A/N: I'm back and I brought you another chapter! Happy new year!

I'm also working on re-writing the prologue, so please bear with me.

uub: Thanks! I understand. I'll find a balance between the characters, don't worry.

DarkNamikaze: They both have Kyuubi, yeah. It's going to be explained soon, I promise.

Now, addressing the chapter, this one is a fight between my OC and his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Hope you enjoy it! Oh and by the way there's a little bit of swearing in this one. Just a little warning.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.


"Itachi-nii-sama," Yuu began, his cold onyx eyes addressing his older brother "so you'll be my opponent?"

The Uchiha prodigy halted in front of the boy "That's right little brother. If you manage to beat me, I'm sure Hokage-sama will overlook your misbehavior and enlist you in the Ninja ranks", he said calmly.

The navy-haired boy tensed his muscles at the information "Then you're what's standing between me and my goal" his voice turned dangerous "I won't hold back, Itachi."

"I don't expect you to", Itachi said and closed his eyes "I won't hold back either, so brace yourself. You're not prepared for a shinobi's life."

"Not... prepared?" Yuu repeated and shook his head "By accomplishing missions I'll get stronger quickly. I'll be able to protect everyone"

"Stop lying to yourself" Itachi revealed his activated Dōjutsu and glared at his brother "That's not your goal..."

Yuu frowned and triggered his own Sharingan, refusing to avoid his gaze "Then what is it? If you know so much, tell me what's my goal?"

"You want revenge", The raven-haired boy said simply. "You want to kill every Kumogakure shinobi you see."

The navy-haired boy's red eyes spun madly at Itachi's words "But isn't it beneficial to the village? Aren't we at war with Kumogakure?"

"We are," Itachi conceded "but if you follow the path of vengeance you'll only end up hurting yourself more. Just go home and think. You're a clever boy Yuu, I know you are better than this-"

"I'm done thinking!" Yuu snapped with venom dripping from his tone "I had enough of that bullshit! I'm tired of watching her die over and over and over again!" he lowered his voice "The only way for her to rest in peace is by spilling Kumo's blood... and I'll do it."

'This is bad. His mental state is far worse than I expected' Itachi thought and felt a shiver ran down his spine "What are you saying, Yuu? Can't you hear your own words?"

Yuu's angry expression was replaced by an emotionless look "Enough of this nonsense. Our judges will get bored if we make them wait any longer."

'Only one week has gone by...' Itachi fell down into the Uchiha taijutsu stance and placed one hand inside his Kunai pouch 'Grief can really change a person'

The younger boy slid a ninjatō out of its sheathe, allowing the metal sound to screech inside Itachi's ears.

'Straight for kenjutsu, huh...' The Uchiha prodigy began to block with a Kunai, but taken off guard by his younger brother sudden rush of speed, he sped up the action. The two weapons clanged in a shower of sparks. 'Fast...'

Yuu gritted his teeth. Itachi applied enough force to overpower his little brother and it seemed to work. With a grunt, the navy-haired boy jumped back.

The older boy pursued his attack and forced Yuu to parry a slash. 'That was close-' Yuu's line of thought stopped as he ducked under another blow with the help of his bloodline. The navy-haired boy positioned his blade to pierce his brother's on a non-vital spot.

Itachi leaned to avoid the incoming puncture. The older boy watched as the sword cut through nothing but air, but he didn't let his guard down. On cue, a smirked crossed Yuu's face.

Fugaku's eldest son barely managed to block a slash from his younger brother. The attack took him by surprise.

'A feint...' What Itachi assumed was going to be a straight pierce, ended up being a wide slash 'He retracted his ninjatō and changed directions in just a split second. If it wasn't for my Sharingan...'

Yuu lost his smirk and clicked his tongue "Tch."

"Kaa-sama trained you well, Yuu" Itachi commented with a small proud smile "I had to rely on my Sharingan for that speed."

The stalemate they were in could allow them to talk, but... "You are taking me lightly..." Yuu mumbled and Itachi lost his smile "I'm at the offensive now."

