Isshun No Hikari

Isshun No Hikari-

English Translation: Ray of Sunshine

Author: Nymphomaniac

Warning: alternate universe; original character; out of character -ness ; intense fluffiness

Disclaimer: I tried to buy Shikamaru off eBay but Kishimoto-sama got scared and Gaara tried to bite me. (doesn't own shit)

Beta: -pending-

It all began on a relatively warm Thursday evening, Mikoto Uchiha had just been rushed into the hospital after coming home from the grocery store then surprising everybody by going into labor three months earlier than expected due date. After a rather long and bloody process, Emi Uchiha was born and became known as: the lucky one. Exactly two hours after Emi's birth, Mikoto passed away and everyone knew what caused her death but nobody dared to speak of it.

As Emi continued to grow Sasuke realized a few things:

1. Emi was small.

Sasuke watched with mild amusement as Emi tried to snatch one of the Gyoza that Itachi had made off his plate. He'd quickly realized what she was up to and lifted his plate higher to prevent her from grabbing it. At the time she was probably about six years old while he himself was eight. Though there was only a two-year difference, she could hardly even touch his nose - even on tippy-toes - and thus he didn't really have to make much of an effort to keep the plate away from her small and rather chubby hands.

"Sasu-nii gimmie." She stared at him with a blank, deadpanned expression. It was not a request but a demand, the only indication that she was upset was the slightly extended bottom lip.

"You can have one if you can reach it." he replied smugly, and began nibbling on the one in his hand.

Emi huffed, she glanced around looking for something to step on or someone to aid her. After finding none she tried to use Sasuke's lower torso to steady herself while she stepped on his toes and reached as high as she could. Still, her arms were not long enough to reach the Gyoza and after a few seconds of staring him down and glaring at him, she kicked him in the shin.

Hard.

Sasuke let out a yelp and dropped the plate which fell into Emi's extended hands. She then proceeded to walk away with a light smirk of triumph on her lips. Having heard Sasuke's yelp, Itachi walked out of the kitchen and stared at the two a flash of amusement in his eyes.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"I can hear you thinking."

Smirk.

"Shut up."

Conclusion: No matter how short Emi is, you do not deny her Gyoza.

2. Emi was an easy target.

It all started when Emi was enrolled at the academy. She seemed to like it enough, when her father asked how she liked the academy she was silent for a few seconds before nodding her head in approval. A few weeks into the academy Sasuke and Itachi realized something was wrong. Her demeanor was constantly on guard and she developed a habit of twitching her fingers. At first the two shoved it off as: it's a girl thing, but as time when on they both came to the conclusion that something was definitely going on at school.

The next day they asked Emi if she wanted them to walk her to school. She didn't say anything at first but eventually nodded, still they could smell her hesitation. Half way there she just stopped walking and it took them a good three minutes to snap her out of it.

"Imoto."

No response.

"Imoto." A little louder.

. . .

"Emi!"

"Nani?" She blinked and looked up at them with her big onyx eyes and they silently agreed that they would figure out the cause of their sisters trouble.

"Daijōbu?"

"I am... okay." She really wasn't a very good liar.

After school was out, Itachi went to the front of the school to pick them both up. Sasuke arrived first, his hands in his pockets and after about ten minutes of waiting they decided to go search for her.

"Are you sure you're even an Uchiha?" The two brother's froze and hurried in the direction of the voice. There they spotted three older boys crowding around their younger sister who was a good two or so feet under their height.

"Hai." Emi's voice was naturally very soft and it sometimes took a bit of strain to hear what she had to say. In a moment like this her soft voice was considered weak and the three boys broke into laughter.

"You're so small!" "How could you possibly an Uchiha!" "Aren't they supposed to be tough, not some small little mouse?!"

Emi blinked and looked up at the boys.

"I was born this way."

Laughter.

"Are you retarded?"

One of the boys tugged at her hair, laughing at her uncomfortable expression. And Sasuke and Itachi both realized that Emi was kind of really dense and those boy's were not just kind of stupid.

"What are you doing to my imoto?"

The boy's turned towards the sound of Sasuke's voice and the boy who had grabbed her hair immediately released it.

"Y-you always have your big brothers fight your battles?"

"This is not a battle, if it is then you've already lost." she stated calmly.

