Hi, everyone! Empress of Enchantment here! This is my first fanfic, so please review and tell me what you think. Here is some information before you start reading: Itachi is thirteen-years-old at the beginning of this story. Like he did in canon, he believes Obito is Madara. The biggest change is that he doesn't join the Akatsuki. Also, there are some small changes to the Uchiha Massacre. Since that's out of the way, enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: 'Sigh' I do not own Naruto. If I did, Itachi wouldn't have died.
Resolution
Chapter 1: Long Night
He sat silently on the floor in his darkened room, reading that dreaded letter for the hundredth time. The letter was crumpled and the handwriting had begun to fade, a testament to the countless times he folded and unfolded it. Even as the handwriting started to fade away, he could still read with perfect clarity the words written on its crumpled form. Fifty-four words. There were only fifty-four words written on this piece of paper, yet they affected him much more profoundly than any epic novel or poem could ever hope to accomplish. Within fifty-four words, whatever innocence he had left in his soul was forever destroyed. He doubted he had any left, but he liked to believe he carried at least some small amount of innocence and youth inside his heart. But that didn't matter now. He could not afford to dwell on such ridiculous musings. Innocence? The haunting and gruesome images of the Third Great Shinobi War he saw when he was only four took that away.
He forced down the bile that threatened to rise in his throat. He mentally scolded himself for such weakness. Ten years had passed and he still couldn't get rid of the nightmarish scenes of gore and violence. He remembered a time when he was plagued by hellish dreams and how he cowered under his sheets, pleading to whatever deity that existed to make them stop. He hated how weak and pathetic he was back then. Eventually, the nightmares stopped. Just as quickly as they appeared, they vanished. He had overcame his darkest fears and for awhile believed those would be the last. How foolish he was to actually believe this was the case.
The letter in his hand brought about new fears, new nightmares, ones he knew would never truly leave him. Within one paragraph was his mission, a mission that, if failed, could lead to the downfall of his village. The words were simple, yet most of them were unnecessary. He should have thrown away this infernal letter long ago, but he needed a constant reminder. He needed something to forcibly bring him back to reality when life and dream began to blend and mix. His mission, like the words, was simple, yet so life changing. He never failed a mission before, and this would be no different. His mission was simple. He, Itachi Uchiha, had to kill every single member of his clan to prevent a civil war his foolish father had been planning for years.
Itachi closed his eyes and took several deep breathes. It had to be done. There was no going back. As he sat here, Madara was waiting for him to make his move and begin the massacre. Itachi eyes snapped opened, his Sharingan spinning madly. Madara. How he truly hated that decrepit and evil old man. Just the mere thought of his ancestor brought out hatred from the young Uchiha. He calmed himself down after a few minutes and gripped the letter tightly. He used his other hand to grip the opposite edge of the letter and, with a single movement, ripped it in half and let the remnants fall to the floor. Itachi didn't need it any longer. Like Shisui's 'suicide note', he had memorized every word of it.
Just as he was about to stand up, he heard a soft knock on his door.
"Itachi-kun? Are you going to come down for dinner?" The angelic voice of his mother asked through the door. He made to reply, but no words would come. A few more seconds passed until his mother spoke again, "That's alright, Itachi-kun. I'll just sit your food down here. It's your favorite," He heard her place the tray of food down on the floor and watched her shadow remain in front of the door, "Enjoy your meal, Itachi-kun," The soft thud of her shoes indicated she was walking away.
Itachi closed his eyes and fought down tears.
"Thank you…kaa-san," He choked back a sob as the words left his mouth. Itachi stood up from his seated position. Eyes that moments ago held unshed tears were now cold and emotionless. It was time. He could delay no longer. He calmly walked over to his closet and opened the door. He grabbed the ANBU armor inside and, with practiced ease, placed it on his torso, arms, and legs. It fitted him perfectly. He slung his sheathed katana around his shoulder, tightened the straps until they were snug, and finally tied his headband securely on his forehead. He moved to his window, opened it, and stared at the hundreds of houses that made up the Uchiha complex. Hundreds of fellow clansmen were completely unaware of the slaughter that was about to happen. Steeling himself, Itachi inhaled the fresh night air and jumped out of the window.
