Hierarchical Complexity

by IceHaze

Understanding and predicting the behaviors of humans requires extensive analysis. Understanding and predicting the behaviors of Uchiha Itachi requires a miracle.

3. II Nominal

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Sailor Moon, but I do pwn it. :3
Timeline: Non Massacre, slighlty alternate
Author's Notes: Oh wow, major hiatus on my part. I can't blame anything except the squash. Damn those squash. This chappy is major Sasu-cakes and Itachi. And as promised, the rabbit returns.
Warning: Language and suggestive situations

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Nominal

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It honestly could have been anything-the flu, a slight neurological disorder, or even a bout of mild schizophrenia. After all, his big brother was showing several signs that he was indeed going insane, or at least suffering from vivid hallucinations. It could even quite possibly be some severe side effects of a previously transmitted genjutsu from an earlier mission. And if the extravagant amount of sweets he had been bringing home wasn't a clue, then surely his newfound interest outside the household was. But Itachi's health still wasn't the greatest concern circulating through his mind. It was the fact that his brother seemed to do everything possible to avoid returning home after any kind of duty. And he wondered if any of that behavior was a direct result of him. He could even be avoiding him if only to escape more responsibility. Every time he met with his brother, he demanded more training. Yet Itachi would always turn down the request and find a means to retreat; perhaps avoiding the situation altogether was much simpler?

Itachi's workload had increased intensely in the recent years and his leisure time was compromised as well. And yet, despite all reasoning, he was adamant that most of the stress was a result of his constant interference in Itachi's life. The guilt and self-inflicted fault of causing the stress repeated constantly in his head until Sasuke found that he could no longer focus on anything else. The trees surrounding him began to distort into odd monstrous shapes. The sky was suddenly receding away from him, shifting into a darkness that was only illuminated by small abnormal lights. His body began to lose its strength and soon enough, he felt completely isolated from reality. His missions didn't matter, training didn't matter, his team didn't matter and the memories of his beloved friends and family flashed sporadically before disappearing from the contents of his mind soon after. It was a complete surreal feeling of being in an entirely different world. The pain from the guilt was all too consuming. His breathing grew irregular; his eyes suddenly lost the power to stay open. And after taking only a few more steps forward, did he suddenly realize the newly cut grass below his feet was instantly smashed right against his cheek. And it wasn't until the blurry image of his friend rushing to his side did he realize the pain he was feeling was very much real.

"Damn it, Sasuke! You told me you were going to dodge!"

He voiced his irritation in a half groan, half slurred curse. After all, screaming never helped accomplish anything faster. "Shut up." In a sluggish attempt, he managed to hoist himself upright, sit lazily on the grassy meadow and survey his surroundings. A few minutes of regaining focus and consciousness brought Sasuke back to the reality of this current world. And it was then that he realized the excruciating pain on his arm. And only after removing the protective garment, did he see exactly how deep a wound it was. Of course, the excessive blood was already a major indicator.

"Damn, that looks worse than I thought it was."

He watched as Naruto sloppily bandaged up his wound while trying to shake the previous thoughts out of his head. He had never been one to be distracted, at least not in front of his teammates. It was embarrassing to say the least, that a common projectile, so easily avoidable by genin, was able to land such a deep slash on his arm. He blamed it on his brother. After all, if it weren't for him, he wouldn't be in such a predicament. And he frowned slightly at the thought, as well as the bleeding that still continued to pour out from the bandages. Naruto probably did try his best, but it simply wasn't sufficient. There had been absolutely no pressure added to his arm. The scared doe was probably too afraid to cause him any slight discomfort or pain. Useless.

Naruto watched as Sasuke reached over to his bag and pulled out the gauze, using his teeth to rip it open and begin reworking his bandaged right arm. The other bandages were tossed and he could see from the small pile, how much blood had been lost. It wasn't a shock that Sasuke fainted so quickly. It was quite the laceration. But he wondered how such a simple wound ended up on his friend. After all, Sasuke was never one to fall for small gimmicks, nor did he ever lose his focus in a battle. And yet today, he couldn't seem to get his focus on even one detail of the fight. He could tell from the beginning this was just one of those days.

"Wow, teme. You're pretty good at medical jutsu. Did your brother teach you this?"

Sasuke continued bandaging up the arm and hid it well behind his arm sleeve, casting a scowl upwards at him. "This isn't medical jutsu you idiot. It's first aid. And we learned it the first month at the academy."

"I knew that. I was just testing you."

"Whatever." He wondered why he got paired up with, what he considered, two fairly useless ninja. Naruto had the lowest scores in the entire graduating class. He barely knew any jutsu and was pretty weak in his physical attacks. On top of that, his speed, evasion and concealing abilities were fairly poor, even for a genin. Then there was Sakura who, much like Naruto, possessed no jutsu other than the standard transformation required of all academy students. She did, however, score top marks in tests; he gave her that much. In fact, she even beat his marks in the final outcome of the class top scores. It made him second place, which was something he still felt a little bitter about. Whether it was because she was female or because for once he wasn't number one, he didn't know. But most likely, it had a lot to do with his brother, for Itachi had always been the first in everything. First born, first in class, first to reach chuunin, first in the family to be in Anbu, but most importantly, the first to be cared for. And it didn't seem that let up any when he started growing up because his father had yet to pay any attention to him. He didn't think that would change, at least not anytime soon anyway. And his brother never cared for his father's attention; it was something he secretly envied, something Itachi always took for granted.

"Ha! I can't believe my shuriken actually landed a hit on you. Guess I'm better at accuracy than you thought. Or maybe you're not as great as you make yourself out to be." He ran a quick finger through the bridge of his nose, in a haughty gesture. Nothing infuriated his friend more than to be put down for a lack of ability. And he had to admit it; he loved bickering with Sasuke at times. Call him a child or just a plain idiot, but it was the only moment he left his emotions unguarded. And it was always worth it to see him lose his cool. But apparently not today, because Sasuke wasn't budging. He would usually take this opportunity to continue his tirade of verbal insults, but he was evidently not in the mood.

"Hey what's wrong with you? It's not like you to lose focus."

Sasuke debated on whether or not to inquire anything of Naruto. It really was just a family affair; however, he found that he couldn't discuss it with his family—especially since it involved a family member. His father never really had a deep conversation with him and he was honestly afraid of approaching him at times. And his mother…he was afraid she would take things out of context and babble it to Itachi, who she usually went to first when she had something to inquire. There were really no secrets with women. And it was something that drove him insane. Therefore, if it was the only way to ease his worry then it wouldn't hurt to ask Naruto, even if he was low in the intelligence department.

"Hey, dobe, let me ask you something."

"What?"

"Let's say there's someone close to you acting weird…"

"Acting weird…how?"

"Well, suppose that person goes missing for awhile, becomes more distant or begins to deviate from the norm. What do you think that means?"

Naruto frowned, unsure what Sasuke was talking about or who for that matter. He wasn't one to take interest in other people's affairs unless they were close to him, and the only close people to Sasuke were his family and squad. He was fine, as were Sakura and Kakashi. He never heard any complaining about his parents other than the occasional praises about Sasuke's brother and his rapid advancement. It made Sasuke insanely competitive. And he still had not stopped complaining about it, so that left only Itachi as the source of his problems.

"Does this have anything to do with your brother?"

Sasuke's hand stilled. He hadn't expected Naruto to analyze a situation so quickly; then again, he was also the number one ninja of surprises. Maybe he wasn't so low in brain power after all.

Naruto gloated at having figured correctly and smiled goofily. "I wouldn't worry about it. I mean your brother's a lot older than you so maybe he has adult problems."

"Adult problems, like what?"

Naruto pondered about this. He didn't know what constituted as an "adult problem," but he was always told that by Iruka sensei whenever he voiced his reasoning on adults having too much freedom. Iruka assured him that adults had just as many burdens if not more than children. Itachi may not be as old as Iruka but maybe he was experiencing the same 'burdens.'

"Well…uh…oh, I know! Sometimes Iruka-sensei is always talking about how teachers have too much work on their hands with handling kids and not enough time to rest from it. That sometimes they need a vacation to get away from it all because adults have too much responsibility and the stress builds up. It's one of the reasons why Iruka-sensei has such a short fuse on me. But whatever, I think he's just being lazy."

Wait, Naruto definitely had something there. The symptoms of Iruka were very much like his own brother. They both had tons of workloads and not enough time for simple relaxation. "Does he ever…blame it on anything?"

"Yeah, usually me! It's so unfair. I mean, sure I used to skip his class a lot and purposely screw up the lessons or pull off weird pranks, talk in the middle of his lectures and sneak in dirty magazines, but it's going too far just blaming me for the source of all his problems, right? Adults should accept more responsibility for their own actions!"

The statement might have sounded absurd at any other time considering how much blame he put on Naruto and not Iruka, but Sasuke could only think of how much of a burden he was to Itachi. And he wondered if his older brother ever blamed his stress on him.

"What else does he say?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing, just nags a lot. But that's just Iruka-sensei. I don't really pay attention too much to anything he says. Besides if I'm such a nuisance then why does he always take me out for ramen in the end?"

He had never received a similar treatment. Itachi never rewarded his actions by treating him to any form of entertainment. The time they spent together was becoming more professional with each meeting. And even those meetings were becoming sparse; or at least less frequent then back when he was still in the academy. He shouldn't have been surprised; Itachi had given him a fair warning that would be the case, especially once he began to accept more missions as a captain. And that old saying found his way back into his mind: it's the things you love the most that get taken away.

