The Spring Field Rabbit

Nicknames and Clans

"Sasu-chan, how come you don't play with anyone?" Usagi and Sasuke sat on the ground, watching Itachi and Shisui spar. Usagi had been making flower crowns, while Sasuke just tore apart the extra blades of grass she had discarded. Sasuke huffed and pouted.

"I told you not to call me that!" Usagi tilted her head and looked towards Sasuke.
"But why? Shisui calls you Sasu-chan."
"Shisui is an idiot," Sasuke scoffed. "Boys aren't 'chan' baka, they're 'kun'." Sasuke corrected her. Usagi thought for a minute before shaking her head.

"But Ka-chan says that cute things are called 'chan' and Sasu-chan is cute!" Sasuke blushed and turned away from her, muttering how stupid she was. The two didn't notice Itachi and Shisui walking towards them.

"Usa-chan, you think Sasuke is cute?" Shisui smirked at Itachi, who was observing the two children.

Usagi nodded. "Well doesn't everyone? All the other girls say so, and I heard some oba-sans say that he had a pretty face." Sasuke looked horrified and Shisui couldn't stop the laugh from escaping. Usagi tilted her head at Itachi.

"It's true, ne Tachi-sama? Isn't Sasu-chan pretty?" Itachi patted her head.

"Hai Usako. My outoto is very pretty." Sasuke started to protest, but Itachi reached over and poked his forehead before he could disagree. Sasuke huffed again and rubbed his forehead. He stood up and pointed at Usagi, a determined look on his face.

"Then I'm calling you Usagi-kun!" Usagi stared at Sasuke in shock, and for a minute Shisui thought she might cry. But Usagi's face suddenly got the biggest smile Shisui had ever seen on the girl. Her eyes sparkled and she launched her self at Sasuke, tackling him in a hug to the ground.

"What are you doing baka! Get off me!" Sasuke tried to escape her grasp but she wouldn't let go.

"I'm so happy Sasu-chan! That means you and I are best friends!" Sasuke paled.
"What!? No! That's not what it means! Aniki help me!" Sasuke reached for Itachi, but he simply looked at the two with a faint smile.

"Traditionally you give nicknames to close friends, outoto." Itachi sat on the ground in front on them, and made no move to help Sasuke. Shisui laughed again before going over to the two children. He wrapped his arms around the two.

"You really are cute ~Sasu-chan~." Shisui teased.
"Shisui!"

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The next day Usagi ran into the clearing just as Itachi and Shisui had finished a spar. Instead of going straight to Itachi, as she usually did, Usagi ran straight to Sasuke.

"Sasu-chan come play with me today!" Sasuke frowned at Usagi.
"What are you talking about? We play everyday?" Usagi shook her head and tried to pull Sasuke with her.

"No not here, at the park! I want you to meet Sakura-nee-chan and Ino-chan and some other kids," Usagi explained as she pulled him harder.

Sasuke dug his feet into the ground and yelled, "Why would I want to go to the stupid park and play with those kids?"

Usagi pouted at Sasuke, but didn't release her hold. 

"You don't want to make new friends?" Sasuke stopped struggling for a minute as Usagi gave him her best puppy dog expression. Sasuke looked as if he might give in, and really Shisui and Itachi were having a hard time not laughing at the two children before them. Usagi still held Sasuke's arm taut, pouting and begging with her eyes; Sasuke stood with his arm being pulled and looked as if he would give into Usagi's whim.

But as if a switch had been flipped, Sasuke's face became angry and he pulled his arm once again.
"No way! I don't wanna go!" Usagi started to pull again.
"But why not Sasuke? Everyone wants to play with you!" 

"None of them are Uchiha children so why should I waste my time!?" Usagi let go of Sasuke's arm in shock, sending the both of them flying from the momentum. Usagi looked at Sasuke in shock before she started crying hysterically. Sasuke himself looked as if he didn't believe he had said it, but he couldn't take it back. Not only had he insulted all the other children with his clan bias, but Usagi as well. But he wasn't wrong, was he? His clan members said it all the time. 

Usagi ran out of the clearing, still crying. Itachi and Shisui were too shocked to have gone after her, only staring at Sasuke. Before long, Sasuke too was crying. Only he didn't understand why. Shisui turned to Itachi and nodded, before heading off to look for Usagi. Itachi brought his disappointed gaze back to his little brother.

"Aniki I don't get it," Sasuke sobbed as Itachi placed a hand on his head. "They say it all the time, but Usagi isn't Uchiha and I still want to play with her." Sasuke continued crying, and Itachi hadn't realized their clan bias had affected his little brother.