Chapter 4
A/M: Awesome, we got reviews! :)
Cole-Hyuuga: As always, I don't get a shit from your reviews, but thanks anyways, haha!
AplleLollipopChan: Good luck with your problems luv, I hope everything will fare well. For your review, we love putting Neji in a silk see through kimono as well, har har! XD I'll try to upload chapters once in a while. As I said, we stopped writing, but there are still around 6 stories left. After this one, I will finish the 'you're my drug' story, and after that lots of others will come. Have fun with this chapter!
Four days later, Sasuke was following a guard. He had left Konoha for all these days to think and he figured he should at least talk to Itachi. Although he wasn't sure he could keep his promise to Tsunade and not kill Itachi. She would kill him in return though. The guard stopped in front of a cell that was locked with at least twenty locks on it. He opened them all and then removed some spells.
"You have a visitor." The guard told Itachi and then left. Sasuke walked into the cell and just glared at Itachi. He had mixed feelings as he saw Itachi so helpless, bound to a chair and blindfolded. He wanted to laugh at Itachi's face. On the other hand, this was not by his hand and he had wanted Itachi to be helpless because of him. He had to hold himself back to not jam a kunai down Itachi's throat.
Itachi was silent for some time, before he spoke up.
"Sasuke." He then said, acknowledging Sasuke's presence. He hoped Tsunade didn't tell Sasuke anything yet.
Sasuke kept silent for a while longer. He then suddenly grabbed Itachi by the collar, but then just threw him back to the ground, not caring that Itachi was bound to a chair.
"Screw you." Sasuke spat at Itachi.
Itachi was silent. He acted like he didn't care. Sasuke had the right to do this.
"..Why are you here?" He then asked, not being able to move because of the current position he was in.
"Because Tsunade told me about your lies." Sasuke snapped. "You're not innocent you bastard." He then hit Itachi in the face, really not caring what Tsunade was gonna think of it.
"Tsunade wants me back in the village because I'm strong." Itachi said, ignoring the hit. "The only thing that's stopping her are the rumors about me and my status. She's trying to make up a story to make you and the rest of Konoha forgive me."
"I'm not stupid Itachi!" Sasuke yelled. "And neither is Tsunade. She's not gonna let a criminal like you be in the village just because you are strong."
"Then why do you think she wants me back in the village?" Itachi asked, as he moved a little, making the chains clatter. "What other reason could she have?"
"You are the one who has to do the explaining, not me." Sasuke snapped. "Now spill it, or I swear I will kill you right now and then I will be killed as well. Won't that be a lot of fun."
"What did she tell you?" Itachi asked. He wondered how much Tsunade told Sasuke. Would she really have told him everything?
"I am not telling you what she told me, I want 'you' to tell me!" Sasuke yelled. If Tsunade was right, Itachi would tell him exactly the same story. But even if he did, Sasuke was not yet sure what he would do then.
"Sasuke.. I'm not going to tell you." Itachi said. "You know as well as I do what happened. I killed the clan to measure my own capabilities. I left you alive because you weren't even worth killing. I would be ashamed of myself to kill someone as weak as you were."
"Convince me that was why you did it." Sasuke snapped. "Most people don't start off with 'I'm not going to tell you' if they don't have something to hide."
"You're not worth it." Itachi simply said.
Sasuke's fist almost immediately connected with Itachi's face and it send Itachi through the wall with chair and all.
"Bullshit! Now tell me!" Sasuke screamed.
Itachi didn't react to the hit at all, but he was heavily bleeding on his face and his clothes had ripped.
"Is there anything I would tell you you would believe?" He then asked Sasuke.
"Tell me and find out." Sasuke snapped back, as he stepped through the broken wall and pulled Itachi up roughly, just to put him up straight on the now broken chair.
Because of the hit, there was now a pressure on Itachi's body. Itachi already felt it coming up, but tried to ignore it.