He started at the nearest house. He effortlessly slaughtered the middle-aged couple inside, painting the walls and his blade in their crimson blood. Itachi's face remained expressionless as he moved to the next house. Two adults and two children. A piece of his soul died the moment he ended the lives of the two children, a boy and a girl. He gave them quick and painless deaths. He used his genjutsu on them and their passing was as quick for them as falling asleep. As he exited the house, he could hear Madara's killing spree all the way from the other side of the complex. The ancient Uchiha must be really enjoying himself, he mused.
By now, people were starting to realize what was going on. His fellow clansmen charged at him with reckless ferocity. They believed numbers could defeat him. They were wrong. Itachi made quick work of them all. His impassive expression broke the moment he set eyes on a blue and gray house at the end of the street. 'Please don't be home…' He made his way slowly to the house and opened the sliding door. He was immediately tackled by a blur of blue and struggled to keep his balance. He looked down to see his betrothed and lover, Hitomi, wrapped tightly around his torso. She looked up at his face with wide and beautiful onyx eyes.
"Ita-kun! What's happening? Are we under attack?" She looked terrified and wonderfully beautiful at the same time. She had long, dark blue hair, a cute little nose, and a heart shaped-face that made her look like an angel. To him, she was his angel. They had been arranged to be married since they were six-years-old and had since been very close. Her eyes widened as she noticed the blood on him, "What happened? Are you hurt?" The worry and care in her voice brought tears to his eyes. Dammit! Why did he have to do this? She knew nothing about the coup. Her parents had died on a mission when she was only eight. There was no possible way she could be a threat to the village. But it…had to be done. He could only save one...
"Tomi-chan," He gently caressed her cheek. A light blush made its way across her face at the intimate gesture. Itachi leaned in and placed a loving kiss on her lips. He meant for it to be brief, but she would have none of that. She removed her arms from his waist and grabbed the back of his head and held him there. The kiss seemed to last for an eternity and Itachi cursed the heavens when he finally had to pull away. He stared into those onyx eyes he loved so much, burning them into his mind with his active Sharingan. She stared back at him, eyes filled with love for him. He spoke softly and adoringly, "I love you, my beautiful angel,"
Tears made their way down both their faces.
"I love you too, Ita-kun," She still didn't realize what was going on and he wanted it that way.
His Sharingan spun slowly and he whispered to her, "Sleep, angel," Her eyes fluttered and she struggled to keep them open, but it was useless. He applied the genjutsu that would ensure her a painless death. The last image she saw before unconsciousness took over was the face of her crying lover, 'Don't cry, Ita-kun. Please, don't cry…' Before her body fell to the floor, Itachi caught her and held her close. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent for the last time. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Itachi lifted her up and moved to her bed. He carefully placed her on the bed and stared at her lifeless form. He wished he would be able to see her again in the afterlife, but only hell awaited him when death came. He would gladly accept whatever judgment given to him. He deserved eternal pain for what he did to someone so pure and innocent, 'Rest in peace, my angel.'
With one last glance at her, he made his way outside the house. It was getting late. Sasuke would be home any minute. Itachi needed to do one last thing before that happened. He deliberately walked slow, stopping every now and then to survey the destruction and dead bodies that littered the main road of the complex. Kunai and other various weapons were stuck in the walls and ground. Several Uchiha looked to have been literally ripped apart, as if part of their bodies had been sucked into a vacuum and the rest left to rot. Doors were torn off their hinges and every window was shattered. Small craters and pockets scarred the earth. This side of the complex looked like a warzone and Itachi knew why, 'You are a sick bastard, Madara.'
Before he knew it, the familiar sight of his home appeared before him. Itachi made to go in, but paused at the door. Could he really do this? It was one thing to kill distant relatives, but could he do this? It didn't matter. He HAD to do it. There was too much at stake if he didn't. He mustered up all the strength and courage he had and entered his house. The scene that awaited him was not what he expected. His mother and father sat next to each other in the middle of the living room, holding each other. His mother was crying and he could hear his father whispering comforting words to her. It shocked him. His father was never one to display open affection.
Itachi approached them with caution, his footsteps echoing throughout the spacious household. His father glanced up at him with tired and sad eyes, eyes that didn't match his usual demeanor. He regarded him for only a few seconds then shifted his gaze back to his sobbing wife.
"I know why you're here," His father said quietly. The defeat in his voice broke Itachi's heart. Never once had his father shown such weakness, "I want you to know we don't blame you, Itachi."
