Disclaimer:I DO NOT OWN Naruto or any of the characters, or the settings or Icha Icha novels/movies included, Masashi Kishimoto does.
Dedication: To all my reviewers from all my stories and to those who love brotherly Itachi and Sasuke XD
Kisame questions Itachi for the reason behind poking Sasuke on the forehead. "…I suppose you could say it was my way of showing my affection for him," Other Akatsuki members gather around to listen to Itachi's flashback.
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Itachi & Sasuke: Always My Little Brother
"Itachi-san? Can I ask you something?" A deep voiced figure turned to his partner and asked. His companion was sitting across the table from him; they had been playing cards which were now currently scattered all over the surface of the table. "Kisame, what is it, that you want to know?"
The man paused and asked awkwardly, "…Why do you always poke your brother on the forehead? Every time I see you poke one of your Sasuke plushies it brings a big smile to your face and a shark gets curious every now and again…"
As the figure acknowledged as Kisame spoke, a few more occupants of the room came closer to gather around Itachi who was momentarily lost in the thoughts of his fondest memories. "…I don't think you guys would like to hear the story"
"Un, try us Itachi" Sitting to the Uchiha's right sat a fellow Akatsuki by the name of Deidara, not far to his left was Sasori.
"Poking my Otouto in the forehead, I felt, was a way in which I could reach out to him and let him know I was there for him, after all our father neglected him so that he was in desperate need of love…I suppose you could say it was my way of showing my affection for him,"
The little gathering mumbled a little, "Yeah Itachi is the most affectionate out of us"
"Sssh guys he's trying to tell the story!" Kisame growled deep with interest into Itachi's story. "Arigato Kisame, as I was saying…the only way for me to describe this fully is to take you back to one of my favourite memories. In a flashback"
"Ooh shall I send a puppet to go get some popcorn then?"
"Sssh no, I don't want you eating during my story! It'll wreck the moment" Itachi's voice shortly softened. As the four Akatsuki members sat huddled around the table near the warming heat of the fire, Itachi began the flashback.
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(Enter Flashback)
"Neeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaawnnn!" A young Sasuke, no older than four, waved a toy aeroplane is his hand above his head as he sat next to his older brother at the dinner table. The young Uchiha was obsessed with his little orange aeroplane which he had found in the bottom of that morning's box of cereal. Itachi smiled as he watched the fascinated boy stand up and run laps around the table.
Fugaku was currently reading the evening paper, while taking generous mouthfuls of the dinner that his wife had spent all day preparing. He became conscious of the aeroplane sound effects whizzing around his head.
"Neeeeeaaaawwwnnn! Zchummmm! Fusssssssh! Neeeeeeeaaaaaawnnnn!" The little boy was merrily flying the little aeroplane around his fathers head, "Father, play with me! Heeheeeee," He giggled as the passengers on the orange airway took another loop around Fugaku's head.
"Father you can play with the blue one!" Sasuke pulled out a blue toy aeroplane, similar to the one he was holding, out of his short's pocket.
"Play with me! Come on, Father play with me" A vein bulged on the head Uchiha's temple. "Sasuke, sit down!"
"No Father you have to play planes standing up" The boy pulled at his fathers arm knocking the rice from the end of the wooden chopsticks that his father was about to eat. "That's it Sasuke! Sit down and eat your damn dinner! I'm trying to eat mine and read the bloody newspaper here-!"
"Fugaku! Watch your language! Not in front of the boys!" Mikoto yelled as her husband bit his lip. She knelt down to a distraught Sasuke, "Sasuke dear, why don't you go play aeroplanes outside? Then you can be as loud as you like" She smiled at him bringing the cheeky grin back to his face.
"Yes Sasuke, why don't we go outside and play" Itachi pushed his empty bowl away and stood up. Sasuke ran towards him and felt Itachi poke his forehead; he looked up in confusion but shrugged and snatched his brother's arm, "Yay! Nii-san, come on we play more planes!"
Mikoto smiled at her two sons as they left the kitchen hand in hand.
--
Itachi sat on the back porch as Sasuke ran around the garden his cheeks rosy red and his cheeky laughter adding to the evening atmosphere. "Hn" Itachi walked over to the pond and took a seat next to it. The younger raven stopped in his curiosity and joined the older raven by the pond.
