Sorry for making you wait a few days! I've been traveling a lot recently and haven't had much time to write; either way, here is chapter 25! There is no Uchihacest in this story; sorry for those that want it, but I prefer a brotherly relationship for them!

"Kakashi came and spoke with me after he saw you this morning, Itachi." Tsunade said. "I don't want anyone finding out that Danzo is after Sasuke, and I know he will keep his distance if you two are together.

"That makes sense, but people seeing me in public isn't the best idea either." Itachi noted.

"I realize that, but if something happens to Sasuke, people will hear about it and that could cause more problems than simply seeing you."

"I suppose you're right, and this way I can keep an eye on you." Itachi said to Sasuke.

"I still want you to keep a low profile, but I think it would be best if you look after Sasuke since he won't obey Kakashi." She squinted at the younger brother. "Do you know how wreckless that was?"

Sasuke was tired of people calling him out for just trying to get some alone time. "I know; everyone I have seen today has said that."

"Good; that will help you realize your mistake. Regardless of people telling you that; the best way to ensure your safety is to have Itachi watch you."

Sasuke would rather have his older brother with him than Kakashi, so he obliged.

"Many of the younger people in the village won't recognize you, Itachi. Just in case, you need to do what I said and avoid drawing attention to yourself." Tsunade added.

"I will; thank you for all you have done." Itachi said. After they were dismissed, the brothers walked back to Sasuke's apartment.

"Well, I suppose I'll be here for a while." Itachi said upon entering the dwelling.

"There might be a problem with this..." Sasuke sighed looking over the interior of his home.

Itachi caught on as he scanned the apartment. "There's no where for me to sleep."

Sasuke's home may have been nicer than Naruto's, but both places were nearly the same in size. Neither spaces were big enough to hold more than one bed, and there was no room for a couch either.

"So what are we going to do?" Itachi asked.

"I guess you'll just have to sleep on the floor." Sasuke answered.

"I've been sleeping on a floor for days." Itachi protested.

"Then you're used to it."

"Why don't we just share your bed?"

Sasuke looked at his brother. "Why would I want to do that?"

"You used to come and sleep in my bed when you were little and had bad dreams; besides, there isn't anywhere for me." Itachi reasoned.

"That's different; I was small enough to fit in your bed comfortably. Now it would just be troublesome since we are both bigger than we used to be." Sasuke countered.

"If you had listened to me and stayed with Kakashi, I wouldn't have to stay here. It might be an unfortunate arrangement, but it will have to do."

"... Fine..." Sasuke finally agreed. Itachi was his brother, after all, so it wouldn't be that bad.

Itachi looked at his little brother with a bit of concern on his face. "I wanted to ask you how you are feeling about your situation with Orochimaru. I know you are still struggling with that."

Sasuke gazed at the floor. He knew Itachi was only trying to console him, but he hated speaking about his time of abuse with the Sannin.

"I'm doing better since I talked to you about it, but I don't know if I will ever accept that it happened."

Itachi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's going to get better, and you can always rely on me if you need to."

Even after bickering just moments before, the two brothers had a connection that could not be broken. The younger one embraced the elder; the bond of siblings that they shared comforted Sasuke, even after all he had gone through.

The first night Itachi and Sasuke shared was rather unpleasant for both of them. Though Sasuke's bed was big enough for two adults, they could still not get comfortable.

"Stop moving around so much!" Sasuke whispered.

"Calm down; I'm just trying to get comfortable."

Sasuke shifted around and spoke again. "You're making me uncomfortable by moving so much."

After several more minutes, Itachi finally settled in. Both brothers fell asleep rather quickly, but their slumber was short.

Sasuke rolled over in his sleep and flung his arm onto Itachi's face. The action woke the elder who was not pleased. Instead of complaining, he simply moved Sasuke's arm away from him and tried to position him so that he could not unconsciously assault him again.

Being moved around woke up Sasuke. Feeling hands on him in the dark made him uneasy at first, but he soon remembered that it was not Orochimaru who was touching him. The feeling still brought back ill thoughts, though.

"Itachi?"

The older Uchiha felt bad for waking his younger brother. "Sorry, Sasuke, I was just trying to get your arms off of me..."

Sasuke flipped over to face his brother. "It's not that..." His sibling realized what it was right away. This happened the last time Sasuke woke up to his touch, and that time he also panicked.

"I didn't mean to bring any memories back. Please forgive me." Itachi said.

Sasuke buried his face in the pillow; he was starting to get worked up again and didn't want to make Itachi feel guiltier.

"You don't have to hide anything from me; I'm your brother, and I'm not going to judge you." The elder noted as he attempted to calm Sasuke by stroking his hair.

"I want to forget that he ever touched me; it was the worst feeling I have ever had." Sasuke confessed. Stating such a thing made it clear just how awful those experiences were since Sasuke had witnessed his parents being killed.

"I know it doesn't change anything at this point, but if anyone tries to touch you with negative intentions, I will personally make them regret it." Itachi said.

"You've already done so much for me... And I hated you for it; I don't want you to concern yourself with my mistakes."

"I wouldn't have done anything for you if I didn't care. You're my little brother and the most important thing to me. It would be ridiculous if I gave up on you now." Itachi said, adding the last sentence to lighten the mood a bit.

Sasuke pulled his face out of the pillow he covered it in moments ago. He stared at his brother who was still trying to help him calm down. It was hard for him to believe that this was the man he hated when all Itachi had done was for his little brother's benefit. "I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."

"That's not your fault; I made you believe that I despised you... I didn't want you to be pulled into a matter that you had nothing to do with, but in doing so, I caused you nothing but suffering." Itachi sighed.

"You didn't intend to do that; you were only doing what you had to."

"I assure you that from now on, all I will do is protect you the way I should have from the beginning." Itachi stated firmly.

Sasuke had always been comforted by Itachi's words; the present was no exception to that. After being consoled by his older brother, Sasuke was able to sleep again. Prior to their discussion, Itachi 's presence so close to Sasuke was a nuisance, but having the one he too treasured the most nearby made it easier to slumber.