Half Brother

Orange Overload

Shisui quickly learned that being Naruto's gaurdian was not going to be as easygoing as he expected.

Naruto was an orange ball of sunshine and energy. He survived on ramen and pranks. He couldn't keep still for more than two minutes and hated baths like a cat. Shisui tried to help him with his academy work until he realised that Naruto didn't even know the basic hirangana letters.

He tried his best and even followed all those civilian parenting books, encouraging good behaviour and gently rebuking mischief. It didn't seem to have any effect on Naruto.

Just because he was a damn good jonin didn't automatically make him competent at everything, including taking care of a child.

"You're brooding." Itachi interrupted his perfectly logical thought process (which wasn't brooding) in the ANBU dining hall. Thankfully, the hall was empty except them and nobody was there to hear Itachi's scandalous accusation. Unlike other Uchihas, Shisui didn't brood.

"I don't brood." He informed Itachi, without turning to face him. "I'm just thinking."

"Regardless, you are brooding now. I think I've got enough experience with Uchihas to recognise the aura when one is brooding."

Shisui turned around to deny such preposterous claim, only to see Itachi leaning against a pillar, wearing his uniform without the mask, looking at Shisui intently. His face was perfectly blank as usual except a little furrow in between his eyebrows.

Huh.

He's really got it bad.

It took a moment for Shisui to restart his brain, before realising that he was gaping like an idiot, and promptly closed his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Itachi asked, genuinely concerned.

This brought Shisui back to his previous frustrations.

"I am having a bit of trouble with Naruto."

"What kind of trouble?"

"It's only been two weeks and he's got hurt so many times. I've tried to tell him to try safer pranks but he won't listen. He doesn't eat anything I cook other than ramen. He's clearly suffering from malnutrition. He can't read and it doesn't matter how much I try I haven't been able to get him to sit still for a hirangana lesson. I knew that taking of him would not be easy, but half the time I just don't know what to do."

"You're sixteen years old, Shisui. Nobody is expecting you to be a perfect parent in no time." Itachi tried to console him.

"Kushina-san would have known how to handle him." Shisui slumped further. "You're right. I guess I was brooding. I just.... I don't know what to do."

"I'm always right." Itachi remarked. "He's testing you, Shisui."

"What do you mean?"

"He is normally not this.... obnoxious. He's trying your limits, the point where you get tired of him and leave..... like others did."

That definitely sounded something Naruto would do. Even with his easy acceptance, he always seemed somwhat wary of Shisui. He was an idiot to not realise this sooner.

"How do I get him to stop this?"

"Talk to him. Set some rules. Tell him how much you care for him without breaking Sandaime-sama's rules."

Shisui should really take notes. With how much Sasuke adored him, Itachi was really a pro at older-brothering. On the other hand, he should definitely delay him meeting Naruto. With his clear admiration of 'Karasu-nii', he was clearly affected by Itachi's older-brotherness. It would be really unfair if he started admiring Itachi more than Shisui. He really wanted a mini-me and Itachi wasn't going to steal him, no matter how hot he looked.