"Studies show that play is imperative for children - even preteens," Kakashi replies. It was almost ridiculous how often Itachi came to him for advice, but he was the only other person who knew Sasuke and also cared. Not that the dog lover and literary porn addict was any good with children; no, all three of his students had proved that. But granted, for sucking so much at raising kids he was a library of knowledge about them. Itachi was mostly sure that this knowledge had to be sourced to Gai, who was easily one of the best Sensei's for traumatized children due to his giddy and playful nature. Of course, this was not to be confused with lack of authority in his training. Although he almost took an entirely hands - off approach, all of his students had a deep respect for him, despite their constant eye rolling and exaggerative faces towards his antics.
"And why do you say that, Kakashi," Itachi replies. The man doesn't even put his book down as he continues.
"Well, you see, for Sasuke especially, not only are you dealing with trauma victim, you are also dealing with a seven year old who grew up into a twenty year old in one night thanks to your . . . well, you know. Anyways, he skipped an entire part of his development. His frontal cortex and probably most of the rest of his brain is still part seven year old and part adult. That's why you get a mix of someone who can cook and clean and make quick decisions, while also getting an out of control, irrational, and mostly sarcastic individual. His sarcasm and the way he tests your boundaries - I dare say is less rebellion towards you at this point then just a way for him to learn where he stands in the world." Kakashi finally puts his book down and leans back into the chair, staring at the ceiling. "Itachi, I know it's only been a few days but when it comes to what you are going to have to handle from your brother, you've only uncovered this much," he says, pinching his fingers. "Frankly, you've been out of his life - not his mind of course, but out of his life for several years. I raised him during that time, and almost lost my life to him several times even before he went crazy. He has almost no control or understanding of how to deal with anger or frustration. He can snap over the smallest thing, but switch personalities in seconds. Like, be screaming at you one second, and then I would go check on him in his room and he'd be balling his eyes out. Or he'd be ranting about killing you, and then I'd check on him in the middle of the night and he'd be sleeping with some of your old shirts or a blanket you left behind. He didn't know I knew, but for years he couldn't sleep without it. Or he'd try, and he'd start having a night terror and I'd slip your blanket under his head. You were everything to him on both ends of the spectrum - the one he hated most and loved most. You have the best instincts when it comes to him. Even in the worst of ways you have almost always been able to sway the way he thought and behaved. Now is your only chance to do that in a way that is actually helpful."
"How long will it take though? How do I know that I'm helping him and not just making things worse?"
"Years," he replies dryly. "It will take years." He picks up his book again, as if the conversation were no more important than talking about a simple business matter. Frankly, Kakashi was also a trauma victim. In this case, he had nobody, and being less driven to evil it felt at times as if he just held his emotions at a distance and became some kind of ghost of a person. It was better then a suicidal maniac but Itachi wouldn't be satisfied with that result in his brother either. "Oh and one other thing," he says, putting down his book for a moment. "Keep an eye out for unusual or extreme behaviors during transition periods. Such as, leaving and coming home from work, time off work and then going back on a schedule, and such and such. If he is still as unhealthily obsessed with getting attention as he used to be, he will go to any length necessary to secure yours. As previously proven. The kid has almost no feelings towards the integrity of his health and well being, so watch out. Part of dealing with this situation is to encourage him to actually care about the way pain feels and not ignore it. Take it too far and he will tap out emotionally and be numb as a rock. I speak from experience but frankly being punched in the face at his age over and over for spilling a glass of milk will do that to you. When fists are the only form of discipline you learn to not feel it anymore. The same will be with anything overused. Your attention will be your greatest ally to his development and healing if you can figure out how to yield it correctly."
The wisdom was gold - but how to refine it to the purposes he needed it to accomplish? That was going to be a moment to moment trial and error journey. Itachi then notices him pick up his book again, and hold up three fingers which he slowly counts down. Right as he's putting his hand down, a figure slams through the front door.
"Sasuke Uchiha do not slam my door," Kakashi yells, still staring at his book. "I'll still beat the tar out of that idiotic head of yours like I promised before!"
This earns Kakashi quite the look from Itachi, warning him to back off.
"If you were going to beat the tar out of my 'idiot head' Sasuke mocks, stepping into the room, "you would've done that the day I took all of your porn books and burned them in your backyard."
"Omg Sasuke, knock it off," Itachi warns, but he can't hide back a small grin from the corner of his face. Sasuke ignores him and yanks the book out of Kakashi's hand; a bold move to pull against the copy ninja.
"The fuck are you doing?" Kakashi chides, reaching for his book.
"And then after I burned them, you dumbass," Sasuke continues, keeping the book right out of his reach. "I took a piss on them for extra good measure."
The embarrassment Itachi felt at this moment for his bloodline was incomprehensible. But Kakashi was all too familiar with these interactions, and Sasuke was all too familiar with his false disciplinary threats to have any respect for the man. At the same time, this created sort of a strange relationship between them almost like the relationship Sasuke had with Sishui as a youngster.
The calmness that suddenly overtook the copy-ninja's face made Itachi's heart skip a beat. With Sasuke being an ass, he sits back in his chair, and crosses his arms.
"Oh I see. You needed to make a show of your balls for your brother here. Well anyways since that's the case I'll just let you go on with it so everyone can see how strong and tough you are."
Even Itachi felt that in the pit of his stomach. If words could cause third degree burns, Kakashi would've turned Sasuke into ashes. And well, for Sasuke? He resorted to the only phrase he ever used when confronted with the consequences of his actions.
