Chapter 9
Sasuke stared at his brother's back from the trees.
…
It had only been a good fifty seconds after Itachi's appearance that he ordered team Hebi, Deidara and Sasuke to get back. He didn't want any of them to be an obstacle as he settled things.
Sasuke hadn't been too surprised when his team complied fairly easily to the simple order to flee. Neither had he been very surprised that Deidara had been more of a challenge, not particularly favoring the whole, what he called, 'cowardly approach'. That in turn had forced Sasuke to remind him that there was a difference between being cowardly and being an idiot. Not to mention that the whole body swap situation pretty much limited both of their free wills, in cases concerning life or death situations, especially. Needless to say, standing in the middle of a battle between two extremely powerful shinobi while rendered nearly defenseless counted as one of those instances. Eventually Deidara grudgingly complied.
There really hadn't been any reason for them to stay while the fight commenced, and though he had followed his brother's wishes, Sasuke couldn't help but feel wrong about it all, about just up and leaving.
And whether he was on his brother's side or not… Sasuke had a feeling that that had nothing to do with the nagging, unknown force that had begun weighing heavier and heavier on him with each passing second. And that was when he knew that no matter what the outcome may be: Itachi lose, Madara win or vise versa, something was telling him that he couldn't miss this. He wasn't certain why that was but he knew he had to.
So he'd turned back around, forcing Deidara's legs forward. Apparently for or varying reasons, the others were soon hot on his heels, but he blocked them out. Maybe he was a bit of a hypocrite for his decision to go back, but there would be no stopping him.
…..
And as they'd arrived and began to watch, crouched in the branches of a large tree a little over one hundred feet away from where Itachi and Madara stood, Sasuke hadn't been expecting the two foes to still be standing there, a ways from each other, completely still. His sharp gaze was fixed on his brother's figure who's back was turned to him, before Sasuke's focus was shifted to Tobi. Suddenly, Madara's previous words to him came rushing back.
"Join me , Sasuke… In my plan of this world's rebirth. Our desires for vengeance and the cycle of hatred and regret will fade off into the darkness; they will be no more. Only peace and joy will remain."
The words wouldn't stop replaying themselves in his mind. The Leaf Village, the Moon plan. Itachi's own interpretation of helping them was all so much.
If Itachi hadn't arrived at all maybe things wouldn't have been as confusing for him as they were now. If he hadn't heard more of the masked man's reasoning behind his otherwise ridiculous-sounding plan, the young Uchiha had little doubt in his mind that he would have ultimately turned the man down with no hesitation.
But now… as much as he hated himself for it, now he was hesitant. Was Itachi the one making the mistake in fighting the masked man and his plan? Was he, himself wrong for just crouching above with no clear answer of what to do, where to stand?
He didn't know. Right now he wasn't certain of anything, and an overwhelming feeling of confusion and indecisiveness really set in and with it anger grew.
He reminded himself why, exactly, he'd even began to consider Tobi's hand in union just a while ago in the first place.
There was nothing in this world that could truly end the cycle of pain. There was no other way out. He had lived long enough, was no longer ignorant of that fact, and there, the man was opening a door that seemed so unbelievably surreal, but yet attainable.
But, now on the other hand, it was like seeing his brother standing right there in front of him, his brother coming to his 'rescue'… it pulled him out of his trance. It was like a cold splash of water in the face, and he still wasn't sure he was grateful for it, yet now, he was revaluating his thoughts. It was just that, seeing his brother standing up for him, standing up for this world even though he knew more than anyone else what cruelty it bore… it confused him.
But it also made him feel something almost akin to warmth. Was it longing? Hope?
For a second Sasuke slowly closed Deidara's eyelids. Open. Shut, open. Shut and then open again as if it would make any of this easier; as if it would wake him up from this…
Nightmare? Revelation? What, exactly? A mix of both?
He had no clear title for the situation.
The terrible feeling of frustration within was growing rapidly, making him feel more and more helpless by the second.
For the first time in a very long time he frozen in place. He had never felt so utterly useless in his life, and yet, all he could do was realize just how much he didn't know what to do.
