Hiya! This story has been 'in progress' on my laptop for years! I started it way back after Sasuke and Itachi's fight, but before the Fourth war and Tobi's true reveal. In fact, I think it was about the point where Naruto went nuts in the Pein invasion arc, and we didn't know if Hinata had survived or not. Hmmm. Over the years, I added a bit here and there, rewriting it on a few occasions to fit more with some canon, or because I wanted to change things.

But now it's finally done! :) I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer that I don't own the Naruto universe goes right here. :P

Memento Mori

He was lucky to get out of there relatively unscathed.

After his fight with his brother, Sasuke had woken in a dark room, with a man claiming to be Uchiha Madara telling him that his brother was dead, and that Sasuke now had his eyes. He also told him that Itachi had been ordered by Konoha to kill their clan, and that he'd been unable to kill Sasuke as well because he loved him dearly as his otouto.

Sasuke had been sceptical, so the man claiming to be Madara had activated his Mangekyou to prove it. But instead, Amaterasu from Itachi's eyes had attacked the man, burning him. Sasuke had taken the opportunity to knock him out, dealing what he hoped was a fatal blow as he made a run for it. (he wasn't going back to check) Trying to find his way out of what turned out to be an almost labyrinthine compound, he'd found his brother's body, along with a jar that held his former eyes.

Sasuke had grabbed his brother and run, for some morbid reason also grabbing the eyes. Turned out it was a good thing, since his brother was actually still alive. But he was so close to death, that Sasuke could smell it. He'd run and run and run, until he found a cave system miles away from where that Madara had taken him. He'd laid his brother out carefully, the jar placed next to him, wondering what in the name of Kami he was supposed to do next.

He sat there, knees pulled up to his chin, just staring at his brother for what seemed like hours, until Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo found him. Karin had screeched happily at him, Suigetsu had told her to shut it, then bragged about how they'd found him, and Juugo had remained silent, just watching him. Now, they were all mercifully quiet, waiting for what it was that he wanted to do next.

The only thing was, Sasuke had no idea what that was.

Finally, Juugo spoke up. "Those Konoha ninja are still nearby," he said. "That medic girl is with them."

"I can heal anything Sasuke needs!" Karin said, glaring at him.

"Can you perform eye surgery?" Juugo asked, sliding his gaze to her expectantly.

"Uh…"

"And don't your 'patients' need to be conscious for you to heal them?" Suigetsu added his bit in, using air quotes, which caused Karin to glare at him as well.

"Juugo, take Karin and bring Sakura back here," Sasuke said. "Suigetsu, go to the nearest village and get some medical supplies, things like surgical items, painkillers, and antiseptics."

"Um, alright, Sasuke," Suigetsu agreed. "I'll go 'liberate' the stuff. I think the nearest village is just south of here."

"But I wanna stay here!" Karin whined. "Why do I have to go after that pink haired bitch?"

"Because you're a sensor," Juugo said. "I can't track her without you."

"But you've got your birds!"

"This will be faster."

"Just go, Karin," Sasuke said. "And don't kill Sakura, or injure her too much. I need her healthy and as uninjured as possible to do all this."

Suigetsu left with a nonchalant wave, Juugo dragged Karin off, then Sasuke was left alone with his brother once more.

"Is it really true?" he whispered to the unconscious man before him. "Were you really ordered to do it?"

No answer, naturally, and Sasuke dragged his hand over his face. "I remember… there were a lot of clan meetings that father went to before it happened," he mused. "More than usual, I heard someone mention. But why? Was it a coup, like that Madara said? Why couldn't the Hokage just talk with them? Does this Danzou guy have that much power in the village? Aniki, what do I do?"

Sasuke fell into a contemplative trance, with his eyelids growing heavy until he eventually fell into a light doze. He dreamed of screams and laughter, until he was startled awake by a noise. He reached for a kunai, then relaxed when he realised that Suigetsu was back.

"This is all I could find," Suigetsu said, dumping two bags on the ground. "The nearest village was tiny, but there are a few useful things here. Some bandages, stitches, painkillers, that sort of thing."

He sat down, staring at the unconscious man before them. "So, uh, how's he doing?" he asked. "I mean, all things considered? Though I gotta say, I don't get how you went from wanting to kill him, to wanting to save him."

