Disclaimer: No I don't!
AN: UPDATE! Yay! Just a bit to say this time, I won't be splitting the story up now, it'll just be one big story now :D Also, summary change too! I'm rubbish at summaries (and spelling...seen as it just took me five attempts to spell summaries). If you squint there is a tad of ItaSasu but hardly any to jump around about, its basically lovely brotherly bonding ;) Kindly point out any spelling errors! Thanks!
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Chapter 6 – Realization
"Aniki!"
The shrill cry came that his Itachi would normally have cringed at, he welcomed with open arms. Sasuke sped towards him, as he closed the door to the mansion behind him, wrapping his little arms around Itachi's legs. Itachi bent down and scooped Sasuke up into arms, "Hello, as well otouto."
"Aniki, you went to see Naruto didn't you?" Sasuke said with a slight pout; he had been asleep when Itachi left. "Is he okay?"
"Well...for someone who spent almost a week in a coma...I would say that he is very hyperactive considering."
Sasuke blinked, "So...he's okay then?"
Itachi laughed, "Yes he is."
Since Naruto had been out of the hospital Sasuke had taken to inviting him over every day and dragging him to the playground. Itachi sighed. It wasn't that he didn't like Naruto coming over, he loved seeing him, it was the looks people gave him. The cold, icy stares that Naruto seemed to ignore but Itachi could not; even Fugaku (his own father) gave a subtle glare every time Sasuke brought Naruto into the house. If Itachi didn't have to maintain an emotionless, stoic appearance around his father he would've lashed out repeatedly at Fugaku's actions.
"Aniki, what's wrong?"
Itachi snapped from his thought. "I'm fine, Sasuke. Just thinking."
"About Naruto?" said Sasuke with a grin.
"Perhaps."
Sasuke giggled, "Hey, Niisan, will you help me with shuriken practice today?" He stared into Itachi's eyes, he didn't need puppy-dog eyes they didn't work on Itachi.
Itachi sighed at the question his brother had always asked since he started his ninja training. Normally, the most obvious answer would be, 'Some other time,' but...
"Okay."
Sasuke's eyes widened, he never thought Itachi would agree. "Really, Niisan, you will help me?!"
Itachi nodded, giving a gentle smile. Sasuke clutched Itachi tighter, and then motioned for Itachi to let him down. "I'll go get ready!" he cried, running off down the corridor.
Itachi's smile remained until Sasuke turned the corner to his room. He tensed as he felt a familiar chakra behind him. His father's chakra.
"Sasuke can practice by himself, you have ANBU training to complete, you shouldn't be wasting time on meaningless things."
Itachi hadn't turned to face his father, he couldn't, his Sharingan was activated and his fists clenched. How could his father say that Sasuke was a waste of his time? He had nearly lost both of his sons; two weeks ago they were fighting for their lives, and still after all that Itachi was still his tool and Sasuke was worthless to him. Itachi tried to control the anger in his voice, but figured some of it must have slipped out as he felt his father's chakra spike.
"I may be an ANBU but I am also Sasuke's brother; in any decision, he will always come first. If you so wish to have a second prodigy on your hands then let me train him. Spending time with my brother isn't a waste of my time."
He stalked off leaving a fuming Fugaku standing in the hallway. He was still obviously tense when he almost crashed into Sasuke. His little brother narrowly avoided the storming Itachi, running after him out into the back-grounds of the mansion.
"Aniki! Aniki! What's wrong?! 'Tachi slow down!"
Itachi stopped (in his anger) not realizing Sasuke was following him. He turned around just in time for Sasuke to bump into him. He looked down at his brother, who had a very worried look on his face.
"Gomen, Sasuke. Let's go down to the lake, we won't be bothered there."
Sasuke's expression changed immediately and he grasped Itachi's hand and began pulling him through the light forestry and down to the large lake that spread behind most of the Uchiha's district.
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"If your mind is on too many things at once then you're never going to hit the target. Clear your mind of all thoughts, too many minds can cost you your focus, no mind."
