Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Itachi listened to his newest source with a blank expression. The man was obviously frightened, constantly wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. Itachi had long since gotten past being amused by the effect he had on people. But it was a little different this time. The man was afraid—not just of Itachi—but of the person that he was reporting about. It showed in the way that he stuttered over the name and how he grew pale as he relayed the details. A bead of sweat trickled down the man's brow.

Itachi listened with a dispassionate expression. His icy lack of emotion clearly unnerved the other man. He finished his report in a rush and nearly flew out of his chair. He bowed hastily before scurrying away, slamming the door loudly in his hurry to leave. Itachi watched him go, casually taking a sip of his drink as he pondered over this new information.

It appeared that his little brother was up to more than just trying to become stronger. Itachi had heard rumors about his newest fixation and had instantly sought out a more reliable source. He looked towards where the man had run out. It appeared that his witness was able to confirm that his precious little brother had indeed taken to mass slaughter.

The thought disturbed him as he recalled Sasuke when he was a young boy. He had been so innocent and straightforward. Hardly the makes for a murderer. And that was exactly what he had become. Sasuke's attacks were unprovoked; he had destroyed entire villages without any apparent of trigger to spark his wrath.

Itachi couldn't understand it. Sasuke wasn't one to slaughter the weak and innocent; he was above such petty maliciousness.

He needed more information.

Having already distanced himself from Kisame to gather intel, Itachi contemplated his next move. He had many contacts to choose from, but none of them fit his ideal. Whatever had happened to Sasuke, it was affecting his mind. The cause had to be personal—resulting from something close to him.

He needed someone from Konoha.

Laying a few bills on the table, he stood and walked towards the door. The pub that his informant had chosen as a meeting place was loud and filthy; Itachi found it detestable. Walking outside, he breathed in the fresh air with silent relief. He had one more day until he had to meet up with Kisame. With that thought in mind, he turned and darted towards Konoha with ground-eating strides.

Recalling his days as member of Konoha's Anbu, Itachi traveled on a discrete path often used by the leaf village's shinobi. He moved in the shadows, weaving expertly through the trees. His footsteps were absolutely silent; his breathing was smooth and even, belying his speed. His innate abilities had developed beyond even that of Konoha's best Anbu captains.

And he had several more jutsus at his disposal as well.

Spotting a shinobi who wore a leaf headband, Itachi moved to the side, merging naturally with the shadows. Almost unthinkingly, he coiled his chakra within himself, making it so small that it was nearly impossible to detect. Then, with practiced patience, he waited.

The Konoha chunin was completely unaware; his skills were too undeveloped to detect Itachi's cloaked presence. It wouldn't have mattered even if he had.

Darting out swiftly, Itachi grabbed the man by the collar, jerking him backwards. Moving as though the shinobi weighed no more than a rag doll, he threw him back and slammed him against a tree. The three tomoes in his eyes whirled rapidly, trapping the chunin in a trance. The man writhed in his grasp for a moment before going still. Finally, the blood drained from his face and his eyes grew dull.

"Tell me, what do you know of Sasuke Uchiha?"

Words spilled from the chunin's mouth. "He is a missing ninja from our village."

"What recent reports have you heard about him?" Itachi asked with forced patience. Hopefully, this fool could give him the information he desired.

"An investigation has confirmed that Sasuke Uchiha has assassinated the members of his former team and is now massacring numerous villages."

The first part of the man's statement interested him.

"He killed his entire team?"

"Affirmative."

Itachi paused. That had to be the trigger to Sasuke's actions. But that in itself shouldn't have driven him over the edge. There had to something else, something that he was missing.

"What else have you heard?"

"Lady Hokage has formally charged him with treason and has sent out a warrant for his arrest. He is to be executed once he is captured."

Itachi froze. Were he a lesser man, he would have cursed. As it was, he released his hold on the chunin, causing him to slump to against the tree.

"Where might I find him?"

"On the outskirts of the land of fire . . . near river country."

The chunin slumped over, unconscious now that Itachi was through with him. Without giving him a second thought, Itachi rapidly began forming hand signs. With a short burst of chakra, he vanished, a solitary leaf stirring at his departure.

The night was dark and quiet, the moon's reflection wavering softly on the water's surface. Itachi blended easily into the shadows of the moss-covered trees, his crimson eyes glowing in the murky light. Pausing for a moment, he pulled a small vial of from his pocket.

