"Hi." She said quietly, holding her hand out for him to shake. "I'm Asami."

Itachi looked at her, slipping his hand into hers.

"Itachi." He replied, allowing a polite smile to come when she gave a firm shake and smiled.

"Congrats on your new brother. What's his name? My mom didn't tell."

"Sasuke."

"Nice name."

And she sat beside him, not a single word was spoken, as they watched the party unfolding in front of them.

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

"I got a mission today," Asami smiled, telling Itachi as he packed for his hundredth mission. "It's my first mission, Itachi!"

"I know," He told her as he packed away his katana. "Did you pack your things?"

"Yes, I did mom." She rolled her eyes, he smiled the slightest bit. "I packed my kunai and the nasty nutrition bars, the water canteen, ..."

"You didn't pack anything else?" Itachi asked, a brow raised, ready to go on a lecture about all the things she should have packed.

"No, I did!" She said quickly. "It's just that I forgot what it was called."

He raised another brow.

"I swear!"

He rolled his eyes, but a smile made its way to his lips.

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

"My parents got divorced." Asami said randomly one day, the sun was hot and even the lightest clothing still burned and stuck to their skin, they were watching Sasuke play outside with his fake kunai and shuriken.

Itachi didn't know if he should have said he was sorry or note that she didn't seem to care.

"I saw it coming," She shrugged. "They couldn't even look at each other anymore."

"Asami-nee-chan! Nii-san! Look!" Sasuke yelled, their heads snapped to him as he threw his fake kunai.

It landed five feet away from him, he turned to them and grinned, ready to be showered with praises.

He had a lame throwing arm.

"Good job, Sasuke!" Asami clapped her hands. "Now come back inside before you get burned to death!"

He pouted, "Just a little bit more!"

"Just a little bit."

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

Asami watched as Naomi and Sasuke sparred, the trees were losing their leaves, it was slightly chilly, nothing too serious. Yuki sat beside her.

"How's Sasuke doing?"

Asami shrugged, "He isn't happy that Itachi is busy. Naomi is keeping him busy though." She noted. "She's losing pretty badly."

"Her dad is working on that."

"Working a bit too hard, don't you think?"

Yuki looked over at her, "That isn't any of our business."

"Have you seen the bruises?"

"He's training her, bruises are laughable compared to what ninja get every other day."

"She's just a kid." Asami said back as Naomi surprised Sasuke with an attack.

"Aren't we all?"

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

"Sasuke is getting enrolled into the Academy." Itachi said to her one cold night.

"I heard," Asami said, her voice was so tired, running her fingers through her black waves. "I also heard there was a meeting you and Fugaku have to be at."

"Father can't go."

"Can't or won't?"

Won't.

"I don't know."

"Mikoto and I can go." She offered. "We can take Grandma Uchiha with us, you know how he loves her praises."

But it's not the same.

I know, but it's all we can do.

He looked at her, shrugging, "Maybe I might go."

It felt like they were children again when she smiled at him.

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

He remembers it was one of those days when they were all free of missions.

"Shisui! Give me back my kunai!" Asami yelled, running after him as he laughed, running away from her.

Shisui never changed.

Itachi always wished he could be like him.

To be a child in a world full of dead children and broken hearts and nighttime screaming because the blood won't leave their memories.

"You can't use bodyflicker! That's not fair! You're cheating!"

"We're ninja!" Shisui yelled from the tree branch.

"And you're a cheater!" She yelled back, throwing her arms about, a sly smile crawled up to her lips when the treebranch fell a few moments after she crossed her arms.

"You cheater! No shuriken allowed!"

"We're ninja!" She replied, grinning.

"Nee-chan! Where's Nii-san?" Sasuke yelled, appearing out of nowhere.

"Oh, he's over there!" Asami pointed to the house where Itachi was leaning against the sliding doorframe. "Shisui, give me back my damn kunai before I come over there and kick your butt into the next century!"

Shisui laughed so hard he started crying, "As if you'd be able to haul your fat butt on here without shaving every tree branch on your way down!"

Yes, Itachi would like to be like them.

'.'.'.'.'.'.'

Three weeks later, Shisui committed suicide.

Asami looked at Sasuke, practicing with real kunai and shuriken, his throwing arm was getting better, it seemed like only yesterday he could only throw it five feet in front of him. She almost cried.

"Sasuke, come here," She called, he dropped his kunai and ran to her.

The end was inevitable, she knew it was coming, but she didn't know when.

"Yes, Nee-chan?" He said, sitting beside her and swinging his short legs.

What would she say to him?

"You're a good boy," She told him, she didn't know what else to say, "So, I've decided to give you my shuriken." She wouldn't need them anymore.

"Your shuriken...but-but..." Asami's shuriken were not to be taken lightly. "Aren't you going to need them?"

"Not anymore," she smiled. "I'm practicing other fields of offense I could use." He wouldn't get it. "Promise me one thing, though."

"Yes?"

"You will remember me every time you use them."

He was practically glowing with happiness, "I promise, Nee-chan!"

"Don't ever do anything bad. You're a good boy."

Sasuke wouldn't understand this conversation until many, many years later.