Well hello all! This is day four of the Update-A-Thon and here is chapter nine of this most lovely of stories. Well, if you've missed out on my other little notes up here, this gets updated twice a month (once during the Update-A-Thon then again during the middle of the month) because I'm trying to get to the sequel quicker. So that is why this gets updated more often.

Rating: T

Pairings: Itachi/Sasuke

Warnings: Uchihacest, which is INCEST. Cutting in this chapter. So if you don't like one of those then leave.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, so please do not sue me!!

Note: Please, if you have not already, go and vote on my poll. It is going to be closing around the 25th so these are the last couple of weeks to vote.


Wrong?

Chapter nine


"Hokage-sama," the Third looked up at the ANBU member who had just entered his office and nodded. "Do you need something?" The ANBU member nodded and took a few steps closer to his desk, right at that moment another ANBU member walked into the room, pausing in the doorway as he saw that soneone was already here, but then walked in anyway.

"Hokage-sama, there is something that we believe you need to see..." The first ANBU member spoke looking over at the other from behind his mask, the second nodded in agreement. "And what is it?"

"Well... I don't know if you'll actually believe this, but...this morning a young academy student found..." He trailed off.

"Hokage-sama, I think it'd just be better if you came with us and saw for yourself," the second one spoke, trying to help the first in the matter. Sarutobi smiled slightly and nodded before standing up. "Well I guess going on a walk wouldn't be that bad of an idea..." He spoke lightly before walking around his desk and heading towards the door, followed by the two ANBU.

XxXxXxXxX

Twenty months now... Wasn't that enough torture for him? Twenty months without Itachi; without his everything... He had given everything to try and keep going on. Naruto had tried so hard to help him. He knew that he was beyond help now; he was beyond caring for his own well being anymore. He had finally had enough of this. Only so many nights could be spent at Naruto and Neji's places to keep him under watch, only so many tears could be shed until there was simply nothing left.

He felt so empty now. There was simply nothing left for him. He was sure that his brother was dead and that killed him inside. This emptiness was slowly tearing him apart inside. It didn't matter that the darkness that he had created of his own sorrow and anger was here, no, it had no power over him any longer. It was merely in his mind; watching as he was destroyed from the emptiness...the loneliness... There was just simply nothing left for him anymore.

But Naruto refused to let him die. He was sure, in his twisted consciousness, that Naruto was just making him stay alive because of spite. All this could have been over a long time ago if only Naruto hadn't intervened...the boy just cared too much about everybody. He didn't need anyone to care about him though. The only thing he needed...only person he needed was his brother. And he knew his brother was never coming back to him now... It had been too long. Too many suns had set and too many moons had risen. It was too late.

He looked down at the kunai in his right hand as he sat on the edge of his bed. It really was too late... That just made him hurt even more every time he thought about it. Naruto had forbid him from killing himself, but he could at least try to take the pain away, couldn't he? He flipped his left arm over and placed the kunai against it. He didn't care that he was this deathly looking pale, he didn't care that he hadn't slept in the past four and a half days, he didn't care that he had barely eaten in almost three weeks, he didn't care that his mother and father were worried sick about him. He simply didn't care anymore. He stopped caring so long ago, so very, very long ago.

He then made the first cut into his skin. It was deep; he could feel that without even having to look at it. Then he brought the kunai down upon his flesh again...and again, and again...until finally there were five horizontal, crisscrossing wounds on his deathly pale flesh. He shook his head and dropped the kunai to the floor, letting the wounds bleed, letting his blood hit his floor, feet, and kunai. It hadn't helped at all. He felt absolutely nothing except the pain he had felt before. It was like a physical wound was nothing to him.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door. He didn't panic though, everyone other than Naruto knew not to bother coming in his room anymore. Nobody wanted to see him how he was, like a skeleton. "Sweetheart... Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you as soon as possible..." He didn't bother answering as he knew his mother had already left. He sighed and looked at his arm for a moment before getting up to clean the cuts.

XxXxXxXxX

Thirty minutes later he was in the Third's office, regarding the man with a look of indifference. "Sasuke, I think we should take a walk," Sarutobi said softly getting up, motioning for him to do the same and a minute later they were on their way out of Hokage tower. So I come here...just to go on a walk...? It didn't make much sense to him, but he didn't dare question the Third. They walked on in silence for quite a few minutes until finally Sarutobi spoke.

"I know that you've missed Itachi dearly, Sasuke." He didn't say anything, he didn't really think that he could and he figured that the Third understood that he didn't really want to talk about this. "It was important that he go on that mission. He was the only one."

"So I was told." His voice sounded so hoarse. He swallowed and looked around the street that they were walking on. There was absolutely no one around... It was so odd. Usually people were hustling and bustling everywhere during this time of day. He thought it quite odd but shrugged it off. "I see."

