Pairing: Itachi/Naruto
Thank you for all of the support so far! I really appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! In which things start to get resolved - on a surface level at least. Trust me when I say a full recovery for all is not this simple or easy (but everyone will get their happy ending!)
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The morning air was crisp, but it carried a familiar scent, something warm that Sasuke would never forget. It reminded him of being a child, of love and hate and so many other things. Konoha would always leave him with a mixed reaction, but he was content with how things were right now. He had his family and friends here, and the past was behind him, even if he shouldered it every time he stepped back into the world beyond Konoha.
Glancing down at the sheet of paper in his hands, an address for a house Sakura had moved into recently, finally deciding their first flat was too small (no matter how much Sasuke had tried to persuade her into moving, Sakura had loved that place, claiming anything bigger and she'd be too lonely). She'd cheerfully informed him that she'd made the move and that they had a small garden. Sasuke had been camping in a cave at that point, and he'd smiled at the image of Sakura and Sarada picking food they'd grown.
Entering was easy, and Sasuke slipped through Sakura's protective seals. The house recognised him, and Sasuke paused in the hallway, one shoe on and one off. He could hear Sakura humming in the kitchen, though she called out in greeting after the door closed.
"I thought you'd be training until lunchtime at least. I know how excited you were to finally learn something from your new teacher," Sakura said, voice full of teasing. Sasuke's stomach twisted in anticipation as he heard Sakura moving in his direction, and he wondered how worthy she would think of him now.
"I'm still surprised you didn't find some excuse to stay round with Boruto-kun, if I'm honest. You've been pestering It-" Sakura stopped dead, eyes wide and mouth open as she finally realised who had come home. Sasuke stood there uselessly as she blinked, drew her lip between her teeth, and then closed the distance between them quickly, hurling her arms around Sasuke.
"You're back," she rushed out, and Sasuke felt tension bleed from him. He held her too, closing his eyes just for a moment. In Konoha, and Konoha alone, he could be himself. This was where the people he trusted and loved lived, and he could allow himself to feel again.
"I didn't think Naruto-kun's message would reach you so quickly," Sakura said as she pulled back, face guarded. "We all expected you to take at least three days or so, though I'm not surprised you made it back as quickly as you can, considering the circumstances."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, letting his arms slip from Sakura as he took his other shoe off.
"I haven't got any messages. I was already on my way back here, my last mission ended earlier than I thought. What's the idiot done this time?" Sasuke said fondly. He'd go and see Naruto soon, but he was hoping to spend some time with Sarada first. "Where's Sarada?"
Sakura bit her lip again and looked down. She was uncomfortable, and Sasuke knew something was terribly wrong.
"You need to go and see Naruto-kun," she insisted, shoulders dropping slightly. "Now," she urged, grabbing Sasuke's arm and pulling him back.
"Sakura-" he started, but there was no way Sakura was going to let him go. She fixed him a stern look, and Sasuke knew if he wanted to return home tonight then he had to do as he was told. There was only so much one person, even one as faithful and devoted as Sakura, could take, Sasuke knew that. He'd constantly pushed her, and he wouldn't be surprised if he did return to Konoha one day to find her with someone. Not that she would – Sakura was too good to him for that – but he still wouldn't blame her.
She was more than he deserved, and Sasuke caught her hand, kissing it softly before he put his shoes back on.
He left, Sakura's relieved sigh following him. Sasuke tried to think what could be so important, but nothing was running through his mind. There were no big threats right now, nothing that could topple them, and he was left flummoxed for what was so important it required him to see the Hokage right away.
There was no Shikamaru to warn Naruto of Sasuke's arrival, so he simply entered the Hokage's office. There was only one Naruto, strangely, though he was busy typing away on his keyboard so he had to be hard at work. Usually there was more than one clone… perhaps Naruto had finally realised he needed to live as well as work.
"Sakura told me you sent me a message," Sasuke opened, and Naruto's head jerked towards him. He didn't seem surprised, and Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he'd sense him coming. Naruto, though he'd always be an idiot to Sasuke, was the greatest Hokage Konoha had ever seen.
"You didn't get the message?" Naruto asked, brows furrowing. Sasuke shook his head, sitting down before Naruto's desk, waiting. "So you just randomly decided to come home? A bit of a weird coincidence," Naruto muttered, running a hand through his hair, ruffling it up a little.
