When Sasuke awoke the next morning it was to the hushed scolding tones of his mother. He bolted upright in bed, his groggy mind thinking it was he who was the target of her ire. After a cursory sweep of his empty room with sleepy eyes, he determined that she must have been in the master bedroom adjacent him.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he set his bare feet against the wooden floor and drifted across his room, opening his shoji door with practiced caution. He made his way to the door of his parents' bedroom without a sound- testament to his ninja prowess.

It sounded as if they were on the far side of the room- though there was emotion backing her voice, his mother still had the awareness to keep the volume low. He was certain it was his father she was speaking to- Sasuke could pick up his frustrated sighs every so often.

"Mikoto-" He heard his father start, tone stern and unyielding. But his mother was not deterred.

"Do not interrupt me, Fugaku."

There was a tense silence that followed, and Sasuke pressed his ear against the shoji door, not wanting to miss even the slightest hint of who was winning this standoff.

He could picture the two staring each other down- his father's face drawn into an eternal frown, dark eyes seemingly impassive as if the whole thing was beneath him. He could clearly see his mother's no-nonsense face as response in his mind's eye, her small chin jutting out slightly, one delicate eyebrow raised as if daring his father to test her.

Then a defeated sigh, masculine and deep, sounded from beyond the door.

His father's defeat.

A small smirk played on Sasuke's lips; no one was a match for his mother when her heart was set on something- not even the Godaime.

"She was my best friend, Fugaku. This is her only child." His mothers' voice was soft with an undertone of sadness.

Sasuke's brows furrowed slightly. Who were they talking about? He wracked his brain for any woman his mother was close enough with to refer to as a best friend. She didn't spend a large amount of time with anyone outside the compound at all- and even those within the Uchiha walls she visited more out of matriarchal duties. He dug deeper, trying to remember anyone whom his mother may see for more casual reasons. Then, when that failed, he tried to think of women his mother spoke with who had a single child.

No one came to mind at all.

"Would you expect Sasuke to be able to survive on such an allowance, given it was all he had?" She asked next, challenge apparent in her tone.

"The boy has fared well so far, has he not?"

"He doesn't deserve to live in poverty, dammit! He's just a child!"

Sasuke drew back at the sharpness of the outburst that was so uncharacteristic of anything he had ever heard from his mother before.

In a softer tone, she added, "Have you no heart, Fugaku?" If he could see her face, Sasuke was positive her eyes would be glinting with the warning of tears.

Her obvious distress pulled at something within his chest. He wasn't sure who they were referring to or how his father played a role in it- all he knew was the old man better make it right with his mother.

Eyes hardened with determination to ensure this happened, Sasuke moved back in to press his ear against the door when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, a distinct pull in the other direction and a tremendous sense of vertigo all at once.

His dark eyes blinked owlishly up at the morning light breaking through the large sakura tree before him- this tree he recognized as the one that majestically shaded the back yard. He was no longer in the house.

Steeling his features to be perfectly blank, Sasuke slowly turned to face the house.

There was only on person who was even quieter than he.

Sure enough, Itachi stood at the foot of the deck wearing a look of admonishment.

"It is impolite to eavesdrop, Sasuke."

Knowing he had been caught, the younger of the two didn't bother looking ashamed.

"Do you know who they were talking about?" Sasuke asked instead, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Itachi's dark eyes gave one cursory glance over his shoulder before he waved Sasuke closer.

"I do…" Itachi started, but as Sasuke became within arm's reach a hand shot out faster than he could react and two fingers connected with the middle of his forehead. "…not."

"Ugh…!" Sasuke rubbed the somewhat tender spot on his forehead, feeling stupid for falling for that trick.

"And do you know why?" Itachi continued, a smile dancing at the edge of his lips. "Because I do not eavesdrop."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, unamused by his brother's antics.

"I am glad you are finally awake though. I wanted to see if you would be interested in joining me for a spar?"

Sasuke's eyes lit up at this, his features appearing even younger as they brightened with childlike hope.

"Really? You have time?"

Itachi did allow himself a small smile at this, happy he could lift his brother's mood with something so small, but also saddened that it came as such a surprise. Admittedly, it didn't happen as often as they both would have liked.

"I do." He confirmed, giving his brother a small nod towards the house indicating he get dressed and grab whatever he needed.