But he knew in that moment just by watching the rigid form of his brother who stood, feet set firm in the slightly waving grass, that no matter which side he chose, Itachi would not be swayed. This was what his brother had decided and there would be no changing his mind when it came to what he believed was right.
So lost in his thoughts, Sasuke barley registered the sound of shifting clothing that rustled in the light night breeze. The silence that had settled over the dark fire-lit field seemed like it would last forever.
"'The many flaws' of my plan, eh?" Madara had addressed Itachi, referring back to what the Uchiha prodigy had said earlier, breaking the silence as if reading Sasuke's mind. "What flaws could my plan possibly have that this world doesn't have and more?" For some reason, the masked man actually appeared curious about what Itachi had to say. "Tell me that, Itachi."
"When it comes to how flawed this world is, you're correct, and I agree one-hundred percent," Itachi began, not seeming phased by his conversational and relaxed demeanor, "but your motives are selfish, and I won't let you drag Sasuke or anyone else into this," Itachi's eyes never left the man before him. "Don't pretend that you're not doing this for anyone else but yourself."
Madara laughed. "I will admit to being a fairly greedy person. But calling this plan of mine selfish is hardly fair. Don't get me wrong; the primary reason I now live to see the moon plan spring into action was due first to my very own misery, but that doesn't mean I don't wish to see others happy as well, trust me when I say that," he defended.
Itachi shook his head. "This world may be dreary at times, but at least here on this earth everything will remain real. We won't be caught up in dreams that we know deep down are false. We won't be living a lie."
"You have always had a great sense of humor, Itachi," Madara countered. "How foolish you sound. You're already aware that this world we're living in is already nothing but a lie." He put his hands on his hips. "You of all people know that to be true, what with you being one of life's number one exemplars of that fact."
Sasuke found himself unable to look away from the older brother who he thought had done the unthinkable to him for selfish reasons all this time, when in reality, lit was life that had been playing them both; him believing for so long what was not true, and Itachi being forced to live under the untrue.
Sasuke knew that in that, Madara was right.
Life. The moon plan. If they were both nothing but lies then what was the sense of fighting against the lies that were the most pleasant?
"The world and the lives we live have flaws, yes. But saying that life today is nothing but a lie means you are only ignorant," Itachi responded. " I know that because all my life, up until very recently I believed the exact same thing." His fists balled as he took a step toward Madara. "And of course, at the time, it was understandable for me to believe so… and I can see why you believe it just as much as I did; as much as I'm sure many people alive today think. But I'm here to say that as redundant as it may sound: as cold, cruel and unforgiving as this world can be, it is anything but a lie. It just happens to hold its true promise and hope deep down, way past its deepest, darkest pits."
For the briefest of moments, Itachi's rigid frame seemed to relax slightly, and though he couldn't see his face, Sasuke knew that his brother was, no doubt, addressing him as well. "And I've come to realize that now. That promise, and that light that we all search so desperately for when all goes wrong… it really does exist, here in this world. But in order to reach it, you must be willing to plow your way through the darkness. For some, that task is harder than for others," Itachi muttered, lifting an arm up, his palm facing the night sky before he balled it into a fist. 'Many don't make it through. But the light is there for everyone." Itachi kept his gaze locked on the man before him, taking another slow step towards him. "Even for you."
"Tch, here we go again, hm. He's just got all the perfect answers, doesn't he?" Sasuke heard Deidara mutter from above him. He ignored it.
"How, after all of this time, after all that I've been through do you expect me to suddenly believe a single word that you've just said?" Madara asked after a few seconds of silence. If anything he sounded slightly aggravated now. "I find your expectations of me to be a bit absurd. I've walked this earth far longer than you have, and I have yet to see any of your nonsense come true," he spoke, his arms crossing over his chest. "And on the rare occasion that good things do happen to anyone, it is never before long that their light is crushed once more. That's it's always been and it always will be," he said simply, coldly.