Sasuke didn't answer, and Suigetsu sighed. The two of them settled in to wait for Juugo and Karin, who turned up just over an hour later with an unconscious and tied up Sakura flung over Juugo's shoulder.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Juugo said. "She put up a fight, so we had no choice… But once she wakes up, she should be able to help your brother."

"She was such a bitch about it all," Karin complained. "Didn't seem to want to come help. But we found her scouting out away from her team, so it was easy to get her without anyone noticing."

Juugo placed Sakura on the ground, not far from Itachi. "She will help," he said. "After all, I'm sure she still feels that bond from when you were on a gennin team together, right Sasuke?"

Sasuke 'hn-ed' and they all settled in to wait.

OoOoO

Sakura woke to the feeling of a cold, hard floor, and ropes binding her. She was about to groan in frustration and discomfort, but then she sensed others with her, and managed to forestall that. Didn't do her a lick of good, though, as it seemed that she was discovered anyway.

"Sasuke-kun, the pink bitch is awake."

Shit! Sakura suddenly remembered fighting two of Sasuke's team mates, then being knocked unconscious from some sneak attack behind her. What on earth did they want with her? Cracking an eye open, she saw… well, not much. It was dark, a cave perhaps, though there was a fire, it didn't really illuminate much.

"Sakura," a voice spoke, and she turned her head to see Sasuke.

"Sasuke," she murmured. "Why am I here?"

He came towards her then, pulling out a kunai, and she stiffened. He leaned down, weapon closing in, and… cut her bonds? Sakura sat up, rubbing her wrists and anywhere else the ropes had been tight. She eyed him warily, then glanced around at the others. She knew who they were from the mission reports, of course. Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo. But who was that other one on the ground?

"I need you to heal someone for me," Sasuke said.

"Why should I do that?" Sakura demanded.

"Because if you do, I'll let you go back to Konoha, unharmed," he told her, and Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"Who is it, then?" she asked, and Sasuke indicated towards the prone form she couldn't identify.

"My brother."

Sakura gasped. "What?" Sasuke wanted her to heal his brother?! The same brother who'd murdered his entire clan and had driven Sasuke from his friends and village in his lust for power and revenge?

Sasuke stared at her, his gaze intense. "I want you to heal him," he repeated. "Heal him of all his wounds, and perform surgery on his eyes."

"His eyes!?" Sakura practically shrieked. "What on earth…? I can't perform surgery like that here!"

"Suigetsu went and got equipment from a nearby village," Sasuke told her. "You can use the fire for sterilisation… Sakura, I need you to do this."

Sakura made a small noise, then sighed. "As long as you promise I can leave," she said, wondering just what in the hell she was doing!?

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes, he really hadn't changed all that much, had he? She went over to where Itachi was, grimacing when she noted the jar of eyes near him. How morbid. She placed a hand on his chest, glad someone had removed his Akatsuki cloak and that there was only a thin shirt between her hand and his chest. Skin to skin contact made healing easier, after all.

"No tricks, pinkie," Karin threatened. "Or I'll make you wish you'd never been born."

"Shut up, Karin," Suigetsu drawled, and the two started bickering back and forth, distracting Sakura.

"Would you two quit it?" she snapped. "You're breaking my concentration!"

"Wha…? Sasuke-kun, don't let her talk to me like that!" Karin whined.

"Both of you, shut up," Sasuke said. "If you insist on continuing your petty bickering, do it elsewhere."

Karin and Suigetsu both stopped arguing, though the former kept glaring at Sakura.

Finally able to concentrate, Sakura pushed her chakra into Itachi, noting all the damage that was likely inflicted during his fight with Sasuke. She healed it all easily, and then noticed something odd. Disease. Eyebrows furrowed, and she wondered if Sasuke knew about this. Either way, he'd noted her reaction to her discovery.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he demanded, coming forward to kneel next to his brother, his expression worried.

"He's sick," Sakura said, noting his surprise. "By the look of it, I'd say he's been ill for years."

"Can you heal it?" Sasuke asked, and Sakura shook her head.

"This kind of thing would require long-term, ongoing treatment," she told him. "I mean, I could clear out his lungs, heal the immediate damage, but it would just build up again. Besides, it's probably too late for a full cure."

"Not definitely?"

