The cool air was filled with plumes of vaporous breath and the screech of metal clashing. Sasuke sat on a tree stump, tightly bound in his coat while Itachi and his best friend, Shisui Uchiha, were dressed in their ANBU flak jackets and seemed unbothered by the cold. The two young men danced around, their swords ringing against one another. Birds exited with every clash and small animals scurried for cover. Itachi and Shisui crashed through the canopy, landing on the forest floor. They stood in front of each other, blades locked while they pushed and jostled for position. Finally, they disengaged.
Sasuke could barely track their movements as the two Uchiha rushed each other again, dancing to the sound of their swords' song. Itachi slashed at Shisui, first diagonally then across his body. Sasuke thought that his brother had caught his friend with his second strike but his image dissipated into a hazy fog. Itachi turned quickly on his heels and blocked Shisui's counter. One of the older Uchiha's clones came behind Itachi and Sasuke opened his mouth to warn him. Before he could, his brother split into a spray of crows frantically cawing as they rushed out of the way of Shisui's blade. The clone stopped mere inches away from its main body and Sasuke searched the forest floor for his brother.
"So, what were you able to see?" Itachi's voice startled Sasuke, and he leaped from the tree stump. He turned to face him and smiled.
"That was a genjutsu, wasn't it?" he asked.
His brother nodded and gave a slight smile of approval. "Your eyes are pretty perceptive."
"I agree," Shisui said as he approached. He and Itachi locked their index and middle fingers together then let their hands drop. "To be able to recognize the technique without a Sharingan is pretty impressive, especially for your age. Itachi's gotten fully trained shinobi fooled with that feint before." Sasuke blushed from the compliment but noticed that his brother seemed to shrink from Shisui's words. He also saw the older Uchiha shift his eyes towards Itachi and give a comforting smile. "Anyway, Sasuke, what else did you take away from our little sparring match?"
The young Uchiha paused for a moment, then said, "I think that you might be faster than my big brother. With speed on your side, you can attack your opponent from a lot of different angles so fast, that they won't know which way you're coming from. I couldn't follow most of your movements at all but Itachi stood still while you darted around him. Then, when it looked like you would catch him off guard, he used a genjutsu to create some space and reset."
Shisui looked impressed again. "Very keen eyes," he said, nodding his head. "I'm guessing you know my nickname?"
"Shisui of the Body Flicker," Sasuke answered. "Because you're the fastest shinobi in the village!"
"Second fastest," the older Uchiha corrected him. "And by a pretty wide margin."
Sasuke was aghast, and he looked from Itachi back to Shisui. "Really? There's someone faster than you?"
"Minato Namikaze, 'Konoha's Yellow Flash'. He's not just fast but powerful as well. To be second to him in terms of speed is an honor. He was in contention for the title of Hokage alongside your father," Shisui said.
"And Father still won?" Sasuke was in awe. He had never heard Shisui speak so highly of someone and his older brother offered no retort. This 'Yellow Flash' guy might be strong, but he's nothing compared to an Uchiha, Sasuke thought.
The two older clan members exchanged glances with each other again and there seemed to be silent words passed by their eyes. Itachi finally broke the silence. "His son is one of your classmates, I think. Naruto Uzumaki is his name."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, seeing the image of the boy in his head. The blonde boy sat at the end of the row and was loud, easily excitable, and over-talkative. "Yeah, I know him." Frowning, he added, "He's annoying."
"Well," Itachi said. "It'd be wise to try to establish good relationships with your classmates, Sasuke. They could end up being a member of your cell and teamwork is easier with comrades."
Shisui nodded. "He's right, you know. Your brother and I–"
A hawk burst through the canopy, spreading its wings as it slowed to land. Itachi held up his arm and caught the bird. Its talons clinked against the armored plates of his uniform and it loudly cawed at him. Sasuke saw his brother's expression darken.
"Lord Hokage wants to see us," he said.
Shisui dipped his head and sheathed his tanto. "Let's go."
"Wait," Itachi said. He looked down at Sasuke. "I'm going to walk him to the Academy first. I'll just be a little late." The young Uchiha's heart pounded in his chest from excitement.
With a wave, Shisui said, "I see. I'll head over then." He disappeared in a haze, leaving the two brothers alone in the forest. Itachi looked up and Sasuke followed his eyes. The grey skies were starting to clear as the clouds parted. A chilly breeze blew by, lifting the older boy's ponytail. He seemed to be lost staring into the tree canopy and the only sound that filled the forest was the rustling of leaves from the wind.