To emphasis his point, Yuu resumed the slice. This brought an end to the standstill and a dance of death begun.

Now Itachi had to really depend on his Sharingan. Yuu dealt graceful, but deadly, and fast strikes. Mikoto's style could captivate whoever watching, bring fear to any kenjutsu user and overwhelm the opponent.

The raven-haired boy's Sharingan did its best to keep Yuu in sight. As long as he could see the blow coming, he could avoid it.

CLANG!

Every time the weapons clashed, a loud metallic noise rang through the clearing.

Itachi tried to make another stalemate and stop Yuu's momentum, but the younger boy avoided all of his advances and kept his onslaught of precise swings.

The Uchiha prodigy started to lose his equilibrium as his little brother pushed forwards and forced him to retreat.

With a burst of speed, the navy-haired boy broke his brother's guard and gave a small cut to his cheek.

'Shit' Itachi thought as he jumped back a longer distance than before, making impossible another attack like this 'I couldn't block in time...' he brought a hand to his face and wiped the trail of blood.

For his part, Yuu had a smug smile with the tip of his sword pointing at Itachi. "Slow, nii-sama."

The older boy didn't fall for the taunt and kept his calm demeanor "Good job Yuu-kun. You got the first blood... but we're done with the warm-up" Yuu frowned "Let's not forget this is a test. How about Ninjutsu to start? Shall we?"

Noticing how Itachi relaxed his muscles, Yuu deduced he wouldn't attack until he talked. "Fine, Ninjutsu it is."

Itachi nodded and placed his Kunai inside the pouch. The navy-haired boy decided against attacking and sheathed his weapon.

Or so it seemed...

Yuu darted forwards and unsheathed the ninjatō in a single swift slash.

Itachi, acting on instinct, slammed his hands on the ground and poured Chakra. A small wall of dirt arose, blocking Itachi from the boy's view, but he didn't stop. The sword slashed through the ground barrier, missing the raven-haired boy by an inch. His desperate attempt to evade Yuu's attack worked.

The older boy landed from his quick, chakra-empowered jump and exhaled. 'Naïve Itachi' Fugaku's words repeated in his mind.

Now useless, the wall crumbled and exposed Yuu flashing three hand seals. Itachi caught up and molded his own Chakra.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu" The two fireballs crashed and fought for dominance before exploding and spreading flames.

Yuu took advantage of the distraction and disappeared in a quick Shunshin, only to reappear behind his brother and ready to pierce with his sword.

'Got you!' The navy-haired boy thrusted and watched as his brother spun around 'Too late Itachi!'

The tip of the ninjatō halted mere inches from Itachi's chest. The older boy gripped Yuu's arm and went for a palm strike.

The force of the blow pushed Yuu backwards as he did his best remain firm and not bent over. The smaller boy let go of his sword and clutched his stomach in pain while glaring at Itachi.

"Did you think that was my maximum speed?" Itachi asked and closed his eyes "Wrong. Stop being foolish, my rank is not for show only."

Yuu spat at the ground. "T-This... this is nothing." he stood upright, refusing to show weakness. "You forgot already? I hit the Hokage. Rank doesn't matter."

"That has to be the stupidest thing I've heard from you" Itachi commented, aware of Yuu's increasing rage. "His personal ANBU almost killed you in the spot. Thankfully Hokage-sama didn't fall unconscious and stopped them in time. You should be grateful."

"Grateful?" Yuu's hair darkened his enraged expression "He says he's the most powerful ninja in the entire village, yet he's so useless. He even took a hit from a 'little kid' like me."

"He wasn't expecting it. Hokage-sama trusts his shinobi deeply. If you didn't catch him off guard he would've avoided."

"A shinobi can't let his guard down."

Itachi widened his eyes at Yuu's words and the familiar 'poof'. The older boy crouched and watched a straight kick pass above him. Without wasting any time, Yuu went for an axe-kick.

The raven-haired boy blocked using his forearm and an inaudible groan escaped his lips. Itachi sucked up the pain and, while holding Yuu's leg with his left arm, uppercutted. His fist stroke Yuu's chin and propelled him upwards.