"Just leave, Sasuke." He said. He felt himself becoming pale for trying to hold it down. But he knew that he would be coughing up blood in a few minutes.
"No." Sasuke snapped. "I already know everything, I just want to hear it coming from you, you ass."
Itachi wanted to open his mouth to answer but kept it closed. Not only because he had no idea what to say now, but also because he started coughing softly. The blood came up from his throat. Mentally cursing, he tried to swallow the blood but a trickle of it was already going down his face through the corners of his mouth.
"ANSWER ME FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Sasuke screamed now. He had to pull every inch of self control he had left together, just to not beat Itachi to death right now.
Itachi closed his eyes now. Sasuke was as explosive as his father had been... but he wouldn't give in. It was good that Sasuke was angry. It was best if Sasuke killed him.
"I have a right to know what really happened! Now tell me dammit! Just tell me!" Sasuke demanded. "I have the right to know!"
Itachi just acted like he didn't hear Sasuke. Like he was deaf. He hoped it would make Sasuke go away. He couldn't tell Sasuke. There was no way he was going to tell Sasuke.
Sasuke glared at Itachi as he just noticed his sharingan had activated. This all sucked.
"Fine. If you won't tell me out of free will, then I'll just have to force you." He snapped and then pulled his sword. But instead of putting it against Itachi's neck, he put it against his own. "Tell me, or I'll kill myself off instead."
Itachi was deeply frowning, for the first time Sasuke had entered his cell. He couldn't help but having his head snapping towards Sasuke. He concentrated on his feelings, and it seemed like Sasuke didn't lie. At all.
"...What do you want to know?" Itachi asked, after he had been speechless for some time.
Sasuke looked at Itachi. It seemed like Itachi didn't want him to kill himself. Now all he needed to do was hear Itachi out.
"I want to know everything." He said.
Itachi sighed now, as he moved his head as if he looked straight ahead of himself.
"..You don't have questions?" He asked. It would be so much easier if Sasuke just asked him something. Perhaps he didn't have to tell everything then.
"No. I want you to tell me what you did, how you did it and why you did it." Sasuke said. "Now start talking." He pushed his sword closer to his neck, knowing Itachi would hear what he did.
"...You probably remember that my relation with dad started to become less, around a year before I killed the clan." Itachi started, after he let out another sigh. It was difficult to talk because of the pain, but he chose to ignore it. "This was because I found out the Uchiha clan was planning on overthrowing Konoha. Father ordered me to spy on Konoha, but I did the opposite. I wanted to make sure Konoha wouldn't get to know yet another ninja war." He decided to just explain everything piece by piece, allowing Sasuke some time to give him questions.
"Why would dad want something like that huh? He was strict, not a criminal." Sasuke snapped.
"The clan knows a difficult past, and Konoha never really trusted the Uchiha." Itachi said. "Our ancestor Uchiha Madara was the rival of Hashirama, the first Hokage. Since Madara challenged the first Hokage several times and even while the clan turned his back on him after some time, he came back to the city to challenge Hashirama. The Uchiha clan ended up like not trust worthy. This angered a lot of Uchiha's, including dad. That's why the plan was made to overthrow Konoha."
"So you decided to just kill everyone? Not spare one single person except for me?" Sasuke snapped.
"I started spying on our clan instead, to prevent the Uchiha's to take over." Itachi said. "In the end, I got the order of Konoha's Council and the ANBU leader Danzo, to wipe out the Uchiha clan."
"And you obviously did." Sasuke snapped. "Then why did you never tell me? Why did you leave the village?"
"While I was making plans on how to do it, I met someone I thought I'd never meet because he was a legend." Itachi continued. "I met Uchiha Madara, who was making plans to bring Konoha into war once again. Madara seemed to be blessed with a long life. I asked him to not bring Konoha into war once again, and offered him to help me wipe out the clan. He did so, and in exchange, he wanted me to join his organization, Akatsuki. Suspicious of that he might want to start war once again, I joined. So I could keep an eye on him." God, did Sasuke really want him to tell everything?