"I was on my way back. I was thinking of staying for a while, to help Boruto and Sarada," Sasuke said simply. He wanted to spend at least some time with Sarada before he left again, and he had a promising student in Boruto. The world was peaceful, and while Sasuke's network of informants kept their eyes open, there were only small matters cropping up. Sasuke could afford a rest.
"Then you don't know," Naruto said, hand slipping to rub his eyes. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept well the night before, and Sasuke felt the first stab of fear coil inside of him. Had something terrible happened?
"Naruto," he began, but Naruto held up a hand, completely serious.
"What I'm going to tell you isn't easy for you to hear, okay?" Naruto began, and Sasuke's blood ran cold. He opened his mouth, and Naruto shook his head. "Sarada-chan and Sakura-chan are fine. Amazing even, this isn't about them so don't worry."
Sasuke felt a wave of relief roll through him. Though that begged the question of why he was here – if it wasn't for Sakura or Sarada, then what?
"A misinformed idiot decided to meddle in an old blood jutsu. They wanted to make yours and my lives difficult, and so decided that the best way to do that was to bring someone back to life." Naruto paused, and Sasuke felt his body stiffen, mind whirling with possibilities. There was one that screamed at him, Sakura's words about Sarada training finally clicking, but it couldn't… it couldn't be.
"Two days ago, Team Konohamaru picked up a man on their mission. They brought him back immediately when Konohamaru recognised him." Naruto paused, and Sasuke felt as if that second was the longest he'd ever waited through. He was almost ready to launch himself at Naruto when he spoke.
"Uchiha Itachi returned to the village two days ago. He was given a clean bill of health, pending bloodwork, and seems to have all of his skills intact. I can personally attest that he is one hundred percent himself, free of influence and about fifteen years younger than us." Naruto shot him a crooked smile, and Sasuke stared at him, brain trying to process the words.
Naruto returned to his work quietly, and Sasuke mulled over the fact that his brother – someone he'd spent a great part of his life hating, a man who had helped shape him onto the path he was on today and someone he had parted with lovingly – was back. Apparently unchanged from the war too.
"He's training Sarada," Sasuke stated, because there was no one else who could. Kakashi might have been able to once, but it had been a long time since he'd had his sharingan. And besides, Kakashi was away enjoying his retirement.
Naruto glanced over, nodding.
"He's training Sarada-chan. And Uchiha should always train an Uchiha, after all." Naruto smiled, looking down, and Sasuke tracked him carefully. "He's staying at mine. Sakura-chan put him up the first night, but your spare room is like a cupboard. There's plenty of room at mine."
Sasuke's brain paused as he caught the look on Naruto's face. It didn't matter how his first meeting with Itachi since he'd died would go, not when Naruto was pointedly not meeting his eyes and fiddling with his mouse.
"Naruto," Sasuke said, voice low, warning. "You have a wife," Sasuke said cautionary, hardly believing he had to remind Naruto, of all people, to be faithful. Never mind the rest of the mess it would bring, there was no way Naruto could think he would get away with being unfaithful.
"Wife?" Naruto said, frowning. His expression cleared a moment later, and he sighed, shaking his head. "You haven't been here, of course. I've been divorced for almost a year now," Naruto admitted, and Sasuke felt cool shock pass through him.
"Divorced?" he parroted in disbelief. If there was one person he would never have expected to divorce, it would have been Naruto.
"It was for the best," Naruto said stiffly, and Sasuke knew that this wasn't the time to discuss Naruto's issues. And, just like that, he was brought back to reality – a reality where his brother was alive. Again.
"He's doing well," Naruto said quietly, and Sasuke made an odd noise, a murmur in the back of his throat. "Still trying to find his place in this weird world, but he's going to get there."
Sasuke sat in silence for a while, mulling over the information Naruto had given him. It was almost too good to be true – Sasuke had often wondered what life would have been like had Itachi lived, but he'd never once imagined that it was a possibility that could come true. There were so many things he wanted to tell Itachi about, show him even, but how could he? Sasuke had no idea how he'd be able to face Itachi for so many reasons.
For the first time in years, Sasuke was scared.
