Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used in this story.
Sasuke hated this man. Because he had been his best friend, because he betrayed him, because he had slaughtered everyone that he had cared about, because he was everything that Sasuke had loved.
He loathed the way that the blood welled in his brother's throat, he hated that his brother was bleeding, he hated that he cared. Because he could have been happy, he could have been like the others, he could have become an honorable ninja, he could have fallen in love. A part of him knew that it was wrong, that it was wrong that he so hated this man who was supposed to protect him, but then he saw it again, the pain, the death, the way that the darkness crawled toward him every night, telling him to find his brother, telling him to kill.
And because of that, because of the hesitation he was hit, wasn't he was supposed to have dodged, wasn't he supposed to be strong?
But there he was, dying on the ground, dying because of his demon spawn of a brother; Sasuke didn't know what to say, except that he had wasted it all. He had wasted a life that should have been his, he could have lived a happy life, but he had stopped himself. He had thrown it all away for this. To be killed before the lives of his clan could be atoned for, to join them, in a death that should have occurred all those years ago. And he realized there, bleeding to death, broken. That he could have let go. He could have trained in his village, he could have been stronger with his friends, he could have had a life. He could have fallen for Sakura, he could have loved her, because underneath the almost suffocating admiration of himself, she was a good person, she was smart and kind, she had loved him.
And he hated his brother even more, he hated this man who had blinded him to what was there.
But Itachi did not blink, he walked slowly with a measured pace, calculating this new situation.
"It's not what you think." Sasuke almost spat as the words left his sibling's mouth.
"I am sorry." His brother sat down beside him, just like it used to be, before the massacre, before the death. Something fell into place for Sasuke, as he held on to that single thread of life that was left in him. 'It was for me.' It didn't matter that the hate still burned in his chest, it didn't matter that he was dying, because he finally knew, respect for his brother came flooding in, for holding on so long, for trying to keep hold of the only thing left that he cared about.
Cold began to creep in, making emotions numb, making his mind slow, just like his failing heartbeat. Sasuke opened his mouth, "Itachi, I understand." It came out a gurgled whisper, but he knew that his brother heard it; he knew that it was over.
And then the strength returned, because the weight of darkness was lifting from his chest, finally letting him breath, "Naruto Uzumaki is the name of my best friend. Kakashi Hatake was my teacher. Sakura Haruno is the only girl I have ever talked to for more than three minutes without wanting to vomit." He said it with a bit of humor, even though it was true, because he wanted his brother to know a bit of the life that he had. He wanted to let him know that, if only for a moment, he had known happiness.
Sasuke Uchiha died that day, bleeding and broken, more at peace than he had ever been, because he finally knew the truth, because his brother was there to tell his friends that he had died happy, because it was over, because he was finally free.
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