Sasuke still glared at Itachi.
"Madara is dead." Sasuke snapped. It was really all he could hang on to. All of the rest made sense. It all made sense, but he did not want to believe it. He refused to believe it.
"Madara is very much alive." Itachi said. "He trained me further. Having been the most talented Uchiha ever, he knew all the techniques."
"Fine. But if Danzo and the council wanted all Uchiha's dead, then why didn't you kill me?" Sasuke asked, still sounding angry, but a lot less then before. Right now, he was confused.
"Because you are the only thing that's worth more to me then Konoha and peace." Itachi then silently said.
Sasuke glared at Itachi as everything he ever felt ripping his heart and he wanted to pull it ouf of his chest real badly. He did not want to believe this at all.
"Don't lie to me!" Sasuke yelled, not knowing what else to do.
"I knew that if I told you to hate me, detest me, and get strong to kill me, you would." Itachi said. "In the end you would be strong enough to kill me. If I got the status of a traitor and a mass murderer, you would become a hero to Konoha if you killed me. You would be able to give the Uchiha a good name again."
"I wouldn't have had to do that if you would have just told me the truth! Do you really think I would feel better after killing you!" Sasuke yelled.
"I had to leave you." Itachi said. "No matter if I had told you, or not. Plus, if I told you, there had been a chance that the villagers found out. It could have lead to protest against ANBU and the Council, which could have lead to war. It's better to let one person take the blame, who leaves the country anyway, then to reveal the truth, in this situation."
"You should have let someone else do it!" Sasuke yelled. "Or you should have killed me as well! Do you have any idea what it's been like for me! Do you think I was happy! I'm not! And I wouldn't have been happy if I would have killed you either!"
"If Tsunade hadn't taken me captured and you wouldn't have heard all of this, do you really think it wouldn't have made you happy to kill me?" Itachi asked now.
"Yes I do think that!" Sasuke yelled. "Do you think I forgot about those times you 'were' nice? Those times we spend together! I wanted to kill you really really badly, but that wouldn't take away that I was killing my brother! All it would lead me to was that you were gonna be dead and I would be miserable! Tell me, why did Danzo keep me alive! Was that your doing too! Because if it was it was a mistake!"
Itachi breathed out heavily now.
"I threatened Danzo that I would spread secrets of the city to enemy cities, may he ever lay a finger on you." He then said.
Sasuke was silent now as he just kept panting from anger and confusion. He then spoke again.
"I would have heard about this in the end you know." He snapped. "And if it had been after I had killed you, I would have gone crazy and killed myself as well. You are an asshole and I don't want to believe it." Sadly enough, he did believe it. He hadn't forgotten how he and Itachi had been when they were young and he had always doubted Itachi. But he was blinded by anger and shoved that doubt away.
Itachi sighed.
"I'm sorry." He then said.
Sasuke looked at Itachi and then walked forward, pulling of the blindfold.
"I'll give you a choice." He said. "You can go back to Akatsuki and do whatever it is you wanna do and I will be miserable and so will you and we both die unhappy. 'Or' you can stay here and build up a new life in Konoha. With me. I'm not saying I like you now or that I suddenly forgive you. But I don't want you to leave again."
Itachi looked at Sasuke, a deep frown on his face. He then looked away from Sasuke's eyes. What should he do? He'd love to be with Sasuke again, but it would mean the truth about him had to be revealed to the city. At least about that it was an order from above. ANBU would probably take action or ANBU would be attacked. So would the Council be. But if he left... he'd never see Sasuke anymore. And even worse... Sasuke would be unhappy.
"...Why do you want me to live with you?" He then asked.
"Because I love you, asshole, that's why." Sasuke said and then couldn't hold his tears back completely anymore. His face had a look of anger on it, but he knew now that his eyes started to water, Itachi would look right through it.
Itachi looked at Sasuke with an apologetic look on his face.
