Woos for stealing the battle scene! I have to thank Kishimoto for that. I pretty much have taken it word for word, action for action and written it down. I've also pulled various other aspects from other chapters and incorporated them. This chapter will stop at the exact spot that chapter 384 does. That way I'll be able to keep it following the story line. Although I was surprised that how I had written the end of the battle was the way it actually ends.
So yeah…the characters don't belong to me. And the battle scene at the end most certainly does not belong to me.
It took all of the fortitude Itachi had to leave the bed that morning. He didn't want to leave Temari. He was in love. She'd woken up to his getting off of the bed and the whole time he was in the room she begged him to stay at some time clutching onto his arm. And it broke his heart not to be able to. But he'd made a promise to his brother. And he would keep it. Sasuke deserved that much. He deserved his chance at revenge.
So he'd left the hotel room, Temari still grasping at his arm. The tears running down her face were almost too much for him to bear. He didn't want to be the source of her pain, but he knew it was too late for that. Before he left he had whispered in her ear, "Temari…I'll try my best. To live. For you."
Temari had fallen to her knees upon realizing that he'd disappeared in a puff of smoke. The tears came and came without abating. She did not care that she was wrapped in the bed sheet, completely naked underneath. She didn't care that she had the door open and that any person passing by would be able to see her. The man she loved was leaving. And there was a good possibility that he was never coming back.
Itachi sped out of the city, making his way to the Uchiha hideout. He fought the tears the whole trip. He fought his urge to turn back. He sensed a familiar presence travelling in the woods with him. He stopped thinking about Temari, instead focusing on the Kyuubi vessel. He snuck up behind the blonde boy. He whirled, ready to attack when he realized that it was Itachi. "Naruto," Itachi said flatly.
"What do you want? I won't let you have the Kyuubi!" Naruto shouted.
"I did not come here for that. I just want to talk to you." Itachi knew that he had to be speaking to one of the boys shadow clones. He was probably out looking for his brother. Upon realizing this, he asked, "Why do you search for him so ardently? Why does he mean so much to you?"
Naruto glared at him. "He's like a brother to me. I'm a better brother than you'll ever be!" Naruto charged at him. But Itachi just disappeared. He couldn't handle the blonde's insults. He was still so emotionally torn from leaving Temari, and it was causing the blonde's words to cut him deeply. He knew deep down that he had been a wretched brother. But it hadn't been his choice. "Father, Mother," he whispered. "I'm so sorry for hurting him."
About halfway, Kisame joined him. And he was grateful for the shark-man's presence. It gave him a distraction. But he'd never admit it. "What are you doing here?" he asked apathetically.
Kisame shrugged. "I thought I'd see you one last time before you start your fight to the death."
"That wasn't necessary."
Kisame glanced over at the Uchiha. He was startled by the emotion just barely revealed on the face of the raven-haired man. Itachi was upset about something. "What's bothering you?" Kisame asked.
"Hn."
"Tell me," Kisame instructed.
"No."
"This doesn't have anything to do with your brother, does it?" the shark man prompted, trying to get something out of Itachi.
"No. Just let it be."
"Fine. But I'll find out sooner or later. Even if you won't tell me."
Itachi shrugged and picked up his pace. He didn't need anyone reminding about why he was upset. Not when the pain was still so fresh. So new. And definitely so foreign.
The two arrived at the Uchiha hideout. Itachi stopped at the door. He turned to his partner. "Kisame…my brother will be travelling with others. Make sure they stay behind. You too. This is between me and Sasuke." Kisame nodded. Itachi proceeded on as Kisame headed back in the direction they'd come from.
Kisame found the group easily enough. They'd been alarmed to see him. Probably even more surprised at his utter disinterest in harming them. But Orochimaru's former underlings were meaningless to him. As long as none of them interfered he had no reason to kill any of them. "Sasuke, please continue on your own. Itachi would prefer for the rest of us to stay here."
The younger Uchiha had found this to his liking. He'd quieted his team's protests, commanding them to stay behind. And they did. Surprisingly Kisame met Suigetsu, the brother of one of the Legendary Swordsmen. And he had Momochi's sword. He was an interesting guy, just as feisty as he remembered him. Roughing the kid up a bit would be fun.
It took Temari an hour to stop her tears. Standing up from her spot on the floor, she set her jaw in a determined line. She got dressed, splashing water on her face to wash off the tears. She closed the door to her room as she walked out, fan strapped on her back.
Walking to Gaara's office, she knew he wouldn't like her idea. He'd try to fight her. But she was stubborn. And if he didn't officially give her permission to leave, she'd just go anyways. The hardest part would be that now she would have to tell him the truth about Itachi. He looked up at her expectantly, catching the determined look in her eye.
"Gaara, I need to leave the village."
"Why?" he asked curiously, although he already had a pretty good idea why.
"Itachi…Itachi is the Uchiha Itachi. And I…I've formed a relationship with him. I would like permission to…I'm not really sure, but I just want to bring him back here."
"Temari, if what you say is true, then he's a missing nin. An Akatsuki member. I don't want him here."