Everyone had a childhood moment he or she cherished, whether it be festive traditions or annual celebrations. But for Sasuke, it was the moments he shared with his family, specifically his brother, which meant the most. He had to admit, he held such deep admiration for him. It hurt to think that his brother did not cherish the same memories of which he was so fond.

"Is there something wrong with your brother?" When Naruto received an empty response, he decided to continue. "They say the best way to deal with a problem is tackle it head on. Me? I'm too impatient to wait around for people to fess up. If you do have some kind of problem with your brother, stop being a baby about it."

"I'm not being a baby."

"I could practically hear that pout, you know?"

"Shut up."

"Whatever. Hopefully you're in a better mood by the time we leave. If Kakashi-sensei catches us fighting again, he'll make us do laps and carry all the equipment for the next mission. Not to mention make us miss meals. So I'm just saying you should take care of the problem before our mission. You have a habit of dragging me into your problems."

"Idiot. You're the one that's always dragging me into your crap. And what makes you think it's about my brother, anyway?"

"Because you haven't denied it, yet." He gave a goofy laugh and relaxed his head on two small arms.

"You're actually using psychology? You obviously got it from Usagi because I seriously doubt you would come up with something clever like that."

"Ha ha. You got me there. Just some things I picked up that she uses on me. I swear…they should have named her Kitsune instead. It suits her more in some ways."

"Whatever."

"Actually, now that we're on the subject…Usagi nee-chan has been acting a little off herself."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she does similar things, I guess. She'll disappear for a long time after or between missions. Whenever I ask her what she's doing, she purposely dodges the question. And then she tells me she's just doing more 'training.' I mean, Usagi nee-chan hates doing more work than she needs to. No way is she overworking herself for enlightenment."

"That sounds like my brother."

"Maybe it's an age thing. Your brother and Usagi are about the same age. Maybe it's just a phase they're going through. Or maybe ninja their age just get more work."

"Ninja their age are in the most suited physical condition so that could be a possibility."

"Usagi nee-chan is also trying to make it to jounin. That could be why she's training harder. Maybe your brother is also getting ready for a promotion?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "He's a captain in Anbu. What more can he possibly hope to achieve? He peaked too early if you ask me." He mumbled that last part to himself. Itachi had achieved so much at a young age. And here he was, twelve…and just barely a genin. Life wasn't fair.

"Hey what about Hokage? The old man should be close to croaking. Maybe he's ready to pass the torch?"

That comment earned him a rare mild snort. There were very few moments Sasuke showed amusement. And even a breath of air was a miracle. "I can't imagine my brother as Hokage…ever."

"Jealous are we?"

"Hardly."

"Then why do you say that? Your brother is like the strongest person in the village next to the old man. On top of that he's one of the most admired. He has the ability and support. What's there left?"

"Desire. You don't know my brother as well as I do, naturally. And there's one thing about him most people wouldn't know or assume."

"And what's that."

"The guy's incredibly lazy. Even for work, my father has to drag him into the office. Like it's the most tasking job in the world. Like spending time with his father is the most painful job in existence. Ungrateful brat…"

Naruto opened his mouth to reveal a toothy smile. "Someone's jealous," he sang.

"Whatever, moron. Look, I have to get going. I'm meeting my brother soon."

"Hey, wait. Don't forget. We're leaving today. You can't just take off to spend time with your family."

"I'll make it back in time, alright? We're just going to prepare for the mission. I'll meet up with you guys by sundown at the rendezvous point."

"Don't be late."

"Worry about yourself. Later, dobe." He ran off in a hurry. His previous thoughts about his cherished childhood moments resurfaced. And he bore a soft smile until the thoughts from the previous conversation resurfaced. What if Itachi thought of him as a burden? What if he tried everything possible to get out of being with him? He wouldn't be surprised if he cancelled the meeting for today. Why was it that everything was always his fault?

Sasuke slowed his pace down to a crawl. Somehow, the enthusiasm diminished, and he was left with a dreadful feeling of complete disappointment. Maybe it was just one of those days.

---

There was just no sign of it anywhere.

Her fingers flickered to and fro, casting aside several small objects. Old receipts, wrinkled gum wrappers, some containers of cosmetics, a notepad, pencils, a few choice weapons, some snacks and even a small first aid kit; but none of this was relevant to her current situation. And even after all the contents had been brushed aside, including the ones from the smaller pockets, and she rummaged carefully within the dark depths of silky interior fabric, there was just simply no sign of it. With a dejected sigh, she glanced over at the vendor who held her desired item close to him.

"I guess I forgot my wallet at home."

"I don't mean to be rude young lady, but you're holding up the line." He figured she didn't have the adequate currency for the transaction but didn't want to put her on the spot. Instead, opting to make the decision to leave, her own.

Usagi frowned realizing she would have to go without her wild berry smoothie for now. "Yes, sir..." But before she could tell the man to discard or sell away her drink, a few slips of Ryo were slapped onto the counter.

"I have the young lady covered."

"Thank you both. Appreciate the business."

Usagi took her drink slowly from the vendor and walked away from the booth, not once removing her eyes from the man. It was someone so very unfamiliar and it made her slightly on edge; she didn't know if it was the instincts of a kunoichi or just hanging around Itachi for so long. She didn't like acquiring some of his habits, especially his natural assessment of people, but at times it couldn't be helped.

He began to walk away from the stand, and Usagi followed him. Despite her suspicions, she was quick to show her gratitude; she was never one to forego manners, even among strangers. She bowed gracefully. "Thank you, sir. If there's anyway I can repay you…"

He smiled and took her hand in his. "No need; wasn't my money to begin with."

Usagi glanced down at the hand he just shook and noticed her wallet was now in it its palm. She eyed him suspiciously and so he began to clear up the misunderstanding.

"You dropped it a while back. I meant to give it to you earlier but you're surprisingly fast. Finally caught up to you when you stopped for a drink."

"Oh, I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, then."

"It's quite all right. You weren't an inconvenience."

Usagi held out her hand again, in a more formal manner. "Tsukino Usagi, glad to meet you. And you have my thanks again."

He returned the handshake firmly. "Uchiha Shisui. And I assure you, the pleasure was mine."

Usagi's eyes widened considerably in fascination. "You're an Uchiha?"

"Yes. Does that shock you?"

"N-no."

He gave a small chuckle at her speechless state. "What? Don't tell me this is the first time you've ever spoken to an Uchiha."

"Well, no…I mean…"

"So I'm not the first Uchiha you've met?"

"Well, yes. No, I mean…" She hated how she stumbled when caught off guard. It was one of the many things Minako teased her about. Simply put, she couldn't lie to save her life. But she had to now, in some way, save herself from his scrutiny. "What I meant was, yes, I have met an Uchiha… in passing. I'm just speechless that an Uchiha would consider wasting his time to help me with my problem. But I guess that's the duty of a policeman right?"

"You know of the Uchiha police?"

After saving herself the first time, she was quick on her toes at his newer questions. The initial surprise wore off and she was ready now at anything he threw at her. But she would have to play it off a little more informal. She didn't want him becoming suspicious of a cover-up. "Everyone knows the Uchiha Police! They're amazing at everything they do to protect the village. I honestly admire their hard work."

"Well, thank you. But may I ask how you knew I was with the Uchiha Police?"

"Because all Uchiha men that reach adolescence become part of the police squad. It's a given."

Sometime during the talk, the two had begun to walk along side each other. He honestly had no idea where she was headed but continued to follow her regardless. And it was at her recent comment that he turned his head back over to her in an amused smile. "And how would you know that?"

Usagi's eyes lost focus. That last part wasn't something of common knowledge. She learned it from Itachi. But she couldn't exactly tell him that. "Well, it's just an observation I made from watching you guys. All the Uchiha in the police department are males. I've never once seen any females. And you're all at least in your mid-teens. So I deduced that there must be an age and gender discrepancy."

"Interesting for someone who has only seen our clan in passing."

Shit. This guy wasn't stupid, of that much she was certain. But why was he asking her so many questions? Either way, she couldn't let up the game. "Well I have. You see when I was a genin, we used to do several delivery missions. I used to deliver things back and forth in the village and passed by the police department several times. I just picked up a few observations during that time is all." She glanced over at him to see if he would buy it and he appeared to with a soft smile.

"Ah, I see. Well even so, it's quite a conclusion for a chuunin to draw."

Her brows scrunched. It was her turn to be suspicious. "Hey, how did you know that I was a chuunin?"

He looked over to her and ran his hand lazily from her elbow to her shoulder and around her neck. Usagi blushed and faltered momentarily at the sudden touch until she realized what it was he was aiming for.

"All chuunin wear these." He said simply while holding the small piece of fabric that she was carrying around her neck like a scarf.

"Oh, right. And in that case, you must be a jounin right? Because of your vest."

"Correct. So now, tell me something Usagi."

She watched him with hidden scrutiny, wondering what other questions he possibly had for her. Well, luckily she was fairly good at improvisation. She learned a bit from Itachi who liked nothing more than coming up with stupid excuses on the spot.

"Do you like senbei?"

She blinked away the previous suspicion. "Senbei?"

"Yes, senbei."

"The cookie?"

He shook his head and laughed. "Unless there's a senbei jutsu, yes the cookie."

"Oh well…yeah. I do actually. I love sweets."

Shisui glanced momentarily at her. A spark in his eye lit up. "Oh do you, now?"

"Yeah, all kinds! I love cookies, dango, anmitsu, cakes of any kind, ice cream—oh sorry was I rambling?"

"No. Not at all. Actually, I always admire a woman who speaks passionately about her interests. I'm glad you like sweets because I was going to suggest if you wanted to accompany me for some senbei. My treat?"

