Itachi was gazing mindlessly out the window when the sound of the door to his room sliding open caught his attention. He didn't give whoever it was opening the door attention because he thought it was his mother but when the person spoke, he was very astonished.
"I am very surprised." He spoke, turning around to face the other pouting one. Who would have thought...
"Don't get cocky yeah, I was forced to come here by the others un." Deidara huffed as he slammed the flowers in his hands down on the table beside Itachi's bed in an attempt to make his lie believable. (A/N: I bet ten chocolate chip cookies that you thought it was Sasuke).
"Right." Itachi obviously didn't believe him but he was somewhat touched that the loudmouthed blond that claimed to detest his entire existence actually liked him enough to come visit. He was so sure that the flowers were not Deidara's idea though (come on, white lilies for a living person?)
Itachi would feel offended were it another person but he knew that the blond would rather clay than petals.
"What happened to you un? Kisame said that you had an accident yeah." Deidara questioned while plopping himself down on a couch. The hospital room itself was almost as big as his whole apartment. Perks of being a VIP.
"Yes..." Itachi trailed off for lack of words to use. What was he supposed to say? 'I tried to kill myself but I failed at it?' Fortunately for him, Yahiko and Konan barged in at that moment so he didn't need to answer the question. At least for now.
"Deidara! You could have waited for us yanno?" Yahiko scolded the blond, who huffed defiantly, without even acknowledging Itachi yet.
"You were too slow yeah, how long does it take to- to- pick a flower yeah?!" Deidara shot back. While he was not exactly forced by his them to visit, the whole class had decided to pay Itachi a visit and buy a bouquet for him while they were at it. That simple task led to a conflict as everyone wanted to choose what flowers to use and nobody wanted to agree on one thing.
The florist (who could have given them candid advice) lay forgotten at the background.
Deidara had gotten impatient, wrapped up any flower he laid his hands on, regardless of their meaning in Hanakotoba (flower language), and stormed into the hospital with a bouquet of white lilies. It was halfway to Itachi's room he remembered that he could have asked Ino to do the job of choosing flowers (the Yamanakas owned a quite big flower service line).
"Hey Itachi, how are you feeling?" Konan asked the raven, ignoring the two bickering behind her in favour of kissing Itachi's forehead. It wasn't weird, at least not within the classmates. It was set in stone that Konan was the mum of the class.
Before Itachi could even answer, a blur of orange and black stormed into the room and past Deidara and Yahiko. He had no time to brace himself for his cousin's crushing hug before the other Uchiha tackled him. Tobi wept freely on his shoulder while Itachi awkwardly pat his back and asked Konan for help with his eyes. Unfortunately for him, she was scolding her boyfriend and the rambunctious blond artist so he was stuck.
"Thank you." Tobi's whisper caused his hackles to rise at the randomness of it. Coming from Tobi, a thank 'you' (emphasis on 'you') was weird talk less of a whisper. He never explained why he was thanking Itachi which led the raven to believe he was grateful that he was alive. He was only half right though.
Itachi would never know this but him waking up meant more than just a lot to Tobi. In it, the other found optimism and faith that his parents would not remain in their comatose forever. Even after he told Kakashi that he wanted to see his parents, he had never gone along with him to visit them but Itachi renewed his confidence.
Tobi broke apart from his cousin when Hidan and the rest of their classmates barged into the room. Only then did Itachi realise how much of a flower field the room had become; a freaking bee magnet, that's what. Turns out that everybody decided to screw it and buy a bouquet each rather than a big collective one.
Now his room was filled with various flower bouquets in all sizes. Itachi couldn't help it, he burst into a fit of chuckles at his classmates' antics. To think he almost took this away from himself by his own hands.
Sasori's apathetic attitude, Tobi's stupid antics, Kisame's loyalty, his academic competitions with Nagato, Konan's motherly tendencies and the fact that she was practically a mum to her own boyfriend, Yahiko, Deidara's attempts at besting him (even if he was technically among the last five in their class), Shiro's fascination with poop, Kuro's sarcastic attitude, Kakuzu's money fetish and even Hidan's swearing, these were the kind of people he had spent the most hours of his life with and he almost lost it.
Itachi's day with his classmates was cut short when the door opened to reveal none other than his little brother standing there rather awkwardly. He looked like he had been caught stealing something with the way he blinked rapidly, obviously disoriented by the amount of people in the room.
"Look, it's little Uchiha." Shiro unhelpfully pointed out the boy's presence.
