A few days after that, Ayano was still shaken up from the mission.  Not as bad as Itachi, (it was his teammate after all) but still pretty bad.  It was bad enough that she didn't hear her little brother the first time he said her name. 

"Nee-chan?  Nee-chan!"

Ayano turns her head to look down at Naruto, who was looking up at her.  "Nee-chan.  Can we go out for wamen?"  Ayano pats Naruto on the head distractedly.

"Yeah, we can go out for ramen."  No sooner had the words left her mouth, Naruto had jumped up and down in delight before grabbing his big sister's arm and dragging her outside.  Ayano chuckles.  "Hold on we need shoes first."

After eating some ramen, Ayano saw Itachi walking around.  "Itachi!," she called out, making the boy jump then turn.

"Itachi!" Ayano called as she barrelled towards him, Naruto following close behind.  "I've been worried about you, are you okay?" Itachi nodded slowly, and Ayano could see him struggle to keep his face neutral.  Guilt hit Ayano like a rock to the face and she started to freak out as she realized that her friend was, in fact, not okay.   Quite the opposite.  She blushed and stuttered an embarrassed apology.  "I-Im sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up..."

Naruto looks up at Itachi.  "Who's thwis, nee-chan?"  The two kids turn to the young Uzumaki and smile, awkward moment already forgotten.

"Well it makes sense you don't remember me.  I'm Itachi Uchiha, your sister's good friend," Itachi gently explains to Naruto.

"Are you twu gunna mawy?," Naruto naively asks.  The question makes Itachi and Ayano blush a deep crimson.  They look at each other in delicate silence before looking back at Naruto.

"N-Naruto... don't say things like that ya know," she splutters.

"A-anyway I came here to tell you that I'm going to take the Chunin exams,'' Itachi uncomfortably explained, still magenta from Naruto's innocent (yet not so innocent) question.  This makes Ayano calm down slightly, though it did not for her equally beet red face.

"Oh cool!  I'll be rooting for you, ya know!" 

A few years later (because I say so!)

Ayano was walking around the Uchiha training grounds when she saw a boy with black hair and onyx eyes peering out from behind some trees and bushes.  "I thought I'd find you two here," she says with a smirk on her face as the boy looked over at Ayano with barely contained excitement.

"Ayano-nee!"  Sasuke cried as he ran over to Ayano happily.  Ayano greeted him, then looked around for Itachi.  He was nowhere to be found- she couldn't even sense his chakra.  But she knew he was there.  He couldn't fool her.

"Are you and Itachi playing hide and seek again?," Ayano asks, sighing to herself.  'He never plays fair.  I know he's doing it to test Sasuke but this is a bit too far,' she thought while sweat dropping.

Sasuke nods.  "He's using shadow clones again too," Sasuke says through a huge pout, making Ayano chuckle.

"Well that's not very fair now is it Itachi?," Ayano says with fake annoyance in her tone.  She rests her hands on her hips to complete the image.

"I'm playing fair Ayano," Itachi says laughing.  His voice seems to echo all around the treetops, not giving away his position like Ayano had vaguely hoped he would've. 

Frustrated, she taps her foot for a few seconds, thinking, then stops and smirks.  "I've got a way to get Itachi to come out," she whispers into Sasuke's ear.

"How?," he asks, stumped.  "I've tried everything!  I know I have!"

"Not everything..."  Ayano deviously clears her throat and holds out the bag in her hand.  "Itachi, come out or I won't share these dangos I just bought with you!"  Suddenly Itachi stood before them staring at the bag full of goodies.

"H-how?," Sasuke asks, shocked.  Ayano chuckles and gives Itachi the bag full of dangos.  Itachi takes it and starts eating the sweets happily.  Ayano smiles.  'He's always had such a big sweet tooth...'

As Itachi eats, he suddenly remembers Ayano is here for their annual two week meet up.  "I have to go Sasuke," he says with a slightly melancholy frown.  Sasuke pouts.

"But you're always so busy!  I never see you!," he complains.

Ayano looks at the two brothers and sighs.  She hated separating Itachi from Sasuke, but she knew that he needed some personal time.  Time to talk about things like issues with the Uchiha clan, or missions that he can't talk about with anybody else except his cousin and good friend Shisui.

Ayano bends down to Sasuke's level.  "Don't worry Sasuke.  I'll bring him back and it'll be in enough time for him to spend time with you."  She gives him a bright smile and Itachi nods.

"She's right Sasuke, I'll be back later."

Sasuke sighs and nods.  "Ok."

They began walking towards Ayano's house, and during this time, Itachi looked at his red haired friend with a big smile.  He had adopted to the ninja rule- not show emotions- but he does when he is around Sasuke, Shisui, or Ayano.  He can't help it.  He doesn't know why- perhaps due to how much he cares about them- but he cares for other people too so why just them?

Once they'd arrived at Ayano's house, and Ayano had made some tea, and given a cup of the liquid to Itachi, and Itachi had quietly thanked her as she had sat across from him... only then did the conversation really start.

"So how has everything been since last time?," Ayano asks with an inward sigh, knowing already that it wasn't going so well for Itachi.

The Uchiha puts a hand on his forehead and sighs.  "The clan is getting worse.  They are using me to spy on the higher ups of the village to gain information, and the higher ups want me to spy on the clan as well."  He laughs bitterly.  "It's such an ironic two way street."

Ayano frowns.  "You shouldn't have to bear this Itachi."

"But then who will if I don't?  It will be someone else, and I can't let someone else shoulder this burden," Itachi says stubbornly.