"You shouldn't." He said. "...I took away our family."
Sasuke looked at Itachi and then looked away.
"The worst thing you have done is take away yourself." He softly said. Itachi really regretted this. He was telling the truth. And Sasuke had no clue what to do with it.
"There was no choice." Itachi said, as he tried to keep his face impassive. But he wanted to smile. Smile because Sasuke gave him a second chance. But he also wanted to become furious at Sasuke for not killing him. The guilt that had been build up in his body had become unbearable. Would it be too selfish to try to become happy? Had he suffered enough?
"I know that now." Sasuke said as he looked at Itachi again. "Tell me. What will it be?" Sasuke felt his heart race, barely even sure if he wanted the answer. One way or another, his life had been changed and it would change a lot more, no matter what Itachi chose.
"It would be fair to stay away, but.. I want to be here." Itachi said. "But I don't know if I can do that to Konoha."
"You protected Konoha with pretty much your life." Sasuke said. "They owe you. Just pick."
"I need to think of this longer." Itachi finally said, sighing.
Sasuke looked away now.
"Fine." He said, sounding annoyed. It shouldn't have to be this hard. Itachi should just pick staying here with him. Why was that so hard?
Itachi let out some breath now.
"..I'm so sorry." He then muttered.
"You'd better decide to stay here." Sasuke snapped and then opened the celldoor.
"I'll let you know." Itachi said, nodding.
Sasuke replied with a 'tch' before he walked away. He send a guard to deal with Itachi and then walked further. This was really messed up.
A little later, Sasuke arrived back home. He wondered if Neji was gonna yell at him for not being there, for four days straight. He opened the door and then walked inside, removing his shoes along the way. He looked around the living room and so no one. He then just sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. What if Itachi chose to leave? What would he do then? And what if he decided to stay. Everything would change that way. And where the hell was Neji?
At that moment, Neji came walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of rice in his hands. He then frowned as he saw Sasuke. He sat down on the couch as well.
"So you're still alive?" He then asked. You could see he was a little pissed. Especially because he just started eating, without even thanking for the food.
"I am." Sasuke said as he looked at Neji eating. He had to admit he was hungry as well. But he would set that aside until he had made up with Neji.
Neji kept looking pissed. He then grabbed his book. It was obvious he didn't feel like talking to Sasuke.
Sasuke sighed.
"I needed time to think." He said, hoping Neji would understand.
"Ah." Neji said, as he continued reading. He was only going to look at Sasuke if he would say sorry.
Sasuke sighed once again.
"Look, I'm sorry I just went away like that. But I really needed the time." He said.
"Why can you never let me help with things like those?" Neji asked, frowning as he looked at Sasuke. "I'm also here to help you with your problems you know."
"You know I'm not like that." Sasuke answered. He was glad Neji was talking to him though.
Neji shrugged.
"Just to let you know." He said. "So did you get any further with the thinking?"
"I know." Sasuke said. He really did know and he was thankful for it. He just wasn't ready to share things. "I went to see Itachi today."
Neji frowned now.
"You did?" He asked. "Is he still alive?"
"I didn't kill him if that's what you're getting at." Sasuke said.
"So what did happen?" Neji asked.
"I forced him to tell me everything." Sasuke said. "He did once I said that I would kill myself otherwise. I guess Tsunade was right and he is innocent so I gave him a choice."
"He is really innocent?" Neji asked, frowning deeply. "What happened?"
"It comes down to that it was an order of the council and that my family was planning to overthrow Konoha. So Itachi was this double agent working for the council and then he had to kill my family to save Konoha from another war." Sasuke said. "But he didn't kill me, told Danzo that he would spill secrets of Konoha to other countries if he touched me and then left a traitor, hoping I would come and kill him to restore the Uchiha name." He gave out a small laugh. He had never said this much in his entire life, he was sure of that.
"...So he had to give up his whole life because of that order." Neji concluded, frowning.
