Brother my Brother

"Aniki..." a whisper "Save me... Aniki..." Itachi sat up in his sleeping bag his cousin Shisui and friend Amy following the suit. "What's wrong Itachi?" Amy asked sleepily. "It's nothing..." Itachi replied laying down again brushing off the voice in his head to exhaustion. Itachi hated missions because he was separated from Sasuke and he had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach that bad things happened to his otouto whilst he was gone. Yawning Itachi wondered why he heard Sasuke's voice in his head calling for help more or less. Itachi didn't know how right he was about bad things happening to Sasuke whilst he was alone with their father. Two days later Itachi returned to the compound and upon seeing his house he braced himself for the bear hug. However the hug never came and Itachi wondered if Sasuke was asleep or perhaps unaware of his return. Itachi set his pack aside and changed before heading out to find Sasuke. He found the six-year-old by the coy pond feeding the fish. "Sasuke" he said startling his brother. Sasuke jumped and dropped the food into the pond. He looked down at it with teary eyes. "It's okay otouto see?" Itachi said pulling the can out of the water and closing it. Sasuke said nothing but wiped his eyes. "You're quiet... Cat got your tongue Sasuke?" he teased. "No Nii-san." He replied taking the can and putting it away. "No bear hug today?" Itachi asked feigning hurt. Sasuke gave him a hug and sat under the Sakura tree quietly; Itachi sat beside him. They sat under the tree listening to the crickets and cicadas. Sasuke leaned on Itachi's arm but was otherwise separated from his brother's body. "Sasuke come in and set the table please." Mikoto called and Itachi was shocked when Sasuke went inside without complaint. After dinner Sasuke went to take a bath like always, Itachi decided to offer him help with his back like he did before he was always busy. He entered the bathroom and found Sasuke quietly cleaning himself. "So cute" he said gaining Sasuke's attention. "Nii-san?" Sasuke asked. "Yes foolish otouto. Want me to do your back?" Itachi asked. "No Nii-san I can do it." Sasuke replied. "I thought you missed bathing together hm?" Itachi teased getting a blush out of Sasuke. "I miss it Aniki but I can do my back." Sasuke said blushing darker when Itachi raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "What are you hiding?" Itachi said walking over to the tub. "N-nothing A-aniki!" Sasuke stammered. "Then why won't you let me clean you're back?" Itachi asked. "Because I can d-do it a-aniki!" Sasuke stuttered. "Oh why not humour your aniki?" Itachi asked taking the sponge from his brother. "N-no a-aniki!" Sasuke begged sounding dangerously close to tears. "What's wrong Sasuke?" Itachi asked putting the sponge down on the sink. "I c-can't t-tell you a-aniki!" Sasuke said tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. "Sasuke why are you crying?" Itachi asked. "P-please just l-let m-me finish my b-bath." Sasuke begged. "Okay otouto." Itachi left the room and heard Sasuke sob weakly as the door swung shut. He wondered what was bothering his brother, but knew to leave it alone or Sasuke would become hysterical. After Sasuke finished bathing he went to bed, Itachi decided to wait up for Sasuke knowing he was prone to nightmares. Itachi waited for three hours before going to bed wondering why his room was devoid of a crying Sasuke. He heard the nightmare wake his brother but Sasuke didn't run to him for comfort. Itachi was both curious and worried about Sasuke now, but he let it go, knowing Sasuke was prone to tears if he pried too much.

Itachi only got to spend a week trying to figure out the enigma surrounding his brother before he was sent on another ANBU mission. Mikoto was invited to see her relatives in Waterfall Country, an invitation Fugaku declined. Mikoto left the same day as Itachi leaving Sasuke alone with his father. The little raven knew he was doomed once his mother left for the next 2 weeks. Fugaku smiled evilly. "You want to play a game Sasuke?" he asked. "No To-san!" Sasuke cried running into his room and hiding in his secret crawl space. "You have to come out eventually boy and when you do we will play our game!" Fugaku threatened. Sasuke managed to hide until the night Itachi was due to return, but he really needed to go pee. He snuck out of the closet and almost made it back from the bathroom without being seen, but of course his father spotted him. "Game time son." Fugaku said a sinister glint in his ruby eyes. He dragged Sasuke into his study and locked the door. "Tonight will be twice as painful for your disobedience." He leered pulling out the whip; Sasuke whimpered terrified. SNAP! CRACK! SWISH! The sound of lashing echoed through the house along with the pained cries of the child being beaten. "Get out of my sight now!" Fugaku snapped two hours later. Sasuke ran to his bedroom and collapsed on the floor too weak to clean himself up. Itachi returned an hour later and found Sasuke unconscious on the floor. "Otouto why are you sleeping on the floor?" Itachi chuckled at his brother's cute behaviour. He put Sasuke to bed and went to bed himself after a nice long shower. Sasuke woke up the next day and quickly cleaned himself up not wanting Itachi to see his injured back; he was six and already suffered from trauma. Sasuke whimpered in his sleep late the next night caught in a horrid nightmare, which his father was causing with his Sharingan. "Father why are you in Sasuke-otouto's room?" Itachi asked. "He was whimpering so I came to check on him." Fugaku lied smoothly. "Very well father, goodnight." Itachi returned to his room with his glass of ice water. Fugaku grinned maniacally and continued to torment Sasuke's mind until he grew weary from chakura exhaustion. This went on for 2 years until Itachi murdered the clan under Danzo's orders; Sasuke was left free of his abusive father or so he thought...