.vindictive

     That condescending tone does little to ruffle him, at first. At least until he realized there might be some serious killing intent embedded in those words. Was it a snake waiting for him at the end of the “rabbit hole”? Or just a cannibal rabbit..?

*I didn’t think Papa could cast such a strong Genjutsu…is this what it looks like when under one?*

Onyx eyes fluttered open. The scene was different. It was the same where she had been standing with her Papa, training in dispelling genjutsu. Nimble fingers pushed up red-rimmed glasses to get a better look of the area. A cold chill swept her spine. She wasn’t anywhere near Konoha and boy, she was far from it; so far, she didn’t even know where she was at! 

*What’s the meaning of putting me under this if I can’t get out? What is this?* She was getting frustrated, but knew her Papa had good intention and would never do anything without reason, even if he rarely showed them. Let alone talked about them. It was odd, she had this strange relationship with her Papa, but she loved him nonetheless. With a hand on her hip, she sighed. It was going to be trouble to get out of this illusion and she regretted having told him don’t hold back. Now, she had to dish out her words and she would! 

Tightening her left hand in a fist, she proceeded forth into the forest, and came upon…a hideout?! It was only a few feet away, but she couldn’t risk being seen by anyone. The Uchiha girl hid in the trees, the leaves cascading over her small frame and face. Her eyes were curious and calculating at the same time. It wasn’t too soon that she was beginning to hear faint murmurs of voices. A curious look showed on her face now. Who could it be? One of them sounded family, maybe two? She couldn’t make them out quite yet. What she did know was that one of them was female. 

     Yet lord knows forgiveness isn’t so easy for a man like him. Now that Naruto’s the one in charge, though... ah, he’ll be around more. Not that he hadn’t trusted Kakashi--

     Naruto knows to keep certain people from having a single thing to do with him because they were involved.

     Inside the genjutsu, however, was another world. A world years and years past, but nowhere near forgotten. Karin and Suigetsu are bickering incessantly as they exited the cave they’d been calling home for the past week while Sasuke searched for one thing; something important.

     His brother’s location.

     “Was that Sasuke’s toothbrush you shoved in your bag last night? You know he’s gonna be pissed if he finds out, right? He’s been looking for that.”

     An ungodly screech followed by a splash as Karin punched Suigetsu in the head. Or tried to, because he just turned to water with a cackle. Messing with her was just too much fun. But it seemed their fun was about to be cut short as Sasuke dropped from the trees and raised an eyebrow at the two of them without a word regarding their behavior.

     “I found him. We’re moving.”

     This Sasuke is younger than the one Sarada has ever been exposed to. Somewhat shorter, though his hair DEFINITELY is lacking its present length. A white shirt with the Uchiha crest, parted to expose the majority of his chest, however, seems to be one thing he wears with absolute proudness, hand propped on the hilt of the sword tied to his hip.

     Suigetsu made a lewd gesture at Karin that led to him being punched again as another man exited the cave behind them, immediately gravitating toward their leader’s side as if that were the place he was safest. Another splash, and Sasuke drew the sword and glowered.

     “Stop fucking around. I said we’re moving. Now.” & that was the only warning he gave before he leaped back into the trees, the other three hot on his tail (shedding that white shirt for the more familiar black with the family crest --he’s to face him with more pride, their proper family attire; scrawling seals on his arms and taking weapons from Juugo and Karin at his demand) . He couldn’t lose Itachi’s trail now. It was time for retribution.

         Act as foolish as he pleases too. Itachi won’t play along, wouldn’t let himself down and like hell he would be selfless and stay just for the sake of making Sasuke happy. He’d been selfless for far too long and as the protective big brother he was never did anything that could put the younger brother at unease.

         Times changed. Itachi had changed. Desires had changed, desires Itachi couldn’t bear by staying close to him.   „I have two fucking weeks left and I won’t let this go to waste.“

         Itachi didn’t swear. Never. Usually. Must have picked this up from his brother’s previous swear. It once had been quite some fun, counting how often his little brother uses those kind of words when talking.

         Two weeks. No, one week, five days to be precisely. And Sasuke locked himself in his room. Again, like a child that he still was. Itachi realized.

        Living with him, doing what made Sasuke happy like in their younger years – had been a huge mistake. He’s depending on Itachi. Itachi depends on him, too, in a whole different way. Addicted. Heavily addicted beyond the point where it was healthy.

          „Fine, hide in your room. You cannot stay in there forever.“

     That thought, more than his sibling’s uncharacteristic curse through the door, had him curling tighter into a ball. Even with the pain building in his chest, however, the one thing he wouldn’t let himself do as a matter of pride is: cry. He won’t do it. No matter what.

     This is juvenile, and he knows it. He’s a grown man, and yet he’d allowed himself to get so used to their living together that he’d thought that just maybe, MAYBE, the older of the two of them would never leave him alone. Taking a shuddering breath and fisting his midnight hair, the younger Uchiha let out a pitiful sound as he realized he REALLY had to go to the bathroom.

     Itachi’s right -- he can’t stay in here forever and pout. He has five days to be with his brother before he’s... alone. Sitting up, sighing, and swinging his legs over the edge of his bed, Sasuke came to a shuddering stand and pulled his bedroom door open to find his sibling sitting down just outside it. His mood turned only slightly sour again, but mostly he just looked forlorn.

                             ‘‘Hah, you wouldn’t say~ You’re kind                               of stating the obvious there, y’know.’’

     Surely, it doesn’t keep the ghoul from staying in an awfully cheery mood, as if he was glad he had encountered the other. Or, perhaps, it was because of the dead body by the other’s feet. Still, he did kind of cringe at the stench of the dead ghoul’s blood and already decomposing flesh.

     At the implication that there’s Doves nearby, Sasuke hardly reacts... or at least, it seems that way. Anyone perceptive enough, however, might notice the slight upward quirking of his lips, because he doesn’t mind killing them. Or eating them. Especially when they may be on his brother’s case, or aware of ANY details that could lead him to him.

     After all, no dove is going to be the one to kill that bastard. Only him.