Back...
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Thanks for playing, though.
It was done. Sasuke stared down at the body at his feet, gazing at the face of the corpse. It was now gentle, peaceful, like the cadaver's soul had finally found peace. He blinked as the thought passed over his brain.
Had he found peace in the after life? He certainly hadn't in the present world…
He remembered him smiling, once, long ago. He had been sitting in the backyard with him, and they were talking. He sank to his knees, allowing the memory to engulf him…
Memory…
"Hello Sasuke. May I join you?" A figure asked, and Sasuke barely looked up as he nodded. The figure sat, but Sasuke's burning eyes didn't leave the ground.
It had been report card day; but his 'B's and 'C's weren't enough, it seemed.
"Father knows you try your hardest." The figure said, and suddenly Sasuke's mind was soaked with a single emotion: anger.
"How would you know? You're all you ever talks about! Perfect marks, Perfect missions, Perfect heir, Perfect You!" He spat, glaring heavily at the person, who blinked for a moment, stunned.
"Sasuke…I did not plan for my life to be the way it is. But those 'perfect' missions can be hard, those 'perfect' marks had to be achieved, you know. I'm not a 'perfect' heir; I don't want to take this clan over. I'm sorry I cause this much pain for you. I'm…pressured…sometimes, to do everything to the breaking point of my ability. Forgive me for causing you sadness?" He said, and a small smile appeared on his face, an attempt to make Sasuke smile as well. Sasuke caved, and the small smile was returned.
"Hai. I forgive you. Love you."
"Love you too, Sasuke."
End…
The present-day Sasuke blinked, an unfamiliar feeling drowning his senses as the epiphany ended. Then, he did something that hadn't happened for near years. Tears slid down his face and washed the blood off the corpse's face in a small stream.
He leaned over and hugged the deceased figure in a whim, a sudden need to hold it close, like his childhood.
A sudden desire overtook him, one very much like the night decades ago…
He wanted it to smile at him again, a true smile, not a sadistic one.
He wanted his Nii-san back with him again.
A/N: I wrote this on a whim, because it was the tenth of a million chance that Sasuke might just have an epiphany and realize just why Itachi did what he did, and an even tinier chance that he felt bad for what he did and an almost-not-there chance that he might miss him. Please leave a comment; they make me very happy!