"We have eyes, Shiro." As always, Kuro was quick to counter his twin's words with a snark. The darker one pulled on Shiro's collar and began to drag him out of the room. "Let's go home before mum ruins our divine tree again." He gave a parting nod to Itachi on his way out and continued dragging his brother out.
"Aw, I wanted to play with little Uchiha for a bit...ah come on Kuro...bye bye Itachi...bye bye little Uchiha...make sure to poo every morning!" Shiro's voice echoed throughout the hallway until it faded out as the twins entered the elevator.
"I'll also get going. You look like you need a talk." Sasori was referring to the Uchiha brothers with his words. Along with him went Hidan and Kakuzu with their various parting words ('when next you see the devil, fuck him up for me cause he's a cunt'...guess who?)
Nagato, Yahiko and Konan left soon after with Deidara and Tobi. The last to leave was Kisame, his best friend. Kisame normally wasn't the kind to care about all these things but he realised, after almost losing Itachi to a coma, that he cared more about his friends than he thought. He left the room for Itachi and Sasuke to have the rest of the visiting hours to themselves.
Now that the seniors had left the hospital room, the silence became too loud for Sasuke if that was even a thing. He had come here with a prepared speech but seeing Itachi's classmates disoriented him enough to jolt the speech out of him.
"Ita..."
"Sasu..."
The both of them started at the same time and froze. Neither knew what to say anymore. They stared at each other awkwardly until Sasuke decided, screw it, nobody needed a speech to talk to their brother anyway, and walked into the room with that self encouragement.
"You came." Itachi was the first to speak again between them.
"Hn." Sasuke replied tersely. Where would he even begin from? 'I'm glad you're okay?' 'Why did you do it?' 'I'm sorry?'
"I'm glad." Itachi's lips pulled into a small smile at the thought. Sasuke's absence really got to him but he was feeling better now that he (Sasuke) actually visited. The only thing that could be heard from that room was Itachi's heart monitor and maybe the quiet sounds of their breathing but that was until Sasuke broke it.
"I don't know what to say to you." He confessed.
"Sasuke?" Itachi was confused by the words.
"I don't know what to say to you." Sasuke repeated. "So I would just spew everything out even if it makes no sense. Please do not interrupt me and just...hear me out."
Itachi was stunned to silence at Sasuke's wavering. If there was one thing his brother never did, it was to waver. When last had he seen his little brother this anxious?
Sasuke inhaled. "I liked it when you used to give me your attention. When father would not acknowledge me for what I did, you were the one I would meet to show off to. You always cheered me on even if I did a total whack job and encouraged me that I could do better. I cherished those moments when you would teach me how to do things. You were always patient with me even if I failed over and over again.
When father would scold me for being weak when I ran from lightening or had a nightmare, your bed was always welcome for me. You used to shield me from the bad dreams and protect me from the flashing lightening. We grew apart as we grew older but I still loved it when you helped me out with geometry even though you were clearly busy."
Sasuke took a breath before continuing. "Over time, I began to envy how fast you grasped things and I could not. They say I'm a genius but I can't even hold a flame to you. Father always compared us and showed how inferior I am to you every time. Not only father, but virtually everybody I meet tries to juxtapose us. I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I would forever be in your shadow which I didn't want. I don't want to be you, I want to be my own person.
So I guess I got overwhelmed with frustration and envy and lashed out. I said I hate you but I was only half telling the truth."
Itachi's heart monitor gave a little high pitched beep at the revelation that Sasuke really hated him even if he claimed it was only by half. However Sasuke was not done yet.
"I hate how perfect you seem to everyone. I hate how you always feel pain but hide it to keep up that facade of perfection. I hate it when you sacrifice your happiness just so that I would not feel any hurt. I hate that people can't see that you're human, not a god. That you also have weaknesses. I also hate it when you poke my head and tell me 'maybe later.' And even if I hate all these things about you, I still can't bring myself to hate you."
The beginnings of a relieved and loving smile started to form on Itachi's face as the other one struggled to get his next words out. He didn't need to say it before Itachi knew what he wanted to say but still, he watched fondly as Sasuke huffed, cheeks lightly pink, and turned his head so that he wasn't facing him.
"It's the opposite. I love you, stupid big brother." The younger one mumbled more to himself than anybody else but it was fine because Itachi heard. He knew and he was relieved.
"Sasuke." He called, waving the boy over to come sit near him on the bed. Sasuke reluctantly did so and almost immediately, Itachi poked his head with his index and middle finger. "I love you too, foolish little brother, and I'm sorry. I thought I was helping you but I was actually ignorant of your feelings. I want to give this brother thing a shot again, allow me?" He asked.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted but Itachi knew it was forgiveness and agreement compressed into one word– if that was a word. He smiled.
