Emulation of Apathy
Chapter VII
"The Beach"
…
The gentle squawk of gulls filled the vicinity, matching the crash of waves against the shore, as the fresh scent of salt drifted through the air. A strong gust of wind fought against the current, forcing the waves to smash even more violently against the cliffs. Some distance from the cliffs, however, the water was calmer, so calm that even a single ripple disturbed the surface, which was the case when a foot smashed against the ocean.
"I must say, Sasuke-kun, you're quite skilled at this."
The boy lifted his black eyes to focus a glare on the nuisance beside him, but the smile on the older man's face did not disappear. Rather, he kept it in place as he turned to his master, who, as it turned out, was also smiling at the young Uchiha. But in a different way. In a more unnerving way.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto began, "I do believe you should start teaching Sasuke-kun about the various ways we travel. That way, we can change locations more effectively, and with less chance of being detected."
"Kabuto," Orochimaru's smile now turned pleasant as he looked to his medical ninja. "Marvelous, as always. I can always count on you to come up with the best ideas, can't I?"
Again, Kabuto looked pleased with himself as he took Orochimaru's compliment, and Sasuke just shook his head at the pair of them. If he paid too much heed to their antics, it just started to drive him crazy. So, he found it best to ignore them whenever he could.
Unfortunately, that was sometimes easier said than done.
Currently, the trio was walking along the surface of the ocean, on their way to, what Kabuto kept calling, the "beach hideout." Apparently, it did not take long to reach, but, as always seemed to be the case when traveling with Kabuto and Orochimaru, a short journey was impossible. They stopped for every little thing, and Kabuto always managed to forget something, which stalled their progress.
Kabuto had neglected to go shopping, as he had said he would, but he had assured Sasuke that he would so as soon as they reached the new hideout. Therefore, the Uchiha had opted to take the list with him, which he had made for the older Genin, so that he could have something other than ramen and toast to eat from this kitchen.
As Sasuke traveled in silence, letting his dark gaze wander around the wide expanse of water, beside him, conversation continued to ensue between the two older ninja.
"So, he said neutral," Kabuto was telling the Sannin, "but, when I made him one that was a neutral color, he said he hated that, too. He said he didn't like the color brown. Brown is neutral, isn't it, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Of course it is," Orochimaru agreed. "But, if you consider it, brown is not very fitting for Sasuke-kun. I believe he meant something colorless. Black and white, Kabuto."
"Well, in any case, I'm currently working on a new design, and I believe this one will be successful," the Genin announced proudly, pushing his glasses up the brim of his nose.
"I have no doubt in your ability, Kabuto," his master nodded in approval. "Every outfit you design is top-notch. Our dear Sasuke-kun is a very selective person, though, so he won't settle for anything but the best. And I'm sure, since you're the one designing it, this will not be too great a challenge."
"Yes, but it's just a matter of when," Kabuto stated. "As it stands, I'm getting a little tired of seeing him in that blue shirt. I mean, I know I did a rather good job of patching up the back, but…it's just a little boring, you know? A shirt and shorts." Lowering his voice to a level at which he believed the younger Uchiha would not be able to hear him, he whispered, "He doesn't know much about fashion, does he?"
"Dear Kabuto, no one knows fashion like you do," Orochimaru pointed out.
Sasuke had to hold back a scoff at this. Kabuto know fashion? That was a laugh. This suggestion made the boy again wonder what the state of things would be if Orochimaru oversaw such things, considering how he complimented Kabuto. Then again, Sasuke could not imagine much worse, as his black eyes wandered over Orochimaru's long, yellow robe and the ridiculous purple waist-bow. Perhaps the man simply did not own a mirror, so he was not aware how stupid he looked. But then, there were mirrors in every bathroom in those hideouts, so this was doubtful.
The trio fell into a silence after this, and Sasuke watched as each step he took along the surface of the water caused a ripple, which stretched on one side with further consequences than he could see. On his other side, however, it immediately crashed into the ripple created by Orochimaru's footfall, and neither progressed very far.
