DISCLAIMER:

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I renounce being the story writer of NARUTO. Woah. That almost sounds as if I am giving up ownership- which technically I am not since it didn't belong to me to begin with. I have nothing to let go. Well anyway, the characters aren't mine. The story as a whole is mine as well as some of the this and that's-although it was basically influenced by a reincarnation book whose title I can no longer remember. Other than that, CLAMP also have a lot to do with the over- all content- TSUBASA reservoir chronicles, XXXholic, RG-Veda and Wish to be particular.

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Note:

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Huh… I guess I was saddened. Nobody really reviewed last chapter. I guess that was why this chapter took longer than the rest. Anyway… I updated because the story called to me and I was really inspired. Things just suddenly flowed.

Oh another thing- the ItaNaru may had been scarce but it will come again… really it will. Then again, I was wondering if you guys noticed when it first made an appearance. Hm… Anyway… things will be starting to roll by next chapter… but before we go there…

I wonder how you guys would take this chapter…

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Dawn of Eternal Light

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Chapter5

(Rest)

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No matter what Aniki said before… he really was the one who first read those books. I knew he did. I don't know if he ever found out about me knowing but I guess even that didn't stop him from calling me foolish. I used to sneak out of my room when everybody's asleep. I adored my aniki when I was young and had always respected him beyond belief even when I grew up. Actually my respect and love for him as a brother has never died. I doubt if it will ever. How I saw my brother then will never change nor die through the entirety of my eternal life. He was always so calm and he'd always smile at me even if I do stupid things. I later noticed that he was only like that around me and it made me quite happy. He was reserved and cold when it came to others, especially with Otousan but he was calmer and quite contented if Kaasan was there. I couldn't help but think that me and mom was the only ones he considered as family.

As far as I could see, Aniki was perfect. Painfully perfect. He was strong- deathly strong. He was intelligent to the point that he could be quite cunning. He was in pain… to the point that he favored death. He had always been overwhelming. I guess he was too much to handle that even he himself didn't want to put up with himself. I guess that was what called him to the legend.

It made him obsessed with it at one point. He would go to the library at night and read. I caught him on it once or twice. He would be shrouded by the dark his pale face lighted by the dim yellow of a light from the lamp. I would often stare at his face- so filled with concentration and worry that I stopped sneaking out to look for him after the second time. I guess my young mind could not cope seeing him like that- seeing my perfect role model look so desperately worried with eyes that only reflected pain.

It was horrible.

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"What's happening here?! "

I entered the Uchiha main house a glare set and my fist clenched in a tight ball. I just came home from middle school and was greeted by a group of gossiping women that seemed to have gathered out by the front garden.

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"Oh no…"

"Yes. Ain't it unfortunate?"

"…how could this happen…"

"Are you sure?"

"…is he really…"

"Itachi can't have- he's such a strong-"

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"Why is everyone gathered here? Hey…!" I felt anger built up as I was merely answered by sorrowful glances along with the gossiping looks. At times like this I wonder what happened to the famed Uchiha clan. He got tired of it especially when he heard his brothers name.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG?!"

A door opened and out came a fully dressed Itachi as dignified and as perfect as ever. I let out a sigh. Thank goodness- but…

"Why the hell are these people here then?!" The gossiping women's shocked expressions when they saw the Itachi suddenly shifted to me and I glared deadly murder at them. They moved back and continued to file away with small nods for the two of us.

Once I was sure they were gone I studied my brother's features my initial calm forgotten as I noted his too pale to be acceptable complexion along with his tired eyes.

"What happened here, aniki? They sounded as if someone- mainly you- got incapacitated, gone insane or died."

Aniki simply smirked at me and I let out a sigh. I thought that, as long as he can smirk as irritatingly as that, he must be fine. "Very funny, otouto but they were wrong. I simply fainted. I was tired due to obvious reasons and as so it happened I lacked sleep last night."

A raised a brow at that before I narrowed my eyes at him, "You do indeed look a bit pale."

"I had always been pale- otouto, have you never looked unto a mirror or even seen our heritage. Most of us are born pale." Ah… If he can be as condescending as that, then he must be alright, right? And so I scowled at him already beginning to feel better.

"Tsk! Not that Itachi. I mean you're paler than usual which is already something. Come to think about it, you have been starting to look rather sickly these past few weeks." Itachi simply sighed as he shook his head, no. "I was merely tired. Really, you and Kaasan must really like worrying too much."

I growled at him for that. How could he compare me to Kaasan. Not that I don't love her but honestly- me, acting like his Mom…urgh.

"Fine then. If you say so…" He nodded a bit and once again entered the house. I followed suit but then the old women's gossips kept nagging at me.

"Itachi!"

I didn't know what made me but I called up to him. He looked back at me and I just couldn't help but look away.

"Just… be more careful, Aniki."

He seemed surprised for a moment before he smiled.

"Yes of course, you as well otouto."