"I believe you're only partially correct. It's true that not all good things last forever. There will be times when our happiness is taken from us. I didn't say there would never again be dark times for those who've found light. But in life, you just have to learn to adjust with the bad, and once you accept that, living will become that much more bearable..."
"You know," the masked man suddenly mused cutting the Uchiha off and bringing a gloved hand to his chin, "Whatever happened to that little promise pf ours we made back then? The one established between us in the very beginning?"
Sasuke stared on at them, not knowing what to think. An establishment between the two? In the very beginning? It was then it was painfully apparent to Sasuke just how little he knew about anything, and just how in the dark he really was and had been all this time.
"Oh, don't pretend you don't remember, Itachi," the masked nin went on in response to Itachi's silence, "It seems like only yesterday we both decided that if I helped you that fateful night, you promised you would never go against me and my plans, as long as I also promised not to kill your precious little brother." He shifted, head tilting slightly to the side. "And yet, here you stand before me tonight."
Itachi's face remained as about expressive as stone. "I remember very clearly. But why would I ever keep my promise to a man that I knew was lying to me from the very start?" he questioned. His coal eyes had narrowed slightly. "I've always been aware of the fact that you are anyone but Madara Uchiha. A true trust was never built, therefore my true promise and our true deal was never there. How was I, and how am I to trust a man who lies to me about the very person he claims to be?"
"Oh, you mean someone like yourself then?" The masked man sounded annoyed.
"I thought you would say that," Itachi didn't miss a beat. "Back then, I never said that I was one to trust, just like you." The Uchiha paused for a moment. "But I've changed since then. Maybe not in the sense of trusting just anyone, or lying to others in order to protect myself… no, but I've changed in the sense that I have stopped lying to myself. For as long as I can even remember, I had always been lying to myself, never being completely honest with myself about who I truly was, and on that night that changed everything… I had decided to try and forget who I was completely." The corners of the Uchiha's lips upturned ever so slightly, almost bitterly. "And that was my mistake."
Because in forgetting yourself, you would never have to confront the full pain of just how much was taken from you. Not if you were no longer the person you used to be. Sasuke found himself filling in the blanks, the unspoken words. In that, Sasuke understood, but there was something he didn't.
How could his brother have gone wrong in letting go of his identity, the one thing that he knew would cause him the most pain if he had continued to hold onto it? Why did his brother suddenly want to remember? Why had he suddenly wanted to stop lying to himself? Why did he need to remember who he used to be?
"Because in lying to yourself, you may not feel all the pain, but in the end, you will be filled with nothing but absolute emptiness. And that… that feeling of having nothing left, nothing left to live for," the older Uchiha paused for a moment as if he were fighting internally with something, maybe remembering. "That's a feeling I would never wish upon even my very worst enemy."
All Sasuke could ask now was why. Why, Itachi? Why are you doing this? He was revealing some of his deepest inner thoughts, fears and feelings. In order to accomplish something that Sasuke didn't understand, and he was sure everyone else was feeling the same.
"Now I've learned to stop running away from who I am, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the level of pain the real me has to bare. Even during the times in which I have to put on a façade in front of others in order to get by, never again will I let myself be fooled as well."
"I'm telling you. You are jut wasting your time. You know why?" Madara interjected. "It's because just like you, I've hit that all time low of emptiness as well. The only difference is," Madara let out a small chuckle, "that complete emptiness has never left me. And I'm perfectly okay with that. For now. Because in the next life that I will create, I will be filled to the brim, we all will, forever."
Itachi shook his head again, his eyes hard and determined. "Madara, you may not ever connect with your true self again, but I have. That's why I cannot let you do this; to allow this world to be taken, along with everyone else's lives and free will all by the hands of one man. That's not what Itachi Uchiha would allow." Itachi's Sharingan spun into the Mangekyo.
"I've heard enough. You talk too much," the masked man hadn't even gotten the full sentence out before he lunged forward, right at Itachi in a moment, swinging a kunai at the Uchiha's throat. Itachi's spine bent gracefully back, dodging the assault before he swung back up and made a grab for the kunai in his hand, missing and springing back, pulling out a kunai of his own instead and flinging it back at the man with one fluent movement. It was easily deflected.
