Wow. Sorry for the long wait. I don't even have a big excuse either. I just didn't feel like writing. Crappy excuse I know. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and especially to all those who reviewed. Love you guys.
Anyways, Just so you all know this story is AU, Sasuke is 14 and Itachi is 17. Although in this chapter Sasuke is 8 and Itachi is 11. This chapter is part of a flashback. That's about it.
Disclaimer: Mr. Kishimoto will agree with me when I say I don't own them.
Tale of two Brothers
Chapter 2
An eight year old Uchiha Sasuke ran through his house looking for his older brother. He had promised Sasuke that he would help him with his math problems, and maybe even teach him some advanced functions. Sasuke had always looked up to his older brother. Even though there was only a three year difference between them, Itachi seemed a world away. He was smart, popular, athletic , and most importantly, the apple of their father's eye. Sasuke despised that. He hated how his father never seemed to truly look at him and that all his praise was directed at Itachi. He hated how Itachi had all the friends he wanted, all the teachers wrapped around his little finger and all the praise that he was a child prodigy. But what Sasuke hated about his brother most of all was... that he could never truly hate him. He couldn't help but love his brother, and that pissed him off more than anything in the world.
Sasuke was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't see the person in front of him until it was too late. Sasuke gasped as he landed on the hardwood floor of the hallway, but what really shocked him was the yelp the other person made as their rear also met the same fate. He opened his eyes and starred in surprise at the wince etched on his older brothers face.
"Itachi! I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. Are you okay? Should I go get help, you look in pain. Are you sick or something?" Sasuke rambled on .
Itachi couldn't help but give a little smile at the concern his little brother was showing. "Don't worry Sasuke, I'm fine." he winced again as he got up and would have collapsed if Sasuke had not been there to help support him.
"Brother stop lying to me. You are not fine and I want to know why."
'Oh God. There's his childish put.' Itachi thought catching himself before he rolled his eyes. He poked his brother in the forehead like he always does when he pouts and said, "Why won't you believe me when I say that I'm fine?"
Sasuke rubbed his forehead and glared up at his brother. "Because obviously you are hurting. You even winced when you tried to get up a minute ago," he smirked, "In case you didn't know that is a very un-Itachi like thing to do."
Itachi sighed. The kid did have a point. He shrugged Sasuke off and walked... okay hobbled, out the screen door onto the porch. He leaned on the railing and stared out at the acres surrounding the Uchiha mansion. Their father owned a very successful security company that banks all over the world used. Their mother had died of cancer shortly after Sasuke's second birthday. His father had gone into a heavy depression after this spending most of his time at work, when he wasn't drinking that is. This left him, a mere five year old at the time, to take care of his infant brother. All that responsibility, plus keeping the house running and all his school work, had caused Itachi to grow up fast. And it was at that time that his father started-
"Itachi are you even listening to me?"
He was drawn out of his musings as he gazed down at his pissed looking brother. He forced a smile and said, "I'm sorry Sasuke, what were you saying?"
This seemed to piss his little brother off even more and Itachi couldn't help but laugh. (OO)
Sasuke's anger seemed to disappear instantly, only to be replaced by a look of absolute shock. A passing servant crashed into a wall when he heard it, and a maid to another maid asking, "Has hell frozen over?"
"Are you standing on ice?" the other asked dryly.
"OH. MY. GOD. HE REALLY LAUGHED!"
As half of the cleaning staff committed suicide around them, Sasuke launched himself at his brother hugging him fiercely. "I knew you had it in you."
Itachi tried to keep his face emotionless as another wave of pain crashed over him, "Yes Sasuke I-"
The sound of the screen door slamming open caused Sasuke to pull away from his brother. Uchiha Fugaku stared disdainfully at his two sons. He had woken up with a bad hangover and immediately sought out Itachi to find out what happened.
"Sasuke, can you go away so I can speak to your brother?" his eyes never left Itachi as he said this.
"But father-"
"No buts. Go do your homework or whatever it is that you do."
Sasuke looked as if he was going to protest again, but a fierce glare from his father sent him on his way.
After he was sure Sasuke was gone and there were no servants around Fugaku turned back to his eldest son. "Itachi, as I'm sure you well know, I was drunk last night."
Itachi glared at him.
"Ah, good you do remember. So perhaps you can tall me why there were blotches of a dried... substance on my bed..."
Later that night, Sasuke sat up alone watching tv. His father had gone out after his talk with Itachi and Itachi had stormed up and locked himself in his room. Despite being pleased that his father was finally mad at Itachi, and vice versa, Sasuke couldn't help wondering why. What had they said? Was he part of the problem? He sighed at these thoughts and looked at the clock. 1:00 am. It wasn't a school night, so he decided that one more show wouldn't hurt.
As the clock read 2:00 am Sasuke turned of the tv and all the lights. In the gloom he made his way to the stairs. Just as his foot made its way to the second step the front door smashed open. Sasuke jumped a foot in the air and he was left trying to calm his racing heart. He peeked around the stairwell into the pitch black of the hallway. He slowly climbed off the bottom step and entered the darkness of the hall.
Surrounded but darkness, Sasuke used the wall to guide him as he blindly felt for the light switch.
What his hand encountered though, was not plastic. The warm flesh he had felt turned out to be a hand that quickly grabbed his. He was pulled into a tall, hard body as his nose was assaulted by the stench of alcohol.
"D-dad?" he could barely even whisper.
"Bitch, I'm your worst nightmare..."
Hehehe. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!
I know, I know another cliffhanger. But at least now I feel extremely, extremely motivated to write more. So hey, the next chapter should be out soon. I'll try to make it coincide with the next Naruto episode next Wednesday (Aug.16).
On another note. I made Itachi laugh! OMG that was so spur of the moment, and yes I know that they are totally OOC, but what can I say? For this story to work they need to be a bit (or a lot) OOC.
Go and read Shiinechan's fic: Hidden Heartache. I had the pleasure of betaing chapters 9, 10 and 11. So go read it now, well after you review that is.
So review and make me happy.
Peace, mystiewolf