"Pretty much." Sasuke said. "I told him he could stay here and start over, or make both of us miserable and leave again."
"But is that even possible?" Neji asked. "Wouldn't the council and Danzo get into trouble?"
Sasuke shrugged.
"Tsunade wants him back as well, I guess she knows what to do." He said.
"So.. how do you feel about it?" Neji asked.
"I don't know." Sasuke said and looked away. "I really don't."
"But you want him to live with you or not?" Neji asked.
"It was a decision based on emotions that shouldn't have gotten the better of me." Sasuke said. "But I guess I do want that."
"You want him to return to the Uchiha estate?" Neji asked.
Sasuke nodded.
"I do." He said. No matter how twisted and weird it would be, he wanted his older brother back. The one he had loved all those years.
"You missed him didn't you?" Neji asked, looking a little worried.
"I did. At least the older brother from back then." Sasuke said. He tried to keep his composure, but he felt like crap really.
"So you believe he can be like before?" Neji asked.
"I believe he always was that person." Sasuke answered.
"That everything was an act?" Neji asked.
"Yes, because it was." Sasuke answered, nodding at Neji.
"...My god, it must have been so hard on him." Neji said, frowning.
"I'm sure it was." Sasuke said and then suddenly kicked the table, giving out a grunt. "I can't believe he was gonna let me kill him."
"Me neither." Neji said, still surprised. That someone could just let his own life be ruined like that.. to help others.
Sasuke looked at Neji and then pulled on his arm, forcing Neji into a hug. Maybe right now it was ok if he needed someone.
Neji let out a slightly surprised gasp as he dropped his bowl by accident, and then he finally hugged Sasuke back.
"I don't know what to do with this." Sasuke softly said, for the first openly letting his voice betray his feelings.
"I can understand, you lived up to the moment to kill him." Neji said, nodding.
"He didn't just make his own life a lie but mine as well." Sasuke said, pulling Neji even closer.
"But he did do it for your own good.. or at least he thought so." Neji said, sighing. "It must be hard for you."
"I know he did. He saved my butt, but it didn't do me a lot of good." Sasuke said. "I don't know if I would have done the same. Then again.. maybe I'm just too weak to do something like that."
"You only know when it happens to you." Neji said.
Sasuke breathed in deeply before letting Neji go a little again.
"What if he leaves?" He asked.
"...I don't know." Neji said. "I think there might be a chance."
"Well what do I do then?" Sasuke asked. He felt a slight hint of panic rushing through his body.
"You really don't want to loose him again, do you?" Neji asked.
Sasuke was silent and then shook his head. He then sat straight on the couch again and put his head on his knees, groaning. He had never felt so incredibly lost since the Uchiha massacre.
"But you also can't really forgive him." Neji stated.
"I forgive him for everything I have been mad at before." Sasuke said. "Just not for expecting me to kill him while he was innocent. While he could have been the Itachi I knew."
"..You're angry with him for ruining his life?" Neji asked.
"No, 'that', I guess, I am thankful for." Sasuke answered. "I don't know what I'm angry about. Just the lies."
Neji nodded.
"I understand." He said. "But I'm happy he meant everything well."
"..Right." Sasuke said. "Maybe I 'would' have been happier if he hadn't, just like he said."
"You mean that he would be evil?" Neji asked, frowning.
"It would have been easier." Sasuke answered.
"It's not wrong to put a little effort in it." Neji said. shrugging.
"I never said that was wrong." Sasuke snapped and then sighed.
"Well, you wanted it to be easier." Neji said, pulling up one of his eyebrows.
"That doesn't mean I don't wanna put my effort in it. I'm just confused OK." Sasuke said, still a little snappy. He then got up and walked through the room, not able to decide what to do.
Neji sighed.
"I think you should go to bed." He said.
"I won't be able to sleep." Sasuke said, looking at Neji and hoping he would come with more suggestions.
"Take some sleeping pills." Neji said. "I could make you some warm milk too."
