Faded Memories

Prologue

No. I will not…no…I cannot die here! Not here! Itachi! I promised I would come back to you! And I will keep that promise! Wait for me, Itachi! A girl with light brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail thought furiously. She was bleeding from multiple wounds and it was all she could do to keep from falling over in exhaustion. This battle had been lasting almost a whole day. Her whole team was…gone…lost to her into a world that she was sure to be following to soon enough. Only one ninja from the enemy team survived as well. And she wasn't going to be the one to fall over in a pool of their own blood.

"Well? Are we going to get this over with or not, kunoichi?" He spat out the title. Her eyebrows raised and she pulled out six kunai in a blur and threw them all at once. The ninja, not expecting such a quick attack, was hit by two of them. One hit him in the shoulder, the other in the leg. He winced, pool spilling out around him. The girl glared fiercely, but it was a shame that he couldn't see it. He was too busy trying to pull her kunai out of his leg and shoulder.

"Well?" She said in a mocking tone. "Are we going to finish this?" She asked. He snapped his head up and glared at her and they automatically engaged in mid-air combat. This went on for nearly another hour. Both ninja had gathered serious wounds and finally, they both pulled kunai and stabbed each other in the chest, where each other's heart should be. The girl's went in more expertly and killed the shinobi on contact, but the girl had more time. She was running out of life force and she could feel it. She collapsed to the ground by one of her fallen companions, staring up at the moon.

Itachi…can you see the same moon as me? Even as I lay here dying are our thoughts intertwined? Itachi…never forget me…I love you with all my heart…Even if we are too young as people say…they don't know what true love is…Itachi…I will come back to you…someday…Her final thought reached out to him and her eyes gently closed. But unbeknownst to her, a kind soul had stumbled across the bloody battlefield and found her to be alive, but barely. He rushed her to a medic-nin and was told she could be saved. The man promised to take care of the unknown kunoichi, but didn't realize that she would be sorely missed in her own village.

Scenechange.IhopeyouareenjoyingtheprolougeofFadedMemories.I'mquiteproudofit.

"What?" An older man with frown-lines etched into his face demanded of the messenger Nin as he told the man of the news.

"It is exactly as I told you Fugaku-sama. The team that was sent to assassinate a team of highly skilled sound ninja was all found dead and one missing and presumed dead. We thought you might want to know, considering you always do." The Nin told the Uchiha head with sarcasm dripping from his young voice.

"You are dismissed. Leave, now." Fugaku snarled at the Nin. The Nin disappeared in a plume of smoke, fearing the wrath of Fugaku Uchiha. "This…will not be a pleasant meal…poor Itachi…" Fugaku sighed before going back into the house where his wife, Akari, was preparing dinner.

"Who was at the door, dear?" She asked him in her gentle, loving way. Fugaku sighed, which made her turn around. "Careful, dear. That's how those frown lines stayed in the first place. Now, who was at the door?"

"A messenger. Apparently, the team that was sent to assassinate a group of sound ninja was all found dead. One missing. They can't tell whom yet because some of their faces are beyond recognition. But that means…" He trailed off, not liking the answer. Akari thought it over and gasped.

"No…not Eneko! She wasn't a part of that team was she? Oh, Fugaku, Itachi is going to be distraught!" Akari cried sadly. Fugaku nodded and sighed again.

"That's what I'm afraid of…it's a good thing Sasuke's staying out training tonight…I hope he's late…I don't want him to hear his brother's cries." Fugaku said forlornly. Akari nodded slightly and continued cooking dinner. Soon, they heard the door open and both of them stiffened. Itachi came in, looking annoyed, in his ANBU outfit.

"Have a good day, honey?" Akari asked him, putting dinner on the table. Itachi shook his head as if something was bothering him.

"A lot of people were looking at me weird today. As if they were sad about something. Something concerning me. It annoys me. So, any news, father?" He asked, shrugging a foreboding feeling away.

"There is some bad news son…Eneko's team hit a disaster. They were all slaughtered but it seems one is missing, possibly alive but presumed dead. They can't tell who it is because some of the female's faces have been cut up. I'm so sorry, son…" Fugaku told Itachi gently. Itachi's whole demeanor stiffened and his eyes were shadowed. A dangerous aura was rising around him before everything in his mind went pitch black.

