A tiny smile graced the youngest Uchiha's face as Itachi removed the wrap from his hair, allowing it to fall over his shoulders.

Sasuke turned to his breakfast, eating quickly.

"Itachi, can I get a ride today? I don't want to walk." Sasuke muttered softly.

"Oh? Does Itachi-kun make you walk, Sasuke-kun?" Mikoto asked in her usual motherly tone.

Sasuke nodded. "Sometimes. He did yesterday."

Mikoto gave her the mom look that meant Drive-your-little-brother-to-school-or-else.

The older Uchiha gave a nod to it as he chewed his cereals in his mouth. There was no apparent harm in letting the boy ride to school with him in the first place. Who knows Sasuke would finally chose to share his case in the privacy of his car?

Itachi rose from his chair fluidly and deposited the remains of his breakfast to the kitchen sink, pulling up his sleeves so he could wash them. It was a habit of his to was his dishes to help out even if a little in the household. A gesture that never failed to please his elders.

Then he turned to Sasuke while feeling his hair with his hand. Still wet. Sigh... "I'll wait for you in the car."

With that, he bade his parents goodbye with a simple wave and picked up his backpack lying on the living room chairs. "See you."

Sasuke smiled, and Mikoto most definitely did not miss it. It made her happy to see her youngest son actually smile for once, and she ruffled his hair.

"Have a good day at school, Sasuke-kun."

"Thank you, kaasan." Sasuke stood, bowing fluidly and grabbing his backpack on the way out to the car.

He slipped into the passenger's seat, buckling in. "Thank you for the ride, Aniki."

Itachi gave a nod of the head and started the engine. "I won't be putting on the aircon," he announced as he lowered the overhead hood of their car. No explanations were given as to why he did so. "So if you don't like the outside air, feel free to use one of the clinical masks in the glove compartment."

After which, the raven switched on the music component. Much to Sasuke's surprise perhaps, but yes... Itachi listened to music on his free time.

On their drive to school, the senior found himself humming softly to the CD. He softly tapped against the driver's wheel. There was a strange sense of freedom when he drove. The wind in his face...the music.

He almost forgot there was a teenager beside him, riding on the passenger seat.

Sasuke enjoyed the wind blowing through his hair, and listening to his brother hum was completely priceless. ...And very amusing. Who would have thought? Itachi could almost be a normal teenager.

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes. At least this stopped his brother from pestering him about the night before. He still couldn't believe he'd been caught... like that. At least it had been dark, and Itachi hadn't properly seen what he had been doing...

In mid hum, the burned CD compilation decided to skip. Itachi hissed and paused his melody to check on the CD. He ejected it and noticed that it was gathering a fair amount of scratches from overuse. He threw it carelessly to the back seat, uncaring if it might have skidded off and probably hit someone in the back. Fortunately it landed in a comfortable heap over his other school books at the back of the car. The Uchiha had excellent aim nonetheless. He reached for another set of compilations and along the way, he went eye to eye with his brother.

"Sasuke, I'm driving. My other CDs are in the glove compartment. Just chose whatever you wish. Play it."

Then he broke away and focused on the road, cue when the green light flashed.

His older brother's CDs were an assortment of genre. From pop to rock and even classical. Though mostly alternative...then some trance. Not much pop.

"I keep some of those for people who hitch a ride ---invited by me or those who invite themselves."

It was a reference to an instance when Itachi came home with a bubbly blond and blue eyes classmate, who decided he wanted to see the woman behind his stoic classmate's artistically inclined bento.

Sasuke nodded, searching through the CDs with mild interest. He ended up on an alternative CD, with Panic!At The Disco songs. He turned it up to a reasonable volume, without making it too quiet or too loud. He was glad both he and his brother had about the same taste in music.

Itachi smiled at the music selection and continued driving to school. As they still had time to spare, he decided to take the longer, more scenic route. By the time they would get there, his hair would have dried already.

"So, are you also hitching a ride back home? If ever, coordinate with my schedule so I can wait for you if need be."

Yes, he might as well offer to bring home later that afternoon. Least their mother found out about his "escaping brotherly duties"

"Sounds good. I'll make it out here before you leave." Sasuke nodded, staring out the window with a bored expression on his face. On the way to school, they passed by Naruto and he smirked as the blonde gaped after them. He wasn't going to hear the end of it later, but oh well. It was fun to tick Naruto off and getting a ride while the shorter teen had to walk was one good way.

"Good."

