Ahh one more chapter left after this! It will probably be a long one if it is too long, I may add a short epilogue chapter to wrap everything up but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

"Did you say you love me?"

Sasuke's mind had been a jumbled mess of thoughts lately that he hadn't noticed what he had said until Hinata pointed it out. He could usually read her face easily he hoped to find her looking happy but she just looked confused and a little frightened. He didn't know what to say next he had never said those words to anyone other than his Mom and even that was rare. However, he knew this was different this was Hinata someone who stuck by his side when people were telling her not to. Hinata who supported him and cared for him no matter what the situation. Someone who actually made Sasuke want to go to school every day because it meant he could see her and be around her. Even though she was questioning him about it, he knew it was just for her clarification she had heard him say it and there was no going back on it now. "Yes."

Hinata couldn't help but inhale sharply when Sasuke admitted to saying that he loved her. She felt like she was dreaming she had never allowed herself to imagine this happening. It seemed like something that would never happen since Sasuke showed more with his actions then his words. She wouldn't even let herself fully think about it if she felt the same because she couldn't take the heart break from loving someone and not having them love her back again. "Did you mean it?"

He was the type of person that when he said something, he meant it. And this was no exception, he felt a rush of anxiety at her second question. It felt as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff and he had two options. He could either back away from the edge and retreat or jump and see what happens. He chose to jump, "Yes." How could he not love her after all they've been through. This situation they were in felt similar with Hinata questioning something he said. It reminded him of the morning he told her he wanted her as his girlfriend. He thought back to that moment remembering how he felt, his feelings for her had only grown since then but the more he thought about it he had these feelings for longer than he realized. It was Hinata's turn to be silent he could see she was breathing heavily and it made him feel anxious. He was waiting for her to respond to his confirmation and this feeling of anticipation was the worst feeling he ever had.

If Hinata wasn't already crying she would have started to after hearing him confidently confirm his statement. She knew it was cliché to cry over someone's declaration of love but she was just overwhelmed by it. After the day they had to hear Sasuke admit his true feelings for her was almost too much for her to handle. She had been falling for him for a while he was different than what most people thought he was. Sometimes she felt as if she was the only person who truly knew him even though he tried to keep things about him a secret. She didn't think after Naruto she'd love like that again and now; she knew that was true. The love she had for Naruto paled in comparison to the love she had for Sasuke. With Naruto she was so blinded by love she wouldn't allow herself to see his faults but with Sasuke she saw everything. The good, the bad and she loved him regardless. She felt her lips curve into a big smile as she was about to say the words, she was hoping Sasuke was waiting to hear. "I love you too Sasuke."

If she wasn't smiling, he would have thought he had misheard her. Even though he had said it first he stood there looking truly stunned by her words. She loved him there wasn't an ounce of doubt it her voice. Even with everything that happened to her because of her relationship with him she loved him. There had been many times where Sasuke was unsure of what to say but this time he was truly a loss for words. He wanted to ask her to repeat it just so he could hear her say the words that had been echoing in his head since she said them. Sasuke took a few steps forward closing the gap between the two of them. He placed his hands gently on the sides of her face and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs before pulling her forward bringing her lips to his. Their kiss was slow both wanting to take their time and enjoy this moment of their lips against one another. She didn't want this kiss to end not just because she enjoyed every time Sasuke brought his lips to hers but she knew once it was over, they would have to leave each other. Thinking of the two of them being apart made Hinata's hands that were resting in between her and Sasuke clench his jacket to keep him there with her as long as she could.

He pulled away but only far enough to get a view of her smiling face looking up at him. Even though her eyes were slightly puffy from the crying he still thought she was the most beautiful girl and he hated to be the reason she was crying even if it was for something good. Hinata took a moment to burn this image of Sasuke looking down on her with a tiny smile on his face with the dark sky of stars behind him. It felt like a scene out of one of her movies and just like her movies he was leaving after saying he loved her. "You are coming back right?"

