Itachi had finished sweeping the last room of their old house. It took everything to come back to their old home again, but he was able to put up with the memories enough. 

Even after all those years passing, it still hurt to even be in their house. 

As he swept the debris out of the front door, he sneezed, shivering as he bundled up in his coat. He slipped the scarf back over his mouth and nose, and got back to work. The breeze wasn't very strong, but the temperature was falling fast, faster than he would've liked. 

Of course, you can't change the weather. Nature had its own pride; always trying to tear down buildings and send people running away. 

He had to admit; maybe that's why the elements made shinobi stronger. He couldn't help but chuckle, since he could wield the most destructive element there was. It became a bittersweet moment for Itachi as his smile died. 

His hands slowly stopped moving as he listened to the silence around him. Silence that he created. Men. Women. Children. The unborn. All gone because of him.

'It is no wonder why Sasuke doesn't talk to me much,' he thought, smiling bitterly.

His chest started to ache as he fought the tears slowly building in his eyes, only to snap out of it when he heard Sasuke call him. With one last powerful movement of the arms, he swept the debris off the porch, going back inside and shutting the door gently. 

Itachi sneezed again, a little too hard this time, as drops of blood plopped on the floor. Sasuke, who walked into the hall, dropped the duster in his hand as he rushed to his older brother. "Itachi!" 

Itachi raised a hand, pulling out a handkerchief and wiped his nose. "I'm fine Sasuke. I just sneezed too hard; I'll be alright." 

Sasuke exhaled a little, watching him in concern as his brother wiped his nose clean of any blood. 

"Now then," Itachi said quietly, folding the stained cloth. "What did you need me for?" Sasuke frowned a little before sighing. "I've finished dusting the last room. We need to talk." 

Itachi nodded, walking towards the last room his parents ever saw. Sasuke tried to swallow, his throat suddenly dry as he followed his older brother into the room. Once he shut the door, Sasuke sat across from Itachi, who was watching him intently.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably.

Itachi smiled at Sasuke warmly and asked, "What did you want to talk about, Sasuke?" The younger brother looked down at his hands before sighing. "How are your eyes?"

Itachi blinked in surprise before taking his glasses off, wiping them with the end of his shirt. "The contacts given to me are helping. My sight hasn't gotten any worse, in case you're worrying."

Sasuke snorted. "I'm not worried."

"Of course you're not," the elder brother teased. Sasuke allowed himself to smile at that. "But, I do know that my health isn't the reason why you wanted to talk," Itachi stated, staring him down.

Sasuke's fingers twitched before he looked past his brother and outside; watching the leaves as they flew by. "No, it's not," he admitted. "It's about.. the past." Itachi frowned a little but said nothing, giving him the chance to continue.

Sasuke bit the inside of his lip before he said, "This... House. It's... Suffocating. The memories that come with it weigh down and..." Sasuke swallowed, forcing himself to look at his kin. Itachi blinked in surprise before smiling and looking down. "You probably hate me, huh?"

Sasuke's stomach rolled as he heard those specific words. "Itachi..."

"I understand. I would hate me as well after all I put you through."

Sasuke shook his head, not wanting to talk about that at the moment. "It's about my team. About... Tenten." Itachi's smile lessened. "Something happened during the mission?"

Sasuke barely nodded, rubbing his forehead as he exhaled sharply. "She got kidnapped on the last night of the mission. I was almost too late."

Itachi frowned in concern.

"I told her to stay inside," the younger brother continued, "but she wouldn't listen. It was as if nothing I said to her registered properly." Sasuke's fists tightened. "They could've hurt her. They would've. If I had just put up with her annoying traits, she would've been completely safe."

Itachi sighed, looking at Sasuke in a sad manner. "Sasuke... Whatever happened happened. It's over now. She's safe."

"That's not the point!" Sasuke groaned, gripping his face. "Itachi... I..." Itachi caught up immediately, unable to help the smirk appearing on his face. "You like her."

Sasuke gritted his teeth before exhaling, dropping his hand. "It doesn't matter," he said almost angrily. "She's unbelievable. Putting herself at risk, she never listens; she thinks I'm belittling her all the time because she's a female! But that's not the point." Sasuke stared Itachi down hard. "She doesn't want me, Itachi. Because of a dead man."

Itachi blinked before smiling softly, looking up. "A dead man...? Oh, that's right. She loved that Hyuga boy right?"

"Loves," Sasuke corrected bitterly. "I don't know what she wants from me. I tried to just be friends, but then she comes over repeatedly and we end up spending nights together." He let out a hiss. "And now she rejects me. It aches to deal with this confusing situation."

Itachi's smirk grew. "That sounds like Naruto, if I'm to be honest. Sakura loves you, but then you left... And she never let go. And because of it, both teammates suffered."

"I am not like that dolt!" Sasuke protested, standing up. He started to pace around the room, shaking his head in the process.

He thought speaking to Itachi about it would help him, but he once again felt lost.

"Well, you are right about that," Itachi stated as he chuckled. "Naruto is with someone now. He no longer fawns over Sakura."

Sasuke's pace slowed to a stop before he looked outside. It was so quiet. So empty.