They continued on in silence for the next five minutes until they were standing inside Konoha hospital. "Why are we here?" The Third didn't answer, only began walking down a hallway, Sasuke quickly followed wanting to know why they were here. He realized halfway down the hallway that it was very quiet in the hospital today; unnaturally quiet... That was odd as well. But he shrugged it off.

Sarutobi stopped in front of the very last door on the left. "Sasuke, this morning a young academy student came across something very interesting laying just inside the village. I thought that you'd like to see it." He gave the Sandaime Hokage a confused look but nodded slowly. Sarutobi opened the door up and began walking in. He couldn't see what was inside the room because he was behind the Third. "Hokage-sama?" He froze. No, there was just...no way... He bit the inside of his cheek hard. But there was no mistaking that voice. "Yes?"

"Who's with you?" Sarutobi stepped to the side and allowed him to see what, or rather who, was laying in the hospital bed under the thin sheet. He took a shaky step forward, his mouth agape, eyes wide. He couldn't believe this. "I thought that was you, Sasuke. I could never forget that chakra signature." He collapsed on his knees and stared at his brother, who wasn't even looking at him, but smiling. He swallowed the knot in his throat and placed his hand on the floor. "I-Ita...chi...?"

Itachi nodded with that smile still on his face but did not look at Sasuke. "It's good to hear your voice again, Sasuke." Sasuke stood up slowly and walked over to Itachi's bedside slowly. He saw his brother's eyes closed. Everything about him was exactly the same. He couldn't believe it...this was too good to be true... "I'll leave you two alone for a while," Sarutobi said behind them, but neither of them acknowledged him as he left the room.

There was a gentle hand caressing his cheek then traveling down his neck slowly. It was taken away a few moments later and he saw Itachi frown. "What have you done to yourself, Sasuke?" He looked down at the ground a moment and then looked out the window. "I don't know that you're talking about, Itachi..." He was such a horrible liar sometimes... Itachi's lips straightened out completely and he knew that this was a serious look.

"Sasuke, don't lie to me. Why haven't you been taking care of yourself?" He bit his lip. "I didn't think...that you'd come back..." Itachi shook his head and he saw his brother's eyelids flutter slightly.

"That's no reason, Sasuke. Whether I came back or not...you should have taken care of yourself..." Itachi sighed and reached out for his hand. He hesitated but then put his right hand in his brother's. Itachi shook his head. "The other one, Sasuke," he said softly and that made him stop. Did Itachi somehow...know? He couldn't deny his brother though and placed his left hand in his brother's outstretched one. Itachi flipped his arm over and gently raked his fingers on his free hand down from the inside of his elbow down to his wrist. Itachi's fingers stopped once they had gotten past the five cuts that he had made not even an hour ago.

"Is this all of them?"

"Yes, brother," he didn't know why he was suddenly so...afraid; so scared that Itachi might do something to him... What Itachi did though shocked him. His brother brought his head down and kissed each cut lovingly. When he had kissed the last one he lifted his head back up and let Sasuke's hand go. "Why...? You... You're not mad...?" Itachi smiled slightly.

"I'm not mad, but I am disappointed that you'd do this... You shouldn't have... But I do understand..." Itachi sighed and showed Sasuke his left arm where five horizontal scars were. "You...? When did...?" he touched the scars lightly as if he would break Itachi if he touched him any harder. "The morning that I had to leave." He looked down and took his hand away from his brother's arm. That brought up everything in the letter... Had Itachi really meant it...?

"Itachi...?"

"Yes, Sasuke?" He looked down and sat on the edge of the bed carefully before looking at Itachi. "That letter... Did you really mean it...?" He had to know... God, he had to know so bad. It had taken twenty months, a suicide attempt and five cuts for him to be able to see his brother again. If this was all for absolutely nothing; he didn't know if he could go on any longer.

Itachi leaned his head back against the headboard and Sasuke noticed that his brother's eyes were still closed... Itachi hadn't taken one look at him this entire time, and yet...the elder could tell that he hadn't been taking care of himself and knew that he had cut himself... What was going on? "Of course I meant it, Sasuke."

"Why won't you look at me?"

"Because I can't," Itachi said softly with a small heartbroken smile on his face. He wrinkled his forehead and looked at his brother for a moment. "What do you mean, Itachi?" What he saw next shocked him. Itachi took his head off the headboard and opened his eyes and he saw the glassed over onyx eyes of his beloved brother. He reached out and touched Itachi's cheek gently as he stared into the glassy onyx eyes and Itachi's hand came up to cover his.

"I'm blind, Sasuke."

TBC...


A/N: Oh, gosh, poor Itachi. Comes home finally only to be blind... Man... I'm mean... But!! It all does have a point! So please, continue to read, and I hope that you continue to like! Please review and tell me what you think as well! Thank you!

I'm sorry if there are any errors, please tell me if you spot any and I will fix them immediately.

SandXDemonX13

TTYFTDS