Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Morning greeted him with a flashing green light near the corner of his eye. Groaning, he rolled away from the phone, planning to get a few more minutes to sleep on what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday morning. The sound of his idiot roommate shouting and then pounding on his door made crushed that dream quickly enough.
"Teme! It's almost 11!" he cried, voice only barely muffled by the barrier, "We're gonna miss Ichiraku's Sunday Special!"
"Good," he grumbled into the pillow, knowing full well Naruto would just get more upset if he heard him. Sasuke considered for a second, but then decided it was too early for more shouting. Sitting up, he chucked his extra pillow at the door, effectively shutting his friend up for a second.
"Good, you're up!" Naruto laughed from the other side. "You better get your ass out here soon otherwise we won't make it," he reminded before the sound of him scurrying away relieved the dark-haired male's ears.
Normally, Naruto would sleep like the dead until noon, but the first Sunday of every month was the exception. Ichiraku Ramen hosted a free ramen special for students before noon and without fail, the two of them had gone every single year since they first discovered the place. It goes without saying, Sasuke had no part in the decision. When Sakura joined them around middle school, she soon came to realize that she also did not have a say in their monthly ramen breakfasts.
Scratching his head tiredly, he yawned and checked his incessant phone, once again noting the little green light indicating a new text message. It was likely another girl who still hadn't quite gotten the memo, or it was…well, Naruto, but he was just one room away. Frowning, Sasuke prepared himself mentally before picking up the device.
1 New Message from Nii-san
Sasuke quickly opened it, going through a hundred different possibilities in a matter of seconds. For what reason could Itachi be texting him?
Little brother, I have booked you a flight to New York City during your Fall Break. Please bring me the book titled "Tale of the Mangekyo Sharingan". It is located in my bedroom at the estate.
He made a face. The time stamp indicated the message had been sent roughly an hour ago. Pulling up a reply, he figured Itachi would probably still be near his phone.
Why don't I just mail it to you?
It just didn't make sense to have him go all the way to America for the purpose of delivering a book. That hardly seemed necessary, especially for a children's book. Why did Itachi want it anyway? Sasuke mulled over the strange request silently, despite already considering the logistics of catching an evening bullet train to Kyoto after his last class before Fall Break.
As expected, a moment later, his phone chimed in the swift response.
I wish to take you sightseeing. It just happens to be a matter of convenience that you bring the book along. I have already emailed you the flight reservation.
Sometimes, Sasuke wanted to punch his elder brother. He certainly knew how to make him feel special. Pushing away the displeasure he felt at the flippant tone, he responded anyway.
Fine.
Staring at the screen thoughtfully, he pursed his lips, fingers hovering indecisively.
Sakura stepped out of the steamy bathroom, thoughts cluttered as she tried to mentally organize everything Itachi had revealed. They had spoken late into the evening, much to her shock. Politely, but with a trademark demand in his tone, the elder Uchiha had insisted she stay the night. Unable to refute him after all he had willingly shared, Sakura found herself padding softly through the sleekly modern apartment.
Her eyes found Itachi as he poured himself a cup of tea in the kitchen, already garbed in lounge wear. His long black tresses were unbound, falling over one squared shoulder. The lines of his face would have been unattractive on any other man, but for someone like him, it simply worked. Sakura smiled at the many features Sasuke shared with him, picking out the noble line of their noses, the delicate arches of their brows…the depth beyond those eyes…
"Would you care for tea as well, Sakura?" Itachi hummed, clearly amused at her staring.
Flushing shamefully, she nodded her head. "Thank you!" Peeking up at him again, she found him calmly getting another cup. "Ah, sorry," she blurted, scrambling to fill the silence before it could become awkward, "I don't normally stare at people, I just…"
"Miss my foolish little brother?" he surmised, soft tenor lightly teasing. Sakura didn't say anything, but it was clear that he was spot on. Chuckling, Itachi offered her the steaming mug. When she took it, he patted the top of her head gently as he brushed passed her. "Rest. We will leave for the bus station at 8 A.M. tomorrow."
