Hope
Summary: Sometimes, just sometimes, Uchiha Itachi would hope. Hope that Sasuke would see the truth. And he hoped. To the very last second. "This is the last time…I'm sorry, Sasuke."
Hope
Sometimes, just sometimes, Uchiha Itachi would hope.
Hope that Sasuke would see the truth. Hope that Sasuke would realize the sacrifice. Hope that Sasuke would once more smile at him.
"I lived to this day in order to kill you!"
He had been young then. Eyesight still good and body in moderate condition. His heart was still very much alive and rushing with emotion. His mind was still very optimistic and hopeful.
He hoped that maybe one of the elders would accidentally slip up, maybe Kakashi would realize something, maybe Sasuke would question something, dammit, maybe someone would remember!
But it was a scheme that he worked on.
It was flawless. Too flawless that he began to hope.
That hope began to fade like his eyesight and health. Slowly but surely after continuous weathering.
"My eyes can now see through the illusions. I see your death."
Even when it was about to end, he still hoped. Hoped that Sasuke could see what he was doing. Hoped that Sasuke saw what he had been doing all along.
Even if he could no longer see his younger brother's face very clearly, Itachi dearly hoped for the other's smile. Just a curve of the lips, even if it was one out of pride or arrogance.
But the scheme had been too clever.
"This is the last time…"
He hoped that these mixed signals would allow the boy to realize something. Anything.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke."
He knew that the smile he saw on Sasuke's face as he fell had just been an illusion.
But still, Uchiha Itachi hoped.
To the very last second.
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A/N: Another Itachi thing. God, I'm so hung up on Itachi's death even though it's been a couple of chapters. Haha, maybe I should compile them into a huge Itachi tribute XD