"Do you believe in the afterlife?" Itachi randomly asked in the middle of a conversation.
"No." Sasuke replied immediately. Things like the afterlife and such was not scientifically proven so he refused to believe it.
Itachi chuckled at this. "I saw Shisui-san." He said. "He was the one that convinced me to come back, that you were waiting for me." He laughed again when Sasuke cringed at his cheesy words.
"How can you say cringy things with a straight face?!" Sasuke shook his head. "That must've been a near death experience. Some people see things when they have NDE. Some say they saw God, you say you saw Shisui. It is all NDE."
"Hmm." Itachi hummed absent mindedly. It didn't matter whether it was an NDE or if he actually went to the afterlife, all that mattered was that he was able to speak with Shisui one more time.
"Are you going to get back with Izumi-oneesan?" Sasuke's question caused Itachi to stiffen if only for half a moment. However the heart monitor he was attached to gave it all away. He didn't answer Sasuke but he did think about it, even before he asked the question.
"How did you know about me and her?" He asked the younger instead.
"Mother, and besides I saw your home screen." Sasuke informed. "Are you going to get back together?" He asked again.
"I don't know." Itachi replied truthfully. Would Izumi even want him back after a particularly bad break up? Would she want to hear him out? Would his explanation be seen as an excuse? "I don't know." He whispered again.
Ibiki was seated in front of Tsunade in her office. The perpetrator of the Namikaze murder was the subject of discussion between the two adults and what Ibiki was currently suggesting sent chills down Tsunade's spine.
The private investigator had done a research on the person that Naruto described but his record was clean save for one thing and that was not enough proof to clear Naruto's name.
"What the hell are you saying?! Do you have any idea how dangerous your plan is?!" Tsunade raved, banging her fists on her desk. The objects on the table raised a good few inches off the table at the impact.
Ibiki only stared calmly at her, showing her that he was serious with his suggestion, dangerous as it was. "Lady Tsunade, there is no way to get evidence against this person unless we stage a play starring Naruto as bait. They are very good at covering up their tracks and the only way we can get a rise from them is to set a trap."
The man explained for the third time since he informed Tsunade of his plans.
"Of course we would not commence anything without your or Naruto's consent but if you want a result, this is the only way we can get it."
• moments earlier... •
Tsunade was sorting through some files in her office when two knocks interrupted her. "Come in." She absently informed the person at the door as she continued going through the heap of paperwork on her desk. This was why she hated being the principal– paperwork.
If nurse Shizune, her sister in law of the sorts, was not there to harp her about doing her work every single day, Tsunade was sure she would only spend time drinking sake and gambling. When last had she even gambled? Or drank? The blond sighed, life was difficult.
"Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade looked up from the work she was engrossed in. "Oh Ibiki." She acknowledged the man and gestured for him to sit. "I take it that you have results already." She spoke as the man came to drop a file on her table and sat across her.
"Of course." Ibiki replied.
"Well trusted." Tsunade murmured as she flipped opened the manilla folder and removed the file in it. Her eyes widened a fraction when she saw what it contained. "I thought so." The woman growled. Iruka had been correct about the identity of the person that Naruto described.
"Our perp is, as you can see, Nana Mizuki, a former member of the Armed Forces of Konoha. He was cashiered for selling out information to the enemy during the third great-nation war and since then he had been taking private jobs for money. The jobs range from assassination to sabotaging a business. Our perp is also left handed, as Naruto described but that could just be a ploy to deceive us. He could be ambidextrous for all we know.
However despite knowing that he does all these things, Nana Mizuki is very good at concealing his tracks and destroying evidence so he has a clean record with the government save for his dismissal. He also completely destroys all traces to his employers so we can not use him to track them."
Tsunade bit her thumb in frustration. "Che. So you mean to say that even if we manage to catch Mizuki we would never know who hired him to kill Minato and Kushina?!" She growled. "This is atrocious!" They finally had a clue about the murder incident but it led to a dead end!
They would have actually gotten a move on if Naruto knew the juvenile center he was transferred to after Mizuki visited him in his initial one. The boy testified to being unconscious when he was being transported which was too bad. None of the people in the juvenile center Naruto was originally sentenced to knew about the transfer save for one person. One person which Ibiki was having trouble finding.
If Ibiki got a hand on that person, there would be more insight about this matter but alas, nothing could be done. Except...
