"If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

Itachi: Age 7

Sasuke: Age 2

"Annikiii!" A familiar voice called out as Itachi ran down the streets of their Village. He smiled gently, knowing very well who that was. Slowly down just enough he looked down at the boy running next to him.

Sasuke giggled, his eyes bright and beaming as he stared back up at Itachi. "Nii-san, where you go?" Itachi paced himself so as his brother could keep in line with him.

"Father instructed me to go help our Aunt and Uncle with their bakery today."

His otouto's black eyes grew even more excited. "Help Auntie?! Can I come, aniki? I help, I premose." Sasuke asked as he did a combination of jumping up and down and running at the same time.

The child felt a poke on his forehead. "Sorry, Sasuke. I have no doubt you would be very helpful to us, but something bad could happen, and I don't want you getting hurt. Next time, okay?"

The sudden poke on his forehead caused him to abruptly stop running. At his aniki's words, he frowned in disappointment. "Aw, nii-san! Always say that!" He whined, his lower lip jetting out as he pouted and looked at the dirt ground. Itachi smiled at the look on Sasuke's young face. Anyone else would think this was sad, but Itachi thought it was adorable.

He had also stopped running by then, kneeling down Itachi laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Forgive me, otouto. To make it up to you how about I buy you some tomato juice afterwards." Sasuke brighten up at that, the smile reappeared on his face and his eyes held excitement once again.

"Really, aniki?"

The elder of the two smiled. "I promise. Now why don't you go to the park and I'll meet you there once I'm done, alright?"

Sasuke nodded vigorously. "!" His voice high pitched and joyful, it sound like he chirped like a bird, he was so happy.

Itachi watched him go down the road towards the park until he was out of sight.

He smiled fondly at his otouto's care free spirit. Turning back around, he resumed his running towards his Aunt and Uncles bakery.

...

...

Sasuke sat on the grass quietly as he patiently waited for his big brother to pick him up. Though he was still to young to know how to tell time on a clock, he did know that when there was orange in the sky that means it was getting late.

It was something that Itachi taught him.

"Nii-san? You come soon?" Sasuke spoke softly. He was starting to get bored, and being only 2 years old he got that way easily. Like any child would.

Waiting another three minutes for Itachi to arrive, Sasuke realized that he wasn't coming.

He pouted a little in disappointment.

Still he couldn't blame his brother for not coming, he must be really busy at their Aunt's bakery. Sasuke stood up and began making his way back to his house, lightly kicking small pebbles as he went. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a noise, turning his head towards the alleyway, Sasuke saw that it was a huge dog. He perked up at seeing the animal.

"Puppy!" He said with a grin on his face, he loved all animals, but cats and dogs were his favorite. The young child noticed the white stuff on the edge of the dogs mouth as it sniffed the ground. He eat white cream? Sasuke thought to himself, remembering the cream that his mother would put on his fruit dessert after dinner.

Without any hesitation he began to walk up to the dog. And kindly ask him where he got the cream and if he could possibly have some.

...

...

Itachi sighed tiredly as he wiped away the drops of sweat that appeared on his forehead. He was glad he didn't give in to Sasuke demands of wanting to come with him to their Aunt's bakery to help out. Already he's got a sore back, several splinters in almost all his fingers, and his Uncle accidentally hit his shoulder with his small hammer when he was hanging up their new sign and it slipped from his hands.

If his otouto had been here, he'd most definitely be harmed in someway.

Uruchi Uchiha smiles at her nephew's helpfulness. "Itachi, thank you so much for your help. Though I do feel bad that you got injured so any times."

He smiles at his Aunt's gratitude as she offered him something cold to drink. "It was no trouble, Aunt Uruchi. Please, don't feel bad. These type of things are known to happen." Besides I've already got almost all of the splinters out and I can take some medicine for my shoulder and back when I get home.

Which reminded Itachi about picking Sasuke up from the park after he was finished. He felt guilty for breaking his promise to his little brother. But he'd make it up to him.

