"If I ever had to run for my life, I'd probably die." This is true. *she says sheepishly*

AN: Alright sorry for the long wait you guys. I haven't posted anything for two reasons. 1. Because I was tired, needed to take a break from my computer, (just to switch to my iPhone, I know I don't make any since! ;D) and 2. Was I was having writers block and couldn't think of what else to write for the Uchiha bros. But I was finally able too.

Speaking of which I should probably give you guys a warning about this drabble. It's going to be a little darker then my previous drabbles I've written. The darker thing I'm talking about?

Well...

It has self harm. Cutting of the wrist. Though cuts that won't leave a scar. Annnd... *clears throat* attempted suicide...

Now before you guys ask what the hell is wrong with me, let me explain that I have NO idea why I'm writing a self-harm drabble, it just short of popped into my head when I watched something on TV that had to do with that particular subject, though I don't remember what it was. =P

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Itachi: 11

Sasuke: 6

"Itachi?"

"Hm?"

Sasuke hesitated for a few seconds. "What are you going to be doing today?" He stood with his hands behind his back, black eyes looking at the floor. His little brothers voice was barely above a whisper, and Itachi had to listen closely to even hear Sasuke's question. Taking in his otouto's pale face and the dark circles that were clearly visible under his eyes. His brother must not be sleeping well enough. Nightmares perhaps?

If that were the case, I wonder why he hasn't said anything. Climbed into my bed like he usually does. Itachi rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I'll be doing rounds in town late tonight, so I won't be home till dark. Why?"

Sasuke seemed to shrink away at the question. Still looking at the floor, he gave a small smile that, to Itachi, seemed forced. "Oh, no reason. I just thought we could go play today." Sasuke said in the same tone he used before.

"Sorry Sasuke. Maybe next time, okay?"

Sasuke nodded and began to walk away. "Otouto."

His brother stopped and turned his head to look at the older Shinobi. "You know if you need to talk, about anything I'm here. It's my job to be, you know that right?" It was a hint, a suggestion for his otouto to open up about whatever nightmares he's been having that keeping him from getting a goodnight sleep. And Itachi meant it with every fiber of his being.

Though if Sasuke got the hint, he didn't show or take any interest in it. He nodded again and walked away.

Itachi sighed. Well, if he wants to talk, he'll talk when he's ready. No point in trying to push him.

Even as he thought these words, the older Uchiha couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry in his stomach. Something wasn't...right. He could feel it in the air, as he walked out the door. Itachi could physically smell it. A warning, it blew through the trees taking several leaves along with it. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he'd be ready for it, whatever it was.

Strapping on his shoes, tying his headband over his forehead. Itachi walked on.

...

...

"Shisui, it's really hard to do my rounds with you breathing down my neck, my friend."

His best friend grinned, giving the other a playful wink. "Oi, I can't help it if I'm bored!"

When he got no reply for the next five minutes, Shisui rested his arms on top of Itachi's head, who was unsurprised by the act. His friend did things like this all the time. But that didn't stop Itachi from speaking. "Shisui, what are you doing on my head?"

Shisui chuckled. "IIItaaachiii! Entertain me!" He whined over-dramatically. Sounding both mature and not at the same time.

"Go finish your rounds."

His friend grinned. "I can't. I did them already."

Itachi shook his head, a smile on his face. "Honestly, I don't understand you sometimes. One minute, your the most mature Shinobi in the whole Village, and then next your like this."

"It's a gift."

Itachi scoffed. But said nothing. He continued to look over the people of the Uchiha Village. It was peaceful, everybody was going about there business, as usual. "Nii-san!" A voice called out. Looking down towards the voice, he saw that it was Sasuke. His otouto's face looked shocked, as if he had made a mistake and couldn't take it back.

"Yo! Sasuke!" Shisui said cheerfully. "Looked at that Itachi, it's your little brother!"

"I see that." Itachi replied a-matter-of-factly. Jumping down to the alleyway below he gazed at his little brother. "What are you doing here, otouto?" He asked curiously. Surprised to see him here. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but closed it immediately, hesitant, like before. The older Shinobi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Sasuke?"

"I- I sort of...Wanted to- Um... talk."