Being brought to the reality of the situation wasn't something Sasuke enjoyed. He knew both of their brothers were waiting for them in their respective cars. He wanted to stay longer with Hinata but the longer they stood there the higher the risk of her parent's finding out she was missing. He didn't want to risk adding anymore fuel to the fire they had been desperately trying to put out. He felt her grip tighten on his jacket when she asked, "You think I'm not coming back?"

"I'm not sure if I would if I were you. Things with your Dad have always been unhealthy but now it's becoming toxic and violent. Who would want to come back to that?"

"Hinata I am coming back; Itachi and I are going to stay with a friend of his for tonight and decide where we want to go next. I want to get out of town though if we are here my Dad will find us and I just need a few days to clear my mind and figure out what I am going to do next. All I know is I can't live in that house with my Dad anymore."

She felt he was doing the right thing and she was glad he wasn't going alone. It felt weird to not know when she'd see him again. Since they had been hanging out, they never spent more than two days without seeing each other. Although that idea of being away from Sasuke for an undetermined amount of time made her feel sad, she wanted to be supportive, "I know you will be able to figure it out and whatever you decide I will support you. Just promise you make the best decision for you and no one else."

Sasuke leaned back down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, "Promise."

A couple days later Sasuke awoke in his bed it took him a few seconds to recognize the room he was in. It had been a few days since he slept in his own bed. They stayed at Itachi's friends house for a night but left bright an early the next morning and drove to Kirigakure it was the only place he could think of going. Itachi already sensed that was where they would go and had a motel booked for the next couple of days. Kirigakure would be the last place his Dad would think to look for them not that he thought he was looking for him. He hadn't been home since the night of their fight according to his Mom who checked in regularly with them. He expected her to sound worried or upset but she seemed happy that him and Itachi were spending time together. He figured she was putting on a brave front for them because every time he or Itachi would ask how she was she would say she was fine and that she was missing them but would quickly change the subject.

He looked over to see Itachi's bed empty although they roomed together in this small room Sasuke barely saw Itachi. They were still unsure of what their next step should be so they decided spending money on a big hotel room was wasteful. It had been two days since they left Konoha and Sasuke had spent that time going on long walks and trying to clear his mind so he could focus on what he needed to. He had walked most of the town in those two days in a lot of ways with its shops and restaurants it mimicked Konoha. There was one area of town Sasuke stood clear of and that was the University campus. He wasn't ready to see it just yet so whenever he would see its tall buildings or lush green grounds coming up in the distance he'd turn and walk in the opposite direction. Most of the time he'd walk in silence or he'd be on the phone with Hinata. Hearing her voice made him feel better and he would describe to her what he was seeing and it made it feel like she was there.

He would usually leave in the morning and wouldn't return until late at night, he did that because he knew he'd drive himself crazy if he stayed in their room all day and to give Itachi the room so that he could attend his classes virtually in peace. Or at least that is what Sasuke told himself because in reality he was staying out all day to avoid Itachi. When he'd return, he'd just shower and go to bed barely speaking to Itachi. It wasn't that Sasuke was angry with his brother it was every time he looked at him, he would feel the guilt over Itachi taking the hit that was meant for him. Itachi always had a decent relationship with Fugaku and Sasuke felt he threw it all away because of him. So not only did he put his future in a questionable state he put Itachi's there as well.

Sasuke heard the keycard opening the door and looked up to see Itachi walking into the room holding a bag and a tray of coffees. Itachi looked pleased to see Sasuke was up, "Good you are awake I got us breakfast."

Sasuke's stomached grumbled at the smell coming from the bag as Itachi walked over to the tiny table in their room and took a seat. Sasuke joined his brother and grabbed for a coffee right away letting the aroma fully wake him up as he took a sip. He could sense his brother watching him as if he was waiting for the right moment to say something as they ate their breakfast in silence. Just when Sasuke finished and was going to get up from the table Itachi spoke, "Hey are you going to go for one of your all day walks again?"