Sakura sighed. "No, not definitely," she admitted. "But highly unlikely. It would required him to be in permanent care. As it is, he probably only has a few months left, and healing him right now will only add a few more on top of that. It's progressed so thoroughly throughout his system, that I'm quite frankly surprised that he was even able to function enough to fight you. None of his injuries were really enough to take him out. If I had to guess, I'd say that the reason you 'beat' him was because of this disease, and possibly chakra exhaustion."

"He passed out," Sasuke murmured. "I thought it was blood loss or some internal injury from one of my attacks, but I guess this was it then."

They were both silent as Sakura continued to heal, pushing the disease back, even if she was unable to fully eradicate it. Finally Sasuke said, "Just… continue healing him. Then you can rest so you can transfer the eyes over."

Once Sakura finally cut her chakra off almost an hour later, Juugo spread out a couple of cloaks for her to rest on, one of them being Itachi's Akatsuki one. Sakura fell asleep, facing the elder Uchiha, wondering just what was going on between the brothers now.

OoOoO

When Sakura woke next, Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo were all gone. Sasuke was sitting by the fire, staring into it, almost as if he was searching for all the world's answers in it. Itachi was still lying in the same spot, unmoved, but what else could be expected? She doubted very much he'd wake naturally within the next day or so. Sakura just continued to watch Sasuke, eyes half open, wondering what was going through his mind.

How was it that he was here with his brother? Last she'd heard, Sasuke and Itachi had fought, with Sasuke the clear winner. At least, that's what that guy that looked like a giant Venus fly trap had told them. Despite the fact that the two brothers weren't going to be there, they'd all still gone to the site, pouring over it for clues. That had been the main reason they weren't already back at the village by the time Karin and Juugo had tracked them down and absconded with her.

The others would definitely know she was gone by now. Evidence of a fight would lead them to conclude that she hadn't gone willingly, and with Team Kurenai, as well as Kakashi-sensei's ninken, to track them, Sakura was pretty sure that soon enough, they'd find her here. In the meantime, cooperating with Sasuke and his team was probably the only thing keeping her from ending up a corpse or something until that time.

"You're awake."

Sasuke's voice interrupted her thoughts, and Sakura slowly sat up. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"Suigetsu and Juugo are out scouting," he told her. "Karin's just outside, keeping track of the others who were with you."

"Naruto was one of them," Sakura said. "Did you know, according to the files we have on your new team mates, that Karin is an Uzumaki? Though I don't think Naruto knows."

"Tch, typical," Sasuke snorted. "Can't get rid of the idiot, even if it is just his relative."

"Distant relative," Sakura said. "Their parents were fourth or fifth cousins, or something like that. I wonder if Orochimaru knew…? Probably."

Sakura glanced over at Itachi. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"He's breathing better," Sasuke told her after a moment's pause. "You did a thorough job healing him."

"I may be under duress at the moment," Sakura said, "but there's still no way I'd do things in half measures."

She moved over to Itachi, activating her chakra and checking him over. Vaguely, she sensed that Sasuke had activated his sharingan to watch her technique. "That will only matter if you have the necessary chakra control," she told him, though he predictably ignored her comment.

Once she was done checking him, she sat back and eyed the jar near him. "Why on earth are his eyes in there?" she asked.

Sasuke took so long to answer, that she was pretty sure he was going to ignore her. But then he said, "Those are actually my eyes."

Sakura's own eyes widened as she stared at him. "Someone claiming to be Uchiha Madara took Itachi's eyes and implanted them in me," he said. "Since they're already in, I figured the best thing would be to put mine in him."

"You're right there," Sakura said a little shakily.

Uchiha Madara? Seriously? Sakura knew the history of her village well, knew of the practically legendary feud between the Senju and Uchiha. She knew that the First Hokage had killed Madara in a titanic battle. But if Sasuke, no… this Madara, was to be believed, then he was alive and well.

"Can you do it now?" Sasuke asked. "Do you need more rest?"

Sakura closed her eyes and contemplated her chakra level. Damn, her levels were fine. She sighed and said, "Give me everything you have, then I'll tell you."

The supplies that Suigetsu had apparently gotten would definitely be enough. Sakura sorted everything, wishing desperately that she could do this in a proper, sterile environment. Or not at all, preferably. But she was here, and she could do it, so she had to, if only to get back to her team.