"Who would've ever thought I'd see the day he got accused of talking too much… hm," Deidara murmured sharply on his perch on the branch above Sasuke.
Said Uchiha shushed him harshly, keeping blue eyes trained on the two below.
This time Itachi rushed at the masked man, beginning a series of taijutsu moves that were countered by his opponent with quick ease. He was then dodging a side punch with his forearm, pushing back sharply and sending a punch of his own that was dodged. As he ducked from Madara's forceful air kick aimed at his head he ducked, then making a grab for the leg in midair, his fingers only managing to graze the fabric of his pants. As he sprang back up he tumbled right back down as Madara used his other leg to kick his legs from out under him in the literal blink of an eye. Another second and he rolled to the left, thinly missing a group of shuriken that embedded themselves into the dirt. He rolled again just before he could be crushed by the ascending foot stomping down, he rolled again and sprang back up behind his opponent, then managing to get ahold of him in the process, locking his arms with him by the elbows, making them back to back, Itachi bent over, using his strength, causing them both to flip. He released Madara like a sling shot into the air, flying rapidly like a lightweight. Itachi leapt in the opposite direction, regaining his footing and spinning around again to face Madara who had managed to land on his feet, taking no damage, standing several yards away.
"It isn't too late, you know. Not for anyone and not for you," Itachi spoke, barely short of breath. "But if you're not willing to put up the work that it takes to reach that light, even with the support of others, it is not anyone else's fault but your own. Either way, it is not your decision to determine the fate of the world, and I won't let you stop anyone else on this earth from getting the chance to reach their promise."
"So, our differences are set in stone, then." Madara didn't seem to be phased by Itachi's words in the slightest. There would be no changing his stance. "This ends here."
Itachi dove to the side as Madara came for him yet again, weaving through a series of hand signs.
"Fire style: Searing Crows!" A mass of black crows peeled off his form, flying rapidly at his opponent who made an effort of dodging them all as they exploded into fairly massive flame one by one, some catching onto trees in the distance.
"I will do whatever's necessary to stop you," Itachi said, throwing a a number of shuriken that multiplied themselves his way. "But I do not wish to kill you."
"If you want to defeat me, that is the only way."
As Sasuke watched the two dissolve into a flurry of flying kunai and an exchange of deadly jutsu he found himself remembering the Itachi he used to know. The strong and humble older brother with unquestionable skill that did not wish to harm or kill anyone unless it was necessary. The Uchiha wondered what other things Itachi would resort to before he would be forced to kill.
They both parted once more, the masked man's sandaled feet skidding hard into the grass creating lumps of dirt to come up. "Just face it, Itachi…," he said, deep voice loud in the otherwise quiet atmosphere. "You speak so much about how terrible it is to have nothing left, but what do you really have to lose? Think about it: a shinobi branded a traitor at such a young age by his village and all others can most likely never hope to go back to the way things really were, even if all were aware of the truth. No one would truly be able to look at you the same away again. And when they do look at you, deep down, we all know that they will only really be able to see the young man who slaughtered his beloved clan in cold blood… "
"Enough." From his previous spot he vanished in a flurry of black feathers, reappearing in front of Madara in an instant, swinging at his head, wrenching his arm away as it was caught by an iron-like grip. This continued until there was nothing more than a miniature hurricane of another round of blocks and blows. Kick, jump, swooping kick, duck, hit, punch, dodge, push, block, shove, and so on. "The past is in the past. A summary of my life isn't necessary. Besides, I've learned that those tainted memories of my life don't have to define who I am as a whole. It's not up to us to decide what life throws at us, but we are responsible for what we will make of ourselves as life goes on."
It was obvious that in taijutsu and ninjustu they were matching almost perfectly in skill. It was getting them nowhere. Itachi planned to make this quick. Swiftness was key and he knew it was all he could afford. There was something he still needed to test. He took a deep breath weaving through more hand signs before another enormous mass of fire in sphere shape flew out so scorching that the heat was palpable even for Sasuke and the others to the point that they began to sweat, and when it had all cleared, Madara was no longer there.
