Heartless
They stood in the dark, damp, and cold room speechless. Was the raven-haired boy truly seeing what his eyes were showing him? Was he truly seeing his older brother chained to a bed with barely any strength left? Sasuke took a step closer but a man with a half covered face stopped him.
"It may be a trick. This just seems to easy," Kakashi said from under his mask.
"He looks like he's dying." A girl with pink hair said.
"Maybe that isn't really Itachi. Maybe it's an illusion jutsu." A young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes said. He was worried about his friend. Sasuke had never looked so startled before. So…confused.
"Or maybe it's really him," the onyx eyed boy said as he took a step closer to the motionless form on the bed. Sasuke scanned over the body. No signs of physical bruising, no sign of anything broken. Itachi just looked pale, and weak.
"Sa…Sasuke?" Came a voice so quiet the only one to hear was the one addressed. Kakashi observed their surroundings. There was no trace of an illusionary jutsu; the body was truly Uchiha Itachi's.
"Aniki?" Sasuke asked bitterly. He wasn't going to let his brother know he actually felt…sorry for him."Aren't you going to kill me?" The older Uchiha asked. His tone held nothing but his eyes held feelings of being…broken; something Sasuke had never seen enter his brother's eyes before.
"You wouldn't even be a good fight!" Sasuke spat moving away from his brother to stand by his comrades.
"You'd let me die like this?" Itachi's eyes held so much self-pity Sasuke could hardly believe it was truly his older brother. This was the boy who killed Sasuke's entire clan? This was the boy whom Sasuke had devoted his entire life to killing? Now it just seemed like a complete waste of his own life.
"Just kill him Sasuke! He's like a bird that has broken his neck! Besides you've wanted to kill him for so long! You swore to yourself you would!"
"Shut-up Sakura. You're annoying." Sasuke bitterly spat. Sakura looked down at her shoes ashamed of herself. This was a matter she should have never gotten herself into. Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled down at her. Sakura felt no relief from her sensei's attempt. She still felt ashamed of her hurrying plea. She was cold and wanted to get out of this scary place. The walls were gray and anyone could hear the dripping of the water from the cracks in the ceilings. It had been raining for many days now and it gave the entire room a sticky clamy feeling. She didn't like it one bit.
"I guess now I'm not even worth killing," Itachi said. "I'm starving and freezing to death. What a boring way to die."
"I'll kill you," Sasuke said. All eyes were on him as he let a small smile grace his beautiful features. "I'll kill you when you're strong again. But now…I'll rescue you." Team Seven was wide-eyed as they watched Sasuke use his chidori to cut through the thick chains that held his brother down. Why would he…help him? That question was on everyone's mind…even Itachi's. "Can you walk?" As Sasuke helped his brother stand up he let go of him for a second and quickly caught Itachi again as he was falling to the ground. "Guess not." Itachi's face was blank. He was ashamed of himself. He wished they would have just killed him.
"Why are you doing this Kisame?" Itachi asked as he found himself cornered by all of the members of Akatsuki.
"We can't have you telling anyone about what we plan to do," a man who resembled a shark said. The man brought down his large sword and Itachi had to hold in his screams as he felt all of his chakra being drained from him. How could they betray him? But then again…he was going to betray them.
"You've gone too far! Raising a chaos demon from the seventh layer of Hell to destroy everything is not what we originally had intened!" Itachi spoke firmly even though he felt like he was about to break. He had received a severely harsh reality check when he found himself defeated by the other Akatsuki members. He could easily have taken on one of them at a time…but together they were so much more than he could have expected.
"Maybe…but right now you should be more worried about how you intend on getting out of this place," Kisame said as he watched another member with blonde hair and two extra mouths on his hands chain his ex-partner to a bed where they would leave him to starve or die of cold…whichever came first.
"Itachi? You're going to be okay. We're going to get you to the Konoha hospital and then you'll get better and then I can finally kill you." Itachi inwardly smiled at his brother's futile attempts to not let Itachi know he was actually worried about him. Itachi felt himself grow weaker and weaker when they got on the boat. Sasuke laid Itachi on the floor and stayed by his side for most of the journey. When they were almost there…Itachi felt himself…slipping away.