On the opposite side of the Snake Master, Kabuto had pulled out a scroll and was scribbling something down, and Sasuke began to wonder if he was actually taking notes on anything important, or if it was just for the hell of having something to do? Either way, the Genin looked very intense about whatever he was writing. Not that this helped in deciphering what it was. Kabuto could be intense about a vast number of things.
The young Uchiha did not allow himself to linger too long on thoughts of Kabuto, however, and he instead turned his attention to the scene before him once more. He inhaled the scent of the ocean and allowed the wind to blow his hair in wisps about his face, slowly calming his mind from all the frustrations he felt in the company of these two. Perhaps coming to this particular hideout was not such a bad idea. At the very least, it would give him something to do while he waited for these idiots to get their act together and for Orochimaru to start training him.
Eventually, however, as always seemed the happen, the silence was broken.
"Kabuto," the Sannin addressed the younger man, his yellow snake eyes glancing over the area, before coming to rest on the Genin. "What is your favorite color?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. Orochimaru interrupted the peace that had fallen for that?
"Interesting that you should ask," Kabuto stated as he folded his scroll and fastened the ribbon around it securely. "Contrary to what many assume, it is not purple, but in fact, it is lilac."
Lilac? How was that any different than purple? Idiot.
"Hm," Orochimaru mused. "I did not expect that."
"Yes, not many do," the Genin nodded in agreement. "What is your favorite color, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Mine?" the Snake Master's eyes wandered as he considered the question. "Do you know that…banana-y yellow?"
"Banana-ish yellow, I believe, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh, right," Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Kabuto, you always have the answers when words escape me."
"And why is that your favorite?" the medical ninja inquired.
"It reminds me of eggs, you see," the Sannin replied.
"Oh," Kabuto nodded. "Well, in that case, wouldn't you say your favorite color is an egg-yolk yellow instead?"
"Kabuto," the older man smiled at him fondly. "You're insightful, as always."
Kabuto fixed his glasses with a proud smile, before asking, "Is that the only reason you fancy that color?"
"No, I suppose I also like it because it matches my eyes quite nicely," Orochimaru remarked. "And, because of that, it always looks quite good on me."
"You're quite right, it does," Kabuto complimented him.
"Oh, thank you, Kabuto," the Sannin ran a hand along his sleeve as he said it, smoothing out any wrinkles in his robe. "And what is it about lilac that you like?"
"Well, I'd say I like it because it's a softer sort of purple, you know?" Kabuto explained. "It's still purple, which, for some reason, is a color I've always liked, probably because it looks good on so many people, and can therefore be incorporated into outfit designs with ease. But, at the same time, lilac is a gentler sort of the color. It's lighter. More easy on the eyes."
"Dear Kabuto, you always have an eye for these things, don't you?" Orochimaru remarked pleasantly.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted.
At this, both Kabuto and Orochimaru focused their eyes on the boy, one with eyes of curiosity, the other with eyes of longing.
"What is your favorite color, Sasuke-kun?" Kabuto asked.
"Why?" Sasuke shot back.
"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru tsked him with a chastising smile. "You should join the conversation."
"I don't see a reason why I should," the young Uchiha said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.
"Come now, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto urged him. "We told you our favorite colors."
"What do I care?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's not like I asked you to."
Kabuto stared at the boy silently a moment, inspecting him, before lifting his gaze to Orochimaru in alarm. "Can it be?" he asked. "Do you believe it's possible that Sasuke-kun doesn't have a favorite color?"
"First, he doesn't like sweets, now he doesn't have a favorite color," the Sannin shook his head.
"What kind of childhood did you have?" Kabuto asked in perplexity.
"Oh, shut-up," Sasuke demanded in annoyance, lifting his black eyes to shoot a glare in Kabuto's direction. "Fine, I'll tell you. It's blue."
"Blue," Orochimaru mused, as if in enthralled by the answer.
"Blue," Kabuto repeated, lifting his hand to tap his forefinger against his chin. "That does explain a lot."
"What does it explain?" Sasuke scoffed.
"Oh, why you insist on wearing that shirt, why you didn't like the green outfit I designed, why only black and white will do if you can't have blue," the older shinobi listed off, as if each point was of great importance. "Well, since you like blue, what's the reason?"
