Author's Note: I had previously written a one chapter fanfic about Itachi and Sasuke after the big battle called Ototo Aniki Are You Mad? Well, I decided to make an entire chapter fic out of it starting from the 'beginning' or as far back as I'm willing to take it.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto

"…All for the sake of his beloved little brother."

It was there, the truth plain to see. He would have to swallow this sooner or later, the fact that his brother, Itachi, the man who he grew to despise and hate … was not who he pretended to be.

Sasuke hung his head, walking towards the grounds where he and Itachi had previously battled. Madara had laid it out on the table and it was causing the gears in his brain to turn against each other, a continuous, agonizing grind. The more he tried to sort out Itachi and Madara's lies from the truth the more confused he became and everything seemed to make even less sense than the shit originally had.

Sasuke's hands were shaky, palms sweaty. A large part of him wanted to leave Itachi in the dirt but an even larger part of him wanted to go and save his sorry ass. So much had happened during the last eighteen hours that it came to be too much to take in at one time. He needed more than a few hours but Itachi didn't have that much longer.

Slowly, as he broke out into a jog his thoughts began to wander off to his last conversation with the man he could now place a face to, Madara.

"Eaten up by disease and feeling his own death approaching; he used medicine to prolong his life …" … "To make sure he would be able to give you a new power and that is the true life Itachi lived."

It sounded real enough to believe but that's what a good lie usually is.

Sasuke continued in a steady walk as he climbed the ruined stairs where he and Itachi had battled it out against each other. He was doing the last thing on Earth he ever thought he would do. Sasuke rubbed his eyes and coughed a few times as ash and debris partially clouded his eyesight and lungs. The residue they had created from the old building was thick but luckily clear enough to where he was just able to make out the familiar silhouette of his brother lying in the same spot where they had both fallen. For some reason, a wave of relief washed over him seeing as Zetsu didn't eat the ex-ninja's body after all. Thinking that Madara must have changed his mind about disposing the beaten body, Sasuke walked over in that collected, cool manner as he always does, kneeled beside the older male and quickly yet vigilantly accessed the damage. "Internal bleeding, bruising, damage to the eyes, excessive fatigue." Sasuke furrowed his brows in thought and frustration. The raven had already assumed it would be too dangerous to move him with untreated injuries of that level but had forgotten to plan anything out as far as moving Itachi was concerned.

Checking Itachi's pulse he stood up and scanned the abandoned area looking for anything he could use to aid him in stabilizing the older Uchiha but knew it was unlikely since most of everything was made out of stone. Sasuke wasn't the type to quit though; he had a tendency to be more persistent than anything which is what got him into the whole avenger mess in the first place. Just as he was about to leave outside to continue his search he halted and drew out a kunai, standing his ground near Itachi where the strange noise was coming from. A few seconds passed and he could feel himself visibly relaxing after recognizing the inimitable chakra. It was Zetsu. Sasuke said nothing however looked on as the Venus flytrap emerged halfway from the gravel. A bird flapped its wings from the open roof and landed between the two nin.

"You came for Madara." Sasuke deadpanned.

Zetsu's expression remained stoic. "When you live your life in assumptions …" "… You are arrogant." "You aren't under any obligation to take it."

Sasuke grunted and extended his arm for the messenger bird to perch. "If Madara didn't send you then why are you helping?" Zetsu wasn't the type to just go against Madara or Pein because it was the right thing to do.

Ever

He knew that much from the little time he had spent with him.

"I respect Itachi." "Madara's letting you run off with him so I'm giving this bird as an aid. If it went against Madara I wouldn't do it." With that being said Zetsu sunk beneath the ground again and Sasuke waited until he could no longer detect his chakra to write out his message. He was taking a risk by informing Konoha of his location but it was something he had to chance for now. Konoha was their only option. Itachi needed medical attention which was something he didn't specialize in. Sasuke had split up with Hebi after leaving to get his brother so Karin couldn't help. Being a ninja at times involved taking risks. However, he was not planning on going to prison or be executed. That he was damn sure of.

Quickly, Sasuke jotted down a message on the piece of notepaper:

Tsunade-sama,

I need a medic squad and black ops because I'm returning w. Uchiha Itachi.

I'm located in my clan's hideout.

I've gathered information from a source which explains my brother's actions.

If this information is true then it should be written in a scroll.

He needs critical attention.

I don't want anyone knowing of our return until I give the word.

Sasuke rolled the sheet of paper up, fitted it securely to the bird's ankle and sent it flying to Konoha. Wearily, he sat down on the ground's cold surface. It would be a while before anybody made it to them. Sasuke leaned over and checked his brother's pulse one more time. It was weak but steady, unnervingly calming even. He laid on his back after feeling confident enough that Itachi wouldn't die in his unconsciousness; wincing as pain shot up his fractured and bruised left shoulder. Evidently, Sasuke was more tired than he had realized because before long his eyelids began to droop as he lay beside his older brother who was scarcely breathing.

The only thing Sasuke could think of was Itachi when he fell dead to the world. He knew that if the two of them lived in Konoha again then they would have to get along or at least pretend to. But forgiveness was the last thing on his mind.

TBC

A/N: Yay, first chapter is done. I tried to keep Zetsu and Sasuke in character as much as possible.