Itachi's eyes drifted around the room, it was dark, but it wasn't like he could tell either way, he couldn't see a thing. His hands nipped at the bandages over his eyes. He didn't sleep at all, not one wink. He probably over exerted himself again. Amateratsu and Tsukiyomi in one fight. Perhaps his pride for showing how powerful an Uchiha is is still within him. Itachi could feel the beads of sweat on his forehead and his cloak being the blanket for him this time.
Time. Hasn't it changed. Around this time he would have been with Shisui and Sasuke.
Shisui sharpened his kunai. Upon first meeting the small boy sitting next to him, he was pleased to make a friend he could talk to. Itachi was a prodigy though, he hoped there were some things he could teach him. "Don't you think it's getting late? We should head back."
"Ah, just a little while longer, so...please stay with me Shisui-san." Shisui sighed at the boy, turning back to look at the sunset. It was really bright and had so many colors. Some of them he didn't even know the name to. He stuck his kunai in the ground and laid on his back, closing his eyes. He'll rest here until Itachi wants to go back.
"Shisui-san, do you have a sibling?"
Shisui opened one eye, "No. But you do, right? A little brother?" Itachi nodded in affirmation, "You're lucky. That must be fun."
Itachi furrowed his brows. Shisui figured something really was bothering him, "I don't know how to be an older brother." Shisui deadpanned, holding it in for a while, but then bursting out into laughter that caused tears to form at the corner of his eyes. "Eh...w-what, but it's not funny."
Shisui wiped away a tear. "I'm sorry, but you're just too much sometimes." Shisui pat Itachi's head, "There's nothing to it. But there are three rules, be there for him, play with him, and always make him smile," Shisui smirked, "like this." He began to slightly tickle Itachi, making Itachi squirm to get away from him and smile, laughing just as Shisui was.
"S-stop!" Itachi laughed. Shisui chuckled, removing his hands. "Thank you...but, how do you know how to be an older brother Shisui-san?"
Shisui placed a hand on his chin, "Hmm, well." He grinned at him, "Because of you of course." Itachi widened his eyes. "Come on, we should head back now, huh?" Itachi nodded. Shisui stood, dusting himself off. Itachi did the same, and was about to walk on, until he saw Shisui crouching down.
"Shisui-san, what are you doing?" Itachi sweat dropped.
"What does it look like? Get on." Shisui smiled back at him, Itachi didn't as told, wrapping his arms around Shisui's neck and letting Shisui carry his legs. They walked in silence for a while, well Shisui walked in silence for a while. "Hey, 'Tachi, you know I do think of you as a little brother right?" Itachi nodded, Shisui cleared his throat. "Brothers don't really use honorifics on each others names. Maybe you could drop the '-san'."
Itachi blinked, the thought had never crossed his mind. "Eh? But, Shisui-san has always been Shisui-san, because Shisui-san had -san when I met him..." Itachi knew himself that his reasoning was childish, but Shisui didn't mind it.
"Really, I don't know what I'd do without having you around." Itachi smiled, he seemed to always be the rational one.
"Thank you...Shisui." Shisui smiled this time around.
"You're welcome."
Itachi felt a heavy weight crawl on top of him, he groaned. Pushing it off, not realizing what it was. Then he heard the small whining turn into crying. Itachi shot up, looking over to see Sasuke at the side of his futon. He lifted him back on his lap, caressing him to stop crying. Be there for him. Itachi looked down, seeing that his tears had dried. How did Sasuke even crawl all the way here? He was sure his door was shut too. Itachi looked over to see a hole and sweat dropped. Mother wasn't going to be happy about that.
"You really wanted to see me that badly, Sasuke?"
While he knew Sasuke had no clue what he was saying, he found his troubles went away when talking with someone who couldn't understand him. Itachi smiled, "Today was uneventful. Father was out most of the day and I trained with Shisui-san, er, I mean Shisui. I'll have to get used to that."
