Itachi didn't leave his room the next morning. He sat and stared at the wall, the seconds ticking away. He didn't move when Hana came to tell him breakfast was ready. He didn't flinch when Kakashi tried to coax him out. He didn't open his eyes when his door creaked open.
Sasuke stared at his older brother for a moment before crossing the short distance to the raven's bed. "Itachi," he whispered.
Itachi stiffened slightly, then relaxed. "Yes, Sasuke?"
"Can you come train with me?"
Itachi's eyes shot open and he glanced up at Sasuke. Onyx eyes gazed back at him, a slight smile on his younger brother's face.
"Please?" Sasuke added. The young raven didn't wait for an answer, pulling Itachi up and dragging him from his bed.
"Hey, hey, I'm still in my pajamas! And I need my—"Itachi tried to argue.
"No you don't," Sasuke glanced at his outfit. "And those are pajamas?"
Itachi rolled his eyes and allowed his brother to drag him from the room. But as they passed a family picture hanging on the wall in the hallway, memories nearly made him collapse.
Sasuke was born in the dark of night. Itachi was scared to death, not fully understanding why his mother was in so much pain. His father paced the waiting room of the hospital, glancing at Itachi every now and then to make sure he was still there.
"Itachi," Fugaku said. Itachi stared up at his father. "You're going to stay here while I check on your mother. Alright?"
Itachi nodded and Minato and Kushina, his parents' best friends – no matter how much Fugaku would never admit it – slid over to sit next to him.
"Hey, Itachi," Kushina said kindly, smiling. Itachi cocked his head curiously. Minato smiled at him and pulled the young Uchiha into his lap.
"Guess what?" the blonde said softly. "When your parents come out of that hospital room, you'll have a little brother or sister."
Itachi sat up and stared at Minato, surprise etched into the lines of his face. Minato smiled again.
His parents had briefly explained that he would have a younger sibling. He still didn't fully understand, but he was only five. He had permission to not understand.
Hours later, Itachi had nearly fallen asleep in Minato's lap. His mother's screams had dwindled down to almost nonexistence, but now the sharp cry of a child pierced the air. Minato tightened his grip on the young Uchiha and smiled at him.
"Congratulations," he said, blue eyes sparkling. "You are now a big brother."
The tall blonde stood up with Itachi in his arms and stepped forward as Fugaku emerged from the hospital room. The brunette smiled tiredly at his friend and gestured for them to enter the room.
Itachi was surprised to see his mother perfectly fine, except for being a little sweaty and tired. From the sounds of her screeches he thought she was dying. Mikoto lifted her gaze from the small bundle in her arms to smile at Itachi.
"Hey, honey," she said quietly. Minato walked forward so Itachi could be closer to his mother, Kushina close behind him.
"Hi, Mommy," Itachi said. Mikoto shifted the bundle in her arms so that Itachi could see what it was.
"Meet your little brother, Itachi," she said. "Sasuke Uchiha."
Itachi was fascinated by his brother, poking the soft yellow blanket gently. Mikoto laughed softly.
That day Itachi promised to be the best older brother ever.
Now, twelve years later, Itachi snorted mentally. Some older brother he was. Instead of sticking with Sasuke like he should when Kakashi adopted him, Itachi ran away and lived in the forest for nearly two months.
Itachi stared at his brother sadly, shaking his head. He had failed as an older brother, and Sasuke didn't even know it as he led the Uchiha out of the house to the backyard.
"Hey, Itachi," Sasuke said. "Why do you always seem so sad?"
Itachi started. "I'm sorry?"
"You always seem to be sad," he explained. "Why?"
Itachi leaned against a tree and slid down to sit on the ground. "Sasuke, you know that we're brothers."
"Of course!" Sasuke blinked. "Mom and Dad told me years ago that I was adopted."
"Did they tell you why you were adopted?"
"Well…no."
"Why do you think Kakashi and Tsume adopted you?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I never really thought about it."
"Our parents were of the Uchiha clan," Itachi started, and Sasuke nodded. "They were highly respected ninja. The day Naruto was born, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked Konoha. Our parents fought in the attack…and they were killed.
"I was only five at the time, almost six. Even though I was smart enough to take care of myself, I could not care for you, not even a year old, at the same time." Itachi pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on his arms, staring at his brother. "When you were born, I promised myself that I would be there for you. When the Third Hokage found us alone, he took you and tried to get me, but I was too smart."
He sighed, his gaze sliding to the side to stare at the house. "I refused to be adopted; I was too proud to be an Uchiha. No matter what I tried, though, I could not get you. Kakashi adopted you, Naruto, and Sakura, and for a while I didn't see you.
"I lived in the woods on the Inuzuka property, and Hana kept me updated on everything, and kept me alive. It probably would have kept on going like that, except one day I was in the house and getting cleaned up. Tsume and Kakashi came home earlier than expected, and convinced me that it was better to stay in the house than the woods."
"And that," Itachi concluded. "Is the story of why you were adopted."
"But…" Sasuke stared at his brother. "That doesn't explain why you're so sad."
Itachi smiled sadly. "Yes it does, Sasuke. If you listened carefully, and thought real hard about it, the answer would come to you."
He stood up, looking down at Sasuke. "Didn't you want to do some training?"
In a daze, Sasuke whistled to Rusty as Itachi pulled his hair back in a pony tail to keep it out his face.
A/N: Did anyone else cry when Itachi died? I did, although it didn't really sink in until Sasuke knew the truth and he was crying…I think I cried the hardest over Jiraiya though…weird. Anyways, I was inspired to write another chapter when I saw the flashbacks and how much Itachi loved Sasuke…OMG I'm dying inside right now…
Please review…maybe I won't be so depressed over Itachi…