"But Gaara…I love him."
"You only met him four days ago. How in the world can you love him?"
Temari growled. "I'm leaving whether you give me permission or not."
"Temari, don't be rash…"
"No, Gaara. If I'm not rash, he'll die. And if he dies, I'll never know if the love we have right now is true love. He means more than anyone does to me. I have to try to help him. To protect him." Temari was desperate. Gaara could hear it in her voice. If he didn't let her go, he'd lose his sister. But wouldn't it be dangerous for the village if the murderous Uchiha took refuge there? Probably.
"Okay…I'll let you go," Gaara finally conceded after a bit of thought. "But don't bring him back here. He's a danger to this village."
Temari nodded. "Thank you, Gaara." She spun around, racing out of his office.
Gaara sighed."Come back alive, Temari," he whispered.
Itachi sat on the stone chair in the hideout, staring down at his brother, fighting to get his head clear. Being with Temari had significantly changed him in some way, but he had to fight his brother. And if he wanted to survive, he had to do so with a clear head. He set his facial expression, banishing all thoughts of the woman he loved to the back of his mind. "What can you see, Sasuke?" he asked, turning his attention onto his brother.
"With my Sharingan, I can see one thing, and it's crystal clear. I see you. Dead." Sasuke glared at him, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Itachi leaned his head back against his seat, closing his eyes. "You see me…dead?" Itachi released an imperceptible sigh. "Well then…" Itachi's genjutsu was in effect. Sasuke saw his brother move, Sharingan catching the lightning fast movements. Itachi was beside him, saying to him, "Let's see how good your eyesight has become."
Sasuke whirled, arm swinging at Itachi. Itachi drew a kunai, blocking Sasuke's attempted hit with his wrist. Itachi continued his motion, pushing the kunai towards his brother. Sasuke reached for his sword, drawing it to block Itachi's attack. The sound of metal clashing resonated through the cavernous building, and Sasuke glared up at his brother.
Itachi leaned back, aiming a kick at Sasuke's chin. He avoided the sword, his leg travelled between it and Sasuke's body and found its mark, hitting Sasuke's chin with a thud and causing his to fall backwards. Sasuke righted himself, his feet moving around to help him regain his balance. He face contorted from the effort. He held his sword as a javelin, the bottom of his fist pointing towards the sword's tip. He watched Itachi, still in the air from the kick he had delivered, and charged at him. Itachi slipped around, grabbing a hold of Sasuke's cloak, and pulled him backwards, throwing him to the ground.
Sasuke stood up, a glare on his face as he formed the seals needed to use Chidori. He had lost his sword when Itachi had thrown him. Itachi was confused though. Sasuke had attempted to use the Chidori on him in the past. Sasuke charged then, racing at the genjutsu of his brother. He picked his sword up as he went, forming the Chidori into its Nagashi stage. He smirked as the lightning cracked and expanded outwards.
Itachi looked at the lightning tendrils that were coming after him. He leapt to avoid them, but Sasuke released the Chidori, instead driving into Itachi with his sword. Itachi couldn't do anything to avoid it in mid-air and Sasuke's sword ran through his chest. Eyes widening in shock, he fell to the ground. He gazed up at his brother, sputtering out, "You…you've become strong…"
Sasuke kneeled over his brother's fallen form. He narrowed his eyes, saying, "Finally…Itachi…I have some questions for you."
In reply, Itachi reached up in an attempt to poke his brother's forehead as he used to do many years ago. But instead the finger pointed in a direction, then the genjustsu was released and Sasuke could see the real Itachi sitting on his throne, watching him. Sasuke glanced at the real one skeptically, the returned his gaze to the fallen Itachi, only to see that the form was morphing into crows. He stood up setting his eyes upon his older brother. "The same crows as last time…using your signature genjutsu…" he said aloud as he tried to piece it all together in his head.
Itachi stared at him, and then asked, "What do you want to ask? Even though it isn't the end…"
Sasuke glowered. "I'll say it once more Itachi…"
It was then that Sasuke made his move. He'd trapped Itachi in a genjutsu of his very own. He plunged the sword through the stone seat, driving into Itachi from behind. He pierced both spine and sternum, the bones fragile and weak in comparison to his powerful weapon. Itachi eyes' widened in shock. He felt a searing pain go through him as his blood began to flow out of the wounds. He knew that his lung had been pierced, not only from the location on the sword but also from the way drawing breaths began difficult and unfulfilling. He moaned, blood running down his chin.
He watched as the Sasuke standing in front of him morphed into snakes, much as he had morphed into crows. "Genjutsu…" he sputtered, upon realizing what had happened.
"Finally…I have questions I want to ask you…" Sasuke said, glaring up at his impaled brother.
Itachi stuttered, the task of breathing becoming laborious. "That's what I just said…" He stared forward, gaping. Temari's face flashed in front of him.
Cliffie…sorry about that. But don't blame me okay? I wasn't the one who cut off the chapter like that. I had to leave you guys hanging because I myself was left hanging. But I was right about Itachi getting a punctured lung. That made me just a little excited. So yeah...leave reviews. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.