Sasuke played with Itachi's fingers, plopping his index finger in his mouth, Itachi paled, unsanitary, unsanitary, unsanitary, is what he kept thinking. But then he heard Sasuke giggle and cuddle up to him and he smiled. They were brothers anyway. "Sasuke, when you grow up, do you even want to be a ninja? It's not as fun as mother used to say it is. I think...it's difficult. Father wants us to be Shinobi I think. Ah!" Itachi perked, removing Sasuke from on top of him. Standing up and leaving the room.
Sasuke blinked, his bottom lip quivering. He began to crawl towards the door to follow after Itachi, but before he made it, Itachi was back in the room, with a box in his hands. "Over here, Sasuke. This girl in my Academy walked home with me today. So we stopped by the dango shop. She's usually around when I walk home, but I've never approached her ever since Konoha was attacked. Really, I think she likes me..." Itachi sweat dropped, opening the package. Giving Sasuke a small dumpling.
He barely had teeth, so all he did was suck on it, until it went soggy. Itachi smiled. "I wonder what your voice will be like. Or, what you'll call me when you can talk?" Sasuke giggled. "Aniki?" Sasuke gurgled the spit in his mouth, as if saying 'no'. "Itachi?" Sasuke puffed his cheeks, rolling onto his back. Like he was disagreeing with what Itachi said. "Nii-san?" Sasuke sat back up, cocking his head to the side and smiling. Itachi blinked twice, and his face reddened.
He closed his mouth, s-so-so cute!?
Itachi shook his head, eating the rest of his dango. And eventually taking the soggy one out of Sasuke's mouth, placing it in the box to throw away later. "I think...I should introduce you to Shisui. You'll like him, he's funny. Also, kind, but he can be cruel towards me. Not in a bad way though. I think he'd be a good older brother to you too." Sasuke yawned, rubbing his eyes. Itachi smiled, lifting Sasuke to lay next to him, letting him have more blanket than himself.
Itachi poked his forehead, "Sleep well Otouto."
Sasuke marched off to the training grounds. He was sure his older brother was there. Training, of course. Being a genin must be tough, Sasuke wanted to be as strong as him someday. Maybe even stronger. He was about to run up to Itachi and hug him as usual, but there was someone else with him. A girl too. Multiple actually. Itachi seemed indifferent about the situation, only declining their offers to clean his kunai or train with him or help him brush out his hair.
Sasuke twitched. Too busy to play with him, huh? Too busy flirting! Sasuke puffed his cheeks and furrowed his brows. Stomping onto the training ground. He sped up in front of Itachi and placed a hand in front. "No trespassers!" He squeaked. The girls, instead of being imitated like he thought they'd be, they gushed.
"Kyaaaa~, he's so adorable. Can we touch him Itachi-kun?" This time, Itachi twitched. He stepped in front of Sasuke and placed his hand out, "No trespassers." The girls sweat dropped.
Then one of them screamed, then another, until they all fell down and only one girl was left. With a beauty mark and long brown hair, a box of dango in her hands. "Itachi-kun, I brought you dango." She smiled, "You like it, right? The other day you almost killed me when I ate the one you wanted." Itachi thanked her. "So, is this your little brother again?" She crouched down, "You remember me? We met before. When you were a baby. You cried when I carried you though. You've gotten even cuter too." She gushed. Sasuke scoffed at her.
"I wouldn't remember an ugly lady like you."
Izumi's smile faded, "What'd you say you brat!?"
Sasuke stuck out his tongue, "Old lady, old lady!" Izumi chased him around the training grounds as he called her an old lady and insulted her looks. Itachi would normally stop something like this, but instead he laughed. Izumi and Sasuke stopped, watching in awe.
Izumi blushed as seeing him smile in front of her, Sasuke grinned, going back next to him. Itachi calmed himself, "I'm sorry, it's just, it feels like family here." Izumi cooed, ignoring Sasuke calling her old again.