That completely surprised him. They didn't blame him? He was about to kill them, they knew that, yet they…they didn't blame him. He fought hard, but tears cascaded down his face and he began to sob uncontrollably. Everything hit him. Killing his comrades, his fellow clansmen, and his beloved Tomi-chan…and what he was about to do. He couldn't hold it back any longer. With shaking hands, he removed his blade from it's sheathe and struggled to keep it steady.
His mother looked at him with tear-filled eyes. She gave him a small, sad smile.
"Itachi-kun…we don't hate you. We…we understand…"
Itachi was shaking uncontrollably. He tried to lift the blade, but all his strength left him. His will was crushed. He couldn't do this.
"I…I can't do it…" He said in-between his sobs, "Tell me…Tell me I'm doing the right thing!"
Both of his parents remained silent.
"Tell me! Tell me what I'm doing is right! Please!" He begged them.
"This…this is right, Itachi-kun," His mother said. She was no longer crying, "You are doing the right thing…"
A little bit of his strength returned and the blade lifted up a few centimeters. He was still shaking.
"Your mother's right…Finish it, Itachi," There was resignation in his voice and the blade moved into the perfect position to end their lives. The edge of the blade was poised at their throats, ready to deliver its fatal cut. The shaking stopped. There were no more tears or sobbing. All that remained was determination. Determination to finish what he started.
"I want you both to know…I've always loved my family. No matter what you may think, I've always loved my family," His eyes were cold now. There were no traces of tears or sorrow left.
His father nodded.
"And Sasuke?"
"He will not die."
The blade pressed against their throats.
"Forgive me, Kaa-san, Tou-san," He closed his eyes and ended their lives in one movement. He tried not to cringe when he heard their bodies hit the floor, but he was unsuccessful. It was done. The last lives he had to end tonight. He felt so…empty. No sadness, no hatred. Just empty.
At that moment, Itachi sensed Sasuke's presence outside the door. Despite numerous delays, the timing was perfect. Tonight, Sasuke's life would forever change and Itachi would be the instigator. Itachi watched the door slowly open from the shadows. His parent's corpses were directly in the moonlight that shined through a window. There was no way Sasuke would miss such a gruesome sight.
"Kaa-san! Tou-san!" Sasuke yelled as his eyes landed on their unmoving bodies. It hurt Itachi to see his little brother in such anguish. The younger Uchiha was frozen in his spot, his gaze never leaving his dead parents.
Itachi decided it was time to let his presence be known. He stepped into the moonlight, his soft steps attracting the attention of his little brother. Sasuke's eyes widened for a few seconds and he made to take a step back in fear, but stopped when he recognized it was his brother. Itachi could literally see the relief wash over his brother's face. It appeared Sasuke had yet to put two and two together and believed Itachi's presence was one of security and protection. 'You're too trusting…Sasuke.'
"Nii-san! What happened? Who did this?" Sasuke asked, but only received silence, "I don't understand. Who would do such a…" A shuriken lightly grazed Sasuke's shoulder, slicing the skin open, and embedding in the door behind him. It pained Itachi to even inflict that small amount of damage to his little brother.
Sasuke clutched at his bleeding shoulder and stared at Itachi in disbelief.
"Why..." Realization suddenly hit him, "You did this? I-Itachi? Why?"
It took every bit of control Itachi had to keep his face emotionless.
"Foolish little brother…I almost pity you," The words tasted bitter in his mouth, but he persevered. He activated his Sharingan and stared into the frightened eyes of his little brother. His Sharingan slowly morphed into the Mangekyo Sharingan, the three black tomoe mixing together to form a pinwheel blade. Itachi felt a slight sting in his eyes as he activated the most powerful genjutsu in the world, "Tsukuyomi!"
Within the span of a single second, Sasuke was forced to endure visions of the massacre, with some slight alterations. Itachi showed him images of slaughter and death. Sasuke screamed and begged Itachi to stop, but it had to be done. The seeds of hatred needed to be planted inside his little brother's mind. When the terror ended, Sasuke collapsed to the floor, barely conscious and breathing heavily. Besides feeling immensely guilty, Itachi couldn't help but feel impressed. He honestly believed the Tsukuyomi would be too much for Sasuke and cause him to black out. 'You are strong, little brother. I've known that since the day you were born…'
"Why…Why would you do this…Itachi…why?" Sasuke asked as he struggled to get up.