Sasuke smiled in turn, his previous curiosity all but forgotten.

xXx

Two brothers laid in an open field: heads adjacent to another. Two pairs of dark eyes stared unfocused up at the vast blue sky above, chests heaving from exertion.

It was well past noon, the sun and the heat both at their peak.

The air was still today, so the coolness of the grass at their backs was their only reprieve.

"You've gotten much better." The eldest said, breaking the silence. "I'm especially impressed with your integration of wire within your shuriken jutsu. Where did you learn that?"

The youngest shrugged. "I've seen Shisui use it a couple times, thought it was pretty cool."

"Has he trained you?"

"No. I just took what I remembered seeing and did what I could with it."

Itachi turned on his side, resting his head on his hand to look directly at his brother.

"If that's true, then I'm even more impressed."

Sasuke could feel his face heating up, but just shrugged it off as getting too much sun. He would relish in his brother's praise later when he wasn't staring directly at him.

"Nah, it's just basic stuff, nothing that great." He tried to wave off dismissively.

"No it's not, Sasuke. Do not belittle your own achievements. You clearly have a natural propensity for such jutsu." He went silent for a moment, deep in thought. "You should ask Shisui to train you in it more. He has quite an array of complicated techniques- you surprised me this time because I was not aware you would utilize wire at all. But Shisui… Shisui finds a way to surprise me every time, even when I know to expect it." A smile played on his lips as he recalled some of his more challenging spars with his best friend.

A small sigh sounded from beside him.

"Shisui is always busy though. You both are."

A hole hallowed its way through Itachi's chest. He wanted to refute that, to tell his brother he and Shisui would find more time for him. But he knew better than to make promises he may not be able to keep.

What hurt even more was the way Sasuke said it- without an ounce of anger or disappointment. It was stated simply as a fact, without any emotion behind it. Like he knew it was just the way things were- like he had given up any hope it would ever be any different.

It was ironic. He and Shisui were only so busy because they were trying hard to actually change things- to make things better for everyone, which in the long run included Sasuke. But by doing so, were they having the opposite effect now? His bitterness towards everything- just how big a part did Itachi's absence in the present have to play in that?

"I am sorry, Sasuke."

Sasuke could hear the sincerity in his voice and was taken off guard by the emotion swimming in the dark depths of his brother's eyes.

Feeling suddenly awkward like he had come off as a whiny child, Sasuke sat up and tried to brush it off.

"No need to apologize, it's not like a don't understand why. Besides, I'm not a kid anymore. I can train on my own."

Seeing an opportunity, Itachi pounced.

"Well, you do have a team now. I am sure you can learn a lot from Renjiro and your teammates. Why don't you train more often with them?"

"Because it's a waste of time." Sasuke shot back casually. "Maybe I can learn a thing or two from Renjiro-sensei, but the other two are a joke."

Itachi sat up as well, mirroring Sasuke by resting his elbows on his knees.

"Why do you think that?"

Sasuke glanced at his brother before staring off in the distance. He offered a shrug.

"They're just not on my level."

Itachi knew Sasuke had no real way of knowing that. Right now they would only be learning basic techniques to help supplement their ninja careers- he doubted they had even truly sparred against one another yet.

The fact that his younger brother immediately turned up his nose at them without giving them a chance spoke volumes about his mindset, and only further backed Itachi's initial worries. He didn't want his brother to grow in cynicism and arrogance.

That aside, his Uchiha pride was blinding him to the strengths of others, which was detrimental to both his growth as a shinobi and as a person.

Granted, Sasuke didn't know the things Itachi knew regarding his teammates.

He was still unaware his loudmouthed energetic teammate was actually a jinchuuriki with the potential for mass growth and a power his brother couldn't yet even comprehend.

Or that the sweet bubblegum haired kunoichi had stood her ground against a full grown shinobi when she was a mere child- The fear in her eyes overshadowed by determination and courage.

Sasuke had been blessed with teammates who had such high potential of strength and fortitude, but he was too busy looking down on them to recognize that.

Itachi let out an internal sigh as his mind worked to find potential solutions only to remain blank. It seemed the sparring session with his brother combined with the intense heat had left him both mentally and physically sapped.

Itachi stood from his prone position, extending his hand to his younger brother and helping him up as well.

"Why don't we go find some shade and perhaps something to eat?"

The younger quickly nodded his agreement and the brothers trekked into the village.

Sasuke noted his brother's purposeful walk, his eagerness giving away their destination.