The silence was eerie. "Big brother," Sasuke said. Itachi blinked and looked down at him. "We should go. Today's my initial assessment and I shouldn't be late."
The realization arrived quickly on Itachi's face. "You're right," he said, taking the lead as they walked through the forest. Smoke formed around him, and he stepped out of it with his ANBU uniform removed, replaced by the high-collared black shirts typically worn by the Uchiha. Sasuke smiled inwardly. He and Itachi looked like twins now.
"What do you think Father wants to see you about?" the little boy asked.
His brother gave a faint shrug. "Probably a mission assignment," he said in a disinterested tone that made Sasuke regret his question. Itachi seemed to take notice. "How are things with the Academy so far?"
"They're okay. After we get dismissed, I stay a couple of hours in the indoor training yard to practice my jutsu."
"Do you train alone?"
Sasuke shook his head, frowning again. "Yeah but sometimes that Naruto kid comes in and watches me. It's like he's studying me or something."
"Or," Itachi said. "Perhaps, he's trying to get closer to you."
Wrinkling his face, Sasuke scoffed. "Why?"
"He may want to be your friend."
Friend? He hadn't considered that. "Oh."
"I was serious about what I said earlier, Sasuke. Having comrades as a shinobi isn't meaningless. The Academy will teach you to prioritize the village or mission over all else but I want you to at least consider my words," Itachi said.
"I will," Sasuke affirmed although he didn't fully understand. His sensei had talked at great length about the importance of cooperation in the first few days of the Academy and how they would be expected to perform together in small teams. He hadn't gotten any idea that a shinobi's first focus should be the mission. It was being the best that he could be and then exceeding that limit. He looked up at his brother and Itachi returned his glance. Sasuke turned away, staring at the ground. Quickly, he found something else he wanted to ask. "Shisui said that Father and the Yellow Flash were competing for the title of Hokage."
"That's right," Itachi replied.
"How did Father get it and not him? Did they fight for it?"
Sasuke hadn't heard his brother chuckle in a long time, but he did at his question. "No," Itachi replied. "The title of Hokage is typically given to the strongest shinobi in the village but there are also a lot of other factors to consider like their age, experience, and their philosophy. The jonin and higher-ranking members of the village come to a vote for the person they want to lead them."
"So, everyone wanted Father to lead them?"
"No, not everyone," Itachi admitted hesitantly. Sasuke could tell that there was something he wasn't being told but he decided not to press the issue. The brothers walked together in silence for a few moments more and Sasuke saw the Academy building looming in the distance. He jogged forward a bit then stopped in his tracks.
Whirling around, he said, "Big brother, do you have any tips for–"
Itachi was gone. Sasuke sighed. Of course. He rushed towards the Academy building, passed through the threshold of the door, and hurried to class.
The seats were almost all filled when he arrived. In the front, a boy with a spiky ponytail leaned against the wall and chatted with a fat boy hungrily devouring a bag of chips while hiding a few more in his lap. As Sasuke climbed the steps, he saw a group of girls talking. One with pink hair stopped to stare at him before turning red when his eyes passed over her and went to where Hinata sat. She looked anxious, twiddling her thumbs while her legs shook.
Maybe she's worried she won't do well on our assessment? It was just taijutsu today and the Hyūga clan specialized in that area. She would be better than everyone in their class without question. Even him. So why did she seem so antsy?
The other children scattered to their assigned seats when Iruka-sensei entered the room with another Konoha shinobi. This man had silver hair that framed his jawline and narrow green eyes. Naruto slid into a chair a few spots away from Sasuke. The blonde boy looked over at him and smirked. The Uchiha returned his smug grin with a scowl and turned back to the front, sitting at attention as the man began to speak.
"Good morning, class! As you know, today we'll be doing your initial taijutsu assessment. Mizuki-sensei here will be grading your performance with me." Iruka took a moment to look around the room then continued, "Since it's still chilly outside, we'll hold the exercise in the gymnasium. Please follow me down in a single-file line."
