Hello guys! I decided to upload this. It is something I've been working on. Fair warning to viewers: this will contain at least one rape scene and child abuse. I also am including homosexual relationships, so fair warning!

Before they even entered this battle, if one could call it that, Itachi had known how it was going to end. It was not going to end well for him. He was sick, and it was obvious. Itachi had always been petite, but now he was gaunt; his cheekbones were sunken in and his ribs were visible when he took his cloak off. His hair and eyes were no longer bright; they were dull. Oh, his eyes… Had they dulled because of the Sharingan, or was this just the toll the world had on him? Either way, his eyesight was failing him.

His little brother had once again found his way and moved back to The Village Hidden in the Leaf. He was so proud of him; when he found out, he felt his heart warm. He was so grateful to Naruto Uzumaki for never giving up on his baby brother. He had joined back with his team- Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and a new member, Sai.

Now they were all standing before him. His brother and his team along with the rest of the classmates his brother had graduated with and their sensei. Before the battle even began, he was struck with a coughing fit, and he fell to his knees. Blood dripped down his mouth. He felt his partner, Kisame's, hand on his back. "Itachi, you're not well. You can't use those eyes of your's," he said.

Itachi met his gaze and cracked the barest of smiles, hardly even turning up his lips. "Kisame, you know how this is going to go," he said gently. "You have to wait for an opening and leave. Leave me behind. You know I can't.." He stopped, hesitating. "You know I can't keep up right now. I need you to live for another day."

Kisame's eyes hardened at his partner as he frowned. "I can't leave you. I would never," he said. He pulled the raven-haired man back onto his feet.

"We will see each other again. This isn't the end yet. No, I guarantee it," Itachi promised. He felt Kisame give his shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze before letting go of him.

With those last words, Itachi met his brother's unwavering gaze. It was so different from before. Rather than being blinded by hatred and rage, his gaze was full of determination. Oh Sasuke, how he had grown and matured. His heart felt full with the realization that his brother was no longer so foolish.

Itachi and Kisame signed their jutsu together. "Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi said.

"Water release: Water Bullet Jutsu!" Kisame shouted. As the two jutsu collided, steam spread through the area. "Itachi.." He bent his head down, placing a firm kiss half on his lips and half on his cheek. "Until we meet again. I will come for you. I always will." He run his hand through Itachi's hair once more before leaving.

Itachi trembled as he had another coughing fit. He fell onto his knees as he felt more blood collecting in his hands. As the steam dispersed, the Konoha ninja were surrounding him with kunai pointed at him. His vision was severely impaired through the strain on his body. Even if he activated his Sharingan, he wouldn't be able to aim at all.

"Itachi Uchiha, where is your partner, Kisame Hoshigaki?" Kakashi said, even though he had a good idea of what had happened already. Itachi didn't answer in words, as he was still coughing and trying to catch his breath. He gave the copy ninja a cold stare as his coughing subsided.

"Wouldn't," he said in abbreviated, gasping breaths, "you like to know." He sensed one coming behind him, and he landed a kick on a girl with buns, sending her flying. The raven-haired man forced himself onto his unsteady feet. Even as he was in this moment, no weakling would be able to lay a hand on him. Kakashi adjusted his headband, opening his eye with the transplanted Sharingan.

Itachi braced himself, taking out a kunai. He dodged and retaliated most of the attacks coming at him. His vision began to spin, and he only barely dodged the last attack, hissing as his shoulder was cut. He felt a hard kick land on his stomach and was knocked back as he dropped his kunai and began coughing again. This time, blackness took over his vision, and he fell. The last thing he felt was his cheek hitting the hard ground.

When Itachi woke up, he didn't see another which caused him to panic momentarily. Then he felt a bandage wrapped around his eyes and remembered the predicament he was in. Oh, how he longed to just be in a bed with Kisame holding him. His shoulders were sore due to his arms being tightly bound behind him. Even his hands were bound so he could not perform any jutsu. His legs were bound but not uncomfortably tight like his arms.

"So you're awake," Kakashi said. Itachi huffed as a reply. He felt the breath of the man against face and turned his head the other way in an act of defiance. He heard footsteps approaching.

"Itachi, what is wrong with you?" Sasuke said. His familiar voice both relieved him and made his heart drop, knowing that Sasuke could never forgive him.

"Oh, my foolish otouto.." Itachi said. "I'm dying. It's the price of the power I took. Now I will die suffering just as so many others did in our clan." He didn't miss the spike in chakra from his brother, seemingly from rage.

"If I am a fool, you are as well! What was the point, huh?! You wanted to test your powers, but now they're killing you!" Sasuke yelled. There was so much that Itachi wished to tell him, but he knew that he couldn't. But maybe just a little information would ease his brother's pain.

"Otouto, the point was and always has been you," Itachi admitted, carefully picking his words. "I killed the Uchiha clan not to just test my power but to save you." He stopped for a moment but picked up before Sasuke could say anything. "The clan was planning to overthrow the Hokage, so I took the lives of all those corrupt souls. But you, and only you, were innocent. I took matters into my own hands. I spilled our family's blood, so now my own rests in my hands."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. His face, at first, lost all color then turned bright red in rage. "Liar!" he said. Itachi heard the wind from his brother's fist before it connected to his jaw. "You damn liar! Don't bother trying to deceive me with such stories! I'm not as much of a fool as you think!"

Kakashi Hatake was no fool. He wondered if Itachi's tale had any truth to it. After all, he had known Itachi from before it all when they were in the ANBU Black Ops together. He had always found it strange that the young prodigy had just one day snapped, killing his family. The silver haired ninja picked up Itachi from the ground and held him bridal style; he was surprisingly lightweight. It was time for the Konoha ninja to return back to their village. They had captured an important prisoner today.