"Well…" She really had nothing planned for the day but was still suspicious about going to eat with someone she hardly knew. Well, it wasn't like it was a date or anything. And strangely enough, she was curious to get to know him. But why that was, she really had no idea. "Sure, I'd love to!"

"Great, then let's go. I know the best place to get senbei in town."

They walked closely together and it wasn't until they reached the entrance of the Uchiha estate did Usagi began to physically show her anxiety.

"Are you sure we should eat here? There are other senbei shops in town."

"Are you kidding? Auntie Uruchi has the best senbei in town. There's no place else in the entire land of fire that you'll get better senbei than here. I promise you that."

"It's not that. It's just…"

"Relax, okay? This isn't some secret base. You're allowed inside. Unless, of course…you're a spy, here to gain information for another clan. In which case, I assure you, the consequences will be highly severe."

She paled. "What?"

He laughed loudly. "You're such a sweetheart! But I'm just teasing you. Calm down, you're with me. Just stick close, and you'll be all right."

He grabbed a firm hold of her hand and led her through the roads. When they reached a small wooden shop with a few benches to sit on, he waved a hand over to the two owners.

"Oji-san! Ba-san!" He looked over to Usagi and gave her a wink. "Everyone in the clan calls them uncle and auntie. They run the senbei shop together."

"Shi-chan? Is that you?"

Usagi watched as a fairly plump woman came and engulfed Shisui in a large hug. She had a chubby face as well and her gray hair tied up in a bun, effectively giving her the traditional grandmother appearance. But the strength in her arms was anything but elderly and meek, and Shisui was effectively crushed against her chest.

"Auntie! I can't breathe!" He struggled to break free and eventually managed to do so by pressing her arms up as he escaped from underneath.

"Oh calm down, you big baby. I was just saying hello. I haven't seen you in a long t—" Her gaze was now fixated on only that of Usagi, assessing her openly and after she made her final scan, Uruchi reached over and elbowed Shisui rather roughly. "I see you've brought another pretty girl home, Shisui."

He glanced over nervously at a suspicious Usagi. "Oh, Auntie, Usagi here is just a friend I met today. I brought her over here to try some of your famous senbei."

"Oh, I see." She gave a small wink at Shisui who smiled nervously. The boy never brought 'friends' over, at least not of the female variety. And so with a small smile, she went over to her stand, ready to prepare her specialty brand. "Well then, I'll go and prepare some of my specialty cookies while you sit and talk to your friend."

Usagi stifled a small laugh behind her hands as the woman openly teased Shisui with a few winks. It was quite apparent to her from the beginning that this man was quite skilled in the art of courtship according to this Uruchi. Her wariness grew.

"So Usagi, how about you tell me a little bit about yourself."

"About myself? Like what?" Rule number one with strangers, never volunteer information. Always wait for questions to be asked. It was the first thing Itachi taught her in regards to suspicious shinobi, and there was nothing more suspicious to her than a man who approached women indiscriminately.

"Anything. Likes, dislikes, hobbies. I would genuinely like to get to know you."

All professionalism aside, she was actually flattered to receive a male's attention. And she still was suspicious enough of him that she did want to gain more information. It wouldn't hurt to humor him in order to gain insight. "Well, I like many things actually, so it's hard to choose just one. Let's see…I like star gazing, walks at night, eating sweets…"

He gave a small chuckle. "You're a romantic at heart, I see."

She blushed and looked away shyly. "Most girls are, you know."

"Well then tell me a bit about that reading hobby of yours. You fancy any genre in particular?"

"Don't laugh, but I'm actually interested in graphic novels."

"Erotica?" he winked.

It earned him a slap on the hand. "No, you pervert. I meant manga. I read it quite avidly actually. I'm a fan of action and romance."

"Any particular story that appeals to you more? Maybe…Icha Icha?"

Another slap had him laughing out his apology to her.

"Once again, no. In anyway, those books have nothing on Tasogare Senshi. It is by far the best I have seen. Nothing compares. It has a bit of everything actually. Romance, drama, horror, mystery, action, comedy…"

"It's actually my personal favorite too."

She let out a light snort. "I highly doubt that you read manga."

"Don't be so quick to judge. Here, I'll prove it." After reaching into his vest, he pulled out his latest purchase at the book store. He watched her assess the book carefully.

"Ha! So you do have a copy of the latest issue. I can't wait to read it. I got one myself not too long ago."

"Yeah, I know."

"You do?"

"Well, I mean, I just figured if you're as big a fan as I am, that you'd be up to date with the series."

She watched for all the signs on his facial features. Anything to give away that he was lying or keeping something from her. But he was playing it off very smooth. If he was trying to find out more about her for anything other than simple courting interest, then he was hiding it well. But before Usagi could do more assessments, a small plate of treats was placed on the table, right beside her drink.

"Here you kids go. A few of my specialty made senbei cookies. This is my traditional recipe. Believe it or not Usagi, I used to make these for Shi-chan when he was just a little boy. When it came time to go to the academy, he was so scared. And so I made these cookies to help calm his nerves. It's been a tradition for Uchiha kids to come get some from me every morning before classes since then."

"Oh come on, Auntie, you're not going to spout off embarrassing stories from my childhood again, are you? Even my own grandfather doesn't put me in such awkward situations."

"Come now. I was just reminiscing on old times. You were one of the most adorable little babies ever. Next to Itachi-chan, of course. That little boy was such a sweetheart. Always following Mikoto around."

Usagi's heart pounded faster at the name. She knew it was a bad idea to head into the Uchiha compound. It was the epicenter of turmoil, and she plunged right into it without bothering to adhere to her instincts. She had to steer the conversation away. "These cookies are amazing Auntie Uruchi! They really are the best in the whole land of fire!"

"Oh my, what a flatterer you are Usagi!"

"No! I really mean it, they're great."

Uruchi glanced over at Shisui. "You know who else was a flatterer? Itachi-chan. Do you remember, Shi-chan? Why, when that boy was little, he would try every trick in the book to squeal his way into my shop for free cookies. A little con artist he was. And such natural charm too! It's a wonder why he's never had a girlfriend."

"I've always wondered that myself Auntie."

"Oh but where are our manners? Usagi, here we are babbling about someone you probably don't even know about. He's a dark-haired boy with shoulder length hair he keeps tied. Honestly, I think that look is too rebellious. But I suppose that's the style you children go for these days." She chuckled at an after thought. "I assume that dangerous allure is also what attracts the women too. I've seen several show their appreciation; even the married ones."

"Oh, is that so?" She giggled in reply. It was getting quite warm and she desperately wanted out of there. She began to take small sips of her smoothie.

"Say, maybe you've met Itachi-chan, Usagi-chan."

"Oh, um, maybe…" The sips subsequently quickened as she tried desperately to still her heartbeat.

"It's quite possible, Auntie. Usagi here has seen many Uchiha in passing, apparently some at HQ. It's highly probable she's run into Itachi."

"Who knows?" She rubbed her neck, trying to destroy the tingling sensation she felt at having this conversation. "But you know, with so many Uchiha, it's highly unlikely. We may just have passed each other on the street or something."

"Well he's not hard to miss, sweetie. He is the only Uchiha that also doubles as an Anbu captain."

"Yes, Usagi, surely you have some knowledge of the Anbu squads."

"I, um… you know what? I can't recall honestly." Small traces of sweat began falling down the back of her neck. But before she could try another attempt at changing the topic, an elderly man wearing an apron approached the table.

"There you two go off again, scaring this poor girl out of her wits with your banter."

Usagi whipped her head around to face the man carrying a brown bag with him. It didn't take her long to make the connection upon seeing Auntie Uruchi approaching this man and gazing at him with a delicate tenderness.

"We're doing no such thing."

"Either way, don't crowd the poor girl. Give her room to speak for herself." He turned now towards Usagi who was curiously looking up at him. "What I think these two are getting at is if you do meet him, as a friend of Shisui, you might want to introduce yourself too. You two boys go way back, don't you, Shisui?"

"We sure do, Uncle. You could say we're like brothers."

"All right. Let's go. Just leave these two be." He began ushering his wife back to the bakery stand.

"Oh come on now! We were simply talking!"

"Sure you were…"

Their chatter faded away and Usagi redirected her attention back to Shisui who was laughing nervously.

"Embarrassing, aren't they? I bet your family is always doing things like that to make the situation more awkward."

Usagi bit into her cookie and merely shook her head at the thought. "No, not at all."

"Really? Your lucky, then."

She smiled sadly. "It's hard to be embarrassed by a family that doesn't exist."

His lips drew in tightly and his eyebrows scrunched, suddenly losing all humor in his demeanor. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I'm used to it."

"How…?" he inquired cautiously.

She was actually used to curiosity of her past. All her friends from the academy and even Naruto had often inquired about it. It was still a sad memory, but one that didn't necessarily damper her moods entirely, as she was very small when she had lost them. And as the time went by, it became more and more of a blurred memory from a distant life.

"My father was a merchant here in Konoha; he really loved to travel and see exotic new places and found that was the best way to contribute to the village while simultaneously indulging in his favorite pastime. One day, he traveled to Iwagakure where he met my mother. She was a designer of sorts and loved sewing and weaving fabrics, anything from casual kimonos to actual combat attire. My father continued traveling back and forth constantly to see her. Originally, they were just business partners; but one day they got married and then not too long after, I was conceived. During my birth, however, my mom suffered from complications and a few months later, she passed away from pneumonia. My father took me back to Konoha where I lived with him for a couple of years, until the third ninja war came. He was killed one day by the ninja that infiltrated the village. Since then I've pretty much been on my own. Ojii-san, the third Hokage, as well as the orphanages set up for the children who lost their families after that war, all helped me get along okay. With them around, I suppose it wasn't so lonely. My friends helped out too. In the end, I'd like to think I managed alright."