"I have to see him," Sasuke said, though half of him was screaming not to. He'd lived so long without Itachi that he had no idea how his life would be with him. It was too strange, too raw, but hope blossomed inside of him too. He wanted to see Itachi, wanted to right the wrongs they had been dealt, and rebuild their relationship, if he could.
He also had so many questions he needed answering.
"Alright then," Naruto said, nodding his head slowly. "I'll send someone to fetch him," he said, but Sasuke shook his head. He couldn't sit around waiting, not when he knew Itachi was here.
"I'll go to him," he said, firmly and ignoring the look of concern Naruto shot him. "I'm not going to do anything. I've grown up, a lot," Sasuke added at Naruto's raised eyebrows. "I need to do this."
Naruto sighed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He tapped into it rapidly, setting it down when he was done. A moment later, it buzzed, and Naruto nodded.
"He's training Sarada-chan in the eastern field site, section B. If you're going to cause a ruckus, take it under the Hokage mountain. I'll let the guards know to let you in." Naruto sounded tired, and Sasuke couldn't blame him. This had been going on for so long now, but he had nothing to be concerned about. Sasuke was going to set the feud to rest now, for once and for all.
.
For Naruto, the day had begun rather strangely. He'd heard Himawari singing to herself in a deep voice, giggling when Boruto called for her to shut it. She'd simply continued, though moved into Boruto's room, and seemed determined to get him up now she was awake. Naruto suspected the only reason she hadn't barged into his room was that she wanted Itachi to get some rest.
It was a surprise, but Naruto knew Itachi was still fast asleep behind the screen that separated their beds. He'd managed to fit the spare camping bed in for Itachi, though he'd tried to give up his own double bed. Itachi had refused – of course, he was ridiculously kind-hearted Naruto was beginning to realise – and merrily took to the slightly uneven camper bed.
Naruto rolled onto his other side, staring at the screen between them. It depicted a map of the five nations, beautifully painted. It had been a birthday gift from Sai and Ino, a few years back. He sighed, closing his eyes as Himawari drew out a long, loud note, followed by a groan from Boruto as they made their way downstairs.
He should have put Itachi up in the spare room. It was a study right now, full of various files and folders Naruto had forgotten to archive properly (it was fine, Shikamaru would never know), but it could easily have been reorganised to fit the camper bed in. Naruto was a terrible, horrid, creepy person.
Maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he was missing Hinata so that the first person who had shown interest actually caught his eye. Except, Naruto reasoned, that wasn't true. Many people had tried to catch his attention, he'd even been out for food with a small handful. None of them had made him feel how Itachi did.
Was it just because he was Sasuke's brother? Was it because he was a man? He was something different and new and exciting and-
Naruto sighed again, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.
"Whatever," he mumbled, deciding that thinking on all of this wasn't going to help. So what if he found Itachi attractive? If anything happened, well, Naruto would get to that bridge when he absolutely had to. For now, he had a village to run and Itachi to integrate back into society.
Himawari stopped singing when Naruto entered the kitchen, in sleeping shorts and a baggy top. She beamed at him, and even Boruto greeted him happily. It felt so much like before, when they'd all been a proper family and Naruto hadn't been an overworking idiot, that he half-expected Hinata to be standing in the kitchen, fixing him a stern look as he'd promised to get up early and cook, yet forgotten.
"We want eggs!" Himawari called, still playing her deep voice. She was frowning too, hands on her hips, and Naruto smiled, glancing to his egg basket in slight trepidation. No matter what, he always burnt eggs.
"Sure," he agreed, hoping that today would be the miracle day. Today, Naruto wouldn't burn the eggs. His children would be fed and happy, and they could go about their day however they wanted with full bellies and happy hearts.
Or so he could dream.
Five minutes and three burnt eggs later (in which the smoke detector went off no less than twice), Naruto was ready to pack up and take the kids out for breakfast, if only to save a little face. He scraped black debris off the pan (again) and took a deep breath, preparing to crack another egg.
"Having some trouble?" a new voice said, and Naruto paused, one hand holding an egg and the other gripping his spatula. He turned to look at Itachi – who looked wonderfully put together, not like Naruto who now had egg all over him – and smiled, wiggling the hand with the egg in it.
