Relationships involved : NaruSasu with SasuNaru one-sidedness, one-sided NaruIta, one-sided NejiSasu, and one-sided ItaSasu that's somewhere in between brotherly and not-so-brotherly love. There's also a wee bit of non-consensual KyuuSasu.
He may be a bastard, an avenger, a bloodline limit genius, and an ANBU captain, he may have been a traitor and a younger brother that looked up at that man once upon a time, but there was one thing he wasn't that most mistook him to be. Neji was sure that the man named Uchiha Sasuke wasn't heartless. He knew it so much that it hurt.
To Itachi, Sasuke truly was that foolish little brother that had far too big of a heart that suited a ninja, an Uchiha. Sasuke was far too needy, far too delicate, far too trusting of that fake light. Sasuke's heart was easily wounded, stabbed. And Itachi wanted to change all of that. That was one of his intentions when he damned the people he once called his clan. Perhaps he had never called them like that, but that would only sever poor little Sasuke's bleeding heart.
Neji and Itachi both knew the latter's intentions and that he failed. Sasuke hated, Sasuke wanted revenge, Sasuke followed what Itachi told him. It had always been like that. It would always be like that. That was why Sasuke had never and would never truly hate Itachi. It was because his intentions were pure, were brotherly. The way he hatefully gazed at Itachi whenever they met, which wasn't much, was almost loving, almost caring. Itachi always never knew if he should love or loathe it. Neji was always never sure whether he was supposed to be envious or pitying.
Sasuke knew that Naruto was many things. He was a dobe once upon a time, an usuratonkachi right now, a ramen-loving freak, the jinchuuriki for Kyuubi, the Rokudaime Hokage, blond, blue-eyed, a troublemaker, a pranker, and the number one ninja at surprising people. But most of all, he loved Naruto and Naruto loved him (most of all).
Naruto makes love to him (and doesn't just fuck him), Naruto kisses him (and sees only him and nobody else, especially that man), Naruto looks lovingly at him (and only him and doesn't look spaced out nor does that gaze have any guilt in them), Naruto hugs him (the way a lover should, not like those friendly hugs between Ino and Sakura), and Naruto would do anything for him (only for him).
Naruto really would do anything for Sasuke. Anything. Because Naruto sees that man in Sasuke. Because Naruto is a fool. Because Naruto feels guilty that he almost let Kyuubi take over completely and would've killed (or raped) Sasuke. Because Naruto loves Sasuke, even if it isn't the way Sasuke wants him to love him.
Sasuke knows Naruto better than anyone, perhaps even Naruto himself. He is also probably the best manipulator in the Fire Country, even better at mind-fucking than Itachi and his legendary Tsukiyomi because Sasuke doesn't have that Sharingan and never would because he loves Naruto so much that it hurts to see when Naruto's eyes glaze whenever anyone mentions that man's name. He needs to have some sort of compensation for not having that Sharingan.
Sasuke wants to cry so much, but he doesn't because that would make Naruto know that he knew everything. Then Naruto would become guilty and everything would be beyond awkward with the two of them afterwards. Sasuke was already fine with whatever he imagines.
Neji and Itachi both decide that Sasuke's heart is far too big in a way that people would think that it's actually small. They just wished that he would get out of his Naruto-daze and come look at the rest of the world, at the rest of the people. At them.
Neji wishes that he should've taken the opportunity when Sasuke and Naruto still hadn't been together. He wishes that he just accepted his feelings and did something about them. At least Sasuke would be truly loved. It wouldn't be fake. It wouldn't be complicated. It wouldn't be like those two's present relationship. And Sasuke would come to love him eventually. It would be something like a happy ending.
Itachi wishes that he should've listened to Kisame and Deidara and Tobi. He really had been sending mixed signals to Naruto. Hate or love. He was an even bigger fool than his brother.
They both wished that they could've done something about everything that was happening right now. Now, they were just far too late.
Neji could only look from afar, perhaps even near if they were in missions or if they managed to meet in an onsen. Itachi could only look from the boundaries of Konoha or the Fire Country itself, or from a distance that Sasuke wouldn't be able to pick up his chakra.
I know that this isn't much and that it seems rather... odd. Do forgive! Please comment and point out any mistakes. Any at all. From punctuation to spelling to grammar. I would be really, really grateful if you pointed out the mistakes or some things that need revisions. Thank you for taking the time to read this!