And the road of flowers is so long

A faint light shone into the dark stone room. He was sitting on something hard and cold. A stone throne? He vaguely recognized the place. But where had he seen it before? Well, it didn't matter anymore. In front of him stood a young man. A familiar face, barely visible in the dim light, and black eyes filled with hatred. Hatred for him, as if he were his worst enemy. "I see your death," the boy said coldly, his voice echoing through the empty room. "Well, let's test your vision," he replied in the same dismissive tone. The boy moved swiftly, and he felt the cold steel piercing his body. "Your attack was not fatal. It hadn't hit any vital organs," and a wry smile crossed his face as he realized that his opponent, having pierced him with a sword, wasn't going to finish him off quickly, just as he wasn't going to end the fight quickly either. Instead, he intended to play with his opponent for a while longer.

* * *

He jumped up from the bed, breathing heavily, as if he had just finished a long run. "It was just a dream... just a dream," thought Itachi, as he got up from the bed and opened the window. A cool breeze blew over his sweaty body. He stood there for a moment, trying to calm himself, when he noticed a movement in the garden. Sasuke was walking along the path between the flower beds, towards the gazebo, his hands casually in his pockets. Akina sat in the gazebo after she had finished watering the garden. As always, her work distracted her from her dark and anxious thoughts. "Why didn't you ask for help? " Sasuke asked reproachfully, appearing at the entrance to the gazebo. "It's not necessary yet. As long as I'm here, I can handle it myself," said Akina. The guy went deep into the gazebo and sat next to the girl. "Worried about the competition... Again, you had a falling out with Itachi," he put forward several versions of her early rise. The girl looked at him and didn't say anything. A shadow of concern lingered on her face, and Uchiha Jr. could see it. Sasuke tried to smile. The girl looked into his eyes. They were the same inky black as his brother's, but less haunted by the past. Akina nodded in agreement, confirming both of his theories. "What's my brother upset about this time?" Sasuke inquired. "Talking with Neji... Dancing with Neji... Singing with Neji," she explained with a heavy sigh. "There's no need to worry. He's just nervous about tomorrow's competition. You'll see, everything will be fine," he assured her. Akina watched him, knowing that Sasuke would always protect his brother. It was a testament to how much he loved and cherished him. Although she had seen them argue, they always found a way to compromise. So why was it different with her? He was always displeased with her behavior, demanding that she follow his rules and expectations. Even if she didn't break his rules, he always found something to criticize her for. Maybe it's because she doesn't know him well, or both of them. "Sasuke," she said after a short thoughtful silence. "We've been living next to you for almost a year now, and I still don't really know anything about you. Tell me about yourself. I know about you from the stories of others, but I would like to learn about you personally," she asked. Sasuke was a little taken aback by her request. "And what are you interested in?" he asked. "Yes, everything that concerns you. I think we should start with childhood," she said. The guy thought about it. His childhood wasn't exactly rosy, and he didn't like to think about it. Although there are happy moments in him when he could smile. "As a child, I dreamed of being like my brother, the genius of the Uchiha clan. Back then, he seemed like an unattainable target. And then... Just to get stronger," the words were clearly coming to him with difficulty. "Were you a quiet child or a troublemaker?" Akina asked, changing the subject when she noticed that the topic was unpleasant for him. "It depends. My brother knows better, as he often looked after me," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "And he was, of course, the best student at the academy," the girl suggested. "At least that's what the teachers thought," the guy replied evasively. "And the girls wouldn't let me through," she continued in a playful tone. "I wasn't particularly interested in that at the time," he replied, smiling slightly. "He must have been very sweet as a child and, of course, the most popular boy in the class, if not in the entire academy," she thought, looking at Uchiha Jr. His gaze was sometimes filled with warmth and a mischievous gleam, which she had never seen in his brother. Uchiha eyes. Their penetrating gaze, drawing into its impenetrable pool, could not leave anyone indifferent. They were deliciously dangerous even without the sharingan. "What was Itachi like as a child?" she continued to ask. Sasuke thought about it, remembering. What he clearly remembered was his older brother's back with the clan emblem on his dark blue clothes. He always followed him, and Itachi always led him. And Sasuke dreamed of someday catching up with him. But even now, Uchiha Jr. wasn't sure if he had