"Here," Itachi said, taking a fresh egg and the pan. "Let me," he continued, and Naruto handed over the spatula, rolling his egg between his hands as he watched Itachi work, cooking eggs like it was nothing.
In no time, breakfast was sitting on the table, and Naruto looked down at his own serving of perfectly cooked eggs, slightly mind blown there was not a single hint of charring.
"Thank you Oji-san!" Himawari said politely, low voice dropped as she beamed around the table, smile wide as she waited for them all to begin. "Papa always burns the eggs, so I'm glad you saved the day."
Naruto rolled his eyes, looking at Itachi as he laughed. It was a carefree, light sound, and Naruto couldn't help but smile too.
"You're welcome, Himawari-chan," he said, and that was their cue to begin.
Naruto was left alone with Itachi after breakfast. Boruto had wandered back upstairs to change, stating he wanted to try and find Konohamaru to train, and Himawari had headed for the living room, plonking herself down and turning on some singing show. It was awful, but Naruto closed the door and that was that.
"Did you sleep well? I'm surprised Himawari didn't wake you up earlier," Naruto said with a slight huff of laughter, suddenly nervous now it was just him and Itachi.
"I did," Itachi said, stretching out his legs under the table, looking the picture of relaxed. "It was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time."
Naruto nodded with a grin, wiping the plates dry. He glanced out of the kitchen window, a person catching his eye. He recognised them as Sarada, though she seemed conflicted about whether to come up to the house or not.
"Sarada-chan is out there, debating whether it's too early to bother you or not," Naruto commented, and Itachi rose slowly, joining him at the sink. He was busy watching Sarada, unaware of Naruto's sudden crisis.
Itachi was shorter than him, just a tiny bit. He wasn't as broad either, still young enough to have a few years left in filling out before he began the downwards decline of getting old. He was in his prime, and Naruto was an idiot not to react when Itachi bumped their shoulders, looking out as Sarada finally got past the garden gate.
"I remember someone else being this eager for me to train them," Itachi said quietly, voice low. It sent a shiver through Naruto, and he shifted his weight slightly to press against Itachi a little more. "She's going to be great one day, but I hope she'll never need to face what we have."
Naruto nodded, looking down at the plate in his hands. He set it down on the dry worktop and turned to Itachi, swallowing thickly.
"They won't," he said firmly, and Itachi looked at him sharply, eyes dark and wide. "I swear on my life, they won't," Naruto finished, taking Itachi's hand and holding it tightly, a vow that he wouldn't break. Sarada was as precious to him as his own children, as was the rest of the Uchiha clan. As was the rest of his village. The next generation and those after wouldn't know the pain and sorrow they had. No one would have to die unnecessarily.
Itachi's lips parted, and he looked down at their hands, a considering look on his face. He glanced back up, looking at Naruto's eyes and taking a step closer, squeezing Naruto's hand back. It sent a thrill of excitement through him, and Naruto tilted his chin slightly, anticipating Itachi's next move.
A knock on the door stopped them in their tracks, and Itachi turned to look out of the window.
"She must have worked up her courage," Itachi offered, letting go of Naruto's hand slowly. His palm felt unnaturally cold as Itachi walked away, and he turned so his back was to the window, leaning against the kitchen cupboards. He closed his eyes and shook his head, berating himself for being such an idiot.
"What am I doing?" he questioned himself, taking a deep breath and heading out of the kitchen.
"Sarada-chan's here!" Naruto called out, smiling to himself as he heard both Himawari and Boruto make a move to come see her. He could forget about his stupid self for a while. Sarada had chosen the perfect moment to interrupt – thank goodness she hadn't come a moment later. Who knew what Naruto would have done.
"Sorry to bother you so early," Sarada said, though she looked far from apologetic. "I was hoping Oji-san could train me today."
She smiled so nicely that Naruto knew there was no way Itachi would decline. Not that he would have anyway, but Sarada knew how to get what she wanted, and she used that ability.
"Of course," Itachi said, just as Himawari poked her head out of the living room, stoic expression on her face.
"Greetings Sarada-chan," she said, voice low once more. "I hope you will join us for dinner tonight."
Sarada nodded slowly, and Himawari retreated to the living room, returning to whatever odd programme she was watching and imitating. Naruto shrugged when she looked at him.
"Bring Sakura-chan too," he said. "Might as well make a proper dinner out of it."