Taking off the lid, he tipped the container sideways until two pills fell into his palm. Barely glancing at the tiny things that kept him alive, he slipped them into his mouth and swallowed. Screwing the cap back on, he returned the vial to his pocket and redirected his attention to the village on the other side of the river.

He had already checked several villages without success, but his instincts told him that this one was it. There was a silence so deep that he could hear the miniscule murmur of water flowing over tiny stones in the stream. A child cried out and was hushed instantly; Itachi knew that he had entered the grounds of the hunted. This is what it was like to be prey: silent terror filled the air in tangible clouds, making it seem difficult to breathe. The entire village was still, hiding behind a mask of inactivity.

The hunter was out there, waiting.

A scream ripped through the air and the spell was broken. People stumbled out of their houses, shouting and running. Screams of pain and terror rang out as people were caught and cut down. Villagers splashed into the river, trying to escape and Itachi watched as a small child was suddenly swept away by the strong current. He fought down the urge to act as he continued to watch the scene. Men and women cried and shouted, shoving at each other in their blind haste to get away.

The little hand disappeared below the water's surface and didn't come back up.

The commotion from the village drew nearer; cries of pain and death filled the air. Itachi leaned forward and saw a flash of silver before a loud scream sounded. Another flash and scream, and a figure stepped into view.

Blood streaked through long black hair, running down finely muscled forearms. It dripped from the long silver katana and covered much of the sleeveless black shirt and pants.

Why?

Sasuke slashed through two more victims, his eyes changing from misty black to glowing scarlet with each new kill. There was no hesitation in his stance, no signs of remorse.

Little brother?

The innocent grin he remembered, the childish pouts, the promise to become a police officer, the determination to protect people —all were gone.

Who is this?

A young girl stumbled and fell. Her eyes became wild with fear as she clawed at the ground, struggling to get back on her feet. Sasuke bore down on her, his sword gleaming. The girl let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Metal clashed against metal. Scarlet eyes met scarlet eyes. Itachi stared at his younger brother, watching his face glow with sudden rage at the loss of his victim, and then suddenly transform into a sly grin. The girl scrambled to her feet and fled, unnoticed by the two shinobi.

"Itachi." Blood dripped from Sasuke's hair onto his cheek. He didn't seem to notice. He grinned at Itachi and his eyes gleamed with madness. "You couldn't have come at a better time."

"And why would that be?" Itachi asked, keeping his voice and expression neutral.

"I can see," Sasuke answered; "I can use my Sharingan."

Itachi failed to understand what his brother meant. He hadn't been able to see? But even if he had overused the Mangekyo Sharingan (which Itachi assumed he now possessed), he wouldn't be able to recover his eyesight. Something else was happening.

"Each person I kill," Sasuke continued eagerly, "each person allows my eyes to see more clearly."

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the fevered look in his eyes. He shoved Sasuke back and leaped away.

His brother was gone.

Itachi stared at this stranger and felt the weight of a new burden settle on his shoulders. He had tried to save his brother from slaughter; he had begged the Hokage to protect him; he had driven Sasuke to become stronger, to hate his older brother, to be tough enough to protect himself. But it was all in vain.

Madness had taken him.

"Sasuke, you have fallen."

Sasuke sneered and disappeared, reappearing to Itachi's right with his sword drawn. Itachi ducked as the blade swished above his head and countered with a blow to Sasuke's unprotected midriff. Sasuke flew back with the force of the attack, barely managing to stay on his feet. Not hesitating, Itachi darted forward and struck at him with his kunai. The metal dug into Sasuke's shoulder, slicing through skin and flesh. Blood dripped onto the ground, but Sasuke didn't react to the wound.

He lurched forward, sword raised. Itachi parried the first blow and dodged the second, avoiding his brother's attacks with incredible speed. Seeing an opening, he ducked and swung up at Sasuke's chin. This time, Sasuke was able leap back and avoid the blow before launching himself at Itachi again.

Already predicting his move, Itachi went through a rapid series of hand signs and drew in a large breath, exhaling a giant wave of fire. Sparks flew and the air bristled with the heat. Sasuke barely dodged the rush of flames, skidding off to the right. Itachi whipped his head around, forcing his brother to stay on the move in order to avoid the powerful flames.

