"Yeah, my brother's feet went numb."
Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, but soon his expression shifted to one of exasperation. He puffed out his cheeks in a small pout. "I've told you so many times not to stand on that streetlamp! If you stand there for too long, of course your feet are going to go numb!"
As he spoke, Sasuke knelt down beside his brother and began gently massaging Itachi's feet with his small hands, working to restore proper circulation.
Listening to Sasuke lecture him in that adorably serious tone—like a tiny adult scolding a child—the corner of Itachi's mouth twitched involuntarily.
My feet went numb because I was waiting for you to come home for dinner, Itachi thought wryly. You were gone for so long that naturally my circulation suffered.
But he would never say such words to Sasuke. He never blamed his younger brother for anything. Not ever.
His little brother was his precious angel, after all.
Looking down at Sasuke—head bowed, focused intently on massaging his feet with such earnest care—Itachi felt warmth bloom in his chest. A gentle smile spread across his face, unbidden but genuine.
"Brother, are you feeling better now?" After more than ten minutes of careful attention, Sasuke finally raised his head and looked up at Itachi with concerned eyes.
Itachi stretched his ankles experimentally, testing the restored circulation. "Yes, much better. Thank you for your hard work, Sasuke."
He stood up, reaching down to help his little brother to his feet as well.
"Come on. Let's go home."
Two figures—one tall, one small—walked hand in hand along the path toward home. The late afternoon sun bathed them in warm, golden light. From a distance, the grass, the streetlamps, the road itself, and even the gentle breeze seemed to take on a soft, dreamlike quality. The light caught in the air like suspended particles of magic.
In this moment, time itself seemed to slow down.
Slow enough to freeze completely.
Just before the entrance to the Uchiha compound lay a large, open grassland. The field was covered—absolutely blanketed—with dandelions, each one sporting its characteristic white, umbrella-like seedhead.
When a breeze swept across the field, the dandelions all bent together in unison, and the wind gently carried some of their children away. The seeds drifted through the air like snow, floating freely in every direction.
"Brother, let's walk through the grass..."
Looking at the sea of dandelions, Sasuke suddenly found himself remembering something from many years ago. When he was only three or four years old, his brother had taken him to this very field. They'd chased each other through the dandelions while the seeds flew everywhere around them. They'd raised their heads toward the sky and shouted together that it was snowing, snowing.
Later, his brother had needed to devote more time to intensive training. Sasuke himself had begun learning the basic ninjutsu of the Uchiha family. It had become difficult to find time for such carefree play.
Now, seeing the dandelions blooming abundantly everywhere, Sasuke made the suggestion on impulse.
Itachi turned his head to look at Sasuke. He studied his little brother's face for a moment, then nodded with a warm smile. "Okay."
"Haha!" The moment his brother agreed, Sasuke laughed out loud with pure joy. He opened his arms wide and rushed headlong into the territory of the dandelions. He ran with wild abandon, laughing the entire way. Every dandelion his hands touched came loose from its stem, the seeds taking flight on the wind.
"Brother, come on!" Sasuke looked back over his shoulder and saw his brother still standing at the edge of the field. He called out with enthusiasm, beckoning Itachi to join him.
Itachi chuckled softly. Then he too opened his arms wide and rushed into the dandelion field with abandon.
Seeing that his brother had finally come down to join him, Sasuke started running again with renewed energy. Itachi ran fast—faster than his little brother—and soon caught up until they were shoulder to shoulder. The two brothers ran together through the white flowers, their laughter mingling in the air.
White dandelion seeds filled the sky in an instant, creating an impromptu snowstorm. Below the swirling seeds, two brothers laughed happily together, their voices rising and falling in a joyful symphony.
Sasuke gathered a large handful of dandelions, ran up to Itachi, took a deep breath, and blew hard. The seeds flew away instantly, scattering across Itachi's body and hair like confetti.
"Hahaha!" Sasuke clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely stand.
"Hmph." Itachi's eyes sparkled with mischief. He picked his own large bunch of dandelions and blew them directly at Sasuke's face in retaliation.
For several minutes, the two engaged in this playful battle, ambushing each other with dandelion seeds and dissolving into laughter each time.
Suddenly, as if by some unspoken agreement, both brothers fell silent. They glanced at each other, sharing a moment of perfect understanding. Then, moving as one, they both raised their dandelions high, tilted their heads back toward the sky, and blew with all their might.
White dandelion seeds rose up into the air, climbing higher and higher, swaying and dancing as they ascended toward the blue expanse above.
"It's snowing! It's snowing!"
"It's snowing! It's snowing!"