He moved towards the front doors when he turned to me again. He stared for a while before he beckoned me towards him. Me, being the enthusiastic brother growled at him a bit as I defiantly went up to him in the slowest way possible. He sighed at me when I was in front of him before chuckling a bit.

"I'm going out for a while." he said and as I was about to start ranting at him for being such a bother and that he should be resting…

… he poked me…

"See you later, Sasuke."

When I was younger he did that often. He did it whenever he promised me something and could not keep it. As I touched my forehead in a bit of a daze his smile seemed to widen. As he turned around I'm sure I heard him say,

"Goodbye, foolish little brother…"

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I guess I was a worthless brother. I never even noticed he was 'that' sick. Maybe we trusted his words too much or we just didn't pay him too much mind. I don't know anymore but… that was the last I spoke to him. The next morning… he was absent on the breakfast table, as well as the training grounds, even the gardens and the library was empty. We thought he simply wanted to be alone. He does that often. But when lunch passed I began to worry, by the time it was nearly sunset we were on a frenzy.

I was the one who found him.

Itachi always liked the outdoors. He loved nature and it had always seemed that nature loves him back. I found him on the hill he liked so much. There was nothing special about it- no flowers blossoming, no small plants around, no cute animals here and there that was often described in fairytales. No. His story will never be considered a fairytale. On that hill covered in grass sat my brother as he leaned under the Sakura.

Sounds melodramatic, neh? It's just that- it wasn't spring and he was not showered by petals of pure white or pink petals as soft as silk. No. It was the beginning of winter and the tree was leafless, no flowers, no nothing. But as I said- nature loves him. The sun was setting and the vibrant colors of orange, yellow and red tinted half the sky as the other half was lighted by the full moon. It was quite a sight.

Somehow… when I saw him there basking on the conflicting sides of light and dark I somewhat knew. I missed my chance. No, he denied me- us, the chance to at least see him off. He denied us the chance to say goodbye.

I guess I was surprised. As I neared him, as his face grew more and more distinct to me, I could have sworn I felt something wet on my cheeks. I guess I was crying. I… have never cried. Never for the entirety of the time had I had a fully functional mind. Somehow… a part of me had never… ever considered this to ever happen. Heck-I would be more open to the idea that he ended up as an immortal. But no- he just had to die.

…die…

I was right in front of him then. Directly in front of him when reality truly hit home.

Itachi is dead.

My Aniki, so strong, so beautiful… How is it he's now dead?(1)

I sat there staring at him as tears unbidden continued to fall- I wondered how he could still look like that. Even though the cold and death was the only things embracing him now, he still looked… stunning. Maybe it was because of the sunset together with the moon. The play of colors that seemed to paint that pale skin of his making it look more alive than the entire life he had truly lived.

I touched him then.

I reached out and touched his cheeks. Cold. So cold and so stiff. It made me wonder… for how long. For how long has he known that he's to die? For how long?

I remembered then.

That smile of his.

He had a particular smile.

So soft. So gentle. So at peace.

That ever so peaceful smile of his along with that low soft voice echoing through out my soul repeatedly calling out to me,

"Goodbye… foolish little brother…"

As my hands traveled to his hair… that soft silk black mother doted on so much. It may be the only remaining part of him that was soft… I felt my hands tighten a bit at that. Before I knew it… I was hugging him as I tried to hold every over flowing feeling back.

Uchiha's don't cry…

Uchiha's don't show such weaknesses…

Uchiha's… aren't supposed to be pathetic…

Uchiha's… aren't supposed to tremble like this…

"…d-don't w-we- Ani-ki?..."

It… was cold. The air was so cold. He… was even colder. My heart felt as if it had gone frozen… and yet… A frozen heart shouldn't cry, now should it? It isn't supposed to feel pain, right? It wasn't supposed to feel guilt… at all. I felt my hands tighten around him as my body was racked by grief… I have never felt so much grief…

Even I could not understand it…

After a moment I moved back a bit.

With tears still stinging my eyes I noticed the now even darker sky streaked with an even darker red. Blood red. With the waning light…I finally noticed…

Noticed something abut him…

…it made me smile a bit…

I heard people coming up and I wiped my face along with the last drop of my tears.

My aniki who died with such a beautiful peaceful smile… may you rest in peace and find real happiness.

"Goodbye… my foolish Aniki."

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(1) Sorry about that- I just couldn't help it. So… who can tell me from which manga that came from? I just don't know how and why I always relate Itachi to the guy the phrase was originally for. Actually, that phrase had been edited. The original is;

"My aniki, so strong, so beautiful… How is it that you're mine."

For obvious reasons- since this isn't ItaSasu and that I don't like that pairing much not to mention it would be highly irrelevant- I changed it.

***** I think… this would be my favorite chapter… over all including my other stories… why??? I cried writing this one. This is the only thing I have ever written that managed to make me cry… damn…*****

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Please do try to review and see you guys next chapter, neh? ",)