How can we not talk about family, when family's all that we got?

- ­See you again

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The cherry trees were raining pink all over Konoha in the tender spring that brought a semblance of beauty to the gloomy metropolitan. Sasuke watched his bodyguards grumble in annoyance as they pushed the pink blossoms off the roof of the car when they brought him home or took him to school. But Sasuke didn't mind them.

He thought they were really beautiful.

Sakura, Itachi had told him they were called.

Sasuke preferred not to think of them that way, because it always led him to think about his pink haired classmate who could give Naruto a run for his money in annoying Sasuke. She was pink haired with green bubbly eyes. It was rather fitting that her parents called her Sakura.

Right now, she sat unnecessarily close to him while he tried to chew the sandwich his mother had packed him amongst other things. They were sitting at a table in the cafeteria, where most of the children were talking amongst themselves.

Sasuke usually preferred to eat alone, but today he was sandwiched between Naruto and Sakura on the bench, thinking he might lose his hearing by the time lunch was over. Sakura was telling the occupants of the table about all the places she had visited with her parents, with everyone listening closely.

Her father was an ambassador, which meant he traveled frequently. Often times, his family came along. Sakura was regaling them with a story about Suna when Sasuke let his gaze travel to the other children present at the table.

There was the Yamanaka girl, another loudmouth who was busy nagging her chubby friend. Next to the chubby kid was Shikamaru, someone he tolerated well-enough. And next to him-

Well Sasuke actually didn't recognize her.

She sat with dark blue hair and a downcast gaze, demurely eating her lunch. Feeling his gaze, she looked up, a blush coming over her face at his attention. Sasuke frowned.

Her eyes-

Hiashi-san's daughter?

My oldest, Hinata.

Her face went completely red when he didn't look away, cataloguing her features. She immediately looked down at her lunch again, her face red.

Sasuke felt a wave of annoyance at her.

Hinata Hyuga. She was completely different from her father- or any other Hyuga he had ever heard of for that matter.

The Hyugas were a prominent political family in Konoha, only rivaled by the Sarutobis. They were calm, intelligent people, according to Sasuke's father, and had long been allies of the Uchihas.

She was ridiculous, Sasuke decided. He hoped he would never be forced to work with her.

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Sasuke passed his final exams without a fuss and proceeded to the next grade.

There was a party at dinner, where Itachi and Shisui graced them all with their presence for more than 5 minutes after months of disappearances and guest appearances.

"Congrats Sasuke," Shisui said, giving Sasuke a hug before smiling at him. "I knew you could do it,"

Sasuke didn't reply, instead focusing on the dark circles around Shisui's eyes and the way his smile seemed forced. He looked older than his 17 years of age.

"Where's Itachi?" Sasuke asked, looking around the room as Mikoto shuffled around, smiling at the various guests and Uchiha family members. Sasuke watched the Uchiha men, their postures straight as they spoke amongst themselves, away from the women, their hands holding their glasses of beverages, all of them armed.

"Your father wanted to have a word," Shisui said casually.

"Shisui," Mikoto called. They both looked over to Sasuke's mother who was standing with a girl at her side with long dark brown hair and a beautiful smile. "Come here please,"

Shisui's smile vanished as he looked at the girl. His hand on Sasuke's shoulder slackened. He straightened immediately and walked over to Mikoto, Sasuke in tow.

"Shisui," the girl said, smile bright as she looked at him. "Hi,"

"Izumi, what are you doing here?" Shisui looked disbelieving. He looked unhinged- as if he was one second away from snapping completely.

The name was familiar.

"Your father sent my mother an invite for the dinner party," Izumi replied, noticing Shisui's displeasure and shock and dimming her smile. "I...I thought it would be nice to come over,"

Itachi's classmate, Sasuke remembered with a jolt.

"Of course it's nice," Mikoto insisted, casting a puzzled and annoyed look at her foster son.

Shisui breathed in. "Yes," he forced a smile. "Yes of course it is,"

"Izumi, this is Sasuke," Mikoto introduced her son, bringing him closer to her. Sasuke didn't smile, but he offered Izumi a hand to shake.

