Yuruse

Chapter One-Last Words

A/N: Well, this is just something I wanted to write. I'm not sure whether I'll continue or leave it as a oneshot.

It depends on the response I get.

Anyway, this is just after 'Madara' has given Sasuke the big news. It's written in Sasuke's POV.

I suggest you listen to 'Leave Out All The Rest' by Linkin Park while reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. They are owned by Kishimoto (who better come up with a good excuse for Itachi's treatment in the latest chapter…)

My mind was reeling, trying to fully grasp the implications of what Madara just told me.

Everything Itachi had done until now-everything that made me hate him with a burning passion-was done on orders? At first, I simply didn't want to believe it. I wanted to plug my ears and chant one of those stupid poems they make you memorize in the Academy, at the top of my voice.

I know it was immature, but it seemed to be the only plausible solution to my traumatized mind. It would have been so much simpler if Itachi was an evil bastard. I'd have killed him, collected the bounties on his and Orochimaru's heads, and gone back to Konoha. There was no way they wouldn't accept me, especially since I didn't cause any international trouble, and that I killed two of the strongest missing-nin Konoha had ever produced.

Then, after a few years, I'd be able to live the life I always wanted-I'd sign up to become a Jounin instructor, take up my own Genin team, and in time, I'd probably meet a nice girl, fall in love, get married and settle down. The Uchiha Clan would be revived.

The life I always wanted… the life Itachi always wanted.

It was funny, really. One would expect that I'd vividly remember the details of my life when everything was normal and happy, and that I'd forget the times that brought me pain. On the contrary, the events of that night were extremely clear, and the memories before that were blurred. Now, probably because I fulfilled my "goal", they started returning.

I remembered the conversation I had with Itachi shortly after he'd been inducted into ANBU, and I'd started going to the Academy.

It was dusk, and I was sitting on the verandah, reading one of my books. I felt a presence to my right and turned, only to find Itachi smiling at me. He was still in ANBU uniform, having just returned from a mission.

"If you don't get changed, Okaa-san will get angry," I teased in a singsong.

"Duties can wait-meeting my baby brother is the priority now," he replied gently, and ruffled my hair. That's the way he was-gentle, soft, kind-and if one didn't know any better, one would even call Itachi timid.

"I'm not a baby!" I pouted halfheartedly. In truth, I was ecstatic. As a child, Itachi was my hero, my role model.

"Ofcourse not. So tell me, big guy, how's the Academy?"

"It's alright. Classes are a bit boring, since you and Otou-san have already taught me most of the curriculum. The other students are quite a handful. There's Naruto, the class idiot; Shikamaru is pretty clever, but lazy as heck; there's this fat boy-I don't remember his name-but he seems pretty nice… that's all the guys I remember."

"And the girls?" Itachi teased.

"Don't get me started," I sighed. "This blond girl, Ino, is such a pain. She just doesn't leave me alone. She's so damn pushy and loud, and goes on about how cool and strong I am. And Sakura! Oh God! She's got freaking PINK hair! Pink for God's sake! Who has pink hair? Like the others, she's all over me. Why don't they understand that I want to be left alone?"

I realized that I was ranting now, and wondered if Itachi was still paying attention. I looked towards him, only to find him staring intently at me, probably wondering why I stopped.

I nearly blushed, and covered up. "Don't get me wrong-it's a little flattering-but their words don't matter to me." 'Yours do,' I added mentally.

"You'll get used to them," Itachi chuckled.

"And what about you… I mean… I know you can't talk about missions, but it must be really exciting in ANBU."

"Yes, you could probably say that. However, I don't think it's for me. I might quit after a year or two."

"Wha-. Itachi, why? I mean you're so good at what you do… Why quit?"

"It's stressful, Sasuke. Also, though this might sound weird, I dislike fighting. It's not something I would ever do, unless I was ordered on missions."

"What will you do then? You don't want to join the Police Force, and you're dropping out of ANBU. I know that we have a lot of money, but you can't be unemployed."

Itachi smiled at me-one of those mysterious smiles that always seemed to have a hidden meaning-before speaking.

"I'll take the Jounin exams, and sign up for the teaching programme. I feel that the best thing I can do with my skills, that doesn't involve conflict, is to pass them on to other young shinobi… You never know-I may even end up teaching you."

I beamed at this, and Itachi continued absentmindedly.

"After a few years, I'll get married and settle down. It'll just be me, my wife and children, my students, and…"

"And who?" I asked, almost mesmerized by the picture Itachi was painting.