'He isn't holding back' Itachi addressed his injury now that Yuu fell a safe distance away. 'He directed the first kick to my sternum, even with such tremendous force. If it hit I would've been down for sure. The second kick was to protect himself after missing.'

A thin stream of blood came out of Yuu's mouth as he laid on the floor. 'Dammit...' the surroundings were a blur to him and a headache threatened to split his head in half 'What am I doing? I can't beat Itachi. The judges must be laughing their asses off right now' his vision cleared slightly, enough for him to visualize Itachi's figure. And he glared at it.

"Still not giving up?" Itachi stopped in front of him, not even phased by the hatred on Yuu's eyes "I fought tou-sama in this same clearing" the raven-haired boy started "Not only we exchanged fists, but beliefs as well. We made up an agreement, one we would never have reached by solely talking."

Yuu found himself listening to his brother's words.

"Shinobi get a better understanding of eachother when they battle. I dislike it, but it's a fact." Itachi studied Yuu's injured state before sighing "You're not thinking straight. Leave this war to us. To me. I'll achieve your revenge... as long as you stay home. With Kaa-sama, tou-sama and Sasuki-chan. Think about your friends, they're going though the same pain as you. That's my offer."

Yuu's glare softened, but his eyes remained defiant. 'Nii-sama...'

"If you want to keep fighting then stand up. I'll warn you, I won't hold back anymore." Itachi spoke and watched Yuu squirm, trying to stand.

'I can't accept that offer...' Yuu thought as his arms shook beneath the weight of his small body 'I can't burden you with my vengeance, nii-sama... you hate war. You hate meaningless killing. I have to stand up' the boy punched the ground 'Every one is suffering so much because of my weaknesses. Come on, Yuu! You have to get stronger! Isn't this what you wanted!? I lost my right to become a shinobi because of my own stupidity! This is my only chance...!'

Itachi wanted to run at Yuu and carry him to the hospital, but he restraint his brotherly instincts. If he did that the judges would probably lower Yuu's chances of joining the ranks... 'But isn't that what I'm trying to do? I want to stop him... don't I?...'

Meanwhile Yuu strained his muscles in a desperate attempt of rising 'Stronger! I'll protect this village better than anyone! Better than the Third Hokage, better than the Fourth... better than all of them! I won't let anyone take anything else away from me! Stand up!', but his legs refused to obey his commands.

'You're so pathetic' Sasuki's voice echoed through Yuu's mind and he face planted on the ground, his body depleted of strength. 'I can't believe you... you just watched her die... why are you so weak!? I shouldn't have trusted you! You're not anything like Itachi-nii!'

'Shut up... I... didn't mean to break my promise... I...'

'Hokage-sama is as useless as we are, then', Naruto said with a deep scowl 'Or did you forget how we failed at saving her? You have no right to accuse him, Uchiha.'

'Naruto... why do you look so hostile? Aren't we... friends?...'

'If you ever touch one of my precious people again...' Mito's purple eyes turned red and menacing 'I'll fucking rip you to pieces!'

'Sorry Mito... I know how much you care for the Hokage yet... I couldn't control my rage...'

'Disgraceful' Fugaku spat his cold words without remorse 'All of your training, useless. News are up, Heir of the Uchiha Clan saved by a mere peasant. You're nothing more than a failure, Yuu. I'm disappointed.'

'Tou-sama... I did my best... wasn't it enough? Was all my training for nothing?...'

Mikoto avoided Yuu's gaze and stared at the floor.

'...Why can't you look at me, kaa-sama?... Are you disappointed too? Do you hate me as well? Stop... then, stop avoiding me and tell me that I'm a failure!'

'Weak. Disgraceful. Useless. Disappointment. Failure. Powerless. Pathetic!'

'SHUT UP!' Yuu shouted mentally and gritted his teeth as a familiar sensation travelled his body. 'Nii-sama... like last time... take this pain, please... save me!'

'Stop lying to yourself. Embrace your ambition. Your desire. I shall help you fulfill it.'