He wanted to talk? About what? His nightmares? Relief flooded his chest, but then sank back down when he realized that he was still on duty. Why did he have to be working now?

He reached out and poked Sasuke's forehead. Hoping that it would say all he needed to say. That he was sorry, that he wanted to if it was for his job. "Forgive me, Sasuke. I want to talk, but I'm still doing my rounds. When I get home we'll talk then. I promise, okay?" Sasuke didn't look disappointed at Itachi's words, he looked more deflated, a small amount of color drained from his face, his black orbs held something that Itachi couldn't identify.

"Alright." His voice was small and quiet. Itachi placed hand on his little brother's cheek. He gently gave the boy a loving smile. "I promise, my dear otouto. I won't go back on it this time." Sasuke leaned into the touch, his face cringed as if he were in pain, the expression happened so quickly that Itachi thought he imagined it. "Okay, aniki."

The older Uchiha smiled, for that was the first time Sasuke has called Itachi 'Aniki' in a long while. Then his otouto left, and Itachi went back to his work.

"You know-"

"If your going to say that I should have talked to Sasuke instead of doing my rounds, don't. I wanted too. But you know what happens when we disobey an order, Shisui."

His friend held his hands up in the air in defense. "I wasn't going to say anything like that. I was going to say that your little brother looks rather upset. Sad, even." That took Itachi by surprise. His otouto was sad? How? He never noticed. His reaction must have shown up on his face because Shisui eyes widened in confusion.

"Wait. You didn't know?"

The younger of the two shook his head, he honestly didn't.

"Well that's easy to explain. See, it's because your around him all the time, you've gotten so use to being in his presence that your not noticing the simplest things, it's completely understandable."

Itachi let that bit of information sink in. And then continued at what he was doing before.

...

...

He yawned long and huge, making his eyes water. He rubbed the back of his stiff neck.

When Itachi finally got done with his work, it was already dark out, making what he told Sasukev this morning true. He walked sluggishly toward his house. But he wasn't going to go to bed straight away like he usually would when he got back late. No, he was going to go to find Sasuke and help in anyway he could. Help him not be sad anymore.

As he approached his house, he could here angry voices, not necessary shouting or yelling, but more loud talking. He recognized those voices. It was both of his parents. And by the tone of his mother's voice, it seemed the latter of the two had done something wrong.

What father do this time? Itachi thought in slight announce. As he grew closer, he curiously listened more.

"-Can't believe you said that, Fugaku!-"

"I said it so he'd learn!"

"That was not helpful advice, dear! You think he helped him by saying he was a mistake? That he was weak? No. You didn't, all you've done is destroy Sasuke's confidence! The only thing he'll learn from this is that his father has favorites."

Upon hearing Sasuke's name, Itachi froze. Otouto? Their father said such things like that to Sasuke? How could he? That's his son!

He suddenly felt angry, but then he forced that down, knowing that his brother might need him right now. Not wanting to interrupt their conversation, which sounded like his mother was winning, Itachi silently walked around the house to Sasuke's window, but was baffled to see it open. When did his brother start leaving this open? He knew doing that was dangerous.

Nevertheless Itachi climbed inside. "Sasuke?" He said in a hushed voice. But he got no reply. If Sasuke wasn't in his room, where else could he be? He wasn't allowed outside at night, not by himself. Slowly walking around the room, trying to find something that might help him in his search. His black eyes laid on something that was on his otouto's desk, picking it up he realized that it was Sasuke's journal, the one Itachi gave him as a 'Just because' present.

He hesitantly opened it, feeling guilty that he was invading his little brother's private thoughts. But soon that guilt was replaced with horror as he read what was in the journal.

NO MORE! NO MORE! NO MORE!

I can't, just please! The bullies, the teasing that I'll never be good enough! Father's disappointing looks... Make it stop, make it stop, make it all STOP! It's too much! It hurts too much!

I-I'm sorry, aniki...

Goodbye.

Itachi gulped down the lump in his throat as his heart started to quicken. Goodbye? Was his brother leaving? But why-?

Itachi jerked his head down as he head something fall to the floor below him. It was a small blade that was tucked away inside the smooth fabric of the book. The blade look old, and stained on the edges... It was Blood, his otouto's blood to be exact.

