behind her as her husband leaned out the doorway, squinting at them in confusion. “Itachi’s sick.”
Fugaku blinked. First at his wife, then at where Itachi hid his face in Kakashi’s shoulder.
“Enough to come home?”
Shisui… genuinely couldn’t tell if the disbelief in his voice stemmed from the disappointment Itachi had been so scared of— or if it was the plain disbelief of seeing Itachi sick enough to willingly stop training.
He really, really hoped it was the second.
“Ah— Maybe you boys should just come in.” Mikoto, apparently giving up on trying to pry her son off of an incredibly pained looking Kakashi, backed up. “Better than us all standing out in the cold like this.”
Shisui had to physically stop himself from blurting out something stupid like, ‘I have to go actually. Do a thing. That I forgot to do.’ Because he was a good friend and would not leave Itachi (or his captain) here to suffer through this alone.
Glancing at Tenzo out of the corner of his eye, it appeared the other boy seemed to be going through similar stages of grief.
“Of course, Mikoto-sama. Thank you for letting us into your home.” Kakashi took the lead, which Shisui remained forever grateful for.
“This way, please.” Mikoto lead them into the house as Fugaku trailed behind them.
“When did his symptoms start?”
“This morning, I think.”
“And he still went?” Mikoto frowned, disapproving.
Surprisingly enough, it was Tenzo who replied. “It… wasn’t as bad then, Uchiha-sama. I think he thought he’d get over it quickly, and it wouldn’t interfere with training.”
Mikoto sighed, and shot Fugaku a look. “He gets these bad habits from you, you know.”
“Oh please.” Fugaku rolled his eyes. “You were just as bullheaded about your own training at his age, don’t go blaming me for this.”
Mikoto sniffed primly. “I haven’t the faintest idea of what you’re talking about.”
As they walked down the hall, a door cracked open. A sleepy little boy poking his head out from the doorway, rubbing his eyes blearily.
“Kaa-san…? Wh’us happenin’?”
“Go back to bed, Sasuke.” Fugaku urged, giving his son a pat on the head and steering him back around into his room. “It’s nothing.”
Sasuke ignored his father, leaning back and craning his neck to peer over his shoulder towards Kakashi. “Is that nii-san? What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s sick, is all. He’ll feel better soon.”
“Can’t I say hi?”
All of this attention was bad enough already, Shisui was pretty sure Itachi would actually die if he learned his adoring little brother had seen him in this state.
“Your big brother needs quiet right now, Sasuke.” Shisui interjected with a grin, catching Sasuke’s attention. “His head really hurts, so we can’t have too many people around him right now, or he’ll hurt even more.”
“Oh…” Sasuke stopped leaning so far back, his fathers hand still on his back. “Ok. Feel better soon, nii-san.”
“Good boy, Sasuke. Head back to bed now.” Fugaku gave him another pat on the head, and this time his son obeyed.
Mikoto lead them to Itachi’s room, at the end of the hall. It was a bit awkward, so many people in one hallway— but the Uchiha head house was a big one, so it wasn’t as cramped as it could have been, thankfully enough.
“Kakashi, if you could…?” Mikoto motioned for him to follow her into the room, and he nodded, obeying.
Fugaku followed in after them, as Shisui and Tenzo hung back in the hallway.
Getting Itachi back into bed was much less of a struggle than getting him into his mothers arms, surprisingly enough. Or unsurprising, maybe. Considering how much he’d dreaded coming home.
Something that just thinking about put a bad taste into Kakashi’s mouth.
Kakashi pried small hands from his uniform blacks, lowering Itachi down into his bed as gently as he could. The boy went with a bit of protest, tear stained face scrunching unpleasantly as he let out a displeased groan.
Kakashi instinctively mumbled an apology, despite the fact Itachi wasn’t awake to hear it. Mikoto began to smooth her son's hair back, pushing his blankets back to tuck him in.
Finally, Kakashi stood. Untangled from his charge, able to take some steps back and give Mikoto room where she kneeled on the floor, fretting over her son.
“The trip here may have cooled him off some, he’s looking a bit better now.” Kakashi offered, and Mikoto shot him a tight smile.
“I can’t help but notice that none of you are in proper uniform.” Fugaku pointed out, a little blandly.