Itachi stared at the quivering form of his brother and fought back the urge to comfort him. His heart was breaking piece by piece with every passing second, but he needed to play the part of a cold-blooded, murdering, psychopathic older brother perfectly.
"To test the limits of my ability," He answered emotionlessly.
Sasuke glared at him with such intensity it made Itachi want to take a step back, but he held his ground and met his brother's glare with impassiveness.
"To test your…ability?" Sasuke was visibly shaking as he slowly got up, "That's why you did this? That's why you killed every member of our clan?" The anger in his voice increased with every word.
Itachi closed his eyes. To Sasuke, it might have looked like a mocking gesture, but Itachi was really fighting the tears that threatened to escape, "It is of great importance."
Sasuke balled his tiny fists and charged at Itachi.
"You're out of your mind!" He yelled in rage.
Itachi stopped him effortlessly with a punch to the stomach. Sasuke doubled over and once again collapsed to the floor at his brother's feet. Itachi watched his little brother's eyes fill with terror as the situation caught up to him.
"I'm…I'm scared! Don't kill me!" Sasuke rose from his fallen position and ran out of the house screaming.
Itachi watched his retreating form and shunshinned a few blocks away. He appeared right in front of Sasuke, who looked terrified when he saw him at the end of the street. Itachi calmly took a few steps forward before stopping about ten meters away from Sasuke. The full moon was directly behind Itachi, giving him an unearthly glow that made him look like death incarnate to the younger Uchiha.
Sasuke finally gathered the courage to speak.
"It's a lie! This isn't like you, nii-san. Please, tell me…"
Itachi quickly cut him off.
"I have acted like the older brother you have desired for one reason. Because I wanted to discover how powerful you were," He paused momentarily to let the message sink in, "I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my own ability. YOU have that unique potential," The cold breeze began to pick up and Sasuke shivered, "Now I have made you hate me. Now you have the desire to defeat me, which is exactly why I'm going to allow you to live. Don't you see? It's all for my own benefit," Itachi had practiced this lie a thousand times until he had it memorized, "Like me, you may be able to activate the Mangekyo Sharingan. But there is a catch…"
Itachi paused. Should he do it? Should he tell Sasuke the secret to true misery?
"You must…" 'He'll need it,' "…take the life of your best friend. You must kill him!"
Sasuke gasped.
"Kill him…Itachi...You killed Shisui?"
Itachi stifled a shudder at the mention of his deceased cousin.
"Yes, I did. How else do you think I obtained these powers?" His eyes were obscured by his bangs as he said this. It was becoming harder to keep up this façade, "In the main hall of Nakano Shrine, underneath the seventh tatami mat on the far right, is the clan's secret gathering place. There, you will find a document, detailing the Uchiha clan's jutsu. It tells of the Mangekyo's true power."
"True power?" Sasuke whispered to himself, but Itachi still heard him.
"If you manage to activate…" A fake smirk appeared on Itachi's face, "That's enough reason to let you live. Well, that's all…" Itachi turned to leave, but Sasuke flinched. Itachi sent Sasuke the most viscous glare he could muster, "Oh, don't worry. You're not worth killing. My foolish little brother…If you wish to kill me one day, do it out of hate and anger. Surviving in such an unsightly manner as this…by all means flee; cling to your wretched life. And then, one day, when you possess the same eyes, come back and face me!" Itachi placed a genjutsu on Sasuke that would force him into unconsciousness. Itachi turned away as he saw Sasuke's body fall and relief washed over him. It was done. This whole night was over…
Itachi's eyes widened as he watched Sasuke break through the genjutsu. Sasuke glared at Itachi with…with Sharingan eyes!
'The stress and anguish caused him to activate his Sharingan! You truly are strong, little brother.'
Itachi kept his impassive mask on and once again turned away from Sasuke. It was time to leave. He leapt onto a nearby fence and ran toward the gates of the complex.
"Stop!" Sasuke yelled and followed his older brother. As he ran, Sasuke picked up three kunai from the ground and threw them at Itachi. Itachi barely had time to react and pulled out his katana to block the incoming kunai. He managed to deflect two, but the last one hit his headband dead center, causing it to knock off his forehead and onto the ground. Sasuke stopped running and fell to his knees. The Sharingan and the events of the night had finally taken their toll on him.