"Sasuke," Izumi attempted to smile again, after looking at Shisui once more. "I've heard a lot about you from these two,"

Sasuke didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't even spoken to his cousin and brother all that much. He hadn't heard about her from them.

Mikoto seemed to look behind them at other guests. "You children have fun, I'll see you later," she told them before leaving.

"So...pretty nice place you've got-," Izumi started when Shisui cut her off, grabbing her forearm.

"Can we talk privately?" he asked her, nodding towards the living room exit which would lead them outside, towards the terrace and the subsequent balcony.

Izumi looked surprised before she nodded. "Of course,"

Shisui turned to Sasuke. "Can you get the digital camera from my room? We're going to need to take pictures," he tried to smile reassuringly. Sasuke felt his temper rise but didn't say anything except for nodding.

He watched Shisui lead Izumi outside, still holding her arm.

_____________

Sasuke didn't really care about going back to the party until it was almost time for dinner. He then went to grab the digital camera from the shelf on Shisui's room, annoyed at being kept in the dark about whatever was going on in his family.

He was going to the living room when he stopped in front of his father's study. Voices were coming out of the room, heated and loud.

His heart thundered as he stood outside and pressed his ear against the thick wooden door. He couldn't properly hear anything, just a few words here and there.

"-won't!"

Itachi's voice rang out. Sasuke was surprised to hear the tone. Itachi, his calm and collected brother, kind and gentle to a fault...had he ever raised his voice like this before?

"You are the heir, Itachi. You will do as I say," his father yelled in response. He could hear something fall in the room and he felt sick at the thought of it being his brother.

"I said-"

Sasuke bit back a shriek when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He whirled around, clutching the camera to his chest, coming face to face with his mother.

"Where have you been all this time?" she asked, her voice annoyed.

"I-," he stuttered.

"Dinner is about to begin," she admonished. "Come on,"

Sasuke looked carefully at the blank look in her eyes. He knew she could hear the heated snippets of conversation from inside the study, yet she seemed to be ignoring it so resolutely that Sasuke thought he was imagining everything.

"Itachi and father,"

"They'll be fine," she briskly replied. "Come on,"

They had barely made it to the living room when the study door opened and both Fugaku and Itachi walked out. Fugaku looked calm. Too calm.

Itachi, as a contrast, looked like he was barely concealing his fury. He came to the living room and scanned the room for Sasuke. He found him and came to stand at his side. Then, he started looked around again, presumably for Shisui.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke whispered as Fugaku came to stand at the head of the table and make a toast. "Why were you fighting with father?"

"Sorry I'm late," Fugaku announced. "We're all gathered here today for my youngest son-,"

Sasuke watched the guests, almost all Uchihas, listen raptly to what Fugaku had to say before raising their glasses for a toast.

Itachi's eyes widened and Sasuke followed his gaze to where Shisui stood, close to Izumi. "What's wrong?" Sasuke asked again.

"Please take your seats and enjoy the food," Fugaku announced.

"Come on," Itachi said, abruptly grabbing his hand. "We're leaving,"

"Where are we going?" Sasuke asked. "Aren't we going to eat?"

Itachi didn't reply. Sasuke knew his father would not let them leave so easily and disgrace him in front of his guests. But to his surprise, no one except Shisui paid him any mind. He came over, grabbing Izumi again.

"Come on," he instructed her as they all walked out the living room, across the terrace and into the garden, heading for the main exit.

"What about dinner?" Izumi asked, as bewildered as Sasuke felt "This is so rude,"

"Izumi," Itachi said, letting go of Sasuke's hand and looking at her. "Please,"

She didn't say anything but follow them outside to the car. Shisui slid into the driving seat and Sasuke was, for the first time, allowed to sit in the passenger seat. Itachi and Izumi sat in the backseat. Sasuke pretended not to see when Itachi reached out and intertwined his fingers with Izumi.

He didn't know it then, but it was the last time Sasuke saw his parents alive.

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Author note: I really hope I'll be able to update this story more frequently. Let me know what you guys think about the story. See you next time.