The two brothers shouted to the sky, their voices full of wonder as the seeds floated down around them like gentle snowflakes.
After a while, tired from their energetic play, the two brothers lay down on their backs in the dandelion grass. They used their hands as pillows, gazing up at the clear, brilliant blue sky. Dandelion seeds drifted down gently, landing softly on their bodies and clothes.
"Brother," Sasuke said after a comfortable silence, his voice filled with happiness. "I made a friend."
Itachi had already suspected as much, given how late Sasuke had come home. He turned slightly, shifting to face away from his little brother, and asked in a carefully neutral tone, "Oh? Tell me about it."
"Well," Sasuke stretched out one hand, catching a falling dandelion seed in his palm. "Brother, do you remember that guy I told you about before? The one who kept blocking my way after school? That guy—I became friends with him."
"Oh. Wasn't he supposed to be your opponent?"
"Yeah, he is my opponent," Sasuke said seriously, his tone thoughtful. "But he's also my friend now. They're not mutually exclusive, you know?" He paused, then added with genuine enthusiasm, "His cooking skills are really incredible, brother. The food he makes is absolutely delicious—just as good as your cooking."
Itachi pressed a hand against his stomach, feeling the emptiness there. Well, that's good, he thought with a mixture of relief and something else he couldn't quite name. At least someone will be able to cook for Sasuke in the future.
He'd always worried about what would happen if circumstances prevented him from cooking for his little brother someday. Who could possibly replace him in that role? Now, perhaps, he should be grateful to this new friend of Sasuke's.
"So that's why you came home so late today?" Itachi asked gently. "You had dinner with your new friend?"
"Yeah." Sasuke shifted his position, moving closer to wrap his arms around Itachi's waist in a warm embrace. "Brother, I'm sorry. I just didn't think it was right to refuse a new friend's kindness, especially on our first day of being friends."
"You made a new friend, Sasuke. I'm too happy about that to blame you for anything." Itachi placed his hand over Sasuke's where it rested against him, giving it a gentle squeeze. "From the way you talk about him, it sounds like you really respect this person. If there's a chance, I should meet him and get to know him too."
"Really? You mean it?" Sasuke sat up suddenly, his face lighting up with excitement. "Naruto said the same thing! He said he wants to meet you too, and that he wants to have a cooking competition with you!"
"Ha! Such overconfidence," Itachi said, unable to suppress a hint of competitive pride from creeping into his voice. "He dares to challenge me in cooking?"
"His name is Naruto?"
"Yeah. Uzumaki Naruto."
"Brother, let me tell you all about him..."
"Let's talk while we walk home..."
As they made their way back, Sasuke talked enthusiastically about Naruto—describing their fights, Naruto's incredible strength, his strange training methods, even his peculiar diet and the farm he was running. Itachi listened quietly, his face maintaining a neutral expression. But occasionally, to encourage his brother's storytelling, he would interject with questions or offer a small smile at the appropriate moments.
When they finally arrived home, Sasuke's eyes landed on the dining table. It was still laden with all the dishes Itachi had prepared earlier—now cold, untouched, waiting in vain. Guilt twisted in Sasuke's chest. His brother had gone to all this effort, cooking an entire feast for him while he was off eating with someone else.
"I'm sorry, brother," Sasuke said quietly, his voice thick with remorse.
Itachi immediately knelt down so they were at eye level. He placed both hands firmly on Sasuke's shoulders, his expression deadly serious. "Sasuke, never say 'sorry' to me again. You will never, ever have anything to apologize to me for. Do you understand?"
"Okay, brother." Seeing the intensity in Itachi's eyes, Sasuke simply nodded. He knew better than to argue when his brother used that tone.
Satisfied that Sasuke understood, Itachi's face softened into a smile. He stood up and moved toward the table, preparing to clear away all the uneaten dishes.
"Brother."
Itachi stopped mid-motion. He turned back around to look at Sasuke, waiting.
"Brother, can you help me make some bentos tomorrow? I want to... I want to return the favor to Naruto for the meal he gave me today." Sasuke paused, then added with remarkable seriousness, "Um, Naruto has a really big appetite. Like, approximately ten times as big as mine. So, brother... please make a lot."
He bowed deeply, his voice earnest. "Thank you, brother."
Itachi stared at his little brother for a long moment.
Then his face crumpled slightly, his expression a mixture of emotions he couldn't quite process.
Ten times? his mind echoed. Ten times Sasuke's appetite? Just how much food is that?
He looked at the elaborate feast he'd prepared—already more than enough for several people—and tried to imagine ten times that amount packed into bento boxes.
His eye twitched involuntarily.