Boruto appeared on the stairs then, and Sarada sat with him in the kitchen for a while, waiting as Itachi vanished upstairs to gather whatever he needed for the day. Naruto stood in the hallway awkwardly, peering at some of the photographs of the kids and his friends on the wall, though he wasn't really taking them in. His mind was upstairs, wondering if he could afford to be impulsive and give into temptation.
Unexpectedly, Boruto hung back when Sarada and Itachi left, hovering in the kitchen doorway. He wasn't meeting Naruto's eyes, but he seemed to want to say something, so Naruto simply waited.
"Do you think," Boruto began, clamping his mouth shut and looking away. Naruto waited, but he didn't seem to want to continue, and his brain suddenly caught up with what Boruto might want.
"How about," Naruto began, and Boruto looked at him, "we go out to train some day this week. I'll teach you something you can show off to Sarada with. They might be Uchihas, but we're Uzumakis and the techniques we can do beat any silly eye things they come up with."
Boruto's smile pulled at Naruto's heart, and he wondered how long it had been since he'd seen such an honest smile from his son. He couldn't help it, and he reached out to ruffle Boruto's hair, and he felt himself well up a little when Boruto didn't pull away.
"Alright then old man," Boruto said cheekily, pushing Naruto away. He was still smiling though, eyes bright and eyes crinkled. "I can look after Himawari today if you want to leave a clone. Shikamaru-san will have your head if you don't do a little bit of work at least."
He was right, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. Boruto was on the verge of being old enough to look after Himawari by himself, but Naruto wasn't going to allow that. He'd planned on sending a clone to work, truth be told, but this arrangement would probably work better. Naruto didn't like using too many clones anymore, not unless he had to.
"Alright," he agreed, fixing Boruto a stern look. "Only if you're sure you're okay with it. I'll be back home early tonight for dinner as well, so I won't be gone long." Boruto rolled his eyes in return and grabbed something from the kitchen chair. It was Naruto's Hokage cloak, though how it had ended up in the kitchen was beyond Naruto.
It was later in the office, after Sasuke had returned and left everything churning in Naruto's stomach, uncertainty and worry for both of the Uchiha brothers blooming in his chest, that he realised Itachi must have been the one to bring his cloak back. He stood suddenly, but paused. What was he going to do? Run over to where Itachi and Sasuke were? Try to stop them? He hadn't heard any noises that would indicate a fight, and no one had come running to him to tell him Sasuke was back and fighting his brother, so it was unlikely they were actually fighting. What were they doing then?
Naruto sat back down heavily, pulling his cloak tightly around himself and sinking low in his seat. Sasuke had seemed to take the news well, though he'd seen the uncertainty and panic written all over Sasuke's face. He knew Sasuke so well that there was no way he'd have been able to hide it.
Running a hand over his face, Naruto closed his eyes. He was too old for this kind of thing, too old and too tired to deal with Uchiha rivalry. For the sake of everyone, not just Sasuke and Itachi, he hoped that all of their issues were resolved, and that they could just be happy. It was selfish of Naruto, really, but he honestly wanted what was best for Sasuke and Itachi too. Uchihas had always loved with ferocity, this should be no different.
Naruto felt the world fall away from him, and he opened his eyes to be greeted with Kurama's gleaming grin. He was lying on his side, all nonchalance and smugness, and Naruto sat down, crossing his legs.
"What do you want," he muttered, knowing full well what Kurama wanted. He was a busybody and wanted to meddle.
"Nothing," Kurama lied, and Naruto rolled his eyes. "I was curious how things are getting on with your new Uchiha."
"Are you so bored that you're trying to live through me? I can summon you out if you like, you can take a walk, burn off some of this excess energy you've amassed." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as Kurama laughed, throwing his head back.
"No, no," Kurama said, holding out a hand. "I'm content in here. Plus, if I was loose outside, who knows what I'll say to certain people. Certain Uchihas." He burst into laughter again as Naruto's arms dropped to his sides, clearly having the time of his life.
"I hate you Kurama," Naruto muttered, not meaning a word of it. And the stupid fox knew that. Of course he did.