Shuriken and kunai littered the ground, only a few lucky ones scraping the edge of the target painted on the tree. Itachi sighed, it was frustrating to watch, and his temper seemed to rise and fall every time Sasuke threw another shuriken. He looked at Sasuke, whose lips were moving silently mouthing, 'No mind, no mind,' he released the three shuriken from his hand, cheering as two of them cut into the inner circles of the target, but the other went flying off towards the lake.
"Oh no!" gasped Sasuke. "I'll get it! I'll get it!"
He sped off towards the lake, ignoring Itachi's shouts to leave it, he didn't want to anger his father by not coming back with the full set of weapons they had taken. Itachi watched his brother run off and spotted the whizzing shuriken flying across the lake. His eyes widened as he realized Sasuke was heading straight for it.
"Sasuke, wait! Just leave it! Sasuke!" He leapt down the steep embankment, skidding on the loose rocks at the bottom, and shot towards Sasuke. Although his brother wasn't nearly as fast as he was, he had had a rather large head start and was almost at the lake edge.
He wouldn't make it in time.
"SASU--!"
He faltered. Sasuke was still running. Running across the water, little bursts of ice sprouting up where his feet touched the water, and then quickly melting. Itachi stood motionless watching, only halfway down the bank; there was no way Sasuke could've learnt something like that.
Sasuke leapt up and grasped the shuriken, whooping as he did so. He turned around to look at Itachi, waving the shuriken above his head like a trophy. "Ita, look I did it, I caught --!" He stopped, taking in Itachi's bewildered expression. His brother looked utterly perplexed. Sasuke followed his brother's eyes down and yelped when he saw he was standing on the water, crystal ice encasing his feet. He went to forcefully pull his feet out of the ice but found that the ice began to melt as soon as he moved. Seeing his feet freed, he sped towards the edge of the lake; towards Itachi. Itachi down the rest of the embankment and grasped Sasuke up into his arms, burying his face in the crook of his otuoto's neck. His obsidian eyes scanned the lake, but the small spots of ice had long vanished. He let his eyes close and continued rubbing his brother's back, in an effort to calm his tremors. A splash of cold on his leg made him look down. He let out an audible gasp. Shards of ice still encased Sasuke's legs, but were quickly falling away to the ground and melting. He let his hand drift down to the ice, catching a shard as it fell off. He studied it for a moment before it suddenly dispersed into a cloud of white mist, instead of melting. A strange feeling filtered through Itachi. The ice was imbued with chakra, but not any kind he had felt before.
It felt...purer. If that was possible.
Sasuke had long stopped shaking, but was clutching his aniki's shirt like his life depended on it. "Aniki." came his muffed voice.
"Yes Sasuke?"
"I caught the shuriken." He held up the small metal star.
Itachi stared for a moment then smiled. "It wasn't the shuriken I was worried about."
Sasuke blushed slightly and gave a small smile, which quickly turned to a fearful frown. "Aniki, what's happening to me?"
Itachi paused, staring out onto the lake which had confirmed deep suspicions within him. Something had happened to them during their illness. Likewise, something may have happened to Naruto as well. Now, once again, Itachi was worried.
"I don't know, Sasuke."
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AN: Development of the illness (or is it an illness ;) Next chapter...a lot longer so will be a little while!
Love Psycho: I agree, females are exceedingly dangerous, I love Kyuubi as a woman and am pretty sure that Naruto should be worried about having her sealed inside of him (especially for his sanity XD). Since Itachi is starting puberty soon I wanted him to be all 'OMG-cute-naru-schoolgirl crush extreme' I like him with emotions but he will be a bit more like 'regular 'Tachi' as the story goes on. Accepts cupcakes! Thanks, hope you enjoy the update!
Next chapter – Beginning of the Massacre – Itachi couldn't breathe. The white chakra was so intense. It furled around Sasuke and crawled up Itachi's legs, bending their bodies to its very will. This was pure power.
See ya!
