"Big Brother!"
Sasuke ran, terrified, through the dark streets of the Uchiha Compound. He was searching for someone, anyone that could explain what was happening. However, no matter where he turned, he only found more death. Corner after corner, body after body; it was endless.
"W-who is doing this?" he managed to stutter out, but received only the cold, dead silence of the night in response.
He stumbled about, his wits gone. The trip home was taking him so long, he was beginning to fear he'd gotten lost in his panic.
Finally, after an eternity, there it was: he was home. His slight sense of relief was short-lived, however, as something was clearly wrong. The entire house was dark...and eerily quiet. As if it was vacant.
It wasn't supposed to be.
His father had specifically mentioned that he would be home that day. His mother never went anywhere unless it was unavoidable. She preferred to stay home with his sister, Kaiako, as she was forbidden to leave the house by their father. And his older brother, Itachi, should have been home by now.
So where was everyone?
Ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he burst through the front door (pausing momentarily to kick off his shoes), and began to immediately search the house frantically. Finally, after a lifetime of searching the entire compound...he found them: his family. However, as soon as he saw them, he wished he hadn't.
His mother and father lay lifeless and limp in pools of their own blood. His father's eyes, abandoned and cold, stared straight into his, almost as devoid of emotion as when he was alive. Almost. Then, something moved in the shadows, startling him. He felt a twinge of relief when he realized who had found him.
"I-Itachi! Mother and Father...what...who-who did..."
He stumbled incoherently through, unable to find the words to form a full sentence. Without a word, Itachi began to stare him down, as if he were deep in thought and he was searching the very core of Sasuke's being for the answer. Beyond the ability to form words, Sasuke stumbled forward, heading towards his brother. He took two steps when he felt a sharp pain slice through his shoulder. He looked down at his arm and saw a clean cut through the shoulder of his shirt. Glancing behind him, he saw one of Itachi's kunai embedded in the wall.
"B-brother! Why...?" Sasuke started, but a small squeak distracted him. He turned, only to find Kaiako peeking around the door frame, watching them intently. His eyes darted to Itachi, who was eyeing the small girl carefully, as if deciding his next course of action. There was a strange look in his eye...almost...remorseful. "Kai...Kaiako..." Sasuke stuttered out, terrified of what their older brother might do to her. She looked at him, fear clearly evident in her eyes.
"Kaiako. You shouldn't be here." Both of the younger Uchihas looked towards Itachi. His gaze never left her eyes.
"I-I couldn't sleep," she mumbled. She stepped out into the middle of the doorway in an attempt to seem braver than she actually felt. She was shy, thanks to years of being alone, and Itachi's stare terrified her.
"That is unfortunate," Itachi answered blankly; however, Sasuke saw that look in his eye again. The one that suggested he was about to do something he would regret.
Before she could even blink, Itachi was behind her, holding her in place by her left shoulder. Kaiako realized too late what he was thinking. Her eyes widened in terror, realizing full well what was about to happen. And without a moment's hesitation, a kunai dug deep into her throat, sliding quickly and painfully across. Blood immediately began to pour from the open wound.
"KAIAKO!" Sasuke screamed, turning Itachi's attention back to him.
Itachi dropped her unceremoniously onto the hard wooden floor. Sasuke could hear her choking and gasping for breath, but as his murderous brother started toward him, he could only back away.
"Sas..." Kaiako started, reaching toward him, but her plea was cut short by another coughing fit. Sasuke watched his sister for a moment, conflicted. He turned back towards Itachi, who was remarkably closer than he was a few seconds before. Instinctively, he ran. He stumbled out the door and into the street.
Kaiako watched her brother run away. He wasn't coming back, she realized, and she had mere seconds left. She simply laid there in a pool of her own blood and, as her vision faded to black and the last drop of her life slipped away, she realized something else. She had been completely abandoned by the two people that mattered most to her. Abandoned and left to die.
