Granny Cat figured Itachi Uchiha should have already left Konoha. Just as disappointment started to settle in for Sasuke, a small cat padded over to them.
The little cat approached Granny Cat, gently dropped a piece of dried fish at her feet, and let out a soft meow: "Meow~"
Naruto and Sasuke didn't understand, but Granny Cat clearly did. She reached out to scratch the kitten's neck. "I'm too old for this kind of dried fish, little one," she said with a smile. "Wait a minute... have you mischievous things been sneaking out again?"
The kitten quickly shook its head. "Meow~"
"Oh? Someone fed you behind the warehouse?" Granny Cat took a puff from her pipe, listening intently to the kitten's meows. Her brow furrowed. "A stranger who looks like a shark? Are there really people that ugly in Konoha? ...His clothes looked like the man from yesterday? And he smells like him? Could it be... Itachi hasn't left Konoha yet?"
"Granny Cat!" Hearing this, Sasuke slowly stood up and began to walk outside. "I'm going to see... who it is!"
The person feeding the cats seemed to have a connection to Itachi Uchiha. If he could get information about Itachi from him, this was his chance.
"Sasuke, wait for me!" Naruto leaped up to catch him.
-----
Behind the warehouse, a tall, strange-looking man from the Mist Village stood surrounded by kittens. He held a food bag, occasionally popping a small dried fish into his own mouth before tossing one to the cats.
After a moment, a figure in a black cloak adorned with red clouds appeared behind him. "Those are ninja cats," the newcomer said with a slight frown. "You shouldn't feed them so carelessly."
"Even ninja cats like fish," Kisame Hoshigaki retorted, turning to his partner. "It's been a full day. Haven't you found what you were looking for, Itachi-san?"
"I found it." Itachi Uchiha extended his hand, showing the scroll in it.
The Mist ninja grinned. "So, are you going to tell me what jutsu you got, Itachi-san?" he asked with a chuckle. "I'm very curious about the secret techniques of the ninja world's number one clan!" The strongest Hokage was right here in the village, yet he had been risking his life here with his partner, just to spend time with some cats. His curiosity was growing.
"..." Itachi was silent for a moment before tucking the scroll away. Hidden by his palm, a single line of text was visible: "Notes on Training the Great Fireball Technique."
Of course, Itachi's real purpose wasn't the Great Fireball Technique. He had mastered that low-level jutsu when he was only five. His main reason for visiting Granny Cat's shop was to secretly place the training notes for a different jutsu among her collection. He knew the jutsu's original researcher would never have allowed it to be formally archived.
After a moment of silence, Itachi brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. "It's just a jutsu to counter Water Release users," he said softly.
"..." Kisame was dumbfounded. As a ninja who specialized in Water Release, all he could do was rub his forehead in exasperation. "Well, since you found what you were looking for, Itachi-san, let's go. This place is dangerous."
"Mmm..." The Konoha rogue ninja hesitated.
Kisame smiled and held out a paper bag. "Here," he said. "Your late-night snack. It's probably cold, but it's better than nothing."
"This time..." Itachi looked at the familiar packaging and frowned, glancing up at the moon. "These are the three-colored dango from the shop on Konoha's central street. They should have sold out hours ago, right?"
"Yep!" Kisame flashed a predatory grin. "So I had to kill a customer and snatch it from his hands!"
Itachi raised his hand, ready to throw the bag away. "..."
"Hahahaha... I was just kidding!" the shark-faced man laughed, grabbing his partner's arm. "I went very late and ran into a woman who'd bought a ton. She was generous enough to give me a portion."
"Kisame..." Itachi said, his voice low as his eyes bled into scarlet. "Don't do such reckless things again."
"Ah, don't worry, it was nothing..." Kisame waved a dismissive hand.
"You didn't notice she was following you?" Itachi flung a shuriken. It struck a large tree, and a woman dropped down from its branches.
Her hair was tied back loosely, and she wore a light brown trench coat. Standing under the tree, she glared at Itachi with dissatisfaction. "Hey, you bastard. You hit a little too hard, don't you think?"
"Long time no see, Anko." The corner of Itachi's eye twitched slightly. He watched the woman, who was chewing on a stick, place several food bags on the ground. "You seem to be doing well since I left Konoha."
"Yep. Izumi died, and you defected," Anko said, her expression momentarily distant. She clenched a fist and stretched. "Now I don't have to share my favorite three-colored dango with two little brats..."
Itachi fell into silence. "..."
Back when he had more leisure time in Konoha, Itachi had accepted a mission from the R&D department to test their ninja training rooms. At that time, Orochimaru was in charge of the department. Because of this, Itachi had gotten to know Orochimaru's disciple, Anko Mitarashi.
As fellow lovers of sweets, and with Itachi's well-behaved nature, their relationship had been quite good. After Anko's teacher defected and Itachi joined the ANBU, they drifted apart, only running into each other occasionally at the dango shop.
Kisame's eyes darted between them. A grin spread across his face as he stepped back. "Since she's an old friend of yours, Itachi-san, I won't interfere."
"That would be best. That way I won't have to hurt you," Anko said, cracking her knuckles. Her voice dropped low. "Talk, Itachi. You're an S-rank wanted criminal. You didn't return to the village with a rogue ninja from the Mist just to buy dango, did you?"
"..." Itachi's eyelid twitched. Anko was in front of him, Kisame behind him.
After a moment's thought, Itachi opened his hand. "I came to get something," he said. "And to see if I could correct a past mistake."
"A mistake?" Anko raised an eyebrow, then sighed softly. "So, you finally feel regret? It's not a pleasant feeling, is it..."
"No, Anko." Itachi's fingers clenched into a fist. He looked up, his scarlet Sharingan glowing with a strange, captivating light. "I came to see if, after all these years, the little brother I once disdained to kill... has finally become worthy of me making a move."
"Hmph. Still as arrogant as ever." A young voice cut through the tension. Sasuke Uchiha emerged from the darkness, his teammates right behind him.
Sasuke looked up at the man in the red-clouded cloak, the tomoe of his own Sharingan spinning. "Itachi. This time, I'm going to make sure you stay in Konoha... to be buried with the rest of our clan!"
-----
Bonus:
The Ninja World's Best Teammate - Kisame Hoshigaki
Itachi: You're a fish...
Kisame: Yeah...
Itachi: But you're feeding a cat.
Kisame: I'm a shark.
Itachi: So sharks can feed cats?
Kisame: I can even feed you. What's wrong with me feeding a cat?
Itachi: ...
Black Zetsu, Obito: Kisame, do you not understand human language?
Kisame: Do you guys not understand Itachi-speak?