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Prompt G for Guess – Little Sasuke’s Guessing Game
Kid!Fic. Itachi was in love with someone, and Sasuke was going to find out who! Set before the Uchiha Massacre/ Downfall.
Hint at relationships, but not really.
Itachi was acting weird lately, and Sasuke did not like it.
His parents were saying love; Shisui was saying that he was busy training and being at the pier.
Sasuke could believe Shisui because he could always tell when his older brother went out training or always noticed when his brother headed out to the pier. But he was thinking maybe his parents were also onto something. Itachi felt happier on days he went to the pier though, and he was always doing things with Sasuke when he was home again.
People said that love changed a person, but Sasuke did not want his brother to change. Itachi did not need to be weird. Or weirder than he was as of late.
He liked his big brother just fine.
But what if it was love?
Itachi was going off and coming back at weird hours. He was smiling more than usual, at least around Sasuke. He smelled like sweets and dango when he barely gave Sasuke any. There was also this girl stealing his brother’s attention, now that he started to think about it.
Also everyone always stared at Itachi too. Did they love his brother too?
Okay, so Sasuke was thinking love had something to do with it, and he was furious. How dare Itachi not tell him this big secret?
Itachi was in love with someone, and Sasuke was going to find out who!
So Sasuke cornered Itachi when he came home from the pier, smelling like dango and the water. He wanted to know who Itachi was in love with and why he never shared his snacks anymore. Sasuke could love this new person too! He loved his brother, and he liked kind of sweet things too… sometimes.
And Sasuke told Itachi as much when he cornered him in front of their house, saying it in a bit of a jumbled rush.
Itachi merely stopped and gave him a smile. “Well good morning to you too, Sasuke. You seem excited about something.”
Sasuke pouted, crossing his arms and glaring up at his big brother. “Why didn’t you tell me, ‘Tachi?”
Itachi’s face grew a little confused. “Tell you what?”
“You love someone and didn’t tell me!” Sasuke threw up his hands then puffed out his cheeks. “That’s mean.”
Itachi couldn’t stop the quirk of his lips, amused. “Now who told you that I love someone?”
“I can just tell! You haven’t been home.” Sasuke crossed his arms again, trying to appear tough, although his lip quivered. But he would deny it. “Then you go to the pier without me. And you’re just… being weird…”
Itachi softened, kneeling down to his brother’s level.
As he brought up his fingers to poke Sasuke’s forehead, Sasuke swatted it away and turned his back to Itachi. “No!” Sasuke grumbled. “You can’t do that when you love a girl and leave me out of it.”
Itachi was quiet for a moment, sitting down on the step nearby. “Sasuke, come here and sit down please. I think we need to talk.”
Sasuke jutted out his chin and raised it high. “No, don’t want to talk to you. You’re a jerk.”
Itachi just gave him a few seconds, which was all it took for Sasuke to look at him. Then Itachi patted the space next to him.
Sasuke hesitated, but he eventually sat down next to Itachi, looking down at his feet. “I-I don’t want her to take you away…” He rubbed his nose, a little sniffle coming from him. “Plus, you never told me about her.”
Itachi gently pulled Sasuke in for a hug, keeping it loose in case Sasuke wanted to pull away. However, Sasuke gratefully accepted, and Itachi was never one to deny his little brother a hug. Itachi drew circles on Sasuke’s back to calm him down, something that always helped when Sasuke was upset.
It was a handful of seconds before Sasuke pressed his face into Itachi’s shirt, whining out, “‘Tacchhiii, say something.”
Itachi started talking, knowing his brother was listening properly now. “Just because I go and see other people doesn’t mean I love them, Sasuke. Besides, I wouldn’t leave you.”
Sasuke pulled back, in shock. “Really?”
Itachi smiled, nodding once. “I would never leave you. I’ll always be here for you, and no one can change that.”
“Promise,” Sasuke asked, eyes wide and hopeful.
“I promise,” Itachi replied, sincere and soft.
Sasuke immediately grinned and threw himself into another hug with Itachi, brushing his face against his brother’s shirt happily. “I knew it!”
Itachi laughed faintly, wrapping Sasuke up in his arms again in a tight hug. He pulled back to poke Sasuke’s forehead, which made the boy giggle then smile. Itachi’s response was always and would always be to smile back.
Sasuke eventually settled down, sitting pressed against Itachi’s side. He hadn’t seen his big brother in so long that he refused to be any further away. He hummed, swinging out his feet, before he stopped and pouted again. “But what about the pier… and the smell…?”
Itachi pretended to think. “Ah, yes. Izumi.”
Sasuke made a face. “Izumi?” He scowled. “Who’s she? You sure you’re not in love?”