"Alright, now I'm getting bored."
If it weren't for his quicker than average reflexes, Itachi knew things would've been worse as he whirled around, eyes wide realizing that Madara had made a duplicate, before the masked man grabbed ahold of his arm, wrenching it behind his back, his grip painfully tighter than what was necessary. The Uchiha pulled viscously at the arm, but the grip only grew tighter, fingernails digging into his skin, sharp despite the gloves that covered them, and for some reason the masked man's strength in that moment was overwhelmingly monstrous. Turning his head over his shoulder to look at him, not able to twist completely around, Itachi kicked back with one of his legs, aiming for the distraction he needed for the grip to loosen enough, all for his leg to go right through; just as he'd half expected, unfortunately. Though he had never really been certain of all of his abilities, Itachi had an idea that Madara was capable of this trick by observation of the man several years ago, but since the masked nin had yet to actually make the advantage of his very obvious in their battle thus far, Itachi had begun to wonder if what he'd seen back then was a memory or just his imagination.
Why he had waited until now to use it to his advantage was beyond the Uchiha. The masked man began to snicker as if he'd just morphed back into his Tobi persona, apparently amused by whatever look he saw on Itachi's face. He began twisting his arm at an unnatural angle and the pain tripled in an instant. "Scream, Itachi-san," he heard Tobi say, and he felt brief panic seize him, his mind blindly scrambling for what to do. That was before his wits came back to him and he forced himself to look into the mask's eye hole with his activated eyes trying to attack. Instantly the man let go jumping back.
As Itachi flexed his abused arm he held back a wince. It had definitely been sprained. He wasn't sure exactly what had just came over him in that moment, but he knew he couldn't afford anymore moments of letting his composure slip. He needed to stay focused, keep his mind clear and confident.
A loud and crude laugh cut his ears. It seemed the man had decided to put away his Madara persona for a while, perhaps not finding it necessary for the time being. "Whoa, you were seriously getting for real just then. Geez, calm down Itachi, I was only playing!" He chuckled. "It's just, you should've seen the look on your face- priceless!"
Not daring to let his eyes leave him, Itachi wondered just how messed up in the head the man who played Tobi really was. "Sorry if I may have confused you for a moment there with the fighting exchange. Ya see, I humored you to humor myself really, have a little more battle fun. For old time's sake, in my case."
So, now he was treating this all like a game. He really had been perfectly capable of letting all of his previous attacks pass through before, but was toying with him.
There had to be a weakness to that technique of his, Itachi thought. There was always a crack in the glass. However he knew finding that crack would take too much time. Time that he simply could not afford.
There was only one other way.
But for now, it would have to wait. He needed the right opening.
There was a deep sigh, and Itachi knew 'Madara' was back. He didn't know which person bothered him more. "You know, Itachi," he mused, interrupting his thought process, "You and many others may continue to be against this all, but think more deeply about it; is it really, really that bad? Before you continue to go against the only one who can make this whole thing happen, why don't you ask your little brother about it all, first? Doesn't he have any say in this?" A beat of silence passed. Itachi stared hard into the swirly shield, trying to decipher his game. "I would like to think so, especially considering just how close I know he was to joining me just a while ago. Why don't we pay attention to that?"
"You won't bring Sasuke into this," for the first time since he made his appearance, true warning was evident in the Uchiha's voice.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Madara asked causing Itachi's jaw to tighten. "Well then, it pains me to let you know that Sasuke is already very much a part of this. He brought it upon himself. It's painfully apparent to me that if you hadn't arrived when you had, Sasuke would already be standing by my side. Isn't that right, Sasuke?"
Still crouched upon the tree branch, mind still whirring with contrasting thoughts and ideologies, Sasuke was sure he was going crazy to realize that part of him was actually almost relieved that a distraction had presented itself, pulling him out of his thoughts if only for a moment. That was until what he had heard really settled in. He had known that it would only be a matter of time before he was brought back into the mix. He had a decision to make. He felt the others shifting and moving about above him, but he blocked them and their words to him out.
