《♡Sasusaku/Team 7 Oneshots♡》

mother hated lilies

Summary: In honor of Uchiha Itachi's birthday, take this one shot that showcases Itachi's childhood and relationship with his family.

Age: it changes a lot.

Category: angst, fluff. Is very sad, but it's our baby Itachi's birthday, so.

Note: This is a very long one shot, but worth it. Happy birthday, Itachi my love ❤️ not a day goes by that I don't miss him, so I put in some extra effort for this one shot. I hope you all love it!!

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"Will you tell me a story?"

"Little one, it is far past your bedtime."

"Please, Mother? The one with the two brothers?"

"... hm. Alright, my darling. Sit down. Long ago, far before you or I, there were two brothers. They were alone, and traveled a lot, but loved each other very much."

"Like how you love me, Mother?"

"No, my dear. Their parents were gone, and all they had was each other. The brothers loved each other fiercely, and in a way that is much different than the gentle way I love you."

"Haha."

"One day, one brother went astray. He followed the wrong path, and it lead him away from his brother. Far away. The loss devastated the first brother, because they had been so close that being without the other was borderline painful. The lost brother suffered just as much, but out of stubbornness, continued down the path he had chosen. The first brother heard stories of the other's deeds, and was disappointed to find them actions their parents would not be proud of. He decided that he on his own would find his brother, and drag him back to the right path."

"And did he, Mother?"

"He and the lost brother fought, my dear, as siblings often do. They spent days and days and days fighting, before one day, they lost all of their energy. Both just stopped, and stared at each other. They sat down on the floor where they had been standing, and for the first time listened to the wind whistle through the trees. They smelled the fresh air, and shivered at the teasing touch of the wind. The bird's song, and the wolf's howl, and the stomping of deer in the forest became suddenly the most beautiful sounds ever. And the brothers looked at each other and they realized that they hadn't really stopped to appreciate such things until they were reunited."

"Then, what did they do, Mother?"

"They stopped fighting, and talked things out rationally. And eventually, the first brother convinced the second brother to return to the right path. Both returned happily, and followed the right paths for a long as they possibly could. That wasn't to say there wasn't trials or temptation, but each brother kept the other in check."

"What would've happened if the first brother brought the lost brother back by force, mother?"

"Neither of them would be happy, my dear. This way, they avoided the heartache, and reunited happily. If the two of them had continued fighting, they would've gotten nowhere. In time, the two of them would grow to hate each other and to hate being around each other."

"Brothers shouldn't hate each other."

"Yes. My dear. Brothers shouldn't hate each other. But those who fight, do. These brothers did not hate each other in the end, and they got to continue forward in peace."

"Peace?"

<>

When Itachi was young, he had terrible nights. If he wanted to climb into his parents' bed, his father didn't allow him to, saying that he needed to stick it out and become a man. This often left the toddler alone in his room, sobbing silently as the lightning crashed overhead and rain pounded mercilessly on the roof. The darkness terrified Itachi- not necessarily because he couldn't see, but more because he was afraid of the things lurking in the dark. When he was older, he plunged head first into the darkness to defend the light, but as a child, he never thought he'd do so.