The young Uchiha merely shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Oh, come now, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru released a throaty laugh. "Everyone has a reason for liking a color."
"Not everyone," the boy snapped.
"Are you saying you don't?" Kabuto pried.
Sasuke held back the sigh, dropping his gaze to the surface of the ocean as he muttered, "What does it matter to you if I do or not?"
"Well, we're curious," the Genin replied. "Obviously."
"Nosy, is more like it," Sasuke retorted. Honestly, Kabuto had a knack for that. It reminded him a certain pink-haired shinobi…
…
"Sasuke-kun, what's your favorite color?"
Turning his head only slightly, the young Uchiha realized it was that annoying Haruno girl who was asking him. It was before Team 7 had been formed, before he had grown to consider her a friend, and before he had even begun to see her as anything but a bother.
Presently, she was walking up to him with a large grin plastered across her face.
"Blue," he told her dryly, in the hopes that supplying her with an answer would compel the girl to go away.
"Really?!" she exclaimed happily. "Mine, too! We have something in common!"
As she told him this, Sasuke let his black eyes wander over the girl's attire. Over her rose-colored hair, and her magenta clothing. In fact, he could not remember an instance in which she had worn anything but pink or red. Was blue really her favorite color? Or was she saying that, because he had told her it was his?
Probably the latter.
"Why is it your favorite?" the annoying girl pressed.
Sasuke gave her no answer. He merely shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his back to the nuisance, proceeding to simply walk away from her.
As if he was going to explain to her why blue was his favorite color.
…
Likewise, the longer Sasuke stared at the meddlesome expression on Kabuto's face, he felt a firm resolve to not reveal his reasons to the idiotic man. He did not warrant an explanation from him. And neither did Orochimaru, who he could tell was eagerly watching him as well, awaiting the boy's answer.
Well, they could both be disappointed, for all he cared.
He turned his face away from them and, just as he had before, he shoved his hands into his pockets. However, he would be unable to walk away from them, because, as it was, he was journeying with them, and he did not have the slightest idea where this new hideout was. Therefore, he simply settled for ignoring them, and, eventually, they turned their attention away from him, allowing to let him keep his reasons to himself.
His black eyes falling to the ocean beneath his feet, he stared silently at his reflection and allowed his mind to wander to his own reasons for favoring that particular color. As he stared at the black eyes, the pale skin, the dark hair, it transformed into a figure a little taller than himself, with longer hair, and with stress lines that fell beneath his eyes…
…
He was 7 years old. It was early in the morning, when that dark blue hue blanketed the sky, and he was sitting beside his older brother on their back porch. His feet were dangling over the side, and he swung them back and forth with a pleasant smile on his face. Within his small grip, he held a steaming mug of jasmine tea, as his brother did beside him.
They had an hour or so before Itachi had to leave for another mission, and, as had become custom between the two on mornings, they had decided to spend this time together. Their parents were never awake this early, so it was an opportunity to be alone.
Of course, Itachi had woken first. He always did. He had prepared a pot of jasmine tea, the only sweet his brother liked, and then the two could enjoy one another's company before the next ANBU mission.
As they sat beside each other, Sasuke lifted the mug to his lips and blew softly on the surface of the liquid, before taking a careful sip. As he lowered the tea, the little boy let his large black eyes wander around the yard, but he furrowed his brow when his gaze fell upon the Uchiha crest on the wall encompassing the yard.
"Nii-san," the boy glanced up at his older brother.
"Yes, Sasuke?" Itachi lowered his eyes to him with a relaxed smile. The older boy was currently lounging back on the porch, his mug of tea resting on the porch beside him, and his arms extended behind him, his support resting on his palms. He looked much more peaceful than he did during the day, something Sasuke had begun to notice about his older brother, and which had led him to determine that mornings were his favorite time of day.
"What do the colors mean?" the younger boy asked as he pointed across the yard to the crest.