Timeskip.sorrythisprologueissolong!There'salotofbackgroundinfoyoumustknow!

"So late!" Sasuke muttered to himself as he ran down alleyway after alleyway, using a back route to get to his house. When he got there he stopped in terror, seeing his whole family and then some slaughtered in the streets. He ran to his own house and looked around quickly for his parents. He saw food on the table…food that was never eaten! And then he saw them. His parents…slaughtered like animals and their bodies were being stood over by…no…it couldn't be…ITACHI.

"Sasuke…" He heard him rasp. His eyes were pained and he looked torn up from the inside. "Eneko's dead…she's dead…I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to do any of this!" He cried, falling to his knees by his dead parents. Sasuke was in too much shock to register any of this and he charged blindly at his brother who let him pummel him with punches over and over again.

"Why aniki!?" Sasuke screamed in agony, hitting his brother over and over again. Itachi had tears in his own eyes and hugged Sasuke.

"I'm sorry…I was upset…and then everything went dark…and I woke up to find mother and father…dead at my hands…. I'm so, so sorry, Sasuke-kun…" He cried softly. "Eneko is dead…I can't handle that…" Sasuke, tears streaming down his face, looked up at his distraught brother.

"You have to leave, aniki. I'll cover for you. You have to leave! They can't find you here and find out you killed everyone! Please, aniki?" he begged. He didn't want his older brother to get into trouble. Itachi sighed and nodded slightly.

"Never forget that I love you, little brother. And I'm sorry…if I'm leaving you to suffer. Please…put flowers on Ene-chan's grave for me…white tiger lilies…they were her favorite…" Itachi murmured in his brother's ear, hugging him tightly for the last time.

"I love you too, aniki. And I'll make sure and tell Eneko that you loved her." Sasuke promised. Itachi smiled sadly and hugged him again.

"Do me a favor, Sasuke. Find someone that you love as much as I did Ene-chan. And protect her with your life…never give up…never. I'll be back one day…" And with that, he disappeared. Sasuke sat with his parents' bodies, waiting to be found. Waiting to prove to his brother that he could love.

FinalscenechangeIPROMISE!

"I'm coming, even if it kills me…" Eneko spat out, mad at herself that she could be so weak at a time like this. She went in her secret entrance to Konoha and went straight to the Uchiha compound. She stopped when she got there and stifled a cry. Blood…bloodstains everywhere. She nearly fainted when she heard a voice behind her.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" A young voice asked behind her. She probably wasn't recognized considering her armband was stained with blood and there were bandages around her head. She turned around to see Sasuke and nearly broke down with relief.

"Sasuke-kun! It's you! Where's Itachi? What happened here?" She asked quickly. Sasuke's eyes were as wide as saucers when he looked at her.

"Eneko-chan!" He cried and tackle-hugged her middle, causing her to back painfully up against a wall.

"Sasuke-kun! Please, where's Itachi? Can't you tell me what happened?" She asked. Sasuke looked away. Eneko's soft emerald eyes were too pleading.

"Itachi…he heard that you were dead and went into a rage…he killed everyone. Including our parents. Itachi and I are the only Uchihas left." Sasuke told her sadly. Eneko's eyes started welling up with tears.

"No…so that means…he's not here is he? He ran, didn't he? Itachi!" She cried softly. "I promised I would come back…didn't you believe me…I'm sorry, Sasuke…I didn't get here in enough time…I had slight memory loss and I couldn't think of anything but his outline and it took me forever to remember where I lived." She hugged Sasuke tightly.

"It's okay, Eneko-chan. Itachi's alive and he's okay. I told him to go. He said he was sorry. I promised him something, and you know what? When I pass my genin test, we'll go and look for him together, okay, Eneko-chan?" Sasuke asked. Eneko nodded and tears fell down her cheeks.

"In the mean time, Sasuke…do you want to live with me until this all dies down?" Sasuke smiled and nodded.

"That would be nice, Eneko-chan." She nodded and smiled. They would find Itachi and bring him home…someday.