A Moment Settled

Mikuqueen is extremely correct with my question. It actually is Naruto and Itachi who are the beautiful minds in this story. Their minds are both misunderstood and slightly more advanced than the world around them. In fact, you'll see as this story goes on that somehow, only Itachi understands what Naruto is talking about really.

I can understand why some of you thought it was Sasuke, but those qualities don't make him the beautiful mind. They make him the beautiful heart. And now for guest review replies:

Plain Jane: Has any ever told you how sweet you are? I'm glad that this story can tie into your personal experience and I'm very happy that you appreciate beautiful life, no matter what.

Nini: Thanks for always trying to help. For some reason, I don't believe I'll have writer's block with this story since it's much like my 'Don't Need Your Help' story. However, thank you and I will look into FastForward's stories.

The Kazekage: good guess, but Sasuke, Kisame, and Kakashi are the beautiful hearts here. It is actually Naruto and Itachi who are the most beautiful minds. And you are absolutely right. Everyone will learn something from each character as the story progresses, even us.

Mindy: I understand why you would believe Sasuke is the beautiful mind, but there shall be no Itachi bashing here, alright? :)

mrsskinnyjeans: I'm in love with this awkward Naruto too. My story updates never have a week span. I try 3-4 days before the next update. Even if Fugaku is dead, he will still be frequent in this story. He was Sasuke's hero of course. And no, the accident didn't change Mikoto so much. She's always been an alcoholic, she's just worse, I'd say. And it means a lot that you think my story is different. Kisses!

Dark: Thank you, love. You were half right with the guess. Itachi is more of the beautiful mind because this is a story about mental stigma. However, you are the only one to actually use Sasuke's mind as evidence of why it is beautiful. Thanks for reading the character intros where I told everyone that Sasuke was a bit depressive. Hugs! And now for the story.

"Eat, Tachi." Sasuke mumbled as he chopped each carrot on the counter swiftly. Behind him, Itachi sat, eating his soup with his mother next to him. The nineteen year old could almost feel the blank look his mother gave the back of his head. He could almost care less. The relationship he had with her was mildly tolerated, if not less.

His mother found it easy to just let him know what a disappointment he was: not clever enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough. No more judgement than the town gave Itachi everyday, he supposed. But he needed his mother to be a refuge from the craziness of life's storm, not a hurricane in her own right.

And a hurricane she was.

Itachi leaned his head back dramatically. "I am, Sasuke. Mama?"

A gruff voice came thereafter. "Yes, Tachi?"

"How come you don't like me when you drink your juice?"

The silence that came made Sasuke want to jump in and save his brother from the situation, as he always did on instinct. Mikoto's alcoholism was a touchy subject; one that shouldn't be touched at all.

She was an alcoholic. Years of alcohol abuse had left her cheeks rosy and her mind dull-witted. She knew drying out would be a painful process and she had no intention of ever going through it. Sasuke believed that his mother was determined to stay drunk until she died. The accident. That's when she turned to the drink more heavily than she had before. And no one told her to lay off, told her she'd had enough. Now the bottle was her only friend and it didn't improve her temper.

"I'm sorry, Tachi." She muttered, her voice gruff and scratchy; a nail slicing a chalk board.

"Eat, Tachi." Sasuke once again muttered.

"Okay, Sasuke."

The only sounds heard for the next few moments were the sounds of a spoon hitting glass and sharp slurping from the older male. "Sasuke?"

"Hai?"

"How come Kisame goes red when he sees me?"

He sighed internally. Just because his brother had mental disorders didn't mean he wasn't smart. There were few things Itachi forgot, but he remembered a lot too. "He likes you."

"Like? Like a kiss or a pat on the back, Sasuke? Huh? Like a kiss or a pat on the back?" Itachi questioned, his eyes squinted and fingers trailing his teeth.

"Like a kiss, Tachi."

"Is it because he's my boyfriend?"

Now was the time Sasuke tensed. He didn't even notice the quick prick on his finger from the knife. Wondering if his father felt like this when he was only 15, Sasuke turned to stare at Itachi. Besides him being innocent, what was going on in the 24 year old's mind? Could it be possible that he was developing.

"Who told you that?" he demanded softly.

His brother paid no mind to his own words as he was fed his soup by the dull Mikoto. "No one, brother. I just known."