Following his brother's gaze, Itachi rested his eyes on the symbol, and the smile slowly faded from the corners of his mouth. "Well," he pushed his hands away from the porch and straightened in his sitting position. "Firstly, the white signifies perfection and precision. The-"
"Like, in fighting?" Sasuke interrupted, his black eyes curious.
Itachi's smile returned, and he nodded his head. "Exactly."
"You've mastered that, then!" his younger brother told him with an excited smile. "You're perfect at everything, Nii-san!" Before Itachi could respond, Sasuke pressed, "What about the red?"
"The red represents sacrifice and power," Itachi informed him. "As in the power to protect, or the willingness to sacrifice everything for that which means most to you."
"You're really powerful, too, Nii-san!" Sasuke grinned. "You're the perfect Uchiha!"
"Ah," Itachi held up his forefinger. "But you're forgetting the blue."
"The blue?" Sasuke titled his head to one side in confusion. "But, the fan only has red and white."
"Yes, but it's often set against the color blue, and blue also symbolizes something," his older brother told him.
"Ohh," the little boy's eyes widened. "What does it symbolize?"
"The blue offsets both, and it stands for composure…as well as peace," Itachi replied, his expression falling to a more solemn one.
"Oh, but you have that, too!" Sasuke told his brother excitedly as he tugged on Itachi's sleeve. "So, see? You are the perfect Uchiha!"
Itachi laughed, patting his little brother on the head as he allowed, "I guess you were right."
The child beamed at this, turning his large black eyes to rest on the crest once more. A grin was now plastered across his face as he lifted his tea and took another sip. He swung his little legs back and forth happily. After a moment, he glanced back over at his brother, who was staring up at the sky with a distant expression, and Sasuke tapped him on the shoulder to grab his attention.
"Guess what, Nii-san?"
"What?" Itachi focused his dark eyes on his brother.
"Blue's my favorite color," Sasuke stated.
Itachi stared down at him in silence a moment, until, gradually, a smile returned to his expression, and he told his little brother, "I'm glad. Many Uchiha forget the blue."
"I won't forget, Nii-san," the child assured him, his smile turning confident.
…
Sasuke slammed his foot in the water, causing a ripple that distorted his reflection, and he tore his eyes away from the water to bring it back to his surroundings. He was shocked to find that they were now mere yards from a large island, upon which rose several small cliffs. He could spot a clear path to the hideout door.
At this, the young Uchiha rolled his eyes. Sure, getting to the place was complicated enough, but if someone actually managed to find the place, the entrance was so obvious. These idiots did not plan well at all. But then, he already knew that. After all, they made it up as they went along.
As if noticing his change in demeanor, Kabuto began an explanation, "I believe you're really going to like this place, Sasuke-kun. There will be more experiments here, but only down certain hallways, and I'm sure you'll be able to avoid them soon enough, once you get a feel for the place. As you know, the training area isn't fortified, but I'm going to talk to the jailer here about that, so, the next time we come, there will be a lovely place for practicing. Until then, you and Orochimaru-sama can just train outside. The fresh air will be good for you."
"Kabuto," Orochimaru smiled at his assistant. "You think of everything, don't you?"
Sasuke offered them no response. He merely kept his gaze fixed on the island, studying it with his eyes, wondering if they could possibly make a hideout entrance more overt.
Waves crashed against the rock. The blue sky was fading to an orange hue, which was reflected against the water, and cast a deep amber color over everything it touched. He was sitting atop the rock, one leg dangling over the edge, and the other propped up, so that his arm rested upon his knee. He stared out across the ocean, glad to be free of those idiots for the rest of the day.
After reaching the hideout, Kabuto had introduced him to the jailer, someone whose name Sasuke had overlooked. It was not as though he mattered. And then, of course, the Genin had prepared dinner, which the young Uchiha had promptly decided to avoid, settling for a bowl of ramen, as usual. He had been shown to his room, and then Orochimaru had informed him that they would begin training the following day.
Which, ironically, was a Wednesday.
