VI

"You let him...touch you."

Kagome looked up from gardening to see Itachi standing beside her, a carefully blank look on his face as he stared down at her. She blinked large, innocent eyes up at him and smiled brightly.

"Whatever are you talking about Aniki-sama?" she asked sweetly as she stood, dusting her hands off.

It was so good an act that Itachi almost believed it.

"Sasuke touched you inappropriately," the male grimaced, and she tilted her head to the side with the same happy smile.

"I would hardly call it inappropriate," she said quietly, looking up at the sky.

Itachi felt a small flutter of hope rise up in his chest at the statement.

"I mean, the way he licked my pu-"

That flutter died a tragic death as he covered his sister's mouth quickly, glancing around for any passing people as he dragged her into the house after him silently. Once within the safety of his room, he threw her onto the bed, locking the door behind him.

"Where did you learn such a word!" he hissed, focusing on the lesser of the two evils put before him as he towered over her.

"I'm nineteen. I pick these things up," Kagome said dryly, before standing and stepping towards her brother, who held his ground nervously as she circled him.

"What bothers you aniki?" she asked quietly, and he stiffened.

"It is highly inappropriate for-"

Itachi blinked when she shot him a harsh glare, cutting him off.

"What's inappropriate? That we're brother and sister? That's a funny statement, considering the amount of forced inbreeding in our clan," she growled.

She was, of course, referring to the betrothals of cousins and such that, to this day, was taking place within both the Uchiha, and Hyuga clans. Itachi sighed.

"Sasuke is treating this like another of his petty competitions. This is no competition, imouto," Itachi murmured as he cupped the side of her face in his hand, smiling gently at her shocked expression.

"Hai, it is no competition. You don't wish to participate," Kagome whispered, before disappearing with a flicker.

You're wrong, Itachi thought as he sighed again.

VI