Hi y'all! It's been a while, but this story is still happening, no matter the delay. Real life is a busy business, especially when you have a job now. Hope you will enjoy this filler!


Dear Baby Brother,

It has been six months since I wrote my last entry to you. We are now eating more rabbits in the hideout that you had caught for us in the wild. While eating a hare leg, you keep telling me that you're getting tired of eating rabbits and wish to boost your strength and potential to catch something larger.

After giving you a curious glance, I ask you what that might be.

Smiling, you tell me you wish to catch a large wild boar, spreading your arms out in indication. You had seen one in the wild a few times passing by the village while out hunting. You even mentioned that you spotted other hunters take them down with a few arrows in the softer areas.

After hearing this, I became worried and demanded that if anyone saw you, but you became defensive and said you only remained observant from the branches of trees so that nobody would see you. You have gotten very good at climbing trees nowadays. I remember when you fell and sprained your ankle when I took you out, so I had to give you a piggyback ride on the way home.

Through these experiences, you now knew where the vital points of the beast were.

We would be able to preserve meat for months.

Not a bad idea...except that, for one, the wild boars in our land were the size of houses, so not only would the kill be impossible to move with just one or both of us, one boar alone wouldn't fit through the entrance of the basement, or the basement itself. And two, the meat would be difficult to cut into, so there wouldn't be much time to cut the prey to pieces in the hunting spot before some other outsider or hungry intruder came along to claim the prize. And three, it was not that easy to kill a wild boar, especially with just one small child whose largest prey had once been a small wild deer.

When I pointed these facts out, you only pouted and mumbled that I told him of when Shisui and I had brought down a wild boar once during our training together. That was true, but that had been by chance. Shisui and I had killed the wild boar when it had been charging at us, but we had to retreat when outsiders were spotted nearby. The next day, when it was my turn to hunt and Shisui's turn to babysit you, I had the same idea as you did and relocated the huge wild boar in same spot where it was killed. I had only managed to cut off one of its legs before I had to retreat, and that's how I knew from experience how tough the meat was. It had later turned out the rest of the wild boar was collected by Konoha's assigned hunters and was brought back as an addition to their supplied meat, so I couldn't use the boar meat for trade at the time.

When we were finished with dinner, I promised you that when we had the time, I would take you boar hunting. You were already an expert with a bow and arrow and my missions have been improving my strength and stealth in the face of danger. Maybe we would get lucky. You smiled and nodded when I made this promise.

If you were going to hunt a boar, I would much rather prefer being there to back you up if there was any trouble. You're strong, but so small that one boar can cut you in half with its tusk.

In between the time I have to spend with you and having to perform missions, so much has happened. People have died. People have lived. You're nine years-old and already an extraordinary hunter, and while I am proud of you, Sasuke, I worry.

For all your life you have only had me as your companion, your only connection and social interaction to human life. Besides Shisui and the one time you had gotten very sick, I worry that a lifetime of being just the two of us would forever embed your inexperience with interacting with other people. I know it has guaranteed your distrust in others...but I fear that you have become more distrustful of other living things than I have ever been because of me. I feel responsible.

If only you could make friends. If only our family were alive and you got to know them. If only I would be able to introduce to my partner and mentor, Kakashi. Or to my friend and now lover, Izumi, who was already tempted to spoil you, even if she's only helped treat you that one time. If it were safe, I would really want you to meet them. There is so much of life that you should be living, so many people you should meet and learn from, not hoarded away in this basement for means of survival.

I want to protect you forever. Even if you were old enough and strong enough to protect yourself, I don't know if I would have the strength to let you. Because no matter how tall and mature you will get, you'll always be my baby brother, Sasuke, and we have to stick together no matter what.

I have to leave early tomorrow. ANBU has another mission that requires my assistance. I know you're upset and getting impatient with me, Sasuke, but just don't forget I'm doing this for your sake. I trust you to be smart and take care of yourself while I'm gone.

You snuggle next to me in my futon tonight and your warm little body comforts me as I write. Just like this, every day and night, and every second I fight for our survival from the world outside the basement, makes all tears and blood I shed worth it.

I will be back, little brother. And as usual, if anything happens to me, stay in the basement.

Or if you don't, find Kakashi Hatake. He will take you to Izumi. If anything happens to me, you will stay with her and her father. I know that's not how I would like you to meet my girlfriend, and even though I'm not asking you to let down your guard (you shouldn't), I really hope you will trust her enough to let her take care of you. I know I do.

She's become very important to me, little brother. I think more than she should be at this point, but it's true. So please go to her, if anything happens to me.

But it won't come to that. I will see you in a few days and come back with some information about those rumors I told you about. Stay away from the wild boars from now on.

Love,

Your big brother Itachi


This is not the end. Not even close. I know it's slow, but by the next chapter the story's plot will be picking up the pace and getting back on track. I just love Itachi and Sasuke's brotherly love, don't you? Thanks for all your reviews:) Until next time!