Sasuke sat back down in his chair, walking had helped clear his mind but it hadn't helped him come up with an idea or plan on what to do. It only reinforced what he already knew and that was he couldn't go back to his house as long as his Dad was there. He unfortunately didn't have any idea on where he could go, he didn't have his own money, and college was still months away, and his only friend and him barely spoke. Sasuke felt as if he had hit a wall in his future planning, "Not sure yet why?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could go see the University today. I have a friend that goes there and she is willing to give us a tour around campus. We could check it out, maybe swing by the admissions office find out about loans."

He knew he couldn't avoid the University forever, part of him didn't want to go because it would remind him of the unlikely hood that he would actually be able to attend. However, he was going to need information if he was going to make an informed decision that was best for him as he promised Hinata. "I guess it is time we do that since it's the main reason we came here."

Itachi seemed excited by Sasuke's agreement, "Great, I'll text my friend."

An hour late Sasuke stood in front of the main campus entrance staring up at the gigantic letters that spelled Kirigakure University the place looked bigger in person and he was sure he was going to need a map to get around without constantly getting lost. T.U. didn't have a campus as it was in a metropolis area it was just a bunch of buildings with nothing surrounding or connecting them.

"Itachi!" Sasuke heard a voice call out and saw a girl with short blonde hair waving and making her way over to the two of them. The girl looked a little familiar but he couldn't place her.

When she got closer her and Itachi awkwardly hugged before he made the introductions, "Sachio it's good to see you. You remember my brother Sasuke correct?"

Sachio grinned at Sasuke, "Oh how could I forget your little brother Itachi? Although he's grown a lot since he crashed our senior prom."

Sasuke was starting to place her she was Itachi's prom date and had been over to their house a few times years ago, "I remember you, you used to date Itachi, and I didn't crash I was invited."

"Both of those things were so long ago who can remember." She shared an awkward smile with Itachi that made her start to blush for a moment before remembering what they were doing there. She cleared her throat and handed them both visitor badges, "Put these on and we can start the tour."

She started by showing them the main lawn where they walked past a few students some studying, some sitting and chatting with friends, and a few other kicking a hacky sack between them. They even quietly walked past a class that was being held outside due to the nice weather they were having. The campus was even bigger on the inside then what he saw on the outside. Sachio showed them a few of the buildings that held most of the classes, the football field, the track, the gymnasium, the pool, the library, the main dining hall, and the admissions department where they were given a lot of information about scholarships, loans and financial aid. She did all of that while giving them information about the school and the many things it offered. Sachio was very informative and spoke passionately about K.U.

She was leading them to the last stop on their tour, "We are going to end at the dorms specifically my dorm. There are a few dormitories around campus all but two are co-ed and they do offer affordable housing off campus for juniors and seniors. All dorms on campus are almost the same I believe mine is the best though." Sachio swiped her access card to get into the building that looked like a large apartment building. As she led them to the elevator, she pointed out things in the lobby, "Down to the left is the laundry room, and in the opposite direction is the living quarters where a lot of the students like to hang out with each other." She pressed the button for the elevator, "Each floor has a small cozy hang out space and a kitchen. This building is mostly double rooms but there are a few singles as well." She looked at Sasuke who had barely spoke during the entire tour, "You look like you'd prefer a single so you better apply for one early."

Itachi raised his hand to cover his mouth as he chuckled, "What do you have Sachio?"

"I have a double, I met my roommate sophomore year and we decided to live together. She's actually in the law program here if you want to talk to her about it Sasuke."

Sasuke was still unsure about what his major would be. Itachi came to his defense right away and patted his brother on the shoulder. "Sasuke is undecided as of now, our family has enough lawyers as it is so he may want to look into other things."

He hadn't expected Itachi to say that, he never explicitly told Itachi his disinterest in the law but Itachi seemed to have already known. Sachio nodded approvingly, "That's fine I didn't know what I wanted to study when I started here either. In the student resources building I showed you, they offer an assessment test you can take that can help you pick a major."

