Crossroads (A Naruto Fanfiction)

Need For Protection

"He's doing much better physically now that he's eating well." The Uchiha medic reported to my mother.

"I see," Mother commented as she held me tighter on her lap.

The medic smiled and said, "I know how worried you are, but we need to be patient. You're holding another birthday party right, Mikoto-sama? Hopefully, he'll have some form of socializing then."

We left the Uchiha clinic a little after that. Mother didn't carry me as she usually did on our way back home. She held my hand as I walked along with her down the dirt path. I heard a soft roar when we made it besides the river bed and my eyes turned towards it, becoming alight with the reflection of the ball of flame spitting out above the water before it died out into smoke.

Itachi looked far too independent for a three-year-old, standing there with his back straight and head held high. As he stood on the edge of the wooden plank, he caught sight of us when he looked back towards Father who stood just behind him.

Itachi joined us in heading home as Father went back to finish his duties at the Uchiha Police force headquarters. I wasted no time heading to my room once we reached home and laid on my bed. I closed my eyes, getting back the breath I had lost.

In the last few months, it was a condition I noticed after the first few trips I made to the Uchiha clinic when I would walk instead of being carried. It usually only rose to the point where I would breathe in more deeply, but otherwise unfazed. I chalked it up to lack of exercise, but it was frustrating to get so tired so easily.

As I laid there, I found myself slowly dozing off when the foot of the bed dipped from Itachi's weight. "Lunch is in a few minutes." He meant to tell me that it wasn't time to sleep.

So I kept myself awake, and without any prompting nor any idea of what came over me, my body sat up and in the next moment, I let my head rest on Itachi's lap. I must have surprised him. I was surprised myself since this was the first time I had shown any sort of affection in the last year. I hadn't even thought of doing it... It just happened.

But I didn't bother to move back and Itachi didn't protest. Instead, he started to run his fingers through my cropped hair like how Mother would. Even though he implied for me to stay awake, his hand running through my hair wasn't helping any. The moment I closed my eyes, I was asleep.

.

.

.

I found myself back in what used to be my room. The old room. My bed was exactly how I remembered: neat but ruffled in the center from where Athen had been seated. I was sat on the chair in front of my study desk where my laptop was open and turned on in front of me. I was faintly aware that this was a dream, but I felt at that moment that I was back.

It all made me realize that I didn't want to be back.

I looked straight at my laptop, a hand me down from Athen when he got a new one of his own, and found that it was on a certain website with a video waiting to be played. Curiously, I moved the mouse over the play button and clicked.

The video started up and soon I was watching my brother, Itachi, older than the last time I've seen him - bloodied and burned - and a giant, glowing orange figure protectively surrounding him as he staggered his way forward towards the screen. He slowly raised his hand and the next scene cut away from him, showing the other person he was walking towards: Sasuke.

When he reached the frightened Sasuke, his two fingers touched the forehead of the other before it slid down after a moment of Itachi speaking his last words unheard, leaving a bloody trail. The burning figure vanished with him.

I jerked awake and the warmth on my head lifted. I blinked away the fatigue and found myself still laid on Itachi's lap. He looked at me confused as I turned on my back and stared up at him. He was still young, not the young adult I had just dreamt of. The little tear doughs were still light on his features, completely stress-free.

A strong feeling of protection overwhelmed me in an instant and Itachi's confusion grew into concern. He raised his hand, not bloodied nor burned, and softly touched my cheek. I realized I had started to cry.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Everything was wrong. Not the fact that I or everything around me shouldn't exist, or the fact that I was drowning in my own mind, but everything about what was waiting for Itachi was wrong. I grabbed the hand he was using to dry my tears with and held it tight.

I didn't know what to do with myself at the moment. This feeling of wanting to protect was so sudden and strong, stronger than the depression I felt after Athen's death. It actually made me want to live for him, see what I could do to help him avoid the burden he may face...

....Help him avoid his burden?

How am I supposed to do that? I couldn't help myself and fell into a pitiful state when the only problems I had were the feelings of being worthless... And I was thinking of protecting Itachi?

My hand which had gripped onto Itachi loosened as my conviction slowly withered away. I was about to completely let go when he grabbed my hand himself. "It's okay," He started. He looked me dead in the eye and I couldn't look away. There was something in them that left me trapped into their hold. "No matter what's wrong, I'll be there for you." As soft as his voice was, it was firm.

I realized it was the same determination to what I had. He wanted to protect me the same as I wanted to protect him. I knew for sure that no one else would be able to make me feel as safe as him from then on.