Ｐａｒａｄｉｓｅ

XVIII

Sai took a sharp breath, sitting behind the driver's seat. Every now and then, he would make eye contact with Itachi on the rearview mirror. Itachi wouldn't really care, but deep down he felt like Sai probably knew something about what he'd just done.

"Itachi?" Sasuke tried getting to him, but the older Uchiha wouldn't say a word as he drove.

"It was such a good night, too." Sai began, once again making eye contact with the elder. "Wouldn't you say so?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. Maybe Sai saw something afterall.

"I hope Pein and Konan are okay. It's too cold today. I hope they keep... warm." Sai emphasized, wrapping his jacket around himself to make a point. A knowing grin appeared on his face and Itachi only returned the grin back, knowing somehow that Sai wouldn't say a thing.

"They'll be fine. Let's not worry about them." He spoke for once, and Sasuke rolled his eyes as he thought Itachi was just being moody.

Ten minutes later, Sai was fast asleep in the back, leaning towards the window while Naruto leaned sleepily on the other.

Sasuke looked over towards his brother, asking when they would arrive and expecting an answer but the older Uchiha kept himself quiet and focused entirely on the road. He hadn't spoken much ever since driving out of the hotel and something about it bugged the younger brother.

Feeling an awkward silence, Sasuke turned the car radio on and played Konan's playlist.

Itachi, unknown to Sasuke or the sleepy blond, gripped the wheel tighter as Konan's favorite song started playing. He gulped as he once again reminded himself of what he just did prior to leaving the hotel.

"'Tachi?" Sasuke's voice snapped the older teen out of his thoughts.

"What?" The boy snapped, making Sasuke look at him weird.

"Your phone." Sasuke said, pointing at the vibrating phone in the cup holder. Itachi glared at it and continued driving. "You're not going to answer?"

"It's dad." Itachi guessed. "Leave it."

"But you haven't even checked if it's-"

"I said leave it."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, staring at the weird face Itachi was making. It looked to him as though he was holding something back but couldn't really hold the emotion in.

Stopping at a gas station, Itachi took the phone and stepped out to return the call. Sasuke was left in the car with Naruto and Sai, both asleep in the backseat. Having nothing to entertain himself with, he stared out the window, pulling it down to let the air in.

"Hey, you look familiar." An older man said, getting out of his car to fuel up.

Panicking, Sasuke just nodded and looked back at Naruto to keep his face hidden from the man. He couldn't pull up the window without raising suspicion or making it seem awkward.

"You know that kid on the TV?" The older man continued to ask. "Heard the dad wants nothing to do with him anymore. Tragic ain't it?"

Sasuke smiled nervously at the man and nodded. Somehow hearing that hurt him and thought if his dad really wanted nothing to do with him anymore. But of course, the man was an Uchiha. Uchihas despise anything that brings shame to the family name, even if it's their own family.

"Hey, you wouldn't be that kid, would you?" The man joked. "Got any blond friend with you?" He laughed, noticing the worried emotion on Sasuke's face. "I'm just playing with you, kid." The old man got the hint and left Sasuke alone, focusing on fueling his own car. Once done, the man said something but was barely audible to Sasuke's ears. Feeling at ease, Sasuke returned the goodbye and watched as the man's car drove away.

Sasuke laughed a bit nervously and hoped Itachi would return soon.

Inside the store, Itachi walked around with his phone in hand, dialing his father back.

"Did you think you had me fooled?!" The old man shouted. Itachi made no move to pull the phone away from his ear. "I expected more of you, Itachi. Come back this instant with your brother and maybe then you'll be forgiven."

Itachi scoffed. "Forgiven? Father, it's a little to late for that now." He replied, thinking how things were going back at the hotel. "Might as well disown me."

"Your brother has committed sin. He cannot be forgiven. You on the other hand, I'll forgive you for your mother."

"Tell mother I can't face her anymore." Itachi closed the phone and headed towards the counter, placing pain relievers and a couple sleeping pills for the man to scan. "Give me a pack of those."

The man eyed Itachi suspiciously as he placed the pack of cigarettes and the pills in the bag. Once paying, Itachi headed out and hurried as he saw Sasuke looking out the window.

"You took so long!" Sasuke finally complained as Itachi walked over.

"Idiot, who told you to put the window down?" He asked, pushing the bag onto Sasuke.

"What did you buy?"

"Listen, I'm tired. We're stopping at the next motel we see." Itachi said, driving a little bit faster. Sasuke said nothing and relaxed on his seat.

It was almost four in the morning when they arrived at an inn. Itachi had paid in cash for two rooms; one for him and Sai while the other for his brother and Naruto.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Sai asked the older teen, watching as he reclined on the bed and smoked his fourth cigarette. "You've never smoked before, have you? I can tell."

Itachi ignored the boy and continued.

"Those." Sai pointed to the black bag with the sleeping pills. "What are you-"

"Why don't you go with them?" Itachi interrupted, letting his hair down from the ponytail and running a hand through it. "They're worried."

Sai, knowing the Uchiha wanted silence, nodded and headed out. Sasuke was just stepping out of the room as well.

"Should you even be out?" Sai asked.

"It's too early for anyone to be up." Sasuke smiled. "I don't like being inside all the time."

Sai nodded. "Figured you should know your brother's looking a mess."

Sasuke looked over towards Itachi's door. "Leave him, he gets like that when Konan and him fight. Why, was he doing his weird sulking thing?"

Sai figured he shouldn't tell Sasuke about the pills and the cigarettes. "Naruto?"

Sasuke nodded towards his door. "Inside. You can go in, he's just watching TV. I'll be back in a few."

Sai nodded, thanking the Uchiha and heading in.

"Sai! Are you okay now?" Naruto asked as soon as his eyes caught the figure standing at the door. "About our conversation earlier..."

"I guess." Sai walked up and sat at the edge of the bed, recalling their conversation back at the motel before they'd left. "Sorry I worried you, it's just... back at the motel I... was informed of some news."

"News?" Naruto scooted closer to the boy.

Sai nodded, explaining to Naruto why he went missing after watching the news on a recent case regarding Shin. He explained what had happened to Shin and why the police thought of him as a suspect. Naruto held the boy's hand, knowing it was a hard topic for him.

"I'm fine, I guess. I just can't imagine how it was Ino who killed him." Sai smiled sadly. "Then again, she was creepy in a stalkerish way." He laughed a bit.

Naruto hugged him. "Sai, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." The boy sniffed, his eyes watering again as the blond held him with comfort. "I'm fine."

"No you're not." Naruto said. "Just let it out."

Sai smiled, laughing as the two stayed hugging for a bit longer. "Thanks, Naruto."