"Did it work?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes, it doesn't tell you what to do it just points out areas you excel in and helps guide you into a major that suits you. I'm in my third year of accounting and I continue to enjoy it." The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor and Sachio stepped out and motioned for the boys to follow her down the hall. They passed some students hanging in the hall talking to one another, some doors were open and Sasuke peaked in at the different ways people arranged their rooms. Sachio stopped at the door at the end of the hall, "This is my room."

She opened the door to reveal a smallish but nicely decorated room with two beds and two desks on both sides. One bed had a girl in it who was sitting crossed leg on it typing on her laptop. "Oh, this is my roommate Tomie. Tomie this is Itachi and his brother Sasuke."

Tomie looked up from her laptop at first seeming annoyed to be disturbed until she saw two handsome dark-haired men standing in her room. "Why hello there. Sachio you didn't tell me your ex was so good looking. And it seems it runs in the family, are you the one who will be joining us this fall?"

Sachio snapped her fingers at her roommate, "Don't even think about it Tomie, he has a girlfriend they both do."

Tomie pouted, "What a shame. Well, how about I give you my number anyway, girlfriends never seem to last through freshman year."

Sasuke didn't care about the girl shamelessly flirting with him. He was shocked by the news Sachio just blurted out, "You have a girlfriend."

"No…well kind of." Itachi looked a bit uncomfortable to be talking about this with his ex-girlfriend two feet away. Sachio cleared her throat at the awkward moment they were having, "Uh anyway this was the last stop unless you have anything else, you'd want to see."

Itachi looked over at Sasuke who shrugged, "I think we are good for now plus we've taken up enough of your time we should be getting back before it gets late." Tomie shouted out her number for Sasuke as they left her door room. Sachio led them back to the main entrance where they started hours ago, "What did you think of K.U Sasuke?"

"It's good."

Sachio looked over at Itachi confused by such a short answer after a long day of touring them around. Itachi smirked forgetting for a moment that not everyone understood Sasuke's short responses meaning more, "For Sasuke that is a really good response and I'm sure he is grateful for the informative tour you gave us."

Itachi nudged his brother with his elbow to talk, "Uh yeah thank you."

"It was my pleasure anything for a future K.U. student I hope I helped make your decision to attend easier." Sachio said. Sasuke was hoping that after today he'd be less doubtful in his decision but he wasn't. Being there today reassured him this was where he wanted to go without a doubt but he was still unsure how he would pay for it. He didn't think that even with starting a job the second he arrived back home he would be able to save enough for a full first year's tuition. Not to mention having to spend the next few months with his father who he was sure was just giving his mother time to cool off before returning home. "If you have any other questions, Itachi has my number. It was good to see you Itachi I hope to see you more if Sasuke ends up going here."

The two boys bid farewell to Sachio and made their way back to the motel. When they pulled into the parking lot of their hotel Itachi's phone started to ring. Itachi's phone was in the cell phone holder on his dashboard and Sasuke could see clearly the word Dad across the screen. Itachi's hand reached for the phone and hovered between the call and ignore button before he pressed down on the ignore button sending his Dad to voicemail. Just as the screen went black again, Sasuke's phone started to ring in his pocket for a second he thought it might be his Dad, but when he pulled his phone out of his pocket, he saw Hinata's name on his screen.

"Is that Dad?" Itachi asked.

"No, Hinata. Dad only cares about talking to you. He has called you multiple times a day since we left and he hasn't called me once." Sasuke tried not to sound as upset as he was, he always knew his father had a preference but he wished he wasn't so obvious about it.

Usually this was where Itachi would defend his father but after what just happen there was no defending Fugaku anymore. Itachi saw Sasuke's screen turn dark as his missed Hinata's call, "Why don't you call her back? And afterwards I want to go out to dinner because there are some things, I want to talk to you about."

"Like your girlfriend?"