"Ichi Nii-san? What are you doing?"
"I'm feeding the fish" He held open his hands to show Sasuke the little flakes of fish food. Itachi picked up a little pinch and place his hand into the pond and offered the food to a weedy fish. "What does fish do?"
"It swims around in this pond all day." Sasuke made a clamping signal with his hands indicating that he wanted to help feed the fish as well. Itachi placed a handful of flakes into the small boy's hand and watched him totter over to the ponds edge.
"Sasuke" Noticing how far his younger brother was leaning over the pond he beckoned to him gesturing for him to come closer. As Sasuke came closer Itachi poked him in the forehead again. "Don't fall in now" He smirked.
Giggling a little, Sasuke tottered back and sank his hands into the cool water waiting for the fish to come for the food. "Eeeee Nii-san what's 'at!?" A rather large fish had pushed its way past the weedy fish into Sasuke's hand.
"That's the fish Sasuke"
"Shoo big fish you push the small one out the way." The bigger fish seemed to know that it wasn't wanted so did a typical bout turn and swam off. The weedy fish crept into the safety of Sasuke's tiny palm and began feeding.
Itachi's expression softened as he watched Sasuke completely fascinated by the fish in his hand. The clear pond water blended to match the colours of the setting sun. "Ne Ichi Nii-san, I want to call this fish Ichi"
"Oh? And why's that?"
"Hehe he reminds me of you."
"…Heh are you trying to say I look like a fish?" Itachi chuckled. Sasuke shook his head grinning he let the fish float off his hand before taking his hand out of the water. "Hehe Nii-san it's because I want to love and look a-fter it like you do me" The younger Uchiha held his arms out to Itachi who in return completed the brotherly hug.
"Also Nii-san? Ichi has a long tail like yours" Sasuke pointed to the pony tail holding Itachi's hair back. The raven wandered over to the pond and picked out 'Ichi' in his hands, with plenty of water to keep the fish alive. "See? Long tail"
'Ichi' looked up at the two brothers and appeared to be smiling up at them.
"Sasuke! Put that fish back before it dries out!" Fugaku had been sent outside to get his sons back into the house and ready for bed. "Father, I helped Ichi nii-san to feed 'Ichi'" Sasuke lifted his cupped hands up to show his father the fish.
"…Learn to say your older brother's name properly it's not that difficult! And put that fish back in the pond right now!" His youngest son did as he was told, the bangs of his hair hiding his sad little face.
"Father, I don't mind Sasuke calling me 'Ichi' in fact I quite like that nickname. It's a nickname between us brothers." Itachi stared hard at their father.
"…Hn…Alright but don't let him call you that in respectable places. Sasuke inside now, Itachi there's a new technique that I wish to show you before you go to bed"
Mikoto waited in the porch doorway, it was true that her husband became very stressed after a long day at work. She wiped away a silent tear on her sons face as he drew close to her. "Sasuke, come on inside I've drawn you a nice warm bath and then afterwards we can watch a film together"
He nodded and followed her inside. Mikoto would have very strict words with her husband that night.
--
When Itachi came in from training Mikoto had already prepared a bath for him as well, she remained in her spot on the sofa as little Sasuke was sleeping soundly with his head resting on her lap. Her arm was wrapped around his waist so that he was reassured she was with him.
"What's he still doing up?" For a change Fugaku wasn't yelling about or to his youngest boy but the tone in which he questioned was not tender or comforting. "I thought it unfair if you stayed up with Itachi and that Sasuke should go to bed on his own."
"He's a growing boy Mikoto, stop mothering him!"
"He's four years old! He's naturally going to be inquisitive and all he needs right now is the love of his mother and father with the freedom to explore things around him!" She snapped in a whispered voice to spare the child cuddled up close to her.
"…Speaking of exploring things, Itachi has progressed so far since entering the academy! The moves he was showing me were much more advanced than the ones I was teaching him. It's a shame, Sasuke has what it takes but he's just not ready for it"
Mikoto shifted a little and managed to pick Sasuke up so that he was cradled in her arms.