"We found that Naruto was transferred to a new juvenile center a few days after he was visited by Nana Mizuki. Our next course of action should be to investigate the dean(?) of Naruto's initial center and all transactions he dealt with Nana however, every trace of his dealings with Nana is inexistent.
We could lure answers out by using Naruto as a bait. We would hold a press conference that Naruto is proving innocent, that he remembers who the murderer of his parents are. Then he would be under close monitoring at all times should the attacker come to him directly-"
As Ibiki talked he did not realise that Tsunade was itching to say something until she banged her table. "What the hell are you saying?! Do you have any idea how dangerous your plan is?!" She raved.
• presently •
"I am fully aware that many things could go wrong as this plan is not foolproof but it is either trial or error." Ibiki finally managed to convince Tsunade to allow Naruto be bait on the boy's consent of course.
Nervously, the blond bit on her thumb until it was bleeding. There was no doubt that Naruto would agree to the plan but it was so dangerous! What if Mizuki murdered Naruto too because of the plan?! What if he got hurt and lost his memories again?
"Che. I would inform the brat about this myself." Tsunade grunted out.
-
Whereas the genius class studiously took notes off their interactive board as the teacher taught, everyone in the dumb class were preoccupied with their own things as Genma-sensei taught.
Shikamaru was preoccupied with sleeping, Kiba was making spit balls and shooting them through rolled up money.
Naruto was looking out the window, Lee was trying to focus, he really was but literature was not interesting, Tenten and the girls were glaring daggers at Kiba because they were his main targets, Gaara was contemplating on jumping out the window, Choji was preoccupied with potato chips and Omoi was having a midlife crises on some wild thought he cooked up again.
The only sounds that could be heard in Genma's classroom for a while were his droning voice reading Othello out to them, Choji's munching and some occasional slaps from the girls that managed to hit Kiba without rousing too much attention. After class, the dog boy had a date with death.
Of course Genma knew all that was happening but honestly, he was tired himself. Classes that come after lunch break were taxing as students' attention would be off of school work and focused on rushing home instead.
"Uzumaki Naruto, please report to the principal's office."
The sudden PA system announcement caused a change in rhythm in class D as everyone perked up with unspoken questions.
"Uzumaki Naruto, please report to the principals office."
"Oi, what trouble did you put yourself into again? Fought with another person?" Genma asked at the second announcement. His fist exchange with Sasuke didn't go unnoticed by the board of directors of KSA but since Sasuke owned up to causing the fight, Naruto was let off punishment while Sasuke had his fair share of in-school suspension.
"I didn't dattebayo!" Naruto defended himself. Why was his baabaa calling him during classes anyway? Not that he was complaining, he got to skip class legally after all. The blond excused himself and went to Tsunade's office.
When he saw Ibiki in the office though, the vulpine boy instantly knew that things were about to get really serious.
Xxx melody xxX
It surprisingly did not take too long for the Uchiha brothers to form a deep bond. Sasuke had anticipated an awkward start and that it would take some months, even years, to become as close as they used to be in the past but things were going differently. It was a good different.
Today was a Saturday and also, the day that Itachi was discharged from the hospital. The teen would be going for therapy sessions once a week but Itachi didn't mind it, he knew that he needed the therapy.
Sasuke was the only one in his hospital room to help him move out but that was only because he requested it. As Itachi changed out of the hospital clothes he was stuck wearing for the time period he was there, he noticed quickly how sullen Sasuke was and became instantly concerned.
"Sasuke." The boy jolted at his name as if waking up from a nightmare. "Is something wrong?" Itachi asked, walking towards the younger so that they were facing each other.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, which Itachi interpreted as 'it's silly, don't bother about it.'
"Hey, no secrets right?" Itachi reminded Sasuke of their becoming best bros contract. The other grunted, already regretting adding the 'no secrets between brothers' clause to their contract. Itachi only gave an encouraging smile at his grunt and Sasuke gave up.
"I am not just sure what father would say or do if I tell him. The last time I did ended up in a disaster..." Sasuke trailed off as Itachi flinched at the memory. "...but I want him to accept me as I am. I want mum to support me too so I would continue telling them until they accept."
Itachi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'll be right behind you. If dad doesn't like your choice, you have my backing." The encouraging words were what Sasuke needed, not that he would tell Itachi anyway, so he made up his mind that he would tell his parents the truth about himself tonight.
-
It was after the celebratory lunch that Sasuke decided to talk to his parents. He was honestly jittery about what his father was going to say about his decision but it was worth a shot and besides, he had Itachi's backing on this so he picked up the courage to say something.