Sasuke had decided to take the opportunity to be alone, and to be away from a cold, stone room. He had wandered outside and found a perfect spot to sit in peace. Putting up with these two would be worth it, in the end, when he had gained the power he needed, and when he had finally fulfilled his promise of revenge. Then, all this patience would pay off. When he was looking down at Uchiha Itachi's lifeless body, when that bastard had finally paid for what he had done, then all this tolerance of these two idiots would be laughable.
As the Uchiha stared out across the waves, at the ocean, and at the thought of his brother, a particular memory began to surface, forcing its way to the forefront of his mind. Lowering his head a fraction and releasing a quiet sigh, Sasuke let the memory take hold of him…
…
"Why didn't Tou-san come?" a small child asked, his large black eyes wide in curiosity as he stared up at his mother, who was busying herself with unpacking the picnic basket.
"Oh, he doesn't like the beach very much," Mikoto informed him with a pleasant smile. "I figured it would be easier if he didn't have to come along. You know how grumpy he gets when he doesn't want to do something."
Sasuke jutted out his lower lip in a pout, but he was immediately pulled from any melancholy mindset when his older brother patted him atop the head.
"Come on, Sasuke," Itachi instructed. "I'll race you to the shoreline."
"Okay!" the child hopped to his feet instantly and scampered away from his mother, trailing behind his older brother as the two ran across the sand. With an excited smile, the boy realized he was falling into step with Itachi, and he exclaimed, "I'm going to beat you, Nii-san!"
When he found himself falling behind again, a look of determination overtook the boy's features, and he quickened his pace as fast as he could. He plunged into the water some seconds before his older brother, and he let himself fall to the ground in a dramatic heap, as the tide washed over him.
"Good job, Sasuke," Itachi fell to the ground beside him with a laugh, spreading his arms out beside him and staring up at the clear, blue sky.
"Hey, Nii-san!" Sasuke shot up immediately and jumped on top of his brother. "We should build a sandcastle!"
"Alright," Itachi nodded. "Just a minute."
Sasuke grinned at the prospect, scrambling to his feet in a hurry, but he tripped in the water. He fell with a sudden thud, and he was too shocked at first to register, but when he did, he frowned down at the water and kicked it with his foot. He rubbed his hand against his sore backside.
"Are you okay?" Itachi asked, sitting up and looking over his little brother.
"No," the boy replied with a pout. "Stupid water."
"Oh, don't blame the water," his older brother shook his head at him. "It was just doing what it always does."
"Well…," the child's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Whose fault was it?"
"Sometimes, it's no one's fault," Itachi stated with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "The blame can't really be placed on anyone, it's just one of those things that happened."
"Oh," Sasuke lowered his dark eyes to the water beneath him. "So, it wasn't the water's fault?"
"No," Itachi replied.
The little boy lowered his hand and patted it against the surface of the receding tide. "Sorry, water."
"There you go," Itachi smiled, before rising to his feet and offering his hand to help his little brother. Sasuke accepted it, and the older Uchiha then led the way back a few feet until they were once again on dry sand. "How big should we make the castle?" he glanced down at his little brother with questioning eyes.
"Hmm…," Sasuke released his brother's hand and then began walking in a large circle. He lowered his tiny finger to the ground and began drawing a line in the sand. When he completed the circle once more, he walked back to his older brother and told him, "This big!"
"Alright," Itachi nodded. "I'll go get the shovels and buckets from Kaa-san. You wait here."
"Okay, Nii-san," Sasuke grinned, taking a seat on the ground and letting his curious eyes dart around the beach. He glanced at the seagulls overhead, the large rock formation to his right, the different families spread out across the shoreline. One family in particular caught his eye, and he tilted his head to one side in confusion, trying to remember why they looked so familiar.
They were directly to his left, and underneath an umbrella sat an old woman with white hair. Several cats were sprawled out beneath the umbrella with her. However, what caught his attention was not the old lady or the cats, but the little girl who was scampering back and forth between the lady and the shoreline.
"Sasuke."
The child lifted his eyes to find that his brother had returned to his side, and was now kneeling on the sand beside him. As Itachi placed the equipment on the ground, he asked, "What were you looking at?"
"Them," Sasuke pointed to his left. "Nii-san, don't they look familiar?"