"I can do it," she said reluctantly. "But you'll have to help, since it's just you and me here."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Fill this bowl with boiled water, then sterilise everything metal," Sakura said, her voice taking on an unconscious commanding tone. "I'll need the antiseptic to be within reach, plus the painkillers, since there's no anaesthetic… I guess I can just use my chakra to keep him asleep… Then we'll need to…"

Sakura rattled off orders, Sasuke followed them, and soon, she was performing eye surgery in one of the worst conditions she'd ever had to date.

OoOoO

"Sheesh, these Leaf guys just don't know when to quit."

Suigetsu glared over to where he could see the not too distant forms of that Sakura girl's team mates. They were tracking them down too well, despite all the false trails and scents that he and Juugo had laid out. Sasuke had said that they probably wouldn't be able to hold them off forever, but they needed to just long enough for that little pinkie to heal Sasuke's brother.

"I just don't get it," he moaned. "What's happened to make Sasuke want to save his brother? Did that weird masked guy say something that brought this on? What could he have possibly said to change his mind like that? I really hope Sasuke explains it, because I'm just so confused! Argh!"

"Be quiet," came Juugo's voice, and Suigetsu turned to see him as he landed on the branch next to him. "They're not so far away that they won't hear you."

"Fine, whatever," Suigetsu shrugged. "They're headed straight for the cave, you know."

"I know, the birds told me," Juugo said. "Apparently all but three of them are high level trackers."

"Great, that makes our job easier," Suigetsu remarked sarcastically. "When do you suppose the pinkie will be done?"

"Sasuke seems to think it won't take long," Juugo said. "Though he admitted that he doesn't really know much about medical ninjutsu, beyond what he picked up from Kabuto."

They stood there and watched as the Konoha ninja got closer and closer. "One of us should probably go tell Sasuke how close they are," Juugo said. "The other should probably try to delay them."

"By ourselves?" Suigetsu demanded. "If you haven't noticed, there's seven of them, eight if you include the dog, and only two of us! And you want us to split up?"

"The one who leaves should bring Karin back with them," Juugo said. "I think I should stay, my strength should be enough to hold them at bay."

"What if you lose control?"

"This is for Sasuke, I won't lose control," Juugo said. "Go and update Sasuke, then bring Karin back here."

"Wait a moment!" Suigetsu began, but Juugo was already gone. "Idiot. Fine. Have it your way."

Suigetsu took off in the other direction.

OoOoO

Sakura sealed the last nerve in place, then infused healing chakra in to close up. Finally, she was done. Letting out a sigh, Sakura slumped forward, barely catching herself from landing on the elder Uchiha. She was so utterly drained, she had no will to resist when Sasuke picked her up and carried her back over to the cloaks she'd slept on before.

As she floated on the edge of consciousness, she vaguely heard the sound of Suigetsu and Karin. Once their voices left, Sasuke was back, keeping watch over her and his brother. Sakura slept then, a dreamless sleep that was only interrupted once by the feeling of someone lifting her up and carrying her somewhere. And when she woke again, she was no longer in that cave.

Sitting up and looking around, Sakura found herself lying on a small cot in a room with walls designed exactly like the ones Orochimaru had at that base of his. She was alone in the room, so she lay back down, trying to gauge how much chakra and strength she had left. Obviously she'd slept for some time, because her levels were almost back up to normal, though she was feeling incredibly weak. The reason became apparent when her stomach grumbled ferociously.

"Ow," she muttered as the sensation of her stomach twisting hit her.

Getting up, she made her way over to the door, opening it carefully and peeking out. There seemed to be no one around, so she slipped out the door, randomly choosing to go left along the corridor. She walked for what seemed like ages, until she came across another door. Opening it carefully, she found an empty room, and was about to step out to continue searching, when she felt the tip of a blade at the back of her neck.

"What do you think you're doing, pinkie?"

It was Karin. Of all the people for her to run into, it had to be that psychotic red head. Sakura turned and faced her, which of course brought the kunai being pointed at her to her throat.

"I'm wandering through the halls in search of a way out, naturally," she said, refusing to flinch when the kunai pressed harder against her throat, drawing blood.