achieved it. "Are you discussing me?" she heard his voice behind her and couldn't hold back a resigned sigh. "Remember the devil..." she thought irritably. Itachi stood at the entrance to the gazebo, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. "Tell the girl what you were like as a child," Sasuke said, relieving himself with pleasure of the obligation to answer this question. Itachi walked deeper into the gazebo and sat next to the girl on the other side, casually putting his hand on the railing behind her back, so close that her shoulder touched his body. Sitting between the Uchiha brothers, Akina found herself getting nervous. Sasuke had been watching his brother all this time. It didn't escape his attention how his gaze warmed up when he looked at the girl. His caressing gaze kept gliding over her face, hair, neck, shoulder. He hadn't looked at any girl in Konoha like that. Even Ayumi, who went out of her way to keep him by her side, didn't receive such a gaze. She often spoke about her feelings and how she was the one who deserved to be by his side, but she never asked about his feelings. And now here she was, a mere mortal girl with whom he often argued rather than engaged in peaceful conversations. Sasuke now understood why Ayumi's efforts were futile. He was happy and excited to know that his brother's heart was finally beginning to come back to life. "Wow, one of the best kunoichi was beaten by a civilian girl," he thought, smiling. Akina tensed noticeably when she felt the proximity of Uchiha Sr. It was obvious that his presence weighed heavily on her. Apparently, she's still angry with him. "So what are you interested in?" Itachi said softly, in a velvety tone, lightly touching her hair with his fingers. Sasuke almost jumped when he heard the gentle note in his voice. "This is more serious than I thought. Is he flirting with her?" Uchiha Jr. realized. From the outside, it might seem like the guy was teasing or mocking the girl, but the alluring glint in his eyes suggested otherwise. "You won't tell me the truth," the girl frowned. "I swear I will answer any question you ask honestly and openly," he promised in the same heated whisper. His tone sent shivers down her spine. His voice, his closeness, and his occasional touches all evoked a sense of unease. "Okay. They say you graduated from the academy in just one year. Is that true or a lie?" she asked, staring at him intently. "It seemed like it," he replied, meeting her skeptical gaze. "But in reality..." she began. "In fact, I was awarded a diploma from the academy and that was the end of my studies there. Although I studied theory at home on my own after that. Apparently, this was done so that my genius would not instill an inferiority complex in my classmates. I was already disliked for my high academic performance," the Uchiha hastened to explain without any pride, as is often the case. "But why did they make such a decision? Did they check you out?" the girl clarified. “No, it was just a simple thing. I got into a fight with some high school students and used a shadow clone in the fight. The adult shinobi who came to the noise saw it and reported it to the third hokage. And since creating a shadow clone is one of the disciplines of the final exams, that's how it was decided,” said Itachi, smiling at his memories. “You must have been happy about it,” suggested Akina. “To be honest, I don't know. Rather, I accepted it as a fait accompli. Naturally, my father was proud of me. It's not every day that a genius appears in the clan. Although I believed that I was far behind Shisui. Like my father, he taught me a lot," said Uchihā. His eyes filled with sadness as he remembered those he cared about and who were no longer with him. Akina noticed this and decided to change the subject. "Which mission do you find the most fun?" the girl continued the conversation. Itachi thought about it, then answered with a smile. "Cat hunting." "What, you too?! You've never talked about it," Sasuke was surprised. "You never asked," Itachi replied. "Do you have this mission as a tradition?" Akina chuckled. "Sort of. All newbies go through this," Sasuke stated. "Well, in my case it was a little different..." Itachi replied. Sasuke watched his brother and saw that he was definitely enjoying this calm, relaxed conversation. Yasuharu appeared on the porch and called his sister to help set the breakfast table. The girl tried to leave, but Sasuke stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder. "Sit down, I'll help him," he said, and left the gazebo. When she was left alone with Itachi, Akina became visibly tense. Especially when she felt his hand cover her palm, and his strong fingers intertwined with hers. "Akina, I would like to apologize," he said quietly. The girl looked at him in a dazed manner, as if seeing him for the first time, and involuntarily pulled away from him. "For what?" she asked when she recovered. "I ruined your evening last night. I don't know what came over me. I had no right to do that," he said, his eyes firmly averted. Her gaze became noticeably sad. The memories of the party were not pleasant, and she knew