What I've Done

Chapter 37 : Roles

"Hey, you cheated!"

Itachi calmly raised his hands in defeat. "I didn't. You're just bad at this game, little brother." He gave Sasuke a victorious smirk, "Are you going to forget your part of the deal, too?"

The younger Uchiha scoffed, "What? 'Course not. I'll be right back with the snacks."

As he left the house, Haruka entered the room with a laugh. "You should go easy on him, he still has a lot to learn."

"That's just more reason for me not to. One day I won't have a chance to beat him in anything."

"Like what happened to the two of us?"

"Onee-san-"

"I never said it's a bad thing," she shrugged, taking her seat across him and began to re-arrange the shogi board. "And while we're still on that topic, I think I'm gonna officially retire."

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I know I'm still an heiress, even if technically I'm no longer an Uchiha. I'm supposed to stay in the business until I choose another heir, I shouldn't even think of quitting, but I think it would be best if you take my title."

He frowned, shaking his head slightly. "You deserve it more than I do."

"I can't agree with that. Besides, it's not about who deserves it, because we all do. Children of the previous head of the clan, it's a given that one of us will take the title, whomever Tou-san wanted it to be." Haruka gave him a faint smile, "But only three of us are left with this name. Two, even. I don't exactly care about who wants or deserves it more, I'd rather have someone who's better at the job."

"And I'm better than you?"

Haruka nodded. "You've stayed in this village longer than I have, there's the experience, the knowledge and the reputation, which would play a great role to ensure the future of our clan."

"You've been in a criminal organization, you've been working as an assassin, a mercenary and a spy. If anything, you know better about all the dirty business."

"To lead the clan to another set of illegal operations? No, thanks. I'm not good at 'being good' and neither is my husband. We're way too used to working with the dark side, I'd feel better if you take the title from me." She rose from her seat and lightly patted his shoulder. "Just consider it, okay? You can also tell Sasuke if you want to, it's not that big of a secret."

"Nii-san, catch!" Itachi turned, just in time to catch whatever Sasuke had thrown at him, which turned out to be a friggin' tomato.

"Sasuke, what the hell is this?"

"Snacks."

"Not in my dictionary. It's a vegetable."

The younger teen grinned, "Botanically, it's a fruit, dumbass. And I'm sorry, did you say that the snack has to be for you? I can still buy and eat whatever I want, right? So I got us tomatoes, take it or leave it."

From the next room, Itachi can hear his sister's laughter mocking him.

***

No one brought up the topic until two days later, during dinner, and it was Sasuke who started it.

"What were you two talking about?"

Haruka glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Be more specific?"

"Two days ago, when this guy cheated," Itachi glared at the accusation, but still allowed Sasuke to keep talking, "and I left to buy the snacks. When I came back, you two looked as if someone had just declared war on us."