Why Orange?

Hee-hee I'm updating twice today.

{Itachi}: Who care just get to why Kisame is covered in blood.

{T.W.}: Jeeze you're so impatient, just hold your horses.

{Itachi}: (pulls out psycadelic plot dust bunny)Remember this?

{T.W.}:(pales) You wouldn't.

{Itachi}:(smiles evilly) Oh wouldn't I?

{T.W.}:Okay!Okay! I'm getting to it!

'thoughts'

words in letter

Chapter 37
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last time

Naruto was heading to the kitchen for breakfast, Sasuke following closely, when a knock sounded at the front door. The blond went to the door and opened it, revealing a blood soaked Kisame.
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Sasuke lept forward, shielding Naruto as the sharky nuke-nin stepped forward holding a small bundle. Kisame thrust the bundle into Sasuke's arms, saying, "She's Itachi's," then he collapsed at the Uchiha's feet, dead.

Sasuke looked down at the bundle in his arm and his eyes widened when he saw a baby in a blood splattered blanket. She was obviously Itachi's daughter, she looked just like him, from the black hair to the lines coming down from her eyes. Really the only feature that didn't scream 'Itachi's my father' were the vivid green eyes that looked up at her uncle solemnly.

There was a letter pinned to the blanket she was wrapped in. Sasuke unpinned the letter and handed the baby to Naruto in a daze, "Naruto clean her up will you?"

The blond scrutinized his husband's expression and nodded. As he left to clean the baby girl up, Sasuke opened the letter and read...

Sasuke, if you're reading this I am most likely dead along with my wife. Yes my wife, I met and married her a year ago. I offer no explaination beyond the fact that she awakened emotions within me that I thought long dead. I continued working with Akatsuki and covered my tracks so as not to draw danger to her. When the Akatsuki was destroyed I was forced to overuse the Mangekyo Sharingan to such an extent that I lost my vision. Kisame and Deidara aided me in returning to my wife, who I discovered one month pregnant. I recently learned that our trail was not as well covered as it should have been and an old enemy has followed it and will bee here soon to kill me and my family. I have asked Kisame to take my daughter to you with this letter if I do not survive. Little brother, I have no right to ask this of you, but please raise my daughter as an Uchiha. She will need such guidence as she grows up. I do not ask you to forgive me but please do not punish her for my sins. Please take care of my daughter, my Mikomi, Signed Itachi.

Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder, "Sasuke?"

He looked over at Naruto, who was cradling the baby in one arm. Sasuke looked down at the infant and back to Naruto, "She's Itachi's daughter, she's...my niece."

Naruto led Sasuke into the living room, away from the bloody mess of Kisame's body, and tugged him down on the couch, "Tell me."

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off the baby, "He was married and when Akatsuki was destroyed he left a trail that an old enemy followed. The letter said that if I was reading it, he and his wife were dead. He asked me to raise his daughter."

Sasuke didn't notice the tears that slid down his cheeks until Naruto wiped them away, "I used to hate him and I thought I didn't care about him any more so why does it hurt?"

Naruto cupped Sasuke's cheek in his hand, "But he was still your brother. You had seven years of him being a caring big brother before he killed the clan. No matter how you feel about him now, the love for that caring big brother has always been there."

Sasuke laid his head on Naruto's shoulder and cried.

Once the storm of his emotions had passed, Sasuke pulled back to look at his niece once again. He reached out a hand to touch a strand of her hair and she grabbed his finger in a surprisingly strong grip.

"So will we be taking care of her Sasuke?"

The brunette met his husband's gaze and nodded, "Of course we will, she's an Uchiha."

Naruto smiled, "So what did the letter say her name was?"

"Mikomi."
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Sasuke sat in Tsunade's office and finished reading the report on his brother and his wife. Itachi's wife had been the village healer, who met the Sharingan master when he'd come to have a wound healed, but when she married a nuke-nin, the village had exiled her. She had moved to a small cottage in the nearby forest so that her people could still come to her when they were ailing. The man who had trailed Itachi, a Yakushi Akuma, had hired a small army of mercenaries and attacked the village. Itachi's wife had gone to heal the wounded and Itachi had gone with her to attempt to repel the mercenaries, blind or not, he was still a ninja. Kisame and Deidara had accompanied him and together the three had managed to kill all of the mercenaries. Deidara had been killed halfway through the fight and Kisame and Itachi had both been heavily wounded by the time they'd dispatched the last of the hired mercenaries.