Itachi's heart almost stopped as he realized what this meant. No. Oh god...No! He touched the small blade and dropped it immediately when he felt that it was still wet. It was still fresh. "Oh my god..." Itachi whispered, shooting out the window, he ran down the streets of his Village.

Activating his Sharingan, he looked everywhere for his brother chakra. When he did locate Sasuke, he kept his eyes locked on him, He ran though the trees of the forest.

Please...Sasuke. Don't do it, whatever it is, don't do it! The closer he got to his brother the more he realized where the location was, it was the Cliff's Waterfall. And Sasuke was standing at the edge of it.

He then jumped.

NO!

"SASUKE!" The name ripped from Itachi's throat. Hoarse and filled with so many emotions, as he too, jumped down the cliff. He witnessed his otouto hit the water and prayed that he survived the impacted until he reached him. Splashing into the rapids below, Itachi barely took a breathe before he started rushing forward towards his unconscious little brother, who's head was barely above the white waters.

It seemed to take an entirety to finally reached Sasuke, to finally grab him, wrap his arms around the boy and pull him close. But he was able too, and that alone made Itachi breathe a sigh of relief. Now that Sasuke was safe in his one-armed hug, he used the other slowly make their way back to shore.

When his feet hit solid ground, Itachi had to force himself not to collapse on the spot, Because Sasuke needed him, he had to focus on that. Looking down at his brother, he placed his ear to his chest, he listened.

Thump...Thump

Th-Thump.

His chest rose and fell.

He was alive.

Thank god! The pure relief flooded Itachi's heart as tears spread in his eyes and down his face. He pulled the boy close to him, resting his cheek on his wet hair. Tightly wrapping his arms around him.

One minute

Two

Three

Sasuke jolted up and started coughing up the small amount of water he consumed while in the river. "Breathe. It's okay, I've got you, Sasuke." His voice was hoarse and sad. A hand rested on his brother's back, rubbing soothing circles on it. When he was done, he looked at Itachi with confused eyes. "Nii-san?"

Itachi's lip trembled. "Otouto!" He cried out softly, and pulled Sasuke to him once again. "Why? Sasuke? Why would you try and end your life? Why? Do you know how worried I was?"

Sasuke buried his face in his older brother's wet clothes, he wrapped his arms around him. His small body shook as he started sobbing. "I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! I didn't want to do it! But what father s-said to me...I just want it to all stop."

Itachi pulled away from his brother and rested his hands on his cheeks. "Why didn't you come to me if you were feeling this horrible?" Sasuke closed his eyes at the older Uchiha's touch. "I wanted too, but you were always so bu-busy, and I didn't to annoy you."

"...How long has this been going on?"

"-...Five weeks..."

Itachi closed his eyes. This was his fault, if only he had listened. He leaned his forehead on Sasuke's. "Well I'm here now. So tell me."

His otouto took a few calming breathes before he started speaking. "It started with the bullies, they teased me, said that I was weak, that I wasn't going to be anything, then it was everyone in our Village, they stares they give when th-they think I-I'm not watching, then father's words- What's the point in me if I'm as weak as everyone thinks, and I'm not good enough? Just- Knowing that he feels that way about me...I just- I..." Sasuke's voice broke, he gripped on his aniki's arms held a desperation to it.

Itachi attempted swallow the lump in his throat, but found it was too tight to do so. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, heart slowly being ripped in two. To know that his otouto was feeling like this for five weeks, and Itachi had no idea that he was, made him feel so much guilt. Shisui was right when he said that he didn't know what was really going on. Because he didn't. For this type of thing, this situation was not something he could not prepare himself for.

"Forgive me, Sasuke. If I had opened my eyes and actually looked at you and caught on what was wrong ahead of time then maybe you wouldn't have had to go to such drastic measures to make the pain go away. It's my job to protect you, and I failed you..."

"Aniki...-"

"-Don't pay those people any mind, anymore. For you are enough, you can- will be a great Shinobi. You will surpass everyone, me and possibly even Shisui. But to do that you've got to live, and I swear to you that I will be there for you every step of the way. I wasn't this time and for that I am truly sorry."