Itachi saw his brother's classmate Naruto as they approached school soon and smirked. The blond's expression was that of surprise, seeing that the brothers were together. Too bad, thought the older of the two. Though their mother was largely to blame for this. He wondered how it would have been if the two sophomores were outside and walking instead of what just transpired.

As they neared school, the senior operated the hood and returned it to it's normal position as a roof to keep the sun and possibly rain out of the car.

Upon arriving, the raven didn't shut the engine immediately and turned to Sasuke, leaning towards the boy. The older teenager had a habit of leaving his ID card on the passenger seat's side. Of course the spiky haired boy didn't notice this until Itachi plucked it out while they were put into a very compromising closeness.

Good thing, the glass was heavily tinted or someone would have thought Itachi was giving someone a good bye kiss before class.

As Itachi leaned closer, Sasuke's eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest.

'What is he doing? Is he going to...? ...Oh. He's just getting his card.'

Sasuke mentally cursed Itachi for teasing him and himself for daring to hope his brother would ever do something like... like kiss him. Not gonna happen. Hopefully the flush on his cheeks would die down soon.

"I'll see you later then."

Itachi slipped his necklace ID around his neck, under his collar and then his long tapered fingers through his hair. Still wet. He made a mental note not to use that shampoo anymore. It smelled wonderful and had many health benefits but was a terror to wash off.

The raven gave him a secret smile and then gave him a pat on the head like a child, "Do good in class."

With that, he slipped out of the car and waited for Sasuke to do the same.

Sasuke twitched and glowered as Itachi patted him on the head patronizingly.

Grabbing his backpack, he exited the car and tried not to take his frustration out on the car door.

He was most definetly not eating with Itachi at lunch... not if there was going to be a repeat of yesterday and with Itachi wanting to find out his little secret... it just wouldn't be good. He'd have to deal with Ino and Sakura. Ugh.

The younger Uchiha sighed and made his way to first period.

The morning drawled on as always. Itachi got the highest marks for the surprise quiz they had and everything. No surprise. In mid day, the Uchiha excused himself to go fix his hair which was now dry and came back feeling much himself. The low ponytail had seemed to be quite a part of him. Without it, he just wouldn't be that of himself.

Kisame had been trailing the fellow teenager, muttering so many thank yous. "I was really happy last night you know."

The implications of his being happy made the inner Itachi roll his eyes in somewhat disgust. Considering how detailed the taller senior's descriptions could be in the past, he had an idea how happy it had made him. If you know what I mean.

"It was so---"

"Not a word from you," snapped Itachi.

He pouted ridiculously, "You don't even want to know how cute Erika was?"

"NO."

The school bell rang for lunch and you could practically hear the whole school ripple with life all of a sudden. People rushed out of their lectures in waves after waves.

He was about to make an additional statement when he heard his cellphone ring. Itachi answered the call, seeing that it was from his mother.
___

They're on the way to the canteen/hallway when this happened. ^^;

Sasuke's morning droned by, though it was amusing to poke fun at Naruto because he had to walk to school.

Once again, Kakashi-sensei was late to his own class. Not that anybody was surprised or cared or anything... Well, the fangirls cared, it meant they had less time to look at their favorite teacher. Sasuke swore he heard Kakashi-sensei mumble something about Iruka-sensei being too distracting for him to be on time. He really didn't want to think about what that meant.

Now he was walking to lunch with Naruto and Sakura and the blonde was chattering about something or another. Sasuke wasn't paying attention, he didn't know what. His attention was riveted on the sight of his brother, who was talking on his cellphone. Of course, Sasuke curiously wondered who he could be calling in the middle of the school day.

The usually disinterested and blank expression on the teen's face morphed towards anger. He was obviously not pleased with whatever was being told to him over the phone.

Kisame noticed how strong Itachi was holding the phone now. His peer's fingers were shaking and the mecha-lover was worried that the raven would break yet another phone casing. It would be the 7th since the start of the term.

He knew about how the shorter teen's parents seemed to enjoy pressuring him into doing things beyond his capacity, challenging him to exert more. Though Itachi was very much capable and did excellently, the after effects bruise the Uchiha in ways that one without keen perception would not notice.

"I'm not going. I have class."

"But I can have them excuse you, Itachi-kun. I can call your teachers! Besides, you're leading the class...It wouldn't hurt to. You'll catch up."

"I don't want to," replied Itachi as he tried to keep his temper under control. He had to be polite and be kind to this woman. His mother no less, "I want to stay here. Let me finish my class in the afternoon the least."

