Chapter I

I am laying in a futon, near a sliding door, my brother is three feet away from me, also occupying a futon. This village is small, and has no real hospital, however they do have a doctor. And at the moment said doctor, is looking over Itachi's wounds and general condition. He had inspected me just earlier with one glance and said all I need is rest and relaxation. I am not worried about myself, really. After all I know my own strength.

"Even though the bleeding stopped for the most part, he'll need a blood transfusion or he won't wake up at all," The doctor tells me. "I don't really have the resources to perform something like that….unless one of you in the room has the same blood type as him." The doctor explains packing his things away in his bag.

I don't even know what blood type Itachi is let alone if any one of us shares the same type. "I'm his brother, it's possible we share the same blood type," I tell the doctor. He looks at me, for a moment and then to Itachi.

"I don't know if we have the time to run test to see if you two are compatible," His eyes don't look at me, he seems to be afraid of something. Maybe a question he wants to ask. I keep my eyes on him.

"His condition isn't….he won't last more then five more hours. I could give him a transfusion, but not knowing if you two actually share the same blood—even if you are his brother their could be change you're not compatible—there's a great risk involved…"

"Either way he'll die so what does it matter?" I mutter out. The doctor finally makes eye contact with me again, and he nods his head.

"Let me just get all the equipment I need, it shouldn't take me more then a half hour to return," he says getting up and leaving the room.

"Sasuke, are you sure you even have any blood to spare?" Karin asks me with great concern in her voice. She comes to sit next to me and reaches for my hand. I pull away and ignore her as she continues to speak, "You should really rest, donating blood might be to much for you to handle."

"I'm gone for a couple of hours and already you're starting to step up your game. Have a little dignity Karin, your drooling all over Sasuke," Suigetsu steps into he room sliding the door shut.

"No one asked for you dick faced opinion!" she yells at the boy. Suigetsu ignores the girl, which only aggravates her more. He struts over too Itachi's bed side, two rather large swords now attached to his back.

"That's him ain't it?" He questions me, giving a toothy grin. "He dead?"

"No," I mutter.

"So what? You changed you're mind?" I don't' answer. He grins even more. "Don't matter, since now our missions over we can cut out the tumor of this could be awesome group. Said tumor's name? Karin, of course."

"You're the tumor, you're the only thing that stands into the way of me and Sasuke—" Karin stops herself and gives Suigetsu an evil glare before the pack attached to her waistband is throwing at him. Suigetsu dodges easily. I turn my head to watch the door, not caring about their childish quarrel or Karin's strange fantasies.

Finally the doctor re-enters the room pulling in with him some supplies. Suigetsu and Karin take a pause from their argument to seem somewhat civil in the eyes of the visitor. The doctor sits down between me and Itachi, taking out a needle.

"Are you sure you wish to take the risk?"

"Do you're job," I command in a more or less monotone voice. The man nods, and takes my arm. I do not watch as the man taps on my arm. Instead I keep my eyes on Juugo, lest the sight of blood excite him. But for now he seems occupied with a bird that is sitting upon the window seal. I feel the needle push into my flesh, but it isn't painful. I keep my eyes on Juugo, and Karin as well gives the boy an uneasy glance. Suigetsu just smirks and seems to ready himself just in case he has to hold the quiet male down.

One vial is full, and the blood continues to be drawn from me. I feel slightly lightheaded as the second vial is filled. Juugo twitches, and I spot the marks slowly appearing on his skin. The bird that was in his hand flutters away. Karin jumps up and so does Suigetsu, just in time to hold him down as he turns around, his eye turning dark.

The doctor looks in their direction, and I can feel the needle slip within my vein. "Don't worry, continue with your work. Juugo will calm down," I say peacefully soothingly not letting my eyes leave the crazed ones looking back at me.

"It's fine, calm down," I whisper speaking to both Juugo and the doctor who is still uneasy. The marks draw away as my voice and gaze start to have a calming effect on the usually benign boy. Everyone relaxes and a less heavy air occupies the room. My vision blurs and I begin to wobble, luckily the needle is pulled out of me. I've given all I can, and all I need to give. I force my eyes to stay open, as I watch the doctor commences treating my brother.