"Among other things yes." Itachi grabbed his phone off the dash, "I have a call to make I'll meet you at the room." The list of things that Itachi could want to discuss was too long for Sasuke to even think about. As he walked back to their motel room alone, he texted Hinata to get on her computer. He placed his laptop on the small table in their room and hit the button to call Hinata. Soon her bright cheery face filled up his screen, "Hi!"

He tried to fight it but her smile was infectious and he felt the corner of his lips start to turn up, "Hey."

"How are you? What part of Kirigakure did you explore today?"

"The University."

Hinata tried to control her excitement but she was literally bouncing up and done in her chair, "You did! That is so exciting! How was it?"

Sasuke went on to talk about everything he saw at the university while Hinata eagerly listened hanging on his every word. "After we met Sachio's weird roommate, we decided we had seen enough and came back to the motel." As Sasuke retold Hinata about his day she had a huge smile on her face that only seemed to grow the more he talked, "Why are you smiling?"

"You just seem very excited when you were talking about the university. It was nice to see you that way after everything that has happened. Does that mean you've made your decision?"

"Do I want to go there? Yes. Can I?" The excitement Sasuke had just seconds ago faded fast, "I don't see how, Itachi said he'd help with the money but that was before I ruined his relationship with Dad. I'm surprised he hasn't cut off our cell services or froze our bank accounts yet."

"Sasuke you need to stop blaming yourself you didn't ruin anything. Fugaku made this mess all by himself. I know money is an issue but I've been looking into it. I know that even though your grades have improved this year drastically they still take in your other high school years in to account for scholarships. However, if you continue to do well your freshman year which I know you will you can apply and hopefully get a scholarship for your sophomore year until you graduate. That way you'd only have to pay your first year."

"That's not a bad idea but I'd still have to figure out a way to pay for the first year and most importantly figure out where am I going to live for the next few months."

"I wish you could stay here but I still haven't gotten to talk to my Dad about us dating yet. I've barely been able to leave this room and from what I heard from Hanabi my Dad is avoiding everyone." Hinata shook the sadness that was about to take over her and sat up straight, "But he can't hide from me forever, I have Hanabi on the lookout and once he lets his guard down, I'm going to speak to him. And I'm not going to give up until he agrees to let us date again. Not that we stopped I just…one Dad against us is enough we don't need two."

What his father thought was irrational and selfish but Hiashi had a reason for not liking Sasuke and Hinata together. He didn't think it was fair but he understood why her father felt that way, "I guess if you can get Neji to be ok with us being together your Dad shouldn't be too hard."

"It will be a breeze compared to Neji who I'm still surprised has come around, he is still here I thought he'd go back to college by now. He said he has some things to take care of before he goes but I think he's just waiting till I go back to school to make sure everything is ok."

"When do you think you'll go back?" Sasuke didn't have any idea at that point of when he'd go back home or to school but he hated the idea of Hinata going to school without him there.

"I want to go back now but Mom said I should wait until Monday. I just hate that I ran away, I want to go back to show them that I'm not going to do that again. I don't care if that site is still up or that they haven't figured out who made the pictures yet. I want to show them I'm not backing down to them anymore."

He could tell she wasn't going to be talked out of waiting for him to return to go back to school and he was angry that the principal had failed in his promise to get the people who had done this to them. "I can't believe that stupid principal has done nothing what is he waiting for."

"Most of the posts are anonymous and the person that used the computer lab did so under a fake account. They did look at security cameras but the people were wearing hoods so they couldn't see their faces but they did see the person that tripped me and suspended them so that's a start."

"Suspended, they should be expelled at the very least. Who was it?"

Even through the screen Sasuke's anger was palpable, "A girl named Emiko. I've never spoken to her before, I had to look in last year's yearbook to see who she was." That name sounded familiar to Sasuke but it took him a second to remember her. He and Emiko had spent a good part of the previous summer together. Her parents had gone away and left her alone in the house that Sasuke visited frequently over that summer. When school started even though Sasuke had explicitly told her over and over he was not her boyfriend and that he had no interest in dating anyone she still got it in her head that they were dating when all they did was meet up to have sex. "Judging by your face I'm guessing you and her used to hook up."