that she was partly to blame for what had happened, but Itachi once again took all the blame. "How can I atone for my guilt? " he asked, noticing her confusion. The girl fell silent. After a couple of minutes of waiting, he touched her hair. "Change your mind," she said confidently. "I want to sing with you at the final concert." The guy smiled slightly. "Okay, but keep in mind, you missed the chance to avoid rehearsing with me," he said, and his gaze warmed. "Don't count on me to be scared," she said stubbornly, getting up. Itachi chuckled. Akina looked at him. The sun's rays reflected golden highlights in his thick hair, gathered in a ponytail with a red elastic band. "Golden," the girl was surprised to herself. She had thought that Itachi's hair was as black as his brother's, but it turned out to be a coffee-colored shade. She longed to touch it, to feel its smoothness with her fingertips, but she restrained herself, unsure of how he would react. She then left the gazebo and returned to the house. After she left, Itachi remained in the gazebo for a while, lost in thought. "Why can't we communicate like this?" he sighed in frustration. He stubbornly refused to admit that his concern for her was selfish. Lost in thought, he almost missed the attack, although he could sense the familiar footsteps. Sasuke leaped over the railing of the gazebo, landing on it and launching a spinning kick. Itachi blocked the kick with his forearm. Sasuke followed up with a series of punches, which Itachi skillfully deflected. However, a powerful kick to the center of his body, although blocked, forced him to retreat and leave the gazebo to prevent damage to the structure. "Gotcha," Sasuke replied with barely noticeable malice, continuing to attack. "What do you mean?" Itachi asked, fending off his fist combo again. Sasuke made a cut. Walking away from her, Itachi slightly miscalculated the roll to the side, and he had to meet his kick from the turn without getting up. "That's why all of Ayumi's attempts to win you over were in vain," Sasuke said. "I'm not a lady to be won over," replied Itachi, finding his feet in time, deflecting his brother's blow to the side, returning with a straight punch to the body, which Sasuke, although he had missed, not hoping for a quick victory, but endured. "Don't evade," he said, breathing heavily, "you looked at her like a cat at a fish, literally devouring her with your eyes. You never looked at Ayumi like that." Itachi was thrown into a state of confusion by his words. Although it only lasted for a couple of seconds, it was enough for him to miss a significant blow to the chest. He was thrown to the side, and Sasuke took advantage of the opportunity. He pinned him to the ground with his full body, resting his forearm on his chest to prevent him from getting up. "You imagined it," Itachi assured him. "You should have seen yourself from the outside. Your voice, your look. If she knew that you were crazy about her, she'd do whatever she wanted with you.," Uchiha Jr. grinned, not taking his inquisitive gaze off him. Itachi just stared at him. He knew that he had given himself away after all, and it was useless to deny it. It's hard to hide anything from the meticulous Sasuke. “And when are you going to tell her about it?” Sasuke asked seriously, still holding him. Itachi looked at his brother in confusion. Then his expression changed to a stubborn one. “I have nothing to tell her,” he said. Sasuke grabbed him by the clothes and gave him a good shake. “You can deny it all you want, convince yourself that it’s not true, but the fact remains. You’re head over heels in love with her. Now I understand your displeasure with her being friends with Neji. It's called jealousy, brother. And the fact that he beat you to the punch by asking her out first must be bothering you," Sasuke continued. Itachi recalled one of the quotes he had read: "Jealousy is the sister of love, just as the devil is the brother of angels." "You see what you want to see," said Itachi. "Really? By denying your feelings for her and taking no action, you risk losing her to someone else. It's all because of your cowardice. How can one of the most dangerous shinobi be afraid of a little girl?" continued Sasuke, looking at his brother seriously. "What do you want me to do?" Itachi's voice was filled with irritation. "I want the person dear to me to be happy at last. You deserve it more than anyone, brother," Sasuke said softly. "I'm happy," he said confidently. "Maybe, but from what I've seen, that's not enough for you anymore. I wonder if you've kissed before." Sasuke said in a playful tone. "Well, you know. Your curiosity sometimes goes too far," said Itachi, pushing his brother off and getting to his feet. Sasuke laughed, rolling over, and saw his older brother blush. Itachi helped him up, and they returned to the house together. The fact that Sasuke had figured out that he was attracted to Akina left a sour taste in Itachi's mouth. He had no intention of admitting this to anyone, not even his brother. It was a foolish display of his usual indifference and composure. He feared that Sasuke might try to influence the