Shisui rubbed the side of his head. That mission was tougher than he thought. He should've looked out for that kunai, he'd never seen so much blood before. His head ached and he just wanted to go home. He knows he promised Itachi he'd train with him once he got back, but not with the scar on the side of his head that was still bleeding. "Shisui?" Shisui groaned, now he was hearing things. "Shisui!" He turned to see a small bundle of joy running up to him. It wasn't Itachi like he'd expected, but instead Sasuke.
"Nii-san is at the training grounds already, follow me!" Shisui groaned as Sasuke took his hand and pulled him over. "Eh? What's wrong?"
Shisui gave him a sad smile, "I'm sorry Sasuke, but I'm not feeling too well, see." He showed him the bandages on the side of his head. Sasuke gaped.
"Whoa, a real injury! Can I touch-" Shisui pulled away before he could. "Eh, no fair. Nii-san and I have been waiting a while. Just for a bit, please." Sasuke asked, Shisui figured it wouldn't hurt for a little bit.
As expected, Shisui saw Itachi sitting on the ground, legs crossed, with dango in his hand. Shisui was sure he never sees Itachi without it now. Itachi's eyes widened when he saw Shisui. "Shisui, you're hurt." Itachi stood, forgetting about his dango and letting it drop to the floor. Itachi inspected the injury, and sighed. "You should've just went home, we can train another day." There might not be another day. Itachi and Shisui knew that.
Sasuke pouted, "Aw, but Nii-san-"
"No buts Sasuke, let's go home." Sasuke glared over at Shisui, he sweat dropped in retort. Sasuke grabbed Itachi's hand to walk with him.
"Eh? Let's all hold hands?" Shisui cooed at Sasuke. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Hold your own hand, Shitsui." Itachi widened his eyes.
"Sasuke!" Sasuke looked over at Itachi, eyes watering.
"Did I say something bad, Nii-san?" Itachi's heart panged and he poked his forehead.
"No, not at all." Shisui deadpanned.
"He's manipulating you!" Sasuke stuck his tongue out at him. Shisui smirked, "You know Sasuke, you have a lot of fangirls too huh. Maybe you should stop clinging to your brother. They'll start thinking you're g-"
"Haha, we should really head home now." Itachi interrupted him. Sasuke rose a brow,
"Huh? What was he going to say?" Itachi walked off, still holding Sasuke's hand. Shisui snickered, catching up to them.
"What happened while I was gone?" Itachi looked down at Sasuke, seeing he wasn't listening to the conversation. Itachi looked back over at Shisui.
"There was a meeting. I didn't get exact dates this them around, I'm sorry, it's something father doesn't want me to know." Shisui smiled, putting his head. "Shisui...?"
"You know I don't care about that stuff Itachi. I mean, how did your day go?" Sasuke interrupted before Itachi could answer.
"We hung out the whole day! We slept next to each other the other night, and we ate breakfast together and we trained and Nii-san gave me a piggy back ride, and it was all because you weren't here. Go on another mission soon, 'kay?" Sasuke smiled, Shisui and Itachi sweat dropped.
"Go get a girlfriend Sasuke! Before you, Itachi and I hung out all the time!" Shisui smirked wide, "Or maybe no girls like you huh?" He poked his cheeks, "Eeeh? And you pay them to follow you so you can impress me, you don't have to impress me Sasuke." Shisui cooed. Sasuke pushed his face away,
"Stay away from me, I don't want to catch the stupid disease." Sasuke walked off, fuming. Itachi shook his head at Shisui, Shisui shrugged. While they both knew what they needed and had to do, also what they wanted to protect, they couldn't help but be happy at this moment. Life wasn't perfect at the moment, but they couldn't really ask for more.
Itachi smiled, touching his necklace, removing his bandages and opening his eyes. Somehow, that made him feel much better.