Itachi had gone in search of his wife and found her cornered by Akuma. The man had said something about her being the mother of Sharingan filth and that he would destroy the Uchiha bloodline and those who are mother to it. Itachi had thrown himself in front of his wife in an attempt to save her but to no avail, Akuma's sword had pierced both of their hearts. Kisame, having seen the entire thing, had gone to collect Mikomi and deliver her to Sasuke despite his mortal wounds.

Tsunade looked at Sasuke when he finished, "As you can no doubt surmise, this Yakushi Akuma is a danger to you and Naruto. His mission in life appears to be the destruction of anyone with the Sharingan genetics and those married to them. Therefore I'm ordering you to take Shikamaru, Kakashi, and Hinata and hunt him down before he can come here."

Sasuke's head shot up, "I can't leave Naruto alone now! He's only a month away from giving birth!"

The Godaime rubbed her temples, trying to soothe the head ache she'd had since making this decision, "I have no idea how strong Akuma is so I want to send the strongest team possible and the only person in this village, other than you, who is capable of filling out the team is Naruto and since he obviously can't go, I have to send you. There is simply no other choice. Believe me Sasuke I'd much rather you stay here with Naruto but this man presents too much of a threat to the both of you to allow him to set foot within five miles of Konoha."

Sasuke observed the Hokage's pained expression and grimaced, "I don't like it but you're right. I'll go but I have to tell Naruto first."

Tsunade nodded, handed him a mission scroll, and took out her sake once he'd left the office.
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Naruto was coming downstairs after putting Mikomi down for a nap, when Sasuke came in the front door. He smiled, "Hey what did Baa-chan want teme?"
Sasuke's gaze met his and Naruto went cold at the look in those dark eyes, "Sasuke?"

The Uchiha led Naruto to the living room, pulled him down onto the sofa, and told him everything.

As the brunette explained, Naruto became paler and paler. Once Sasuke was finished, the blond's skin tone almost matched his husband's and he placed a protective hand on his stomache. Naruto closed his eyes, he knew the mission was vitally necessary but fear still tried to overwhelm him. Naruto pushed it away, opened his eyes, and looked at Sasuke, "You have to leave immediately?"

The brunette nodded and Naruto reached out and pulled Sasuke's face down to his and kissed him fiercely. He broke the kiss, "You come back to me," and led one of Sasuke's hand's to his belly, "Come back to us in one piece or I'll hunt you down and kick your ass. Do you hear me Sasuke?"

Sasuke rubbed his nose against Naruto's then rested his forehead on his husband's, "I hear you. I'll be back usuratonkachi, even if I have to fight my way out of hell."

Naruto closed his eyes and kissed Sasuke again. This time when the kiss broke, Sasuke went upstairs for his mission pack, came back down, gave Naruto one more love filled look, and left.

Naruto sat there staring at the door for heaven only knows how long, then it opened to reveal Iruka. He walked over to Naruto and crouched down in front of the blond. Naruto looked at his foster father, "Iruka-tou-san," his voice broke on the last syllable and he dove into Iruka's sympathetic embrace, sobbing. Iruka rubbed Naruto's back and rocked the blond back and forth while murmering comforting words.
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(clears throat) I don't know if you'd call that a redemption but Itachi did kinda go out a good guy.

{Itachi}:(vein pop) I died in this fic?

{T.W.}: Err well I couldn't very well have you send your baby girl to Sasuke while you're still alive you know.

{Itachi}:(glares at T.W. and takes out psycadelic plot dust bunny)

{Sai}: Now Itachi

{Itachi}: Shut up(starts to throw the psycadelic plot dust bunny at T.W.)

{Kyuubi}:(walks in with a bag from Pervs-R-Us) Itachi I couldn't find any peppermint warming oil so i got- what are you doing?

{T.W.}:(dives behind Kyu) Kyuubi! I'm saved! Don't let him throw it please?!

{Kyuubi}:(eyes widen at the sight of psycadelic plot dust bunny) You're threatening her with that? Don't you remember what happened the last time?

{Itachi}: It's not a threat it's a promise and I don't care.

{Kyuubi}: She tried to write a fic where you were a playboy bunny uke of Kakashi's and she had writer's block for a month afterwards. Do you really want to make her do something similar again?

{Itachi}:(scowls and put psycadelic dust bunny away) Fine(looks around and frowns)where's Sai?

{T.W.}: He left when you told him to shut up, I think you hurt his feelings.

{Itachi}: Fuck(broods)

{T.W.}:(rummages in drawer and pulls out peppermint warming oil) Here Kyuubi, thanks for the save.

{Kyuubi}: You're welcome(drags Itachi off to a shadowy corner)

{T.W.}: Man than was close. I hope you all liked the new chapter. Please review? Ja ne!