"I…wow. I mean, I don't know what to say to that."

She giggled at how she actually managed to get him to quiet down. "It's fine. I didn't mean to get so serious."

"So, did they leave you anything to remember them? Like heirlooms or amulets?"

"Well, my father left behind logs of his travels. It's the only reason I know as much as I do now about them. There's also an old checkbook and records of his transactions. But aside from that he only left behind a compass, a few maps and a protractor. There's also a kimono my mother apparently made me but I'm much too old for that now."

He gave her a sly wink. "You could always save it for your future children."

She blushed profusely before dismissing the idea. "Kids are nowhere in my immediate future, but I will keep that in mind. At the moment, I have a really amazing dream I'm aspiring to make come true."

"And what would that be?"

"I want to chart my father's old course. The ones he left behind in his logs and maps. My wish is to someday navigate through those courses and follow the path he took in his travels—like a sightseeing tour. I can sketch out everything I see and make a log for myself."

"Actually, that does sound pretty amazing. Any idea on when you'll get around to it?"

She sighed heavily. "At the moment, I'm a little more preoccupied with my training to become a jounin. But I have secured a few months of vacation time before my actual trials begin. So I may navigate through a few of the paths. I suppose time will tell how far I can get."

"I suppose so. And hey, who knows? Maybe you'll meet that special someone on your journey."

"What? No…I don't think so."

"It's not too bizarre. You meet a lot of people in your travels. Unless you've already met someone you like…"

"Well, I…no! There is no one in my life right now."

"Is that so?" he smirked.

"And I'm not exactly looking either." She was firm in getting her point across.

He merely gave out another deep chuckle. "Fair enough."

She glanced down at her wrist watch which was concealed underneath the table. He had yet in all this time to inquire anything other than casual questions about her life. If he was after something else entirely, he was pursuing his task horribly. And realizing that perhaps she had jumped to conclusions, she decided it was time to bid him farewell. She was done with her work for the day and desperately wanted to get home and relax. "I'm sorry. I hope you don't think me rude, but I do need to get going."

"No, it's quite fine. Would you like me to escort you home?"

She refused politely and when he offered her a take-out bag for her senbei, she would have refused as well, had Auntie Uruchi not returned upon seeing the two get up and insisted on taking a few more bags home. She obliged kindly.

"Come back and see us again, Usagi-chan."

Honestly thinking nothing of the sort so as to avoid more trouble, she simply smiled and nodded. "Thank you all again for your hospitality."

They watched her as she walked away with her items. And it wasn't until she was out of the compound that Uruchi elbowed Shisui again roughly. "So how long do you think this one will stick around Shisui?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I told you, Auntie. Usagi is just a friend. But, I am kind of hoping she sticks around for awhile."

"Well, take some advice from an old lady like me." She hitched her thumb and pointed over to where Usagi once stood. "That girl is a keeper." Offering nothing else in conversation, she busied herself by wiping off the table and heading back to her shop with trash in tow.

Shisui too gazed off at Usagi's last spot and smiled.

"I think so too."

---

He disregarded following Usagi after Shisui intervened. She disappeared by then anyway. And so he walked to the training field, where he was scheduled to meet Sasuke, and waited patiently. Maybe it was still just training, more work in the eyes of anyone else. But being with his brother was much like his other two close friends—a distraction, an alleviation from the stress of work. And seeing his brother progress, knowing he helped out somewhat in his growth brought on a deep male pride within him. They may be rivals in the future, rivals now even, and someday Sasuke may grow competitive enough to actually feel resentment for him; but today, and each day after until that moment came, they were simply brothers.

His eyes caught movement in the distance. When he saw a familiar set of spiky dark hair walking up towards him, he began to wave until he noticed Sasuke wasn't paying attention at all. And it was then, his heart began to beat faster and a terrible feeling of anxiety overwhelmed him. He kept his stoic expression nonetheless.

"You're late."

"I was training with Naruto for a bit."

"Well if that's the case, you should have just continued sparring with him before your mission. There was no need for me to interrupt you."

He glanced up to his brother, wondering what that emotion was. Whether it was genuine concern for disrupting his practice or a method of prying him away, he didn't know. But because of the conversation he held with Naruto earlier, he was betting on the latter.

"It's fine. I wanted to get as much done as possible before I left. This is the first long-term mission we've received. We'll be out of Konoha for awhile. I need to be well prepared."

"Agreed. Which is why I have the perfect training just for this occasion. Let's go. We have some preparations to complete before we begin."

Despite his concerns, he had to admit, he felt a small trickle of excitement. Maybe he needn't worry. Everything would be fine. And with that in mind and the sudden anticipation of sparring with his brother coursing through his veins in heavy adrenaline, he let his lips quirk up ever so slightly, in a soft and gentle smile.

And when Itachi glanced back and caught that brief moment, his muscles relaxed, feeling that maybe things were going to be alright after all. And they continued their walk into town. But upon arriving to their first destination and giving Sasuke his first part of training, he watched in humor as his brother's smile turned into a scowl, mixed with discontent and skepticism.

"This is a joke, right?"

"No. Consider this your first part of training."

"You're not serious."

"Very much so, Sasuke."

"This is pointless."

"Indulge me and you might learn something."

Sasuke sighed and did as he was told. His eyes glanced to and fro, with careful scrutiny. This wasn't necessarily one of his favorite tasks, nor was it one that he particularly excelled on. But nonetheless, his brother watched him with silent amusement as he failed consecutively. With one hand, he reached over to one item but upon seeing his brother give it a subtle shake of the head, he reached over to another one. And once again, his decision was disapproved.

"This is so annoying! And why are we here shopping? I want to go train!"

"Sasuke, gathering items for your mission is of upmost importance. For that reason, I brought you here. Consider this lesson one: gathering your materials."

"But how am I supposed to pick the right weapons? I don't even know what I'm up against. In anyway, it's just an escort mission. C-rank at most."

"Never underestimate the dangers of a shinobi's mission. You may have a C-rank mission but neighboring ninja may not; and what if your paths cross? On top of that enemy ninja of this village lurk everywhere; it's dangerous for you to let your guard down because of a simple technicality. Outside of these gates, you and your team are on your own. There's no turning back once you've set out for your mission, unless you want a failure mark on your ninja report. On top of that, there's no telling when the next shop will present itself. You must collect as much as possible before setting off. I believe it was one of the first lessons of the academy."

He pouted. As much as he loved his older brother, he really could not tolerate being patronized. And he wasn't sure Itachi was always conscious of that habit; he did it all the time.

"Well then, why can't I have those Arare Pellets?"

"There's no point in carrying those. They don't deal enough damage and those are best used long-range. If you're fighting your opponent long-range, you might as well just use plain shuriken. They're sturdier and deal a lot more damage."

"But it wouldn't hurt to carry both, right? Besides, you're the one that said to carry all that I can."

"I said to carry as much as possible," he corrected. "You have a limited supply of space in your bag. You have to show more efficiency as well as strategic planning when selecting the right weapons. Unless you can do a quick scroll summoning, which I doubt at the moment. So just stick with the basics for now."

Sasuke sighed in irritation, having been once again patronized by his brother. "Okay."

"Now, try again. And this time, think before you pick."

He took a deep breath and after regaining some focus, his eyes searched the tool dealer's table. He scanned carefully, trying to decide which item was best for his mission. Strategy and efficiency. His eyes fell upon the steel ring. They looked really nice and had a good firm handle but knew instantly Itachi would disapprove. A kunai was much more powerful and provided good coverage for both short and long distance since it could be held or tossed. But a steel ring was light in weight and couldn't put up much of an offense let alone defense. It was something they used in the academy to practice on logs. A definite 'no' to carry. The sickles were just ridiculously long and he wouldn't be able to fit it in his bag regardless. On top of that, it took great dexterity to wield one since managing its trajectory was difficult. And he was nowhere as proficient as his brother in that field.

Finally, Sasuke's eyes settled on a peculiar looking kunai. Its edges were different from that of a regular kunai and he instantly recognized it as a double-edged weapon. It was perfect in the event he was caught in close-range combat. He would be able to hit more vital points and make a deeper incision in that case. And when he reached out to grab them without seeing Itachi shake his head left and right, he knew he made his first correct choice.

"Good. Now you're thinking. Go ahead and pick up some more items you think you'll need. We have to head over to the next shop."

Sasuke obeyed and decided on a few other choice weapons, including one fuma shuriken that he was certain would come in handy. And as he went to the counter and made his purchase, he noticed on display a rather rare katana. "Whoa, what's that?"

The dealer looked behind him to the glass case before turning around and finishing off the transaction. He gave a small smirk at his answer. "Too much to handle for a genin like you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I'm not your average genin, old man."

The man gave a chuckle. "If you must know, that there is the dragon slayer. A close-range weapon designed for superior combat. But it's too much for a kid like you. For starters, it'd be too heavy for you to lift. Gain a little more muscle in those biceps of yours and then we'll talk numbers."

He scowled and was about to continue his rant but was stopped quickly by Itachi. "Sasuke, let it be. The vendor is right; that weapon is far too advanced for you to handle. Just work with what you have now."

"It's best for beginners, right?" He muttered quietly and kicked an invisible patch of dirt on the ground. In the end, he was still just a kid. And it wasn't until he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder did he look up from the floor.