"Kind of..." Sasuke felt uneasy talking about his past with Hinata but also felt guilty because once again Hinata was getting hurt because of something he did. "You said Monday, right? I'll make sure I'm back by then so I…"

"No, Sasuke I want you to come back soon believe me I do but when you are ready. I can handle myself; you can't be around me every second of the day."

"Want to bet? When I get back, I'm not letting you out of my sight for a single second. So, you won't be running off when my back is turned."

"What are you going to do handcuff me to you?"

Sasuke smirked enjoying too much the image of Hinata cuffed to him, "That's not a bad idea." Hinata's cheeks turned pink as Sasuke turned the silly idea she had into something perverse. "For your protection of course." He said unable to stop himself from smirking. "And maybe for some fun after school."

Hinata covered her face with both of her hands trying to hide her embarrassment but also her smile from Sasuke. "Sasuke!"

He chuckled as he watched her on his screen, it felt good to laugh after the days he had. Hinata always managed to bring out another calmer side of Sasuke. "I will most likely be back by next week but if I am not just promise that you will be safe."

"I promise." Hinata made a criss cross sign across her heart to emphasize her point.

There was a half knock at the door and Hanabi ran into her sister's room, her arms frantically pointing out Hinata's door. "Mom went out! Dad thought it was safe to leave his office he's in the den we have to get you down stairs now before he retreats!"

Hinata turned back to her screen, "I've got to go, I don't know when I'll get another chance. Wish me luck."

Sasuke thought the two girls were being a bit overdramatic which was normal for Hanabi but not Hinata. Still, he wished her luck and ended the video call soon after. Hinata closed her laptop and spun around in her chair, "Ok, I'm ready. With Hanabi's help Hinata made it down the stairs and into the awaiting office chair Hinata used when she was downstairs to avoid putting pressure on her ankle.

Hanabi grabbed onto the back of the office chair, "Hold on." And ran as fast as she could down the short hall way to the den skirting to a short stop in front of the opening.

Hiashi stood there by the bar holding a drink he just made for himself in front of his mouth stunned by his daughters' sudden appearance. "Dad we need to talk."

"Yes, we do Hinata but can we please do it later, I'm in the middle of something at work. I just came to grab a drink and I was headed right back to my office."

Hiashi tried to walk out and head back towards his office but Hanabi pushed Hinata's chair into the room blocking his path, "No Dad, I'm locking myself in your office and you can't get in until you and Hinata talk it out."

Hiashi called out for his youngest but she already ran off, a few seconds later they heard the door to his office slam shut. Hiashi let out a long-disgruntled sigh before finishing his drink and then started pouring himself another one. He rolled Hinata's chair closer to the couch before he took a seat with his freshly poured drink in hand and motioned for Hinata to come closer. "Hinata I know what you are going to say."

She pulled herself on to the couch with the help of her father, "That might be true but can you please let me say what I have to say anyway?"

"Since your sister has barricaded herself in my office, I don't have much of a choice, do I?

Hiashi seemed calmer than the last time the two of them spoke which put Hinata more at ease. She started off the prepared speech she had rehearsed in her head these past couple of days, "Dad I want to start by saying that I completely understand that your intention wasn't to hurt me but to protect me. And yes, the bullying started because I started dating Sasuke so in retrospect stopping me from seeing Sasuke would in a sense stop the bullying. However, I…..."

Hiashi waited for a moment but Hinata did not continue, "What's wrong I thought that was a great start to your speech."

