𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 | itachi/sasuke uchiha

chapter twenty one

You sit on stage, and watch as everyone enjoys themselves out on the open, laughing, dancing, chatting. People walk up to you and strike up a conversation, but have to keep moving on as there's a steady flow of people wanting to wish you a happy birthday and give you their gift. Soon, presents are beginning to stack up around you so high to the point that you can barely see the people giving them to you. Your presents have all been compiled into a thick wall around you when someone pushes the top layer off so they can talk to you.

"Naruto!" you scold, as the presents fall into your lap. He grins, and Sakura appears at his side, looking very dismal at his actions. She looks very pretty in her light pink dress, while Naruto looks the same as ever in his usual orange and blue jumpsuit.

"Hiya (name)-chan! That's one party you've got here, huh?" he beams brightly. You look around the crowd and see everyone just... getting along. Mikoto and Fugaku have abandoned their posts at your sides and have gone done to socialise. Even the elders seem to be having a good time, dancing around with the grandkids. You smile to yourself, and look back at Naruto.

"I wish I could enjoy it myself," you say, laughing a little. He frowns.

"Come and dance!" he urges, reaching forward and grabbing your wrist. You shake your head.

"I can barely walk in this," you say sadly, indicating your kimono. "But hey- watching's just as fun!"

"You look very beautiful today, (name)," says Sakura politely, slapping the back of Naruto's hand. You smile pleasantly at her.

"As do you, Sakura," you say, nodding gracefully. "Say, have either of you seen Sasuke?" They both shake their heads, and you sigh.

"Thanks anyway. Have fun!" As they disappear into the crowd, you huff and wistfully watch the crowd. The aura emanating from them makes you smile and feel warm inside, making you bury your face in your hands, grinning like an idiot.

"Some crowd, huh?" You hear a voice beside you, and see Sasuke taking a seat. You reach out to hug him.

"Where were you?!" you exclaimed, wrapping your heavily cloaked arms around his neck, choking him and making his head lay in your lap.

"Getting... the cake ready..." he splutters. You release him from your grip and he sits up, straightening up the collar of his own yukata. You giggle as he scoots over closer to you, eyes boringly scanning the crowd.

"Looking for a special someone, huh?" you say teasingly, elbowing him. He jolts and looks at you, mildly surprised.

"What?" You roll your eyes and point to a bobbing pink head in the crowd.

"She's with Naruto. Jealous?" you say, with an evil smirk on your face. He rolls his eyes.

"Haha, (name). So funny." You return his eyeroll, and turn back to look at the crowd.

"So why aren't you out there?" you ask, raising a questioning eyebrow at your raven haired friend. "Yanno- socialising and getting to know people more?"

He smirks and looks at you from the corner of his eyes.

"I could ask you the same thing, birthday girl," he says. You sigh and cross your arms, choosing to ignore his remark.

"Another three weeks off missions, can you believe it?" you say, bringing up Itachi's holiday plans. Sasuke looks at you, brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

You raise an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, that tomorrow, Itachi and I are going on a three week vacation," you say, rolling your eyes. Sasuke looks genuinely aghast.

"What the hell? Why?" he splutters, obviously miffed. "It's your sixteenth birthday- it's not like you two are a newly married couple or something!" Your eyes widen, and Sasuke reads the look on your face, scowling.

"What?" he snaps, angry for no reason whatsoever. You look at him.

"I never thought of it that way," you say slowly. He rolls his eyes.

"Never thought of it in what way?" he asks, voice dripping in sarcasm. You shake your head.

"Nothing, nothing." There's silence between the two of you as people begin to pick at the food laid out on the tables around the perimeter of the area, hungry. Three times you're approached asking if you wanted food, and all three times you rejected them.

You end up sitting with Sasuke for what seems to be an agonisingly long two hours, talking about the most trivial things and telling each other the most irrelevant secrets.

"... but seriously, I'm really sorry!" you laugh, apologising to Sasuke for accidentally setting one of his favourite shirts on fire last week after having a mood swing and nearly trashing his entire bedroom.

"How did I not notice?" he exclaims. "Like- what?!" You giggle, and a trolley bearing a multi-tiered cake comes to a halt in front of you, making your jaw drop to the ground.

"WHAT?!"

The crowd "ooo"s and "ahh"s at the sight of your large, overbearing cake. You made sure to count each candled layer as it ascended. Yup. Sixteen altogether. The base cake is huge, probably the size of a washing tub. As it goes up, the layers get smaller and smaller, and right on the top stands what appears to be a mini figurine of you, dressed up in your training attire wielding a sword that looks strangely similar to the one gifted to you by Shisui. Itachi's head pokes out from behind it.

"Surprise!" You can't help but gawp at it.

"You guys are so getting married," drawls Sasuke from your side. You thump him on the head.

"It's (your favourite flavour) cake," beams Itachi, the light from the multiple candles flickering on his face. The crowd begins to sing happy birthday, and your mind spins.

The lavish gifts. The pampering. The babying. The magnificent party. The amount of money that had been spent on you over the course of the last seven days. All of it just flew through your head, striking you right in the heart. You felt a giant wave of compassion towards your family, but especially to Itachi. You knew that he had probably paid for the bulk of all these celebrations out of his own pocket, and that fact itself made you feel even guiltier about the fact that you still kinda liked Sasuke.

"... happy birthday to you!" The crowd choruses, finishing of its rendition of the birthday song. You break out of your thoughts and look down at Itachi, who's giving you a smile more dazzling than usual.

"Blow out your candles and make a wish," he says, eager. You nod, and close your eyes.

I wish...

You blow out the candles, without making a wish. The crowd cheers and claps, and Itachi gets back onto the stage.

"Thanks for coming tonight, guys! We'll just get the cake cut and distributed before you leave, and..."

You tune out as he talks to the crowd, sinking back into your conflicting thoughts.

On one hand, there was Sasuke, who you'd fallen for simply out of the fact that you began as close friends and worked your ways up. Om the other, there was Itachi, obviously aware of how much you adored Sasuke and in turn, fighting for his place by spending who knows how much money on you, showering you with equal amounts of material goods and affection.

But there was more.

He isn't just the older, intelligent, good looking Uchiha brother to you anymore.

No.

He's Itachi, the one with the kind eyes and the gorgeous smile, the charming aura and the gentle gaze.

He's Itachi.

And he's yours.