The same feeling he got when he saw Tsukiko die.

'I'm the true power of the Uchiha. It's not their jutsu, nor their stances. Not their eyes.'

An immense amount of Chakra flowed to his coils; it felt dark, but addictive.

'Tell me what you want. I'll be the guide to your goal. Let me out.'

A deep chuckle escaped Yuu's bloodied mouth. The ominous sound brought Itachi from his musings and he noticed the strange Chakra inside his brother's system. It looked like a dark purple flame taking over a light blue one. 'What's happening?'

The chuckles got louder as Yuu kneeled, helped by his newfound power "I... I want..."

'Shout it. The world will tremble in fear. Unleash me. Your curse's embodiment. The Curse of Hatred.'

"I want to KILL them all! Every single one of those filthy bastards that took Tsukiko away! I'll slaughter them and their families personally!" Yuu shouted and released a full-blown laughter.

Unnerved, Itachi stepped back and examined his little brother again. His slouched stance. The way his arms hung limply. The determination in his eyes got replaced by pure resentment. "Y-Yuu! What's wrong!?"

Yuu's laugh halted at Itachi's worried voice. An insane grin plastered on his face. "Nothing, Itachi. I just have to decline your offer."

'He... gave in to his hatred...' What Itachi feared the most happened in front of his eyes. 'I'm sorry Yuu... I couldn't save you...'

"You look scared." Yuu commented and Itachi scowled. "Well, I guess you should be. You see, I want to see their life slowly slip out of their eyes. I want to hear their painful and agonizing screams. I want to feel their bones cracking beneath my hits. I want to smell their dry blood after I'm done with them."

"Are you hearing your own words, Yuu?" Itachi covered his distaste under an emotionless mask. "When you enjoy killing you have lost your humanity."

"Then I'll become a monster" Yuu countered with a creepy smile "You're standing in my way Itachi. I'll overcome all the obstacles that are thrown at me, including you. And by overcome I mean destroy of course."

'An obstacle?' Itachi's heart clenched painfully 'Is that what I am to you? An obstacle?'

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu" The enormous concentration of Chakra woke Itachi from his stupor in time to see a volley of big fireballs, each one easily the size of a normal Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu, coming his way.

The raven-haired boy felt the sheer heat on his skin. He leaped to the left and avoided a fireball that crashed where he stood seconds ago. The others missed him by a long way. 'It... must be hard for him to direct such an attack.' Itachi deduced but soon realized he was trapped in a flaming circle. 'Or...'

"Gotcha." Yuu clasped his hands together and chuckled. "With this, I'll start my revenge. Nobody will stand in my way. Game over, Itachi."

Itachi looked from left to right, feeling that the fire moved in an unnatural way. 'Could he be-?'

The prodigy couldn't finish his line of thought as a strand of fire acted like a whip and swooped at him. Thanks to his Sharingan, he predicted the move and evaded. Another stream waited for him to land and snatched, but Itachi rolled on the ground and avoided the roaring flames.

'He's controlling the flames! This... This is impossible!'

Itachi kept avoiding waves of fire that attempted to burn him. The oxygen soon got scarce and he searched for an opening to escape the inferno. 'Wait... Wait... Now!' Itachi jumped high with the help of Chakra. The older boy hissed in pain as an intense heat covered his left leg. 'Dammit! What are you trying to do, Yuu!?'

Yuu's Sharingan caught the figure of his brother, rising above his fire prison with a trail of smoke coming out of his leg. "Oh? He barely got away..." he mocked "I guess experience does matter..."

As soon as he landed, Itachi stomped on his foot to extinguish the flames. 'This is getting out of control' the older boy narrowed his eyes 'I have to take this seriously. The amount of Chakra Control to successfully replicate what happened is... above mine. Easily an A-rank technique, possibly S-rank. There's no way Yuu could've possibly pull this off.'

