I IS BACK!

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Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

He treated the younger boy like a delicate thing, as if the slightest touch would cause him to shatter into a million pieces. He didn't want anyone, or anything, to hurt the one he cared for most.

After what had happened at the spring, he made sure to keep a wary eye on his brother, keeping an ever-vigilant lookout for signs that the boy was close to cracking again. He had been that close to losing Sasuke, and the reality of it made his heart clench painfully. Why did things always get so complicated when they revolved around Sasuke? Itachi sighed, reaching up and taking off his reading glasses as he closed the book, before rubbing his forehead in thought.

What could he do to make things better? He didn't know. Already it felt as if he was betraying the younger boy, as if this was just another promise of his that he would break and everything that he had done would have been for nothing. He placed his book on the table next to him, turning and staring at the boy curled up beside him in fitful slumber. Eyes softening, Itachi hesitantly reached out and lightly stroked Sasuke's creamy ivory skin. He was so soft, so delicate...

He smiled slightly as he ran his fingers through the soft strands of raven-black hair. The boy stirred slightly, apparently feeling his touch, before twisting and burying his face in the elder Uchiha's shirt. He mumbled something that Itachi could not make out. Itachi felt his heart flutter as the younger boy's warm breath heated the skin of his stomach through the light fabric that he was wearing. Do you even know how much you affect me? He thought, his fingers massaging Sasuke's scalp as an almost unconscious gesture of nervousness.

The older Uchiha sighed then, leaning down and softly kissing the top of the boy's head. He took his time in drawing away, preferring to drown himself in the other's sweet scent. Lavender, blossoms, and faint hickory; all of them were unmistakably Sasuke.

He kissed him again, loving the feel of the boy so close. Slipping his hands down to the younger Uchiha's chest, he slowly lifted him, so as to not wake the slumbering beauty, and hugged him close, placing Sasuke's head in the crook of his neck. Itachi cradled him, and ran his hands up and down the other's back in a soothing gesture.

The action reminded him of when they were both young; whenever Sasuke had a nightmare or when he wasn't feeling well, he would always sneak (or try to, anyway. He wasn't that subtle back then) into his beloved Aniki's bedroom. Then he'd ask (in the way that only he could pull off; the cute thing) if nii-san could sing him a lullaby.

The exuberant boy would always plop down onto his bed and stare at him expectantly, until finally Itachi gave in to that endearing gaze that somehow always got past his blank facade. He would sigh then, and crack a smile that only Sasuke was allowed to see, as he motioned for the boy to come closer.

Sasuke would grin happily, before clambering onto his lap and stretching languidly as Itachi would quietly start to sing. He would sniff and snuggle even closer until he was comfortable, slowly drifting off to sleep to the sound of his brother's soft voice.

Mentally shaking himself out of the past, Itachi glanced at the boy in his arms. He would purr every now and then, the sound made out of contentedness for the comfort he was recieving. Small hands clutched at his shirt as his otouto snuggled even closer, and unconscious action as he sought out the other male's warmth in his sleep.

Itachi himself purred in response, feeling the other boy's miniscule movements through their close contact. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. Sasuke's warm body pressed against his as he held the boy even closer, once again surrendering to the memories flooding through him.

And he began to sing.

"You are my sunshine..."

Sasuke was running down the street, cursing himself for staying out for so long. It was already dark, and everyone must have been in bed by now. He didn't glance around at the silence, instead putting more effort into speeding home. Grinning slightly, he recalled what he had done earlier in the day.

At school, he noticed a quiet blonde boy who seemed to be lonely. He didn't have a lunch with him, Sasuke noticed immediately, so he clambered over to the other boy and greeted him. Maybe he'd want some of his lunch! Mother always made so much for him anyways.

"Hi! What's your name?" He asked the boy, itching to make a friend.

"...My only sunshine..."

What he didn't expect was for the young child's blue eyes, blue as the sky outside, to turn to him and regard him in poorly-veiled hesitancy and fear. "Whaddya want?" The blonde boy replied, wary of this person greeting him. Was he just another bully who wanted to slap his goggles against his face again?

"I... I was just wondering if, you know, since you don't have any lunch with you, if you wanted to share... Mine..." Sasuke finished lamely, deflating and looking to the side as he held up said meal.

The blonde eyed him for a while, as if concluding that this kid in fact did not want to pick on him, then closed his eyes and grinned, his whisker-marks stretching. Sasuke thought he looked remarkably like a fox.

"...You make me happy..."

"Yeah! Thanks!" The boy laughed, scratching the back of his head as his tiny body shook. Sasuke opened his bento box, and watched as the boy sniffed and eyed his food hungrily. "Mother always makes more than necessary for me, so there's enough for two here." He gestured at the overflowing container, feeling his confidence rise slightly at the blonde's acceptance of him. "Feel free to have some."

Sasuke smiled slightly as the boy dove at it, shovelling food down his throat at an alarming pace. He occasionally nibbled on some onigiri he managed to rescue before the blonde stomach could grab it, then mentioned, "my name's Sasuke. What's yours?"

"...When skies are grey..."

The blonde paused, before gazing up at him disbelievingly and swallowing. "You wanna know my name? My name's Naruto! An' I'm gonna become the number one Hokage!"

Sasuke smiled.

The metallic scent of death was in the air.

"...You'll never know dear..."

Finally it dawned on him that it was too quiet, and he glanced around in curiosity. The moon was...strange. Unease nipped at him. He turned down the street leading to his neighbourhood, before stumbling over his feet in shock at the sight before him.

Sasuke drew in a sharp breath as he stared in horror at his dead fellow clansmens' bodies draped everywhere. Blood was spattered around them, some of it starting to dry. He almost retched at the thick smell of blood in the air, the feeling of unease quickly growing into panic. "Father... Mother--!"

He ran past, trying to ignore the bodies lying haphazardly in and around the pathway. "Mother!" He cried out, "father!"

"...How much I love you..."

Sasuke reached his home, barely noticing when he leaned down and took off his sandals. He feared the worst had happened. "Father! Mother!" He called out helplessly, glancing about with wide eyes as he dashed towards their room.

He slowed to a stop right outside of their door as his hands started to shake. "...Mother?" His voice was quiet now. "Father...?"

A voice from inside called out suddenly. "Don't come in, Sasuke!"

He froze. What if... They... Sasuke started to shake again. Hesitantly, he reached to open the door. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. I'll never be a good ninja like nii-san if I keep shaking like this! he thought.

"...So please don't take..."

His hands didn't stop shaking.

He thrust the door open, before his mouth went instantly dry at what he saw. Mother... Father...!

Sasuke staggered towards the two bodies, numbed beyond belief by the sight of so much blood that was everywhere. He fell onto his knees beside his parents, reaching out a trembling hand and shaking his father's broad shoulder. "...Father?" He whimpered, shaking him again.

He didn't move.

"...My sunshine..."

"Mother?" Sasuke's breath quickened as he placed his hands on his mother's shoulders. He recoiled when he felt them stick, before turning them over to glance at his palms. He shuddered in revulsion before he wiped the blood off on his shorts.

Someone stepped into the moonlight in front of their bodies, blood dripping from his katana. Sasuke quickly looked up at him, as the murderer turned his face to stare at him.

Sasuke's breath hitched.

"Not enough hatred..."

"...Away..."

TBC

Haha... Cliff-hanger.

The next chapter will be up sooner than this one was. Much sooner.