Until then, Itachi had never questioned a single order, but now, as he thought about his family, he couldn't imagine a way to justify this. Kill them all, that's what he'd been told to do.
"I don't know if I can, Lord Hokage," he replied respectfully.
"You don't have to tell me your choice now, Itachi. Come the morning three days from now I'll know your decision." Itachi walked out of the office with a heavy heart. How could he be expected to slaughter those of his own blood? He walked down the street in a fog, only then remembering his presentation at the Academy tomorrow morning.
"What am I going to do?" He wondered, but no response was forthcoming and he continued on. He sat down at the edge of the dock where he'd learned to use fireball and let his toes dip into the water. Sasuke was just a boy, innocent of the crimes of their clan. Could he not be spared of the slaughter? The need for their demise was clear enough, yet that made the decision making no easier. Itachi decided to get back to the mission later and to focus on his presentation for a little while. He was to give a speech on determination and values, rather fitting in his opinion.
Hours went by of Itachi staring blankly at a piece of paper on his desk. Drawing a blank, he decided to go for a walk through town and hoped to gain some inspiration along the way. He wandered to the fence outside the Academy playground. Some of the kids there were around his age. For a moment, he wished he could be there with them instead of out here, but that was soon blown away with the wind. Sasuke was visibly training, and Itachi couldn't help but smile. Determination was not wasted on his brother. School dismissed suddenly and Itachi ran to the front to meet Sasuke. As he waited, a little girl tugged on the hem of his shirt.
"Excuse me, are you a ninja?" She asked big round eyes on him.
"Yes, I am."
"Wow! I wanna be a hero just like you when I grow up!" The girl's mother led her away, but not before she was able to sneak a quick hug on Itachi. Then it hit him. Itachi ran home without Sasuke and began scribbling furiously on the paper. The word to his speech flowed like a river from his pencil. Out of nowhere, Itachi suddenly found the inspiration for the message he wanted to pass on to the aspiring young students. It was beautiful in his opinion, and just the kind of thing he wanted to stay with the Leaf Village's future heroes and heroines. It would've been perfect had the presentation not been cancelled at the last minute. Itachi reread his words, and thought about how they might impact Sasuke after he was gone. He then sealed the envelope. The girl had made up his mind. To be a hero, he had to make sacrifices.
Years later, Sasuke opened the envelope his brother had left on his nightstand long ago. The paper inside was old and faded, yet the words stood out bold and clear.
To be a hero, one must often make the ultimate sacrifice. The life of a shinobi is one of trials and often loneliness, but is also one of courage, perseverance, and honor. Friends are found and lost along the way, but they themselves are never forgotten. One shall be forced to carry on through the darkest of days and the blackest of nights in order to keep those they love alive. That, in my opinion, is the most important of shinobi values. Love. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends, and act I so have done many times, and would proudly do again. I proudly walk away with the scars of battle knowing I have protected what I love, this village and everyone within it. A heart so full of love and light can never be defeated. Remember that, and carry on.
Sasuke let the tears run down his cheeks unchecked. His brother was not the monster he had been led to believe. No, he had the greatest love and the purest heart of anyone. Love was what Itachi preached, and love was what Itachi went without, and he was martyred. At that moment, Sasuke vowed revenge.