I meant to have this out by Itachi's birthday – whoops! Well, this is probably the most depressing thing that I have ever written in my life. Itachi is by far my favorite character and let me say that when he died I was not a happy panda. Sort of a tribute to him.

I clutch onto the letter that I received not ten minutes ago, my heart races as I sprint through the forest maybe – just maybe, if I get there in time I can stop the destruction of so many innocent lives. Pushing chakra through my feet I continue on; tears now fogging my vision as I search for the building that I had only visited as a child. Thunder crashes through the stillness of the forest and lightning flashes through the darkened sky; I just have to make it in time. I cannot say goodbye to him again.

As I wave to my summer caretaker and smile, my twelve year old form excited to come back to the village; to see my mother and my best friend. Walking through the front gates of Konoha I am greeted my two chuunin, flashing my headband and my shinobi papers I am allowed through, looking up I realize how late I am coming home this time. Sasuke would be getting out of school by now; I decide I would catch up with him at his house and hurry back to the compound, wanting to see Itachi again. Walking into my home I smell the metallic tinge of blood and begin to hurry, I have to find Itachi; I need to see if he's alright. Searching through the compound I see dead bodies littered throughout the streets, pushing back tears I continue my search; arriving at his house I am greeted by the same smell. I run in, kicking of my zori I search the house for my best friend; my love. I yell his name, and yet receive no answer, looking to the ground of the tea room I see Sasuke unconscious; his parents both dead. Shaking Sasuke awake, I see a look of terror in his eyes, "Nii-chan," he whispers to me, "nii-chan did it." Petting Sasuke's head I help him up and tell him to follow me, slipping my shoes back on I pull a kunai out of my ninja pouch.

Without a word Sasuke disappears and terror runs through my veins, pressing the seal on my wrist, I calm my blood pressure and release my emotions. I hear a scream resonate throughout the compound and rush towards the voice that I'm sure was Sasuke's. Coming to the street, I find Sasuke sprawled out against the floor once more, but Itachi is looking over him; pain hidden – but evident to my keen eyes. "Ah, Allira-chan" he says, his voice pained at the task he just completed, "your father had a final message for you – he said that you would never amount to the man he wanted you to be." I was frozen, of course my father could never be proud of me, I was a girl – the very opposite of the thing he wanted. His look sharpened, "Are you going to try to stop me Allie?"

I couldn't speak, stop him? I don't understand what he's doing, "W-where are you going?" My voice broken and scared, I didn't want to be alone again.

"Can't you see what I've done Allira?" he snaps, "I tested my power against this weak clan, and they were defeated, I have to leave – I'm now and enemy of this village."

"N-no!" I cry, "You can't leave me! Please don't leave me," I run up to the boy that I've loved since I was five; the one who saved my life, my arms wrapped around him before I could stop them. Surprisingly he embraced me back; I look up into the coal eyes that I've grown to love. "Itachi, please take me with you, I'll die without you." Without thinking I place my lips on his, even at twelve and thirteen years old the two of us know the weight of this tiny gesture.

Pulling back, I see a look of pure regret and self-loathing. "I'm sorry Allie," although his mouth doesn't move I can hear him, and before I can respond my world goes black.

That cannot happen again, I can't lose him, not even to his brother. Pathetic I know, the ANBU captain of Konoha brought to her knees by someone she hasn't seen in eight years. The rain begins to pick up; I'm moving at such a speed that I can feel my feet constantly slipping against the ever moistening grass beneath my feet. I shove up the mask that has covered the wine colored eyes now brimming with tears. He saved me once, it's my turn to now save him, and I tuck the letter into my uniform and continue on, only hoping to make it in time.

Feeling another slap to my face I flinch, "Get out!" my father roars. I've learned to escape before he gets even angrier. Going to my usual hiding place I lay on the dock, looking down at the water I see a vibrant flash of red and orange. Looking up I see a boy my age with what looks to be his father. I intently watch the boy's hands, memorizing the way his hands move I feel the change in energy in his body. Not understanding why, I copy his movements and energy control and complete the same technique, reaching my hand out I touch it, hissing in pain I pull my scorched hand back from the now dissipating fireball. I hear the two coming this way and attempt to hide, but before I can the older figure approached me and asked my name, responding with my name the interrogation continues with my family and why I was out here, I glare down at my hand, still throbbing in pain. The older man notices and grabs my wrist right above the burns. Telling his son to lead me back to the house, he heads to my house. I cry out to the man, begging him not to go. Father will try to kill him, and then hurt me.

The young boy gently grabs my hand, pulling me close he hugs me. I try to pull away unfamiliar with the close contact, but his grip doesn't let up. "It will be alright, my name is Itachi and my father is the head of the Konoha Police Force and he's going to have you live with us." I look at the boy strangely, unsure of what to make of his statement. Gently grabbing the hand that I didn't put into the flame he leads me back to his house, after his mother bandaged my wounds, Itachi leads me to a spare bedroom. As I lay down to sleep I realize that I am plagued by thoughts of my father – beginning to cry I head to where I heard the older boys footsteps going. Lightly rapping on the rice-paper door, I see the coal eyed boy open the door, eyes groggy he sees me and looks confused. "Allira-chan, what's wrong."

With tears still in my eyes I wrap my arms around him in the same way he did to me earlier, I can't sleep, all I can see is father's face. Gently picking me up he lays me on the bed, a squeak emits from my lips as I am lightly dropped onto the bed. Slinking to the other side of the bed, he gently wraps his arms around me pulling me closer to him. As my eyes droop, I fall into the first dreamless sleep I've had in a long time.