On the battlefield, Itachi was renowned as being unpredictable- his fighting style and choice of jutsu dependent entirely on his opponent, which meant his style was always shifting, forever adapting.

But when it came to picking an establishment to eat within the village, his choices were always between two places.

Although it used to be three…

Sasuke's eyes followed his brother's vacant stare as they passed an old shop, roped off and dilapidated with time. The sign was worn from neglect and was no longer legible.

But Sasuke knew this used to be one of Itachi's favorite tea shops.

It had been owned by an older shinobi who's passion was tea, but who's talents lied in interrogation. He had been accompanying the Third Hokage on the day of the Takeover, and had met the same fate as the old man.

This shop wasn't the only one who's owner had been slain that day; there were several abandoned and forgotten businesses dotting the market district of Konoha. For whatever reason, the empty real estate had never been bought or repurposed throughout the years.

They continued to stand their ground, stubborn ghosts that haunted the village in their owners' stead.

Sasuke fervently wished they would be torn down.

He abhorred the look that would cross Itachi's eyes every time he passed this particular shop. It was the shadow of grief mixed with nostalgia and longing.

Like finding a picture of a loved one now passed.

It never failed to take his brother away from the present- away from him. Itachi always seemed to withdraw into himself after laying eyes on the place.

Sasuke's eyes hardened as they passed, glaring at the deteriorated wood with such heat he would not have been surprised if it had spontaneously combusted on the spot.

When they arrived at their destination, a demure woman met them at the entrance, making eye contact with Itachi for a split second before diverting her eyes to the floor with a small blush.

"Would you like your usually seating, Uchiha-san?" Her voice was soft, but even Sasuke could detect the subtle purr of attraction that laced her words.

"Yes, I would very much like that, Hotaru-san." His brother answered. His words were polite with a tinge of familiarity but held a distance.

She led them to a small table in the corner of the outdoor patio, the rattan seats cooled by the generous shade of a willow tree that stood just outside the terraced wooden railing.

They both placed their orders immediately- Sasuke had been here often enough with his brother to already know what he wanted.

As the hostess left to retrieve their tea and place their order, Itachi relaxed in his chair across from Sasuke, his eyes half lidded in what looked to be a near meditative state as he slowly breathed in the rich aromas emanating from inside the building.

Sasuke looked around the kissaten impassively.

Shizukesa was the name, and it was one of the only traditional cafes left in the village. Although old, the owners kept very good care of the establishment, sure to renovate and repaint accordingly to keep its curbside appeal.

But even if they hadn't, Sasuke was sure this would still be one of Itachi's favorite places. He could never exactly understand why- the food was decent enough, but the menu was tired and outdated. They had a good array of teas to select from, but they were all a bit too sweet for Sasuke's taste.

He would indulge his brother's interests whenever he was given the chance though.

Sasuke couldn't place it, but something had changed within Itachi over the years.

He had remembered the months before the takeover, and how distant and scarce his brother had been. Sasuke had been afraid he was losing him back then- the look in his older brother's eyes during that time had been someone he didn't recognize. Like he had burned up everything he was and replaced it with an empty shell.

Like he was preparing for an inevitable fate that he did not desire but was unable to escape.

Sasuke understood now, to some extent, it must have had something to do with the Uchiha Takeover. His brother had always been the most kind hearted person he knew, and he was sure it had been hard on him to betray his village and comrades to aid the clan in their rise to power.

But even still, there was a trace of that emptiness that persisted in him to this day; Sasuke could catch glimpses of it whenever Itachi attended the clan meetings or spoke with their father. There was a mask he wore that was as cold and infallible as the one he donned for his ANBU uniform, and it made Sasuke uncomfortable. It meant he was keeping something from him, hiding a part of himself away. The younger brother didn't know why, but it hurt to know Itachi didn't trust him enough to share whatever shadows he held within himself.

But Sasuke lived for the days his brother let down his guard and looked truly at peace, as he did before him now in the stillness of the afternoon, on the patio of his favorite café. That was why, regardless of his own feelings towards the place, Sasuke would never voice his complaints to his brother.

As the hostess- Hotaru, Sasuke remembered- set the hot tea pot down between them, Itachi thanked her, his eyes still half closed.

Her dark eyes lingered on Itachi for a moment, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as if she wanted to say something (or hoped he would say more), but after a few moments of silence passed she quietly excused herself with the promise to come back with their food.