The tables suddenly turned when Itachi paused to draw in a breath. Sasuke leaped at him, his sharpened blade swinging. Itachi jumped quickly to the left, but he already knew that he wasn't going to get out of the way fast enough. Cold metal bit into his side, drawing blood as he lurched away.

A crazed light ignited in Sasuke's eyes at the sight of blood. Itachi struggled not to let his unease show. This was not the brother he remembered. This being was too cold—no more than a human shell.

Itachi could feel sweat beading on his forehead as his heart pounded loudly in his ears. He hadn't expected to use so much taijutsu in this battle.

Sasuke seemed to gain strength from Itachi's wound. With a wild laugh, he launched himself at Itachi, his hand crackling with blue chakra. His movements had gained a surprising amount of speed, forcing Itachi to counter his attack instead of dodge. Even as he deflected the Chidori, Sasuke followed up with raised kunai.

Itachi winced as the kunai dug into his shoulder but forced himself to ignore it as he grabbed Sasuke's wrist twisted, flinging him away. Sasuke landed in a neat crouch, but didn't attack again. He didn't have to.

Itachi bent over, hacking up blood and spittle. Shit! He clenched his teeth as pain rippled through his chest. The disease that had been eating at him for years was finally taking its toll.

He didn't have much time left.

Finally regaining control of himself, Itachi stood and stared at Sasuke through hazy eyes. It appeared that he wouldn't have a choice.

In a rapid series of practiced movements, Itachi had opened one of the clasps in his jacket and pulled out an old scroll. Whipping it open, he dipped his thumb into the blood flowing from his shoulder.

He had hoped it would never come to this.

He drew his blood-covered thumb down the length of the scroll before placing his palm over the center. A breeze blew as he focused his chakra. There was a small poof and smoke formed around the scroll. Itachi stuck his hand in without hesitation, his eyes still trained on his brother.

Out of the smoke, he drew a sword. The long blade of the katana gleamed cruelly. Itachi felt a pang of sadness as his hand brushed the familiar hilt. This sword had been his companion in battle—as well as his accomplice in the slaughter of his family.

He had never intended to wield his Anbu katana again. Rather, he had wanted to seal it away along with the painful memories of what he had done for his village. Yet it seemed fitting that he should take up his sword for this final task. He would complete his assignment from years ago and eliminate the last of the Uchiha clan.

His brother could no longer be saved.

At that instant, Sasuke charged, striking at him with his katana. Itachi neatly parried with his own blade before lashing out at Sasuke, forcing him on the defensive. The harsh sounds of metal clashing against metal filled the air as the two brothers fought.

Itachi swung around, just blocking a strike at his midriff. He looked up and was startled to notice that the scarlet in Sasuke's eyes were rapidly fading to black. Sasuke shoved against him and leaped back, his hand rising to his face.

"No! No! NO!" He roared as his eyes completed the change from scarlet to obsidian. Itachi stared at him wide-eyed and clutched at his chest as it throbbed painfully.

Sasuke's head suddenly jerked towards him and all he saw was the madness that had consumed him. Even as his brother took off in one final leap he knew that the end had come.

Their eyes met a moment before Itachi's blade pierced Sasuke's flesh and Itachi felt a wave of overwhelming sadness.

I'm sorry little brother. For everything.

Time seemed to slow as he felt his katana tear through the flesh of a vital point and felt his brother's body slump against him. He hardly flinched as he felt Sasuke's katana pierce his own flesh. He merely stood there, a heavy weight settling upon him as he felt his brother's heart beat erratically and then, after a few moments, finally come to a stop.

He didn't register the tears slowly making their way down his cheeks as he slumped to the ground, still clutching his brother's lifeless body. Almost absently, he felt the pain in his body overwhelming him as he looked into his brother's face.

Death had softened Sasuke's features, making him look younger and more vulnerable. He looked so innocent. A memory of Sasuke as a child curled up contently in Itachi's lap came forth unbidden.

Something inside him snapped at the image.

His vision tunneled until all he could see was his brother's corpse. It glowed, sending chills down his spine. An icy coldness bit at his flesh even as he felt himself growing weaker. He felt it bubbling within him, fighting to break loose.

Madness.

His blade shone scarlet, taunting him. He struggled to breathe even as he felt the pain begin to fade to a startling numbness. With the last of his strength he turned his head away from what he had done, tears still trailing down his cheeks. He blinked twice at the unnerving darkness that had suddenly enclosed him before he took a final, shallow breath.

And then he saw no more.

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