"Mother, father, I would like to speak with you two." Sasuke started once he saw that everyone had cleared their dishes. Fugaku appraised him silently for a while as if he already knew Sasuke's intentions but then he dismissed the house helps in the area when he sensed that it was private.
"Well speak." Fugaku commanded and Sasuke nodded.
"Hai. Father, I know you want the best for me and that is why you are strict with me, so that I would be a great person in the future. I am grateful for that, father but it is not what I want." Sasuke looked straight into Fugaku's eyes as he spoke his mind. "I want to be myself, father. I want you to acknowledge me as myself, not as the son of the great maestro that succeeded him as a maestro. I have faults, father. I am not good with the piano, and my ballet is a fluke. I fear each time I mess up that you would stop seeing me as your son but as a disgrace instead.
I don't want to live in fear of you father. I am me as you are yourself; I can not be you. I want to achieve my own dreams and not my father's. I want to choose my own friends with your approval, not be forced to make friends with other rich children. I want you to be the person I would go to for relationship advice, not be the person that chooses my bride. I want us to be closer, a normal father and son.
I don't want to feel inferior to my brother because he makes you proud and all I do is stress you. Mother, I don't want you to be impassive about me or Itachi, I want you to stand up for us too, to help us with father whenever we feel anxious to talk to him. I want us to be a family-!"
Sasuke was cut off by Fugaku's abrubt standing. Mikoto was close to tears and Itachi giving him encouraging pats on his knee but they were all abruptly cut off when Fugaku stood.
Sasuke's heart fell at his father's unreadable face. After all he could not get through to his father's stubbornness and his mother would only follow what her husband says. He was disappointed despite expecting what would happen.
"Sasuke." Fugaku's voice froze him over. What would he say? That he was a disappointment? That he failed as an Uchiha for having wishful thoughts for a normal family?
"Father..."
"Fugaku..."
Itachi and surprisingly, his mother rose to his defense at the same time but they were both stunned to silence when Fugaku suddenly bowed. Sasuke was the one with the mist shock of all. His usually brooding face went slack with astonishment... Was the Fugaku Uchiha really bowing?! To him no less?!
"I have come to realise that I have failed as a father and I deeply apologize for that. I failed to see that you both are only my children, not my incarnations, and tried to use you both to achieve the dreams I could not. I am very sorry for not giving you or Itachi audience to speak your minds and I apologize to Mikoto for not adhering to your advice. Accept the apologies from this failure as a father!"
Fugaku did not see it but Mikoto was now crying freely tears of joy and relief. Itachi, whose face mirrored Sasuke's when Fugaku bowed apologetically, relaxed into a happy smile while Sasuke was relieved beyond expression. His father actually listened to him! His father was willing to listen to him!
"You are forgiven, dear husband. Is he not, boys?" Mikoto helped the boys out when she saw that they were too overwhelmed with relief to voice their forgiveness.
"I forgive you father." Itachi spoke while Sasuke nodded his consent. He was truly happy.
"I am very relieved." Fugaku said as he stood up straight again. "I would do my very best to be a good father and husband to you all." He promised stoically but knowing Fugaku, he was as flustered as could be.
"You are a good father, you always have been. We all just had a misunderstanding." Itachi spoke the mind of his mother and brother. "And father, I am very serious about dating Izumi." The bombshell he dropped caused silence to drape over them like a blanket.
Sasuke barely stopped himself from face palming at Itachi's impeccable (n: sarcasm) timing. What if Fugaku got mad again?! But Itachi didn't care and continued talking.
"She might not be from a prestigious family and she might have suspended college just to fulfill her dream of owning and running a cafe but father, Izumi a really good woman. She is brilliant and her business management skills are absolutely excellent. She is beautiful and she does not see me only for my wealth. She does not hide my nonsense from me and corrects my mistakes..."
As Itachi babbled on about Izumi, he failed to see the teasing lovestruck looj Mikoto was giving him but when he did notice, he faltered with a spray of light pink across his nose.
"Hmm...I say Itachi is old enough to give me grandchildren, don't you think so too, Fugaku?" Both Fugaku and Itachi sputtered at that.
"He is too young to give you grandchildren Mikoto, but I want to meet this Izumi girl." Fugaku spoke. "If she can turn my son into a sputtering mess, then she must have a virtue." From his father, that was the closest thing to an approval Itachi could get and the raven was certainly very happy.
Never mind that he still had not spoken a real word to Izumi, today was a happy day for the Uchihas.
Hyah! Fugaku, you finally softened. I wish it wasn't on Itachi's expense tho. Now, if you got who the assassin was raise your hands! We shall discuss the prizes.