Sasuke sent a knowing smirk across the table as his brother nonchalantly poured Sasuke a cup of tea before serving himself.

"I think she might be in love with you."

Itachi looked at him as he raised his cup to his mouth, amusement swimming in his eyes, but didn't offer a response.

Sasuke took his own cup in hand, swirling the contents absentmindedly.

"She's kinda cute, I guess. Why don't you ask her out?" His tone feigned indifference, but Sasuke secretly relished in teasing his brother over his fangirls. Having experienced it first hand (mostly from girls who were unaware of his family name or more turned on by the prestige it promised), it was a relief when any female attention was diverted to his brother instead of himself.

Itachi was also much more patient and- if Sasuke were being honest with himself- much more kind in such situations. It was fascinating to watch him maneuver through subtle and overt flirtations alike with such politeness and grace that although the women were clearly disappointed, it was almost like they couldn't help but thank him for his acknowledgement.

Sasuke both envied and admired this talent of Itachi's- he had never witnessed his brother outright reject anyone- much less make them cry (something Sasuke was certainly guilty of), but he always seemed to be able to make his boundaries clear while maintaining the respect of the woman.

"I don't think father would be very pleased with me for dating a civilian who was also an outsider of the clan." Though Itachi's voice was serious, his eyes still danced with mirth, showing his personal feelings didn't match his words.

Sasuke decided to state the obvious anyways.

"Like you've ever cared about what father thought of you."

The brothers shared a knowing smirk at the honesty of the statement. It was another thing Sasuke envied yet admired of his brother. He hated to admit it, but he hoped one day he would be confident enough in himself and his own convictions to not need the consistent praise of his father.

"Well what about you?" Itachi countered, turning the conversation on him. "I've noticed you have quite the number of admirers as well, and you're about the age where your body would be going through some changes that would make you interested in perhaps reciprocating such attentions…"

Sasuke slammed his cup down so hard on the table that some of the liquid spilled over, appalled that his brother would even broach such territory. He hissed as the still hot tea made contact with the skin of his hand.

Loud, rich laughter erupted from across the table.

Sasuke sent a flat unamused glare towards his brother as he absentmindedly flapped his hand in the air to try and cool the small burn.

"Alright, you made your point." Sasuke said sharply, the anger in his tone not quite reaching his eyes as he watched his brother hide his smirk behind another casual sip of tea, even as his chest still slightly shook with restrained laughter.

The birds chirped above them as the Uchiha brothers indulged in their tea in comfortable silence, content with enjoying one another's company.

Hotaru dropped off their food, unable to linger for very long as the lunch crowd had begun to fill the establishment.

Satisfied that they would not be interrupted anytime soon, Sasuke thought about the best way to try to bring up the conversation he had heard between his parents earlier that morning. The urgency in his mother's tone was something he could not shake from his thoughts, and there was a part of him that desperately wanted to fill in some blanks. He knew his brother would know something- Itachi always somehow just knew.

Before he could broach the subject however a familiar laughter reminiscent of the tinkling of bells disrupted his thoughts. Without thinking he turned in the sound's direction and his gaze fell upon rosy hair- it was Sakura.

She was with Naruto, clearly laughing at something he had said as he soon joined her with his own rambunctious laughter. She gave the blond a playful slap on the shoulder and he shrugged, lifting the flap of some nondescript ramen shop for her to enter through before he followed behind her.

Unperturbed, Sasuke turned his attention back to his meal only to feel the heavy weight of eyes on him. He looked up to see Itachi staring at him thoughtfully.

"…What?" Sasuke asked, popping a rice ball into his mouth.

His brother was silent, his dark eyes scanning Sasuke's face as if he were reading a particularly perplexing book. It made Sasuke uncomfortable, like Itachi could see right through him- although what he could possibly be seeing, Sasuke couldn't even begin to guess.

"Can you not?" Sasuke huffed, setting his food down after finding he was unable to eat under such scrutiny.

Itachi's head ticked slightly to the left as his eyebrows furrowed in question.

"Stop dissecting me like I'm some new jutsu. Whatever you want to say, just say it already."

"Very well. I think you need to make more of an effort with Sakura and Naruto."

Stunned, Sasuke stared at Itachi. He was not expecting that.

Satisfied he said what he needed to, Itachi took another bite of food as he watched a small sparrow hop by on the banister beside them.