The children emptied their seats and Iruka and Mizuki helped to arrange them in a clean formation. To Sasuke's chagrin, Naruto attempted to stand close to him and grinned at him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Hinata nervously looking around, searching for friends among the mass of children. Ignoring Naruto, the young Uchiha walked over to the Hyūga heiress and smiled at her. She blushed at him then stepped back as he stood in front of her in line. Sasuke saw Naruto's eyes dull from disappointment, but he ignored the faint feeling of empathy that tried to sprout in his chest.
Iruka and Mizuki led the class through the hallways and Sasuke could hear some of the other instructors going over their lessons. He cut his eyes to the open doors to see if he could catch a glimpse of the others Academy students but saw nothing past the podium in the front of the room. Sasuke's class filed into the gymnasium. The boy noticed a white circle painted into the hardwood floor. The children spread out in a crowd, some waiting with bated breath as Iruka began to speak.
"Alright, you all. Please pay attention. What you are about to do for your taijutsu assessment is known as traditional shinobi sparring, a training method that has been upheld within our village for generations. As such, there are certain protocols that must be followed and will be weighed into your overall grade." He and Mizuki stepped within the circle and stood across from each other. "You must first perform the Seal of Confrontation, signifying that you have come to formally engage your opponent in combat." He brought his right hand, keeping his index and middle finger raised.
It looks like half of the seal used for the Fireball jutsu, Sasuke noted.
Mizuki continued the instruction. "Once your sparring match has concluded, it is customary that both participants form the Seal of Reconciliation, acknowledging that the two of you are still comrades. You will lock your index and middle fingers together with your opponent and that will mark the end of the match."
Iruka's dark eyes passed over the class then he said, "Does everyone understand?"
The children responded in unison with a resounding "Yes."
Iruka dipped his head, looking down at the clipboard in his hand. "Okay. When I call your names, please step forward into the circle so that you can begin." Mizuki took out his own pen and pad as Iruka said, "The first match will be Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki."
Sasuke could feel the eyes turn halfway to him and the others to his opponent. Beside him, he heard Hinata's soft gasp. He looked back at her and saw her cheeks begin to redden.
"Be careful," she said, her voice a low, airy whisper.
Sasuke looked across the crowd and saw Naruto, laughing with the fat boy and the slacker with the ponytail from earlier. He remembered what Shisui and Itachi had told him about Naruto's father as well as Sasuke's own. Lord Fugaku Uchiha had bested his competition and become the Hokage. The image of his father wearing the traditional garb of Konoha's leader floated in his mind, adding weight to the red and white fan on Sasuke's back. This loser won't be a problem at all. I don't care who his father is. He's not an Uchiha. He's not special. "I'll be fine," he said to Hinata, turning to her with a confident smile. "It'll be over in an instant." He left her there and came forward, his classmates parting before him. He crossed the plane of sparring area at the same time as Naruto, their steps mirrors of each other.
Sasuke stood across from the boy, both of them performing the Seal of Confrontation that Iruka had instructed them on. For once, the goofy, insolent expression that the blonde boy normally wore on his face was replaced by a confident and serious look that Sasuke mirrored. It took him aback and the sensation he felt in his chest and stomach filled him with something that couldn't discern. He knew that their classmates were cheering loudly, some for him and others for Naruto but none of that mattered to him. All that he cared about was the person in front of him.
He had to win.
He heard Iruka-sensei shout over the clamor of the crowd, "Begin!" and saw Naruto race toward him. Sasuke's legs moved on their own to meet his opponent in the center of the circle. The young Uchiha weaved under the Uzumaki boy's first punch and countered with a right hook of his own. Naruto tucked his elbow close to his ribs and blocked the shot. Smirking, Sasuke followed up with a left. His fist whistled towards Naruto's chin then missed as the blonde boy dipped his head back and flipped away. Frowning, Sasuke pursued him, pressing with kicks that swept at his feet. The blonde boy danced over his attempts to trip him. A small smirk crossed his face.
He's enjoying this, Sasuke thought as he jumped to his feet. He and Naruto circled each other, trading kicks and punches that either hit air or were blocked. Every deflection bruised the Uchiha's hand and every miss, his ego. His heart pounded in his ears. He saw nothing but yellow flashing in and out of range. He's faster than I am, Sasuke thought with dismay. As goofy as Naruto had acted in class, he was proving increasingly troublesome. It was almost as if he could read all of his movements.
