{open} It was a beautiful morning.

[youngesthokage]

He was in a wonderful mood. He'd gotten in later than intended due to the rather long talk with his mother, which had been oddly easier with this one than the one from home ever was anymore, and by the time he'd made it home is good mood had returned and he'd settled right to bed.

Morning, on the other hand, had brought the flowers and he found himself looking out the window in curious fascination at them, mussed from sleep and somewhat bewildered.

Since when did snow bring flowers?

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[youngesthokage]

"See? You don't agree with him." He ran his hand over his son's hair. "Have you ever considered that -he- might agree with -you-?"

[itachi_san]

"What's that got to do with anything? It doesn't stop him from saying it all the time."

[youngesthokage]

"It -means- that if he says something mean to you, he knows you'll be fine, but if you say something mean to him, and he thinks it too, he's not going to argue with you."

[itachi_san]

"How come I have to be fine with it?" Minoru jumped to his feet. "He gets to be mean whenever he wants and I have to be fine with it?!"

"Minoru, when you call your brother things like lazy or jealous... he's just as hurt by it as you are when he calls you names too." Itachi added. "And you really hurt his feelings earlier."

"So what! He gets to hurt mine whatever he wants and I'm supposed to be fine with it!"

[youngesthokage]

Itachi sighed and shook his head. "No Minoru, that's not it at all."

He grabbed him and spun him around to look at his brother. "Do you remember earlier? You said he was weak and jealous. He didn't even try to argue that he wasn't."

[itachi_san]

"Oh yeah. When I finally won!"

"Minoru, you didn't win anything." Itachi sat up. "He didn't argue because he believes those things are true. Now, he may actually be jealous... and that's okay. That's an emotion and emotions come and go. But you know he isn't really weak. Or lazy. Just like how he knows you're not really dumb or stupid."

Itachi nudged the elder twin.

"You don't really believe your brother is stupid, do you, Isamu?"

[youngesthokage]

He shook his head and refused to budge for a moment before pulling back some after rubbing his face on him. "Can I go see uncle Sasuke now?"

Itachi grimaced and then sighed. "Not yet. We have some stuff to sort out, right?"

[itachi_san]

"Minoru, do you really believe your brother is weak or lazy?"

He wanted to say yes. He could have easily said yes. And laughed about it. But... well... he didn't really think that. In reality, he was just as jealous of Isamu as Isamu was of him.

"...No."

[youngesthokage]

"Yeah you do." Isamu shifted in place, looking at his mother. "Can I go -now-?"

[itachi_san]

"No." Itachi kept a hand on his shoulder. "And no, he doesn't."

"...I really don't. I think you're jealous." he added with a shrug. "But um... I'm... kinda jealous too... So... yeah..."

[youngesthokage]

"But you -are- stronger'n better at jutsu than I am." Isamu fidgeted in his mother's hold.

[itachi_san]

Minoru was just as quiet in his father's grip.

"Yeah, well... you notice more stuff than I do. And you always know everything about everything..."

[youngesthokage]

"Do not, you just don't pay attention or you'd see stuff too."

[itachi_san]

"I pay attention!" he insisted. He fidgeted and scratched his head. "I just... get distracted... You can focus on stuff longer than I can."

[youngesthokage]

"See? So it's not all, it's not like the other bits."

[itachi_san]

Itachi shook his head. "Isamu, Minoru's giving you a compliment."

He glanced between both his boys.

"You both were so quick to point out all the things that made me different from your father. But it doesn't make me better or worse than him. He can do some things better than I can. And I can do some things better than he can. You have just as many things that make you different. And each of you has things that you do better."

[youngesthokage]

Isamu turned around to look at his brother, then moved over and hugged him.

[itachi_san]

"I'll stop calling you bad names if you'll stop doing it to me." Minoru whispered as he hugged him back.

Itachi had to smile at that.

[youngesthokage]

He huffed and leaned on him. "Fine."

[itachi_san]

Hopefully, that kind of agreement would last more than a few hours, Itachi thought to himself.

"Now... how are we going to celebrate today, hm?"

[youngesthokage]

"...Jutsu!"

[itachi_san]

Minoru didn't even have to think about it.

"Yeah! Teach us new jutsu!!"

[youngesthokage]

Isamu turned a little and beamed up at his mom.

Itachi, meanwhile, started laughing again.

[itachi_san]

"Well, I got exactly what I wanted, didn't I." Itachi laughed a little, shaking his head. "But all right. I think I have an idea. Minoru, I'd like you to go outside and practice on your own for a little while. Tree climbing. Take the highest tree, and go up and down it five times. After each set, you may make one small fireball. I will come get you when we're ready."

Minoru jumped up and ran into the yard so fast, he nearly tripped over his own feet.

Then he turned to his partner, waiting for the last of the laughing to stop.

"Isamu's really been struggling with fire. I think, maybe he'd be more comfortable with your primary element. Show him the signs for a wind wave, see if he can get a small one blowing..." he poked Isamu in the forehead and started to make his way outside (mainly to make sure nothing burned to the ground today). "Come out and join us when you're ready. I think the boys will really like this one."

[youngesthokage]

He blinked, then just shook his head and set about teaching his eldest what had been requested of him. He did a bit better than fire, it was true, but still far from excellent.

Either way, the boy was giddy to actually have it do -anything- so when they headed out he was rather bouncy.