It's odd how important materialism is to us,

Strange how we get so caught up in price and worth,

Weird how diamonds and drugs can be more important than a friend,

Until everything with significance becomes meaningless

Don't let our memories do the same

•••

The hand of sleep is sometimes possessive, determined that one should never leave its company. I was always well acquainted with it, even when the nightmares suffocated me in a tangle of wet sheets. So it came as a surprise when I awoke and found the walls flushed with dawn's hue.

For a moment I stared at the ceiling, just blinking. I had hardly tried to search for the cause, when I heard it.

The soft warbling of a bird.

Its cage swung precariously from the light fixture, the thin chain hardly supporting the weight of both objects. But the little yellow bird seemed more than happy, singing to itself on its ornate perch. I reached a curious finger through the bars and ruffled its downy neck, softer even than the imported blankets.

"Sasuke, how…" I faltered, realising your bed was unmade and empty.

There was a knock on the door, and a head slowly peeked around the frame, "Oh, Naruto. You're awake already?"

"It's fine. You can come in."

Her hand shot out and the door swung open with more force than absolutely necessary. Mikoto's favourite handmaid, a girl I knew was called Tenten, walked into the room and set down the laundry basket in the chair. She instantly spotted the new arrival and brought her face close to the bars, "That's a very pretty bird."

"Yeah."

She turned back her pile of bed linen and started to strip your bed, "I heard the two of you went out to see the mummers yesterday."

"Yeah."

She smiled, "Good to see you're not afraid to follow your own wishes."

The bird lightly bit down on my finger, a move that was neither playful nor irritated, "Yeah."

"Is that all you can say? Yeah?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

She laughed.

"Hey, you didn't see Sasuke on your way to our room did you?"

"No. Why do you ask?" she looked at the pillow, fluffed up to her satisfaction, and then sat on your bed.

"I just need to ask him something is all."

With a quick wave to Tenten, I left the room. I needed to ask you about the bird. How was it that you'd managed to persuade Itachi? Or did you sneak out again to buy it? Either way, it seemed you were going to ridiculous measures for something as silly as a bright yellow bird. Especially if it meant defying your beloved older brother.

Whenever I spoke of the devil, he was guaranteed to appear. Rubbing his eyes in a ridiculous caricature of sleeplessness, he left his room. And he noticed me almost instantly, gave me a half sincere smile, "Good morning, Naruto."

"You too."

"What are you doing up so early?"

I shrugged, "I was woken up by… um…"

Was this a secret to Itachi? I decided to tread carefully.

"Oh, the bird didn't wake you up, did it?" with a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair.

"No, no… well, it did, but it wasn't a problem. I'm not at all tired, so it's fine. Really."

"That's good. I saw the way you were looking at it yesterday, and I thought you might want it. I just never considered it could be a problem."

His eyes and smile held such a strange quality; doting yet cold, smug yet genuine. I felt uncomfortable. His motives were strange and unknown, "Thank you, Itachi. It's… it's really cool of you," and before he could speak, I asked, "Have you seen Sasuke by any chance?"

"He's usually in the garden if he's up this early."

"Okay, thanks."

And I fled before your brother's eyes could confuse me further.

A/N: That took extremely long and somehow remains short as hell. My apologies. I am full of ideas that relate to Absolutely Nothing Whatsoever. It is the most incredibly frustrating and mind-dehabilitating feeling known to mankind. But anyhow, after weeks of procrastination, have a probably subpar chapter.

OTL