Ruminant

Bonus: Cloudy Sky AU - 1

Summary: Where Itachi is in denial and cloudy-sky!Shikari is oblivious.

-----

Arranging the papers in the Hokage's office in barely concealed exasperation and fondness, Uchiha Itachi looked out of the window nostalgically.

They came a long way, huh.

How time passed by.

He wasn't even in his thirties yet and Itachi felt that a lot had happened. Fighting with some of the Elemental Nation's greatest shinobi, sparring with the tailed beasts and their jinchurikiis, preventing not one but two world wars, killing an otherworldly creature created by the so-called "Mother of Chakra" who was apparently locked at the moon at the moment-

Having Nara Shikari- one of the most violent and socially inept people he knew - as his Hokage.

Yes. It gave him a pause at first too, but he wasn't really surprised when he thought about it.

Although there were many who expected him to be the successor with his once-a-generation genius and considerable reputation, Itachi knew from the start that he would be no match for his boss. In another life maybe, where Nara Shikari didn't exist, Itachi would have once yearned for the position and perhaps achieved it if he persevered enough. He's certainly strong enough for it since he reached S-class in every bingo book before he reached his twenties for a reason, and Shishui did always say he had a particular kind of charisma and flair for leading people.

Alas - to the ever-lasting disappointment of those who were more opportunistic in his clan - it was not to be, for the world he lived in did have a very independent Nara Shikari in existence and Itachi, even though he's exasperated with all the antics he was pulled into ever since they were children, couldn't be more glad for it.

Granted, Shikari's a tad too bloodthirsty than the average shinobi but her heart was in the right place.

Kind of.

Maybe if one would squint a little and take a few steps back.

...Kakashi was a bad influence on him.

All kidding aside, Shikari deserved the title and it's not just for the fighting prowess she was famed for.

Oh, the former Nara heiress was terrifying in battle. She did acquire a flee-on-sight warning in her teens and her title, Chimamire no Kage - The Bloody Shadows, was well-earned. Her skills with her trusty tonfas were honestly the stuff on nightmares - especially for those in Kumo if Killer Bee, the eight-tailed Jinchuuriki, was to be believed. The Raikage's brother did made enough raps over it that it eventually became a long-running joke in the Elemental Nations.

Kami, even her ninken had a page of its own in the bingo books and if that's not frightening, he didn't know what was.

...That's not even including her odd fire-bloodlimit that could duplicate things and turn everything into stone, as well as the lethal hedgehog summons she suddenly got out of nowhere.

Shisui had frequently complained to him whenever he was drunk and pissed that Shikari was too overpowered and Itachi...well Itachi fully agreed.

But that's not what would make her a good kage, no.

It's her personality - this certain aura of hers that would attract everyone's attention and regard. She, put quite simply, was an unstoppable force that forced anyone to sit up and, against all rational reason, follow.

It's fascinating to see, all the more apparent with Itachi at her side and witnessed the ridiculous happenings front and center, how after beating up her enemies, those who weren't killed would either flock to her like demented puppies or accost her everyday just to get a shred of attention. Of course, as expected, they would be promptly pushed away through violent means because, apparently they were crowding too much and she'll bite them to death.

The Akatsuki - S-class pests that they were, and the Jinchurikiis they were hunting in the past, weren't an exception to this, and damn it, it's making Itachi's life difficult.

Itachi could handle the occasional besotted chuunin and jounin that came knocking but pairs like Deidara and Sasori or Killer Bee and Yagura was beyond even his efforts. They were just so damn persistent, it's irritating. Don't even get him started on Hidan because Itachi would literally wring someone's neck - pacifistic leanings be damned.

He wouldn't have such a hard time if his supposed comrades in arms and people Shikari could tolerate - Kakashi, Shisui, Kou or Hana - backed him up but they wouldn't.

They seemed to have got it into their heads that Itachi was just needlessly jealous and in denial of his feelings for Shikari but he's- he's not.

Ridiculous, all of those dolts were.

It's not Itachi's fault that he got used to watching over Shikari when they were young and those men weren't good enough for his best-friend damn it.

He's just overprotective.

That's normal, right?

"Omnivore." A voice interrupted his musings. Looking at the speaker, Itachi ignored the bittersweet pang at the sight of Shikari's face. "The pest was looking for you. Let Kou handle the paperwork for once."

Itachi smiled. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Hn." His best-friend sat on her table and proceeded to sign the papers on her desk.

Itachi closed the door softly and sighed. What does Shisui want with him now? He hoped it wasn't too destructive. He wasn't really in the mood for it at the moment.

He shook his head - brushing off the tight feeling in his chest - and messed up his hair in exasperation.

Itachi needed a drink.