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Back Together

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"You'll be okay, right?"

"It's not going to affect me in any way."

The older male eyes his brother worryingly. It was a decision that Tsunade made, and Itachi wasn't too fond of it. They're going to live in the Uchiha Compound.

Tsunade called for Itachi and Sasuke to see her face to face. She settled the consequences by having them under house arrest. However, the elders were displeased with the semi-fair treatment in a meeting. Especially Danzo. Itachi was burning daggers toward him, and Sasuke felt the same. Anger.

The elders wanted them in prison. Itachi is considered a terrorist. Sasuke kidnapped Misa and claimed him as Orochimaru's vessel.

With such willpower, Tsunade didn't take the elders' advantage of rebuking her choice of punishment. She knew what she was doing when the brothers accepted it. She had investigators analyze their actions. Despite their straightforwardness, they were telling the truth and admitting to their behaviors. Overall, Tsunade believes they are no threat and is curious to know what is more to come.

Sasuke looks around his deserted home. Over more than ten years, the compound still had the same remains, but unfortunately, they were left to decay.

"This compound seems like it's haunted," He said out of the blue.

Itachi smirks mischievously, "Are you afraid of ghosts?" He asked. The younger one gives a death glare, "Of course not! Even if they do exist, they won't scare me." Sasuke crossed his arms with a deep frown. Itachi chuckled playfully because his little brother hates letting his tough guy image downgrade. They continued to explore the abandoned area. Since the Nine-Tailed Fox carnage, accusations were floating around in that period. It caused the Uchiha Clan to get secluded from Konoha.

In other words, the estate has been standing for the longest time. Nobody knows that it still exists.

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home." Itachi lets out a sigh.

The brothers have approached the house where their lives began. Sasuke reminisces the memories; in his obsidian eyes, he can visualize the moment when Itachi is at the front door putting on his shoes to go on a mission. His small self begs him to play but gets poked on the forehead and doesn't have time for it.

"You ready?" Itachi turns his head to look at Sasuke.

"Let's go inside." The raven steps forward and enters his home.

Due to many years in the dumps, cobwebs and dust covered the whole place. They also look at the backyard, the pond has weeds sprouted, and the once green trees and grass are dried up. Sasuke says, "If only we were allowed to get supplies and resources, our house would look better." He desires to clean things up, but the trial restricts them two from going around the village—even traveling. "We can have people to help us out. If they're willing to risk it." Itachi added a bittersweet reason.

Sasuke puts on a subtle smile, "I'm sure they will. And besides who, is ever the good one?" He knows that his friends are beyond ordinary. They've been risk-takers since the start of their shinobi life. Itachi smiles ear to ear, "Maybe your squad will come in and help us. I hope they'll greet me in a friendly manner." He responded to his brother while looking a bit glum.

After those moments, it's a less likely chance to get past them.

"They might accept that you weren't supposed to be our enemy. It'll probably take some time." Sasuke shrugged. He was uncertain. Itachi just nods his head as a response.

Then, all of a sudden, a knock came from the front door.

"Who's here?" Sasuke questions first.

"I don't know." Itachi was puzzled as well.

So, the younger brother goes and has a look. He can see the silhouette through the light-shaded door. He opens it to reveal the love of his life. "Misa? What are you doing here? Most of all, how did you find this place?" Sasuke is bewildered by the abrupt appearance.

Misa smiles, "Tsunade-sama gave me a navigation." She answered so innocently. As if it's not going to cause problems.

Sasuke rolled his eyes because she must've begged her master to go and find him. However, he didn't mind any of it because Misa brings in the best mood.

Brushing it off, the boy welcomes the girl into his home for the first time. She looks around and can understand that it's not a pretty sight to see. However, once patching things up, it'll look beautiful. Sasuke and Misa held hands to go to the backyard. They see Itachi throwing a shuriken at the tree post gracefully. It seems like he got bored.

"Nice to see you, Misa." Itachi smiles cordially. Misa answers, "I can tell you are having fun." She throws sarcasm. The older Uchiha chuckles, "Gotta make time go faster. I prefer to do some cleaning and cooking." Itachi indicated, which is what he did when he was younger. Misa giggles mirthfully, "I can bring some stuff for you two." She stated. The brothers looked at her happy because she was being too kind. "But I am a bit disappointed that the people didn't provide you guys anything." Her tone of voice became downcasted.

Sasuke then speaks, "I guess this is what it's like to be a prisoner. We don't have the liberty." He also doesn't like how Misa is so calm about him having a criminal record. It's usually the opposite where it makes their relationship turn into dust. However, Sasuke appreciates that she is willing to stay with him, regardless of their flaws.

