Itachi found Naruko atop her father's stone head carved into the Hokage Monument, hugging her knees to her chest with a lost look in her eyes. He sat down with a sigh, and she hugged her knees tighter to herself.

"Itachi-nii, why's Sasuke so stupid?"

Itachi glanced over to Naruko's pouting face and resisted the urge to grin in amusement. "Boy's are blind," he replied. "They have no idea when someone has feelings for them. It's only when they become men that they begin to notice, and even then some never do."

The Uchiha reached out and ruffled Naruko's hair, chuckling at the way she scowled and swiped at his hand. "My little brother isn't a mind reader, Naruko. But he will learn. Eventually."

"'Eventually'. Yeah, right," Naruko sulked, sinking her head even lower until most of her face was hidden behind her legs. "Sasuke's always gonna be a moron, isn't he?"

Itachi merely smiled and ruffled her hair again.


"Naruko!"

Naruko, who had been on her way to Ichiraku's ramen stand, turned around, only to be tackled into an alleyway by a blur of blue and crashing straight into a dumpster.

"Ow! What the—Sasuke!" she shrieked, immediately clambering out of the trash bins and shoving Sasuke back inside when he tried to get out as well. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"You, Naruko! You're my problem!"

Naruko paused, honestly taken aback. "Huh?"

Scowling, Sasuke violently shoved a trashcan to the side (apparently not noticing the banana peel on his shoulder) and stood so that his gaze was level with hers, and Naruko wondered if his expression had always been so... angry. "How the hell am I supposed to decide?"

Naruko blinked. "Wait, what?"

"How the hell am I supposed to just pick, huh?" Sasuke glared at her, and Naruko quailed under the emotions in his stare. "How do I just pick and choose what I like about you? It's not that simple! I don't even know the specifics!"

Naruko face crumpled with her exasperation. "Oh, come on! There has to be something you can think of!"

"Well, not off the top of my head!"

"Why the hell not?!"

Sasuke stared at her with such helpless frustration that Naruko almost felt sorry for him.

"Because I like all of you!"

Naruko froze, going still to the ends of her hair. What?

"You're my best friend, Naruko!" Naruko felt something inside of her wither. Was that all that he thought of her? His friend? She didn't have time to dwell on it as he went on. "How do I just decide what I like about the person I like the most? I don't know what you want to hear!"

The person he liked the most?

As Sasuke scowled and started tearing at his hair, Naruko felt her lips twitch up ever so slightly.

"That's alright," she heard herself say. "You don't have to say anything else."

"What?" Sasuke said, peering at her suspiciously. "Are you lying to me? Is this another excuse to get mad at me?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "That was enough for me."

After observing her for a moment to see if it was some kind of a trap, Sasuke sagged with relief. "Thank God that's finally over. Not talking to you sucks."

Naruko just laughed, her voice light and clear. "You have a banana peel on your shoulder, dumbass."

"Wha—aw, come on!"