Then it dawned on him. All the times that he'd stayed after school, training alone, and attempting to perfect his craft, he'd noticed Naruto there. He had been watching and studying him as if he was collecting information for this moment. All that he had seen Sasuke doing wouldn't prepare him for the technique Shisui had shown off earlier. The young Uchiha smirked. It was time to win. Both he and Naruto slid back to the edge of the circle, panting and covered in sweat. Sasuke wiped his brow then took in a deep breath. At this point, the two of them were fighting a stalemate. Naruto matched him at every turn and as he read his movements, the Uzumaki boy's confidence grew.
I'll take him down in one move. It would be a gamble but one that he would have to be all in for. Uchiha and Uzumaki stared at each other. Then, they dashed across the floor again. Sasuke stretched out his arms to grab Naruto. He envisioned it in his mind. His fingers would lock around the boy's body, and he'd slam him into the hardwood floor and make him submit. That was how it would go.
Naruto disappeared before Sasuke could lay a finger on him and when the Uchiha noticed him next, the blonde boy was above him. He grabbed Sasuke's arm and then used his free hand to push his palm into his back. It was a gentler planting than he had expected but the gasps of amazement at Naruto's move hurt him more than landing face-first into the floor. He held him there for what seemed like hours until finally, Iruka-sensei spoke.
"Naruto wins." Those words stung in Sasuke's ears as both boys stood to their feet. "Now, both of you perform the unison sign."
Naruto held out his index and middle finger first. Sasuke hesitated, looking away. When he finally did turn his eyes to the boy, there was an expression on his face that he didn't expect. He'd been prepared for Naruto to be smug or arrogant in victory but instead, he looked almost warm. It reminded him of the rare occasions he saw Itachi in genuine good spirits when they spent time together.
Sasuke didn't know how to feel. On one hand, the embarrassment of losing in a fight in front of everyone was a blow that his ego was failing to take. However, seeing that Naruto himself wasn't gloating made him feel a little better. At the very least, Sasuke knew that he wouldn't disgrace his family name by acting spiteful in defeat. If word should reach his father's ears that he lost and reacted like a loser, things would be terrible for him when he got home.
Swallowing his personal pride and attempting to embody the way of the Uchiha, Sasuke extended his own hand and formed the unison sign with Naruto. Iruka let out a small sigh of relief while Mizuki watched with narrowed eyes. Sasuke walked back outside of the circle, passing by the other children. He thought he could hear them whispering about his fight and his ears pricked waiting for any semblance of an insult.
"Are you hurt?" Hinata's pale eyes searched him.
Begrudgingly, Sasuke said, "No." There was a slight pain in his back and his knuckles and shins hurt from his attacks being checked, but he didn't want to complain about those small things to her, especially.
The Hyūga looked anxious, blushing as she said, "Y-you did good, Sasuke." Her soft voice soothed the bruises on his ego and silently, he thanked her for her words.
"I could've done better," he said instead. From Hinata's expression, Sasuke knew he had said the wrong thing. Before he could correct himself, another voice rang out in the gym.
"Hinata Hyūga and Sakura Haruno, please come forward." Hinata's face gushed red, and she held her hands close to her mouth. Sasuke blinked and looked out over the crowd of kids. He saw a pink-haired girl walk out into the circle, determination written on her face.
That's who was staring at me earlier, the young Uchiha thought. He turned to Hinata and tried to recreate the type of smile Itachi would give him to offer encouragement. "You can do it, Hinata. Don't worry."
She blinked at him, the red on her face condensing to her cheeks. "I-I don't know..."
"You're the daughter of the head of the Hyūga," Sasuke whispered. "You're the heiress. Somebody like her can't beat you."
This only seemed to make things worse. Hinata's eyes fell to the ground, and she looked as if she were about to cry. "I'm..." she started. "I'm not..."
"Hinata?" Iruka called again. The other children turned to look at them both now. Timid and trepidatious as a mouse, Hinata stepped forward, leaving Sasuke behind. He watched her enter the circle and stand across from Sakura. The pink-haired girl looked at Hinata with something resembling pity then blinked the compassion out of her eyes and dropped into a fighting stance. It was a weak one and filled with openings. Her legs were spread too far apart and the angle she stood at exposed her vitals. If Sasuke could see it, he knew that Hinata could as well. But, she didn't seem to be focused on her opponent at all. Instead, her eyes were stuck in the dirt.
