Brothers
Chapter 3: My Weakness and My Strength
August 19, 2007
By CCD

A/N: I want to apologize again if Itachi and Sasuke seem a little OC, but I find it appropriate for the situation that they're in and also for Itachi talking in large chunks. I tried to find appropriate places to break it up, but it was difficult since Sasuke has a tendency to be overly quiet and fairly mature in what he says. Oh and a preview of the next chapter will be in my Biography. Hope you enjoy!


"I think I understand why you killed the clan, but how could you kill father and mother? Why did you spare me when I was a part of the clan that you hated so much?"

"I've already told you why I killed our parents. I thought you just said that you understood."

Sasuke glared as he replied, "Don't tell me you loathed them too. How could you not care?"

"Sasuke, I did care about them. As twisted as it sounds, that is why I chose to end their lives."

"What?"

"Father was a slave to his pride and the pride of the clan. His arrogance was much worse then he showed you. Mother loved us and worked hard to be the best mother that she could for us, but I know that she would have followed the arrogant man that she loved more than anything else. We mattered and she loved us, but not as much as she loved him."

Itachi felt tears began to rise to the surface. He clenched his blanket tightly, and looked down at his hands trying to fight back the tears.

"A part of me didn't want to kill them, but I felt that I had to. I had to end it all so that they could be free. Free from the pride and the arrogance and all the expectations."

"But then why did you spare me?"

I don't know why I spared you. Maybe it was because you were still semi-pure. Maybe I still saw you as my little brother and I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you let alone kill you. Maybe I hoped that someday you would in turn kill me. Maybe there were all those reasons or more. I just couldn't and there's nothing more that I can say but that.

Sasuke closed his eyes. He could still remember his brother's words on that night so long ago.

"You're not even worth killing, foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day foster your hatred and despise me, surviving in such an unsightly manner as this. By all means flee, cling to your retched life."

"What?"

"You don't remember. You said those words to me the day you left, and despite saying all that. You still don't know why you spared my life. You're a terrible liar, Itachi! Now tell me the truth."

The brothers sat quietly while Itachi thought about what he was going to say.

"Are you going to answer me Itachi? I thought I deserved the answers to these questions. I thought I deserved you honesty.

"To be honest with you Sasuke, you have to see my life though my eyes and you have to see what I thought of you."

"What you thought of me?"

"Yes, but first you have to understand what I had to go through in my life. I told you once that it isn't easy being a protégé and I meant what I said. As I began my education in the Shinobi arts, it was clear to others I wasn't ordinary. I excelled far beyond everyone else in my class. At first I was proud of my achievements, but when I realized that I was getting too much attention it was too late."

"What do you mean too late?"

"I realized that more responsibility would be placed on me than should be put on any child. I killed my first rogue ninja when I was nine, I had been doing missions with teenage trainees since I was seven, and once I got my Sharingan, no even before then, I was the most talented member of my three-man cell. It was hard for me to make friends because of jealousy and ignorance. The friends I did have were older than me and respected me more than they were real friends."

He swallowed the knot in his throat before continuing his story.

"Shisui was the first real friend that I had. He listened to what I had to say, allowed me to stumble when everyone else would judge me, took my ideas into consideration without criticism. He was for me what Naruto became for you. That's why I took his life when he asked me. I felt like I owed it to him for everything he did for me. After him, I think I cared the most about you, Sasuke."

Itachi looked at Sasuke and finally let his tears flow freely. Sasuke stared in shock, but didn't say anything. He had never seen his brother cry. Not even when he was younger.

"Since the day you were born, I had always hoped that your life would never be like mine. When the elders began to watch you and then walked away, when father turned his attention from you, I had hoped that you would have the life that I couldn't. As you grew older, I realized I envied the life that you had and I also saw that you envied my life. As cliché as it sounds, I knew we both wanted what was out of our reach and couldn't see what we had in front of us."

"Although I was the top of my class, it was never good enough. I was always wondering if I could ever catch up to you both in ability and in the clan's eyes, especially father's eyes. Nothing seemed to be enough and in the end, I envied what you had, but I never could see what you were going through."

"I kept you at a distance, because I didn't want that for you. Although it is something I regret; there is a part of me that couldn't let you face what I had to face. You want to know why I couldn't kill you. It is because I couldn't kill the person that I cared about, despite the envious thoughts I had. I fought to give you the freedom you deserve, even if it wasn't exactly easy for you. I do have some regrets, but I wanted so much for you that I did what I had to and so I couldn't kill you and to make sure I wouldn't I tried to make you fear me so you would stay away."

"But I didn't."

"No you didn't. You did as I told you and in the end you have surpassed me. For the longest time I thought of you as my opposite; the other half that completed myself, had what I wanted, but couldn't have, and I guess I still do feel those thing, but I feel like you're not the seven year old I remember. I still call you foolish, because of habit, not because I really think you are. It's funny how we both have changed."

The room became silent once more. It was a lot of information and emotion to digest. Sasuke knew that if the topic didn't change he was going to be crying like his brother.

"Why did you join the Akatsuki?"

"I knew that I couldn't remain in the village. They wouldn't believe something like that without proof and I had none, now that I had killed everyone, but the one person who knew nothing. I had no time to find proof, so I quickly left. I lost my purpose of looking after you when I left and so I sought out another purpose. I was approached by the leader of the Akatsuki and I felt that I had a purpose again of ridding the world of these monsters for the time being. I had no intention of coming near the village again and I was going to try to avoid you at all cost, at least, until I was given the assignment of capturing the container of the nine-tailed fox."

"Which is why you went after Naruto?"

"That day, I was more than willing to take the hit from Chidori, but then for a split second, I didn't want my blood on your hands, like the clan's blood is on mine. That's why I caught you arm that day and tried to force you away. When I learned that you had gone to Orochimaru, I knew that one day this would come to its conclusion and in the end we would test our strength against each other. I was hoping I would die, but apparently, you had different ideas and here we are full circle again."

The two boys shared a silence of understanding. They felt like they understood each other better than before.

"Sasuke, I know that words will not undo what has been done, but I want you to know, that I am sorry."

"Itachi, this is a lot for me to think about. I'm going to head back to my room and sort this out for myself."

"I understand. I knew it would come to this if I ever told you the truth."

Sasuke nodded and with a few quick hand signals, he was gone. Itachi simply stared at the spot where his brother once stood. He smiled slightly feeling the terrible weight lifted off his chest.

Sasuke, you were always my weakness and my strength. Now that you have the knowledge what are you going to do with it?