Abused, But Never Used

Ch 23: The Emotionally Unstable Wreck

Itachi was shocked to find Naruto standing on the other side of the door. Panic immediately raced through his body as it was only Naruto that he saw. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

"Aren't you supposed to be-" Itachi started to question the blonde worry for Sasuke immediately taking over any other thought process that he had been having moments before with Kisame.

"Take it easy. Relax. I'm just a clone. Real me is with your emotionally unstable wreck of a brother." Naruto assured pushing Itachi back into the room before he was seen by anyone. He didn't want Sasuke to know he was talking with Itachi or have anyone tell Sasuke that he had talked with Itachi. He didn't want the Uchiha to somehow think he was conspiring against him. If Sasuke can convince himself into thinking that Itachi didn't love him then who knows what he could do next.

Itachi tried not to frown at the term emotionally unstable wreck but he couldn't help it. It was still fresh in his mind from Kisame and he way that those words flowed so effortlessly from the blonde's lips didn't settle right with the elder Uchiha. The way that Naruto said it, the tone that was used just screamed that Naruto dealt with Sasuke when he was like this before. This wasn't something Itachi wanted to associate with Sasuke. It wasn't something Itachi even wanted to think about. Sasuke's earlier words still echoed within his mind.

"Well maybe you should just accept that I'm fucked up in the head!" Sasuke had screamed. Itachi rubbed at his temples. He was really starting to wish he had drank more of that liquor earlier. Perhaps he should go get some more before Naruto unveiled whatever he came here to talk about.

"Do....do you still love him? Sasuke I mean" Naruto clarified as he hopped up to sit on Itachi's bed with ease bouncing slightly. He figured cutting to the chase would be easiest. After all this wasn't the most casual of questions.

"What kind of question is that?" Itachi asked completely floored. How could the blonde even ask him such a thing? He had killed the clan so Sasuke could live. Of course he loved his brother. Wait...Still...Naruto had said still love him. Just because he was having a bit of trouble processing everything that had been dumped on him like a bucket of ice water doesn't mean that Itachi didn't still love his little brother. Right?

"It's one that I need to ask you" Naruto said biting his tongue lightly.

"Why?" Itachi asked arching a brow.

"It's one that Sasuke is sure isn't true." Naruto answered immediately wincing slightly as he said it. The words just sounded so wrong.

Itachi's blood ran cold. What...? What..? Wait....What!?

"What?" Itachi croaked collapsing down in his desk chair. He felt sick. How could Sasuke think that about him? It was one thing when Sasuke simply hated him. That was an emotion that Itachi could deal with. Love and hate has a very thin line afterall but for Sasuke to think that He didn't love him? That he didn't even want anything to do with him? That was a whole other thing all together.

"I just told you. Sasuke convinced himself that you didn't love him anymore." Naruto said with a sigh.

"Why!?" Itachi asked as if it was some ludicrous idea which in all truth it was.

"I'm not really sure I should be the one to tell you....Sasuke would kill me if he found out...." Naruto said scratching the back of his head.

Itachi glared silently at Naruto. The blonde couldn't just say something like this and give him no explanation. His brother, Itachi noticed throughout watching the torturous years of  his life, tended to skip over or leave certain things out. Perhaps Naruto could fill in those gaps for him as well as the one that just came out of nowhere.