"It's rather late, Itachi. You can go home now, your Uncle and I can finished the rest-" His Aunt Uruchi sentence was cut short when a woman's shriek echoed through the wind. Then came another and another, soon it sounded like a mob had formed a few miles away.

"Goodness, what's all the commotion?" His aunt asked curiously.

But Itachi wasn't listening, he had a bad feeling about what was going on. He stood there and prayed that whatever happened didn't involve his otouto.

Other people ran past the bakery to get where loud voices could be heard off in the distance. "Has someone called the medical ninja's yet!?" A man asked some other person he was running with. "A kid was attacked by a rabid dog a few moments ago."

Itachi's blood almost froze. He knew instantly it was Sasuke. His brother loved dogs, so it made sense that Sasuke was too young to know the difference between rabid and normal. He'd want to befriend it instead of run away. Itachi dropped his glass of water and bolted down the street. He ran and ran, maneuvering around others that wanted to know what was going on.

Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! He thought over and over again, The name propelling him forward and refused to stop until he was at where he needed to be. All the while terrified of what he was going to see once he arrived.

Once people around his brother had shifted and moved he was able to get a very good look at the 2 year old. The sight he saw was far worse then anything he have thought. There were bit and slash marks all over Sasuke's body, they were so deep that they started to leave pools of thick red blood on the ground. They were everywhere.

The fear that shot through Itachi's heart was unbearable. "Sasuke!" He cried out his voice hoarse and not sounding like him at all as he shot forward and collapsed on his knees next to his otouto. He slowly held Sasuke in his arms. The two years old head lay limp on his shoulder and he didn't know why but that made Itachi breathe hitch.

"Otouto!" He said desperately, gently shaking the boy in his arms. When Sasuke remained the same, unmoving. That was when tears formed in his eyes. "Sasuke! Otouto! Wake up, please! Please, wake up!" He cried as he hugged his brother close and buried his face in Sasuke's hair that was caked with blood, upon smelling the iron liquid Itachi tried not to gag.

Please don't die! Brother, otouto! I need you, don't leave me! Itachi screamed desperately in his head. Tears fell down his face as his body began to tremble. He felt someone try and take Sasuke out of his arms, but he refused to let go. "No!" Itachi half sobbed half hissed out as he clung onto his brother tighter. He knew that he was being childish, that he looked pathetic in the eyes of others, he couldn't even imagine the looks he was probably getting from the other Clan members. But when it comes to Sasuke, his emotions come out immediately. And seeing his brother like this was making his emotions overflow.

A gently hand landed on his shoulder, making him turn his head around. It was Shisui. His cousin that was three years older then him. To him, Shisui was Itachi's big brother. "Let him go, Itachi. Their just medical ninjas, they're taking Sasuke back to your house so they can help." Sasuke's presence suddenly vanished from his arms.

"N...Nii...san." The voice was barely there but Itachi heard it, he heard his brother. Jerking forward as he stood up he tried to get Sasuke back in his arms.

But Shisui held him back.

"Nii- Nii..."

"Otouto!" He called out, struggling to be near the small child. Itachi felt himself being turned around and then he was being buried in Shisui's shirt. "Shh, Itachi. Calm down. It's okay. Sasuke's going to be alright." He heard his cousin say as arms wrapped around his back. The seven year old squeezed his eyes shut at the older boy's words.

He returned the embrace desperately. Knowing that Shisui would never judge him. "I don't want him to die!" Itachi sobbed out, which was muffled against the clothing of his cousin. "Shis-nii! I can't!" He realized in that second he had called Shisui his nickname, one he was ordered to stop using at the age of three.

"It's going to be fine, Itachi. Sasuke's strong, trust me. He'll be okay." Shisui said in a soothing voice as he attempted to try and calm the seven year old down.

"H-How can you be so sure?" Itachi muttered his voice was frantic and his heart was beating a million miles a minute.