"Itachi~" his little brother's voice sang and the navy-haired boy dropped in front of him "We're not done playing yet~"

Itachi's Sharingan concentrated on Yuu's Chakra Flow. The once blue fire that conformed his Chakra changed into a dark purple flame. Heavier and thicker than any other he had seen before. The answer dawned on him at the same time that Yuu rushed for a blow. Paralyzed by the sudden information, Itachi acknowledged the approaching knee too late.

Yuu heard the satisfying sound of his older brother's ribcage cracking under the force of his strike. The impact expelled all the air inside Itachi's lungs and his brain shut down for a second to address the pain. Saliva flew out of Itachi's mouth and he bended over.

But Yuu didn't let Itachi rest. He grabbed the back of his head, secured his hold by gripping on his raven locks, and brought him down to his knee again. Itachi's bloodline deactivated.

The smaller boy let Itachi fell down, wheezing and trying to get air "Haha, did I hit you too hard? You even turned off your Sharingan from the pain! This is gold!"

Itachi's breathing came in short intakes of breath. He looked up to see his little brother towering over him.

"This is for that uppercut you gave me. Cause me pain and I'll return it tenfold." Yuu chuckled "Don't worry nii-sama, I'll end your suffering."

The raven-haired boy froze as Yuu took out his blade. 'Is he... really?...'

"I'll make it painless. Just close your eyes..." Itachi could make out the ninjatō's trajectory even without his Dōjutsu. "After this my path will be set."

The older boy closed his eyes. 'He... really... is going... to-'

Yuu brought the sword down and pierced straight through Itachi's heart.


"Shit, he really is going to do it." Gekkō Hayate spurted out from a tree branch. The brown-haired man, a Konoha kenjutsu specialist and tokubetsu Jōnin, turned to his companion at lightning speed "Yūgao, he's really going to do it!"

Uzuki Yūgao, a purple-haired woman and ANBU with a cat mask, placed a reassuring hand on Hayate's shoulder. "Calm down. You haven't seen Itachi-taicho in action. He has some trick prepared, definitely."

"Are you blind!? That kid's crazy! Heck, I'm scared of him! Did you fucking see his fire technique!? Itachi's in serious danger!" Hayate shouted. "We have to save him-Ow!"

Yūgao intensified her grip, to the point of him wincing. "Mind your tone, Itachi-taicho ordered us to not interfere. We're here to judge Yuu's performance. Trust me and watch the battle."

Hayate relaxed at his girlfriend's speech. He trusted her. "I-" a fit of coughs interrupted his words "-Sorry. I understand." The purple-haired woman nodded and let go of him. He returned his gaze to the clearing. 'Is he... going to be okay?'


Yuu observed how Itachi's eyes rolled back. His breathing stopped. His chest remained still. "I... I..."

An eerie silence downed on the battlefield. The sound of the fire dancing not so far away took over. No more metal sounds. No more cracking bones.

The navy-haired boy stomped on Itachi's stomach and twisted the blade. "I won."

A crow came out of the older boy's mouth and took Yuu's attention.

"That's... disgusting. You ate those things? Alive? Full of secrets aren't you?"

The crow stared at the boy, clueless. Its colour the same as the night sky. Yuu caught a little detail and leaned forward to inspect closer.

"Wait, is that a Sharingan?" A loud cry resonated, coming from the crow, and it took flight. A huge flock of those black birds soon followed their partner. "Are they coming from the ground!? What's happening?"

The boy looked down and froze. Itachi's body dissipated into the birds!

"What-"

"You haven't won, Yuu. A shinobi can't let his guard down." Itachi's voice invaded Yuu's senses and he widened his eyes. The crows began to circle him.

"Itachi! Is this some kind of Genjutsu!?" The boy clapped his hands "Kai!" Despite his release, nothing else changed. 'Uh? It didn't work?' "Kai!"

"It's futile" Itachi's upper body reformed on thin air and he looked down on Yuu "My eyes are stronger than yours."

Yuu's mouth formed a sneer and he launched himself without hesitation.

Itachi didn't bat an eye. The sword cut through his older brother, but instead of blood, feathers fell to the floor.

