Disclaimer: Do not own.
Notes: This ficlet has been haunting me for ages. I can't believe no one else has addressed the parallels between the Sand Siblings and the Uchiha brothers. I cannot be the only person wondering if Itachi ever thinks about the siblings of the people he kills while in Akatsuki as part of his awful plan to make his brother a hero.
He is young.
He should have expected that, of course. But even hunting his own youthful jinchuuriki target has not truly prepared Itachi for just how young this one looks now- skin pale and black-ringed eyes forever shut.
He is young. Sasuke's age. He is much too young for this. Much too young for death, jinchuuriki or not, Kage or not.
He wonders for a moment as to why the death of this boy-Kage should inspire feelings of what he recognizes as pity…and regret. He has killed many more far younger- red, red blood staining the ground of the Uchiha compound.
He can trace these feelings to the moment he listened to Sasori and Deidara's reports of their battles. This boy has fought to protect his village- has sacrificed to protect his village.
It is all very familiar. But even more so is the fact that this boy (Sabaku no Gaara, his name is Sabaku no Gaara)…
This boy is somebody's younger brother too.
And suddenly, Itachi finds that he hates himself just that much more for what he is doing under the banner of the blood-red dawn.
End
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