"Sa…Sasuke?" Itachi cried out softly. If he wasn't able to tell his brother the truth now…his entire life would have been in vain.
"Itachi? Just hold on! Stay with me Itachi!" Sasuke screamed. The smaller boy picked up his brother and looked deeply into Itachi's slowly fading eyes.
"I…I need to tell you the truth."
"You don't have to say anything! You're going to be okay!" Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura watched their teammate slowly come out of his cold persona and change into a compassionate young adult. They watched in almost fear at what was being played in front of them. Itachi and Sasuke were supposed to hate each other. Not care for each other. Was it really because Itachi was dying by the hands of someone else that made them like this? Or was there something else the three couldn't see?
"I have to tell you," Itachi muttered. Sasuke wouldn't hear of it.
"No! You're going to get better and stronger! And we'll fight and then I'll kill you! You aren't dying here! Not now!"
"I don't want to die by your hands, little brother." Itachi spoke softly. The statement hushed Sasuke.
"I killed our family…because I loved you. I loved you in a way that a brother isn't supposed to. I thought that if you hated me…the feelings would go away because they would never be returned. But…it only made it worse. I've only been living so I could tell you that. I have no purpose in this life anymore." Itachi closed his eyes but Sasuke shook him.
"You're leaving me with more questions damn it!" Sasuke slapped his brother out of frustration but attempted to apologize only to be hushed once again.
"What haven't I told you that isn't just straight up? I love you more than I should." Sasuke's world crashed. He had developed a hate so strong that his entire being was devoted to killing his brother. His brother that killed everything he once was. His brother who told him to kill him! To hate him! His brother…loved him? "I'm sorry I lied to you." Sasuke felt Itachi's body grow lighter and he watched as his older brother's breathing had stopped.
"Itachi! Itachi! Wake up you son of a bitch! Wake up! Wake up!" Sasuke was punching the corpse that remained of his brother. He was alone…and he didn't like the feeling.
"Sasuke! He's gone it won't change anything!" Sakura yelled. She tried to pull Sasuke away from the body but he shoved her away.
"No! He can't die! Not like this! Not like this! Wake up you fucking bastard wake up!" Kakashi picked up the boy despite his powerful kicks and punches. He set the boy down and grasped his shoulders tightly.
"Sasuke!" He demanded. The hysterical boy looked into his sensei's eyes…or rather eye. The Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector covered the other. "Itachi…is gone. There is nothing you can do to that body that will bring him back. I'm sorry you feel this way and I'm quite surprised myself to see how it ended for him. But he is gone."
"I hate you!" Sasuke cried looking over at the dead body. "Why did you have to tell me that now?!" He pretended he hadn't heard Kakashi. Everything he understood was wiped out from under him. He felt a sudden feeling for his brother he had thought he let go long, long ago. He felt love…and he wasn't sure which kind he was feeling.
"Sasuke." Kakashi demanded pulling the dark eyed boy's attention away from the corpse. "Must I knock you out so you can calm down?" Sasuke was stunned. He stared into his sensei's eye. Why did everyone not understand him? Maybe he had gone insane.
"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect for that reason to come out of his mouth. I never even thought of that one. I always thought he had done it because he was just sick. I didn't think he actually felt love for me."
"Wait…like he loved you or like he loved you?" Naruto asked. Everyone stared at him. "Heh! I guess I'll just go and look at the harbor coming into view!" The blonde grinned nervously and scratched the back of his neck before running to the opposite side of the ship.
"Sakura…go and keep Naruto company…I don't want him find a way to fall off the boat." Kakashi said. Sakura sighed…she wanted to comfort Sasuke too. If she could have it her way, Sasuke would have killed Itachi and she and the raven-haired boy would be off getting married by now. But no…Sasuke acts as if he hates her sometimes.
"The greatest lovers were murderers first." Kakashi said as he walked to where Naruto and Sakura were. Sasuke blinked for a few moments. What did that mean? He looked out at the harbor that was coming into view. Why couldn't Kakashi just say something wise…and then explain what it meant? 'Right I know…if he did…he wouldn't be Kakashi.' Sasuke sighed. His life wasn't going to be the same anymore.