That's how he felt.

"What should I do, Itachi?" Sasuke asked. The elder looked up at him in partial surprise. "What should you do?" Sasuke nodded, looking at Itachi. "You moved on from your girlfriend, haven't you?" Itachi smiled only a little as he met his younger brother's eyes. "I miss her dearly. There's not a day that goes by without me thinking of her; what we could've been."

He exhaled; his eyes watery. Sasuke was taken aback but didn't let the surprise sit. He sat a foot away from his brother, the temptation to hug him almost taking over.

Itachi smiled almost weakly as he spoke in a hushed tone. "I'll never be able to forget Izumi." He then exhaled and smiled wide. "She was the first I killed." Sasuke and Itachi's eyes locked before Sasuke looked away, sighing loudly. "We don't have to talk about this."

Itachi smiled. "You're considerate. Compassionate. It's nice to see you act this way." Sasuke frowned, scoffing. "Don't think about it too much," he muttered. His expression then softened.

"Itachi... I don't hate you. I know why you did what you did. It hurts, but when I look at you, I don't see what you've done." Itachi smiled softly at that. "That's relieving to know. We Uchiha have to look out for ourselves now. We're all that's left."

Sasuke nodded, taking a deep breath. Itachi gently reached out, grabbing his t-shirt and bringing him forward into a gentle hug. Sasuke tensed up for a moment before relaxing into the hug.

Even he couldn't deny that he needed to be hugged.

Itachi smiled, rubbing his back gently. "I love you, Sasuke. I always will." Sasuke exhaled shakily. "I love you, Brother. I'm sorry." "As am I," the elder replied, lifting Sasuke up just slightly to kiss his forehead.

Sasuke blushed ever so slightly in response before resting his forehead on Itachi's shoulder. "Brother... What are we going to do?" Itachi sighed. "Keep moving forward and help our comrades. That's what we can do."

Sasuke nodded once. "....And Tenten?" Itachi smiled gently, rubbing the back of his younger brother's head. "Look at what you have in front of you. Not what you want. Remember who's waiting for you at the end of the road, Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha didn't respond. But he did think. There was nothing he could do about how Tenten thought. But that didn't mean he had to linger and make her see. He couldn't do more than he already had done.

There was someone else waiting for him; someone who needed him. And he wasn't going to let her down.

~

Tenten placed a bundle of flowers before her mother's grave, sighing softly. After spending a day trying to pull herself together, Tenten woke up next morning to place a fresh batch before her fallen mother.

She shakily sighed, gently placing her hand on the tombstone. "I hope heaven is warm, mom," the kunoichi whispered. "It's getting really cold down here."

She barely held back a sneeze, wiping her nose. "I know it's been a minute since I've visited you. I hope you're resting well." She didn't have much else to say; she felt unable to mention the events of the past few days. She sighed, standing up. "I'll visit you again," she muttered, turning only to pause.

Hinata walked approaching her, gripping her jacket tightly. "Tenten! I knew we'd find you here." Tenten smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but the movement behind her made her pause.

Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha were following her.

Tenten hoped that she didn't look shocked, but she certainly felt shocked. Sasuke glanced at her before looking anywhere but her. But that wasn't what surprised her the most. "I wasn't expecting a small crowd," she stated, her sarcasm as dry as her throat.

Itachi smiled warmly as he said, "We were looking for you when you didn't answer your door. Hinata came over and told us that you were probably here." Tenten nodded, unsure of how to respond. Hinata asked, "Are you alright?" Tenten simply smiled. "Yeah."

Itachi approached the grave and asked, "This is your mother?" The brown haired kunoichi nodded, not fully able to meet his eyes. Itachi knelt, placing his hand over it as he closed his eyes. It didn't take Tenten long to realize he was praying.

Moments later, he stood, holding out a finger for Kuro to land on. Tenten shook her head, giggling. "Why does that bird not stay around?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Crows eat carcasses," Sasuke stated quietly, still not looking at Tenten. "If he lingers around living bodies, he'll have an impulse to start picking." Hinata shivered at his statement. "I-I see..."

Tenten watched as Kuro flew away from Itachi's finger. "But the best part about having a crow as a friend," Itachi spoke softly, "is that he'll never leave you. Sure he's gone for a while, but he'll always return." Tenten smiled a little while Hinata watched the bird fly.

"Crows are as free as doves, but I don't.. understand why they don't get along..." Her voice faded as she blushed. Itachi chuckled. "If you are referring to who I think you're referring to, then sometimes, birds don't get along. And sometimes birds don't come home." Itachi started walking away.

Hinata bit her lower lip before following him with haste. "W-Wait, Itachi-San, what if Kuro doesn't come home? Why are birds risky like that?" Tenten and Sasuke stared at her in suprise, finding her interest in the birds odd.

The elder Uchiha smiled, patting her head. "Because, Hyuga Princess, birds are a lot like humans. And when you think about that, you have to stop and wonder; why are we dangerous? Why do we risk one thing for another?" Hinata blushed furiously, unable to meet his eyes.

Itachi rubbed her back gently and stated, "We risk, because it's in our nature. Whether it's a goal we want to achieve, or a person we want to protect... Kind of like what your uncle did for your father."