"You think you're so great, don't you?" Karin sneered at her. "Just because Sasuke-kun wanted you to heal his brother instead of me. Well, you've done that now, so I'm just going to go ahead and rid Sasuke-kun of the problem of what to do with you."

Her grip on the kunai tightened, and Sakura refused to close her eyes in the face of her impending death, when suddenly Karin was pushed aside, landing harshly on the floor. Glancing to her right, Sakura saw that Sasuke was there, and had shoved Karin out of the way.

"What were you doing, Karin?" he asked, his eyes flashing with the sharingan.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin said, quickly getting to her feet. "I was just dealing with our problem, nothing more!"

"Sakura is not a problem," Sasuke said. "She healed my brother, performed surgery on him to restore his sight."

Karin pouted, eyes glued to the floor as she was likely too afraid to look into Sasuke's blood red eyes. "You've really got a problem, Karin," came Suigetsu's voice as he appeared behind Sasuke. "Sasuke said that Sakura was going to be able to leave, and you tried to kill her. Tsk, tsk."

"Oh, shut up, you idiot!" Karin snapped at him.

"Go outside and check for anyone following us," Sasuke ordered. "I know they're still on our trail, I want you to let me know when they're half an hour away. No more, no less, do you understand?"

"Oh, of course Sasuke-kun," Karin simpered, once she realised that she wasn't going to receive any repercussions from actively going against what Sasuke wanted, then she left.

"Don't mind Karin," Suigetsu said. "She's just insanely obsessed with Sasuke here. You know, Juugo and I once caught her rolling around in Sasuke's clothes."

"Shut up, Suigetsu," Sasuke ordered, even as Sakura giggled. "Sakura, can you come check on Itachi?"

Sakura followed then both back the way she'd come. So she should have gone right instead, then. The room Itachi was in wasn't all that far from where she'd woken. Once in the room, she immediately checked on Itachi, and was partly relieved that he was doing well. Once she'd finished her check-up, she stood and faced Sasuke.

"He's fine," she told him. "He should wake some time within the next few hours."

OoOoO

Sasuke felt a mixture of emotions. A few hours, and he'd have his answers. He stared at his brother's form, noting how peaceful he looked in repose. Sasuke himself had never felt that kind of peace, not since the massacre, and was quite sure that he never would again, either. He moved over to his brother's side and stared down at him, trying to identify what it was that he was feeling.

"Sasuke?" Sakura spoke then. "I've done all I can, all that's left is his illness. It's like I told you, though, that would require ongoing treatment. For months, most likely."

Sasuke had no idea if that could even happen. He wasn't even sure what would occur once Itachi woke, much less the events of months from now. There were so many questions he had, so many issues that needed resolution, one way or another. He was dreading it.

"You want to leave," Sasuke said.

"You did say I could," Sakura reminded him. "Were you lying?"

Sasuke sighed as he continued to stare down at his brother. "Once Itachi wakes and you do a final check on him, I'll guide you out," he told her. "In the meantime, please stay here until he wakes."

He then turned and left the room, leaving her alone with his brother.

OoOoO

The first thing that registered was the fact that he was not dead. After that, he felt a soothing chakra in his system, medical chakra. A hand was on his chest, not healing him, but examining him. Itachi registered that his breathing was clearer, his wounds healed, so that part was already over, and whoever this medic was, they'd already done their job. Not that he wanted them to have done so.

It was when the hand moved from his chest to his eyes that he leapt into action. His own hand shot up, snatching them away from his eyes, which snapped open, already bleeding red with the sharingan. Barely registering his surroundings, Itachi was up in an instant, pulling the medic-nin, for he was sure that's what they were, down to where he'd just been lying. He had no physical weapons, just his eyes, and even they felt wrong somehow.

So his hand at their throat was his only reliable weapon.

As he stared down at the medic-nin beneath him, he noted the green eyes and pink hair, his memory instantly associating her physical features with a name. Haruno Sakura. His otouto's gennin team mate and now apprentice to the Hokage. She was remarkably clear and in focus, even with his sharingan activated. He stared at the intricate colours in her eyes, right down to the minutiae. Those impossibly emerald orbs were wide as saucers as she stared at him, just a little fearful of what he might do.

Which was nothing, apparently. Because a moment later, his eyes stung to the point that he reflexively brought a hand up to them, and she used this opportunity to get out from under him. She backed off from him, her stance ready, but not threatening as Itachi forced himself to turn to face her, determined not to keep his back to her.