"What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke's voice was tinged with exasperation when it became clear his brother was not going to provide any elaboration.

"Were my words ambiguous?"

"Yes!" His shout was met with a familiar flat stare.

"You are too quick to anger, Sasuke. If you are not careful, someday it will be your downfall."

Sasuke inhaled a deep breath, trying to emulate Itachi's infinite equanimity. He knew his brother would not continue any line of conversation until he did so.

"Alright." Sasuke amended. "What exactly are you saying? Why do you think I'm not 'making an effort'?"

"Because you're not." Itachi's statement was flat, as if he were pointing out the sky was blue.

Sasuke felt the heat of impatience rise in his chest again but quashed it under the sharp scrutiny of his brother.

"Would you perhaps care to elaborate?" Sasuke asked between clenched teeth.

Itachi took a long sip of tea, not breaking eye contact the entire time, before indulging his brother's request.

"You think yourself above them. Your pride stops you from bonding with your teammates."

With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke countered. "I don't need to bond with them. They're a means to an end- we just need to deal with each other until the Chuunin Exams. I don't plan on being around them for long."

"No, you are right about that. You won't be with them for long." Itachi's agreement took Sasuke by surprise, and he reveled in his small victory.

"…Because with that mindset you'll get them or yourself killed before any of you even get the chance to take the Chuunin Exams." The coldness in Itachi's voice stilled Sasuke. A shadow had fallen behind his brother's eyes, and Sasuke felt it prudent to remain silent as his brother continued.

"I should know- I lost a teammate on my first genin team due to pride."

This was news to Sasuke. Itachi was known for being one of the best ANBU captains the village had to offer- no matter the danger or severity of his missions, he hardly ever had any casualties on his team.

And genin missions were nowhere near the level of ANBU- how he could have lost a teammate during that time bewildered Sasuke.

"I may have been the youngest on my team, but truth be told I was used to carrying most of our missions. My teammate Tenma resented me for it and tried to outdo me any chance he got." He paused, his eyes following the soft sway of the willow curtain as he recalled the painful memory. "One particular mission brought us face to face with a masked man. His chakra… I knew we were out of our depth, but Tenma took my hesitance as an opportunity for him to finally take the limelight. He fell on that man's sword because of his pride. And for all my speed and 'prodigy', I could do nothing to stop his death."

His eyes connected with Sasuke then, beseeching.

"It humbled me, and I do not wish to see you learn the same lesson in such a way. Neither mine, nor Tenma's."

The younger Uchiha was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond until, finally-

"I'm sorry, nii-san."

Itachi offered a small smile at the sincerity of the apology.

"You do not need to apologize to me, you were not there, you hold no responsibility. But you do hold responsibility towards your own team."

Sasuke offered a small nod of understanding, his eyes shadowed by deep thought.

"Do you trust my judgement?"

"Without question." Sasuke's answer was immediate and without hesitation.

"Then trust me when I tell you you're very lucky to have been paired with those two. They have both been through an ordeal, and both have lost someone they loved at the hands of our family."

Sasuke's eyes lowered to his food, making it evident he was already aware of this information.

"How would you feel towards someone who's family had taken away someone you cared for?"

Dark eyes flickered upward, and seeing Itachi was actually awaiting an answer, Sasuke pursed his lips in consternation.

"Angry. Bitter." He finally admitted.

"And have they treated you as such since being teamed with you?" His brother's tone was patient and deliberate, urging Sasuke to really think about his answer.

So he did. He thought back to their first mission to retrieve a cat, when Sakura had tried to strategize, admitting Sasuke's superior speed and wanting to utilize him as their point man to flush the cat out. Naruto had deferred to her quietly, clearly not in disagreement. They had both acknowledged him and tried to work with him…

But he had waved the plan away, claiming they would only slow him down and that he was better off catching the feline alone.

That mission had lasted hours longer than it should have.

He recalled the first few times after finishing other missions, when the two had tried to invite him along for lunch.

He had consistently refused until they stopped trying to invite him altogether.

And then he remembered their very fist official team meet up, when he had happened upon them talking about him. But it wasn't negative…. It was empathetic. Understanding.

He dismissed it as pity, and had instigated a fight with the both of them to prove he was above their commiseration.

