Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Naruto.
Another short angsty drabble.
Everything is still except for the gentle autumn breeze that carries the scent of the rain-soaked leaves beneath his feet, lifting the hair from his face and revealing dark eyes shadowed by grief. A lone tombstone stands in front of him; grey, weathered and surrounded by overgrown grass. The letters engraved into the stones surface pierce his heart. They were so formal and impossible to change - just like the memories fresh in his mind.
The haunting image of his brothers sallow features as he clung onto the last strings of life, etched into his memory for eternity, waking him up in the early hours - the images are still as raw as the day it happened. The sadness has yet to leave the depths of his eyes, the pain still fresh and unhealing. It's not like he hadn't tried to move on. He just couldn't. Not with with the guilt that gnawed away at him from the inside.
If only I had known…
He sinks to his knees, allowing some of his grief to spill from the corners of his his eyes. The lump in his throat makes it almost impossible to breathe. He looks up through the veil of his hair, at the simple lettering that revealed nothing about the man Sasuke knew and loved.
Uchiha Itachi
That was it. Just a name. Nothing else. In years to come, people may pass by this grave and never know the story of one mans noble act to protect the village they live in now, to prevent a war that would have devasted nations. They would wonder by blissfully ignorant. That fact tore at his heart more than anything.
"Life isn't fair Nii-san." He whispers into the air. "People don't know anything." He pauses to swallow thickly at the the lump still wedged in his throat. "I miss you. I miss you so much and.. I just.. I'm struggling Nii-san. I'm struggling to live like I promised. It's just too hard." He feels ashamed to admit such things aloud but it is a truth he cannot escape from, no matter how much he tries to deny otherwise. "I don't want to forget you but at the same time, you're all I see. Everywhere I look. It's driving me crazy and I don't know what to do!"
Voice cracking under the weight of his anguish, he weeps openly, hands lifting to cover his face as his shoulders heave. What good is a life when he feels dead inside? He can only imagine the disappointment his brother would feel if he could see him now. All he sacrificed to give Sasuke a life and it's being wasting wallowing in guilt.
A sudden gust of wind stirs the leaves on the ground, shifting his clothes. His reaction nothing more than a shiver - he could care less about the weather right now. Bending forward, he presses his forehead against the cool surface of the headstone, a hand splaying across it as if trying to reach his brother. "Nii-san…"
"I'm sorry Otouto.."
The ethereal voice is carried on the wind, kissing his ears with such clarity that his body tenses, his flesh prickling with anticipation. Heart thundering against his ribcage, he turns slowly. Itachi…His breath hitches in his throat and the world stills completely, everything else fading away leaving only the two brothers.
"Is it really you?" The younger of the two asks in a small voice. His brother is there in front of him, just as he remembers him- at least before his illness took over.
"It is really me Otouto. I had to visit you one last time. I need to tell you to stop blaming yourself. There is nothing you could have done, nothing that would of changed the course of my actions. I just want you to be happy, that had been my dream all along."
His brothers words brought little comfort. "I can't help how I feel. I've been trying to live but I can't."
"You can." Itachi speaks with certainty. "If I had any shadow of doubt I wouldn't of left you in this world alone. The only thing stopping you is yourself and this ridiculous guilt you carry. Sasuke please. I would never take back what I did and if given the chance to go back I would do it all over again. You need to keep trying and try harder. For three years I have watched you hurt yourself and it pains me terribly. You have your whole life ahead of you and you have people who care about you. Open your eyes. Open your heart. Live."
The dam breaks. Tears unstoppable as Sasuke throws himself at his brother, arms looping around his neck. For a moment he enveloped in warmth and a feeling of weightlessness. He speaks between broken sobs and hiccups. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll try. I promise. I'm sorry." He remains that way for what feels like hours and we he pulls back the image of his brother is already fading.
"Wait! No! Don't go, not yet!" He croaks, hands reaching out but only grasping onto air. "Niisan, just a few more minutes please!"
Now only the image of his brothers smiling face is visible but a ghostly arm appears, reaching out to press a finger to Sasuke's forehead.
Maybe next time Sasuke…