Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Sasuke had wanted to see the fireworks, and the absolute only person he wanted to take him was Itachi.. It had been no use for Itachi to tell his five-year-old brother that he was a chunin now and that he couldn't spend every waking moment with his brother; Sasuke had been adamant.
As they trekked up the hill, picking their way around other family's picnic blankets and lawn chairs, Sasuke huffed and puffed with exertion.
"Niisan? Why are we going up this big hill? Shisui-nii's on one of the smaller hills."
Itachi stopped briefly to let Sasuke catch up to him. He peered at the night-darkened hills, at the glittering chorus of white and yellow lights in the distance that was Konohagakure. There were no trees on the hill they were on, and thus no obstructions.
"This is the hill with the best view," Itachi explained. "Shisui broke his leg recently, you'll recall." He exchanged a sly glance with his brother. Shisui had broken his leg when Sasuke fell out of a tree and on to his cousin; Sasuke's name was still mud with Shisui. "Shisui can't climb as high as we can." And Shisui wouldn't be too terribly happy to spend an evening with Sasuke right now.
Itachi bent down to let Sasuke climb on his back; the smaller boy let out a squeal of delight (two or three sets of parents heard and smiled indulgently), and immediately hopped on his brother's back. Itachi winced; Sasuke was getting heavy.
They continued their progress up the hill, much more slowly. A pair of children playing tag cut across Sasuke and Itachi's grassy path with shrill screams that soon faded into the night.
Finally, they reached the summit of the hill. It was quieter; the sultry, humid air buzzed softly as the wind played across the lush grasses. A chorus of crickets rose and fell like the rolling of the tide, and lazy little fireflies played hide and seek with small children.
"Niisan? When are the fireworks going to start?"
Itachi smiled and placed a hand on Sasuke's head. "Any minute now, Sasuke." He took out the bag of food their mother had made for them to have while watching the fireworks, and distributed to Sasuke his share of the onigiri. Sasuke immediately started munching on it, quieted by food.
Somewhere down the hill, Inuzuka Hana was chasing her little brother around for fun; Itachi could hear dogs barking. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were there with their children as well; the little Yamanaka girl had tried to make eyes at Sasuke, who mercifully didn't notice.
Then, the fireworks exploded into the night, like the sirens of towns under siege.
First scarlet, then electric blue, then emerald green and all shades of indigo and gold, on into the night long after Sasuke had fallen asleep and Itachi had carried him back home.
I had wanted just a little sweet moment between Sasuke and Itachi, but since I can't help but think that Shisui would be member number three of their little gang, I needed an excuse to keep him out of the picture.