Itachi walked over to where his forehead protector had fallen and picked it up. He hurriedly tied it around his head and placed the katana back in its sheath. When he turned to face his little brother for the final time that night, he couldn't stop the tears from escaping his eyes. Sasuke got a full look of Itachi's moment of weakness before unconsciousness took him.
Itachi moved to his little brother's unmoving body and continued to weep.
'I'm…I'm so sorry, Sasuke. Please, stay safe…' He wiped the tears from his eyes and altered Sasuke's memory to forget the last five minutes using a powerful genjutsu. Sasuke couldn't know his monstrous, murdering brother cried. He would begin to question, look for the right answers, and uncover a truth that could destroy the whole village. No, it was best he forgot about that…
With the events of the long night over, Itachi gave one last glance at the place he called home for so long and disappeared into the night. He had one more destination before he left this village behind forever, 'Hokage-sama must know I spared Sasuke. I pray he understands.'
Hiruzen Sarutobi admired the stars in the sky as he waited for confirmation from one of his most loyal shinobi, Itachi Uchiha.
'The night is too beautiful for these tragic events,' the old Hokage thought bitterly, sadness and sorrow written all over his face. How could he have possibly approved this? Why did he listen to Danzo and his two old teammates? He glanced at his two silent teammates with great contempt and they flinched from his vicious glare. He wasn't called the Professor for nothing…
"Hokage-sama," Sarutobi turned to find Itachi kneeling before him. Homura and Koharu stepped back at the sight of the Uchiha warrior. His ANBU armor was covered with specks of blood and his emotionless eyes sent shivers down their spines.
"Itachi…" Sarutobi actually found himself at a loss for words.
"It is done, Hokage-sama," Itachi said, his eyes never leaving the ground.
Sarutobi nodded sadly.
"All dead?"
Itachi was silent.
"Itachi? Is everyone dead?"
"…Everyone…except Sasuke."
The two elders immediately reacted to this news.
"You insolent brat! Your mission was to kill EVERYONE!"
"Traitor! You should be executed for such treason…"
"Silence!" Sarutobi yelled at his former teammates, "I don't want to hear another word from you two!" He turned to Itachi, "Please, explain, Itachi."
Itachi bowed lower in front of his leader.
"I…I couldn't kill him, Hokage-sama. I failed…" He stopped when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Itachi looked up to see the Hokage looking down at him with a sad smile on his face.
"Rise, Itachi."
Itachi did as he was told and rose. He had never been this close to the Hokage before. It made him really notice the difference in height between them. Itachi towered over the ancient leader by at least six inches. Despite this, Itachi still held immense respect for the God of Shinobi.
"I can't even begin to understand the pain you had to go through, Itachi," The old man said, "You have done your village a great service. Not since the Yondaime has a Konoha shinobi sacrificed so much to protect this village…"
Itachi looked at the aged leader with surprise. Did he just rank him with the Yondaime? Itachi felt he didn't even deserve to be in the same sentence as Konoha's greatest hero.
"Before all this mess happened…" He continued, "I was seriously considering you to be the next Hokage, the Godaime," Itachi's eyes widened. Did he just hear right? The Hokage considered him a candidate to be the next Hokage? "And I still would…but this situation has made that impossible."
"You…You considered me?" Itachi could barely speak.
Sarutobi nodded.
"Yes. You are brave, strong, intelligent, kind-hearted…Everything needed in a Hokage. You truly have the Will of Fire burning brightly inside of you, Itachi. For everything you have done for this village, Itachi, I promise you no harm will come to young Sasuke."
"Hiruzen! Surely you…" A look from the Hokage instantly silenced Koharu.
"He WILL be protected. Understand?" His two former teammates nodded.
"Hokage-sama…I cannot thank you enough," The ANBU captain once again bowed, "Please, watch over him. Make sure he is safe."
"You have my word, Itachi," Sarutobi glanced at the clock and sighed, "I can't delay it any longer, Itachi. You'll have to leave. If I wait any longer to call the ANBU, there will be suspicion."
Itachi rose.
"Then I must go. Please, take care, Hokage-sama," Itachi took one last glance at his leader before shunshinning away.
Sarutobi watched Itachi disappear.
'Good luck, Itachi. I hope wherever you go, you find peace,' Sarutobi thought as he prepared to call the ANBU.
Well, that's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please, leave a review to tell me what you think! The next chapter will be up as soon as I'm done typing it. See you then!