4. Time

A eagerly little child was running up to Itachi, eyes beaming with joy.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke stopped in front of him, panting from his running.

"What is it, Sasuke?" the elder asked kindly. He was standing at the door in his anbu-uniform.

"Will you play with me today? Or go train?"

It was really hard for Itachi to say no, he hated to disappoint his little brother. But their father would be putting even more press on him and make him even busier if he said no to his missions, Itachi knew.

He poked his brother in the forehead. "I'm sorry Sasuke, some other time. I have a mission today."

It hurt Itachi to see his brother's face fall, but he knew he had no choice. But Sasuke soon looked happy again. "Maybe we can train together some other day!"

Itachi nodded hesitantly.

Two days later, when he was about to go off on another mission, Sasuke approached him again.

"Nii-san? Can you help me with my homework today?" he asked hopefully.

Itachi sighed inwardly, and gestured to Sasuke to come closer. Sasuke did as told, and was gently flicked in his forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke, maybe some other time."

Sasuke pouted. "But nii-san…"

"Father may have time to help you out", Itachi said and turned away. He didn't want to see the hurt expression on Sasuke's face.

It seemed like his missions would never end, he just had one after another. This one was longer – he would be gone for three days straight. He wished for nothing but to be with Sasuke - train together with him, play, do homework... Just imagine how much time they would have if he didn't had his damn missions...

.

"Mother, why are nii-san always so busy? He never has time for me nowadays", Sasuke complained when Mikoto came into his room to say goodnight.

His mother sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed. "You know that your brother is very busy with Anbu and doing missions for the clan", she said. "Don't be so upset about it, sweetie. I'm sure he has some days off soon, and when you get older, you can even accompany him on the missions."

Sasuke didn't look assured. "I don't care about that", he pouted, "I just want to be with nii-san."

Mikoto smiled and stroked his spiky hair. "Right now, Itachi is out doing things to protect the village and the villagers. You know he cares very much about you, but he has his duty."

"I know", Sasuke looked down. He didn't want to be childish and sulky, but it was hard to resist sometimes.

Mikoto hugged him and chuckled a bit. "Sleep tight, honey. I'm sure your brother will be back soon."

She stood up and left the room. Sasuke stared out through the window, lost in thoughts as he stared at the black night sky.

Nii-san is always so busy… And I don't want to be a nuisance for him… That was, when he got a brilliant idea.

.

When morning came, Sasuke was happy to see that his nii-san was home again. But Itachi kept his Anbu-uniform on. "I'm going off to another mission, father wanted me to come along", he told his brother at the door. "This time it's a week-long mission." He looked at Sasuke sorrowing.

The younger boy noticed that Itachi looked very tired, but decided to not say anything about it, he didn't want to be fussing like their mother.

"Nii-san, how much do they pay you for each mission?" Sasuke asked.

His brother's tired face looked surprised for a moment. "Why do you ask?" he wondered, a bit curious.

"I'm just wondering, nii-san."

"Well…" He told him the total of what he got for a normal mission, without showing a single emotion. It was obvious that money didn't matter for Itachi. He did it for the village, Sasuke knew.

Sasuke watched his brother disappear, and then went back to the kitchen. He smiled to himself. He had a week to complete his plan.

Mikoto was on her way home from the market when she spotted one of Sasuke's aunts.

"Oh, Mikoto, you must be so proud of your boys", the woman told her. "He has been working non-stop for three hours now, although he is so young."

"Huh?" Mikoto looked behind the old lady's shoulder into her backyard. In there, she could see Sasuke who was eagerly weeding in the garden. Strange, she thought. He has never shown any garden interest before…

"Aunt Misu! I'm done with the whole garden!" Sasuke called.

The old woman turned around and smiled at him. "I must say, you're exceptional, Sasuke-chan. And in this heat too! Maybe you should become a gardener instead of shinobi?"

"Don't say that to his father", Mikoto laughed.

"Now, what do you want in return? Juice and buns?"

Sasuke walked over to them, with a serious expression in his black eyes. His cheeks were rosy from the heat.

"No, auntie. Actually I need... money instead. There's something I …"

"Sasuke!" Mikoto reprimanded. "You're just a child, you don't need money."

But Misu laughed. "Well, he deserves some after all this work. I haven't weeded in the garden for ages. Here, take some and buy some candy", she said and handed Sasuke some coins. His eyes lit up. "Thank you!"

"Are you coming in now and having lunch?" Mikoto asked her son.

Sasuke shook his head, eagerly. "I have to continue work", he said and set off.

Mikoto sighed. "Well, he copies his father and brother quite well when it comes to work."

.

"Thank you, Sasuke-chan. I never knew you were so good at painting!"

"Thanks for all help! You're a very good cook, although you're so young!"

"I will recommend you to my neighbors!"

"Thanks for babysitting my kids!"

"Take care, Sasuke. Thanks for all help!"

Smiling widely to himself, Sasuke walked home. He had worked hard the whole week now, he had rushed home from the academy as soon as school was ended. Nii-san would be home by tomorrow.

He looked at the money in his hands. He had even received more than what he had planned on getting from the start – everybody gave him gratuity. Sasuke grasped it firmly. Finally, he had enough.

He crossed the little bridge over the river, to get back to the Uchiha Compound again. He would have to hide the money well until tomorrow, but he mustn't forget where.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto called from the other end of the bridge.

"Hey, Saucegay", Kiba muttered.

"What are you doing? Wanna play with us?" Naruto said and ran over to him.