Itachi followed his line of sight, and a smile spread across his face once more. "Yes, they do. That's Nekobaa. You remember her, don't you? She's from the store that sells supplies to our clan."
"Ohh!" the boy's eyes brightened with realization. "Well, who's the girl?"
"That's Tamaki," his older brother replied. "She was usually there, too. She lives with Nekobaa. She's her granddaughter."
"I remember her, now!" Sasuke exclaimed with an excited smile. "She's the one who was always carrying books for Nekobaa, right?"
"That's right," Itachi nodded his head, glancing back over at the pair of them. "She looks a little lonely. Perhaps we should invite Tamaki-chan over here to play with us."
"But…what about our sand castle?" his little brother pouted. "I thought we were going to make that together, Nii-san."
"Oh, we are," Itachi assured him. "But don't you think Tamaki-chan might want to help?"
"Well, I guess," Sasuke's eyes wandered to the girl in question. He did not get along with other children very well, especially ones who were his own age, and he and Tamaki had never really talked in the past. He did not want her getting in the way of the day at the beach with his older brother. But, if Itachi wanted to invite her, he probably knew what he was doing.
Sasuke nodded his head. "Okay, Nii-san."
Itachi patted his little brother on the head with a smile, before rising to his feet and walking over to the small group. Sasuke watched in anticipation, deciding that he would just ignore Tamaki if she tried to get in the way. After all, this was time with his big brother, and very soon he would have another mission that would separate him from Sasuke again.
After a time, Itachi returned, beckoning Tamaki to follow him. She held one hand to her mouth nervously, and the other was curled in a fist at her side.
As he took a seat in the sand beside his brother, Itachi said, "Tamaki-chan, you remember Sasuke, don't you?"
The brunette nodded her head.
"Sasuke," Itachi lowered his gaze to his little brother. "You remember Tamaki-chan?"
"Yes," Sasuke replied, bringing his eyes to rest on the girl once more. "Hello, Tamaki."
"Hi, Sasuke," she nodded her head in greeting, glancing between the two brothers nervously.
Sasuke furrowed his brow at this, looking to his brother first, before returning his gaze to the girl. "What's the matter?"
"Oh…nothing," Tamaki shook her head, her eyes falling to the sand.
"Okay," Sasuke shrugged. "Then, sit down."
The girl lifted her brown eyes to meet his gaze, before nodding her head and falling to a sitting position in the sand.
"Do you know how to make sandcastles?" the young Uchiha awarded her a skeptical look. "Because Nii-san is fantastic, and I'm learning from him, so I'm pretty good, too."
Tamaki managed a nervous smile. "Yes, I make them whenever Oba-sama takes me here."
The little boy nodded his head in approval, taking a small shovel from the pile and handing it to her. "Good. Then, we're going to make the best sandcastle ever! Right, Nii-san?"
"That's right, Sasuke," Itachi agreed, glancing between the two with a somewhat amused smile.
As it happened, Tamaki ended up spending the day with them. After they had finished the sandcastle, their mother invited her to eat lunch with them, and, when Nekobaa decided to go home, Mikoto prolonged the invitation, offering to take Tamaki home when she and her sons left for the day. The Old Lady agreed, and, before long, Mikoto and Itachi decided that they should spend the entire day at the beach. While their mother left to buy something for dinner from one of the shops, she left Itachi to babysit, and he took the opportunity to lie down and take a nap.
It was sunset, now, and an orange hue painted the landscape. The sun was slowly descending below the horizon, half of it already covered by the sea, as Sasuke sat beside his older brother's sleeping form. He hugged his legs to his chest and rested his chin atop his knees. Beside him, Tamaki was playing absently in the sand, sprawled out on her stomach.
"Tamaki," Sasuke addressed the girl.
"Yes?" Tamaki lifted her head to look up at the Uchiha.
"Do you have many friends?" the boy asked.
The brunette titled her head to one side in curiosity at this question, before offering a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Not really," she replied. "Oba-sama always tells me I'm too shy, that I read too much, and that's why I don't have any. I also spend most of my time in her shop, so I don't really meet many people. You and Itachi-senpai are the only ones close to my age that I know."