The trio sat together on the engawa and talked about whatever. One thing came across Itachi's head, and it has to do with Misa. He opens his mouth, "Misa, Sasuke told me you are in the medical field, and I need treatments for my illness. I have a prediction that I might not make it much longer." Itachi finally confessed to a desperate need. Misa furrowed her thin brows, "What do you have?" She asked him.

"Chronic respiratory disease. I've had it since I was a kid. I received treatments during those times. After being recruited in Anbu, the symptoms weaken my physical strength and endurance." Itachi explained to Misa. She looks at him pitifully. It must've been rough for him to go through something that is not curable.

Misa thought to herself. She can either find a cure that will fully help Itachi or give him the typical medication that'll subdue the symptoms.

In her first days of medical training, she discovered ways to make various diseases die out. Unfortunately, they haven't experimented on humans. Misa does want to prove to herself that she can save lives through health and on the battlefield. She'll try to muster up that courage and have no doubts.

The Akiyama stands up and goes to be in front of Itachi. She surprised him by hugging him by wrapping her arms around his neck. He looks at her wide-eyed, utterly speechless. "I've made so many promises in my life. For this one, I will create a cure that can one hundred percent make it go away." Misa vowed to Itachi.

Sasuke watches in total shock yet amazed at how much care she has for others. He witnessed his brother returning the embrace and thanking her sincerely.

He is lucky to have an angel like Misa.

✧: *.☽ .* ✧

As a way to welcome his lover into his home, he showed her his bedroom. Itachi occupied himself by either taking a nap or reading a book.

"Aw~ you have a green dinosaur!" Misa squealed. She skips her feet to grab and hug the plushy. Out of all things, that is the only item that caught her rosy eyes. "Yeah, it's been with me since I was a toddler." Sasuke tries not to feel embarrassed because he did love that dinosaur. He sees Misa dusting off the toy. The bright green fabric had faded, but everything else was good. The dinosaur was a friend he played with in his childhood while Itachi was out.

Misa examines the room; she can see a lot of toys scattered on the ground, books on the shelves, and a bed against the wall. Another thing that caught her eyes was the pictures hanging on the wall. She strides over to have a look. "You were so cute as a baby. You even had the same haircut when we first met." Misa laughs softly. She sees little Sasuke smiling big with his family.

"Are those your parents?" The girl asked.

A man and woman had subtle smiles, trying to be as modest as possible. "Yes. Fugaku and Mikoto." Sasuke points to who is who. Misa can now see the similarities between the brothers and their parents. They both share most of Mikoto's features. Except Sasuke looks more like her. It's pretty much a mirroring image. But if she was correct, Misa believes they share some of Fugaku's personality traits.

Misa turns her head to notice Sasuke is staring at the pictures. She let out a quiet gasp when she saw his eyes become glassy. Sasuke jolts at the sudden warm touch. "It's okay. Let it out." She whispered. Her soft arms are comforting.

The petite girl can hear the sobs and feel the teardrops on her shoulder. He truly misses his parents. Sasuke holds her tightly while spilling his emotions. Subsequently, the lovers sat together on the bed while watching the clouds through an open window.

"My mother was a wonderful woman. She was gentle and tenderhearted. Even though I still am, I would be competitive and stubborn when trying to beat Itachi at training lessons. It ends up me getting hurt. She would get upset and tend my injuries." The raven plays a small smile as he talks about his beloved mother.

Then, he brings up Fugaku. "We had times where it was complex, meaning I tried to impress him because Itachi got all of the attention. It did make me feel disappointed that I couldn't surpass him. But I was still a kid, and I should've not let the jealousy take over." His husky voice sounded grave.

Misa assumes that Fugaku and Sasuke had problems with closure. However, he added a wholesome memory. "My first ever achievement was the Fire Ball Jutsu. I performed it in front of him, and he was overwhelmed. The reason being was my hard work and not giving up. "That's my boy" is a phrase he would say." The raven could hear that familiar voice saying it. A blissful time between the father and his youngest son.

"My parents were ordinary people. They did their best to make as much positivity in their lives." Sasuke finished describing his parents.

He never once touched on the subject of his parents because it was sensitive. After telling Misa, she is fascinated by the love in his family. She is also glad that he decided to have a chance to hear what they were like during their living. "What would they think of me?" Misa wondered. Sasuke smirks and wraps his arm around her shoulders. "My mother would go frantic like hogging you from me and share embarrassing stories about my childhood. My father would have a straight face but treat you right." He can picture it mentally. The boy hears Misa laughing in joy.