"And you-the most important person in my life."

This time I did blush, but I didn't care. Those words meant more to me that anything.

'Did he know?' I pondered. 'When he spoke to me, did he know that in a matter of weeks, he would be forced to kill the Clan?'

And then I realized just how much pain Itachi went through. All this while, I had been a bit selfish, contemplating the effects of the things Madara told me on my plans.

My heart clenched.

'Itachi…'

I needed to get out of there… I needed some fresh air.

"I'm taking a walk," I said to the now silent figure.

"I shall round up your lackeys and find you… Sasuke… you may want this… as a… souvenir."

He tossed a piece of metal at me, which I subconsciously caught. It was Itachi's necklace-something he had on since childhood. I felt my eyes water up.

Generally, when I wept for Itachi, it was weeping for my loving Aniki, who died on the day of the massacre… killed by the same monster who haunted me. Of the entire Clan, his loss was the one I mourned the most.

Now, I didn't know who was who. The two Itachis-my loving brother and the mass murderer-were trying to merge in my mind, after around eight years.

I exited the cavern, and began walking absentmindedly.

Itachi… it meant that the Itachi I thought I knew was the real one after all. He loved me-enough to put my life above that village he loved so much-and spare me.

My first thought was that he tormented me without cause… at best, for his own selfish reasons of repentance.

Then I remembered… he was dying.

And just like that, I began replaying all the events leading up to and including that night.

Itachi talking to me on the verandah, saying that he'd always be there for me.

Itachi starting to distance himself from the family.

Itachi slaughtering the entire Clan… and making me watch in his illusion.

Itachi taunting me, so that I'd become strong enough to defend myself from predators like Orochimaru and Danzo.

Itachi returning to Konoha five years later, playing the part of a member of a vast criminal organization.

Itachi refusing to fight me.

Itachi putting me under a Tsukuyomi after I insisted on fighting.

I thought of them, from his point of view. I put myself in his position, and instantly knew one thing.

Everything Itachi did for the past eight years was probably tearing him apart.

He knew… he knew that his life would be completely ruined the second he accepted that cursed mission… yet he took it. Being the loyal man he was, he took the damn mission, all for Konoha's safety.

And finally… if Itachi loved me as much as I loved him-and I knew he did; I was one of the four people he truly loved (the other three being-our mother, Shisui-who was an older brother to Itachi- and his girlfriend, whom we only heard of); torturing me would probably have caused Itachi as much, if not more pain, that it had caused me.

I stopped walking, realizing that I had reached the edge of a cliff.

"Itachi," I whispered, "how did you go on? You had a tragic story, a life of torment and a fatal illness. How does that NOT equate to suicide or euthanasia?"

He did it for me.

I closed my eyes, and began replaying memories-five in particular. I just needed to be close to Itachi. His necklace, which contained some remnants of his chakra, began to hum and resonate with mine…

I was three.

I heard Itachi come home, and rushed downstairs excitedly.

As soon as I saw him, I hugged him. Itachi looked down at me with loving and protecting eyes.

This was the Itachi I longed for the most. No matter what Itachi said, there was no was he'd be evil and tainted at that age-of this I was sure. He was just what I wanted-a loving and protective brother, and my best friend.

After convincing mother, he took me to the training grounds to play hide-and-seek. After an arduous hour of searching, I finally caught up to him.

"I found you! I found you!" I bounced excitedly.

He smiled.

"Good job… Too bad!" Then he formed a handsign and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

I sulked and scowled for twenty minutes, until finally, he offered to carry me home. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity.

I remember bringing Itachi's use of the Bunshin no Jutsu [Clone Jutsu] during dinner. Father ignored my emphatic complains on how it was cheating in favor of praising Itachi.

"Nii-san, will you teach me the Clone Jutsu after dinner?" I asked hopefully.

"He has homework!" Okaa-san said with finality.

I was dejected-nothing serious, just the way one would be if he didn't get to spend time with his awesome and cool Aniki.

I felt Itachi's fingers poke my forehead.

"Yuruse Sasuke," he smiled, "some other time."

A few years later, he took me out to training. After watching his amazing Kunai performance, I asked him to train me.

"It's getting late, Sasuke. We have to go," he said gently.

"Aww… you promised to teach me the shuriken jutsu."

He waved me over, and despite this having happened hundreds of times, I ran forward.

When I reached him, he poked me with his index and middle fingers on my forehead.

"Yuruse Sasuke, some other time."