I refuse to except that Itachi will die. Never mind the risks of the transfusion, he better not die unless I skewer him upon my sword. If I would have let him parish, after all those things he said, it would have felt as though he had the last laugh. I do not doubt that his words were truth, but he confessed and confined in me as if I was a priest. Why should I allow him such comfort? He should not pass away peacefully after his last confession, he gave no one else a chance to do so; so why should he deserve it? No he will be cut down, just as he cut everyone else down. And that is the soul reason for my rescue…nothing more, nothing less.

The IV enters Itachi's vein. I can almost clearly see the light blue vessel as it slowly takes in my essence. The doctor sits back a slightly concerned expression upon his countenance.

"It will take time, I'll return in a few hours to check up on him." The man gets up yet again to leave.

"So what will the great Sasuke do now? I mean kinda seems pointless," Suigetsu says.

"I have my reasons…You all no longer need to follow me," I tell them, thinking perhaps it hasn't dawned on them yet. Karin's expression shows fear.

"But Sasuke I can't leave you, especially in this condition!"

"Didn't you have some were to be?" Suigetsu asks the girl.

"Mind your own business fish face!" She yells shoving her hand into his face, and pushing the boy's head against the wall with a splash.

"I plan on staying at your side Sasuke…" Juugo's tender voice proclaims. I expected such an answer from him.

"Yeah me too!" Karin says.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to do?" I ask her.

She blushes and moves her glasses up her nose to hide her embarrassment. "Well it's not important really," she mutters.

"Well I got swords to find."

"That's wonderful so you can leave!"

"You wish! If I left you'd put your boobs in Sasuke's face!"

"Why do you care were my boobs end up?"

"I'm just making sure that you wont do anything that might spawn hideous offspring."

"You act like you're interested in Sasuke or something!"

"I am. But unlike you it's not on a sexual base." Karin huffs and Suigetsu revels in his victory. He turns to me a few sharp teeth showing. "You're some one I can hang out with. I won't be a 'follower' mind you. I'm not mindless like Karin. But I wouldn't mind sticking around for a bit, at least until the opportunity to swipe another sword comes up. But let's say, you can be my base. It's not like any of us have a village to use as our base. We're pretty much misfits." Suigetsu is the only man I know who can sound arrogant, and yet poetic.

I nod my head slightly. I did not intend to be a leader to these people. I just thought them useful to my cause, however I do not see any harm in them begin somewhat dependent upon me.

"So were will we go from here?" Juugo asks, his attention on the birds fluttering outside the window.

"To find a base. Most likely one of Orochimaru's more secretive and luxurious ones," I mutter out.

"You know we could start our own sort of clan," Karin says scooting closer to me. "Maybe in the near future our little group will have a few new members." I stare at her blankly, and then turn my head to look at my brothers sleeping from. The IV is still feeding him blood. My eyelids become heavy, and I finally let myself lay down upon the cushions of my Futon.

"Come on Karin, Sasuke doesn't want you molesting him in his sleep," Suigetsu pulls the girl away from my bedside.

"I wasn't going to!"

"Karin, see how far away the next hide out is…Then take Suigetsu and inspect it. Return to give ma a report on its' conditions," I mutter out letting my eyes close.

"What I have to take dick face with me!?"

"I'm not going all the way out to who the hell knows were with that bitch." I drown out their complaints as my exhausted body finally falls into a much needed slumber.

The sound of packing and shifting causes me to open my eyes. The first thing I see is the doctor. He gives me a smile.

"It looks like his body took the blood well, he'll probably make a full recovery after a few more hours of rest. Even once he wakes up he shouldn't move," he says, all the equipment gone. How long have I been asleep? I glance over to see Karin and Suigetsu are not in the room. I spot Juugo still at the window.

"Have they gone?"

"After much bickering, yes," He tells me. The doctor gets up.

"Are you still feeling fine?" He asks me. I nod, "Good, well if anything else comes up I'm sure you'll contact me." I nod yet again, and the man takes his leave for the last time today.

"What time is it?" I ask the quiet boy at the window.

"From what I can tell, it's probably six thirty," he guesses. I sit up again.

"You can go outside if you would like," I say as I notice the longing look in the boy's eyes. He turns to me slowly.

"It wouldn't be polite to leave you in your current state."