"What'ja say, you little-" He froze when Itachi placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Hiding behind your friends because you cannot face a child half your size on your own. How pitiful." The boy snarled and threw a punch at her head, she ducked and passed under his arm then began walking down the hall.

"Sasu-nii. Ita-nii. Let's go."

When they got home Sasuke asked her why she didn't tell them she was getting picked on. She shrugged, "I am an Uchiha. I cannot depend on my big brother's to save me every time someone tries to bully me."

Itachi smiled, Sasuke smirked and they both decided Emi was a really good kid.

The next day Emi went to school the three boys were all covered in suspicious bruises. (*cough*)

Conclusion: Emi is stronger than she looks and her brother's are both totally crazy when it comes to protecting her.

3. No matter how hard he tried, he could not hate her.

Emi was the cause of Mikoto's death. It was not a question or a possible answer, it was a fact. A fact that no one was allowed to talk about for fear that it would effect her relationship with the rest of her family.

Sasuke found out anyways.

"Poor child. Living with such a burden."

"It was bound to happen though, she was born three months earlier than she was supposed to be."

"Shhh- you know we're not allowed to talk about it."

"Oh come now, nobody is listening-"

Sasuke was.

He stood by the door, his back leaning against the wall. His ears listening to the gossiping maids. Now he was not one for eavesdropping nor was he the type to care about his maid's gossip, but when he heard Emi's name he couldn't help but stop to listen.

"I don't pity the girl."

"What? It's not her fault that-"

"Oh I know, but the mistress was such a great woman. Emi... she's just so gloomy."

"Oh come now. You shouldn't say such a thing, we should be happy. Mikoto didn't make it through the birth, but at least Emi did right?"

"She's no better than a murderer."

"Shhh, someone might hear you!"

He had heard enough, he rushed out of the room and headed to his bedroom where he slammed the door shut and shoved his face into his pillow. Emi was the cause of his mother's death? Impossible... but... Mikoto's death happened right after Emi was born. Coincidence maybe? They said she fell ill... nothing about murder.

His door creaked open.

"Sasu-nii?"

He didn't say anything. She was the one that took her away. What was he supposed to say to her? Was he mad? Maybe. Did he love her? He thought so.

"Can I sleep with you."

After a few seconds Sasuke turned towards her. She was small, they said she would always be. Her eyes were too big, her skin was too pale, her hair was too long. Her face was too blank and she looked...

Just like Mikoto.

She killed her.

He scoot over and allowed the little girl to crawl in next to him.

"I love you oniisan." She planted a soft kiss on his cheek and closed her eyes.

She killed her.

Minutes ticked by and he just sat there watching her. She inched her way closer to him, unconsciously snuggling into his side. His arms wrapped themselves around her.

She killed her.

She nuzzled Sasuke's cheek. Such like a cat, he thought. She was so tiny, he could wrap his entire hand around her tiny wrist.

She killed her, but he loved her anyways.

"I love you too Imoto."

The next morning Itachi had gone to wake up his younger sister only to find her room empty. He blinked a few times then decided to ask Sasuke if he knew where she was. Imagine his surprise when he found Emi sleeping soundly in his bed her head snuggled into Sasuke's chest, Sasuke's arms wrapped protectively around her.

He didn't just smirk at the cute scene, he smiled.

And then took a bunch of pictures so he could blackmail Sasuke later.

Emi didn't mean to do it, but had been the cause for Mikoto's death; and nobody was allowed to talk about it because it wasn't something Fugaku wanted his son to know about.

Sasuke knew anyways.

Itachi figured it out.

But they both loved her because she was not a murderer.

She was Emi Uchiha.

The three maids who had been talking about the subject mysteriously went missing anyways.

"Itachi give me the damn pictures!"

"Stop cursing in front of our little sister."

Emi hopped up on the couch and snatched the pictures from Itachi's hand. She glanced at the pictures, then back at her two brother's and quickly put two and two together.

"I think I'll keep these." She nodded and walked out the room.

Fugaku smirked at his youngest child and watched with mild amusement as the two boy's chased her around the house trying to snatch the photo's back.

Conclusion: She was their little ray of sunshine.

FIN

Authors Note:

So, I'm probably going to end this here if not who knows. Otherwise I'll probably make this into a series of fluffy one-shots that are all connected in some sort of way (o-o) *cough*. If you have any ideas let me know as well, I am not really sure where I am going with this the idea just kind of popped into my head. So yeah, review or something :')