Kakashi turned to him, not finding it in himself to be as polite as he might have been any other day. “After learning Itachi was sick, I decided to move the training to my home and try and let him sleep through it.”
Fugaku frowned. “Why not just send him home?”
Kakashi looked dead on into Fugaku’s eyes. “Because he cried and begged me not to send him back to you.”
The room went ice cold in an instant.
Fugaku looked well and truly thrown off. Mikoto, still at Itachi’s bedside, looked at Kakashi with a vulnerable confusion.
Finally, Fugaku found his voice. “I— What?”
“He cried.” Kakashi repeated. “And he begged me not to send him home, or you would be disappointed in him. And then later, when I realized he was too sick to keep, he cried again and begged even harder.”
Mikoto brought a trembling hand to Itachi’s face, touching where his tears were still wet on his cheeks.
Fugaku looked struck dumb. Looking between Kakashi and his son, lying small and teary In his bed, with an expression like he was lost.
“My Itachi…?” He clarified, like Kakashi somehow could be speaking of any other child.
It did not help Kakashi's patience.
When Kakashi offered no further reply, Fugaku turned to his son, face twisted into something complicated.
Mikoto had no such issues with speaking up. Hissing at her husband, “I told you, I told you you were pushing him too hard.”
“I didn't mean to—”
“To what? Make him cry, Fugaku? Oh, my poor baby .”
“Yes, to make him cry, I—” Fugaku cut himself off, looking both frustrated and crestfallen.
“To… to me? He didn't want to come home to me?” He clarified.
Kakashi only nodded.
Fugaku sank into sitting on the bed, putting his head in his hand. Muttering to himself in a heavy, defeated tone. “I never wanted to…”
“Well you did. And now you'll fix it.” Mikoto threatened.
“Please don’t argue.” A cracked, quiet voice spoke up from his bed.
All three jonin jolted, turning towards where Itachi was now awake , squinting back up at them with hazy eyes.
“Please, don't…” His eyes began to tear up again, much to the distress of everybody present. “I'm sorry, please don't argue.”
Mikoto's voice cracked as she cradled her sons face in her hands, sounding like she was fighting back tears of her own.
“Don't apologize baby, you have nothing to apologize for.”
“I'm sorry.” Itachi whispered anyway, and now it was Fugaku's turn to fall to his side.
Looking down at his son with visible, pained hesitance.
“Didn't you hear your mother, son? You have nothing to be sorry for. I— I should be the one—”
Fugaku choked up a little.
“—I should be the one apologizing.”
“B-But— I messed it up. I messed up my training, when you were so proud of me going, and— and— and embarrassed you.”
“Don’t be stupid, Itachi—”
Itachi’s face crumbled, washed by undisguised hurt. Mikoto elbowed her husband sharply, and Fugaku very quickly corrected himself.
“—silly, Don’t be silly , Itachi. I…”
Fugaku hesitated, and then slowly reached out. Taking one of Itachi’s hands in both of his own. So much larger and rougher, years of tanned skin and calluses built up, dwarfing the slim, pale hands of his son.
“You couldn’t disappoint me, son. Never. Especially not because of something you couldn't control. Please… take care of yourself. Your body is your most important tool. Don’t… Don’t ruin yourself, just to make your old man happy. Never , Itachi.”
“Oh.” Itachi said, voice small, staring at where his hand was held by his father. Horrifically enough, another tear rolled loose from his eye.
“Yes, oh.” Fugaku repeated with some scraps of dry humor. “You are the clan's pride, Itachi. Don’t go pushing yourself off that cliff just yet. You still have some years.”
“Fugaku, please.” Mikoto hissed, and reached out to lay her own hands over her husband and her sons.
“Itachi, we’re both so proud of you. You could never disappoint us.”
“B-But—”
“No buts, son.” Fugaku interjected, more soft than stern. “You heard your mother.”
Itachi looked at his father like he'd offered to hang the moon in the sky for him.
Kakashi… was starting to feel a bit awkward.
“I'll leave you to it.” He mumbled, edging towards the door.
Mikoto glanced back, shooting him a grateful look.
With her free hand, she silently signed, reconvene, 12 o'clock, bring allies in ANBU standard signage.
Kakashi signed back his own agreement, and slipped from the room.
Stepping back into the hallway, leaving behind the heavy weight of the family dynamic, felt like a relief.