"Since when?"

The older man ceased eating and looked at Sasuke. "I don't know for how long. I guess I just known. Sometimes, I have dreams about me and Kisame kissing and sometimes I just known."

Before Sasuke could mutter anything else, the doorbell broke the silence. Mikoto stood with a harsh cough. "I'll get it."

The nineteen year old went back to cutting, feeling odd. Why had it taken Itachi three years to finally show signs of possible recovery and development?

Tsunade smiled as she wrapped Itachi's head in bandages. "His condition is not so severe, Sasuke. He could have brain surgery as soon as possible if you want to fix him."

Sasuke glared hard. "There's nothing wrong with him. There's nothing to be fixed."

He didn't want to make the decision for his aniki, but if Itachi was getting better and more aware, would he soon ask to be changed? Before he could think any further, Mikoto stumbled past, ready for early bed.

"There's a scientist coming in."

On cue, Naruto walked forward, heavy books, papers, and pens in his arms. He smiled brightly at the woman's retreating form. "I actually prefer the tem mathematician of the infinite universe."

The woman said nothing as she closed her door loudly. Naruto stared at the door sheepishly and then turned to Itachi and Sasuke. "What a nice woman." He mused.

To Sasuke's surprise again, it was Itachi who snorted, signalling that he noticed the sarcasm in the blond man's voice. "Mama drinks juice a lot, Naruto."

Nodding, the man sat his ton of books upon the table effortlessly. "During my project, I need to find an originally true idea. It is the only way I will distinguish myself. It's the only way I will ever matter."

Itachi looked up. "Sasuke has a bunch of books with your name. He says you're unique. Sometimes, he reads them to me."

Sasuke blushed deeply. It wasn't his fault that he was attracted to intelligence. And not just the book smart intelligence. He could often care less if someone went to college or how much money they had. He just liked intelligent conversations that made him think hours after it ended. To his own discovery at age 17, Naruto Uzumaki held that intelligence in his books.

"Precisely?" The blond asked sitting. He grabbed a pen and notebook. "Well…"

"You're fine." Sasuke muttered, turning from the blond's curious stare. "Tell me again about this project. Tell me why it's so important."

Naruto looked down. "You've read my books, correct? Down to a science?"

"Hn. I guess." Dumping the sliced carrots within a bowl, Sasuke grabbed four potatoes and began slicing them.

"And do you remember a very famous quote from my second book? About the universe?"

Sasuke covered his smile well. Closing his eyes, he ceased cutting. "The universe is infinite. All that is limited, ultimately, is the extreme point. And an extreme point can be discerned by comparison with others."

"How do you feel about that quote?"

"I thought it was alright." the teen muttered.

Itachi laughed loudly, his eyes closed. "It's good, Sasuke. Space is really really big and the only thing that makes it small are people who didn't go."

Naruto smiled in wonderment at the 24 year old. "Good, but not extraordinary, Itachi? At least not as good as finding out our true purpose upon this land of soil?"

"Right." The Uchiha said, trying to pick up his spoon, but failing.

"There it is, Sasuk-san. Your brother is correct and his solution is eloquent. I need to know that something extraordinary is possible. And that begins with us."

"Hn. What kind of things do you need to know?"

"First I need to know early life and history. Frankly, I would appreciate if I could ask some personal questions. Like, do you have any other family members around, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke pierced his lips. "I have a cousin. He's gone...somewhere in Iwagakure currently. He left way before…." The teen trailed off, glancing at Itachi. "Look all I can say is my father took him in when he was younger, but my mother didn't treat him right. So when I turned 12, he told me and Tachi that maybe he'd be back one day."

"His name, if you may?"

"Obito."

Naruto hummed and began writing. "Do you he will come back?"

"I don't know. Nothing's ever for sure, and that's the only sure thing I know."

"What does my past have to do with my mind?"

"I am merely testing how you say things. What triggers you. Studies show that you can tell how thick one's emotions are if you listen close enough."

"You read a lot, don't you?" Itachi asked.

Naruto simply shook his head. "No, I can't waste my time memorizing weak assumptions made by lesser mortals."

Sasuke cringed slightly and Itachi laughed. "I'm having a birthday party, Naruto. You're not invited, but you can come if you want."