Sakura watched him drift into his bedroom, door shutting silently behind him. Reaching a hand up, she touched her hair, still feeling warmth as it seeped through her mind like a tender reassurance. She smiled a bit, almost bashful. Since meeting Itachi all those years ago, she had come to understand that he may have been colder and more logical, but his heart was just as fiery as Sasuke's. As brothers, they held so many similar characteristics, she couldn't help but feel safe with Itachi.
Perhaps this was what having an older brother would have felt like.
Making her way back to the guest room, she closed the door and set the mug down at the desk. Sitting down, she pulled out the stack of notes, heart beating rapidly at the potential laid out before her.
First, she had to reread all of Itachi's accounts. It was the freshest and probably most relevant data the study had produced thus far. Mainly, he had described the sensations from personal experience, explaining the progression of his red eyes.
They had begun losing their inky black quality around the age of thirteen, growing redder each year. When his grandparents had been alive, and even his own parents, they had remarked that it was uncommon for Uchiha clan members to suffer the reddening of their irises until their twenties at the earliest. To see a thirteen year old with them was astonishing and worrying.
Sakura frowned, making notes around the edges of her scrawled handwriting. Itachi had been around that age when his parents passed away. Was there a correlation or was it merely coincidence? She didn't want to dismiss anything as chance anymore, though.
He described the loss of sight as something peculiar and difficult to explain. Of course, he conceded that technology and paperwork were difficult and he had been relying on voice commands and assistants to make up for his lack of sight. But rather than acute blindness, it was more like his vision had been altered. Supposing human energy was visible, Itachi stated that it was as if he could see the intricacies of the chakra network now. People had been reduced to colored anatomical outlines, but instead of being harder to track, it seemed like he was even faster to react when others made a move.
For instance, while apprehending someone a few weeks ago, he had found himself able to predict the flow of the person's attempts to break away. That was only the tip of the iceberg though. While conducting an interrogation with a suspected murderer, Itachi had felt a tingling sensation in his eyes, as if willing him to close the small distance and unravel the chakra threads of the man's mind. In that moment, he had no doubt such a thing was completely plausible.
Ever since though, he had refrained from entering any situations where that sort of reaction could repeat itself.
Sakura leaned back, tapping her chin with the pen. It sounded almost too fantastical to be true. Grabbing a sticky note, she scribbled down a reminder to pick up some books on human energy. If what Itachi was experiencing was true, then she may have bitten off more than she could chew. This was beyond the realm of clinical science. She couldn't just make a few incisions and tell him he was good as new.
Whatever was happening within the confines of his body aligned with ancient folklore more than they should have. A part of her wanted to refute his fairytale explanations, but she knew men like him didn't joke under such circumstances. He was completely serious and had placed his trust in her.
Furthermore, it appeared that he hadn't shared these issues with Sasuke as of yet. Sakura had no idea why, but Itachi was refraining from revealing the details. In her opinion, it would be smarter to just tell him. Then again, maybe Itachi didn't want to scare his little brother, or otherwise make his sibling think he had a few screws loose. Sasuke's eyes probably hadn't developed to this intensity, and maybe they never would.
One could only hope.
Apparently, these almost supernatural sensations had only strengthened within the past year or so when Itachi's vision had completely faded. Sakura had picked up on his implicit belief that they were only growing stronger with each new day. Even with everything he had told her, the situation didn't feel any closer to being resolved.
That book had to hold answers.
Shaking her head, she yawned and stretched her neck. Maybe it would be good to reread the Tale of Heaven's Eye and then review her other notes again. There was so much she had overlooked prior to hearing about Itachi's experiences.
Ding!
Jumping, Sakura whirled around, heart pounding loudly and rather embarrassingly. She grabbed the phone from the front pocket of her bag, checking the notification. It was probably Naruto, based on the little icon for her international messaging app. Tapping the pop-up, it pulled up a new screen.