Both Shisui and Tenzo stood there, waiting for him. Both wearing the awkward faces of those who'd overheard enough of the conversation to Feel Things™ about it.
Kakashi brushed past them both, motioning for them to follow along. Pretending like he didn't see the tiny face of a little boy peeking curiously out of his room as they passed.
If leaving Itachi's room had been a relief, then leaving the Uchiha main house to step out into the cold air was a proper blessing. Already, Kakashi could feel himself relaxing into his usual slouch. He still worried, a bit. But… felt as if the matter was largely resolved. He'd done all he could do.
For now, anyway.
“Well!” Shisui piped up. “All's well that ends well, right?”
“I'm glad Itachi's fears of Uchiha-sama were incorrect.” Tenzo added, something in his tone sounding almost wistful.
“Right? Huge weight off my back, for sure. Fugaku-sama is pretty rough, but not the worst, I guess. Usually, anyways.” Shisui sighed, rubbing at the back of his head. Suddenly, he brightened.
“Hey, captain! Do we still get to spend the night at your place?”
“Why would you?” Kakashi asked, purposefully bland. “You have your own house.”
“Aw, come on! Think of it as— As a reward! Come on captain, doesn't your hard working team of nurses deserve a prize?”
Kakashi looked at Shisui flatly. Shisui aimed his best puppy dog eyes at him, practically sparkling.
Kakashi glanced at Tenzo, who was trying very poorly to disguise his own hopeful sparkles.
Finally, Kakashi sighed. Another drawn out, overly dramatic sigh that was half for show.
Shisui cheered.
It was hard to see in the dark.
Sasuke squinted as he fumbled his way down the hall, towards where he'd heard kaa-san and tou-san leave Itachi's room a few minutes ago.
Towards where his big brother was feeling bad.
Cousin Shisui had said being around lots of people made his head hurt, right? So, now that everyone was gone, it'd be fine if Sasuke visited too, he was sure.
The little boy made it to the door, casting a nervous look behind him as if he were scared his mother would suddenly reappear. When nothing greeted his gaze but more darkness, he slipped into his brothers room.
It was easier to see in here, at least. The moon shining through the window over nii-san's bed, bathing the room in a silver glow.
“Nii-san?” Sasuke whispered.
When the boy got no reply, he crept closer to his brother's bed.
“Nii-san?” He whispered again, just a bit louder.
He frowned when Itachi continued to sleep on. The only noise the faintest, raspy breaths coming from the lump on his bed.
Sasuke reached out to shake his brother, wanting him awake now, so he could know if he was ok or not.
“Hey, hey nii-san. Wake up.” Sasuke whispered, crawling onto his brother's bed to better shake him awake.
Itachi groaned, rolling over in an attempt to avoid his brothers hands.
“Wake up, nii-san.”
“Sas’ke…?” Itachi slurred, finally looking like he was halfway awake.
Sasuke leaned over him, squinting at his face in the dim light of the room.
“Are you ok, nii-san?”
“Wha…?”
“Are you ok?
“Oh my god.” Itachi muttered, turning over to try and go back to sleep.
Sasuke frowned. “Are you really sick?”
“Yes, I'm really sick, Sasuke. Leave me alone.”
“Oh.” Sasuke seemed to think this over. Giving his brother a false sense of safety as he sat there for a minute, quietly pondering.
“Ok.”
Sasuke began to wiggle under the covers next to his brother. Itachi made an offended, confused noise as his little brother bullied him into moving.
“What are you…?”
“Whenever I'm sick, kaa-san will sleep with me and hold my hand, so I feel better faster. So, um, since she forgot to do that for you, I'll hold your hand instead.”
Itachi went quiet for a second. Then, quietly, he scooted to the side, giving Sasuke room to tuck in next to him.
Sasuke smiled just a bit smugly, snuggling up to his brother.
"Feel better soon, nii-san."
Sasuke slapped his brothers face a few times in what was probably meant to be a comforting pat, but ended up just kind of hurting a little bit.
Itachi endured it.
Itachi bowed as low as he was embarrassed.
Which was to say very, very low. Or at least as low as he could get, still sitting in bed as he was.
“Hey, seriously ‘Tachi, don't think about it too hard.” Shisui tried, but that only made Itachi feel worse.
“I am so, so sorry.”
“Shisui is right.” Kakashi said, and Itachi finally peeked up towards his captain.
