Summary: There's no way to handle the death of a loved one correctly without some complications. The only thing you can really do is wish to remember how they lived.

Contents: Death (which has already happened), Life, Friendship, Moving on (like, I really mean that this is like a topic in the story)…

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Life According To You

Chapter 1

The Uchiha household, on its finest, is known for its importance and value of tradition. One picture frame – one dust particle! – is not out of place. They, to everyone else, were the perfect family.

And unlike the normal mornings that filled the household, this morning held the presence of awareness and deep breathing at three AM. Clinks of priceless china, small mutters and soft music were held in the respective home. And, if one was to sit in glass dining room along with Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha, faint steps so quiet could be heard. And the muttering would stop and the breathing would stop and then a small 'clink' would be made from Mikoto Uchiha and the footsteps are gone.

Sasuke would walk with confidence as usual towards the end of the hall, still in a dark suit from the morning that turned into the next day too fast in most opinions, head held high, shoes cleaned and shining in the dimmed lights, he opened the door.

It was a simple door. It was one of the only two in the house that hadn't been removed for a newer, nicer door when the family had moved in, a deep oak wood that hadn't cracked from many years of use. Still rich with the small but many patterns that adorned its front and back, Sasuke didn't take his time to run over it as he had when he was a kid.

A thump vibrated through the door, hitting a desk on its way open. The room was cluttered as it had been for months. Papers had been pinned up on walls along with unframed photos and books and three maybe four laptops cluttered the floor. Mountains and mountains of book there were! Sasuke had the easiest time maneuvering around them, running his fingers across the desk feeling the rich mahogany like he always does. The only part of the room that seemed to be in proper order was the bed, neatly folded back, the covers tucked under the mattress and the deep blue pillows. That was also how it was, every morning and afternoon and Sasuke could only presume that it might have been slept on like that during the night only to be straightened just slightly the next morning.

The only change people could tell was the closet and drawers of the dresser being empty. Sasuke had removed them all, and folded them slowly with precision and placed them atop the neatly made bed. He had sorted them by brand, appearance, size and then color coded them as you could find at any high-priced store. Then he did it all over again and again and again and again till he could convince himself that not even a stray thread could interrupt the perfect standing.

And when he entered the room that morning, he stood by the clothes and bed till he counted to one thousand in his head. And of course he counted two more times. Then he walked over to a certain pile of books, because these books were ordered alphabetically by author and date, and picked up the top book. It read Photography for Dummies. Sasuke put it back down and picked up the next book but didn't see any interest in the odd covering so put them both back the same way they had been before.

It wasn't cold, nor creepy but Sasuke still shivered, not a noticeable movement but it did happen and he sighed for the first time in many days. He had been in the room before. He might have even been in this room more than his own. The dark white walls had been an odd comfort to his dark blue and a great contrast in his eyes. But his room was mainly for sleeping in, because there was no reason to spend his whole life in there like so many other people wanted to in theirs.

Sasuke blinked, face as impassive as ever and turned his head quickly to the desk as if the thing he was looking for might vanish if he wasn't quick enough. Careful not to bump into any piles he made his way over grabbing the small, silver electronic device off from a pile of notebooks that he was sure he'd get to later. He knew he'd get to them later. Stepping carefully into the middle of the room where a small circular rug was placed he flipped the video recorder around in his hands for a few minutes before setting off to his own room.

One door closes and another opens as he sits on his own bed and flicks on the lamp. His room couldn't light up like the other even with the help of the lamp due to lack of sun from the open window. He dismissed the thought and continued to stare down at the recorder.

His eyes quickly scanned over a small yellow sticky note.

It read in a slanted scrawl: Do not touch (Even though I know you will Sasuke. I should really teach you how to listen. Maybe some other time.)

A slight smirk was placed on his lips and even chuckle could be heard. But it stopped when he opened the recorder and the beeping signifying to him it was turning on. Suddenly, his shoes which he could slightly see over the device came onto the screen glistening as they had been before. Using the advantage of the touch screen he pressed on the scrolls that had appeared and up came many files with still pictures that signified movies.

He was sure to scroll up to the top and click on the first one. Up came the face of a considerably younger Itachi.

"Hello."

Sasuke was startled that his voice was higher. He had been so used to the deep rumbles that always escaped his brothers' mouth.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha and I want to show you something very, very important."

It was all but thirty seconds and then a question came up, asking if the watcher would like to view the next video. Sasuke's brow scrunched. What was so important?

A knock sounded and Sasuke glanced up, effectively sliding his brothers' recorder before his mother entered the room with a small smile on her face. "Breakfast is going to be ready soon. Don't open you mouth like you want to say something. I know it's really early. You just have to start your day a little earlier too. Why don't you come downstairs? Your father is waiting." She smiled sweetly, red eyes slightly less puffy than before and closed the door, her heels clicking. It was then that he realized they were all wearing shoes in the house.

Not that it was significant or anything.

He glanced at the large bump under his pillow and dismissed it, putting it away in his bed-side table and walking down to the dining room to eat a quiet and quite early breakfast with his family.

For once his father didn't mention the lack of a 'thank you' from Sasuke when he started eating his mothers cooking and his mother didn't out of pure kindness and because she was a mother, offer Sasuke desert and Sasuke did not immediately get up after his parents were done and just sat with them listening to the soft clicking of a door that told them the maid and rest of the workers were there.

And for once, Itachi's deep and kind voice didn't come through the silence like so many times before talking about his work at school and problems with his fathers company. That was when Sasuke realized how much was going to, and already, changing.

4 pages

Sorry for the shortness but moving on… Well, yeah. I suppose you could already guess what has happened to Itachi… If not, you have to be not reading it right or I'm not writing it right. Either way, I want your review on this first chapter or I may just quit writing altogether. I'm on a lack-of-confidence-I-need-some-freaking-reviews-or-I-might-as-well-just-quit-because-appearntly-you-guys-don't-like-my-stories-and/or-writing-skills mode. Please?

Eva

(PS – Yes, I'm pleading, begging, and groveling for reviews. If you don't like it I don't really care. Sometimes you just need some damn approval)