"I can care for myself," I explain emotionlessly. He lets himself glance outside again and he gets to his feet. He goes over to get a bottle of water along with a bowl and sets it near me. I nod my head in thanks, detecting the meaning behind the action. Then he leaves.

"But stay near the window, so that I may see you," I add.

"Of course."

I soon find myself alone, well not entirely seeing as Itachi is at my side. I look to survey his condition. His chest is rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern. His face is pale, the skin slightly bruised and scratched. His hair contrasts his face as it spills over his shoulder, looking as if wings cup his cheeks. His lips are only slightly parted. He looks almost like a corps, even though I can tell he is alive.

I turn to look out of the window. The sun is setting, and I can see Juugo sitting under a maple tree only a few feet away. It does seem almost useless. This group I banded together. In all actuality we should all be going our separate ways now, after all, I do not need them anymore. Except maybe to help keep Konoha off my back. Maybe they will still be useful. After all like Suigetsu said, it is not like we have anything to go back to. I do not want to go back to Konoha, not because I fear ridiculing stares, but I don't believe anyone would understand my reasoning, and I don't wish to explain myself. I don't think they've ever understood the passion of my rage, my want for revenge. I look to my brother again, and I feel an empty feeling within my chest.

If everything would have gone like I planed, he would have died by my hands. And I would be free in a way. Possibly I would have considered speaking to my old teammates, even humor them. But I would have never gone back to the leaf village. The world seems to broad, there is so much more to see. Besides, what sort of life would I be able to lead in that village? I don't' think Naruto understands…it can never be the same again. Besides now I have the burden of my brother. I burden I'm not sure about. I will kill him, I know that much. A part of me still itches to seek revenge to give him a proper send off, one worthy of all his crime. Another part of me looks at him now, and notices how fragile he appears. How long will it be before I strike him down?

Eyelashes part to reveal red eyes. It seems that the eyelids only have enough strength to stay at half mass. The red eyes stare at me for a good two minutes, before flickering to another location, then they land upon me again.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's feeble voice questions. I can't help but smirk. He seems so helpless, he's at my mercy.

"I couldn't simply let you die in such peace," I tell him. Itachi's eyes reveal no emotions, as he continues to study his surroundings. I watch him, and there is nothing but silence between us. Again I grab Itachi's attention but he says nothing before slowly closing his eyes. I wonder what it is he's thinking at the moment.

"I didn't do it out of any sympathy or morals," I say feeling the need to clarify that. Itachi says nothing, and for some reason his lack of response aggravates me. "You should thank me none the less," I mutter out demanding some sort of gratitude from him. After all he should find himself lucky, I could have just left him for dead. However that wouldn't have satisfied me.

"I did not ask you to save me," Itachi's monotone voice points out.

"But you should be grateful that I did so," I tell him keeping my calm, no mater the irritation rising within me. I turn to look out the window and check on Juugo. I catch him just as he's about to get up. It's gotten very dark outside, I presume he's coming back into the room.

I turn to Itachi again, and see his eyes studying me. Can he see me? How far gone is his vision? Not that it matters really, the lose of his sight…he deserves it for his greed.

"I thought it fitting," I find myself mumbling as thoughts come to my mind. "I'll keep you around. I'll have you worry and wonder when the day will come that I will take my sword and thrust it deep within you."

"Such is hardly torture to me," he mutters out. I glare at him.

" Do you understand? From here on I will hardly give you any freedom. You owe your life to me, and I will take that life the moment I see fit!"

"Very well," his tone is dull, almost bored. I turn my attention to the water bottle and bowl. I take a short sip out of the bottle before pouring the rest into the bowel. I pull the covers from me and slowly get to my feet, to find a wash cloth in the small bathroom attached to this room. The moment I find what I'm looking for Juugo enters. I face him walking back towards my bed, my legs still in pain from the earlier torment I put them threw.

"Are there any extra Futon within the room?" I ask him expecting him to go check the small linen closet.

"No, I've already looked while you were asleep." I nod my head. "I'll be fine, though," he adds in a soft whisper, taking a seat on the floor.

"Close the blinds, and turn on the lamp," I command him softly. He obeys me without hesitation. The lamp gives the room a comfortable and warm lighting, though the light doesn't spread threw out the whole room. Instead it is mainly concentrated on Itachi's side of the room, and the light hardly reaches Juugo in the corner he's decided to reside in.