"Where am I?" he demanded, then noted the design of the walls. "This is one of Orochimaru's hideouts. Why am I here? Why are you here?"

"Sasuke brought you here," Sakura told him, surprising him as she carefully avoided direct eye contact. "Both of us, actually. I don't know all the details, but he… asked me to heal you."

"And you did that willingly?" he asked scathingly. "Aided and abetted one nuke-nin to heal another?"

She was silent a moment, seemingly contemplating this, then said, "It was done in exchange for the promise of my freedom."

"And you believe him, of course?" he said, injecting light mocking in his tone.

Sakura shrugged. "He hasn't given me any reason to doubt his word," she told him. "Yet."

Internally, he scoffed. "Naive," he spoke dismissively. "But irrelevant. Where is Sasuke now?"

The girl shrugged. "Somewhere," she said. "I'm supposed to tell him when you wake, I think there's a snake summon outside. Apparently he has a lot of questions for you to answer."

"What questions would those be?" Itachi asked. "And why would you know he has them?"

"Sasuke didn't really tell me much beyond the fact that someone claiming to be Uchiha Madara took your eyes and put them in Sasuke's head."

His eyes? Of course, Madara would want Sasuke to be as strong a tool for his plans as possible. But then…

"If Sasuke has my eyes, then…?" Itachi quickly came to a conclusion that Sakura confirmed for him.

"I put Sasuke's eyes in you, yes," she told him.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Part of the deal," she told him.

No wonder everything was so clear and in focus. No wonder the eyes felt wrong. For years now, Itachi had been slowing losing his sight, an unfortunate side effect of gaining one's Mangekyou. It had been a small price to pay, for the ultimate goal of his plans. His illness, too, an unfortunate 'hiccup' in his life. But then, he hadn't been planning to live long enough for it to be what killed him, in the end. And yet, here he was, healed, with Sasuke's eyes in his skull, and breathing clearly for the first time since… Well, since he could remember.

He had an idea what Sasuke wanted from him. The questions he would ask. Never had he considered that he would have to answer them, that Sasuke would find out the truth while he was still alive. Perhaps he should play it off as one of Madara's lies? Yet he had no idea what exactly the elder patriarch had told him. No doubt he had told him the truth, most likely in order to further his own goals. But still…

The question was, what on earth was he going to do now?

The girl was staring at him still, hand twitching like she wanted to come over and heal him. She hadn't gone to call Sasuke yet, was she waiting to see what he would do, first?

"Why haven't you called Sasuke in here yet?" he asked.

Sakura cocked her head at him. "If I went to get him, would you still be here when we got back?" she asked.

No.

That was the first thought that entered his head. He wouldn't. Not if he could manage to slip out of here unnoticed. But then, Itachi knew he had to stay, there was a reckoning he had to answer to, no matter that he wanted to flee it. This wasn't a part of his plans! He should be dead right now, was supposed to be dead right now, but wasn't. So now he had to face what had happened and talk to his brother, no matter how it may go afterwards.

"I'll be here," he said, closing his eyes, resigned to his fate. "I'm not going anywhere."

OoOoO

"Sssasuke-sssama."

Sasuke glanced down to see the snake he'd left for Sakura to send to him when Itachi woke.

"Sssasuke-sssama," the snake repeated. "Your brother isss awake. The iryo-kunoichi sssent me to tell you."

"Very well," Sasuke said. "You may go, Noa."

The snake bobbed its head and un-summoned itself.

Sasuke strode through the corridors towards the room his brother awaited him in, his pace slowing as he approached. It was a combination of nerves, and dread for what his brother would say to him. Would he confirm Madara's story? Or would he deny it? What would Sasuke do if it was true? For so long, all he'd had was revenge. Revenge. But if it was true that Konoha had ordered the deaths of his entire family…

Shaking himself mentally, Sasuke reached the door and pushed it open.

The sight he was met with was Sakura and Itachi standing very close as she reached up, a glowing green hand over his brother's eyes. They noticed his arrival, and Sakura's chakra cut off as she turned to him.

"Sasuke," she greeted him. "Your brother's awake and healed enough to talk with you. "Now, which way is the way out?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, then told her, "Take every second left turn five times, then the same for right."