'Why don't you come back down here. I know you've been listening the whole time," Madara urged.
For some reason that he couldn't exactly pin-point, every part of him, on Deidara's body, felt totally numb. So numb that he barely realized it when he planted both feet on the ground. He barley felt it as he slowly took step after step towards the two other shinobi. Everything around him was under water. At least it felt that way. Nothing around him popped out or really got his attention; things were blurred and faded out. Not the voices behind him, not the sound of the soft night breeze, not even the firm voice in front of him that told him to stay out of this whole situation was barely registered. All he could do as he continued to approach was remember everything. And he couldn't stop it all from coming back.
He remembered his previous goal of killing Itachi. How back then, he had stopped at nothing in letting anyone get in the way.
He remembered the pain and agony and overwhelming hatred he'd carried in his heart for the brother he'd loved most all those years. And now, even though much of the truth was apparent to him, most of the pain was still present.
And he remembered why.
He remembered his new goal. The one involving the Leaf Village. The one he had hoped would kill the remaining pain that resided within him.
He remembered how Madara had offered to help him achieve that goal of his, Just to satisfy him.
Sasuke knew more than anything that he was tired. The cycle… the hatred, the killing, the days and days of training restlessly to get stronger and to stuff more and more of his feelings inside. The feelings of helplessness and contempt, the endless cycle… it was all so tiring. He was very tired. Tired of it all.
All he wanted to do in that moment as he came to a stop was forget everything. And just rest. He craved sleep. Peace.
Then Sasuke thought again of the Moon Plan. It was all so, so tempting, just to end it all, to help in ending it all, but-
"And I've come to realize that now. That promise, and that light that we all search so desperately for when all goes wrong… it really does exist, here in this world. But in order to reach it, you must be willing to plow your way through the darkness."
Itachi's words
"Now I've learned to stop running away from who I am, no matter what the circumstances, no matter the level of pain the real me has to bare."
His brother's words had latched onto him and they just wouldn't let go. Sasuke found himself remembering who he'd been as a child all those years ago, before it all went wrong. He remembered what it was like to be who he really was.
He thought back to the days he waited eagerly for his brother to return from his missions so he could play with him or help with his training. He thought back to the original, the real Sasuke that he had hidden from everyone, even himself so long ago. Just like Itachi had. The real Sasuke had been giving. He had been passionate, admiring of his elder brother, and very, very loyal. The real Sasuke had been caring and selfless at times, even. Loving. And although he'd always had a tendency to look down at those who he thought were less powerful than his brother and even himself back in his academy days, he had never been bitter. The real Sasuke, though aware of the deadly ways of the shinobi, had always had a decisive, and yet reasonable heart.
If Itachi had learned never again to stray from his true self all the while managing to find his sense of peace in the midst of all this chaos, Sasuke knew hat it had to be possible for him as well.
The world was cruel, and, yes, it fostered so many terrible things, and perhaps that would never truly change. Perhaps the hatred would never completely dissipate. He knew that a lot of it still lived in him, and he honestly didn't see himself letting go of it anytime soon, especially not with the Leaf. He couldn't. There were just some things that couldn't be forgiven, he knew.
But deep down, the Uchiha also knew that the true Sasuke would have never subjected innocent others to a world that he had decided upon because of his problems. Even if many people could have wanted it. He knew that it just wasn't right.
Sasuke looked down at the hands of his enemy. The mouths on them were closed almost as if they were pursed in a grimace, waiting patiently for his next move.
He had made his decision and knew that it was a gamble. But not a gamble of who he should ultimately trust. It was a gamble on his future, a gamble that determined whether or not tonight he would live or die. No matter which side he stood for, Sasuke reminded himself, Itachi would still fight the masked man to the death in order to stop him if he had to. But for Sasuke, who's side he chose determined a lot for him. A lot for his team, even. Choosing Tobi over Itachi meant that if the masked man came out the victor, in terms of life, most likely he and team Hebi would be out of the woods. However, siding with his brother meant that if his brother were to lose, killed by the hands of the one who called himself Madara, the one who would by then see him as nothing more than an enemy once more for going against him…
They would both die; Itachi and he, himself, without ever getting to make sure that the blood on Itachi's name was replaced with nothing but praises on everyone's lips. He would be gone before he could ever repay the one behind all of his and Itachi's pain in full.
