1,000 years after the War *Sasunaru*

IV °short°

~ Meanwhile in Konoha~
- Shisui, where is Itachi? Why didn't he come to work?

- I don't know, I haven't talked to him. His brother was sent out today, maybe that's why.

- Do I look like I care? He missed a whole shift! Do me a favour and bring that slutty bastard here tomorrow or he is fired.

Itachi and Shisui's boss was furious. Shisui hated that man so much. The way he called his coworker and friend a minute ago was driving him crazy.
Shisui didn't know anyone as hard working as Itachi. He was even taking all- night shifts every single day. It must be a true nightmare. The bigger boy studied medicine, that's why he came at the bar only the weekends. It was Itachi's dream as well, but here he was, stuck in that filthy place.
As soon as Shisui's shift ended, he rushed to Itachi's place. He needed to find him as soon as possible. The goverment was cruel, Shisui didn't want to think the worst.

- Itachi! - He shouted after knocking on the door too many times without an answer.

- What the fuck? - Shisui spotted a small sticker with the words "crime scene" placed at the door.

- Something surely happened here. Be okay Itachi, please.

He headed to the police, Itachi had to be there, or at least he could get some information. Entering this other filthy place that he hated, he approached the woman on the register.

- Good morning, I'm looking for Uchiha Itachi. I'm a coworker, he didn't show up at work and I was wondering if I could get some information from here if its possible.

The woman nodded and started typing something on the computer. She didn't take a while and printed him a paper.

- Uchiha Itachi is in cell 583. Here are the taxes that need to be paid to let him out. I need you to sign this paper and if you can pay now you can both get going.

Shisui looked at the number, written on the paper. That was fucking a lot of money.

- Okay, here's my card. I think it has enough.

Shisui just hoped that there were enough money to cover this, or else he had to go stealing. As the woman slided the card onto the machine, it came out approved.

- Thank god...

- Okay, cell 583 is on the third floor. Wish you luck getting your friend down there.

- Luck?

- Go on kid, I have work to do.

Shisui timidly started climbing the stairs. Cell 581.. 582... 583!

- Found you!

It was a white door with the key placed on the outside. He turned it and the cell unlocked. Shisui took a deep breath, before entering.

- Please be okay.

Peaking finally through the door, he saw him. Itachi was sitting against the wall, covered in blood, holding his shoulder tight. The smaller boy slowly brought his eyes up and the dull look in them got a faint spark, seeing the one at the door.

- Shisui...

A slim tear rolled down his bruised face and Shisui rushed to him, almost tripping at the skirting board.

- I'm here, it's over. We're going home.

- Shisui, they sent him out....

- I know, I know. We will find him, okay? Don't worry now, the kids are not dead, the goverment is watching them and sends news almost every hour. Sasuke is alive.

- Really?

The tears were freely falling now. Itachi had spent the whole night going through hell imagining hundreds of scenarios about his little brother being dead, taken away from him forever.
Shisui wiped his friend's tears away and started inspecting his injuries. The shoulder was gushing blood.

- They fucking shot you...

How much blood did he lose already? These cops were brutal. He thanked god once again for finding him this soon.
- Let's get out of here.

After successfully dragging themselves to Shisui's house, he laid the half passed out Itachi on the bed and started looking for something with which he could take the bullet out.
He couldn't bring him to a hospital. The paper he signed was allowing him to get Itachi out of the police for a limited period of time. He wasn't letting them lay a finger on him again, he could take care of this alone.

- Okay, I'm going to take the bullet out.

- Just do it quick.

Shisui was able to find some supplies he got from practice at the hospital.

- I think this would do the job. Tell me if the pain starts to be too unbearable.

Itachi just nodded and looked away. Shisui noticed how his already pale skin was even paler, he could trace every little vein in his body. Rolling his sleeve up, he revealed the wound.

- It's pretty deep.

Shisui proceeded with the tough job he had given himself. Entering the wound, Itachi tensed up, grabbing onto the sheet with the other hand.

- Hanging there?

- Yeah, go on.

Shisui noticed how Itachi's forehead started to sweat. He didn't know how painfull a gunshot was, but seeing this sight, it was definitely a lot. What the fuck did these two do to end up like that?

- Okay, It's out, bear with me.

He cursed himself for not getting any anestezia from the hospital. It all had to be done with the full experience of the pain. He managed to stitch it up as quickly as he possibly could.

- It's done, you did so well.

Itachi looked at him with his last remained strenght.

- C-can we go find him now?

Shisui sighed and wiped Itachi's wet forehead with a cloth. Even when he couldn't move a finger, he thought about Sasuke.

- Rest now, Itachi.

The bigger boy put the cloth away and immersed his fingers in Itachi's black locks, slowly caressing them. His heart ached. He knew that Itachi had no one except him and Sasuke, he knew how shitty his life turned after losing their parents. Itachi deserved the world, but the fate kept giving him shit.
Soon after, Itachi finally gave up and let his eyes close, falling asleep. Shisui was still playing with his beautiful long hair when all of a sudden, he noticed that his own cheeks started getting a faint pinkish color.

- Damn, Itachi, look what you've done.