What did I say wrong? Sasuke thought.
Sakura and Hinata performed the sparring seal, then Iruka-sensei dropped his hands and said, "Begin!" but no one moved. Both girls were frozen in place, Hinata with her head dipped and hands clutched to her chest and Sakura in her awkward stance. Moments passed before anyone moved.
Finally, Sakura launched herself at Hinata, cocking her fist back to punch her. In one smooth motion, the Hyūga princess dropped her hips, caught the other girl's hand, and sent her skidding across the floor with a strike from her palm. The collective gasp echoed louder through the gym than the end of Sasuke's fight, and he found himself also staring at Hinata in awe. The fluidity of her motion and the raw power she exerted stood in stark contrast to the girl who now looked petrified at what she'd just done. Sasuke blinked at her in amazement. Whatever training she had gone through in preparation for her role as the heiress to her clan must have been intense. If she could do this, why wouldn't she stand up against the bullies that were teasing her?
He thought he saw Hinata say, "Are you okay?" to Sakura then "Is she okay?" to Iruka. Their sensei nodded and gave her a kind smile before gently ushering her out of the circle. She stood next to Sasuke, twiddling her thumbs. She still looked afraid but in the boy's mind, she had absolutely no reason to be.
"Hinata," he said. Her milky eyes stared into his onyx black ones. "That was amazing." She froze like she often did, their gazes locked onto each others. Then her blush deepened.
"T-thank you."
Sasuke watched the rest of the matches with general disinterest. Outside of he, Hinata, and Naruto, no one else's taijutsu ability proved to be anything extraordinary. His boredom wasn't aided by Hinata's timid, taciturn nature. While Sasuke wanted to comment on the matches, she was more comfortable watching in absolute silence. He was sure that her eyes didn't miss a single detail, especially if they were like her father's. Shuddering internally, he remembered the look in Lord Hiashi's eyes when he'd caught him in their compound listening to conversations he shouldn't have been.
The soft haze in Hinata's eyes reemerged after their class had been dismissed for the day. Iruka promised that he and Mizuki would have their grades together when they returned to school in the morning. Sasuke met Hinata at the front door of the building and blushing, the girl walked beside them as they headed into the forest.
When they'd created enough distance between them and the others, the boy and girl exchanged awkward glances. Sasuke was the first to speak. "What was that move you did earlier against that Sakura girl?"
"Oh," Hinata said, the sound coming out more like an escaped breath than a word."I-It's something that my father taught me. One of the first things..."
As her voice tapered off, her eyes did to, looking out into the trees.
"Was it hard to learn?"
Hinata turned back to him and dropped her eyes. "With him, yes." She whispered those words as if they were some heavy secret that she hoped the wind would carry off. Sasuke could see the sadness on her face, not unlike the expression she wore sitting on the throne for her birthday. The look of trying to be perfect under pressure.
"Do you train with him every day?" he asked.
"No." She clasped her hands together and tucked them tightly to her body. "Not anymore." Sasuke heard her sniffling and came closer to her, but she turned away from him.
"Hinata?"
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She repeated those words, again and again, vapor lifted from her head as she continued.
The little boy's heart twisted in his chest. He was frozen and didn't know what to do to comfort her. His mind quickly searched for some point of reference. What would Father do if this was Mother? The question returned with no answer. The most he'd seen from his parents in front of him was the occasional shoulder touch, and he had never seen his father comfort his mother about anything. He was confused and lost while Hinata sobbed.
Before he could think of an actual approach, Sasuke heard multiple footsteps crunching in the snow. He turned, frowning when he saw the two boys that had been bullying Hinata on their first day at the Academy with an additional tag-along who looked nervous beside them. The lead boy smiled, his high cheekbones becoming more pronounced from his grin.
"Look what we have here," he said. "The two lovebirds are fighting."
"What'd you do to make her cry, Sasuke?" the boy with green eyes jeered.
Sasuke furrowed his brow and looked back at Hinata as she raised her head. There was fear in her eyes and the frightened girl slunk behind him. She doesn't like to fight but her body does it on its own, the Uchiha boy realized with a start. No wonder she would be terrified by bullies but beat Sakura in a single move. She probably wasn't able to control herself.
He had to defend her. Sasuke repositioned himself, subtly bringing his lead foot forward and readying his hands. "Leave us alone," he said. He tried to put weight behind his words but the other boys only laughed.