situation, which could only make matters worse. "That's the last thing I need," he thought with a shudder. He was sitting at his desk in his room, and he was increasingly thinking that he should convert one of the rooms into an office, so that he would have more space in his bedroom. Itachi was carefully looking at the documents he was filling out, so that he would not make a mistake. The form had to be filled out for each member of the team and for each type of competition they were participating in. Therefore, each person had to fill out more than one document. The only exception was for clan competitions. Here, all the names were listed in a single list. After finishing, he went down to the first floor and sat on the sofa to double-check. And he heard footsteps on the stairs. Yasuharu, Sasuke, and Haku came down from the second floor. "We're going to the beach now. Are you with us?" Haru asked. "No, I can't, I'm busy... Maybe later," Itachi declined. "Where's Akina? She's not in the room..." Haru continued. "I haven't seen her since breakfast," Itachi said, alarmed. "I'm going to the competition headquarters now. I'll find out where she is later." "She left again without telling me. How many times do I have to tell you?" thought Itachi gloomily. "Well, don't worry about it. She's probably in the library, as usual," said Tibot Sr. dismissively. The boys left the house. Itachi watched them anxiously as they went, then returned to his work. Suddenly, the door opened without a knock, and Ayumi appeared. "Hi, my love," she purred, approaching him with a dance-like gait. He seemed oblivious to her presence, his gaze fixed on the documents in front of him. "I've missed you," she whispered, climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "We saw each other at the party yesterday," Uchiha reminded her, reluctantly putting down the forms. "It's not enough for me. It's been a while since we've spent time together, haven't we? We don't do joint training. We can't even have a private conversation here anymore," the girl complained, playing with his curls. Her fingers glided over his face, his lips, and then down to the row of buttons on his shirt. "You're crazy. Someone might walk in," Uchiha objected. "You can't deny your girlfriend a single innocent kiss," Ayumi looked into his eyes and kissed him, unable to hold back any longer. She unbuttoned his clothes, exposing his shoulders, and pressed her body against him, forcing him to lean back on the couch. Akina ran headlong down the street. After she took Nobu's medicinal herbs to the library, she met the messenger of the competition master, and he ordered Itachi to report to headquarters immediately. Flying like a torpedo into the living room, she froze as if thunderstruck. The girl blushed and paled from what she saw. Half-naked, Itachi was sitting on the couch, while Ayumi was passionately kissing him, she was on his lap. And he didn't seem to mind her actions at all. Reluctantly, the girl pulled away from the object of her desire and glared at Akina. "What the fuck do you want?" She was speechless with envy, poor," Yano attacked her, while defiantly running her palm over Itachi's naked body. He pulled her hand away and looked at Ayumi with displeasure. "You're forgetting that Akina lives in my house. So be careful with your words," he said sternly. "I'm sorry to disturb you," Akina said with a deep bow, more to avoid seeing what was happening in the living room. "Mr. Morino Ibiki has requested your immediate presence at the headquarters, Mr. Itachi." Itachi lifted Ayumi off his lap and, after straightening his clothes and collecting the documents on the coffee table, headed for the door. "Wait for me here," he said to Akina before leaving the house. "Just because you live here doesn't mean anything. You'll always be treated no better than a servant. So know your place," Ayumi replied sharply, following after Itachi. Akina was sitting on the couch in the living room, very worried. "Why was Itachi called? Did they change their minds? Did they pull us out of the competition?" She was assuming the worst. The time before he arrived seemed like an eternity. "Well, what did they say?" She asked right on the doorstep when Uchih returned to the house. "Don't worry," Itachi replied. "I knew it was because of me!" finally giving way to panic, she said. "Akina... " He tried to get in a word. "Was I removed from the team's list?" "No." "Do they want to replace me with someone?" "No." "The whole team was disqualified because of me!!!" "Akina, calm down," he said, taking her by the shoulders. "How can I calm down if... "she continued to insist. "Sit down, please," he interrupted her. She sat down on the couch. "First of all, none of the things you mentioned happened. Secondly, the start date of the archery competition was postponed because there were too many participants. Instead of starting in three days, as planned, it will begin tomorrow," explained Itachi. "What?! Tomorrow!!! What a nightmare!!!" she said excitedly, jumping up from her seat. "So stop panicking. Let me make you some coffee and you'll finally calm down," he said, gently touching