"Because of all the Villages out there we have the best medical shinobi. Sasuke wounds will be healed and wrapped up by the time you get home. So don't worry, cousin. It'll be fine. I promise. Your brother isn't going anywhere."

Itachi closed his eyes and just prayed Shisui was right.

...

...

The medical ninja's stated that Sasuke would be fine. They praised Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha for getting Sasuke his rabies shots before this incident happened.

All he needed was to stay in bed for the next few weeks and he should be up and around soon enough. Itachi stopped listening after they said his brother would be fine. Sasuke was alive, he was going to be alright.

Thank goodness... He thought letting out a sigh of relief. Leaving the grown ups alone to talk, Itachi slipped inside his otouto's bedroom and closed the door behind him. He quietly walked toward his brother and sat down on his knees. Bandages covered Sasuke's arms, his bare chest, face, next and if he lift the blankets up, Itachi would no doubt find bandages on the boy's stomach and legs as well.

As softly as he possibly could, Itachi reached a hand down and rested it on Sasuke's cheek. His throat began to feel abnormally tight. He swallowed roughly. "Oh Sasuke." He whispered out, stroking the child's cheek with his thumb. Itachi squeezed his eyes shut, his heart aching from the pain of seeing Sasuke like this. "I'm sorry."

"Nii-san...?"

Itachi's eyes snapped open and he stared at his little brother.

Slowly the two year olds black eyes cracked open. Turning his head, Sasuke innocently looked up at his aniki. That simple action caused tears to swell up in Itachi eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief.

"Sasuke!" He whimpered out, bowing his head and embraced his boy protectively. "Aniki? What wrong?" Sasuke asked complexly confused as to why his big brother was so upset. But the child nevertheless returned the hug in a attempt to comfort Itachi.

"Don't ever ever do something like that again! Do you realize how petrified I was? I thought you were going to die, I thought I was going to lose you!" He cried out as he tightened his hold on his brother.

"Nii-san, I no get why-" Sasuke trailed off. He suddenly had a flash of a dog hurting him. "Puppy hurt me?" He asked not really sure if what he remembered was real or not.

Upon hearing this Itachi couldn't help but cringe as he nodded. "Yes, the dog hurt you." His heart ached more for his little brother, knowing that Sasuke loved dogs, he was probably scared of them now.

Placing his forehead against Sasuke's, he breathed in a hitched breathe. "You really scared me, otouto..." He felt tiny hands grip his clothing.

"I sorry, nii-san."

He knew he couldn't fault this event on Sasuke, he was just a child. "It's okay, little brother. You didn't know."

They both fell silent, still holding one another. Itachi carefully lifted the cover on Sasuke's futon and laid down.

"Aniki?" Sasuke asked. Looking up at his brother.

"Hmm?"

"Why...puppy hurt me?" His otouto's eyes were suddenly filled with fear and hurt. Tears formed in them as he asked his next question. "I make him mad?"

Itachi's heart was ripped in half at the child's words. He pulled Sasuke closer to him, he bit his lip to keep himself from sobbing. "No, otouto. You didn't make him mad, you didn't do anything wrong... The dog was really sick and when animals are sick like that they lose who they were before they got ill." Itachi informed him, trying to make Sasuke see that it wasn't his nor the dog's fault that it attacked him as best as he could. "Your not to blame, Sasuke."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to start crying. "N-Nii-san! I s-scared of puppies!"

No... Otouto, no. Itachi was afraid of this. And he didn't want his brother to be scared of such a loving animal. He shocked his head and ran a hand through the boy's black hair. "No, Sasuke. It wasn't the dog's fault, he was ill. Please, don't be scared of them, otouto."

The two year old continued to cry against his nii-san's chest. Itachi held him and spoke soothingly to him until his brother fell alseep. Once he was, Itachi began to think of a plan to help Sasuke with his fear.

...

...

Sasuke was getting restless being stuck in bed for a whole week. He had less bandages on his body then when he first started. His wounds were healed, but that didn't mean they couldn't reopen if he wasn't careful. Itachi knew it was the absolute perfect time to put his plan into action. Which took some doing, his mother agreed right away. But his father took a lot of convincing, but thanks to a talkative Shisui his father agreed.