Seeing the abandoned Uchiha building ahead of me, I quicken my pace once more, only to fall against the unforgiving ground crying out in pain I attempt to get up, shakily standing I wipe more tears from my eyes, lightning dashes across the sky. Realizing that I have to hurry, I break into a dead sprint. Realizing that I have less than 200 meters to run, I push more chakra into my feet rushing my body even more, reaching the bottom floor of the building I am met by Kisame Hoshigaki. Looking at the blue-skinned man I say, "You're going to let me through."

My voice though stronger than I expected, though it was still weak and this member of the Akatsuki knew it, "I'm sorry little girl," he began, "I'm under strict instructions to let no one enter the building."

Before I knew what I was doing my eyes flashed red, "You will let me through. I need to see him, I have to stop Sasuke." My voice was shaking again, "I can't lose him – he's all I have left. Please Hoshigaki-san, don't see me as a shinobi of Konoha but as a friend of Itachi. I have to tell him-" Before I can finish my statement, an explosion rang out through the valley. I feel more tears run down my face, "PLEASE, just let me through. I can stop him from dying – I'm the only one who can, I can't lose him again."

The man looks at me sympathetically, "Fine, Uchiha-san. If Itachi asks though you put me in a genjustu." Giving him a look of gratitude I make my way to the top of the endlessly tall building.

Finally reaching the top of the building I realize that I'm too late – I see Itachi stumbling towards Sasuke whispering something in his ear he presses his blood covered fingers to his younger brother's forehead, watching them slip down Sasuke's face I gasp. Running towards the two siblings hear Itachi's head smack the large concrete pillar. Falling to the ground he remains unmoving, a look of shock on Sasuke's face. Looking up he sees me, tears now brimming from my red eyes. "Allira-chan?" His voice weak, exhausted from the battle that just took place. I rush forward, embracing the younger boy, "Ally I did it, I killed him." I begin to cry letting him go, falling to my knees I look at the man who saved my life, the one who I still loved, even today. Rain continued to fall, my sobs shaking my body. As I look at him, I can't help but brush away the blood that now covered his face.

"Sasuke," I begin, still crying, "H-he didn't do it because he wanted to, he did it because he had to. Your brother was a good man, protecting you from the cruelty of the village by bringing all of the wrath on himself." He slips down the pillar, my eyes still looking over Itachi's body I continue, "Our clan was planning on rebelling against the village, the elders believed that no amount of reconciliation could change the fact that they were willing to destroy everything so they decided to have them killed. Your father was the mastermind behind the whole ordeal and under his orders the two of us entered as spies for the clan, although unbeknownst to him we were actually double agents for the village. Although I was unaware of both sides because of my summer studies elsewhere, Itachi carried out the duties of the ANBU captain with dignity. His only request of the village leaders was for our safety. He lied to us to keep us safe Sasuke, to keep us from being outcasts of the village." More tears filled my eyes as I laughed bitterly, "A true pacifist. The village leaders used this against him. It truly destroyed him to do it, Sasuke; not only to kill our family but to make you hate him. He wanted redemption yes, but for you to loathe him; the person who meant the most to him in this world was almost unbearable."

Sasuke looked up, hoping to hide the tears now covering his face with the rain that continued to fall. Looking at Itachi once more, I realize that for the first time I saw his face free of cares - a smile even evident on his face. Reaching into my pocket where I hid the letter that I received earlier, I pull it out once more, hunching over it; hiding it from the rain that would surely destroy it.

My Dearest Allira,

If you're reading this then it's too late for you to save me. I want you to know that I've never stopped loving you since I left the village. I know that this will be difficult for you to accept but I find that this is what I must do to repent for my sins. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for the two of you; to live without any sort of guidance from an elder and I'm so sorry that you two have to suffer because of our families mistakes. I truly hope that you can forgive me for what I've done, I know that Sasuke will be devastated when either you or Madara tell him the truth but promise me something Allira, please make him return to Konoha with you, this hatred that I have to live with this feeling of utter loneliness is not something that I want him to have to live with for the rest of his life.

As for you, I want you to love someone else Allie. I know that you are as stubborn and bull headed as they come but I want you to go and find some man in Konoha; the man that I could never be I want you to marry him love him with your whole heart because waiting for me will be a stupid whim and you deserve to have someone who will take care of you instead of always being the one taking care of people. I promise you this though, I will be with you always Allie. To protect you and keep you safe from the harms of this world; I will keep my promise to you we made when we were foolish little children too, I will love you, my Allira, forever and always – no matter what. I don't care how long it takes you to meet me wherever we're going in the next life, we do have eternity and I'll gladly share with whoever cares for you in this life.

Kimi o ai shiteru*,

Itachi Uchiha

I look up once more, tears now staining the white parchment, "I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!"*

*Kimi o ai shiteru – I love you

* This is a quote from Wuthering Heights, probably one of my favorite books of all time. Heathcliff says it after Cathy's death.

So yeah, just so everyone is aware I cried while writing this. So, not sure if I want to continue this as a reflection of her past and her attempt to move on or just leave it as this. So, let me know what you guys think. Just so that everyone is aware, reviews are like the bane of my writing existence so positive commentary or constructive criticism, I appreciate them all.

So... Review and I'll love you forever!