her arm. Itachi sat her back down on the couch and went to the kitchen. "She didn't back down during her only mission. And here she is, trembling like a leaf," he recalled of her first mission, engrossed in his work. He placed a cup of aromatic coffee in front of her. The girl picked up the saucer, and then he heard the sound of porcelain tapping a rhythmic beat. The guy carefully took the trembling saucer from her hands and returned it to the coffee table, then sat closer to the girl and put his arm around her shoulders. "Listen, Akina, you have nothing to be afraid of. In any case, we'll be there for you," he said softly. "Even if you're in the stands, I won't see you," she replied dejectedly. "Just imagine that we're next to each other... behind your back. If you're worried about losing, you shouldn't be. Don't think about winning or losing, just enjoy it, what you love to do. Do you like archery?" he asked. The girl nodded in agreement. He handed her a cup of coffee. The day passed relatively smoothly. In the evening, a messenger arrived with the competition schedule. It was revealed that Sasuke was assigned to run the 1500m race and Akina was participating in the archery competition on the first day. As he was standing by the open window in his room that evening, there was a gentle knock on the door. After receiving permission, Akina entered. "I wanted to..." she said quietly, looking away. Itachi looked at her expectantly. Then she walked up to him and put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for your support... for everything. I just wanted you to know how important it is to me," she said quietly. The guy froze, not believing what was happening. He suddenly felt hot, and a sweat broke out on his forehead, a slight tremor gripped his entire body. He was silent for a while, speechless, but then he said, hugging her back: "You can always count on me." The girl smiled and looked at him, pulling away slightly, and then her smile faded. "Itachi, your face is red and you're trembling. Are you ill?" she asked worriedly, touching his flushed face. Suddenly, there was another knock on the door, and Sasuke entered the room without waiting for an invitation. When he saw the girl in his brother's room, he stopped in the doorway. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked in surprise. "No. Sasuke, I think Itachi has a fever. He's burning up and shivering," said Akina anxiously. Sasuke walked into the room and looked at his brother carefully. His face was indeed flushed, but he could tell from the fierce fire in his eyes that it wasn't a simple cold. Sasuke tried to give his face a serious expression. "Yes, you're right. I noticed something was wrong with him this morning," confirmed the younger Uchiha, enjoying the way his older brother's eyes widened in surprise. "This morning? Oh my God, you're sick right before the competition," she exclaimed in dismay. "I'm fine," Itachi tried to protest, but Sasuke approached him, taking him by the shoulders, and interrupted him. "Listen to Akina, she knows what to do. Otherwise, I'll have to call Sakura," threatened the younger Uchiha. "Sasuke," growled Itachi, giving his brother a withering look as he realized that he was making fun of the girl. "Where is your thermometer?" Akina asked sternly. "It should be in the cabinet," replied Sasuke. "What are you doing? What's the matter with you?" Itachi said in a displeased whisper. "Shut up and enjoy it. You're enjoying her concern," his brother scolded him, risking a scolding of his own. The girl quickly found a box with a red cross on the lid and found what she was looking for. She firmly handed the thermometer to Itachi. "Akina, I'm fine, I swear," Itachi assured her, but she didn't move. He had no choice but to submit to her whims and take his temperature. "Maybe I should get him something hot... Lemon tea or milk with honey," Sasuke suggested. "Yes, that would be nice. But milk with honey is better at night," she said, and Sasuke left. Itachi watched him go with an irritated look. "I'm going to kill that bastard," he thought, mentally searching for an object that would give this benefactor a boost. "Don't worry. You'll be fine by morning," she said softly, sitting next to him. He sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue with her. After a while, Sasuke entered the room carrying a tray. He placed it on the desk. Akina took the thermometer from him. "I told you so. It was just a couple of degrees away from being elevated. It's your habit of standing by the open window," she scolded him. And indeed, Sasuke was right, it was pleasant. She waited for him to finish drinking his milk, seemingly not trusting him, and then tucked him into bed, covering him with a blanket. "Can you stay with him until he falls asleep?" Akina asked Sasuke. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him," Sasuke promised. Finally, satisfied, Akina left, wishing them a good night. After she left, Itachi hit Sasuke with a pillow, causing him to laugh. Akina went to her room, changed her clothes, and went to bed. "Tomorrow... Oh, tomorrow," she thought anxiously before falling asleep.