Chapter – 1: Departure

Just like every day I wish to wake up at dusk and just go about my day (well more like night). I prefer to stay home away from people hence I work part time for my father as an editor for amateur writers who want to get their works published at our company. But today I must brave the sun. My father, owner of the famous Uchiha Publishers has asked (ordered) me to meet with him at the company probably because I am not only his son but also the company's best-selling author. Ha! Ha! Gotcha! Let's back track for a second there, that's my dream, and it's on hold because of my writer's block. I used to be a sensational upcoming fiction author, but five years ago my stream of ideas stopped flowing and I was unable to write from that day. Now, I am a 22 years old freeloader in my parent's humble abode. I have an older brother - Itachi, the prodigal son – successor in training, my devilishly handsome brother/ tormentor, I love him, also I hope one of these days he falls of the balcony of his 20th story pent house, he is that overbearing. Unfortunately, he is also my editor. Anyway, he is a mother hen, god would he ever leave me alone, he doesn't need to wake me up, I know I need to meet father in 15 mins. No! wait I thought I still had an hour left to get ready, wait that was before I started my monolog! Urg! Now I have to deal with my brother's constant pestering while he drives me to the office.

I leave my room and run down the stairs to gobble down my breakfast that the maids set down for me. As soon as I finish, I must go with the devil to meet the emperor. Before you ask, yes! that's my father, I love him, well I love my whole family even if most of them are wacko (cough – my brother – cough), but since my writer's block started my opportunities have dwindled, my father is my only life line right now if I want to continue living as a writer. So, anything he says goes hence the nick name the emperor, also he is the reason my brother is my editor. Anyways where was I, right the ride in devil's chariot, as I look out the window to ignore my nagging brother, I suddenly remember how stale my life has gotten since I stopped writing. My family supports me in any way they can, but my goal was to be independent by my 21st birthday, but still here I am hearing my brother complain about my tardiness.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Come on stop glaring at the window, I am glad it's tinted otherwise you would have killed all the people we passed on our way here, now get out. We are here."

Here talks the Devil. I don't know why but whenever I look at him, I can just see the horns growing on his head, like he is always planning to play some joke on me. I get out of the car without a word and proceed to check in at the front desk. The receptionist looks at me from head to toe, wondering what a shabby man like me has to do with the company president. I had just thrown on whatever clothes I could reach for, on my defense I was late, give me a break will you! I have on a navy-blue hoodie and black sweats with my hair standing up like a duck's butt. Right then Itachi comes into view and drags me to our father's office. The room opens to a large desk with our father seated behind it, on his left is our mother waiting patiently for us to come in and pick a place to settle on. Both of us greet them politely while walking closer to them, Itachi moves to sit on the chair in front of our father while I just stand beside him waiting for father to speak. I don't particularly pay them any mind and just gaze around the office, it's a place I have been to since I could walk. It is on the top of the building with a view of the city and the forest surrounding it. The office itself is an inviting place with lots of indoor plants (courtesy of mother) arranged by the white – gray walls which carry awards that our company received over its life span.

Hearing my father call out to me, I look up acknowledging him with a nod "Sasuke, I have to let you know that we, I and your mother, have mutually decided that we need to take your situation into our own hands.", wait a minute I never heard anything about you being concerned about my situation but I let him finish since it's only natural to worry about your child, "We want to see you live a successful life and you are wasting your talent on editing works of amateur writers.", that's because I want to be independent even you know that, "After five years its high time you start thinking on what to do next.", I have been thinking about what to do, it's not like I don't want to write, "If you can't write you are more than welcome to officially join as one of our editors. If it's you, I know you can climb the ladder and be a support to your brother. But I know you still wish to be a writer, so we have come with an ultimatum: if you could write a book that is worthy of publishing with our name on it within this year, I'll let you do whatever you want. However, if you don't, you will join this company and work alongside your brother."

The room fell silent after my father's speech. My ability to think was lost to me at that very moment, I don't know how to respond to those words. They were hurtful but also the truth.

"Father! How can you do that, I understanding he is a little foolish and is brooding over the fact that he can't write but it's not like he is doing nothing."

