Disclaimer: Really? Is this even needed? Let us define fanfiction, shall we…? (sigh) But anyhow, I own neither Naruto nor the book "Guess How Much I Love You." If I did…I would be spectacularly rich and I wouldn't be doing something as pointless as writing fanfiction, now would I?

Brief Note: This is purely brotherly love. And Sasuke is probably somewhere in between the ages of four and six.

By the time the two started back, it was late in the evening, and Sasuke, Itachi noted, was tired enough that he was actually acting kind of like a normal child. He had even gone so far as to whine when Itachi had told him he was walking home. After such a display of clearly juvenile actions, Itachi mused that maybe he should bring Sasuke to training with him more often.

As the older Uchiha was more prone to caving in to his little brother's requests when he was actually acting his young age, Itachi had consented to let Sasuke ride on his back. So Sasuke—now much happier—was currently perched on his brother's back, head bobbing against Itachi's shoulder.

As the two neared home, a thoughtful Sasuke grabbed two fistfuls of his brother's hair, stopping him in his tracks. "Itachi?" Sasuke asked. He wanted to make sure his older brother was listening.

"Hmm?"

"Guess how much I love you."

The older of the two was mildly surprised. Sasuke was rather stingy with his displays of affection.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," Itachi said lightly, pulling Sasuke off of his back and out of his hair. He set his younger brother on the ground next to him, curious as to where this would go.

"This much," Sasuke said confidently, stretching his arms out as wide as they would possibly go.

Amused, Itachi immediately retaliated by stretching his—much longer—arms out.

"Well, I love you this much."

Hmm. That is a lot, thought Sasuke.

But he could easily enough rectify such a situation, couldn't he?

"I love you as high as I can reach!" Sasuke declared, raising his arms above his head.

Itachi nearly laughed. Surely his little brother could see how futile an attempt that was? But he only raised an eyebrow and imitated his brother's actions. "I love you as high as I can reach."

Oh, though Sasuke. That is very high. I wonder if I will ever have arms like that.

Then he had an idea.

Smirking triumphantly, Sasuke ran over to a tree and said, "I love you as high as I can climb!"

With great effort, he dragged his small body higher and higher into the tree, determined to show his brother how much he loved him, and to win the contest that had been started.

He finally stopped, many, many feet above the ground, and smiled down at his brother, who smiled back.

Then he felt a rush of air, and strong arms grabbed him. He was carried even higher into the tree, until it seemed like he could look out over the whole world.

"I love you as high as I can climb," Itachi said mildly.

By the time there were on the ground again, Sasuke was back to smiling. Almost the instant his feet hit the ground, he exclaimed, "I love you as high as I can jump!" That said, he began launching himself furiously into the air, over and over again.

"But I love you as high as I can jump," Itachi retorted, easily jumping so high his head nearly brushed on of the higher tree branches.

That's good jumping, a very tired Sasuke mused. I wish I could jump like that.

But it was a competition now, and Sasuke was not about to lose.

"I love you all the way down the road as far as the forest."

Itachi smiled. "I love you through the forest and over the hills."

That's far. That's very far, thought Sasuke. He was almost too tired to think anymore.

Then he looked beyond the trees, out into the dark night. Nothing could be farther than the sky, he thought smugly, now assured of his victory.

"I love you right up to the moon," he said, nearly falling over with exhaustion.

Itachi picked up his younger brother before he could collapse, swinging him on to his shoulders. Even when he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, Sasuke wouldn't go to sleep until he had won. So Itachi kept some of his words to himself, saying quietly, "Oh. That's far. That is very, very far."

Even when Sasuke was asleep with his head on Itachi's shoulder, he kept the words to himself. Even when Sasuke was tucked into his bed, peaceful for once, he kept the words to himself. He was silent as he watched his brother struggle through the years, trying to catch up to him, trying to earn his parents' praise.

Even when Sasuke saw him, standing above the bodies of their parents, Itachi did not say those words, but spoke other words. Words of hate and fear and pain and hurt.

When he saw his brother again, and fought him, he kept the words locked inside, and instead spoke of weakness, and left his brother broken and full of hate.

And now, when it is finally, finally time to say those words, Itachi cannot speak. As Itachi stares into the hard, Sharingan eyes of his brother—his own brother—he feels panic for once in his life, because he cannot force the words past the blood that bubbles in his throat and mouth. He can't say them. He can't speak those all-important words.

Sadly, he looks up to the brother who is all he has left in the life that is leaving him, even now. Unable to speak, he tries to convey the meaning he knows Sasuke will never understand through his eyes.

And silently, silently, his body falls to the ground.

The words remain unspoken.

XxX

Guess how much I love you.

X

x

X

x

I love you right up to the moon—and back.

XxX

And in the end… neither of them could win.

Oh... Sad.

So, once upon a time (as in, a month ago), I was babysitting, and my babysitees asked me to read them the book "Guess How Much I Love You." I've read the book before, of course, but this time, I kept on thinking of Itachi and Sasuke... in a somewhat tragic sense. And with what my friends call my 'highly tuned sense of pain and agony,' I semi-developed a short story.

Then, being me, I forgot about it.

A few weeks later, that book was somehow brought to mind, and I went barreling the stairs hollering, "Mom! Do we have the book "Guess How Much I Love You? I need it!" And since I live in a household of bibliophiles, the book was found.

So, consulting the book, I wrote this story, basing it off the original book, and (obviously) replacing the 'nutbrown hares' of the story with Sasuke and Itachi.

Yeah. That's how it happened.

Do review, tell me if you feel love, or hate, or some minor sadness, or nothing at all... Really, I want to know! Because I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this story... So click the little review button and give me some joy, because I need it after writing something depressing.

Many thanks for reading!

~Snake