Itachi stood outside his brother's door. He smiled even though he was nervous this wouldn't work. Gently, he slid the door open. "Sasuke?" He said looking at the child who was laying in his bed playing with his green dinosaur that Itachi gave him as a birthday present.

Sasuke smiled as he always did when he saw his Itachi. "Nii-san!" He said happily. Itachi smiled back as he entered his brother's room. Slowly walking towards Sasuke, teasing him a little. "I've got something for you." Itachi announced as he brought the bright red wrapped box with holes on the top, out from behind his back.

His little brothers eyes beamed with excitement. "Gift!? Mine? Aniki?"

Itachi laughed fondly as he looked down at Sasuke. "Yes, otouto. This gift belongs to you. I thought I'd get you something to cheer you up." The grin on Sasuke's face combined with his out stretched hands opening and closing, made him laugh once more.

Kneeling down in front of the two year old he placed the slightly moving gift in his brother's hands. Sasuke, as most children are at his age, widely began ripping the paper off the box and tossed it on his futon.

Sasuke threw the lid off and there stood a small, black puppy with crystal blue eyes. "Rrrfa!" The puppy barked happily as he stuck his tougne out and wagged it's tail. Sasuke's smiled turned to a frown when he saw what was in the box, his scared gaze went to his aniki, who smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright, little brother. He won't hurt you. See?" Itachi said picking up the puppy and his hands and began bring the dog to his own face to prove his point.

"Aniki!- No!" Sasuke said loudly. Fear in his voice, fear that his big brother might get hurt. Itachi smiled at his brother's worry, but brought the small animal closer to his cheek.

"Calm down, otouto. It's not going to injury me. He's just a baby." The seven year old reassured. The puppy was now nose to black nose with Itachi, the black dog started excitingly licking his face. Closing one eye, Itachi laughed as he pulled the puppy away from himself and gently placed him into Sasuke's arms.

To say his brother was scared would be an understatement. The black dog began crawling up the two year old's chest. Sasuke visibly stiffened, then blinked several times in surprise when he felt a tougne lick his cheek, nose, and mouth. Sasuke stared into those crystal blue eyes.

The puppy stared back, innocently.

Not a second later, his otouto then hugged the dog to his chest, a smiled appeared on his face as tears dripped down his cheeks.

Itachi watched the scene, quietly. A smile of his own plastered on his lips. "What are you going to call him?" Innocent, childish eyes met his own and Sasuke gently turned the dog around and shoved him inches away from Itachi's face.

"Burakkī! Puppy is Burakkī!"

The older of the two laughed again as the newly named Burakkī licked his nose. "Burakkī? That's a fine name, otouto. It fits him."

Sasuke giggled as he placed Burakkī on the ground, who started to investigate his new home intently, and carefully crawled over and hugged his dear nii-san. "Thank you... Otouto loves nii-san."

Itachi closed his eyes, his heart swelled with warmth and love for his brother as happy tears pricked the corner of his eyes as he heard Sasuke play their game, they haven't played in a year.

He returned the embrace. Rubbing his brothers back and a light hand going through the boy's hair.

"Nii-san loves otouto, too."

I realize I physically hurt Sasuke more then I do Itachi. Maybe it's cause I like writing a Worried!Frantic!Protective!BigBrother! Itachi? I'm sorry if Sasuke's talking annoyed any of you, it's just... he's age 2 in this Drabble. Some two year olds can't really say that much, and if they can it's not a full sentence. It's one word at a time. Like Caesar from Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes movies.

Burakkī means Blackie in Japanese.

Or so Google Translate says. English is my mother language. So I apologize if I got it wrong. I just thought the Japanese translation sounded cooler then just "Blackie."

When I was a kid I remember I had a black dog named Blackie, I wish I knew how to say it in Japanese then, cause it sounds a lot better.