Itachi watched Sarada read a book on chakra theory, while contemplating on what Sasuke had said to him.

He never would have expected that Sasuke would even partially forgive him. From what he had gathered, Sasuke must have killed him before finding out the truth, leading to him lashing out and killing Danzo. And he still loved Itachi which would lead to him feeling guilty for killing him.

He was so different from the cheerful little boy he had seen this morning. Itachi's actions and his own guilt had changed him a lot. Itachi was wondering, if he'd be able to help him heal, when Sasuke entered the guest room given to them by his parents.

"The Sandaime has asked you two to register yourselves as genin tomorrow."

"Genin?" Sarada protested. "That is not fair. I just made chunnin."

"Did you know I was never promoted above genin?" Sasuke asked, with a smile.

Itachi was shocked at that. Sasuke looked strong enough to be a jonin.

"No way." Sarada said. "You are as strong as Nanadaime-sama."

"The only promotion Naruto ever got was genin to Hokage."

"But, why?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Our first chunnin exams were interrupted by an invasion. After that we left Konoha for training for three years and then there was war."

"The war?" Itachi asked. There had been another war, despite what he had been willing to do?

"The 4th Great Shinobi War, between the Shinobi Alliance and Madara Uchiha." Sarada supplied helpfully. "Papa, you and Naruto-sama were heroes of the war. Why didn't you get field promotion?"

"It was over in days. There wasn't really any time for such formalities. After the war we never bothered to enter chunnin exams. Well, Naruto did, but he was disqualified in his match against Konohamaru."

Sarada giggled at that, which sounded a little false, as if she was trying not to cry.

"There was an Shinobi Alliance against one man?" he asked Sasuke.

"He had an army of zetsu clones and legendary Shinobi of various villages, resurrected and controlled by edo-tensai."

"And then Papa fought the caster and made him undo the edo - tensai."

"I wasn't alone." Sasuke said, looking at him. "You had been resurrected as well, but you somehow managed to gain control. Naruto never told me how." Shisui's eye, Itachi thought. "We fought Kabuto together and you put him in Izanami, making him uncast the edo tensai."

"Papa, you're not supposed to talk about someone's death and resurrection, when they are right in front of you, alive." Sarada hissed, while hitting him on his arm. "It's rude."

Sasuke looked at his daughter in surprise, before bowing his head slightly towards Itachi. "I apologize."

Itachi bowed his in return, lower than Sasuke did. "Me too." he said, apologising for every way he would have hurt his brother.

From the look in Sasuke's eye, he understood what he was apologising for.