"You like him a lot," Kurama offered, and Naruto clenched his jaw, refusing to talk about this. "It took you years to even notice Hinata, and I'm willing to bet you still wouldn't have if Sakura hadn't basically dragged you before her and made you notice." Kurama's voice was laced with disapproval, and Naruto bristled. They'd spoken about this before, but he'd never been willing to listen.
Until now.
"What did you really think of Hinata?" Naruto asked, and Kurama tensed, all traces of laughter vanishing as he looked down.
"You want me to answer that honestly now?" he confirmed, and Naruto nodded. Kurama sighed, drumming his fingers on the ground. "I think you rushed into it. You were both pressured, and then everyone else was doing it, so why not you two? You did well, both of you, though. You weren't completely right for each other, but you did well, and you had some happy times."
Naruto smiled slightly, nodding. They had had some happy times, and he'd forgotten the good with how badly it had ended.
"You weren't right forever, but what does that matter. Not everything stands the test of time, and not everything should, especially for us." Kurama shrugged, his cheek pushing upwards as his hand shifted against it. "Don't regret something that made you happy at the time. You loved each other back then, and that's what mattered."
The words lifted an unease on Naruto's chest, and he nodded.
"Thank you Kurama," he said honestly, "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to listen to what you wanted to say."
Kurama was silent for a moment, regarding Naruto carefully, and then he nodded.
"Uchiha Itachi's return is a good thing. He's shaken this village up enough to get you out of your self-deprecating funk, and Sasuke's going to be around more. Who know what else will change, but you're doing good." Kurama shifted, lowering himself to the floor and stretching out.
"I know you don't think you deserve someone like Itachi – don't look at me like that. You never thought you deserved Hinata either, or anyone else who loves you. You're scared of love, and that's fine. But you deserve what you get, and Itachi might be someone you get." Naruto mirrored Kurama's move and rolled onto his back, staring up at a bright blue sky.
"He's so young," Naruto began, and Kurama hummed to himself. "And he's only been back for a few days. There's so much he can do, should do, so why should I try to start something? He has so much to live for this time, I can't take that away from him.
"What if he wants to live for you?" Kurama shot back, and Naruto closed his eyes, wanting to shake his head. "What will you do then."
"Nothing," Naruto mumbled, turning his head to the side to stare at Kurama. "I won't do anything, how about that?"
There was silence, and Naruto bit the inside of his cheek.
"I don't know Kurama," he continued. "I'll do what I always do and jump right in, no matter what. The rest can be sorted out after."
"That sounds about right," Kurama said, fondness lacing his voice. They were old friends now, and Kurama was always there for him, no matter even if Naruto didn't want to hear it. They might not always agree, but Kurama's friendship meant so much to Naruto.
"Are you sure you don't want to wander around outside for a bit? I'll even introduce you to Itachi," Naruto said, and Kurama laughed.
"I want to watch this one for a bit longer. Give it a couple of weeks and I'll let you know when I want out." Naruto nodded, returning to his office with a pang of something he'd never quite been able to identify. It wasn't loss, for he could still talk to Kurama whenever he wanted, but something similar, though he couldn't explain why.
Naruto stared at the stack of forms he still needed to sign and then at his computer's clock. He narrowed his eyes, making a sign for a shadow clone a moment later, and he grinned at his replacement.
He had a dinner and an added guest to plan for, after all.
.
For the briefest of moments, Itachi was convinced Nagato was watching him. It was just a flicker, the tiniest spike that someone could have easily overlooked, but he could feel the power of the rinnegan in that flicker. He paused, turning away from Sarada, sharingan enhancing his vision through the trees, trying to pick up who his watcher was.
He should have known, really, and Itachi's breath caught in his throat as he realised it was Sasuke who was approaching. He stood there frozen, ignoring Sarada as she tugged on his forearm, breath coming in short, panicky gasps.
"Oji-san?" Sarada asked, turning sharply to Sasuke as he emerged from the trees. She instantly brightened and ran over to him, hugging Sasuke. Itachi noticed him wrap his arms around her, attention only for his daughter, and then the moment passed, and Sasuke was focused on him again.
Itachi remained still as Sasuke approached. While he could see the frightened, angry brother he'd always known, this was a man who had spent his adult life growing past that. Sasuke was powerful and older now, someone who possessed the rinnegan and great intelligence. He was also a man who could ruin everything Itachi had scraped together in the past two days, who could destroy any hope Itachi had of rebuilding their relationship, and he waited for whatever Sasuke would say.