New chat request from Sasuke-kun!
Her chest constricted, heart no longer pounding as it tried to lodge itself in her throat instead. Without thinking, she clicked Accept.
A photo appeared in his chat bubble. Sakura cocked her head curiously. There was no caption. Figures. Enlarging the picture, she nearly burst out laughing but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, remembering that Itachi was probably already asleep.
Naruto had both hands around his own neck in the universal sign of choking, looking green in the face. His tanned cheeks were puffed up, eyes crossed as Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, performed the Heimlich maneuver on him. A half-finished bowl of ramen peeked out from the bottom of the screen.
Is he alright?
As she pressed Send, she could feel the pounding of her heart in every inch of her body. The rushing of her blood drowned out any other noise as she anxiously waited for his reply. A minute later, another picture from him was downloading.
This one showed Naruto once again, but this time he was back to digging into his food. Ayame's exasperated face was obvious behind him, one of her hands gently laid on his shoulder.
Sakura giggled. Standing up, she walked over to the window, peering up at the night sky. The moon was a sliver of silver against the dark blanket and glimmering stars. Although it was the opposite for them right now, sun or moon, it was only a matter of turning around.
Lifting the phone up, she snapped a picture, typing a caption before sending it off.
I miss the two of you.
His reply was a little slower, arriving a few minutes later with a photo of the brilliant blue morning sky. The rustling tree tops were full and green, a sharp contrast to the high-paced, designated landscape of her current city. Wispy white clouds swam through the sky he showed her.
Us too.
She pressed her hands to cheeks, trying to stop them from splitting from her smile. Looking around the room, she searched for something else to take a picture of, not wanting to let the conversation fade away. It was wrong of her. She knew they should clear up what had happened between them all those years ago and also as of recently, but Sasuke was making a move. He had initiated contact and that meant more than she could ever express.
Diving for her bag, she pulled out her house keys, arranging the uchiwa charm carefully on the bedside table, she took another picture.
Are you well?
He held the cherry blossom in the palm of his hand underneath the table, clearly hiding his activities from Naruto.
Aa. Are you.
She captured an image of the overstuffed folder.
Busy! I'm very happy though!
The next message held no picture, but the single word he offered was enough to make her flush with affection. This was Sasuke, after all. He wasn't a man of many words, so when he did speak, she clung to each one. Besides, it's the smallest actions that mean the most.
Good.
She smiled for who knew how long, laying on her side atop the comforter, scrolling through the photos he had shown her over and over again. It was the new foundation to their burned bridge, and although still not stable, it was a start.
"Hey, teme, what's wrong with your face?" Naruto asked blatantly, waving his chopsticks around. "You're creeping me out."
Sasuke tried to scowl at the insult, but he couldn't control the way his lips were turning up. "Shut up, dobe." He muttered without a hint of his normal mockery.
"Okay, now you're really scaring me," the blonde made a face, pretending to hold his stomach in pain. "I'm gonna be sick."
He glanced up at Naruto, managing a halfway insulting snort. "You deserve it." Sasuke smirked at his friend's outrage. Their eyes locked though, and the silent message that something good had happened was loud and clear.
Somewhat relieved, Naruto flashed a grin before downing the soup. "Alright!" he declared, puffing out his chest as he slammed the bowl down. "In celebration of whatever has you happy, I'll pay!"
"It was free, dumbass." With a derisive scoff, Sasuke stood, sliding his phone into pocket.
"Even better!" he beamed, getting up and slinging an arm around the other man's shoulders. Tossing an energetic wave over his shoulder to the owner, the pair bumbled out of the shop. Naruto hunched closer, secretive. "Alright, so give me the details already," he whispered, "what's got you bent out of shape in a good way?"
"You're too close," Sasuke complained, shoving him away.
Naruto bounced back, persistent. "C'mon, hurry up and tell me, teme!"
