A/N:No, I haven't yet died, to those who were curious. xD I've just been busy (lies) with all the school work and yada yada. Well anyway, I cut out the BS and simply apologize. xD I hadn't meant to take this long. Hopefully you guys can forgive me.
Now lets see here.. This is indeed the remake of the original 'Human'. Not... quite to my tastes either, might I add. xDD Even though I wrote this piece to satisfy my itch to re-write the original, its rather blahin my standards. Haha. Anyway, I'm ranting now and no one wants to hear that.
Title: Human 2.0
Paring:ItaSasu-- Brotherly
Rating: T -- character death
Warning: Character Death: You've been warned.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Not me. D: Stop asking, darn it!
Summary: If I saw the shackles of life that bound you to this world break, would I grieve? If it had been me who tore them apart, would you forgive me and shine light into my dark world?
Human 2.0
A strangled cry parted the young Uchiha's lips, wrenching the corners downward in a grimace as he was forcibly thrown against the far wall. Head drooping, his eyes squinted open only to stare into his lap as he slid to the floor. Damn it all. Grunting as he was roughly pulled back up by the scruff of his shirt, Sasuke found himself rammed back against the unforgiving wall once again. This time, his onyx eyes closed as his spine screamed for mercy.
The warmth of another body pressing onto him hadn't even registered completely until a set of slender digits encircled his throat. Instinctively, his hands reached up to grasp the offending appendages blocking his airway. Lips parting in a futile grasp for air, the raven dimly noted the breath of the man in front of him as it caressed his bruised cheek.
Silence engulfed them whole, and cracking open an eye, Sasuke stared back at his reflection swimming in crimson orbs. In turn they stared back coolly and as he struggled to catch a footing of any sort, he vaguely wondered if he'd die with that image etched behind his mind's eye.
Itachi.
The older Uchiha stared down at his younger sibling--of whom was turning a lovely shade of purple--and yet said nothing to acknowledge the blunt fingernails digging and scraping his skin. He held the whelps life in his hands--quite literally-- and could only watch in fascination as the raven's movements suddenly grew frantic.
The resemblance to an animal knowing it's about to die. It almost amused him.
Gasping in sharply as the block he had felt suddenly lifted away, a harsh coughing fit racked Sasuke's body as he hit the floor in a heap. Hunched over, the boy could feel his lungs burn as they couldn't seem to inhale fast enough. The bastard was toying with him. Vision dancing, Sasuke felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Yet fate dealt him a heavy hand and it was all too soon that he felt himself pulled back up again.
Eyes that he couldn't seem to control anymore caught sight of a strange expression flashing across Itachi's features before a blow to his jaw sent him sprawling and rendered his sight useless as his face became familiarized with the concrete floor underneath them.
"You really do look like her, little brother," Itachi drawled, never moving from his spot nor letting up his gaze upon the raven's head. The mere fact that he could see her face smiling back at him--replacing Sasuke's glares--had halted his fingers earlier from squeezing just a little more tighter. And this bothered him profoundly. For it wasn't that he regretted taking her life, nor because he actually missed her.. but he couldn't place exactly what the feeling was that held him back.
How utterly pathetic.
The edges of Itachi's lips curled, twisting themselves into resembling a scowl. Anger was quick to bubble up within him, and the older Uchiha held no remorse on taking it out upon the crumpled form laying at his feet. Wind knocked out of his lungs unexpectedly, Sasuke curled up, his arms moving protectively across his abdomen. The raven's breathing came out harsh even to his own ears, and the job of in taking air became painful. Coughing, his body shook, however--Sasuke quickly drew still as the coolness of metal against his cheek pressed insistently.
"Answer me this one question." Itachi's voice broke the silence, and Sasuke could all but feel the man draw nearer.
"Why can't I kill you?"
It had come out in a mere whisper, but the shinobi's ears had caught it just fine. Confusion pulled at the raven's eyebrows, knitting them together. A shaky breath, "Is this your idea of a sick joke?" The boy's voice strained, cracking. Itachi's face didn't move from it's close proximity, even as Sasuke continued.
"I'll tell you why.."
"It's because you're weak."
Crying out as the blade swiftly ravished his cheek, crimson beads drew and trickled down before dripping off his cheek.
"Don't confuse me for the likes of you, brother," came Itachi's clipped voice. Although even as he said this, his eyes narrowed. Was this the closest he was ever going to get? Was it truly? Did the prospect of killing this insignificant boy conflict his actions to such a degree?
"Just do it."
The rasp of Sasuke's voice drew Itachi's attention to the smaller boy's struggling frame. "Just do it already," the raven repeated, voice and body shaking alike as he slowly moved up into a sitting position. Pulling away, Itachi stared down at those onyx eyes glaring back. "I know you want to, so just do it!"
Itachi's scowl deepened. "You shouldn't presume things--"
"Unless you know you're right," Sasuke cut in, staggering as he hauled himself up to his feet. One hand gripping his stomach, the other clawed at the wall. Itachi's hold on the kunai in his grasp tightened.
Wiping the smeared blood from the corner of his lips with the back of his hand--another cough racked Sasuke's body. This time leaving the blood be, he ignored the warmth it provided as it covered his chin and slipped down the creamy skin of his throat.
Drip. Drip.
Onyx and crimson clashed.
Drip.
"Do it."
Within those short moments that Itachi became nothing but a blur, Sasuke's vision darkened.
And a scream pierced the night air.
The silence was almost deafening afterwards.
Untangling himself from the limp body slouched in his arms, Itachi watched it slid to the floor--leaving a dark red shadow trailing behind. Lifeless eyes watched back in return. The older uchiha's breathing quickened for a split second, and his heart raced for even less. But in the end, it was the way he became acutely aware that he was utterly alone now, that he realized..
In the years that he'd witness countless of bodies hit the floor with a sickening thud, in that instant he was almost reluctant to see the dim light in those onyx eyes flicker out.
Almost.
Discarding the tainted kunai carelessly, Itachi took this time to kneel down and brush dark locks of hair from the boy's rapidly paling face. Fingers lightly skimming over ivory skin, he noted the coldness to it. Hn.
Onii-chan.
His hand twitched subtly before he retracted his touch and rose to a stand. Regret had never adorned a spot in Itachi's vocabulary. Yet as he walked back into the shadows, he dimly realized something with a frown.
It had been he who was screaming.