"Sarada," Sasuke began, turning away from Itachi completely. "I'd like to see what you've learnt."
She didn't even hesitate, smiling at Itachi as she performed the fire technique Itachi had taught her on his first morning. She shaped it into a bird, letting it fly around Sasuke's head just how Itachi had to her, and she cancelled it proudly.
"We began working on genjutsu today. Oji-san said that one of the rudimentary techniques of the sharingan is to knock people out, so we started with that one." She paused, shooting Itachi a smile, and then dove right in. "He says he wants to train me with the mangekyō techniques, only without the mangekyō sharingan. It's possible, I watched Oji-san fight Hokage-sama and he was able to use Amaterasu and Susanoo without keeping the mangekyō activated. He's a genius."
Sarada squared herself, and Itachi felt anticipation uncoil slightly, nerves calming as she looked at Sasuke.
"I don't care what you think about Oji-san, you know. He'll still be my sensei and Oji-san whatever you think. You can't stop me from trying to see him, I refuse." Her voice was so firm and stance unmoveable that Itachi was reminded vaguely of Tsunade in her stubbornness. His heart ached at her words, but he didn't dare look at Sasuke, knowing that Sarada would be powerless if Sasuke decided to cut Itachi out of their family.
"Sarada," Sasuke said, voice sharp. Itachi saw Sarada flinch, and he resigned himself to his fate. He'd done too much damage the last time he'd been alive – of course Sasuke couldn't give him a second chance.
"You're being ridiculous. I only wanted to know what Nii-san had been able to teach you so far. I'm not going to stop you from seeing him. He's been a great teacher to you so far, and he's my brother." Sasuke's voice wavered slightly, and Itachi looked at him quickly, eyes wide as he met Sasuke's gaze. "He's the only brother I have, and I love him."
A hand rose to Itachi's mouth as his vision blurred, and he felt warm tears roll down his face. Before he could stop himself, he was full on sobbing, trying to mask the noises with one hand as the other wiped his cheeks. Hours of stress and panic rolled from him in one clean wash, and he almost didn't notice Sasuke coming to stand beside him.
"It's been a long time for me, longer than it has for you, so I don't understand how you feel," Sasuke began, and Itachi sniffed heavily, feeling Sarada move closer, as if she could make a barrier to protect Itachi from himself. "But, if you're willing, I want to sort out everything that happened and rebuild our relationship."
"Yes," Itachi managed, hiccupping and laughing at himself. "I want my brother, I want my family, I-" he hiccupped again and ducked his head, shaking and laughing at himself again.
"You're a mess," Sasuke said cheekily, and suddenly he was all of five years old again, beaming up as Itachi promised to play with him.
"I know," Itachi said, eyes widening as Sasuke moved closer, enveloping him in a tight hug. He was taller than Itachi now, and Itachi could hear Sasuke sniff heavily, tears flowing freely. "You are too," Itachi returned, and as Sasuke pulled back, he knew everything would be okay.
"So Oji-san can stay?" Sarada ventured, sounding uncertain. Her gaze flickered between them, and Itachi reached out slowly to poke her on the forehead.
"We still have a lot to work out," he said as she grinned tapping the point where Itachi had touched her forehead. She turned to Sasuke, and his expression softened, nodding to her slowly.
"But Nii-san can stay," Sasuke confirmed, and Itachi knew that that they could fix the mess they'd gone through, and that they'd do it together.
"Oh, Oto-san," Sarada piped up suddenly, and a feeling of dread began to spread through Itachi as she shot him a narrow-eyed smile. "Hokage-sama invited us all to dinner at his place. Since Oji-san's living there now, we have to go."
It was a lie, Himawari was the one who had asked, and Itachi had definitely caught the emphasis on the fact he was living with Naruto. He looked at Sasuke to explain, but the feeling of dread only deepened as he caught the sight smirk on Sasuke's face.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sasuke commented lightly, and Itachi knew there was no way he was going to get through this dinner unscathed in terms of teasing.
Which brought another question to mind – Sarada he could understand as she'd seen them together and could put two and two together, but how did Sasuke know that Itachi was interested in Naruto like that?
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