Despite him hailing from the clan that had directly impacted their lives as a cause of grief and loss, both of them had tried on multiple occasions to reach out to him. To see past his clan name. Which was more than any of his other classmates had done.

Hell, it was more than the majority of his own clansmen had done.

Despite every reason to be, they weren't angry- they didn't hate him. They weren't bitter- they didn't blame him. They saw him as one of them.

Sasuke looked up at Itachi at the revelation, his answer to the question evident in his expression.

Itachi raised an elegant eyebrow- the query didn't need to be voiced aloud.

Now what will you do?

Turning toward the small ramen shop where he knew the two of his teammates to currently reside, Sasuke worried his bottom lip in thought.

Itachi, ever the picture of patience, continued to eat his meal as his little brother mulled over his thoughts.

Just as he polished off the rest of the tea, a flash of pink and blond ducked out from underneath the curtains of the ramen shop.

Sasuke snapped his attention quickly back to the table to keep from being caught looking in that direction. He shot a glance at his brother, his features trained to a state of apathy but the soft tapping of his fingers against the table gave away his anxiety.

"I have to report to father for a potential mission- don't worry Sasuke, lunch was my treat today." He offered his little brother a smile with partially closed eyes, and Sasuke saw it for the nudge it was.

He nodded once as he rose from the table.

"Thank you, nii-san."

The serene smile lingered as Itachi watched him timidly approach his teammates. The two listened to whatever proposition Sasuke offered before exchanging a cautious look. They seemed for a moment to distrust their dark haired teammate's motives- he had never approached them for anything before.

But then Naruto offered an exaggerated shrug and Sakura followed his lead with a small nod of acceptance.

With all in clear agreement, the trio began to walk together west of the marketplace where Itachi knew the training grounds that genin had access to awaited.

Satisfied, Itachi left enough money to cover the bill and left before Hotaru had a chance to catch him alone.

Sasuke wasn't the only one who had rifts to mend.

xXx

Ok well, I initially planned for more to happen in the chapter but then got caught up in the brotherly heart to heart because this is how it should have beeeeeeen. T_T So enjoy a chapter which is essentially Uchiha brother fluff. XD I promise more action will be coming in the next chapter though!

Macchama- Thank you for the praise! I'm really glad you've been enjoying it so far. And I am trying my best to keep true to the characters but also have them evolve in a way I feel we didn't really get in the anime. T_T

Autumn's Wind- Thank you! I'm just as excited to explore this AU and all the ideas I have swirling in my mind for it. ^_^

Thebittersweetc- Well trust me, I am both flattered and grateful that you chose to do so for me. ^_^ And I'm very glad you think so! I sympathize with you- I feel like Sakura had a lot of potential to be a great character in the show- even if she had the same start, I thought that just left so much more room for growth in Shippuden. But it was definitely a let down and I'm hoping to help remedy that disappointment with this fic. ^_^

Green Alba- Sakura always came off as having a very forgiving nature in the series- even when it wasn't in her best interests. Especially when it came to Sasuke. -_- I wanted to embody that here, but I definitely understand where you're coming from as well. It actually prompted me to make a couple edits in this chapter, so thank you so much for your input. ^_^

Rembrandttoken- Yeah Shisui is definitely one of my favorite characters and I'm still a bit bitter we didn't get to see much of him before his death. -_- And I'm glad you think so! I feel Naruto would be such a great friend to have around in real life.

Orangiethefox- Oh you can't get much past Mikoto, don't worry. 😉

BiaAnko- Yes I completely agree- although I was not really a fan of Sasuke's character until uhhhh… tbh, Boruto XD, I did see the little things he did here and there that left him open to being redeemable. 3 And yes Itachi is certainly a master of manipulation it's good he is not inherently a malicious person, neh?

Ashleigh Season Falkinburg- It honestly still surprises me that one one else has explored this AU yet. I feel so original for once in my life. XD And thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the nuances of the characters here. There's so much I want to touch on and I hope the story doesn't end up feeling like it's dragging because of it. It's definitely going to end up as more of a slow burn then I initially planned.

Jesskmemmy- Yes, I agree. I've always felt there was a quiet strength to Mikoto, even if we didn't really get a chance to see it fully in canon.

LustedShadow- Haha, it's funny you say that in regards to Sasuke- in the show/anime, I honestly hated his development and the direction his character took and I was so angry at everything he did. But I too, somehow always still felt a little sorry for him. XD

Jlluh- Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! ^_^