Naruto smiled and Sasuke grimaced. "Now a birthday party is something I would appreciate wasting my time on. I will be glad to attend the festivities of celebrating another 365.25 days on earth."

Grabbing the spoon backward, Itachi finally got it within his mouth; despite shaking the spoon and leaving less than half the soup upon it, he finally got it within his mouth.

He gasped and his the table. "Brother, look! I did it by myself."

Sasuke turned to sit next to his brother at the table. "You're a big boy."

"I'm a big boy."

"You gonna let Naruto come to my birthday party? There's going to be cake and ice cream right, Sasuke?"

"I'll take care of it. And why will I take care of it?"

"Sasuke."

"Hm?"

"Cause you're Sasuke."

"Cause I'm Sasuke." The raven repeated, smiling sadly as Itachi dropped his spoon. His eyes caught Naruto's and the blond looked down at his paperwork sheepishly.

"Do you often think about Obito?"

A faint smile from the Uchiha. "Obito was 14 years older than me, but he taught Itachi and I everything when he could; Camping with tousan, all the good things for us."

"Fascinating. My own father took me camping. A deer stole our tent once. It was a good joke once it was all over."

Itachi picked at his nose. "You want to hear a good joke, Naruto?"

Naruto stopped writing and looked up to the man who continued to interrupt his research on Sasuke. However, he didn't mind so much since the raven spurred shocking intelligence out of his mind.

"I believe I have time."

"Okay." Itachi giggled loudly and Sasuke smiled. "Did you hear the joke about the high wall?"

He giggled as Naruto pierced his lips and held his head in deep thought. Unconsciously and without awareness of Itachi and Sasuke still watching, the genius began to mutter to himself. "What is a thought but a screenplay in invisible space, a safe place to experiment with ideas before we speak? It is a ballroom for unseen dances, a racetrack for cars that speed without worry for the next turn. It is freedom to roam without the fear of getting lost, for all it takes is the bark of a dog to bring us home."

Itachi laughed. "It's hilarious. I'm still trying to get over it."

Naruto quieted and stared at Itachi for the longest moment. Eventually, his face erupted into a wide grin. "By the higher beings of our universes, that was the most clever joke I've ever heard."

Sasuke smiled lightly as Naruto laughed heartily. "That pun was very intelligent. Would you like to hear my joke?"

"Yes."

"First you must understand that parallel lines are two equidistant lines in a plane that never touch or intersect."

To Sasuke's astonishment, Itachi put both his hands side by side and apart. "Like this, Sasuke?"

"Yeah." He muttered.

"Well." Naruto mused. "Parallel lines have so much in common. It's a shame they never meet."

Itachi laughed first, loudly and boisterously. "And they won't be able love each other."

He and Naruto laughed and even Sasuke smiled brightly at his brother's quick mind. "You two are odd. You don with your soup, Tachi.'

Itachi nodded and Sasuke grabbed his glass bowl. "Thank you, brother."

"You're very welcome."

"What do you think about?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto looked toward Itachi, who stared at the blond man with so much inspiration that frankly it made Sasuke blush. Was it Naruto Uzumaki who activated this beautiful mind of Itachi's? The two seemed to be getting along so well. And the town discriminated against Itachi so much, that it wasn't everyday that someone befriended his mentally disabled aniki. Still, it wasn't like he owed the handsome blond anything.

"What do I think about?" Naruto repeated. Itachi nodded and the blond looked down, now uncomfortable.

"Sometimes I don't think about anything." Itachi muttered, almost down. "But I can tell you think a lot."

"Frankly, too much. Were all my thoughts a book you would be bored on page one and throw it down. Were all of yours a book I would devour it regardless of interest, for all of you is sacred to me and I could never tire of knowing what passes through your mind. So please don't be sad that you don't know more. I bet that if your thoughts were visible, they would be an inverse explosion, crazy chaotic turns and twists of light all coming together to just one idea, to just one word. Though they spin in a way that appears without design or logic, they always dance their way back to love, to a way of living that celebrates life without damaging the very people you hold dear."

"Really?"

"Precisely. Now that is something I am sure of." Naruto state, writing down in a rabid motion.

Naruto very much liked Kisame. He seemed very intelligent and easy to speak with. Of course not as much as Itachi, but Naruto liked all his neighbors. The two stood on the Uchiha porch, speaking before Kisame went in while Sasuke got hi brother ready for bed.