"It just sounds to rehearsed because it is. I've been practicing it over and over and it doesn't sound genuine to me anymore." She didn't want a rehearsed speech that had no emotion in it she decided to just speak from her heart. "Dad I'm just going to be honest with you. I'm not going to stop seeing Sasuke, I know that means disobeying you which is one of the last things I want to do. And I know you think I'm too young and foolish and maybe I am but I love him…more than I've ever loved anyone else." Hiashi look quite surprised by his daughter's admission of love. He looked as if he was about to say something but Hinata cut him off, "And yes, I am only eighteen and how could I possibly know about love especially when technically we've only been dating a short while but Sasuke has become a big part of my life for much longer than we've been girlfriend and boyfriend. You and Mom always told me to listen to my gut instincts and to my heart, and I did and they've led me to Sasuke." Hinata was surprised she hadn't started crying this felt truer to herself than her previous speech. She was going to lay it all out for Hiashi so he could understand why Sasuke meant so much to her. "Sasuke has helped me in more ways than I can think of he makes me feel more confident in myself and with that confidence I feel like I can do anything. It makes me sad that I lost that for a bit but now I know that I won't ever let that happen again. Without him I would have been consumed by my sadness over my breakup with Naruto. He made me see that I deserved much better and showed me I could be happy again. This all sounds so cheesy but it's true. Dad please don't try to stop me from seeing him because you are going to make me choose between you and him and I don't want to do that."

Hiashi sat there now stoned faced letting Hinata's words sink in. He had never heard his daughter speak so passionately about anything or anyone like this before. It made him both proud to hear her speak with such confidence something Hinata had lacked before but it also irritated him as a father to hear his daughter so happy about a boy. "I don't want you to do that either, mostly because I'm not sure that I'd win out there." He reached his arm out to pull his daughter closer to him, "Hinata I apologize for being short with you the other day I was just upset. Your mother has made it very clear to me how wrong I was that day."

"I am sorry I made you and Mom fight."

Hiashi squeezed her shoulder as reassurance, "Hinata your mother and I have been married for twenty-five years. This was not our first fight nor will it be our last. We made up when I agreed to talk to you about Sasuke. I planned to talk it out with you after I was done with work. However, you and your sister had other plans for me apparently."

"Sorry about that we saw an opportunity and ran for it." Hinata leaned her head against her father's shoulder.

It had been a long time since the two talked like this. "So, you love him huh?" Hinata's cheeks turned red but she smiled and nodded. "And does he love you back?" Hinata's smile grew as she nodded again. "I guess your Mother was right again. I'm not going to stand in the way of young love but you two need to be careful. I don't want something like this happening again. I never trusted that principal of yours to get the job done. I already contacted the chief of police and they are looking into it. I hope to have this matter settled soon so you can return to school. I'm sure if I keep Hanabi here any longer she will make me regret it. Speaking of which would you mind helping me get her out of my office I really do have work to do." Hinata was relieved that this was settled and her father was taking steps to ensure that her problems at school were going to be handled as well. She couldn't wait to call Sasuke and tell him the good news.

She called Sasuke when she got back to her room but the call went to voicemail after ending their video chat Itachi had returned to the room and told Sasuke he found a restaurant two blocks away he wanted to try. Thinking Hinata's talk with Hiashi would take a while he agreed to go right then still curious on what Itachi wanted to talk about. They were seated outside at a small table and the two focused on their menus for a while until the waiter came for their orders. Being no longer able to hide behind his menu Sasuke felt compelled to say something, "So…. who is this secret girlfriend of yours?"

'It's not a secret and technically she isn't my girlfriend yet. Just someone I've been hanging out with for a few weeks now." Sasuke gave his brother a suspicious look that made Itachi roll his eyes, "Yeah, I know I gave you crap for weeks when you said you were hanging out with Hinata but this is different. I'm not pretending I don't have feelings for her or that I don't want her to be my girlfriend. I just have to wait for the right time to ask Izumi."

He recognized that name right away, "Izumi? That girl from Dad's office that Mom keeps inviting repeatedly over for dinner? What is it five times she's been over already?"

"Six she came for dinner once when you were having dinner at the Hyugas. You know how hard it is to say no to Mom especially when she has her heart set on something."