"..It's not your fault I don't mean-"

"-You mean something to me! My foolish little brother, if anything happened to you I don't know what I'd do with myself. So please, please Sasuke, see that I'm telling you the truth when I say that you are meant for something, your not a disappointment to anyone! Especially not to me!" The desperation in his voice was clear and true.

Then finally, finally for what seemed like a decade, Sasuke believed him. His black eyes still held hurt, but it also had something else lingering there.

Confidence. Belief in himself for the first time in five weeks, if their father refused to give this boy the love and support he needed then Itachi would, without hesitation. Throat too tight to form any type of sentence, his otouto nodded.

The older of the two let out a relieved sigh, once again, he hugged Sasuke too his chest and held him there. His otouto returned the embrace just as fiercely, he nuzzled his face into Itachi chest.

"Love you, aniki."

Itachi inhaled a deep breathe, as his eyes closed involuntarily, he ran a hand through Sasuke's hair and pulled him closer. He placed a gentle kiss on his brother's temple.

"You too, otouto. Always."

...

...

Upon returning home, Sasuke slept for three days straight. Having gotten a fever from being in the cold, river water.

Taking advantage of his brother's well deserved resting, Itachi made time to take the blade Sasuke used to cut himself and tossed it over the very cliff his brother tried to use to end his life. He then tore out the note Sasuke wrote in his journal, ripped into a hundred pieces and through it away.

After that however, Itachi stayed by the six year olds bed side.

He told no one what happened, well except for Shisui, who promised to keep it a secret. Not even their parents knew what their youngest son tried to do to himself. His mother would be so distraught with herself, she'd never let Sasuke out of her sight again. And their father...Well Fugaku didn't have the right to know.

It was on the third day of Sasuke's long sleep, that Shisui made a comment about something. "Maybe there's a reason your brother has been sleeping for so long."

Itachi looked at his friend. "And what might that be?"

Shisui repositioned himself so he was fully facing him. "Well, he's exhausted and has a fever, that's one thing. But maybe the other is because he battling his mind. Maybe he's trying to re-find himself, the boy he use to be before the events that happened five weeks ago."

The eleven year old looked down at his beloved brother. "You think so?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his best friend nod. "It makes sense if you think about it logically."

Itachi let that sink in for a few minutes. "So what's going to happen when he wakes up?"

He felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder. "That all depends on him."

His little brothers eyes fluttered open an hour later. He looked a lot better then he did, the color had returned to his face and the dark circles were barely visible underneath his eyes. When asked how he was doing by Shisui, Sasuke gave him a look of confusion. "What do you mean? I feel fine."

That was when Itachi entered the room after he relieved himself, Sasuke's black eyes immediately brightened when he saw his brother. "Nii-san!" He stood up on wobbly legs and ran to Itachi, hugging his waist and laughing. "What should we do today, aniki?" A true, warm, happy smile spread a crossed his face.

It was obvious that Sasuke had no recollection of what had happened to him, what he did to himself, what he tried to do. But why? He returned the embrace just as tightly, but looked at Shisui, baffled.

Shisui only smiled, tapping his temple with his finger. Mouthing the words. "He won his battle."

"Aniki!" Sasuke whined becoming annoyed that he was being ignored. Itachi knelt down and place his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Sorry otouto, I was just lost in thought. Now to answer your question... How about we go practice your Shuriken training today?"

Sasuke jumped up and down in excitement. "Really, Itachi?"

"Really, Sasuke."

His brother then bolted out the door shouting various things such as "YAY!" and "Nii-san, come on!" The eleven year old laughed, shaking his head. Shisui came up next to him and placed an arm around his shoulder. "Well I think he's going to be just fine now."

Yes, he's definitely going to be.

"Care to join us?"

Shisui grinned rather over-enthusiastically. He nodded. "Sure, it's my dream after all!"

Itachi rolled his eyes, nudging Shisui in the ribs playfully and walked out of the room.

AN: Jesus with pork and beans, this was a difficult one to write! I had to take various break and think long and hard about this drabble. BUT I was able to write it. *cheers and falls on the floor in exhaustion*

So what are your guy's thoughts on this one?

Please leave them in a review and I'll see you guys soon. =)