"None of your business, dobe," he responded, grinning faintly as they meandered down the sidewalk.
They bantered nearly the entire way back to their apartment, the atmosphere lighter than it had been in several years. Naruto couldn't help himself from teasing the normally hard-assed Uchiha more than usual, mostly because he knew he could get away with it right now. Although he refused to admit it, he was almost one-hundred-percent certain that Sasuke was positively glowing because a certain pink-haired girl was talking to him.
Naruto stepped around the corner leading to their street when abruptly, Sasuke yanked him back by the collar of his shirt. Yelping indignantly, the blonde fell backwards, landing roughly on the concrete. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his lower back.
Even as he spoke though, Sasuke had yet to let his guard down. Suddenly, a person bolted passed them, the glint of a knife in one hand and a glossy purse in the other. Before the thief could take more than two steps around the corner though, Sasuke was already stiff arming him in the jugular, effectively slamming him down to the ground. The man slashed wildly with the knife, and as if from some crazy action flick, Sasuke seemed to dodge before the swings were even made. Naruto wanted to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't just groggy because he hit his head – though he knew his head hadn't made any contact with the sidewalk.
Catching the weapon-wielding wrist, the dark haired Uchiha snapped the bone with a definitive crack. A strangled cry gurgled up from the thief's throat. Sasuke watched the blade drop helplessly to the floor and then proceeded to take the purse from the shocked stiff person.
"Oh thank you!" a young woman gushed, fanning her reddened cheeks while simultaneously trying to smooth down her wrinkled pencil skirt. "I don't know what would've happened if someone hadn't caught him."
Sasuke nodded, handing over the purse calmly. From down the street, a portly local police officer was making his way over rapidly. The incapacitated criminal was gasping for air, struggling to orient himself. Sasuke casually kicked him in the ribs for good measure, watching him roll over and still.
"You were very fast to act, young man," the police officer acknowledged with a tip of his hat, eyes shaded beneath the rim. "We need more civilians like you."
"It was nothing," Sasuke shook his head passively, only briefly eyeing the somewhat incompetent looking officer. Inclining his head politely at the charmed woman, he stepped passed her to help a stunned Naruto up.
"You…," he trailed off, eyeing his friend with a mixture of pride, determination, shock, and challenge. "I thought I was closing the gap, but it looks like I still have a while until I catch up, huh?" Naruto lifted up his fist, waiting.
"Hn." Sasuke just shrugged, taking the gesture for what it was and fist-bumping the cheery man.
As the pair disappeared down the street, the red-haired woman helped the thief to his feet just as the police officer approached them languidly. The trio exchanged looks. "He was good," the beady-eyed thief croaked, rubbing his bruising throat, "Definitely doesn't know the meaning of holding back." He subtly indicated his broken wrist as further evidence, the ache in his ribs speaking to the excessive force unleashed.
"Orochimaru-sama loves the ruthless type. I'm sure he'll be pleased," the woman licked her lips, glancing in the direction Sasuke had vanished.
"Hope so," the robust mock-officer sighed, dusting off the stolen uniform that appeared to be bursting at the seams. "I'm tired of following around that boring guy. All he ever did was fuck women, hang out with that blonde dumbass, eat sleep, and train."
"Sounds like a dream," the thief muttered somewhat jealously. "Well, the fucking women part. Spending time with that loudmouth is more like a nightmare. I don't even see how they're friends."
The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Opposites attract. Duh. Why do you think he's also interested in that annoying pink-haired girl? A medic and an officer. One breeds Life, while the other threatens Death itself. Rather the poetic match, don't you think?" she sniggered.
"Anyway," the pale haired man carefully caressed his broken wrist, resetting it painfully after a moment, "…It was weird. He countered my attacks before I even delivered them. It wasn't like he blocked because I was too obvious. For some reason, he just knew what I was going to do." Shuddering, he let a frown form. "Make sure Orochimaru-sama hears about that. I think he'll want to know."