Sakura nodded then strode past him, pausing outside the door. "Please consider coming home, Sasuke," she said. "Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and I miss you."

Then she was gone, and he was left alone with his brother.

For the longest time, all the two of them did was stare at one another. Sasuke had no idea what Itachi was thinking, but now that they weren't engaged in a battle to the death, he was drinking in the sight of his aniki. It had been so long since he'd thought of Itachi with anything other than hate, it was… odd… to simply be standing here, staring at him. But in the end, he had to break the silence.

"Aniki," he spoke. "I… I need to know if it's true. Did the Sandaime really order you to kill our family because they were plotting a coup?"

Itachi sighed, his eyes closing briefly before he opened them. "Yes and no," he said, his answer incredibly frustrating. "I was originally tasked with eliminating the ring-leaders of the coup d'etat. But after the Hokage participated in a private meeting with Shimura Danzou, it turned to an all encompassing massacre."

"Who is this Danzou?" Sasuke demanded. "How did he convince the Sandaime, who was supposed to support peaceful methods, to do this?"

"Danzou is a highly respected elder of the village," Itachi told him. "He, along with the Sandaime, was a student of the Nidaime. You know well the stories of how Tobirama-sama never truly trusted the Uchiha. Well, he passed those sentiments on to his student. I had thought, at first, that Danzou truly wished for the protection of the village, but I have come to believe that the man is merely a warmonger, and any desire he has for the village stems from that need for war. He desires power, and the Uchiha were merely a step towards achieving that power."

The connotation of his brother's words were not lost on him. "Did… did he steal our clansmen's eyes?" he demanded, and to his horror, his brother nodded.

"I'm not entirely certain when he started hoarding them," Itachi basically confirmed for him. "I suspect that the first he stole, however, was that of his former team mate, and Shisui's grandfather, Uchiha Kagami."

That far back? Sasuke was feeling quite ill at the thought, though he hoped he was hiding it well. Forcing himself to regain a measure of control, he moved the topic back to the massacre.

"So, he ordered it in part for the coup, and in part for our clan's eyes," he said. "How did he convince the Sandaime?"

"By then, he had already attacked Shisui, and stolen one of his eyes," Itachi told him. "Shisui's Mangekyou, the Kotoamatsukami, was a genjutsu that could control someone without their knowledge, placing them under a genjutsu. It is likely that he used that, or something similar on him, to convince him to approve the massacre."

This was all becoming a blur to Sasuke. Who was he to exact his revenge on now? Madara had suggested the entirety of Konoha. The Sandaime was already dead, but this Danzou, and anyone else who had colluded with him… Urgh! His head ached just thinking on it!

"So what Madara said was true," he finally muttered. "Konoha ordered the deaths of our family."

Silence, then Itachi asked, "What will you do now, Sasuke? Have you had your fill of revenge by 'killing' me? Or does that darkness still lurk in your heart?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped to Itachi's, and he almost glowered at his brother. "That darkness is in part your fault," he snapped. "Why on earth were you so determined for me to kill you? Was it because you were sick? Sakura told me you don't have that long, without long term care. Were you planning to use me as a form of suicide?"

OoOoO

Itachi was surprised at how angry Sasuke was all of a sudden. Yes, he did indeed plan to die at Sasuke's hand, but not because he was sick. It was for Sasuke to have someone to blame that wasn't the village, someone he could enact his revenge upon, and hopefully one day be seen as the hero who'd avenged the Uchiha clan. With him, the name Uchiha would be restored for future generations. Just as Shisui had wanted.

And he told him so.

The look on his otouto's face was one of anger and hurt, with a part of betrayal as well. Itachi knew that it would happen, but he was here, facing all the things he'd done, knowing that it was Sasuke's right to judge him for these actions. He expected no less. If Sasuke lashed out at him, wanted to actually kill him, then Itachi would do nothing. He'd accept it.

"I can't believe all of this," Sasuke said, shaking his head, eyes downcast, hidden from him. "That you would do all this, that Madara was right… I just… I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. My entire life after the massacre… It's all been about killing you and avenging them. But now, I don't know what my path is supposed to be."

"I cannot help you there," Itachi told him. "I've already done enough to you, in your stead. I will not presume to make those decisions for you ever again. You… You've grown up, Sasuke. You can make those choices on your own now."

