Down in One Path

Ayane Selznick

Summary: One-shot. One learned that by walking towards darkness would free him from the regulations and restrictions of his clan while the other was provoke to walk down in the same path. No yaoi.

Author's Note: Spoilers for Manga chapters 220-225.

Clan. The Clan.

It's always about the clan. Maybe before my mother bore me in this world the duty that was bestowed to my father will befall to me the moment I open my eyes.

When I was a kid I never played around like normal children do, instead my father would instruct me to read this, do that, and train hard. I asked "what for?" and he would just say I have to be stronger. I thought "why?" but never answered otherwise.

Years later they proclaim me as an excellent student during the Academy days. My father expected too much for me and I didn't know why I grant him high hopes. But later on I excelled even more.

At young age, I learned things that I should've not learned or maybe I was too innocent to think that I shouldn't be exposed in those of kinds... events. Yet even then, I learned that I have to face those things or else I would be living like helpless brat to which I don't really want to be.

This is the world where I was born.

You have to be strong for you to survive... to live.

And maybe in the end, it was a mistake to learn a lot of things. For such young image with an invisible amount of knowledge nagging in my head, I discovered about the other side of the clan.

At age thirteen I became Chuunin then an ANBU Captain for a short period of time. I was exposed to a lot of hideous things happened in this world. However I decided not to puke right there and then but digested everything and thought otherwise.

Being the person that was able to see what is underneath somehow triggered the inner emotions that I've kept for so long.

I tried to disobey them and have everything on my own but my father mocked me saying things like "I'm insane to the point that I am ignoring the responsibility that has been bestowed to me" or "I'm the pipe that connects the village and the clan."

The clan. It's always about the clan.

Yet the size of their vessel is very much different from my own…

What do they know about me to judge so easily? They know nothing. They only see me as one of the tools to be attached to the government, the village and the clan. I don't want to be a walking tool in this village thus I want myself to be free.

I tried so hard not to show what was in my mind but I really have a short fuse as to slowly show you pathetic people that you do not have the authority to mock me or make me as a tool for this pathetic clan. You even made me show my deepest emotion about the clan—hate.

Therefore, I obtained the legendary eye technique and murdered everyone.

For my sake.

For my freedom.

Brother… Why did my brother take away everything from me?

I envy him every time my father kept praising him. It was as if like he's the only son he sees everyday. That's why I tried so hard to train myself as well as being an excellent student and son during my childhood days.

What was my dream…?

Aa…

…To surpass my ever excellent brother…

I asked him everyday, maybe I annoyed him a lot, but I really wanted to keep an eye on his skills. I wanted to surpass his knowledge, speed, power, and the security I'm feeling within.

I wanted to be like him where everyone will look up on me like they are to my brother. I wanted that father of mine to praise me, too.

I want the clan acknowledge me as they do to my brother.

But he was so distant. He always walks alone, think alone, and sometimes he gave me a lot of hard time finding him. I don't know him anymore. Well, I didn't really know him at first nevertheless I wanted to walk side by side with him.

I was jealous that he was hugging the entire spotlight to himself but it was nerve-racking that he doesn't even have any reactions to what other people say or praise about him. He always kept his cool and rarely smiles to which I came to think of a question "why are you like that brother?" but I never asked.

Ninja Academy was the first step for my goal. If I try so hard to surpass each and everyone in the class then maybe that father of mine will be praising me, too.

I was wrong…

All he said was "continue with this pace and become a fine shinobi like my brother."

It was irritating me. It hurts a lot here in my chest. Why can't he see that I have my own image? I'm not a shadow of my brother. But then again, I said yes and kept silent.

One time my brother decided to talk to me about some matters and I took it as an advantage to say to him what I think about him. He thought I hated him, yeah I think I hated him but not his entire being but the appreciation he always received from other people. I wasn't able to explain my side because he kept talking about things like excellence, arrogance, hatred, and him as an obstacle that I must overcome.

Some time later, something happened between my father and my brother. It was because of the other clan member, Uchiha Shisui, who had drowned in Nakano River. They thought it was suicide, but there was a hint that they were suspecting him.

That time, I was scared of my brother.

He showed to us his capability of being the other side of himself.

After the incident, my father lost interest to my brother and he was slowly acknowledging my presence to which I thought I was just a replacement for my brother's constant absence in our family. My mother told me that then and now are different and that… my brother is special. She explained to me, and I clearly understand in the end, that the reason why my father keeps on bugging my brother because the future of the clan will be in my brother's hands.

However my brother had changed dramatically. I don't understand him more than before. He had become more distant… and colder.

Until that day… the day he killed everyone. I don't understand why he did that but he indulged me to hate him and obtain the same eyes like his.

Hatred… maybe he really thought I hated him so much that it has to be triggered for me to become stronger and colder like him. It's the only emotion I must have to kill him.

But whatever the odds are… I'm sure that from that day on, I'll leave the life where there is so much light.

And thus I'll be walking ahead to where my brother is… in to the darkness.

The End

Author's Note: You don't have to be confused as to who talks about the clan and the other about the brother right? The first one was Itachi while the other was Sasuke. Well I just have to bring out this idea for some reason I was beginning to worry for the conventions we must attend. I completely ignored my studies damn it! It's angst-y I know. I'm more of an angst-y person.