Ode to an Avenger
01
He stood over him, the fallen one. Blade slick with blood, rain matting down his hair, wiping clean the largest wound on his left side that was still bleeding.
Red met red, as their eyes met and their blood pooled together. Blazing hatred evident in Sasuke, and dignified calm in Itachi.
Itachi, laying so pitifully broken at Sasuke's feet, mud oozing through his Akatsuki cloak, mixing with his blood, and both Uchihas shared the same thought:
Itachi will die now.
Even as Sasuke raised his katana, gripping the hilt so tightly it shook, blood flecking his already bloodstained face, he reminded himself of what Itachi had done, years ago.
I can kill him. I can finally kill him.
His resolution wavered as he saw Itachi staring back at him, making no move to defend himself. As if it would make much of a difference; the slashes to his rib cage made it entirely too painful to breathe let alone attack. Itachi blinked the blood out of his eyes and waited. Even the Sharingan in its many forms could not save him now.
Ironically, he grew impatient as Sasuke stood over him, frozen in an attack stance, as still as a statue. He'd been waiting for this death for so long now, and to have it so close...
"Sasuke."
And Sasuke glared at him, hard and cold, hating himself for hesitating, for having second thoughts about killing the bastard that killed their family nine years ago.
He'd been ready, prepared to live up to his Avenger name, ready to slam the blade deep into Itachi's cold heart.
Then he had to speak, just had to confuse and irritate Sasuke even more, because when he spoke, Sasuke was reminded so vividly of their childhood, and calls of Aniki and prods on the forehead, and for a second he was sure that somehow Itachi was able to use the Tsukuyomi on him, until he realized that the rain was still hitting him, and he was still wet and cold, and his blood was still flowing, thick and hot out of him.
And he cursed himself, as he sheathed his sword, as he froze that image of his brother forever in his mind; Itachi, his once unstoppable Aniki looking so pathetic and drawn.
And he screamed at himself, in his mind, as he felt a hot tear come from his eye, blazing a slow salty trail down his face until it was swept away by the raindrops.
And he wished death upon himself, and he wanted some kind of finality so fucking badly he bit clear through his bottom lip to stop any sound from escaping, even as he turned from Itachi, turned, and tore through the rain, slipping on wet tree branches in his haste to just get the hell away, and his eyes ached but he ignored them, a wordless scream of rage erupting from him as he left behind his brother.
Hating Itachi for doing this, for royally screwing him over again, dammit, and for making Sasuke realize something that enraged and delighted and confused and scared and unhinged him all at once:
He still loved Itachi.
"Fucking...goddamn fucking asshole!" Sasuke yelled, to himself and yet wondering if Itachi could hear him, because it was only fair that the one he was cursing was able to hear the venom with which he was being cursed.
The rain kept hitting him in droves, smacking his face and making the footing precarious, high up in the trees. He angrily pressed his hand to the large gash on his left side and ground his teeth at the newfound stinging pain, then pulled his hand away, because what comfort did he deserve when he'd just thrown away his best chance at doing what he'd sworn to himself he would do, years ago.
Covering miles in a matter of minutes, fuelled by rage and blinding hatred, but not for the pitiful spectacle he'd left behind; for himself, because he asked himself why was he so stupid and useless and weak. Why the hell did he let Itachi live? Why did he still love that bastard the way he had when they were young?
Some avenger I turned out to be.
Sasuke came upon the familiar forests surrounding Konoha, but did not slow his pace, instead opting to go back to his house in the Uchiha compound and tear up any remnants of his brother, and perhaps burn it all to the ground.
And he came upon the gates, nearly thirty meters ahead of him, and suddenly someone was running beside him, keeping in synchronization with him, and trying to talk to him, if the low buzzing was any indication. Sasuke ignored this pest, he'd always been good at that, until this person had the audacity to lay a hand on his shoulder!
Sasuke jerked violently away and he leapt up and over the wall, his anger returning now that someone was there to see him so weak and pathetic, and he was now on the wall of the Uchiha compound, ready to step to go home and carry out his plans for destruction. Then that same person dared to touch him again, but this time anticipated his reaction and grabbed both arms and spun him around to face...
Kakashi.
Kakashi, who was still talking at him, and Sasuke dimly recognized some words, like blood and what happened and his anger intensified tenfold because why the hell was he acting like it was his damn business? He wrenched free once again and slammed a vicious kick to Kakashi's midriff; a gasp of pain and Sasuke was already running into his house.
He was in Itachi's room, and whatever survived his previous attacks was mercilessly decimated now, and all the while Sasuke was aware that he was incoherently yelling at the top of his lungs, but none of this helped because he still loved that bastard and he still knew he could never kill him, and so he'd failed.
Failed at his life's mission, and he hated himself so much that he couldn't stand, and only when he had sunk to sit leaning with his back against the wall that he realized that Kakashi was there, watching him with concern and a tad bit of fear, but he looked nothing like Itachi did when he stared at him, so Sasuke was able to breathe and relax a bit.
Kakashi crouched in front of him, breathing only slightly hindered by the kick Sasuke had hit him with, and he asked quietly,
"What's wrong, Sasuke?"
Sasuke laughed in a way that wasn't funny, and stared back at Kakashi, and he told him, "Everything. I failed again, at everything I tried. I always do, and it's always because of him."
Before Kakashi could answer, the blood loss finally got to Sasuke and his vision wavered in between black and too bright, and he recognized Kakashi moving forward to carry him for proper medical aid, and he bet his life that if he woke up, it would be in the hospital.
Fuck you, Itachi. I can't even think about you dying anymore. With that last thought Sasuke allowed his eyes to shut, and allowed the warmth that was Kakashi to envelop him as they left together, the remnants of Itachi's room falling back into silence
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Edit: Grammar and other such issues. This whole story will be checked over for these (I know there is a few...or a lot) and then maybe it can finally be updated.