"Fuck you."
But Kakashi and Sasuke said it at the same time - at each other.
"Damn it Kakashi!" the young Uchiha nearly screams, throwing the book down. "You fucking dumbass!"
"You dumbass!" Kakashi yells back, violently picking up his book off the floor, and using it to point at Sasuke. "I don't even have to use my Sharingan to copy your extremely vile and limited vocabulary! Go to fucking school and learn a phrase or two besides 'Fuck you!'" He mocks cruelly.
This nearly sends Sasuke over the edge. In fact, it would have been if Itachi hadn't stepped in between them. Sasuke and Kakashi had claimed they hated each other - but somehow he felt like Sasuke's equally attention seeking behavior from Kakashi was also calculated because he wanted attention. Itachi had seen how Sasuke acted around people he really didn't care about. To put it simply, he just became a dull rock around them and didn't respond to anything.
Seeing his older brother step between them seemed to relay enough information to Sasuke that he shut his mouth for the time being. It was not to mistake that his facial expression relayed exactly what he was thinking.
"Let's go, Sasuke," Itachi says calmly.
"Why did you even fucking come here anyways, Sasuke," Kakashi taunts. Itachi glares at him again. "Just to piss me off?"
That's when he sees Sasuke quickly reach into his pocket and pull out a Kunai, leaping violently at Kakashi. Itachi panics, moving in the blink of an eye but he is not fast enough. However - the copy ninja doesn't fail to live up to his name, and in an instant Sasuke is thrown through the center table onto the floor, with Kakashi holding the boy's throat with one hand, and the Kunai with the other. Itachi expected the screams of 'I hate you,' or 'fuck you' from his younger brother. For a full minute, he stood there, stunned, waiting for the words to just fall out of his brother's mouth like poison. Nothing came out. The two just quietly stared at one another, a particularly frightening look from Kakashi's eyes, both now revealed, directly at his younger brother who seemed also too stunned for words. It was a painful reminder of how long Sasuke had been deprived of healthy interaction with others - the moment he left for Orochimaru to the moment he attacked the village and spent several years in torture and isolation in the prison - he had greatly overestimated his own abilities and forgotten any sembalence of good judgement.
Kakashi, still staring him in the eyes, replaces his hand with the kunai to the boy's throat. With his other hand, he grabs Sasuke's arm and pulls him up, and sits him harshly in the chair across from him, Sasuke having no choice but to listen having been subdued. With the boy sitting, the copy ninja grabs his jaw between his fingers, tight enough to be quite uncomfortable and makes sure Sasuke keeps his eyes on him. After a moment, he lets go and sits back down in his recliner. Sasuke sits, frozen in the chair, his eyes locked with Kakashi's. For some reason, Itachi felt like this wasn't the first occurrence of Sasuke trying to kill or maim him.
"Do I make myself clear," Kakashi growls. Sasuke nods stiffly, still sitting stiffer than a dog with his haunches up. "Excuse me?" he growls louder, standing up threateningly.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," he says, his voice breaking. Kakashi sits back down, maintaining his glare until he finally shakes his head and lifts up his book, as if nothing happened. It was a clear cue that they could leave any time now. Somehow, more had been communicated in those three intense minutes then Itachi had ever felt like he had ever said to Sasuke. Yet, Kakashi only needed six words to do so.
Sasuke still sat stiff as a board in the chair, adrenaline coursing through him, his eyes locked on Kakashi. Blood dripped from the back of his head where he had busted through the table. There was no doubt he would need stitches.
Itachi gently puts his hand on the boy's shoulder, and Sasuke flinches so hard he nearly falls out of the chair. Although his gut wants to pull the boy into a tight hug, Kakashi might be up his ass next if he coddles him while he processes this important lesson. So he doesn't say anything, and Sasuke gets up slowly, still looking back at Kakashi every few moments as they walk out the door.
It's a silent walk to the hospital. And when they get there, Sasuke is still so pale from the interaction they check his temperature three times before sewing him up. This earns Itachi several glares from the nurses, who assume it's his fault, but who also have no intention of treating the dangerous criminal they are sewing back together with any dignity. Itachi knew there was a short time his brother and Kakashi had been close before things fell apart. He didn't know it fell apart so hard as to bring the ninja to throw the boy through a table; a force so excessive for the threat at hand he knew it was on purpose. As he had noticed before, Sasuke was considerably weaker then he had been before he went to prison. Any ninja with experience could subdue him now if necessary without hurting him.
What frightened him was how quickly Sasuke escalated from heated, playful banter to thirsting for blood. Kakashi wasn't faultless in this interaction by any means, but if he really believed Sasuke's edgy nature was a cry for attention, was slamming him through a table really the best way to handle that situation? Only time would tell.
Hey everyone! I am new to this kind of writing and am just experimenting with a story that's been lingering in my mind for a few weeks. I intend to make this a second or third part of my story 'Until Next Time, My Little Otouto." If yall have any ideas for the future for either part or want to see any specific scenes please let me know! Also, I want to make it clear I do not support child abuse! But for the sake of this story and Sasuke's extreme behavior, there will be levels of corporal punishment in this story and quite a few tough lessons for the hardened boy. There will equally as much be very tender scenes as he learns to work through his trauma and interact with people in a respectful manner. If you choose to continue reading, I hope you enjoy!