Even so, he knew what he had to do.
Looking back to Itachi before his gaze shifted once more to the other shinobi, he remembered what he had said to him.
"What if I were to tell you that my path is alongside yours, yours right alongside mine?"
"No, you're wrong. Our paths are very different. More than I can say."
"Now you've considered the question I've asked of you. You will have time to ponder this question, and answer it. But only when the time is right."
"In reality our paths hit a fork in the road a long time ago," Sasuke muttered, feeling the eye behind the mask heavy on him, "before we even met. Mine went left, and yours went right. That's how they will continue." Sasuke turned away from what could have been to stare at what should have never changed, his brother. "You' d better win this." No matter what the circumstance, even if he did die, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to betray his brother. Even if it was only pretend in order to stay alive for sure. He couldn't do what his brother had done to him for so many years. He just couldn't pretend.
Itachi took that moment to stare back at his little brother, the one that had trusted him with his life at such a young age, the one who's life he was forced to destroy at such a young age, and who was now the one putting his life in his hands yet again. This was his chance for redemption. He wouldn't let the rebuilding bridge burn. With a very subtle nod, Itachi's blood red eyes focused on his opponent once more as he stepped further in front of the younger Uchiha, pushing him back, blocking him with his outspread arms. "Now, get back. Get away from here. I don't want to see you again until this is over," he spoke, voice firm.
"Oh. I see. So you've made your decision to betray me?" Madara cut in, as if Itachi weren't there. He didn't detect any anger there, not at all. The Uchiha was surprised to hear something akin to pure… disappointment, and that alone. He wasn't sure why it bothered him, but it did.
"It's not betrayal. You and I were never allies in the first place."
Madara didn't move. "Don't lie to yourself, Sasuke. Don't lie to me."
Sasuke pretended his words fell on deaf ears. But he knew more than anything just how close to joining he had been and he would never forget. He knew that deep down, no matter how much he fought it he would forever see the moon plan as something that could always be beautiful in its own light. And because of that he wasn't sure what exactly to feel about himself. Maybe it should have been disgust. Because he also knew that if it hadn't been for the circumstances, and maybe if it weren't for Itachi being in his life, or if it weren't for the past and present events that made him who he knew he truly was… in another life, he knew deep, deep down, he would have found this man; their dark hearts drawn together like magnets. He would have become his partner in it all. He knew it would have been them against the world, fighting to permanently end the cursed cycle of hatred and pain the only way they knew how, together… if only things had been different.
He turned and didn't look back as he sprang for the trees.
He heard a chuckle behind him. "Well, you're of no use to me, then."
"No!"
One moment he was behind him, the next he was met with a swirl of an orange and black blur that lashed out at him, a silver glint aiming for the neck, and he had never been so grateful for his lightening fast reflexes when the dagger slashed into the flesh of Deidara's left bicep instead of the targeted area, despite the searing pain that followed. Sasuke could feel the muscle in the arm as it twitched sporadically due to the damaged nerve tissue and he gurgled in pain. The cut was deep; reaching even past the muscle, making blotches of black dot his vison. He was already losing blood fast. Cursing he sprung backwards in the opposite direction of the tree desperately with all his might as the man simply lunged after him again, weapon still in hand. Before he could think any further a giant mass of black feathers was sheeted between he and Madara, dissolving into Itachi instantly, and Sasuke was appalled by the divine speed. He knew his brother was trying to buy him time, but Madara would only pass right through him until his job was done; the hand and then cloaked arm that was now visible through Itachi's back confirming it. Sasuke sprung back clumsily another several feet blindly, turning, shouting for the others to go, ready to run for his life. That was all he had the power to do.