"Itachi I want you to stay out of this, do you want your brother to waste away precious time brooding, let me handle him. You go and do your work. This will do him good. He isn't even speaking properly to us now a days. All of us are worried and as family it is our responsibility to pull him back up to stand on his feet. We are done codling him. Now please leave, your assistant is waiting outside with your schedule for today."

I see Itachi leave with an angry face, and still I don't move or say anything. My mind is left in a void. I wish I could reach a hand to my annoyingly caring brother to reassure him that everything's fine, that I want to change, but I don't I let him walk away. Once he leaves my father draws my attention back to him. "Son, you will be leaving the city, I want you to live in our hometown, Konoha. I should have done this before you got so bad. Forgive us for being late. But now everything is going to be fine. I wish you can find yourself again over there. Here is the plane ticket, it's for tomorrow morning, we will come to see you off. We will come and visit you during vacations. Now go back home and pack. We will see you when we get back home in the evening."

Even though neither of them where showing any outward signs of distress I can feel their reluctance to let me out of their sight. I can feel their love for me through their body language. I simply nod in agreement and leave. Once I leave the building, I hail a cab home. It wasn't a bad idea to leave home, maybe just maybe I will finally get back to writing, find the words I want to convey to this world. The flight is for tomorrow morning, I have time to sleep a few hours and then pack in the evening. But before that I am going to eat something, I can hear my stomach grumbling for food.

"Good Morning Itachi-sama, would you now like to hear the schedule for today?" said his assistant as soon as he stepped out the door.

"No, and I would like for you to keep quite."

Itachi was there, right outside his father's office listening to everything they were saying, and no he was not eavesdropping, he was a well-bred gentleman who never does something so low, no this was his way of showing concern for his little baby brother and if you don't mind he would like for you to keep quite as he 'shows concern'. What is this he is hearing?! He was not going to let this happen. How can they send his cute little brother away! He practically raised him! Did he mention how cute his baby brother was? He was also going to Konoha and that's final, now all he needs is to find a way to be gone for a year without anybody noticing… That is going to prove to be difficult. Hmm… Oh someone is coming towards the door. He rushed to hide behind this assistant, but she was shorter than him, so he opted for the huge palm tree in the hallway, and yes, he took his assistant into hiding with him too. He is a genius after all. He watched from behind the leaves as his dear brother left the scene in a daze. It's been five years since he saw his arrogant, selfish, stubborn and foolish brother. He was lifeless now, he does not retaliate when he pranks him, and life has gotten dull without his brother being his usual self. So if going to Konoha was going to make his brother come back to life again, he is going with him no matter what.

"Excuse me Itachi-sama, you are late for your first appointment, if you don't mind, we should get moving" said the assistant from behind him.

"No, I need to talk to my father, cancel everything." As soon as he finished the sentence he walked through the door and closed it behind him. The assistant was caught off guard, sometimes she hates her job.

It was unexpected to see their first-born storm in like that, he was a calm and cool individual. He was polite and considerate of people around him so to see him angry was something rare. "Itachi what's wrong? Hasn't your first appointment started?" asked the president. "Father, I want to take a year off work and accompany Sasuke to Konoha."

His father sighed hearing his declaration, it was expected but he had hoped he could hold back Itachi for some more time. His sons were a little too overprotective of each other but since Sasuke got his writer's block Itachi has been hovering over him too much. He had hoped to separate them and give Sasuke some time to heal without having to deal with his overbearing brother, but it seems it's going not going to happen. Hence, he relented and let Itachi have his way. "Fine, have it your way, but make sure to read your emails. I'll ask you assistant to keep you up to speed on company affairs."

With that Itachi took his leave.

"Mikoto, why are our sons so difficult sometimes. We should treat this year as our break from them." He hears his beautiful wife laugh at the comment. How he loves hearing it. With this person, he had a family he absolutely adores, they were true soulmates just like how their best friends are back home in Konoha. Hopefully Sasuke will come back with more clarity and maybe Itachi will learn to let go of Sasuke.