Hinata's mouth gaped open as she stared at the Uchiha in surprise. "How-! How did you-!" Tenten frowned while Sasuke watched them in confusion.

"Hiashi did not trust me," Itachi recalled. "And when I asked why, he reminded me of what I had done. The talk led from one thing to another, and by the time I was to leave, there were no more secrets between us. I'd like to think that I created a red thread from my clan to his."

Hinata smiled wide at that before looking down. "I know that we aren't much and we're very strict at times.. But I'm sure that the Hyuga Clan would love to have you both as part of the family." Itachi chuckled. "I'd love that."

Sasuke watched his brother and the Hyuga girl talk, unsure if he should say anything or just leave them alone. He decided on keeping his hands warm. Unwillingly, his eyes wandered to Tenten, who was watching them with a weary smile. Why, he couldn't say.

But the idea of being closer to the Hyuga Clan seemed like a bright idea to Itachi, and Sasuke trusted his brother's decisions. He couldn't afford not to anymore.

~

When the four made it to the gates, the wind had increased considerably. Tenten had asked Hinata last minute to spend the night, to which she happily agreed. Tenten had done what she normally did once they made it there; greet Ko and the others before relaxing in Hinata's quiet room.

Hanabi and Naomi had decided to relax on their own this time, which was just fine with Tenten.

As Hinata silently settled in her bed, Tenten somehow felt restless. Hinata had just taken off her jacket when Tenten asked, "Hey Hinata. Is it wrong to... you know... Still cling to him?"

Hinata glanced at her best friend, sighing a little. "Tenten..." The brown haired kunoichi smiled sadly. "It's sad, isn't it? How long I've clung to a dead man. Or dangerous, if he's even still alive. At this point, I'd doubt it."

Hinata's eyes watered, but she refused to cry. It wasn't the mention of her cousin being dead that struck her heartstrings, but the look of defeat on Tenten's face. "Tenten..."

"When I went on that mission, I thought I could handle it. I thought that maybe I could keep my focus. But I kept getting close to Sasuke, and Sakura aside... I was scared."

Hinata tilted her head in confusion. Tenten smiled weakly. "Sasuke loves me. And I rejected him because I was afraid. I was afraid that if I dared even say something close to yes, I would forget the kind of love I felt from Neji. That I would forget his touch, his kiss, and his voice. And... I hurt Sasuke."

The Hyuga got off of her bed, sitting before Tenten as her mouth flooded open. "I've hurt Sasuke again and I don't know what to do. He's most likely going to turn to Sakura and... I know my chance is over. He's not going to ask again because he's not like that."

Hinata gently took her hand. "How do you know he won't?" she asked. Tenten bit her lower lip, unsure of how to respond to that. Hinata smiled softly, leaning in and kissing her forehead. Tenten closed her eyes for a moment before admitting, "I guess.. I guess I'm still trying to avoid him."

Hinata smiled softly, patting her hand gently. "Then maybe this time, you shouldn't avoid him. You should go to him, Tenten." Tenten sighed and nodded.

"Tonight." Tenten's eyes widened. "Tonight? Hinata, I'm not sure if that would be appropriate-"

"You don't know until you try," Hinata stated softly. "I...I-I know how it f-feels. Naruto came to me before we started dating... A-And he mentioned double dates and asked me if I wanted to come." Hinata blushed softly. "I was so embarrassed and caught off guard that I..."

Her cheeks reddened further. "I expressed h-how happy I was t-that he wanted t-to go out with me a-and..," Hinata covered her face with her hands. "He wasn't even talking about me. H-he was talking about me g-going out with K-Kiba!!" Tenten blinked before making a face. "What?!"

Hinata started to laugh a little. "I-I felt awful! But that was nothing compared to how Naruto looked." Hinata lowered her hands and shook her head. "I... I made him cry. I didn't mean to make him cry, but I guess hearing that was too much for him." Hinata smiled a little, recalling the memories. "And... Right after, he just became devoted to me. He calls Sakura the same name, but he's acting different around her. It's... It's as if..."

Tenten frowned a little, waiting for her to continue.

Hinata smiled wide. "It is as if he wants to show me off," she said softly. "He's spoiling me."

Tenten grinned, giving Hinata a hug. "Awww, I can't believe it happened that way!!" Hinata giggled and said, "I'm just happy he finally realized... even if it was embarrassing." Tenten smiled, cuddling with her shinobi sister.

She then sighed. "Alright... I don't really want to. But I trust you. I'll approach Sasuke tonight." Hinata nodded, preparing to open her mouth again when the door suddenly slammed open.

Both girls screeched, immediately calming down when they saw Naruto standing at the doorway. He was almost panting, gripping the doorway as he gasped out, "Tenten. Itachi. Hospital." She frowned for a moment, only for her eyes to widen. "Naruto, what happened?" When he didn't answer, Tenten started to panic. "Naruto, what happened?!"

He hesitated. "Itachi... He has pneumonia. He had a bad coughing fit, tripped. He's unconscious." 

~~~

BOO

Until the next Update!

~Nimo #IFanonNotCanon