"Well, I'd tell you it gets easier after she's gotten what she wants but you see how she is still all over Hinata and I whenever she is around. I think she's on photo album number four of the two of us already it's a little insane. Even so I think you should tell Mom you two are "hanging out"." Sasuke put air quotes around the words hang out he found it amusing to be on the other side of this conversation.

Itachi saw right through his brother's fake concern, "You just want me to do that to have the spotlight off of you."

"We both know the Uchiha spotlight has always and will always shine on you. You're the perfect son who has never done a wrong thing in his life."

Itachi could hear the resentment in Sasuke's voice but he didn't take it personally, "Just because you don't see it doesn't mean I haven't done anything wrong."

"What have you ever done that even could be considered wrong?"

"How about being a crap older brother? Ignoring what was really going on, just keeping my head down and not saying a word. Or how about never standing up to Dad when it came to you …or me…"

"You?"

"Sasuke contrary to what Dad tells everyone I wasn't on board with the plan from the beginning. Like you I didn't want my whole life planned out by him, I wanted to make my own decisions. However, as you can attest to Dad doesn't take kindly to deviation from the plan. Unlike you I just shut up and did what he said. It was easier than arguing with him and most of what he had planned I didn't mind. I always found what Dad did interesting and I look forward to becoming a lawyer one day I just wish he'd let me come to that decision on my own. Or let me go away to college like most of my friends, I think that maybe one of the reasons I'm pushing you so hard to do it. I don't want you to wake up one morning with regret and wondering what could have been if you had gone."

Itachi fell silent as his words hung in the air between the two. Sasuke had always seen his brother as this imperfect person and now he was starting to see the real Itachi. The one he had tried so hard to hide for all these years. "Do you have regrets?"

Itachi drummed his fingers onto the table as he thought about Sasuke's question, "I think everyone does at one point or another. And I used to hold all of that regret inside and it was consuming me but Izumi is helping me let go of it and focus on my future. I can't change what's happened but I can make sure it never happens again. Living in that house with Dad has made me passive and ignore things I shouldn't ignore and it's not the environment I want to be in anymore."

"Are you moving out?"

Itachi nodded his head slowly, "I've been looking at apartments for a few weeks now. Dad's plan was for me to finish my pre-law degree and then move out before law school but I can't wait that long."

Sasuke figured this was the news Itachi wanted to tell him. He didn't want to go back to their home as it stood now but hearing that he may have to live there without his brother who in the past few months had made a big turn around and as he demonstrated the other night would do anything to protect him wasn't something Sasuke wanted to do. "I understand…. It will probably be better for you."

"I want it to be better for both of us."

"What?"

Itachi cleared his throat as if he was about to say something very important, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't think our home is a good environment for either one of us. I've been looking online for two-bedroom apartments and once I find one, I want you to live with me."

Finally, after days of thinking and coming up with no feasible plan one was just dropped into Sasuke's lap, living with Itachi would solve his biggest problem. He could focus on school and get a job save money and maybe they could figure out ways to apply for loans for school. He wouldn't have his Dad hanging over him all the time and Sasuke would be able to breathe and figure out what he wanted to do with his life. However, there was one problem with this plan, "If we both leave…Mom will be devastated."

Itachi had the same look of gloom on his face at the mention of their mother. "I know but she knew this day was going to come eventually. She can visit us whenever she wants and I'm pretty sure she'll be stopping by constantly to make sure our fridge is full and we aren't living in a pig stye." He could see his brother still looking unsure about the whole idea. "Sasuke unfortunately this is kind of your only option at this point. To say things are bad between you and Dad is an understatement. You two cannot live under the same roof anymore. But just because it's your only option that doesn't mean it's a bad one. I've saved enough money for us to live decently. Not how we used to live but enough so we will always have food and a roof over our heads." Itachi saw their waiter heading towards their table with their appetizers and decided to end their conversation by saying, "Just think it over but I know this is what we both need to do if we ever want a life that is our own."