Sasuke nodded his head slowly, lowering his black eyes to the ground.
"Why?" Tamaki cocked her head to one side. "Do you have many friends?"
The boy did not respond for a moment, proceeding to simply let his stare wander from the ground to the sunset in front of him, before bringing it to rest on his brother. "I don't have any," he replied.
"Why not?" Tamaki pressed, her brown eyes widening in curiosity.
"I don't get along with a lot of people," Sasuke confessed, lowering one of his hands and digging his fingers in the sand. "Kaa-san says it's because I'm more reserved, like Nii-san, but Tou-san says it's because I'm selfish."
"Well," Tamaki shrugged her shoulders, "you might be a little selfish. But, I think everyone is, in one way or another."
"Isn't being selfish…bad?" Sasuke lifted his eyes to Tamaki, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to be selfless, giving yourself for other people, instead of picking and choosing the people you want, and then ignoring the people you don't like?"
"But aren't you also supposed to be smart about choosing friends?" Tamaki pointed out. "I mean…you wouldn't want to be friends with someone mean. And, if you're friends with someone who's annoying, it'll just make you mean, and that's not good, either."
The young Uchiha released a sigh. "I think a lot of people are annoying, though. Or, I'm just not interested in them. The only people I want to spend time with are Nii-san, Kaa-san, Tou-san, and Shisui-san. And sometimes uncle, when auntie isn't around. I don't ever feel like I need any more friends than that. But…other kids I see…they have lots of friends. Are we supposed to be like that?"
"I don't know," Tamaki shrugged her shoulders. "I think everyone's different, though. I don't have a lot of friends. In fact…I probably don't really have any, either."
"Does that mean something's wrong with us?" Sasuke wondered aloud.
Tamaki considered the question in silence, tapping her finger against her chin. With a slight shake of her head, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the amber sky with a smile. "No, I don't think so. I don't think there's anything wrong with being different."
"Are you sure?" the boy beside Tamaki gave her a suspicious look.
"No," she shrugged. "But I'm just guessing. I think everyone can have a different opinion. That's mine."
Sasuke watched the girl in silence a moment, before nodding his head with a small smile. "Alright, Tamaki," he told her. "That's going to be my opinion, too. Because I don't think there's anything wrong with you, and you don't have any friends, either."
Tamaki glanced over at Sasuke and nodded her head. "I don't think there's anything wrong with you, either, so I guess we're both okay."
The girl then returned her brown eyes to the sky, watching the dark orange slowly deepen, and Sasuke followed her example. However, he rested his black eyes on the sun, which he stared at in silence until it had all but completely vanished below the horizon. Stars were beginning to emerge from the ever-darkening sky, and their reflections twinkled in the sea beneath them.
"Tamaki."
The girl turned her head only slightly to glance over at the young Uchiha, as she asked, "Yes?"
Sasuke hesitated a moment, his eyes still fixed in front of him, before he forced out in quiet undertone, "What if…we were friends?"
"I wouldn't mind that," Tamaki told him, a sheepish smile forming. "Actually, I think I'd like it."
"Really?"
"Really."
Sasuke deliberated a moment, before finally turning his dark gaze from the ocean to instead rest it on the girl beside him. Lifting his hand from its repetitive digging in the sand, he offered it to her as he asked, "Friends?"
Lifting herself to a sitting position, Tamaki took his hand and shook it, with the same smile. "Friends."
A small smile found its way to the corner of the young Uchiha's mouth, and he quickly took his hand back and wrapped it around his knees once more. He titled his head to rest the side of his face against his arms, as he returned his onyx gaze to the crashing of the waves in front of him. When he felt a stirring behind him, Sasuke's smile widened, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Itachi slowly opening his eyes.
"Nii-san!" he exclaimed.
"Sasuke," his older brother offered him a tired smile in greeting. Turning on his side to get a better view of the two children in front of him, Itachi asked, "Are you behaving?"
"Of course," Sasuke nodded his head. Glancing over at Tamaki briefly, he then returned his gaze to his older brother and said, "Guess what, Nii-san?"
