Chapter 3

Sasuke watched the ground in silence as they walked. That had been the first time he'd seen his brother in years, and yet Itachi acted like it had been nothing. Had his brother really lost his love for him? Sasuke fisted his hands bitterly and glared at the ground, rage filling his whole being. His brother had looked at his servant with more interest than when he'd looked upon him.

Arisu held her arms close to her sides to help keep them steady with the multiple bags. She led them to their fourth grocery store in their walk, eager to get the last items they needed. Sasuke could hardly contain his resentment towards her in that moment. How dare she steal his brother's attention? He wanted to beat her. To break her in his anger induced state.

"Is this what your mother asked for?" She questioned, pulling something from the self.

Sasuke glared and tsked her. She already knew, she'd studied the damn list herself several times.

The girl blinked at his mood and held on tightly to the item in her hand. Without a word or even a second thought on his attitude she moved on to find the next item they needed. This only further provoked the Uchiha. She would be punished. To have her acting as if his anger was nothing gave him a sudden urge to wrap his fingers around her throat.

Sasuke inhaled deeply through his nose. He had to get a hold of himself. She couldn't have stolen his brother's attention on purpose, could she? Slowly he glanced up at her. She was inspecting the isle ahead of her, her lip gently placed between her teeth as she bit it thoughtfully. Sasuke glared at her again, perhaps she had.

Reaching up she plucked the next item off the shelf and made her way to the checkout lane. Carefully she sat the few things down and moved away for Sasuke to pay. Without a word he put the money down and when the cashier finished ringing in the items, grabbed the change, then stormed from the store. He walked a couple blocks before he finally slowed and glanced back for the girl. She held the bags the best she could and continued to walk with her head high.

Her pride, it disgusted him to no end at that moment.

Sasuke walked through the gates of the Uchiha compound, hands shoved deep in his pockets and a stern glarecontorting his features. He didn't bother to wait for the girl behind him as he walked. He was still furious with her. When they reached his home he opened the door and walked inside, leaving it open but making no effort to help his servant with their items.

Sasuke turned down the hall towards his father's office when he heard her speak.

"Your brother looked happy to see you, I think, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke growled, "Hard to tell when he was staring at you the entire time."

"You're wrong," she frowned, "he might have looked at me, but you were the one he wanted to see... You must not of saw how his eyes lit up, when he realized it was you. I should go put the food away, I think. Excuse me, Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke stared after her as he watched her retreat towards the kitchens. He felt his anger waver for a moment. It felt strange, she had actually tried to comfort him. No one ever tried to comfort him, save for his mother. The idea alone made him question what he should do or how to act at the moment, and suddenly he had forgotten his anger.

A noise from his father's office drew his attention back to what he planned on doing. Focusing his thoughts he walked towards his destination but before he could so much as wrap his fingers around the door, it opened and his brother emerged. Sasuke stared at Itachi hard, willing him to look up.

As if reading his mind, Itachi looked up at his baby brother slowly and gave him a sad smile. The smile shook Sasuke to his core.

"Nii-san-"

"Your bride-to-be is beautiful Otouto. You're a lucky man," Itachi said, reaching up brushing hair away from his own dark eyes.

"Is she in there?" Sasuke frowned, he had yet to meet the girl.

His brother nodded, "I wish I could make it to your wedding, but it seems the that he planned the set day for a time that I can't go. I tried to talk father into a different date but he insisted."

Sasuke looked at his brother, really looked at him. He looked thinner then he remembered him ever looking, worn and tired. He had always admired his brother's appearance, had always considered his own looks only second to those of his brother. Looking at Itachi now though, he seemed a mere shadow if who he used be. His long hair that their mother had once been jealous of now seemed lifeless and his eyes, tired and sunken.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" Sasuke couldn't stop himself from asking.

Itachi shrugged, "When I can."

Sasuke frowned but before he could say anything, Itachi pressed his pointer finger and middle finger to his forehead, "Next time, Otouto."

Reaching up, Sasuke covered his forehead and watched his brother's retreating back. Suddenly, the anger he felt from before was back. However now, his anger focused on his father instead of Arisu. This was all his father's fault.

Fisting his hands at his sides Sasuke walked into his father's office, and for the first time he did so without getting permission first. Uchiha Fugaku looked up from his place behind his desk, his arms folded in front of his chest. He glared darkly at his son, clearly unhappy with his intrusion. In front of him sat a young woman, her hair pulled back into four pony tails. She turned her head slightly and glanced at him from over her shoulder, her vibrant teal eyes locking with his.

"Sasuke," his father grunted, "this is your bride-to-be, Temari, from Suna."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment then turned his gaze back to his father.

Fugaku watched his son for a moment then stood, "I'll let you two talk, but not long. You'll have a long time for that."

The Uchiha leader left the room without a second glance but left the door open, implying that he would be listening.

Temari looked down at her lap, then up and out the window behind his father's desk, "This marriage will be for power purposes only, I can assure you."

Sasuke frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, "Hardly sounds like a marriage to me."

"Who would willing marry a Uchiha for anything else?" She scoffed.

He tightened his jaw. Taking a deep breath he walked over the other chair next to hers and sat down.

Temari stood to her feet and walked towards the door, putting more space between them, "This marriage will unit the Sand and the Leaf. It really is a marriage of power, a marriage for peace. Well, as close to peace as the Leaf can get," she turned towards him slowly. "I'm sorry if this wasn't what you wanted to hear Sasuke. I apologize, but this won't be a marriage of love."

She bowed to him briefly, straightened, then left the room.

Sasuke screamed angrily as the glass that had once been in his hand hit the wall across from him and shattered. He fumed, clenching and opening his hands repeatedly. The door opened behind him as Arisu walked into the room, holding his clean bedding. He looked back at her, his eyes flashing angrily.

"You don't want to be in here right now."

She walked past him, unmoved by his warning, "I know I don't, this is a chore I always do dread doing."

He watched her as she worked. She moved about carefully, as if she watched every step she took. She did her best to keep her body straight as she made his bed, but he could tell that she shook slightly.

"Am I... Am I a bad person Arisu? Am I really so terrible?" He questioned.

She looked back at him, her gray eyes seeming to study him just as he had her, "I don't know. I think," she paused for a moment, "I think you're just... Well," she flushed with embarrassment. "I don't know! Don't ask me, I don't know you!"

Arisu finished her task swiftly and made her way towards the door. Before she fully left the room she stopped and looked at him however.

"As your servant, I don't know what you are Sasuke-sama. But as your friend... As your friend, I think you're just waking up to what's going on around you. I think you could be someone great."

She offered him a small smile, and left the room.

Thank you very much for reading! I plan on have the chapter after this one out before to long as I've already got a pretty good idea of what I want to do with the next chapter. Again, thank you to all of you lovely readers. Please review and read the next chapter!