Chapter 9:

"Sasuke, you will be living with me for a while." The room went quiet and Sasuke stared at him a moment, then fainted. He heard the three of them call to him, worry in their voices...

"SASUKE!"

Hours went by and the young Uchiha had finaly woken up to feel a warm hand touch his forehead, then jerk back.

"Sasuke, you had us worried to death." It was Kakashi. Sasuke looked up to him a moment and nodded. He looked around to find himself in an almost empty room, not his or the hospital room he was in before. He saw that some of his stuff was there. Sakura was sitting in his moon chair.(a really comfy chair...um, yeah...)Naruto was leaning on the wall. Sasuke slowly sat up and both the teens jumped up. They watched him, anxiously. He said nothing for a short moment and ran his hand through his hair. He shivered. He wasn't use to it and it made him nervous. They were all watching him. He then sighed.

"Please stop staring at me." Sakura latched herself to him in an instant. Then there was silence again.

"Sasuke, you were removed from your home until further notice. Itachi will have supervised visits and you are to be escorted to and from school. I will do the shopping. Anything you need, you tell me or go with me. And you can't leave for a walk unles either Sakura, Naruto or I, or all three of us, are with you." Sasuke nodded, hugging the somewhat crying Sakura in his lap.

weeks later

Sasuke was back to health, a few scars but nothing bad. He was back in school and a little more sociable. He had a few more friends now. Durring last period, Sakura, Naruto and a few of his other friends walked into his last class, a cake in hand, all wearing smiles.

"Sakura, go on," Naruto urged the young girl as he nudged her. She nodded.

"Sasuke, we are all happy you're okay. We know it's been a few weeks but your progress in life has gotten better. You have more friends and you're safe. Not to mention..."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SASUKE!" Everyone had spoken at the same time. Sasuke flushed, having forgotten his own birthday. Sakura handed the cake to Naruto and ran over to the blushing Sasuke, grabbed his hand and pulled him up onto the teachers desk.

"Come on everyone! Sing to him!" Sasuke looked at her with those words with a playful glare and the class burst into singing. Sasuke blinked and burried his face in his hands from embaressment.

"Sakura!" he whined. Sakura laughed and the singing stopped when the song was over.

"Kakashi is celebrating at his house soon! We'll meet you all there!" Sakura called with a happy tone, grabbing Sasuke's wrist and pulled him down with her. Her, Naruto and Sasuke took off for Sasuke's...Kakashi's place.

Back at home later that night, Itachi was cursing himself, throwing furniture. The maid walked in.

"Sir, you should take your medicine." Itachi turned to her and took the pills from her, swallowing them dry and then gulped down some water.

"Sasuke..." his voice made him sound like a wreck. He walked up the stairs and to his room, full of pictures of his younger brother, smiling, despite the bumps and bruises, from their child-childhood. He took one off the shelf. It was in a wooden/glass frame. He looked at it a moment and the smiling eyes of both boys seemed to be laughing at him. He threw it across the room and it busted into a lot of pieces. He layed down, pulling the covers over him some, closing his eyes.

"Sasuke...Little brother..." His voice was weak. He had learned he could not live without his younger brother. He had felt pain for the first few weeks he was gone.

"Six months. It's been six months and I haven't seen him since." Itachi looked to the balcony doors and sighed, noting to himself he was seeing things again. To his ignorance, it was really Sasuke this time. Sasuke watched as his older brother was laying in bed, a tortured look in his eyes as they closed. Sasuke waited a moment before opening the balcony doors. If he knew Itachi, he would be asleep at the time. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Sasuke walked over to the bed his brother lay in and stared at him a moment. Despite all Itachi had done to him, he felt for his brother. He was left alone and in pain. He placed his hand on the older Uchiha's forehead. It wasn't hot, nor cold. A normal temperature.

"You're losing it but you're not sick brother. Don't let this get to you." Sasuke spoke calmly to him. Itachi was still sound asleep. Sasuke thought back, trying to remember if he left a note. He had.

"Kakashi's going to kill me but, I had to come back to check on you brother. Yes. I've been staying with my old Sensei. He's not bad. But to honest, I miss living here. The only thing I'mglad about is, I'm no longer beat." he then stood once more, turning to leave. He felt a hand grab his wrist and he tensed, looking back to see Itachi half awake.

"S-sasuke? Little brother?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yes."

"Stay. One night?" Itachi was near pleading. Sasuke couldn't turn down a plead from his own flesh and blood. He nodded and moved closer to the bed as Itachi moved over to make room for him. "I'm sorry. I never knew how it was for you? I knew you were scared and it hurt you. I was just acting out...Releasing my anger on you. I wanted to die Sasuke. I was really going to ki..."

"Itachi! Please. No more, alright?" Sasuke had cupped his hand over Itachi's mouth. Itachi blinked and a couple of tears streaked his face. "I know, I understand how you felt. And I would never wish that on anyone. Not even my enemy. I know how it felt. But please, keep yourself alive. There's no need for un-necisary deaths." Sasuke was still only sitting on the bed. Itachi nodded and Sasuke removed his hand.

"Lay down." Sasuke noted the still pained sound in his brothers voice and nodded. He layed down over the blankets and smiled some at his older brother. It was really weird to have to comfort the one that was really cruel. He pushed the thought away and placed a hand on his brothers shoulder and closed his own eyes. Itachi closed his eyes and was asleep in an instant. Knowing his brother was there made him feel slightly better. He still wanted to cry but refused to now. He wasn't looking for sympathy from his brother but didn't want him to leave, or hate him. Sasuke opened his eyes to see Itachi passed out and sleeping. It looked as if he needed it, alot. Sasuke smirked and closed his eyes once more, falling asleep...

Kakashi woke up and walked into Sasuke's room to find a note tha read;

'Kakashi-Sensei,

I had to go and visit someone. Please don't worry. I'll be just fine. It's only natural for me to worry about him. He is, after all, blood. I will be back before you know it. Don't let Sakura or Naruto know of my little trip. I'll return home un-scathed, honest. Knowing Itachi, he should be broken by now.

Sasuke Uchiha

Kakashi sighed and sat the paper down, then rethought that and placed it in his pocket.

"He's on a walk," he said to convince himself so he could convince the two teenaged friends of Sasuke's. If they found out, Sasuke wouldn't be un-scathed then. Kakashi walked into his room and layed back down. He closed his eyes.

"Brothers love each other to the end, no matter what..."

A/N: I know I know. It's not over! Okay? REVIEW!