"You are blinded by rage" Itachi appeared again behind Yuu and didn't react when the smaller boy slashed his torso. He kept walking and poked his forehead "And because of that you lost."

Yuu's expression twisted into a deep frown and he slapped his brother's hand away "Stop mocking me, I haven't lost yet. I'm still standing! And you call me blind! KAI!"

Itachi noticed how Yuu's voice turned more frantic and sighed "The fight is over Yuu-kun, continuing is pointless. I see I cannot reason with you."

The navy-haired boy's fists shook in fury. "No! It's not over yet! I will defeat you! I'll show the world I'm stronger! KAI!"

"Your eye prowess isn't in par with mine. Accept defeat and you'll become truly strong", Itachi said as the crows began closing in and shrank their circular formation.

'Another way to break out of Genjutsu! Quick!' Yuu searched inside his mind for an answer, refusing to give up 'Channel Chakra to your Sharingan and overpower the caster! This never worked for me before...' he felt his mind blanking out as a result of losing consciousness 'Concentrate. This has to work.'

The furious boy channeled a large amount of Chakra to his eyes and a sharp pain registered in his mind. He blocked the sun with his hands and shut his eyelids shut.

Itachi noticed Yuu acting strange but paid it no mind. 'It's over.'

The stinging sensation continued, even after rubbing them repeatedly. 'Dammit! Too much Chakra! My eyes are awfully sensitive!' Soon the susceptibility to light faded, but the ache remained. 'Is this... blood!?'

A dripping noise drove Itachi's gaze back to Yuu and he saw blood flowing down his cheeks 'What?...'

And just like that the illusion shattered and they returned to reality.

A few minutes earlier...

Itachi kneeled beside Yuu, who laid on the ground. The boy's current expression had a huge contrast to his insane grin. He seemed to be peacefully asleep.

The older boy placed a hand on Yuu's cheek and caressed his little brother. 'In the end... I couldn't bring myself to harm you. Even if you didn't hesitate to kill me.'

Yuu's fingers twitched and a faint whisper escaped his lips "N-Nii-sama... save... me..."

Itachi held Yuu's small hand on his own, remembering how tiny his palm was years ago, and couldn't help a lone tear to fall down. "I'm sorry, otouto... but I..."

'I swear I'll use this power to protect my siblings. I promise you, kaa-sama.'

'What... am I doing? Yuu needs me... my little brother needs me. I can't-' Itachi's resolve dawned on him again 'I won't give up. Yuu's power... I'm certain it comes from the Uchiha's curse. Shisui told me about it.'

The dark Chakra kept consuming the almost inexistent lighter one.

Itachi furrowed his brow 'But he should be completely blinded by hatred... yet he's forming strategies and plans on top of the sudden burst of strength. I've never heard or read anything about this. I'll tell tou-sama about it-!' a sudden strain on his brain halted his thoughts and his eyes expanded to an unnatural size, full of shock 'Impossible! The Genjutsu... it's... broken...'

He checked his brother for any changes, but the boy laid unmoving. Itachi released a sigh and relaxed.

'It was just my imagination... I'm on edge...' the older boy panted and realized how tired he was 'I haven't slept since the incident... the war... so much is happening simultaneously. I should rest a little...'

Itachi exhaled again and winced as he tried to stand. 'That burn won't please kaa-sama at all.' Before he could try to rise again he felt Yuu squeezing his hand harder. He turned to his unconscious brother with a smile that froze in place. Those eyes he saw that moment... Itachi would never forget them.

The taller boy paralyzed. Those eyes... they stared at his soul. No, not only that. They began to consume his soul.

The pattern of Yuu's Sharingan morphed. The three separate tomoes linked to the pupil to create a pinwheel that spun furiously. A faint black circle surrounded it and closed the design.

Itachi stared at it for seconds that elapsed like years. Despite its intimidating aura, he couldn't look away.

Yuu, using his brother as support, managed to get up and ignored the numbness in all his body. 'My vision... it's ways better than before! I saw straight through Itachi's illusion! What's this kind of power!?'