Once Juugo has settled in and I am sure no sudden change of mood will come over him, I commence dipping the wash cloth I fetched into the bowl. I'm glad to be sitting upon my cushioned Futon, because my body does have many aches and pains.

I take the cool wet cloth to my face, and feel refreshed immediately. I run my hand threw my spiky hair. Just because I'm injured doesn't give me an excuse to look unbecoming. I catch Itachi still looking at me. I dip the cloth into the water yet again and lean over to run it across my brother's face.

"It's sickening yet amusing, see you so at my mercy." He says nothing to me. I dab his hair with the cloth as well, damping it. Then I run my fingers threw it and bunch the silky strands all to one side over his shoulder.

"Humiliation would be torture no matter what you say. Someone as proud as you…" I smirk a little to myself. "But don't worry some day at some unexpected time I will take you out of your pathetic existence."

Itachi keeps his soul locked away behind his indifferent stare. But I know theses words… he hears them. Possibly now they don't' hurt him, but he will remember and slowly they will eat at him. I continue to wash Itachi's face a little, along with his hair. He stares up at the ceiling as if ignoring my touch.

"….I love you…"

Spare me…he had said his intent was to kill our whole clan. For the soul reason that we were retched people. However in my quest for power I did not kill my friend, and I am strong. Besides what sort of logic is that? Does he feel justified in those killings? He took so many peoples lives just to prevent them from taking each other's souls for their own personal gain. I hardly see it as a good excuse. A part of me doesn't even want to believe it. After all I've had my childhood in my memory for so long, I do not need a new twist thrown in.

Madara…I wonder what sort of man he is. Not that I care for his plans, as long as he doesn't cross my path I will not cross his. However if what Itachi is true—and deep within me I know all the words that escaped my brothers lips were truth—then that night I saw my parents get killed… This man, Madara, tampered with most of my recollection of that night. And that thought is very displeasing.

I put the cloth into the bowl of water and make myself comfortable again in-between my sheets. Amazingly enough I do not feel tired. But I wrap the sheets around my hips snugly, and lay my hand upon my lap as I stay in my sitting position. I can't help but let my mind run over every last detail of the past day. I need to formulate a plan. Of course I've told Karin and Suigetsu to find us a base, but if we were to stay in one spot to long, Naruto may find me.

I've never thought I would end up like this. In all honesty I only had enough foresight to plan my life up to the point I finally killed Itachi. It seems that my plan is way off course, and I must rethink everything. A base is a good start, and I will keep Itachi at my side. A sort of imprisonment, a death row, were he can await his execution.

I glance over to Itachi, and again he is analyzing me with those cold crimson eyes.

"Can you even see me, you blind bat?" I hiss out. Getting a little aggravated with his constant staring.

"I can see enough…" he trails off. So his eyes are already somewhat damaged.

"Well stop your staring, and shut your eyes," I command him none to kindly. He continues to gaze at me in defiance. "Tsh," I couldn't help the sound of discontent that escapes from my lips, as I turned my head towards the window. The moon is a thin crescent and I have a great view from were I'm sitting. I let out a sigh, and let myself think. Think about everything yet again, because it's important that I have everything set up to my liking. I most definitely do not want to run into Naruto. He will just be a inconvenience, which I'm not in the mood to deal with in my current situation. Nothing has worked out, but I will set everything straight, and have order in my life. No boundaries will keep me, I may be wanted by Konoha by Naruto, and Sakura. But I do not want the village walls to cage me. I wish to do as I please. It is not like I have much to worry about, I can fight off any threat that comes my way easily.

I hear the sound of bed sheets shifting. I look to see Itachi attempting to sit up. "Don't waste your energy," I state plainly, uncaring. Itachi seems to give up, feeling that his body is to weak at the moment. He looks to the ceiling again, his eyes dull, and cold; as if no one is home. As though he is dead. But then again, haven't they always looked like that? As long as I remember Itachi's eyes were always distance and would let no one peek at his inner most workings. Not that his comfort or happiness maters to me.

A/N: I know I'm probably going to get reviews saying, "Sasuke's such a meanie," and he is in this chapter, but come one he can't so easily forgive Itachi. Hope you enjoyed.