Sasuke looked at Neji and then walked to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He was so sick of everything and he just wanted Neji to give him some advice, not make him go to sleep.
Neji frowned and then followed Sasuke. When he walked in and saw Sasuke laying on the bed, he walked to the bed as well and crawled next to Sasuke.
"Stop being so grumpy." He then said.
"Deal with it." Sasuke hissed, but quickly grabbed Neji's hand, not wanting him to leave the room.
Neji gently pushed Sasuke on his back and then gave him a kiss on the lips. He knew that the only thing Sasuke needed was comfort right now.
Sasuke looked at Neji and then put his hands on Neji's hips.
"You know I will stay here now. In Konoha. With you." He said.
Neji couldn't help but smile.
"I know." He said, and then kissed Sasuke again.
Sasuke pulled Neji close and kissed him back, more gently then he usually did.
Neji stroke over Sasuke's cheeks as he laid down on top of Sasuke and kissed Sasuke back gently. For some kind of reason, he really felt like he could take on the world right now. And he was so relieved he could calm Sasuke down.
Sasuke let out a soft moan, and then suddenly turned Neji around and sat on top of him. He grabbed Neji's hands and intertwined their fingers.
"You know I..." He started, but then became uncomfortable and looked away.
Neji's face was set in a frown now.
"You what?" He asked.
".. I love you." Sasuke mumbled, almost not hearable and then rolled off Neji and turned his back on him.
Neji had no idea what to for at least ten minutes. It was silent. And then Neji rolled over and hugged Sasuke from behind.
"Thank you..." He then said, as he gave Sasuke a kiss in the neck.
"There's nothing to thank me for." Sasuke mumbled, but closed his eyes as Neji gave him that kiss. He felt relieved that he had said it, Neji deserved to know.
"There is." Neji said, as he put his head into Sasuke's neck and then closed his eyes.
"There isn't." Sasuke said and then turned around, pulling Neji into his eyes, then sighed deeply.
Neji snuggled his head into Sasuke's chest, wanting to be really close to Sasuke.
"Sorry for not just comforting you back then." Neji said. "I should've known you just needed comfort."
"It's fine, I was overreacting. It's not your fault." Sasuke said and rested his head on Neji's. He really did love Neji. And had for a long time as well.
Neji sighed, as he closed his eyes. He couldn't remember when he had ever been this happy. He really, really felt good right now.
"I love you too." He then said.
Sasuke smiled a little and then pulled the covers over them both.
"Don't expect me to say it all the time though." He said.
Neji chuckled.
"I didn't expect you to ever say it, so I'm more then happy." He then said.
"I wasn't planning to, because then it would have been harder if I had left." Sasuke admitted.
"..So now you're really not planning to leave anymore, right?" Neji asked.
"I don't have anything to leave for anymore." Sasuke said. "So unless I need to kill someone else, I'll be staying here."
"Good." Neji said, nodding and relieved.
"Let's sleep." Sasuke said and immediately closed his eyes. He felt better now. Because Neji would be there to support him through this.
"I thought you weren't tired." Neji joked, as he caressed Sasuke's face again, smiling a little.
"I was tired but I was also frustrated." Sasuke said and softly hit Neji in the head. "Now sleep Hyuuga."
"I'm not tired." Neji said.
"Then what do you want to do? Make me a tomato salad?" Sasuke smirked at Neji now.
Neji snorted.
"I wasn't really thinking of 'that' no." He said, and then chuckled. "Alright, some sleep would be good, for both of us."
"Right." Sasuke said nodding. "And thanks Neji."
"You're welcome." Neji said as he gave Sasuke a kiss. "Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight." Sasuke said, after returning the kiss. At least he could go to sleep now, feeling a little more peaceful.
A/N: He said, he finally said it! Sasuke told Neji he loves him! What will Itachi do? Will the bond of the brothers ever be like it was again? Find out in the next chapters! :)