The Konoha AUs- The Job He Shouldn't Have Taken

500 words

Hello everyone! Sorry this is getting posted so late today, I couldn't decide what to put up next. This is a bit different stylistically than some of the others, in that every horizontal rule marks a passage of time and that the majority of it is told in dialogue between Sasuke and Itachi.

As some backstory to this: Fugaku and Mikoto were killed in a car accident, leaving Itachi to drop out of college and take care of his younger brother. Itachi, while intelligent, still has a hard time getting jobs that pay enough to support them both.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Itachi would have had a far happier ending.

"I don't fucking believe this," Sasuke mumbles.

"Watch your language," his brother warns him.

"You're in a gang?"

"It isn't a gang," Itachi protests.

"You joined the mafia then."

"I got a job as a bookkeeper. I need to work if you want to have food on the table."

"I know," Sasuke looks sheepish, "I just don't want you working for the wrong people."

Itachi pauses for a moment before saying, "I'm fairly sure if I don't ask questions I have deniability."

"God damn it, Itachi," Sasuke drops his head into his hands.

"Watch your language."

"You might have been right about my employers," Itachi brings up one night.

Sasuke freezes, "I was right about them? You're working for the freaking mafia?"

"I don't think they're the mafia, but I don't think they're running a legitimate business either."

"What makes you say that?"

"The numbers don't add up."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure," Itachi tilts his head. "I'd thought I would wait for my first paycheck, then decide. But I also have no proof of anything, so doing something would lead to nothing at this point."

"You could quit?"

"Not yet," he shakes his head.

"Don't get in trouble, Aniki," Sasuke looks at his brother worriedly.

Itachi smiles sadly.

"I'm worried about you," Sasuke brings up a few months later. Since taking this job, Itachi has gained deeper bags under his eyes and a drawn look to his face.

"I'm fine otōto," the older boy looks over at him, "Do you need help with your calc homework?"

"Please," he groans in appreciation. Itachi sets his book down and crosses to the kitchen table.

The two spend the next three hours going over the math book and Sasuke never gets a chance to get anything out of his brother.

"Sasuke… how would you feel about a new start?" Itachi asks as they finish dinner one night.

"What do you mean?"

"New names, a new home far away, a new school… a complete disconnect from our current lives."

"Like witness protection?"

Itachi smiles grimly, "Exactly that."

Sasuke is quiet. He's long known his brother's job was screwed up, he just hadn't realized it was that bad.

"Do it," Sasuke tells Itachi. There's nothing keeping him here anyway.

"Go pack anything you want to take with you."

Sasuke hefts his backpack onto his shoulder and slams the car door shut.

"Are you going to be okay?" Itachi looks out at him. "I know this was harder than we could have anticipated, especially for you."

"I'll be fine," Sasuke rolls his eyes. Uprooting his life so his brother could testify against his terrorist bosses had been difficult, but he's mostly glad his brother no longer looks haunted.

"Alright. Call me if you need anything."

"I'll be fine, just try not to get hired by a crime syndicate. Again." Itachi laughs and drives off.

Sasuke faces the school. Maybe he'll get lucky and Konoha High won't suck.

Cue Naruto bowling Sasuke over and inserting himself into his life.

Until tomorrow everyone!