Sasuke pulls her close to his broad chest. The young Uchiha had an unexpected pondering. He is not sure if it's the appropriate time to ask Misa. But he hopes she'll accept it.

His fingers grip her chin to have the Akiyama look up at him. "Once the world becomes stable, do you want to get married?" Sasuke asked her the biggest yet staggering question. Misa reacted shy. Her face became profusely red, and she couldn't form words. He is asking her for a hand in marriage.

Uchiha Sasuke is her one and only. Misa thinks about him every single day in her life. It goes to show how much she loves him. She loves him with all of the darkness that he carries.

The beauty leans forward to place a sweet kiss on his plush lips. Misa delivers her answer, "Yes, I want to marry you."

✧: *.☽ .* ✧

Nighttime arrived, and the moon was out. Misa went home to be with her family. She wished the brothers good luck. She was trying to be nice, but Itachi and Sasuke that it was tough to get comfortable in their new environment.

"Hey, Itachi," Sasuke calls out to his brother. He was going to clean up the dishes that Misa bought for them. She snuck in barbeque meat from a market. That girl can be mischievous and can easily fool people.

Itachi whirls himself, "What is it?" He asked. Sasuke was slightly hesitant. He sighs because he has to know regardless. "Tell me, how do you unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan?" The older sibling widens his eyes. He grows baffled and looks at him like he said something forbidden. Itachi stayed silent to collect himself.

"I'll explain after cleaning up," Itachi spoke and turned back to the direction. Sasuke got anticipated on the spot, but he senses some negative emotions from his brother. The raven obeys him and decides to wait in the backyard.

Soon enough, Itachi comes to join him. The moment was coming back. He was in deep because of his friend's death. Then, his Mangekyo Sharingan gets unlocked. Itachi was only a child around that time. Innocent yet was wise enough to know better than anyone else. He held Sasuke in his arms, wanting to prevent all of the cruelty in the world.

"To activate the Mangekyo Sharingan, the user must face a great loss. More likely someone that is close to them. Emotional trauma triggers it." Itachi looks into his brother's stunned expression.

Sasuke spoke, "So wait, you're saying death is the answer?"

With a nod, Itachi replies to him, "In addition, the Mangekyo Sharingan will grant you superior abilities. One of them being Amaterasu and the other Susanno. I'll give you plenty of information on those later on." He doesn't want Sasuke to feel stressed and afraid.

Itachi was expecting a refusal, but he did acknowledge his demand. Sasuke looks at the shining stars, "I'll try my hardest to overcome a fatal challenge. It's the best I can do because it is in our blood." The boy stands true to his roots and will use those abilities to benefit the shinobi world.

The older Uchiha plays a gladly smile on his handsome face. His brother still has some optimism in him.

Somewhere far from Konoha, the wilderness was quiet, and the only light inside the cavern was the moon.

An erupt sound of glass being shattered echoes in the hideout.

His double Rinnegan sees red, and his blood is boiling with rage. Pain found out about Itachi's betrayal. He gathered his remaining people for a meeting and to have some tea. He informed the members about the fight against Jiraiya. The Six Path of Pain brutally tackled the Sannin until his last breath.

Zetsu was whom to announce and follow Itachi's tracks. He didn't see it coming where a change of persona became a juicy topic.

"I trusted him. He was loyal enough to reach our goal of a new world." Pain clutches his hands into fists. He looks at the broken cup on the floor that he threw, and his back is facing the members. Obito then speaks up, "What's next for the Akatsuki?" His Sharingan eyes the leader with deep interest and adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Pain confidently declares a revelation. "The Akatsuki will destroy Konoha. Even though they can't let us have the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, we'll take him by force." The man spoke with venom dripping in his tone of voice.

Kisame has witnessed it all and can feel his blood running cold. He remains in his seat while listening to his leader. The man needs to warn Itachi secretly. Obito sneaks a few glances at him. Despite looking normal, he knew something was up but kept it to himself.

Pain dismissed the people and headed to his lair. Everyone went on their separate ways.

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Author's Note
Yep! More intense and dramatic things are going to happen soon 😜 I am like a villain lover that it was so fun to write that last bit of the Akatsuki 🔥😈 But at the same time I am like why must they do this to our characters??It's a rollercoaster especially in this chapter 😆 We also had an interaction between Misa and the brothers which is so sweet 🥺 I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it bc Sasuke proposed to Misa 😗 Anyway stayed tuned for more updates my loves! 😽🫶🏻