"Soon, I promise."

He nodded in content. "Ah."

"We have two more stops before we begin our practice."

"Training," he corrected.

"Ah, yes. Training it is."

"What's our next stop?"

"The medicine shop. I need to pick up my vitamins and you'll need a few things yourself. Consider this part two of the training. Know the area you'll be in, become conscious of the problems you will most likely encounter, and figure out what form of remedy will be the best for it."

"Ah."

They entered a new shop, and it carried a very unpleasant scent. Various wild herbs laced with a repulsive and pungent odor were assorted around the edge of the shop, near the glass. Several people were walking around inspecting roots, most of them were medical ninja, obviously running errands for the hospital.

"This place reeks," he scratched the edge of his nose, a tingle from the scent causing his sinuses to act up.

"As most medicinal shops do."

"Whatever. So where do we—"

"Sasuke-kun?"

Both turned their attention now to their right, Sasuke's other teammate. She was currently in her usual kunoichi attire and carried a small bag over her left shoulder and parcel in her right hand, containing her obvious recent purchases. She cast a small smile at both Itachi and Sasuke.

"It's nice to see both of you. I was just gathering some medicines for the mission. I wanted to make sure I stocked up properly. There's no telling when the next possible shop will appear, especially in such a remote territory."

Itachi cast a small smirk sideways, his way of telling Sasuke 'I told you so.' But Sasuke merely scoffed away.

Misinterpreting the exchange and hidden meaning, Sakura frowned slightly. Perhaps it was the thought of possibly being a nuisance to the duo considering they were obviously preoccupied with tasks at hand. And with their mission beginning at the end of the day, it was quite possible she was delaying them even further. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Knowing how his brother was, he didn't expect a reply quick enough. And so he decided to intervene. "You weren't interrupting at all. But may I ask you something, Sakura-san?"

"Yes?"

"Are you well educated in the field of medicinal herbs?"

"I'm not even an intermediate, but I do read up on them on occasion. I find it a particular interest and hobby of mine. But why do you ask?"

"I'm escorting my little brother around, preparing him for the upcoming mission. I brought him here to gather a few essentials. Perhaps you can enlighten him a bit. It would be much more efficient for you two to share ideas, considering you are on the same team. That way, not too many items are duplicated and you will be that much more equipped for your journey. "

"I'm not sure how much more help I can be."

He smiled charmingly at her. "I'm sure you'll be more than enough help. I trust your judgment."

She blushed and gave a small nod. "Well, sure. I'll help out. Let me first drop off my father's capsule. He needs a refill on his medication. I'll return shortly."

After he knew she was out of hearing range, he scowled up at Itachi. "Stop flirting with her."

"Jealous, little brother?" he taunted.

"No. I just don't want you to encourage her. Girls like her are fickle, especially at her age. You keep doing things like that and she'll fawn all over you."

He lifted an eyebrow. "I'll manage somehow. But don't worry," he bent down to whisper in his brother's ear, "I won't steal her away from you."

"Shut up. It's not like that."

"Then why are your ears red?"

He desperately held back a blush. "An allergic reaction from all these damn plants, obviously."

"Ah yes, that must be it." He frowned when he noticed Sasuke really scowling. A hunch told him it was more than teasing. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Again, that feeling of being pushed away. Was his brother teasing him for the sake of teasing, or was he once again trying to find a way to relieve himself of the duty that is interacting with his brother? When he noticed Sakura's return, however, he straightened up to avoid suspicion from both her and Itachi.

"I'm going to collect my vitamins. I'll be back shortly you two."

When Itachi left, they both felt a sudden awkward silence. Neither of them had really spoken since they were assigned to team seven. Naruto…he had always spoken to him. Since their early years at the academy, he and the trickster had suddenly become rivals and sparring partners. And while somewhat good friends, they still managed to fight. But at least that was an interaction. Sakura had actually begun as a timid and quiet student. He was assigned a seat right next to her and enjoyed the silent companionship. There was an occasional interaction when he wanted to borrow her notes or a writing utensil. But other than that, it was pretty much silent between them. Then one day it completely changed. She began to speak more avidly and strive for his attention. He suspected this was mostly likely a direct result at the one time he stood up for her in their group project from their bully of a team captain. She must have mistaken this as a token of affection and from that day on, she was constantly pining for him.

"I'm glad to see you and your brother are spending some time together. It will be awhile until you see him again. I'm sure he's happy to spend time with you."

He let out a soft scoff. "I'm sure he's thrilled with toting me around."

She fidgeted with discomfort at the tone of his voice, desperate to move the conversation away from the current topic. "Well, should we get started? How about I tell you what I have already?"

"Ah."

"Well the top three things to consider in a mission are health, stamina and chakra. Any medicinal herbs you buy should cover at the very least, one of these criteria. So my first recommendations are the chakra pills, specifically the toad brand. They are a bit bitter but the results are amazing. I actually read up about how they were created which is a very important aspect into configuring what it is they can help…"

He honestly didn't mean to be rude by tuning her out. But his thoughts were too focused right now on his brother. It was just too peculiar. Itachi must have been hinting it at him all day. Surely those remarks were not coincidental. No, his brother was very calculative in everything he did, including conversations. Perhaps he was too much a coward to create a direct confrontation and wanted him to figure it out himself? Or perhaps he was just saving the embarrassment from his stupid little brother? It was obvious from the weapons stand that Itachi didn't think much of his capabilities. He even implied Sakura had better judgment than he did. And then earlier, he commented on leaving him be with Naruto. As if he was trying to dump him on someone else. He was the one that even encouraged him to hang out with Naruto when he came back fuming at picking fights with him everyday. Was this also his way of getting him off his back? It was around the time he began to take up more missions for Anbu, so he figured that should be the case. Even when he came home wanting practice, Itachi would suggest asking his father instead.

Sasuke clenched his fist tightly. Was he really just that much of a burden?

"And then there are also the energy pills."

"Hmm?" He looked over at her, eyes glazed over as he was still brooding over his mental images of self-insufficiency.

"They're also only temporary, so you have to use them with extreme caution. Some like these steel pills here…" she picked up a capsule of pale colored pills, "…are used to increase your defensive capabilities. They work by pumping energy into your chakra streams and increasing their flows for huge spurts. Some even enhance your taijutsu and genjutsu abilities. But because of the current limitations of medical advancement, they only seem to work for about five minutes per pill. On top of that, they're kind of expensive. That's why it's important to exercise discretion."

He lips curved up into a sardonic smile. "Do you find this is the only way you're useful?"

She faltered her hold on the capsule momentarily, but ended up putting it down gently. A nervous smile adorned her face. "Excuse me?"

"Your knowledge of things, I mean. Aside from that, what else do you have to offer? And when what you have isn't enough, what more could you possibly be then a burden on everyone around you?"

"I…don't think I understand."

She was fighting back tears. Somewhere in the back of his mind, even he knew. But nothing was connecting at the moment. He was just simply thinking out loud.

"What would be the best way to voice that annoyance, hmm? Silence? Confrontation? Indirect Clues?"

"I don't…know." Her eyes cast off a glassy reflection now.

"Just answer me!" he yelled out in frustration.

The tears fell now as she flinched from him. "I don't know…what I did wrong." She ran away now, no longer capable of maintaining a calm demeanor.

And it was only after seeing her tears and watching her scurry away, was the illusion effectively broken. He let out a deep sigh. "You didn't do anything wrong," he whispered into emptiness.

"What happened? I leave you alone for a few minutes and already you're making girls cry."

He only glanced sideways at Itachi who chose now to arrive. Impeccable timing. "Nothing. I know what I'm getting. Let's hurry up and make the purchases before we continue."

Itachi had no reply, allowing Sasuke to gather his medicines. Surprisingly, he needed no hints this time as he was choosing out the correct pills that would provide the most benefits for his team. He figured Sakura must have offered enough input before leaving. But watching the way she left made him worry, and he silently wondered what exactly transpired between the two. Sasuke, however, would probably avoid the topic, and so he let things, for the moment, be as they were.

He led Sasuke to the market and suggested he stock up on some basic food necessities. Nothing perishable, and something that could be eaten with ease. The vinegared seaweed came highly recommended as did most pickled products because of their long shelf life. He watched Sasuke make those purchases and stuff them in his bag.

"Are we done shopping yet? I want to get started on training. I don't have much time left until I have to meet up with my team."

He ignored the tone and simply nodded. "Ah. We can move back to the forest now. I'll show you how to use those weapons properly and give you some suggestions on those pills you purchased."

And as he sped off with his little brother following closely behind, he began to ponder more about what could have happened just now. True, Sasuke was never a smooth talker, especially with girls. He was impulsive, bratty, impatient and slightly arrogant with others his age. He figured that was just with age, that perhaps it would diminish with time. But it also could have been a result of him. His own capabilities may have overshadowed his little brother's. If so, then Sasuke would grasp at any opportunity to feel superior among his comrades. It was that attitude, though, that would get him in trouble. But maybe being on this team would help him out more. It was one of the reasons he suggested making new friends, to ease the pain in his heart. And to find rivalries outside his own household. It was all an effort to make the communication between the two, better.

"This place will suffice. We can train here."

Sasuke followed his cue and stopped, opening his bag and grabbing the weapons he had carefully selected.

"We'll start with the fuma shuriken. First of all, you want to make sure your thumb, index and ring fingers support the majority of the weight when you hold it. When you open it up, you want to quickly move one finger at a time aside as each blade falls. And after they're all retracted, make sure you continue gripping like before, only now with your middle finger in the center. When you're ready to release, wind up like you would a pitch, but release like you would a discus. You want a smooth release. Also, since it creates its own shadow to confuse enemies, you need to be a few degrees to the left or right of your target, all depending on your trajectory. Now did you get all that or do I need to repeat anything?"