Looking back to that moment, I realized that that was probably the last time Itachi was happy. He entered ANBU the next day.

His last day of happiness-he probably knew it was going to be-was spent with me. He carried me around the village after I sprained my ankle, and showed me the Konoha Police Station.

"Can we do this again?" I had asked him hopefully.

"Sure, but you must keep in mind that we may not have a lot of time on our hands. You're starting at the Academy tomorrow, and I begin at ANBU."

"It's okay, as long as we hang out from time to time…"

I felt my eyes moisten. I sensed the presence of my teammates approach, but I didn't care. I needed this moment.

It was dusk, on the day everything started to go downhill-the day Itachi was accused of Shisui's murder. I briefly wondered if he had killed Shisui on Konoha's orders, but then realized that it didn't really matter.

"We are special brothers, you and I. We share bonds that are more profound than anything you'll encounter. Sasuke, you must remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you."

'How Itachi? How could you remain so calm while saying that, when you were probably crying on the inside?'

I remembered the morning of that day…

"Itachi, will you help me with me shuriken jutsu today?"

He was packing his ANBU gear.

"I can't-I'm busy today. Why don't you ask father?"

"You're better at the jutsu than he is… even I know that. Itachi, why do you always treat me like some kind of pest?"

He beckoned me to come closer, and I obliged.

He poked my forehead with his fingers.

"Yuruse Sasuke, some other time."

I sulked, but was happy inside. This was the first time he'd jabbed me in the forehead since the day he took me out to train.

Then I remembered what he said to me before we were interrupted by the members of the Konoha Police Force.

"Even if you end up hating me, or I'm just an obstacle in your path, I'll always be there for you."

Then he gave me a heartbreaking smile.

"That's what big brothers are for"

Tears started rolling down my eyes when I grasped the double meaning behind Itachi words.

I flashed forward to the most recent one.

I was backed up against the wall, and Itachi was staggering towards me, bleeding, blind and nearly dead.

His Susano'o was dying out.

I felt it. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I felt it. It was the vibe Itachi was letting out.

In his last moments, all he wanted to do was to reach out and hug me.

But he couldn't. That was his fate-he couldn't find that last bit of solace before he died.

That was how things went. In some alternate dimension where the Uchiha Clan Massacre didn't occur, Itachi would have been treated for his disease (probably by Lady Tsunade herself) and would have been in his prime. He would probably have been the Commander of ANBU and/or the next Hokage candidate.

But in this universe, he was dealt horrible cards.

Hence, here he was, the one person who I loved more that life itself, bleeding, broken, staggering towards me.

My heart was beating rapidly-this was it. I thought I was about to lose my eyes.

Then he smiled at me-one that I had missed for the past eight years-and I felt two moist fingers press against my forehead, as Itachi mumbled something.

I replayed the memory, until I realized what he had whispered.

Itachi Uchiha's last words.

"Yuruse Sasuke, it ends with this."

I wept. I cried my eyes out.

I realized that Itachi had asked countless times-times when the situation was simply out of his control.

But I never forgave him.

And now he was dead.

The next few minutes were a blur. I kept on replaying memories while crying, until I came across this one.

Itachi had just concluded his monologue after massacring the Clan, and was leaving.

Through pure desperation, I stopped myself from fainting. I think I might have awakened the Sharingan.

At that moment however, the only thing on my mind was the extent of Itachi's betrayal. I chased him and threw a few shuriken. Then having exhausted all my energy, I fell to the ground and watched him.

My shuriken had apparently knocked off his forehead protector. He bent down, retrieved it, tied it around his head and looked at me.

And he cried.

It was nothing big, just a few tears rolling down his cheeks. But it was enough.

'Konoha made Itachi cry… Konoha made me cry… Konoha ruined all our lives!'

I felt my chakra flare, as rage coursed through my body. Visions of a burning and destroyed Konoha flashed before my eyes, and fueled me.

"We are no longer Hebi [Snake]…" I decreed. "From now, we shall be known as Taka [Hawk]."

I took a deep breath, and channeled a lot of chakra into my eyes instinctively.

"Taka has but one goal…" I growled.

I opened my newly acquired Mangekyou Sharingan.

"To crush the Leaf Village!"

A new saga in my life had begun.

And from the high heavens, witness to it was Itachi himself.

A/N 2: So, how was it? Loved it? Hated it? Want me to continue? Wanted to gouge your eyes out?

Please leave a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Let me know if I've made any major spelling mistakes/grammatical errors.

Till then…