There wasn't a funeral service for Itachi. The village was informed of Itachi's death and everyone celebrated his passing…everyone except Team Seven. Sasuke was angered by all the joy that Itachi's death brought over the village. Even the Jounin, Chuunin, and some Genin were celebrating.
"Sasuke, how're you feeling?" Sakura asked as she sat down beside her teammate.
"Horrible."
"But you wanted him dead didn't you?" Sasuke didn't answer for a few moments. Sakura was cringing. She couldn't take the suspense.
"I did. But…now I wish I could have him back. What he told me…it's I can't even explain it. I'm just shocked it ended this way I guess."
"I'm always here if you need someone to talk to," Sakura ventured into uncharted territory. Sasuke…talking…to someone about his feelings? Now there was something.
"Thanks. Right now I just want to be alone. I need to think about some things." Sakura felt that she had accomplished something as she stood up to walk away. She couldn't help but smile…even though she felt awful for Sasuke, she was glad he was finally letting her in. Sasuke walked to where Itachi was buried. The gravestone was nothing more than a cheaply made slab of rock that said, "S-Ranked Criminal. Uchiha Itachi." Not exactly how anyone would want to be remembered. Sasuke's heart ached. He had never imagined he would feel this way about his brother's death. He never thought he would be sad…lonely. Sasuke dropped to his knees and began to cry silently.
"Itachi, why did you have to leave me? Why now? I take it back! I don't hate you. I won't hate you! I…I forgive you. I think, I think I love you too. In a way we're not supposed to love each other." Sasuke curled up on his brother's grave and closed his eyes. He wished for nothing more than to see his brother again. The small genin was startled when he felt another presence. He looked up to see a woman. She seemed to be glowing. Sasuke rubbed his eyes in disbelief. She had large white wings spread out from her back. Her hair was golden and her skin flawless. "Who?"
"Do you want to see your bother again?" she asked.
"I don't know…do I?" Sasuke asked. He was startled…and afraid. She gave off a comforting feeling to the boy, but he knew it was too good to be true.
"Do you want him alive again?" she asked.
"I think I do."
"Do you want him to hold you?" Sasuke felt his tears sting his eyes as he pictured his brother holding him…kissing him. His heart ached horribly as he nodded swallowing a rather large lump in his throat.
"I want him back," Sasuke stated.
"And so you will." Sasuke saw a bright light before he was forced to close his eyes again. In his mind he heard the woman speak. "You have him back now. But be warned…he has no heart. He can only feel emotion for a short time." Sasuke opened his eyes to see his brother staring idly at his own grave.
"Aniki?" Sasuke asked hopefully. Itachi's eyes seemed to tear from the gravestone to look at Sasuke. Sasuke was taken aback by the stone gaze. Itachi's eyes were completely blank. There was no hate…no love…nothing.
"I feel nothing," Itachi said returning his gaze to the stone.
"But you're back!" Sasuke said cheerily. He knelt down next to his brother. Their shoulders were touching.
"Sasuke…I died." Itachi's long black hair stirred as a cold breeze caressed the brothers' skin. Sasuke looked down at the stone.
"I know. But I brought you back! And…um…we can…be together if you'd like?" Sasuke felt his heart race. Was he seriously asking his brother to be his…boyfriend? Lover? Something along those lines?
"Are we not together now?" Itachi asked.
"I mean like…forget it." Sasuke felt his heart crash and burn. Maybe bringing Itachi back wasn't for the best.
"You mean like what? Romantically?" Itachi's eyes didn't move from the stone that beared his name.
"If you want to. Or if you didn't mean that way-" Sasuke blushed.
"I forget how to love. I feel numb."
"That's cause you have no heart."
"How am I alive?"
"I'm not sure, but the lady with the wings said you would be heartless and you could only remember emotion for a bit."
"Lady with wings?"
"Yeah I know crazy right? She was the one who actually brought you back…but she had to get my permission first…at least I think she did." Sasuke sat in thought for a moment. For a milisecond and only that one milisecond something other than nothing flashed in Itachi's eyes: Recognition.
I'm kind of re-writing this one, I read it on my other site and I was like...I think I messed this up a bit. So I'm re-doing it! Review if you'd like it to continue here!