Prologue
Everything hurt. Every breath made my chest constrict with pain. My vision blurred. I almost let out a sigh. This was it. I knew it. I was going to die. I couldn't hold out any longer. I looked at my brother.
His face was emotionless, stone cold.
It hurt.
His coldness.
And I found myself wishing to be back at home all those years ago. Both of us, together. Him, loving, protective, always there for me.
Then that made me think of that day.
The longing stopped and was replaced by hatred. A burning hatred that refused to be quenched. I hated him so much for killing our clan, for killing our family, and most of all, for killing all the trust we had in him.
A part of me wanted to scream at him.
How could he do that?! Why did he do that?! What did he have to gain?!
But i knew the answer. He had told me that all those years ago. Even after so long, i still didn't understand. But now i didn't care. I just wanted revenge.
That was how i got here. Revenge. It was finally within my reach.
So close and yet so far.
But i couldn't do it. I tried everything i could. He was still too powerful for me.
I tried to summon enough energy and power, but something in me refused. I stared at him staring at me. His Susanoo towered over me.
Tired, battered and frightened. My eyes wide with fear, legs trembling.
And for a moment, I was so afraid.
He took a step forward. He could kill me right now, and i would be powerless to stop him. I had never wanted this to happen. Not again. I swore to myself that it would never happen again. Ever since that day...
I took a step backwards.
I was getting weaker and weaker. I took another step backward as he took another forward. He looked so much like he had on that day. So fearless, so cruel.
I hate you! I have for nine years! And i probably will for the rest of my life!
We continued our little game. One step backward, one step forward.
Stop this! Just kill me already! Why must you always torture me with this taunting. I hate you!
One step backward, one step backward.
I finally backed up all i could. My back pressed against the rubble. I was cornered. He continued staggering towards me. I was powerless now. He could kill me if he wanted. I wouldn't be able to stop him.
I was frightened. Scared. Afraid. Hurry up and kill me please! Just stop taunting me! You know i have nothing left!
He reached his hand out, and tapped me on the forehead.
I stared in shock. My face frozen.
After so many years of hating you. After so many years of wondering how to get stronger. So I would take my revenge. So I could kill you.
Why are you treating me like a little brother again?
He smiled at me. A smile that i hadn't seen in such a long time. Then he whispered something that i will never forget.
And then he collapsed. As he fell in front of me, I was able to look into those eyes that were so much like mine and yet not.
He hadn't changed much. He looked exactly like he had the day he slaughtered my entire clan. Leaving me all by myself. I hated him.
But a part of me, didn't. A part of me wanted him to live on. As my family, not a murderer, as my big brother like he had been before. I wanted to be free of this hate. That was why I had vowed to hunt him down and kill him. I wanted to avenge the murderer of my clan. I wanted to rebuild it. I had focused most of my life on trying to get power to kill him.
The light in his eyes went out just before his head hit the wall behind me. This was it. The moment that i had been working so hard towards. Even though i hadn't killed him. I was expecting to feel some sort of relief. After all, the mass murderer of the entire Uchiha Clan was dead.
Nothing came.
Just an achingly familiar hollowness punched itself in my heart.
I slid down the wall as well. Out of tiredness. Out of exhaustion. Out of...sadness?
I had been working so hard for this moment to come. The day I avenged my clan. It was finally done.
Now what?
How was i going to continue if the only reason for me living right now was dead?
Would i be able to continue?
I was finally free. I could finally be happy. I could finally go back to Konoha and be normal again.
I almost laughed. Going back to Konoha. Would they even accept me back?
Something wet hit my cheek before thousands of little drops fell from the sky.
I suddenly felt so tired. I looked at my brother's body next to me.
Itachi.
The pain hit me in the chest again.
Itachi.
My brother.
My big Brother.
I looked up at the sky.
He's gone.
My life flashed before my eyes just as everything went black.
And in those few seconds, i was able to relive everything that had happened.
Everything before the change.
Disclaimer: i do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.
thx for reading!