Sasuke looked up at him then, confusion and pain in there. "What are you going to do… Aniki?"

Hearing that word, Sasuke calling him brother, stole most of the breath from Itachi's lungs. It had been so long since he'd heard that, hadn't deserved to. Now, it filled him with emotions he struggled to suppress. Focusing instead on Sasuke's question, Itachi wondered what he was going to do.

"I… I honestly don't know," Itachi said. "As you know, I expected to be dead now. With my illness, no doubt I soon would be. I never thought there was any other option for me but to die."

"Sakura said that if you got the proper care, you might still be able to be cured," Sasuke told him. "She said your disease would require life-long care, and that if you did nothing, then… you'd likely… die… within a few months."

Itachi closed his eyes briefly in acceptance of this. "So that is how it is," he mused. "There is nowhere I can safely go for the treatment, I am a nukenin after all. No respectable medic or doctor will treat one."

"You can't just give up!" Sasuke exclaimed. "We… We can go back to Konoha, explain everything! The Godaime is the top medical ninja in the world, she could fix this!"

"No, Sasuke, I cannot go back," Itachi told him sharply. "If we tell people the truth, the name of the Uchiha clan will be tarnished, and that is not what Shisui and I sacrificed everything for! You could still go back, rebuild the clan and it's reputation. But I cannot."

Silence, and Sasuke looked like he wanted to keep arguing, but then he sighed and asked, "What will you do then, if you won't get treatment?"

"I will find a way to deal with Madara," Itachi spoke resolutely. "The plans he has, they will likely end this world, and that is not something that can come to pass. I must stop our forefather, no matter the cost."

"Aniki, I…" Sasuke looked saddened at his determination, but Itachi held firm. Taking a deep breath, his otouto went on, "Where will I start? The elder, Danzou… You said he's the one who forced the Sandaime to change the order."

Itachi sighed. "If revenge is still your path, I will not stop you," he said. "All I ask is that you remember, the village as a whole is not to blame, even if individuals are. Perhaps it would be best if Danzou were to die. But I would ask you… for your help in dealing with Madara."

"Aniki, I…" Sasuke looked lost a moment, before resolve seemed to kick in. "I will kill Danzou, to truly avenge our clan," he determined. "But there's something I think you should know… I'm not so sure that that man masquerading as Madara is actually who he says he is."

Itachi's only response to that was a quirk of his brow.

OoOoO

Outside Orochimaru's lair, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin watch the kunoichi Sakura as she headed out to meet up with her comrades.

"What's the bet she leads them all straight back here?" Suigetsu asked.

"No bet," Karin scoffed. "I told you guys, we should have killed her."

"Sasuke wanted her to live," Juugo remarked calmly. "I thought you wanted to do things for Sasuke? Leaving her alive is one of those things."

Karin sighed. "Yeah, I know," she said. "She just… She really got on my nerves! I'm so glad she's gone."

"You're only saying that because Sasuke chose her over you to heal his brother," Suigetsu commented, his words confirmed by Karin's indignant blush. "But honestly, do you really think you could have done what that girl Sakura did?"

"No," Karin sighed mournfully. "I get it, she's 'talented'."

"Well, she is the apprentice of Konoha's Godaime," Juugo said. "It's to be expected, I guess."

Karin just pouted.

The three of them sat out there for some time, just waiting for a sign from Sasuke that they were welcome to come back in. But then Karin suddenly stiffened, and the other two straightened in alert. Despite their differences, they worked well as a team, and trusted in one another's abilities, even if they didn't directly trust one another.

"They're headed this way, at the distance Sasuke-kun wanted warning for. We need to tell him, so we can leave before they get here."

The three of them went back into the base, Karin using her sensor abilities to find him in the room where his brother had been sleeping. To their surprise, Sasuke was alone, no sign of Itachi anywhere.

"Where's your brother, Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.

"…We're heading out," the Uchiha said, not answering Suigetsu's question. "We've got work to do, starting with a certain person in Konoha."

The other three members of Team Taka looked at one another, each of them silently agreeing to stick with Sasuke no matter what for whatever it was that awaited them.

So what did you think? The 'Dynamic Uchiha Duo' are off to save the world, with Team Taka in tow! ;)

Review please!