"It seems that I must do good research for my book. It seems that I will soon have to research other people too."

"Did everything go well with the Uchiha brothers?"

'While I intentionally went to interview Sasuke-san, Itachi gladly interrupted us. I now realize that both men can have beautiful minds. Sasuke is very nice to his brother."

"A good kid."

"Yes. I never knew Itachi could be so intelligent. Such a shame that the town avoids him as if the plague had once again upturned."

"Yeah."

"Do you think about him?"

Kisame smiled. "Of course. I don't care what happens to Itachi, that's still my baby. I still love him. He's still my one and only."

Naruto smiled crookedly.

"Sometimes, it hurts, you know. When Tachi's with me, the pain stops, or at least it once did. When I had hope that one day he'd come to me and stay, he was my medicine. These days, the pain ebbs at first sight of him, then multiplies and I want to flee. But, I don't. I'll choose Itachi until there is no more of my mind or my body, whichever comes first; that's my vow."

"I can tell you really loved him."

"I still love him." The Marine biologist stated. "His face is just as pretty as the first day I saw him, fourth grade, his eyes twinkle with laughter and his teeth glisten when he smiles. So much time had passed since then, and all I have left of him is the occasional fleeting memory. I lost the sound of his voice and the touch of his skin. And still, Naruto, no one had ever replaced him, and no one ever would."

Naruto nodded. "I am truly sorry. Due to my own complexities of life, I have never experienced such love. Of course I know the love I have for my father and what he has for me. I can prove with numbers that I don't know what love is made of, but I imagine that it would be the color of my father's eyes."

"It seems like you love him a lot."

"As I've said, I don't know much about love. But, I can tell you that love is my father. He's made me who I am and pushed me to find myself. He's supported me through everything. Hands like spades, eyes that twinkle with untold jokes, telling tall tales of his youth, light craggy skin, short cropped silver hair sprinkled with white, quick and ready smile that radiates warmth, kindness, calm. Brave as a lion, determined, hard working. That's love for me. My father is my best friend."

Kisame smiled. "That's the first time I heard you say something without a reasoning."

As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. Naruto smiled even brighter and stepped off the porch. "I don't believe I need it for such things. Please express my good wishes to Sasuke-san and Itachi. Goodnight, Kisame."

Itachi stared out the window, his eyes curious and alert as he watched Naruto walk away to his home. The man continued to watch Kisame, however, not being able to make sense of what the shark man said about him. Of course, he liked Itachi, but why was he so sad.

To his surprise, Kisame looked up toward the window, making Itachi squeak and fall upon the floor.

Sasuke walked in. "Itachi, what are you doing on the floor?"

Itachi blushed harshly. "Nothing."

"Well come on. Come on." Itachi let Sasuke tuck him in. "Get some sleep. You need it, okay?"

"Okay. Tell mama I said goodnight. Goodnight, Sasuke. Love you."

"I love you too. And I will."

Sasuke had just reached the door.

"Brother."

"Yes, Tachi?" Sasuke smiled. One more for the night, the teen thought.

"Goodnight, love you."

"I love you too."

Sasuke tapped his mother's door across the hall. "Tachi say love you."

Loud snores answered him and the teen shrugged, walking away. When he got into his room, the man caught the light from naruto's room across the way.

Walking the the window, he opened it, blushing a bit as Naruto tore off his shirt. "Hey." He called out.

Although his window had been closed, the genius heard it. His head shot up and he smiled weakly, almost tripping toward the window. Opening it wildly, he smiled awkwardly. "Did you need me, Sasuke-san?"

"Just wanted to let you know that just because your brother's new friend doesn't mean I trust you." He was serious, but the smirk upon his face eased Naruto's ever-thinking mind.

When he smiled, a small breath of air escaped with it, making him look younger than his age. "That's exceptionally alright, Sasuke-san. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Well, guys that is the chapter after the prologue. I hope you guys loved it. I must say, A Most Beautiful Mind has made the record for most reviews of the first chapter on its debut. It's really great that you guys are supporting this. Remember the purpose and that we are trying to help others understand how beautiful the human race is, not matter our differences. Spread the word, my friends.

QUOTE OF THE CHAPTER: CURLY WINS FROM 'OF MICE AND MEN;'

"Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love."