Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...Much as I wish I did.
A Blaze of Glory
The rain pattered heavily on the forest floor.
Sasuke inhaled deeply as the last traces of the curse marks retreated back into the Ten no Juin throbbing painfully on his neck. The last sparks of the Chidori sputtered pathetically across his limp hand before vanishing entirely. His Sharingan flickered for a moment before returning to it's red glowing state, though his eyes were unfocused and glossed over, a result of the katana embedded deep withing his stomach, pinning him to the tree behind him.
His blood red eyes rose to meet equally blood red eyes, swirling slowly with the tomoe of the Sharingan.
"Foolish little brother..." The elder Uchiha, Itachi, said quietly as a small smirk adorned his face. "That you would believe that the snake's power would bring you anywhere near my level, when even he could not defeat me, shows how far you have fallen in your quest for vengeance."
Sasuke winced as Itachi began to twist the katana slowly. Itachi leaned in close, bringing his lips to Sasuke's ear, and whispered "And now you have failed. You have wasted your last chance, and now, little brother, you shall pay for it...with your life."
The younger Uchiha defiantly glared at the elder, his eyes once again almost fading to their natural ebony before again blazing back to a vibrant blood red.
"You are no brother of mine..." He ground out through clenched teeth. As he opened his mouth to continue, a vicious twist of the katana cut off any more words, his mouth left open in a silent gasp.
Itachi's smirk widened ever so slightly, and he wiped gently with his free hand at a small trickle of blood that had dripped from a small gash over his right eye.
"Perhaps not. No brother of mine would be reduced to such a pitiful state."
Itachi sighed, almost sadly as his smirk vanished, replaced by a slight frown. "Perhaps I shouldn't have put such faith in you."
Sasuke coughed, and his hand wrapped feebly around the blade of the katana as he asked "What...W-what are you...talking about?"
Itachi's eyes seemed to bore into Sasuke's, and Sasuke felt as if his soul was being judged,, before he said "The Uchiha clan...Was weak. Under it's current rule, it could not grow to the full potential it was capable of. Little brother, in order to make the clam rise to the level of power it deserved, it needed to be reborn. In order to be reborn, it had to die. So I did what needed to be done. I cleansed the Uchiha bloodline, leaving the one key that could restore the Uchiha clan, and bring it to a level of power worthy of the Uchiha name."
Sasuke's eyes widened, his mind blank.
Itachi turned his gaze to the nearby Konohagakure no Sato, under attack by the remaining Akatsuki members, before continuing, "A leader had to be molded. One who would be as powerful as necessary. As well as ruthless. Quick minded, and ready to do anything for the clan."
His gaze returned to Sasuke before he said "This, foolish little brother, was supposed to be you."
As the information attempted to sink in to Sasuke's mind, Itachi continued once more.
"If you could find enough power in your hate to destroy the thing that was powerful enough to destroy the Uchiha clan...Then you yourself would be powerful enough to make the clan strong enough to ensue that it would not happen again. The Uchiha clan would be the most powerful force in the world. But you failed. You chose to seek out power from one weaker than myself, and so weakened yourself. You chose to use someone else, instead of using your own strength. Your own hate. But still, hope is not lost...At least, not for the clan."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, as his eyes flickered back and forth between crimson and ebony, and he gripped the blade harder.
Itachi cracked his neck, and said "I will restore the clan. And you, little brother, will not be around to see it."
A loud explosion suddenly rocked the nearby area. The elder Uchiha looked towards the hokage monument, where the explosion originated from, and said "Your death will have to wait. But do not believe that this is over." before disappearing in a rush of wind and leaves.
Sasuke's eyes finally faded to black, and his mind sluggishly tried to wrap itsself around the concept of it being over, before suddenly dropping into unconciousness, dragging Sasuke with it.
-
Naruto skidded to a stop, the force of the explosion knocking him from the Shodaime's head to the Sandaime's. He glared at his adversary, Uchiha Itachi's partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, who had landed not too far away, already on his feet and holding Samehada steadily on his shoulder.
"You're doing quite a bit better than I would've thought, boy." The shark man said, shucking off the tatters of his Akatsuki robe, revealing an outfit similar to the outfit Momochi Zabuza wore on his last day alive.
"But now, the kid gloves are off." He said, a feral grin spreading across his features.
Naruto growled furiously, three tails of chakra waving agitatedly behind him. The standstill lasted only a moment longer before the Shark and the Fox leapt at each other, Naruto extending a claw of Chakra in Kisame's direction, only to have it partially absorbed by a quick swing of Samehada.