"I have high expectations of Itachi and he is very talented but I do not in any way doubt Sasuke, he may be a bit young as of now but just you wait Fugaku. I couldn't be more proud of both of my sons"
With that she lifted Sasuke up and carried him to his room. She laid him on the bed and carefully placed the covers over him. Kissing his forehead she whispered goodnight and walked out the room.
Shortly she also tucked Itachi into his bed despite his request that he was more than capable of getting into bed himself. She kissed his forehead and bade him goodnight before exiting and joining her husband in their bedroom.
--
"Mother!? They're everywhere! No stay away!" Sasuke woke with a start, what happened? Why was it so dark? Where had his mother gone? His room was dark except for the shaft of light from the window. The shadows on the wall above him, from the trees outside, grew and distorted into monstrous creatures. The monsters faded somewhat but reappeared and dived under the bed where the darkest shadows lurked.
Heart racing Sasuke, grasped the teddy hiding under the pillow and took a leap from his bed. He hurried into his parent's bedroom. "Mother! They're coming! … There coming mother you have to get rid of them!"
"Huh? Sasuke dear what is it? Did you have another bad dream?" Mikoto rose onto her elbows and looked down at the terrified child in front of her. "Mummy!" He ran to her bedside when a gust of wind animated the scary shadows on the wall of this room also.
"It's ok, it's ok calm down, they're just shadows-"
"Mikoto what now!?" Sasuke? Is that you? Go back to sleep boy! There are no monsters in this house so act like the shinobi you'll be and go to sleep!" Shaking Sasuke ran out of the room slamming the door behind him Just now he could have sworn that he'd seen a monster emerge out of the bed in the form of his father.
"Sasuke?" Itachi was standing in the doorway to his room. "What's the matter?"
"Ichi Nii-san" Cuddling the teddy he had saved from the monsters, the raven walked to his brother and allowed himself to be led back to the bedroom. "No Nii-san, don't go in there!"
"Why?"
"The monsters will get you!" Itachi instinctively checked under the bed to show Sasuke there was nothing there. Although the young Uchiha didn't seem to believe anything had changed. Itachi gestured for him to come closer "Trust me" he poked Sasuke's forehead once more like the moments, earlier.
The little raven moved towards the bed still clinging to Itachi and his teddy, and looked under the bed for himself, as Itachi had said there was nothing there. Still unconvinced Sasuke refused to climb back into bed.
"Sasuke, there's no one here…I'll tuck you back into bed if you'd like"
"No! Nii-san stay! … When you go they'll come back!" The panic stricken boy held onto his brother even tighter to make him stay with him. "Sleep in here! Please Nii-san don't go!" Tears were filing his frightened eyes.
"…I'll sleep in here with you tonight so the monsters won't get you ok? And then tomorrow I'll make sure the monsters don't come back" Itachi smiled before flipping back the bed covers and lifting Sasuke back onto the bed, he then moved around to the other side and got into the bed as well.
Pulling the covers over them Sasuke nuzzled up to Itachi and turned over in an attempt to get comfortable. Itachi settled himself quite snugly with Sasuke in front of him acting like a water bottle.
"Ichi nii-san…will you protect me forever…" The young Uchiha mumbled in his sleep.
"Always my little brother…"
(End Flashback)
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As Itachi finished the room was filled with sniffles and soft whimpers. "That was so b-b-beautiful Itachi-san!" Kisame burbled as he mopped his eyes.
"Yeah…Makes me want a Sasuke too! Un" Deidara added also drying the small tears in his eyes. On the outside Sasori seemed to be the only one unaffected by the story but inside everyone knew that he was feeling this moment as they were. "I want a Sasuke plushie!"
"Me too!"
"Hey Itachi-san where are you going?" Kisame asked intently as Itachi stood up. "I'm going to tuck my Otouto in. It looks like the monsters will be coming out tonight. He may be the great shinobi that my father was too blind to see, but I'll always be his older brother. Even if it's something simple like monsters, I'll always protect him"
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A\N: XD I've wanted to write this Itachi & Sasuke fic since I saw the flashbacks to their childhood :) It's Itachi and Sasuke in a brotherly way but you can choose to see it the other way if you want.
Sasuke was a little out of character but hey he's a little kid having fun XD Hope you enjoyed it!
Happy Fanfic Reading!