Which is why he was surprised to hear the sudden loud noise from behind him and the others. Then there was silence. Seconds passed. More silence. After another second passed, Sasuke dared to glance back over his shoulder, a sharp feeling seizing him.
Karin gasped. "Sasuke!"
But his attention was not on her. He remained frozen on the tree branch he'd landed on, breath catching as he realized what it was he was beholding. There below where he had fled them, Madara's arm was still right through Itachi's back; Itachi still there with his arms spread out like a protective eagle as if Sasuke were still behind them. He was looking into the masked man's face. Frozen in time. They both were.
"What the…?"
The air was dead, and he continued to lose blood at a fairly rapid pace. However, Sasuke was certain he wasn't hallucinating. He could feel Deidara's heart pounding dangerously in his ribcage as he dared not move, eyes paralyzed on the motionless pair below. Neither of them were budging.
Slowly, slowly, they both began to move, but even from his distance, one could see that that the movements weren't conscious ones, but controlled by gravity alone. Tobi's rigid form wobbled and swayed and in the next moment he had fallen right through Itachi, clattering like a plate to the ground, remaining motionless.
Of course.
"Sasuke… you're one of them." Deidara was at his side, not yet noticing his own arm's state. "What the hell's happening?"
Itachi's form began to sway as well as the remaining feathers fell at his feet. Despite the pain Sasuke was at his brothers back the next second, catching him as he fell backwards, into his arms. His body did not relax into the hold. It remained as rigid as a board. Sasuke peered down at his face. Frozen. Emotionless, with blood red eyes still set wide open. Yet the black tomoe within the eye were still spinning, very slowly. His brother's eyes were glassy, staring past Sasuke. But with closer scrutiny, the young Uchiha soon realized that the pupils were moving as well, ever so subtly. They were trembling slightly, in small, controlled jerks, this way and that within the space of the white sclera. All as if Itachi were reading something that was in the sky. He was glancing around at everything, and nothing. At things from another world.
Sasuke's brow furrowed as a feeling of dread began to fill him and he glanced back down at the still Madara.
"Genjutsu..."
"You don't sound so sure," Jugo spoke softly as team Hebi had made their way down and out of the tress to gather cautiously around. They watched as Sasuke set his motionless brother into the grass, motions measured and stiff like a robot's. "Sasuke."
"It's genjutsu. Itachi… his Mangekyo are activated. My guess is he had intended to use his Tsukuyomi… no, Is. He is using his Tsukuyomi," Sasuke mumbled more to himself than the others as he tried his best to calm the rising storm of dread within him before it took over completely. He tried to swallow.
"The Tsukuyomi? I thought the wielder and the victim had to be keeping eye contact for that to work, yeah," Deidara said.
"They do."
It was exactly what he'd feared. "It seems either Tobi caught on to Itachi's plan of using it, or he just had the same idea at the exact same time. Either way, he activated his Tsukuyomi as well."
Suigetsu dared to speak. "…So…?"
Now the young Uchiha really did begin to feel faint; the penalties of excessive blood loss along with the reality of the situation hitting him hard all at once. "This isn't just any normal form of genjutsu, or Tsukuyomi. They've fallen into each other's traps," he swallowed again feeling nauseous.
This couldn't happen to Itachi. Not here. Not now. "And now they're both locked in."
This was rare. So rare that Sasuke had almost thought it incapable of happening. In fact, it had been such a thing of taboo within the walls of the Uchiha clan back then to both use and talk about that Sasuke had thought the technique to be nothing but a tall tale, a myth. The practice of Tsukuyomi on top of Tsukuyomi, or what the Uchiha clan used to call the Tsukuyomi Koteisuru was something that many Uchiha from the ancient past had learned never to play with what was now one of the Uchiha's most highly forbidden techniques, and they had learned the hard way. And on the extremely rare occasion that any sane Shinobi who possessed the Sharingan triggered the jutsu, it was by highly sore mistake.
"Locked in you say?" Jugo mumbled. "How are they supposed to get free?"
Sasuke's gaze never left his brother. "They can't."
…