"I got it," he replied firmly. Insulted at being treated like a child at the academy.

"Very well. Let's look at your posture first." He watched as Sasuke correctly unwound the weapon, exactly as he was told.

"Good, now aim for that mark right there." He threw a kunai sharply into the bark of the tree as a target practice.

"Okay." Sasuke wound up just as his brother instructed and threw it appropriately. He watched, however, as the shadow hit the edge of the tree while the shuriken spun off to hit another tree. He had forgotten about Itachi's last instructions.

"No, remember you need to calculate the degrees—"

"I know! I just forgot at the moment." He watched as Itachi made a move to retrieve the object but stopped him abruptly. "No, I'll get it."

After grabbing his weapon, he watched as Itachi grabbed his kunai and made a new target. Something obviously easier. He scowled at this.

"This tree is closer. We'll keep it simple for now and work on closer targets. That way you don't have to strain your muscles trying to aim. We'll work our way up from this."

He was angry, but let it go. "Fine." With another try he wound up and threw again. His trajectory was completely off again. But his calculations had been correct. He wondered how he missed.

"Your putting too much strain on your muscles. Given the current target, it's not necessary. You need to use subtle movements or you will be skewing the trajectory off completely each and every time."

"I'm doing fine! It's your technique that's off."

"My technique is fine. You just need to have more focus."

"Well maybe if you explained things better."

"I asked if you wanted me to go over the details again."

"Don't patronize me!"

He sighed. "Look, let's try something else. Why don't you start by using your right hand? It's your dominate one anyway. Let's practice with that first. Once the motion becomes more natural, you can use your left hand."

He stared hard. "No."

"No?"

"I want to practice with my left hand. What's the big deal?"

"Stop being so stubborn and listen to me for once."

"Look, I'm fine! Let's just keep going. We can try the kunai now and get back to the shuriken later."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, searching for something. And in one quick movement, he pinned Sasuke down head first into the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

He ignored him and pulled aside his arm sleeve, eyes widening slightly at the bloody bandages. "Mind telling me when this happened?"

"It's just a scratch. No big deal." He hoisted himself back up.

"It's a laceration. And it could become seriously infected. Why haven't you gone to the hospital to get it disinfected and cleaned properly?"

"I'm not a kid, okay? I can manage for myself. Besides, what if I got it on a mission, huh? There wouldn't be any hospitals then, would there?"

"But you're not on a mission. You have the opportunity to heal yourself. Or what? You'd rather jeopardize your team's safety on a mission by being stubborn and not getting a simple wound checked?"

He just couldn't take it anymore. He hated being patronized. He hated being treated inferior. He hated that his voice was always left unheard. Whether it was in his clan, family or just between the two. But more than anything, he hated this heavy feeling of being treated as nothing more than a nuisance. "Fuck you!"

That was it for him as well. "What the hell is wrong with you? I have done nothing but try to help you all day and you've done nothing but give me attitude back. If you don't want my help then why bother asking for it? Why waste my time?"

"It all comes out now, huh?"

He stilled as Sasuke grew serious.

"It's just a burden on you, right?"

It all came to him at once. The brooding, the anger, the lack of focus, the insecurity…

"Sasuke, I never said you were…"

"And I don't need you smothering me and treating me like a child. I can handle myself."

"I wasn't trying to…"

"I don't need your help." He glared fiercely at Itachi, not once flinching.

"You're the one that asked for my he—"

"Are you saying that I'm completely hopeless without your help? That on my own I can't accomplish anything?"

"I never once doubted your skills, Sasuke. I just—"

"Well you're wrong. I don't need you!"

It was supposed to be a simple training session. Sasuke would come in, they would begin exercises; he would teach him a new technique in handling his weapons or increasing his speed. But now this? Someday they would be rivals, someday he would grow resentment towards him. It was always someday, not today.

"All our parents ever see is you. It's always 'Itachi this' or 'Itachi that.' I'm sick of living in your shadow and pretending that we're the loving brothers everyone expects us to be."

It really did hurt him to hear those words.

"Tch, you just…piss me off…"

He stared blankly, watching as his brother brushed past him.

"I'm done here. I'm going to prepare for my mission."

It was always 'someday' in his head. Somewhere far off in a distant future and as unreachable as the heavens. That no matter how hard he sought out to grasp, only emptiness would return. And they would continue to live on their normal roles. He never expected to reach out and catch it. Never expected that day would come so soon.

With a sigh of resignation, he left the area and headed back into town. With nothing really planned that afternoon, Itachi walked around aimlessly. He imagined he could go train on his own, but he didn't really have the will or energy to do anything. His stomach began to profess its hunger so he decided that eating was a better solution to this latest problem. It would help take his mind off of Sasuke's sudden coldness.

He went to the nearest takoyaki stand and decided he would eat those for a snack. His mother used to make them when he was growing up, and he had to admit, comfort food was what he needed at the moment. He retrieved his order as soon as it was ready. A scowl present on his face as, this time, he was well prepared for the intrusion.

"What are you doing, following me? And don't you have work at headquarters?" Itachi followed his friend's movements as he too retrieved an order of takoyaki. The two walked away from the stand and found a stone bench to eat their snack.

"Well, my work wrapped up early, probably because I started complaining too much about guard duty tonight. You know what they say. You don't get, if you don't ask."

"Or whine in your case."

"Whatever works."

"Spoiled brat…"

"Bitter virgin…"

Itachi's glare was deadly and Shisui thought that maybe he did go a tad far that time. But he continued to smile nonetheless. The reaction was priceless.

"Anyway, I didn't come find you to pick a fight. I came to talk to you about something else."

"Oh…?"

"There's this girl I met today…"

"As opposed to every other day?"

"Just hear me out, okay?"

He returned the glare again.

"You don't care listening to this, do you?"

"Not at all..."

"Good, then I'll continue!" He smiled triumphantly.

Itachi sighed as he nibbled on his first takoyaki. Shisui always did have a way with words…a way to twist them, anyway.

"It all happened right after I bumped into you, actually. I was heading back to headquarters, when I find this wallet on the street. Followed the owner and ended up meeting this really pretty girl, a kunoichi."

Itachi continued to eat his takoyaki, genuinely listening. Though not particularly interested at the topic, he wanted to get the fight with his brother from earlier out of his head. In any case, he really needed the companionship at the moment.

"You going to ask me how she looked?"

He did in his own way. It constituted a simple glance with no expression and then his attention was back to the takoyaki. It really didn't intrigue him. Shisui was always after a woman one way or another. Strange how a man deemed to be a highly respected shinobi of equal caliber to his own would be so weak when it came to females. When Itachi was first introduced to Shisui they had been fairly young; he hadn't even entered Anbu yet. They were friends during their chuunin years and then promoted to jounin at roughly the same time. He always looked up to Shisui who was a few years older than him. He thought of him as an older brother, someone of admirable qualities. Shisui was adamant in protecting his family, his clan-though he wasn't too big on the politics of it. The man would take a mission despite how dire the consequences would be if not succeeding. And no matter the pressures, he would never let it faze him. Always greeting people with a warm smile. How was it possible for one man to assume that much pressure and not break? And so Shisui had been his role model, someone to look up to. It was why he never let pressure get to him. If Shisui could do it, then so could he.

But Itachi figured out too soon how that came to be. By the time Shisui was of right age, he had found an outlet, a way to release all the built up tension. Women were his one true weakness. It wasn't a secret for long. Coworkers and comrades both in and out of the Uchiha clan would joke with Shisui about it or inquire who his latest conquest was. Some of the less experienced men would ask him what his secret was to attracting females. The more experienced would share their stories and compare tactics. But he always remained out of it. Shisui had confronted him many times about what girl he liked. He remembered his friend laughing a bit when he confessed he never shared an intimate moment with a woman. But Shisui wasn't laughing because he thought he should have by that time. No. It was something else altogether. You're Uchiha Itachi. Women practically drool over you. How can you not be with someone by now? But despite his popularity—whether it be women or comrades—he was never once approached directly. Whispers, giggles, swoons, letters. But nothing more. They were intimidated. And it never bothered him that women didn't approach him. In fact, he never even gave women a thought unless someone brought it up and forced a response. But it was the idea that no one had approached him that was disturbing. Even back at the academy, kids would whisper things, point at him. He could feel their gazes from behind. Uchiha Itachi was unapproachable. He wondered if it was his disposition, his family or clan that scared them off. No, it was just him: Itachi, the creepy genius. Shisui was the only one who approached him. And her…

Shisui 'tsked' his behavior and continued. "She's got long blonde hair, very hard to come by outside the Yamanaka family. Blue eyes, which I have to be honest, are a lot more attractive than those dull dark brown and black eyes of the Uchiha women. Fair skin, which can rival our own and the Hyuuga's…"

Itachi continued to eat at an even pace but something about this seemed so familiar. Why did he not like where this conversation was going?

"We continued talking when I took her out for a treat and it turns out she and I have a lot in common. We both read manga. We both love sweets, walks under the moonlight and star gazing."

He always claimed to be fairly honest. It was the way he worded things sometimes that made people believe otherwise. But truth of the matter was a simple fact: he was a habitual liar, especially with women. Itachi frowned and looked at him in disbelief. "You hate all those things. And you only sneak in manga to headquarters just to annoy the lieutenant."