Naruto appeared in front of the Shark-nin a moment later, gripping his shoulder, and swinging him in a wide circle, before sending him flying at the Nidaime's head.
Kisame easily righted himself mid-flight, and planted both feet firmly in the Second Hokage's head, before rocketing back towards the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, Samehada held forward like a lance.
Naruto dropped onto his back, letting Kisame begin to pass over him, before extending his legs upwards, kicking Kisame in the chest with the force of a sledgehammer.
The Kiri Nukenin gasped as the air left his lungs, and he began his ascent, but quickly drew in a deep breath, and threw his sword into the air as he righted himself once more, his hands flying through a set of handseals with blazing speed.
A Rasengan rapidly charged in Naruto's hand, and he crouched down, prepared to leap up at Kisame. The shark-nin glared down at Naruto, before finishing his hand seals just in time to catch Samehada, aimed his face upwards, and shouted "Suiton: Bakusui Shoha!"
A torrent of water erupted from his mouth , flying upwards and joining the falling rain in the sky, before beginning it's descent. Kisame flashed through another set of one handed seals as he began his own descent, and held Samehada up to the sky, shouting "Suiton: Oozumatoi no Jutsu!" The water in the sky quickly swirled into a massive pillar, collecting around, then stemming from Samehada, effectively making a massive swirling blade of water.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he pushed off of the ground, rising to meet Kisame, Oodama Rasengan held at the ready.
The shark-nin's grin re-appeared, and his arm swung down, the massive water pillar following his arm's descent, crashing down into the Kyuubi vessel.
The grin just as quickly dissappeared as the water blade shook, then exploded, the Oodama Rasengan easily demolishing the water pillar. Kisame was unprepared for such an outcome, and so couldn't rasie his guard before Naruto crashed into him, Rasengan first.
Kisame let out a howl as his body was shredded by the Rasengan's power, until he was finally released, sent flying off of the monument to the ground below. Naruto landed on the Yondaime's head, and he let out a roar of triumph, and the Kyuubi chakra faded away, leaving Naruto exhausted, but victorious.
His time to soak in his victory was cut short however, as a kunai covered in three exploding tags nearly embedded itsself in his chest, only missing by inchest as Naruto dove to the side. The tags then went off, blasting him upwards, only to meet Uchiha Itachi's descending foot, knocking him back to the Yondaime's head.
The elder Uchiha landed nearby, and said "It's over, Uzumaki Naruto. You don't have the energy to fight me, and I am far out of your league as it is. Surrender yourself to us, and your village will be spared."
Naruto spat blood, and weakly dragged himself to his feet, then said "I'll never give up...Especially not to a teme like you."
Itachi closed his eyes, and said "So be it." Before rushing at Naruto, kunai held in his right hand, aimed for Naruto's heart.
The Kyuubi vessel willed his legs to move, but found he was unable to. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as he realized it was over. There was nothing he could do. He heard the sound of blood rushing to his ears faintly, and it quickly grew louder until he could hear his own heart beat. The silence was deafening as he waited for the end to come.
Yet it never came.
He opened his eyes, and the sound of rushing blood died down a bit, only to reveal another sound, one Naruto immediately recognized as the the sound of chirping birds.
He raised his head to see the back of one Uchiha Sasuke.
The avenger's head turned so he could see Naruto, crimson Sharingan eye swirling rapidly, the Ten no Fuin retreating across his body and he muttered. "Usuratonkatchi...What's the matter?...Giving up already?"
Naruto blinked, not believing his eyes, and said "S-sasuke? W-wha-...Why?"
Sasuke turned back to gaze at the astonished face of his elder brother, who was staring at the arm blazing with electricity resting in his chest where his heart used to be. Sasuke then glanced down at the kunai embedded in his chest, just over his own heart.
With a dark chuckle, he replied slowly. "I dunno...My body just kinda...Moved on it's own..."
Sasuke's hand slid gently out of Itachi's chest, the latter of whom dropped to the floor, dead.
Sasuke turned to Naruto and fell, his eyes closed, Naruto managing to catch him just before he hit the ground.
"S-sasuke? C'mon, Sasuke, g-get up..."
The kyuubi container's attempts were in vain.
Across Konohagakure no Sato, a cry of the last Uchiha's name could be heard in what could only be described as a mournful howl.
The rain pattered heavily across Konohagakure no Sato.
A/N: If any of you think perhaps I should make an epilogue, go ahead and let me know. R/R.