"No..." Sasuke began. Kiba and Akamaru was running over to him as well.

"Wait!" he said when he saw Akamaru come running towards him. He had hardly said it before he had an eager and warm tongue in his face and found Akamaru lying on top of him, barking happily.

Sasuke's eyes widened in fear when he realized that he had released the money in his hand upon being glomped by the dog. A swift breeze caught the bills, and the coins rolled over the bridge, below the rail and fell down in the river.

"Get off me!" Sasuke screamed and tried to get up, to catch the money before it was too late. Naruto and Kiba eyed him disbelieving, not understanding what he was doing.

The wind had swiftly lifted the money into the air, and Sasuke launched himself at it, tried desperately to catch the bills but he ended up falling hard on the stones at the bridge.

Helplessly he watched all his collected money land in the river and float away.

"No!" he gasped. Almost all of the coins had fallen into the deep water and the bills were stuck at the surface, floating further and further away by each minute. He would never catch them.

All his work was gone.

All his efforts.

Sasuke stared at the river below him, appalled.

"Hey, what's wrong, teme?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke just rushed home.

"Darling, what's wrong?" Mikoto asked when she saw her youngest son at the door.

"I...mother..."

She hurried forward. "Sasuke? You've hurt your leg..."

"All money...I got... it's gone, I...I" Sasuke was reduced to tears. "Now I can't be with aniki..."

Mikoto looked at him questingly. He has worked so hard... for Itachi's sake?

"What do you mean?"

"I…I collected it.. for aniki's sake.." Sasuke started to cry. Now Itachi would never have time to be with him again.
Mikoto couldn't stand seeing her baby like this. She sighed.

"How much money do you need, Sasuke?"

.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke ran up to Itachi. Itachi, just homecoming from his long mission, tried to smile, but he was exhausted. He had been awake for three days straight now, and he longed for just collapsing on his bed, and then wash off the sweat and the blood from his body.

He patted Sasuke's hair. "Hi, otouto. Long time no see."

To his surprise, Sasuke didn't try to take his attention, nor did he follow him when he went to his room. The last thing Itachi remembered was approaching his bed and then the sleep defeated him.

When he awoke, some time later, he felt much better. He must have been sleeping for nine hours at least, which was unusual for Itachi. Then he took a shower. It felt wonderful to get rid of the scent of his opponents' blood that had been haunting him the last days.

When he came out of the bathroom, dressed for usual life and with his hair still wet and untied, his father met him.

"Itachi", Fugaku began. "Shisui has been sent on another mission and we need somebody to take his place. This is a perfect opportunity to show the Uchiha's abilities."

Itachi knew where this was going. And he knew he had no chance to reject, although he had been out on missions non-stop for the last two weeks. He wished he could have some free time, just to be with Sasuke. He had broken his promise to the child so many times.

No, he thought. Now it's enough.

"I'm not going", he stated firmly. "I need some time off now..." He didn't mention Sasuke, he didn't want to put the younger in disgrace to their father.

"Yes, let Itachi rest for a while now", Mikoto agreed, who had been standing behind the corner. She rarely interfered in these matters, but there were limits to what a mother's heart could take. She knew both her sons were suffering.

Fugaku hesitated, but with an angry grunt he turned around and began to walk away. "Fine. You get two days off. But that's everything. Then I expect you to work as usual…"

Itachi smiled gratefully at his mother, before sighing heavily and turned toward his room. He had a lot of work to complete, though...

"Nii-san!"

That happy voice, that made Itachi's heart race, stopped him.

"Sasuke?" He turned around and his little brother stopped in front of him, smiling wonderfully. Usually, Sasuke would hug him enthusiastically, but now he seemed... more collected somehow.

"Nii-san, I have enough."

"Enough?" Itachi wondered, confused.

Sasuke reached out his hand with a proud and happy face. "Here you go, nii-san."

Surprised, Itachi stared at the money in his brother's hand. A part of his genius brain had already automatically counted it - it was exactly what he would receive for a normal mission.

Sasuke beamed. "Now I have enough money to give you, nii-san. So I can buy a little bit of your time. Please go train with me tomorrow."

Itachi was shocked, and deeply touched. He just stared at Sasuke for a moment - his cuteness, his innocence and his pure will to spend time with his older brother.

Sasuke was suddenly pulled into a tight hug - Itachi wrapped his arms around him and squeezed him tightly. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'm really really sorry. Please forgive me."

"...Nii-san." Sasuke smiled and rested his head against his brother's shoulder.

Itachi wanted to kick himself. How could he have been such a fool, never refusing a single mission or paper work? To see Sasuke like this, so desperate to be with him, made Itachi's heart swell and almost overflow with love.

"I should've taken the time for you", Itachi apologized. Sasuke smiled widely. "It's okay nii-san. I'm just so happy that you're home again."

Behind them, Mikoto was smiling too. She knew Sasuke's greatest wish was to be with his beloved older brother. And Itachi wanted it too, although he had so much expectations and press upon him. Being with his little brother was the only thing Itachi truly enjoyed in life.

"I love you, Sasuke" Itachi whispered. He swore that he from now on would spend at least half of his wake time with Sasuke.

Mikoto could only smile as he watched them get up. Sasuke grabbed his brother's hand with the joy beaming from him, and they walked out through the door to go training or playing or something, or just be with each other.

Her beautiful boys. It warmed her heart so much, to see them be together. The affection Itachi always showed towards his younger brother, and Sasuke's pure adoration for his nii-san.

It was worth living for.