"You can stop trying to be a tough guy, Uchiha. We all watched how that goofball Naruto embarrassed you. We all beat our opponents today, unlike you," the boy with green eyes boasted.
The skinny boy smirked and leaned forward. "My cousins told me all about how cool the Uchiha were after being in class with your big brother Itachi. Guess I'll never know because from what I've seen, you'll never be like Itachi."
Sasuke's fist clenched so tightly that his wrist and forearms felt stiff.
You'll never be like Itachi.
You'll never be like Itachi.
You'll never be like Itachi.
The words echoed his own doubts of his own ability and the fears that his father would never look at him like he did his brother or acknowledge him as his son. He lunged at the group of boys, his mind a cloud of stormy rage. His first punch sent the green-eyed boy sprawling through the snow and his follow-up kick made the skinny boy spin. The third fled and Sasuke let him go. The two boys scrambled to their feet, bewildered. Sasuke stared at them both and rushed forward. He didn't need to be better than Itachi right now. He just needed to be better than them.
He'd only taken a step before he felt someone grab him. The young Uchiha whirled around angrily, ready to strike, suspecting the third boy had feigned his retreat to sneak behind him. Instead, he saw his brother with an expression on his face that was solemn and...disappointed.
Itachi raised his eyes to the bullies and Sasuke watch them turn white from fear. They fled without a word, disappearing into the trees. When they were gone, Itachi loosened his group and Sasuke let out an exasperated breath. His anger still simmered and having his brother intervene only made things worse.
Hinata was crying and Sasuke turned to see her on the ground, facing a tree. Itachi passed by him and approached the girl. He knelt next to her and with a voice soft as fresh snow said, "Lady Hinata, are you alright?"
She looked up and seemed both surprised and relieved to see him there. She nodded and Itachi stood up with her. Another figure arrived in the forest, landing in front of Sasuke and casting a glance back his way. White eyes stared through the boy then turned to Hinata and Itachi.
"Kō," Hinata whimpered, rising to her feet and running into the man's arms. She wept again and he lifted her up.
"It's alright, my lady," he said, attempting to calm her. "Let's go home." Kō dipped his head to Itachi and then turned, passing silently by Sasuke. He watched them disappear down the path towards the Hyūga compound.
Sasuke whirled around to face his brother. "Why did you interfere?"
"Because you were going to go too far," Itachi replied coolly.
"They deserved it!"
"Why?" Itachi asked. "Because they bruised your ego?" Sasuke clenched his jaw. Steam billowed from his nose. But he said nothing. His brother's gaze was steady on him. "Did you see the way she was cowering in a corner? Who do you think she felt afraid of? The boys armed with nothing but words or you, prepared to beat them to death over those words?"
Sasuke blinked and looked down at the ground. "She...she doesn't like to fight and can't control her power. They teased her on our first day until I stepped in."
Itachi sighed. "Do you know the type of 'training' she's endured since she's been able to walk? What she was put through on a daily basis by Lord Hiashi? It's not that she can't control her power. Violence frightens her, Sasuke. She's been subjected to traumas and pressures that you cannot possibly fathom."
Sasuke felt overwhelmed and shook his head violently. "And what?" he snapped. "You can?"
The look his brother gave him was long and measured. There was a spark in them that quickly faded into something far more solemn and almost sad. He turned his back to Sasuke and seemed to stare out towards nothing in particular. There was a long moment of silence before Itachi spoke again, "The point is, Sasuke, if you want to be a good friend to Lady Hinata, you must be what she needs in her life, not what you think she does. A shinobi must also be wise and mature enough not to be governed solely by his emotions or so caught up in his own power that he severs the bonds he's created with his comrades. This is doubly true for you and every member of our clan. If you wish to be an exemplary shinobi, then you have to be better than what I saw today. Do you understand?"
Sasuke was embarrassed now to the point of almost crying himself. He thought he had been doing the right thing this entire time, stepping up to defend Hinata against those boys. He thought she wanted him to be her protector, but if Itachi's words were true, he had been wrong. He'd been flippant, emotional, and immature, a stark contrast to his brother who gave a glance back towards him. Quietly, he told Itachi, "I understand." but to himself, he said, Maybe they are right. I'll never be like Big Brother.
As he walked home with Itachi, Sasuke cried.