"What?" Itachi asked curiously.
"Tamaki and I are friends," Sasuke informed him.
"Oh, really?" Itachi glanced between the two, and then smiled. "Tamaki, did you know you're Sasuke's first friend?"
"I know, he told me," Tamaki nodded her head. "He's mine, too, though. Unless you count cats."
"Cats are pets," Sasuke shook his head in disagreement. "Pets don't count. Right, Nii-san?"
"That's right," Itachi replied with a light laugh. His eyes rested on his little brother once more, and he lifted his hand to playfully poke Sasuke on the forehead. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along so well."
Sasuke's eyes widened in a start at first, but then he lowered his head with a sheepish smile.
"Is Kaa-san not back yet?" Itachi asked, lifting himself to a sitting position and then scanning the area with his eyes.
"Not yet," Sasuke shook his head.
When their mother did return, she surprised them with rice balls. She had bought kelp for Itachi, and the bonito for Sasuke. She and Tamaki took a few of each. As the dinner progressed, Itachi informed his mother of the friendship Sasuke had formed, and Mikoto grew very excited and spent most of the meal conversing with Tamaki.
As this ensued, Sasuke released a yawn and leaned his head against his older brother's shoulder.
"Nii-san…"
Itachi glanced back down at him, his black eyes curious. "What is it, Sasuke?"
"If I have friends, does it mean I'll get to spend less time with you?" his little brother asked.
"No," Itachi shook his head, wrapping an arm around the boy and pulling him into his lap. "Of course not. I'm friends with Shisui, aren't I? Do I have less time for you?"
"I guess not," Sasuke answered, but he still looked unconvinced. "You don't have very many friends, though, do you?"
"No, I suppose not," the older Uchiha replied.
"I don't want too many friends, either," Sasuke decided with a firm nod of his head. "I don't want them to get in the way, because I want to spend more time with you."
"A few friends won't get in the way," Itachi told him.
The boy paused a moment, biting his bottom lip, before glancing back up at his older brother. "Promise?"
"Promise."
…
The dark waters crashed against the rock, and Sasuke fell onto his back, his black eyes fixed on the stars in the sky overhead. Some twinkled brightly, others were dimmer. He pressed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the ocean, as he ran a hand gently along the hard surface of the rock.
Uchiha Itachi's lifeless body.
That was what gave him the patience to deal with Kabuto and Orochimaru. The thought of killing his older brother kept him going, it kept forcing him to get up every morning, to undergo rigorous training, to become stronger. It was the only reason he was even here. It was the reason he had left Konoha behind, had left Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura.
But then, if that was the case, why was it that every time he thought back, to his time with his brother, it made the mere thought of killing the man a horrible prospect? A seemingly impossible feat? How was it that, for all those years, his brother had been lying to him, had been acting a role, all for the sake of testing his ability? Had all of it been a lie?
Sasuke shook his head of the thought, turning over on his stomach and burying his face in his arms. Itachi said it had been a lie. That he had merely acted the role of the brother he wanted. And all evidence pointed to this, after that all too familiar night. There was no denying it.
But then…why did it feel like there was something more? Something he was missing?
Oh, whatever. That man was a heartless bastard. No matter what he remembered of him, that was what Uchiha Itachi was today. He was the murderer of their clan. The murderer of their parents. On sight, he had beaten Sasuke within an inch of his life and placed him in a coma. That was the man his brother really was.
Sasuke let these thoughts fester in his mind, and he felt himself slowly slipping from consciousness. He did not bother to fight the urge. Falling asleep out here and falling asleep inside that cold room Kabuto had shown him would not make much of a difference. In fact, this was even preferable. At least it was not freezing out here, and the rock was about as comfy as that bed would be.
As his consciousness slipped, he remembered something interesting his brother had once told him, that when you fall asleep, the person you are thinking of is the person you dream about. A tired smile formed at the corner of his mouth. Perhaps he would dream of killing his brother and finally getting vengeance for his clan.
However, at the last moment before he fell into blackness, a small thought emerged at the back of his mind.
'I wonder where Tamaki is right now…?'