“Just don't lie about being sick again. Or there will be consequences."
“Of course, I swear.” Itachi hurried to say.
“Good.” Kakashi nodded. “Well, if we're all on the same page then, we should reschedule your training.”
Itachi nodded eagerly, excited to move on. Only for the moment to be ruined when Shisui opened his big, fat mouth.
“Oh of course, captain kaa-san!”
Kakashi twitched.
Itachi froze. Confused, for a moment. And then slowly, painfully, he remembered.
A steady burn creeped its way up Itachi's neck, flooding his face as the boy turned bright red.
“I did not.”
Shisui nodded solemnly.
Itachi looked at Kakashi, horrified. “I did not.”
Kakashi… almost looked amused now. Just a bit. It seemed seeing Itachi in his own agony about calling his captain mother helped sooth his own embarrassment.
Good for him.
Not good, however, for Itachi.
“It's alright, Itachi.” Kakashi said, a bit too nice to feel authentic. “Kids your age often get these things mixed up with authority figures. I'm glad I could make you feel so safe.”
Itachi debated throwing himself out the window.
He looked at Tenzo, silently pleading for him to somehow save him.
Tenzo conspicuously looked away.
“I'm sorry, I—” Itachi choked up a little, too flustered to think of a way to justify it. “I was disoriented, and confused, and I— I must have just—”
Kakashi snorted, showing some rare easy mercy. “Forget it.”
“Oh yeah he'd love us to, huh?” Shisui whispered towards Tenzo conspiratorially. Kakashi didn't need to look his way to kick his leg, which thankfully shut him up.
“I said forget it.” Kakashi shot Shisui a look, and pressed on.
“With that out of the way, we're rescheduling your training.” Kakashi crossed his arms.
“Two weeks. And if I hear so much as a sniffle day of, I'll bring you back to Mikoto myself by carrying you princess style through all of Konoha for everyone to see.”
Shisui perked up. “Hey wait, so if I were to—”
“No.”
“Spoil sport.”
“I swear, captain. I'll be in perfect health.” Itachi insisted.
Kakashi squinted his eye at him, radiating a vaguely ominous aura. “Hmm. We'll see.”
… Well that didn't help Itachi feel less nervous.
Shisui sighed, dropping down onto Itachi's bed next to him and going ahead and making himself at home.
“I'm just glad you feel better! Seriously, ‘Tachi, you had me worried for a bit there.”
“I'm really sorry, I—” Shisui reached out, ruffling Itachi's hair hard enough to make his head bob, cutting him off mid sentence.
“Shh shh shh, apologies are over time, captain's orders.”
Itachi glanced at Kakashi, bewildered, but he seemed content to let Shisui speak for him— this time.
Tenzo approached, much more cautious than Shisui. “I'm also glad that you're alright. I'm… I’m sorry, that I didn't speak up from the beginning. Captain talked to me about it already, but —”
Itachi shook his head. “Thank you Tenzo, but you don't need to apologize. Thank you for trying to cover for me, I'm sorry if I got you into trouble.”
“Hey,” Shisui pointed a finger at Tenzo. “You heard the guy, apologies are over time for you too!”
Tenzo's lips twitched, and he nodded his head quietly as Shisui beckoned him to sit with them.
“Mahh, my team is so troublesome.” Kakashi grumbled, finding a perch to sit on in the form of Itachi's desk.
“Hey, so after we left you at home, I actually managed to convince the captain to let us go back to his place, if you can believe it!” Shisui grinned as Kakashi rolled his eyes.
“It sucks you missed out, I guess we just have no choice but the convince the captain to let us stay over again so you can get the full experience, huh?”
“Good luck with that.” Tenzo mumbled, so quiet that Itachi only heard him due to how close he was.
Shisui, it seemed, didn't hear a thing, barreling on with his recount of how the night had gone after Itachi left.
Itachi let the sound of his teammates' voices wash over him, closing his eyes and making an agreeable noise every time it seemed appropriate.
The noise was an almost familiar comfort, like something he'd half dreamed of once.
The familiar hum of his cousin playing back and forth with the warm rumble of the captain. Interjected by Tenzo's mellow tones and soft, sarcastic comments Itachi might have missed if he weren't sitting so close.
It was as good as any white noise machine.
Better, even. Because it came from his team.