The spring flower Neji FF

Chapter 16

The rumor had spread quickly. Everyone now knew what Itachi had done. Only the residents did not know what had really happened. The looks of the inhabitants stung each time in the back of the brothers and sisters. Although Akina didn't want to feel sorry for them, she could understand the people well. It was difficult to cope with it. Especially for Sasuke it was hard. He had seen Itachi stand behind their parents and tell him that he would have killed anyone.

When Sasuke woke up in the hospital he started crying when he saw Akina. He had thought that Itachi had killed her as well and wrapped his arms tightly around his sister. She couldn't help but stroke his hair as Itachi had always done.

 "I will avenge us Akina, I promise you! I will become stronger than ever and I will kill Itachi!" shouted Sasuke determinedly when he came back to the apartment from the academy. He told her that he had always hit his shuriken on target and even won against Naruto. Smiling, Akina looked at her little brother and ruffled his hair. "Cut it out!" he grumbled, puffing out his cheeks. "I'm proud of you." was all she said as she dished up the food.

"Why don't you say anything about it?", Sasuke asked his sister. She had completely ignored him about Itachi. "You know Sasuke. I'm not a person who takes revenge on other people. I made a mistake once because I thought I would lose my friends. It's hard for me to think of what he did but it's still our big brother."

Sasuke could not understand her. Why wasn't she angry with him? He remembered the day he asked Itachi if he hated him. Itachi had never or rarely trained with him. Each time he had been put off and Akina had taken his request now and then. "He always loved you the most, didn't he!" he exclaimed with Akina looking at him in shock. "What makes you think that?"

"He trained you and he always stood me up! But he read your every wish from your lips, why!" Akina closed her eyes. She didn't know how Sasuke must have always felt. "He loved you just as much only in a different way. Whenever I teased you, he protected you," she spoke quietly.

"When you were born, you only wanted to be held by him. Now and then I was allowed to hold you because I always made you laugh. On the day the Kyubi attacked the village, Itachi brought us to safety. He held you tightly in his arms and had tried everything to keep you calm," Akina smiled and looked at her brother. "Itachi loved you as much as he loved me, Sasuke. Even if he never showed it, he had a good heart."

Sasuke listened to his sister. Never before had he ever been told this story. No one had ever talked about the Kyubi's attack because it was forbidden. "I'm sorry," Sasuke muttered. He didn't want to yell at his sister and hurt her with his words. "It's all right.", Akina smiled.

She hoped that at least this way she could take away some of his hatred. The Uchiha would continue to try to give everything she could so that he would not leave his path.