Itachi ran a hand through Sasuke’s hair. “Izumi is just a friend. Sometimes I go and visit her at the pier–”
“What about the smell! You smell like you’re eating dango. I like that! And you’re ‘ppose to give gifts to people you love too.”
Itachi simply smiled at the outburst. “Well, she likes dango, and she tends to eat them next to me. We only shared once, and I couldn’t bring you home any.” Itachi added, “But I did stop and get you some onigiri on the way home, didn’t I?”
Sasuke stopped glaring, thinking it through. Then he frowned. “Guess you did, ‘Tachi.”
Itachi nodded. “You like that more, don’t you, little brother?”
Sasuke nodded, sheepish. “Thank you. Way better than dango.”
And before Sasuke could question him on it, Itachi said. “I haven’t given Izumi a gift either.”
Sasuke then made a face, cheeks puffing out again. “No gift? If you don’t love her, then who do you love? You’re being more weird, so there has to be someone!”
“Are you that interested in who I may or may not be in love with, Sasuke?”
“Yes!!” Sasuke scowled. “I don’t like you being weird and stuff.” Stuff as in not hanging out with Sasuke more.
Itachi looked down at Sasuke. “All right, how about you guess who, and I’ll tell you? Just remember, there are different types of love, little brother.”
Sasuke’s face scrunched in confusion. “Different types?”
Itachi gave a slight nod. “You can be in love with someone, but you can also love someone, as a best friend or a good friend, and you can also love someone with all your heart and put them first always. There are even varying levels too, but we’ll stick with those.”
Sasuke crossed his arms, resuming his pouting again. “I didn’t know there was more.”
Itachi smiled. “It’s complicated, I know.” He paused then started again. “You want to say who you think I could love, and I’ll let you know what type that is. Would that be easier?”
Sasuke nodded, leaning his weight against Itachi, as he peered up at his brother. “So not Izumi?”
Itachi shook his head, more amused than anything. “No, not Izumi. I like her, but not anything like love. She’s just a friend, I promise.”
Sasuke seemed to be more appeased with the promise, and he nodded again, a small, smug smile coming to his face.
Itachi didn’t say anything about the smile, but instead he tickled Sasuke’s stomach. Sasuke squealed, squirming away with another pout. Itachi stopped, chuckling. “Who else are you worried about?”
“‘M not worried!” Sasuke exclaimed.
Itachi hummed. “Right. Who do you think I love then?”
Sasuke crossed his legs and gave Itachi a fierce look, arms still crossed. “Shisui? You’re always training with him, and you won’t ever train with me. It’s not fair, ‘Tachi.”
“I know it’s not fair, but when we train, I think it should be special, don’t you?” Itachi said, slowly. “Besides, Shisui and I are best friends, and we basically work together. So I might love him in that regard, but I’m not in love with him.”
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
“I promise,” Itachi emphasized. “Shisui is my best friend, but someone is more important than even him to me.”
“So you do love someone!”
“What type of love though?”
Sasuke faltered, voice getting quiet, eyes going to his legs. “Is… Is it someone in the village or the clan?”
Itachi tilted Sasuke’s face up with a finger to Sasuke’s chin. “This person is more important than the clan and matters more to me than anyone else in the village. But,” Itachi said. “I am not in love with them. I do love them, more than anything. They’re family, and I would always protect them. Do you know who that could be?”
Sasuke thought long and hard, eyes tearing up in his frustration. “Mom, dad?”
Itachi shook his head. “Neither.”
“Then I don’t know! Who?”
“You, Sasuke.”
“M-me?” Sasuke’s eyes grew big again. “Really? N-no way.”
Itachi nodded, a soft smile on his face again. “Of course, it’s you. You’re my little brother. I knew it from before I even met you in person.”
Sasuke actually started to cry, this time in happiness. He smiled widely, diving in for another hug. “I love you too, ‘Tachi!”
Itachi gave him another tight hug before pulling away to poke Sasuke, yet again, in the middle of his forehead. Even though Sasuke let out a soft “ow” and rubbed his forehead, Itachi smiled even more. “I will always be there for you, and no matter what happens, I will always love you. No one can come close to you, little brother. Don’t forget that.”
Sasuke nodded wildly, beaming. “Don’t forget that I love you too, ‘Tachi.” He grinned then pointed at Itachi's nose. “Not the in love or best friend one, but love you with all my heart one! Always, right?”
Itachi merely gave him a soft look, nodding back, voice soft. “Always, Sasuke.” Then he pulled Sasuke in for another hug.
Always, no matter what, little brother.
Even with everything happening behind the scenes, Itachi would always love his brother and put him first in any way he could. He doubted Sasuke would always love him though, but he could live with Sasuke being alive and well, despite any ill will towards Itachi.
Anything for his little brother Sasuke.