"Ah, but she doesn't know that. Dating is a tricky business my friend. It's like a résumé. Sometimes you have to…embellish a little. As long as the claim is not completely out of your scope, then it is still feasible, and therefore not technically a lie. I can learn to like those things. I probably won't even be focused on them when I'm with her." He gave Itachi a wink but earned no response in return.

"And we're supposed to be role models for children everywhere?" If anyone asked, he wasn't associated with him or his crazy cons.

"Come on. It's not so bad. Anyway, it's like a scene from one of those corny romance novels. Boy meets girl. Boy asks girl out. Girl and boy fall madly in love and there you have it. Strangely enough, I've never really seen her around in the village. She may have just blended well in the background. But I have a feeling that now I'll be seeing more of her. It's funny how life works out that way. People whom you dismissed as part of the background suddenly become involved in your life. And then they end up playing a bigger role than you thought intended. It usually starts out with a chance encounter, a meeting of fate. Some people call it dumb luck or a coincidence but truthfully, nothing in life is purely coincidental. There's usually a reason behind it. And it's amusing to think that sometimes it all begins with something so simple, such as a mundane trip to the market place as it was for me today. I ended up bumping into you and then her. In fact, I can't help but think that if I didn't bump into you, I wouldn't have met her at all. Or would I have simply met her another time? It's hard to say."

It was a rare occurrence when Shisui opened philosophical conversations with him. Whenever they met, the talk was usually simple. He would usually share with him what he accomplished that day and what missions he had soon. Sometimes they would even complain together about how sloppy the police organization was run, or how much they would prefer to skip work altogether. But when subjects with deeper meaning were mentioned, he would take the time to listen. It was his show of respect to Shisui, the man he believed in enough to consider a brother. Not once, however was the subject of women this deep. Most of what Shisui brought up about women was their physical beauty and then how his night usually went with them though he would be sure to cut him off early; he didn't appreciate that much detail. His words could easily be interpreted for a general meaning; they did apply to other things in life but he knew Shisui was still on the subject of that girl he met.

"It's unusual for you to speak so deeply about women. I never thought you to be so serious about the subject."

"Do you not think I can get serious enough to want a deep and meaningful relationship? Did it not occur to you that maybe someday down the road of life I would eventually meet someone that I would fall deeply in love with?"

There was no verbal response but one look said it all.

"Yes, you have a point. This is me we're talking about. But Itachi…she's really pretty."

Was he whining or trying to justify his claims? He couldn't tell. "You say that about all women you date."

"Yes, but this girl is exceptional. And think of how beautiful our children would be."

"Children?" Itachi actually smirked in amusement this time. "You never struck me as a marriage-type of man."

It wasn't a lucky hit he struck. He had planned where this conversation would lead. Baiting Itachi was something he had grown accustomed to learn doing. They were best friends and had known each other fairly long. And Shisui knew that this was the best bait he was going to get and hid a mischievous smile well from him. "I could get serious with this girl. And when I picture her with my surname, it all seems to fit."

Itachi shrugged it off and went to pick at another takoyaki.

"Uchiha…Usagi."

His picking stilled with a sharp poke, sharper than intended. It was almost the same feeling he had right before releasing a kunai straight at his opponent. "Usagi?" No, it couldn't be the same one but how many 'Usagi' actually existed? Not many, the name was not popular at all. It was unusual to find even one person named that, similar to finding more than one person named 'Itachi.' It was unique but it wasn't as if he catalogued every Konoha kunoichi into his brain's memory. Surely several hundred evaded even an Anbu shinobi. They were only aware of people they personally had to tend.

"Cute isn't it? And don't you think the name kind of fits? I mean, 'Tsukino' is also very fitting but I think—"

So it was the same Usagi. Sharing the same given name was one thing but surname? No, there were no other "Tsukino" in this whole village. Something about the whole situation was unsettling. He never once paid mind to any of Shisui's affairs. But like everything else in life, only when things are personally relevant, do people begin caring more about the situations they come across. And it was that thought that whispered maybe it was why he was starting to pay a particular interest in Shisui's newfound love interest. But it was also Shisui's eyes—mocking, coaxing, daring. His eyes narrowed.

"I apologize but I have to leave now. I'm going to head home and work on some reports for Anbu. They're due tonight." He got up trashed the remains of the takoyaki box and vanished instantly.

Shisui, meanwhile, continued to eat his snack…

With a victorious smile.

---

He held two scrolls in each hand.

It wouldn't be possible to take both. He was already filling up his pack quickly. Deciding on the one on his right pertaining to medicine, he tossed the other one aside. He was already familiar with most of his current Katon jutsu so there really was no need for him to bring it along. It was just that it was his first mission outside the country and he worried about not being prepared enough. But he supposed he needn't worry too much. He had other members of his team. Kakashi was well experienced and thus should be well equipped. Sakura was very bright and would most likely bring suitable equipment. Naruto would…He paused at that that. Well, two out of three isn't bad. He chuckled softly at the thought.

He grabbed a few capsules and studied them hard. Thoughts of Sakura and their earlier encounter resurfaced. She was simply making an attempt to help, and he couldn't, at the very least, kindly turn her away. Instead, leaving her to cry out of the shop. He was truly sorry. But he really did have a hard time apologizing to people and so he didn't bother to find her. Maybe just letting it fade away over time was a better option. She would bounce back. He stuffed the object in his bag and moved on.

He glanced momentarily at the next item he was putting away—the kunai. He remembered his earlier encounter with Itachi as well. Needless to say, it didn't exactly go as planned. He hadn't meant to get so angry and ignite a direct confrontation, but it really did piss him off to think about it all. It was just an overwhelming, asphyxiating feeling. Something breaching high above its levees. He honestly couldn't take it anymore. He had to breathe it out…

"Sasuke…"

He heard the faint call from right outside his doors. "Yes, kaa-san?"

"I made you a light meal to have before your mission. It may be the last warm meal for you in a while. Why don't you come eat in the kitchen after you've finished packing?"

"I'll be right there." He quickly gathered up the rest of his items and carefully placed them in his bag. His feet patted lightly on the tatami floor as he made his way into the kitchen. At the very least, he could enjoy a meal with his mother.

"I made you your favorite. Onigiri with slices of tomatoes. I've also sliced you some hard-boiled eggs. I want you to have a bit more protein before you leave here. And also have some of this grapefruit juice. It's very good for your immune system."

"Ah, kaa-san." His mother always did worry about him. Taking the cup she offered, he gulped the juice down fairly quickly, worried of the taste. He hated sweets but at least grapefruit had a hint of tanginess. Either way, for his mother, he was glad to do anything. Even if it meant drinking sugar cane juice.

"Any idea how long your mission will be?"

"Not exactly. Kakashi-sensei predicts at the maximum a couple of weeks. The land of waves is some ways away. The journey there will be at least a week if not more, considering we're escorting someone. It will take us half that time back since we'll all be sprinting most of the way. Our only mission is to escort this carpenter, a C-rank mission so I'm not too concerned with the duration."

"But still, this is your first mission away from Konohagakure, isn't it?"

"Yes." He smiled with pride.

Mikoto gave a soft smile, fully understanding how her son felt. "Good luck and take care. I have complete faith in your capabilities. Your team is lucky to have you. You'll do just fine." She brushed her son's hair a little and watched how shy he became.

"Ah…" Sasuke couldn't help but smile. Why couldn't everyone be like his mother?

After finishing up his meal, he left his dirty dishes in the sink and went to hoist his backpack over his shoulders. "I have to get going now. The sun is going to set soon and our team made arrangements to meet up around that time."

Mikoto's eyes grew a little teary. She held a hand up to her mouth to stifle the cries threatening to escape. "Oh, my little boy is growing up."

Sasuke flustered, a tiny blush on his cheeks becoming evident. "Kaa-san, cut it out. I'll be back sooner than you think."

"I know, sweetie. I know. It's just…" she gasped for air, "…this is the first time you'll be gone this long. And until now, it's always been just you and me. It's going to be so quiet with you gone…I just…"

"Kaa-san! Don't cry, it's embarrassing."

"Oh you! Come here and give your mother a hug," she reached out to him and he smiled softly at her.

Sasuke reached out to hug her and was doing fine, until his mother released the hug and grabbed both his arms. He winced, visibly.

"Sasuke, honey. What's wrong?" her face was serious now and she removed his arm sleeves, instincts guiding her to the source of his pain.

He felt the need to explain at her widened eyes. "I just cut myself in training earlier."

"Sweetie! Here, let me take these bandages off and…" she nearly fainted at the sight. "This is serious, Sasuke. We need to disinfect this quickly. But you'll still need to go to the hospital to have it properly checked."

"No, it's fine. Besides I don't have time. I have to get going now." He waited to hear her reply but she went to the medicine drawer to fetch something. And when he saw that dreaded spray, he paled.

"It's only going to sting a little bit, Sasuke."

"No."

"Sasuke, sweetie. It's just some medicine. It will be over before you know it."

"No."

She anticipated his next movements as she had years of experience dealing with it. And with skill and determination, she crossed the room in a few quick strides. Unfortunately, her son had also acquired amazing reflexes and speed. She may have been outmatched this time.

"Sasuke, don't make this difficult!"

He dodged her next jump and ran through the hallways. Corridor after corridor, he sped through, dodging his mother who kept blocking every escape route he had. After running around for quite some time, he finally decided to try using cunning to get past her. Perhaps if he pretended to go through with it and bolted when her guard was down…"Okay, fine. I give in. Just hurry it up. You know I hate that stuff."