Mikoto sighed, "Alright. But you don't know what you're missing. She's a very pretty girl."

Soon the call came to an end. Kisame's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the raven throw the cellphone right after, across the marbled floors in anger as he marched in the canteen halls.

Itachi was pissed. Very pissed.

Sasuke frowned, his expression flickering to worry for a split second as his brother threw his phone on the ground.

As Itachi stormed into the lunchroom, Sasuke followed him with his eyes.

Naruto noticed. "Hey teme, you listening to me?"

"No."

"Teme!" Naruto socked Sasuke in the arm and Sasuke gave him his Uchiha Glare before returning to staring at his brother.

The school suddenly went quiet right after and there was a sudden deafening silence about them.

Kisame picked up the device and perused it as he made his way to the canteen mumbling about that it was still fine. It wouldn't be so damaged. It was a well built and expensive phone.

Then the shark like man took notice of Sasuke, "Yo! Itachi's little brother!"

Inside the teenager continued in his manner of the day without reeking any of his anger. But to those who were keen in perception, they could feel a slight strange in his aura. It was murderous.

He ordered his usual lunch and went to their table then had his fill.

Sasuke's left eye twitched. "I have a name, Shark-boy." He glared at the tall senior. "What do you want?"

Though his attention was on Kisame, he still followed Itachi in the corner of his eye, the black aura his brother was emanating practically visible.

"Nothing," replied 'Shark boy' with a toothy grin as he called his own number using Itachi's cellphone, "Thought it would be nice to acknowledge your existence a bit."

The call went through. Phew. Yet another cellphone casing in the cellphone casing graveyard it seems...Itachi really had to stop throwing his cellphone around when he was mad. Not everybody had the luxury of getting the latest Siemens model just because their father felt like it you know!

Deidara walked in and practically stuck to Kisame, "Say... What's gotten Itachi into a dark mood. Did you tease him about porn again?"

"F*ck no!," said Kisame in defense, "He...You know. Those calls?"

The blond stopped for a moment to think and then let out a deep OH before proceeding inside, "Well. See you at the table then!"

"So...Yeah, table," the senior waved back at the other and then bade Sasuke goodbye, "So, lunch it is. If you like come by the table if you like, kid. We don't mind extra company... I think."

Sasuke frowned. Calls? What calls?

He nodded absently to Kisame, calmly brushing Sakura off as she tried to lead him to their table.

"I'm eating with my brother again today." He muttered, walking to the senior's table and sitting next to his brother.

Itachi looked somewhat bewildered for a moment when his classmates tossed his cellphone at him. But then he shrugged and slipped it in his bag, uncaring if the other had used it earlier or if he still had any calls to answer. He was just upset at the moment.

Tossing the salad a little more, he forked through the tomato slice and then noticed he had a new seatmate. Nobody but Kisame really did dare to sit beside him when he was in a dark mood unless the opposite side of the table was just that full.

"Hello, Sasuke..." The older Uchiha's expression softened a little but you could still see the anger in his eyes nonetheless.

Kisame smirked and then took his place by the other's right side with his own lunch, "So... squirt, how was school?"

Deidara snapped in a sing song voice, "Yo...The kid's going to complain he has a name..."

Sasuke nodded as his brother greeted him. "Hello, Aniki."

The younger Uchiha frowned as the seniors poked fun at him. Well, fine. He could play their game. "Not bad, fishboy."

Deidara chuckled with the little show as he bit through his fries, dipping them in ketchup. This was amusing.

"Nice to know that, Spike." Kisame rubbed his hands as he looked at the lunch on his tray hungrily. If the food just knew how intense he was, it would have run away, "Wouldn't want any of your things missing again now would we?"

Itachi fought a chuckle as he was sipping his soft drinks at the comment.

"Mhmm... So, Sasuke... Any luck with the ladies? Y'know like a girlfriend maybe?"

Hidan had bluntly asked the question really. But with the way the blond beside him waggled his eyebrows and gave a knowing smile made it seem, he was the one who had inquired.

Sasuke settled for giving Kisame a dirty look out of the corner of his eye, before focusing on Hidan, his expression blank. He blatantly ignored Deidara. Did he have some kind of -Blondes, come bother me.- sign on his back or something? Geeze...

"I've got plenty of fangirls, if that's what you mean. Feel free to take them, I don't want them. I'm not interested in a relationship."