Summary: When Itachi and Sasuke get into a fight, it's up to their parents to fix it. But instead of telling them they're wrong, Mikoto and Fugaku tell the siblings a bit about their past. Uchiha Family Bonding.
Warnings: None, but OCness
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
This is my first real FanFic, so go easy on me! English is not my first language so there might be errors.
Chapter 1: A Conflict
Itachi walked down the empty corridor. His father was on a mission, his mother . . . actually the 13 year old had no idea where his mother was. Itachi hadn't been paying attention when Mikoto told him were she was going, all he knew was that he had to take care of Sasuke. But the youngest Uchiha had been too quiet for an 8 year old, so Itachi decided to check on him.
When Itachi went to Sasuke's room, he noticed that Sasuke had a bag packed. Itachi sighed, "You're going to Naruto's house, again?" Upon hearing his older brother, Sasuke jumped. "Aniki, how many times have I told you to knock?" Itachi pretended to think. "Not sure, I stopped caring after the third time. And you haven't answered my question."
"Yea, I'm going to Naruto's house. You know he's sick. Sakura and I have been helping him." Sasuke closed his backpack and shouldered it. "That's the problem. The Uzumaki isn't going to die from the flu. Besides that's the thing I hate about you, Sasuke."
"What? The fact that I actually help my friends? It never bothered you before you got 2 weeks free from your ANBU business. I never saw you." Sasuke said, looking upset.
Itachi frowned. "We saw each other. I was home almost every night."
"With your face in a scroll. Don't start nagging me about the fact that you don't see me a lot now, when I used to ask you to spend some time with me."
"You know I had a ton of work. Father would have noticed if I didn't do my work and he's like a dog with a bone. I had to do my best as an ANBU. You should understand that. Didn't father help you when he could?"
"You know he did, but I didn't want to sacrifice you and me."
"Are you saying I did?"
They had squared off and were standing in the middle of Sasuke's room, facing each other.
"I'm just asking for a little more time with my little brother. I get the stuff about the academy and training, even though it never used to string you out like this. But why don't we ever have any time with each other? Even if it's just to talk?"
"You know I tutor Naruto," Sasuke said. "He's having a hard time keeping up with us."
Itachi rolled his eyes. "He's not your problem. Besides Haruno can tutor him fine on her own."
"I know, but if he's going to keep up with our class, he needs more help then just from Sakura."
Itachi looked exasperated. "Why are you putting this on yourself, Otouto? You're not responsible for whether or not he keeps up with your class."
"I want to walk with my friends. We started the academy together. I want us to keep up with each other and graduate from the academy together. What's so hard to understand about that?" He was becoming impatient with Itachi.
"Don't turn me into some insensitive clod just because I want to spend time with you, now that I don't have to work for a while."
"And don't you turn me into an uncaring pain just because I have more on my mind then you."
"Well, gee, Otouto, forgive me for being so thoughtless and narrow-minded. Don't you think I get it? I know how important your friends are to you. But what about now?"
Sasuke pulled his backpack off and tossed it on his bed. "Take a number and get in line, Itachi! Where were we in the picture back then?"
"Don't make me choose, Sasuke."
Sasuke grabbed his bag and re-shouldered it. "You already have," he said.
Totally stunned by Sasuke's vehemence, Itachi watched him go, heard him bound down the stairs and heard the front door shut hard behind him. After the heat of the fight, the air grew quiet until all Itachi could hear was his own breathing. He couldn't speak. He couldn't even feel. He was numb all over. He left Sasuke's room without a thought, easing the door shut behind him.