how did this even happen...

[mooneye]

It wasn't a bad sort of place. Lots of things to do and people to see. Plenty of freedom to dart over the rooftops and down the alleys--or out of the village and into the woods and rocky wild places beyond. Obito liked Michi no Sato.

He had stopped for lunch and was eating at a table outside the restaurant, watching people walk past. The food was good. The cold breeze was nice. Ah, yes. Years and years trapped in a cave with a crazy old man and a bunch of plant monsters--it had left him really able to appreciate the little things.

[ooc: here is an AU Obito in his twenties. Got through the time with Madara, and Rin's death, but didn't go completely evil after all of it...]

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[itachi_san]

Itachi stumbled on his feet, taken (again) by complete surprise as Sasuke lifted him up with hardly any effort.

His mind flashed back to his one and only goal... For Sasuke to become strong enough to kill him. This one certainly was. Or perhaps, he was really just that weak.

Did it matter?

"I... have nothing more to give, Sasuke..." tears stuck to his cheeks. "If you... still want to kill me... I... can't stop you..."

[sparkplug_chan]

She raised her voice. "Aniki, I said to -shut up-!" She set him on his feet, keeping her hands on him as she checked if his knees would even hold.

[itachi_san]

They held about as well as the rest of him did.

Her harsh words hit him in the face like a fist. But he tried to hold himself up.

[sparkplug_chan]

She glared at him for a moment, then swept him up in a bridal carry. "Stupid. If I was going to kill you I would have smothered you in your sleep while Kabuto was out of the house."

[itachi_san]

Itachi wasn't entirely sure how she managed to get him into her arms so quickly. Using the mangekyo made his head hurt and it made the world spin.

"... So why didn't you?"

[sparkplug_chan]

"Mom said you weren't lying." She shifted him around until she didn't feel like she was at risk of dropping him. Stupid long limbs.

Huffing, she turned to march for home.

[itachi_san]

Itachi fell silent. He couldn't argue with that. He never could.

[sparkplug_chan]

"Naruto said you were probably lying too. After." Her voice was lower when she said that, a murmur.

[itachi_san]

Itachi rested his head against Sasuke.

He didn't know what to say. Naruto was right. His mother was right. Even Obito was probably right. His plan was perfect... and in the end, this was all that it accomplished.

[sparkplug_chan]

Her voice was very low. "I tried to hate you, like you told me to." She tightened her grip on him to a nearly painful degree. "I... Naruto wouldn't let it work. I have a picture, with my other ones, that Naruto must have shoved in my things because it lived on the wall, turned around so we only had to look at it when we wanted to. Probably just grabbed all the pictures we had out and put them in my stuff. Moron."

[itachi_san]

He wished she did. But at the same time, he was kind of glad she didn't.

[sparkplug_chan]

"You're in that picture. I'll show you, when we get home. If you want. I... I didn't like it, but I never told Naruto to take it down."

[itachi_san]

"... All right." he whispered quietly, calmly. "I'd like to see it."

[sparkplug_chan]

"You don't get to turn weak now Aniki, hear me?" Her voice was soft, and she spoke directly into his ear as they neared the house.

[itachi_san]

"This... coming from the child I encouraged to become far stronger than me."

[sparkplug_chan]

"It doesn't count if I'm only stronger because you got weak. Stupid."

[itachi_san]

"How could I be weak?" he admitted, regret finally starting to disappear from his voice. "You... you're my strength. As long as you were there... I could never be weak..."

[sparkplug_chan]

She paused, then flashed him a smirk, any sign of her earlier tears gone. "Well, there you go then. So stop acting weak already."

[itachi_san]

"Does that mean you're going to put me down?"

[sparkplug_chan]

"Are you going to fall on your face?"

[itachi_san]

Itachi closed his eyes and sighed.

"... probably..."

[sparkplug_chan]

"At least I didn't throw you over my shoulder."

[itachi_san]

Itachi could convince his mind to stay strong. But his body... he could only force it to do so much...

"Point..."

[sparkplug_chan]

"I may not be -your- Sasuke but... close enough. Have a little more faith."

[itachi_san]

He nodded, tiredly.