"Itachi . . .?" Sasuke asked, looking at Itachi who wasn't moving. "Stop. Fight. Now. This isn't a joke so act serious and pick up your head." Sasuke ordered. Itachi didn't move. " . . . Itachi?" Sasuke asked again. Suddenly, Itachi fell to the ground. Sasuke jumped back. Could this be some genjutsu or had Itachi really just collapsed? Slowly he stepped towards his body. The door opened and in walked Kisame.
"Itachi!" He said, surprised. Kisame rushed to his side and tried to feel for a pulse. He had one, it was steady. "What happened?" Kisame asked. Although he wanted to kill Itachi really badly, there was no way he was going to take the easy way out and kill him while he's down because all of his hard work would be useless.
"I didn't do anything. I came in and there he was, standing like he was some scarecrow. I said his name and then he fell to the ground." Sasuke replied, sliding his katana back in its holster. Kisame nodded and then turned to leave but then he stopped. He turned slowly back and looked at Sasuke questionably.
"I thought you wanted to kill him, why are you—" Kisame wasn't able to finish his sentence, Sasuke had decided to cut in first.
"I don't want my hard work to go to waste. Now go heal him or something." Sasuke said uncaringly. Kisame shrugged.
"If you want to come with, you can." Kisame offered. Sasuke shrugged. The fact that he was actually considering to go see his brother recover from some unknown thing was beyond him. Unconsciously, he nodded his head. "Come on then." Kisame said, those words was the only thing that told him what he had just agreed to. Kisame ran off and surprisingly, he followed. He had no idea where he was going nor did he know if this was just some plot but whatever it was, he hoped it would be worth the trip.
They got to this abandoned building that was deeper into the village. The place was rundown and as soon as they stepped in, a rat scuttled out of the house. Kisame rested Itachi on the only stable structure there, a burgundy, stained couch. Kisame crouched down next to him and pressed his hand to Itachi's forehead. iA fever and he didn't even tell me./i Kisame thought. He stood up and turned to Sasuke. "He's running a fever." Kisame informed him. Sasuke nodded his head. "Could you go try to find a blanket in this place?" Kisame asked. Sasuke nodded again and then began his search. He found a tablecloth, a towel, a bloodstained shirt, and nothing else.
"Um . . ." Sasuke tried to think of the man's name but no names popped into his mind.
"Name's Kisame." Kisame said as though he read the Uchiha's mind. Since he had spent a long time with Itachi, he got a general idea of what Uchiha's were thinking by how they acted.
"Oh. Kisame, I couldn't find anything."
"It's okay, he'll just use his cloak instead and if that's not enough, he can have—" Kisame stopped in the middle of his sentence as Sasuke threw his cloak over Itachi. Kisame smiled.
"I'm going to try to get some water in case he wakes up soon. Stay here and watch him." Kisame said, walking outside.
Now only the two Uchiha's were in the house. Sasuke sat himself next to Itachi and looked at him with hate in his eyes. "You better start feeling good or else I'm going to kick your ass twice as hard." Sasuke said hardheartedly. A small chuckle came from his brother and Sasuke felt a hand ruffling his hair.
"I'll get better but as for you 'kicking my ass,' think again." He said in the same monotone voice he always spoke in. Sasuke slapped Itachi's hand away and stood on his knees, glaring at Itachi. "Why did you come with Kisame?" Itachi asked, not smiling anymore. Sasuke shrugged.
"I don't even know."
"You had the chance. You didn't take it?" He asked.
"I'm not going to waste the effort I put into for gaining power to kill you just for you to end up getting sick and not being able to even stand." Sasuke said irritably. Itachi nodded.
Silence filled the house, there was nothing to be said. Sasuke held in the urge to take out his katana and slit his neck. If a conversation wouldn't start now, he would kill him. "So . . . when do you think your fever will go away?" Sasuke asked not really in a caring tone.
"I don't know. Why, are you worried?" Itachi said, putting a hint of sarcasm at the end of his sentence. Sasuke didn't laugh he just slapped Itachi in the face. "I deserved that one." Itachi joked, rubbing his reddened cheek. Sasuke stood up and look down at Itachi.
"Look, just get better, okay?" Sasuke said crossly. He was about to leave when a question popped up into his head. He had to ask it. "Itachi . . . what did . . . mother used to do . . . y'know . . . if any one of us got sick?" He asked, trying to hide the sorrow.
"She just took good care of us and hoped we'd get better, giving us a kiss on the forehead." Itachi replied. He didn't feel remorse so he didn't sound like he was regretting killing her. He had his reasons. Sasuke turned around and looked at Itachi. iSasuke, get the thought out of your head./i Sasuke thought to himself as he stepped toward Itachi. iif you do, I'll commit suicide./i the voice in Sasuke's head said angrily. Sasuke didn't listen too it.
Shiiiiiiing!
Sasuke pulled his katana out of its holster. Itachi seemed unphased. If Sasuke were to kill him, he didn't care. Sasuke put the blade of the katana gently against the side of Itachi's neck. Then, he did it.
He kissed Itachi on the forehead. Leaving a small cut, Sasuke pulled the katana back and put it in its holster. Sasuke began to leave again. "Get better. Or I swear, I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be begging for death." Sasuke said, leaving the building. Itachi smiled.
"Okay."