Mikoto cocked an eyebrow. "Tell you what. How about I just give this to you and you can take it with you on your mission? Here, take these dirty sleeves to the hamper and put on new ones. At the very least, you should do that. I will not have my son wearing soiled clothing."

Sasuke looked at her skeptically but complied. He walked up to her and grabbed his sleeves.

Mikoto seized his arm and pulled him towards her, effectively destroying her son's balance. With one quick movement, she sprayed the liquid on his wound and winced slightly as he yelled in pain.

"That hurt!"

"Serves you right for trying to fool me."

He pouted. He should have known better than to trick his mother, after all, he got his cleverness from her. Sasuke began to curse vehemently under his breath. He was glad his brother was nowhere around. What was it he said earlier about not wanting to be smothered or treated like a child? It would blow his cover, not to mention add insult to injury.

"Is anyone there?"

Then again, having his brother gloat and taunt was better than downright humiliation. That voice…he knew who it was instantly.

"I bet that's your teammate. I'll just let her know what's going on. Maybe she can escort you to the hospital."

But he didn't want her to know. How would he explain everything? That Naruto nipped him with his weapon simply because he wasn't paying attention? That he was a baby for his mother and that rubbing alcohol and medicine terrified him? That at one moment, he actually screamed from the pain of something so small and insignificant. To Naruto he may have been a bastard and to Kakashi he may have been just another student. But at the very least to Sakura he was still a hero. And he really wanted to keep that image intact, to preserve some dignity at least.

He watched it all in slow motion. His mother walking towards the shoji doors. Her hand reaching forward to slide them open. His brother beating her to the punch…

"What? When did he get here?" He watched as Itachi swiftly beat his mother to the doors and slid them open. He watched as his mother looked up at him perplexed. He watched as Sakura glanced up at him with anxiety.

"Is Sasuke-kun here? I was waiting at the spot and, um, I know it's still early but he's usually one of the first ones there…"

"Ah, my brother is around. And you'll have to excuse Sasuke's tardiness. We were training and lost track of time. We tend to lose ourselves in our training since we rarely get to see each other anymore. It was my mistake. I should have been more responsible." Itachi bowed in apology.

"Is he okay, though? I, um, heard screams."

Itachi bore a faint sheepish smile. "I might have gone a bit overboard. I apparently knocked Sasuke on a sore spot. He tried to hide it from me the entire training session and did a fairly good job." He glanced back at his brother who didn't dare lock eyes with him, making it hard to read his expression.

"Sakura-san, I know it's a bit sudden to ask but if you can make a quick stop by the hospital before your mission to have it looked over, we'd greatly appreciate it. I'm afraid we don't have the adequate supplies needed to tend to his wound."

She watched Sasuke who was approaching them cautiously. Her eyes immediately finding the wound Itachi mentioned. "It actually doesn't look that bad. It's not a deep laceration so he won't need stitches. But if he doesn't want a permanent scar, we need to go get it mended now. There's still some time before we have to meet up. And knowing Kakashi-sensei, he'll be late anyway, so…" she trailed off awkwardly. Sasuke had yet to reply.

"It's settled then. I'll leave it up to you, Sakura-san. Sasuke…"

"Ah," he followed Sakura as she backed away from the entrance. As he passed by Itachi, he held his gaze, only this time, without any animosity. Despite how much of a jerk he was earlier and how likely he hurt his feelings, his big brother was still there to protect him. Even if that only meant salvaging his pride. And he was sorry, he honestly was. He never once let Itachi defend himself, accusing him of things of which he was most likely innocent.

He said no words as he brushed by him. Between brothers, sometimes words weren't necessary. But one look, one glance, one gaze said it all. And he left the household feeling just an ounce higher in spirits knowing that maybe, just maybe, his brother cherished the moments they shared together.

Just as much as he did.

"I, um, earlier…if I said or did anything to offend you…well, I really am sorry."

Sakura was nervous now. But ironically, so was he.

"No, you didn't do anything. I was just…having a bad day."

"But you're okay now?"

He smiled at the thought of his brother. "Yeah, I'm okay now."

"That's good. I was really worried about you. And well, I didn't want anything to happen to you. You really mean a lot to me…the team I mean! And well, I just want to say thank you. Our team is really lucky to have you." She took a momentary pause to grab something from her pack. "Here, drink this. It's good for you and it will help your immune system, just in case you did catch an infection from that wound."

He took the small bottle and stared at it. And when he glanced back at Sakura, he suddenly saw his own mother smiling back at him. Maybe it was her words, her consideration or genuine worry of him, but he found himself smiling back his gratitude. "Ah."

They both looked away from each other, more awkward then before. He didn't share a deep enough bond with Sakura to convey all his emotions with one look, and he felt words alone would not be enough. He had a habit of stumbling with them around her. Just like before, he would most likely spout off the wrong thing. And so he did what he thought could only get through to her.

"Let's hurry up before we're even later than Kakashi." He grabbed her hand and led her toward the hospital in haste. His features becoming more relaxed as he saw her smile.

Itachi and Mikoto had watched the two leave. One with a sigh, and one with a smile.

"They're so cute together."

He gave a soft chuckle. He silently watched the spectacle earlier. And when he heard his little brother's teammate calling for him, he knew what he had to do. Despite their problems, it was his job as the older brother to protect Sasuke—from anything necessary, including humiliation. And so he quickly intervened and came up with the quickest explanation. As long as the claim was not completely out of the scope of the situation, then it was still feasible, and therefore not technically a lie. Weren't those Shisui's words more or less? The moron actually came through.

He turned to his mother who still to this point did not seem to understand the severity of the situation. So Itachi smiled kindly.

"It isn't wise to injure a man's pride. Even if that man is only twelve years old."

"He's still my baby boy."

"And he's still my baby brother. But Sasuke also needs room to grow on his own; we have to respect that since the moment he received that headband, he was no longer a child."

Mikoto sighed. She knew Itachi was right and reached out to his hand for comfort. "Yes, I know. I just…miss having him around all the time. That's all."

Itachi squeezed in reassurance. "Ah…"

She began to pat her son gently. "Yes and now that he's no longer here, it'll be just us two for the moment." Mikoto's patting began to slow down. "Just… us…two…" she whispered again to herself until it finally clicked. She looked up at Itachi and smiled. The sadness suddenly washed away. "I'm going to make some tea. Won't you care to join me for a quick break?"

His brother was off on a mission, which would take at least a couple weeks. Unfortunately, that left Itachi to deal with his family alone. And without the excuse of 'I'm going off to train with Sasuke,' there was very little he could do to escape being with them. And a short tea break before parting to deliver his finished work sounded like a harmless idea, so he nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

She prepared the sweet mango tea and passed it over to her son who was situated in front of her. Nervous and excited all at the same time about what she planned to do.

"So, sweetie, how was your day?"

He wondered if he should answer it truthfully and risk a long conversation or cut it short with a polite 'fine, thank you?' Considering he really did not want to be here when his father returned, he simply replied with the latter, assuming she would accept it at face value and leave him be.

But as he watched his mother humming away as she prepared the tea and glancing at him with, what he considered, creepy smiles, he hesitated on sitting at the table. There was just something odd about the way she pranced around the kitchen today that reminded him of the distinct feeling he had been harboring all day long. An instinct silently spoke to him, telling him that the moment was far from fleeting. And had he known the consequences that would soon incur from not taking control of the conversation, Itachi would have gladly followed Shisui's advice and embellished his 'fine, thank you.'

Even if only just a little…

End Chapter

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Author's Notes:

It has been a long time since I updated. The only true excuse I have is work getting in the way. Good news is I do have some unfiinshed scripts of chapters and have outlined every chapter for this story in general. It's looking to be about 12-18 chapters. Somewhere in between there. I want to keep the page count at more than 20 pages. Something about it being less makes me unhappy and unable to get all the story out in one go.

To those of you STILL keeping up with this, thank you truly, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. I really love this pairing and I really am enjoying the thrill of writing such an epic (what I consider anyway) story. I have seen many xovers and even those of Itachi/Usagi but none to the length that I hope this story will progress. To keep it more interesting, I am including side-stories with different characters. I think it's also important for a good story to have a strong supporting cast and I really wanted to do more for others like Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura and yes, even more from the Sailor Moon cast which is still to come. Look foward to characters such as Minako, Makoto and several others. I enjoyed sketching out their roles for this story. Also, more love conflicts for those of you pondering about the two love birds. And while I really wanted to get right to the ItaUsa bonding, I really do feel that it can't be rushed. As promised, Usagi returns as a permanent chara for this story. She will most likely play a bigger role further down and you will see a LOT more of her as the story progresses but this is mainly an Itachi story.

Common questions/comments:
I hope you enjoy the pace of this story. It is not overly rushed like I see most stories being done. I hope its not too slow but I am trying to get in all the characters ready for the main lump of the story. I have been watching asian dramas which I use as inspiration since I think they have the best flow of any stories. Not too fast, not too slow and very believable despite how crazy the drama gets.

There WILL be Itachi and Usagi DIRECT interaction. Simply just not now. But soon...VERY VERY soon

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Preview:

Chapter 4: Mikoto shoots Itachi. Excuse me...takes a shot at Itachi. Well you know what I mean. MAJOR humor ensues and poor poor Itachi. I wonder if he's ready for "the talk".

Chapter 5: UBER MAJOR ItaUsa interaction. The chapter is pretty much dedicated to them.

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Thank you, once again, to all my wonderful readers and beta Chibi. Without you guys, this story would genuinely not be possible. All comments, ideas, support are greatly appreciated. And as always, review if you like.

~Icehaze