The older boy couldn't believe what he saw. His little brother achieved the ultimate level of the Sharingan. Not even Fugaku had activated it, even after years of war and training. 'How?...'

Yuu smiled. 'It doesn't matter how... this battle is not over yet.' The boy turned to his brother and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look his way and directly into his eyes "I'm done with your puny tricks, Itachi. Could you give back my ninjatō so we can finish this battle?"

Behind his sweet tone, an urge to kill began building up and registered on Yuu's mind.

Itachi stared at him and spurted out "M-M-Mangekyō?... this... you..."

"Eh? What are you saying?" Yuu asked and cleaned his ear using his pinky finger. His eyes seemed distant and cloudy. "Oh, you want me to kill you? Haha, don't worry! I was going to anyway!"

A wide slash appeared on Itachi's torso and his mouth gaped before he poofed, only white smoke on his place.

Yuu held a different sword, roughly the same size as his previous one, and stared at an intricate sealing array on his wrist. "So it was useful after all, this hidden weapon. I know what Kage Bunshin's Chakra looks like now."

Meanwhile, Itachi shook his head and breathed in and out. 'Concentrate. Yuu somehow awoke the Mangekyō Sharingan... this explains his sudden surge of power and his insane demeanor. The power it brings easily overwhelms the wielder, that's what tou-sama said' he narrowed his eyes 'Now he seems less aware of reality, judging by how puzzled and faraway his eyes are. He's even more dangerous than before. I have to stop him now, Itachi, no more holding back.'

"Itachi! Stop running from me, I just want to kill you!" Yuu's voice closed in as leafs fell to the ground.

'Shunshin. You are being reckless, Yuu.' Itachi drew out a Kunai from its pouch and went for a huge opening on Yuu's guard. Then their eyes met. The same weird feeling circulated Itachi's body and his muscles restrained his movement. 'W-W-Wh-'

Another slice. Yuu pouted after it "Mou, you're just another Clone. Stop hiding and come battle me!"

'Itachi' dissipated into the same clear smoke.

Two other clones jumped through the small cloud before it disappeared, ready to strike an inconspicuous Yuu while Itachi studied from a safe distance. However, the simultaneous ambush ended up the same way. The clones froze inches from striking just to be erased by Yuu's sword.

'The next stage of the Sharingan... it will only activate once you face sheer despair. A simple loss won't suffice, since the Mangekyō Sharingan is the embodiment of the user's hatred. The dead of a loved one it's not enough; you'd have to feel it. The eye will grant his wielder access to immensely powerful, almost invincible, techniques.'

Itachi reminded himself of the scarce information he had on the advanced Dōjutsu, to no avail. He didn't know a way to fight against it. 'Genjutsu is out of question... I can't get near him, so Taijutsu as well... Ninjutsu... that's my solely option.'

His hand seals were invisible to the naked eye. In two seconds he charged 7.

'No more holding back. If I have to hurt you in order to save you, then... then so be it! I'll learn to live with that shame!' Itachi steeled his resolve and shouted the name of the technique "Katon: Karyū Endan!"

Three dragon-looking streams of fire approached Yuu from three directions; left, right and front. The boy did his own awkward seals and stared clueless at the incoming danger "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."

The immense fireball humiliated all his previous ones. As a result of its size, it acted like a wall and stopped the dragons' advance.

Yuu concentrated on the destruction and memorized Itachi's Chakra. "Hehe... found you!" he smiled when he localized Itachi's hiding spot.

The three dragons broke through Yuu's technique and the boy's smile fell. His pupils dilated as the bright fire neared. He could hear a voice inside his brain yelling at him to run away, yet his body refused to answer.

Yuu's breath caught in his throat and the situation dawned on him. Panic established. The boy screamed at his body to move, producing no changes.

'It seems like you're going to die... and by your brother's hands.'

Time slowed down at the weird yet familiar voice.

'The brother you cherished so much...'

Yuu slowly shook his head.

'He hates you like everyone else.'

'No... he will save me... Itachi won't ever lie to me!'

'Stupid. The proof is in front of your eyes. He lied.'