Ayano looks away sadly.  'He always puts others before himself.  I admire him for it, but it isn't healthy to this degree,' she thought.  "I know.  I just wish I could help you somehow," she says, moving to take a sip of her tea.

Itachi grabbed Ayano's chin and moved her to face him, looking into her dark greyish blue eyes.  This made her freeze, tea raised halfway to her lips. "I know you do, but you talking with me like this is helpful enough," Itachi says, giving her a small smile.

That image was branded in Ayano's mind long after Itachi left, plaguing her, even as she went to the playground to find Naruto sitting on a swing by himself.  Ayano walked towards him, concerned, all but the memory of Itachi grabbing her chin instantly passing from her mind. "Naruto?  Why are you by yourself?," she asked, anxious.  Naruto looked up at her, his eyes puffy and red from what looked like crying.  Ayano's eyes widened and without a second thought gave him a tight hug.

"Nee-chan, why are the villagers so mean?"

Ayano tenses up.  'I was told not to tell him about the Ninetails and what is sealed inside of him...  but it seems so unfair!  He should know what's going on and why they dislike him so much.  It's not good to blame a child for something that was out of his control,' she thinks to herself as she wipes away the fresh tears streaming down her brother's face.

"I don't know Naruto but I'm sure they don't mean it.  Maybe they just think you look like someone else," she says uneasily, hoping he would buy the lie.  "But no matter what they tell you know, that I love you and I'll always be here for you okay?"  Naruto sniffles and nods.

Ayano releases Naruto from the hug and takes his hand.  "Let's go home ok, I'm sure some ramen will cheer you up."  Naruto nods.

"O-okay nee-chan."

Thicc time skip...

Ayano was in the library one day and found a book about the Uzumaki clan in it.  They said that there was an alliance with the Senju clan- the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had married Mito Uzumaki.  "That's it!," Ayano cheered putting the book in her bag and running off to find Itachi.  Thankfully (and conveniently), it was Itachi's day off, and he was nearby in the dango shop with Shisui.  Ayano had ran all the way to him, so when she finally reached them she started panting.

"Woah there calm down!  No need to run over here so fast," Shisui says jokingly.  Once Ayano was able to breathe normally, she gave them a grin.

"I found the solution!"

Shisui looks over at Itachi confused, but shrugs and walks away.  "I'll leave you two love birds alone for a bit," he says with a laugh, then notices that the two of them are blushing and quickly runs away before they can hit him.

Itachi turns to face Ayano.  "Enough of him.  So what was it you wanted to talk about?

Ayano nods.  "Yeah I was going to tell you anyways, even if he was here teasing us the whole time."  Her eyes flashed with excitement.  "I think I figured out how to fix this whole thing."

Itachi looks at her confused.  "How?"

Ayano suddenly blushes, realizing what she is about to say.  'Actually, maybe I wouldn't have said this in front of Shisui...'   "You know how the Senju and the Uzumaki clan made an alliance?," she starts.

Itachi nods.  "Lord First and Mito Uzumaki got married, right?"

Ayano nods.  "Exactly."

Itachi thinks for a moment.  He wasn't exactly sure what she was getting at alliance clans at first but then....  "Wait, you're suggesting we...."

Ayano nods tightly, fiercely blushing.  "If it helps stop this fighting- and makes you carry less of a burden- then I'm willing to do it."

Itachi frowns.  "But you should get married to someone you love, Ayano."  Ayano blushes even harder and smiles.

"Who said I didn't love you?"

Itachi turns a bright red, looking away, then pulls her into an embrace.  "Then I'd be honored."

They go and speak with the Hokage about it, who was skeptical at first, but seeing how serious the two were about this he eventually agreed.  They then went to Fugaku, and he grumbled a lot, but also eventually agreed.  Now the wedding was going to start to be planned!

The next day was the start of the academy for Naruto and Sasuke (because convenience).  Ayano woke up to a very excited Naruto, who was jumping up and down as he got ready to leave the house (when is he not energetic though, let's be realistic here).  "Nee-chan I'm gonna be the greatest ninja dattebayo!"

This makes Ayano chuckle.  "Of course you will Naruto! I believe in you ya know!," she cheers, giving him a fist bump.  The siblings then laugh as they walk towards the academy.

After the academy day ends, Ayano and Itachi are hanging out while they wait to pick up Naruto and Sasuke.  "Should we tell them Itachi?," Ayano questions.

Itachi shrugs, acting like it wasn't some big decision.  "We probably should."

Naruto sees the two talking and thinks nothing of it until Sasuke runs over and hugs Ayano.  His Ayano.  The young Uzumaki runs over and pushes the young Uchiha away from his sister.  "Stay away from my sister teme!!!," he whines, hugging Ayano in a protective manner.  Sasuke's eyes widen, looking up at Ayano.

"That's your brother Ayano-nee?!"

Ayano nods.  "Yes, and he's going to be your brother too, so you better get along with him."  The two kids think for a second before... 

"What?!"  Naruto looks up at Ayano in horror.  "You're not leaving me for teme are you?!," he says with tears in his eyes.  Ayano sweat drops, then kneels down and wipes the tears from his eyes.

The two Uchihas look at each other while Ayano is trying to calm Naruto down.  "What is Ayano-nee talking about nii-san?," Sasuke asks curiously.

Itachi looks at Ayano (who has finally gotten Naruto to calm down by telling him they'll go out for ramen) with a fond expression.  "We're getting married, Sasuke," Itachi finally blurts out bluntly.

Naruto freezes mid cheer and slowly turns to Itachi.  Sasuke does the same.  "WHAT?!," the two kids yell.  Ayano sighs and gives her future husband a nudge.

"You didn't have to say it so bluntly ya know."