'Shut up! Just... Just get out of my mind!'

'After all I did for you? I killed Tsukiko's assassin and I helped you survive until now. How ungrateful.'

'GET OUT OF MY MIND!'

'I can help you. I won't lie like everyone did.'

'I don't need it! I don't need your help!'

'If I leave now you'll die here. Are you ready to?... I can make you an offer.'

'...'

'Hmhm... Interested? I can make everyone pay. I can fulfill your every request.'

'...what do you want?...'

'In return? Well, not much. I want you to embrace my power. Stop fearing insanity. Let me protect you from the world.'

'I... I... I-'

'You don't have all day. I remind you there're three flaming dragons approaching.'

'...Fine! I want to live!'

'Hm... then, accept my gift! Let my madness take control of your every move!'

'I accept-Ugh!' Yuu felt a sharp pain as blood gathered on the corner of his right eye. It trickled his face like tears.

'Then I'll protect you! Stare into your enemy and unleash a burning inferno that'll consume them until only ashes remain!'

"Amaterasu!" Yuu's and the weird voice merged.

Itachi wanted to throw himself at the flames and look for his little brother. Sweat covered his entire face 'Is this the heat? Or am I... nervous?' His twitching eyebrow, stomping foot and overall agitated demeanor pointed to the latter. 'What was I thinking? What if Yuu's in danger? I... am not acting like a shinobi right now.'

The older boy noticed a small spot of black inside the flames and jumped away.

'What... What is that... technique!?' Itachi could only watch in shock as black flames engulfed and erased any trace of his technique in a couple of seconds. 'It... my technique... what!?' During this battle alone the raven-haired boy experienced more shock than in his relatively short lifetime.

Itachi could see Yuu's figure in the distance along with a booming laughter.

"Itachi! You look so dumbfounded! Hahahaha!" The boy's laugh halted "Wait, you still alive? Begone."

In an instant, Itachi was covered in the same black flames.

Yuu covered his right eye and hissed at the sting. Even more blood flowed out.

"It hurts like hell! Dammit!" He swore and turned to the flaming circle he made to trap Itachi "There... There you are you coward! You've hidden there this entire time!"

Itachi's eyes flashed open and he rubbed his forehead 'What's happening? I should... I should've called Yūgao a long time ago and stop this. I just... wanted to save Yuu...'

He felt a vibration coming from underground and moved in time to avoid Yuu's uppercut. The older boy didn't waste time and grabbed Yuu's neck.

'As long as I don't look directly into his eyes I'm okay' Itachi thought and shook his head "Let's stop this Yuu. This got out of control."

"Are you afraid, Itachi?" Yuu mocked and chuckled. "You saw my power and now you want to stop the battle. Isn't it the same as surrendering?"

Itachi felt his little brother squirming inside his grip and he applied more strength "Yuu... this isn't a battle. This is a test. I'm sure the judges are satisfied with the results. You are definitely going to enter the ranks. Isn't this what you wanted?"

Yuu chuckled louder. "It stopped being a simple test a long time ago. I'll show the world what happens when you stand in my way."

"What do you mean?" Itachi questioned.

"I'll make an example out of you!" Yuu shouted at his face "Also, this will be an initiation to my path. Today, I start ascending and I won't stop until I reach the peak!"

"You won't be ascending... you'll be descending.", the older boy said.

Yuu's tone turned darker and accusing "You don't understand nii-sama. I don't intend you to. You're just like all of them."

"All of the-?"

"Don't play dumb!" Yuu interrupted him and for the first time, Itachi heard pain in his voice "You tried to kill me! Did you forget!?"

The older boy felt a huge guilt inside him, but shook his head. "I was defending myself."

"Tch." Yuu clicked his tongue. "It doesn't give you the right to attempt murder."

'I... I didn't do anything wrong. I was trying to save him...' Itachi kept telling himself and hid under an emotionless mask. "It's over now. Let's go home, Yuu-kun."

"Home...?" Itachi felt Yuu shaking his head in a negative manner. The boy pointed up and his older brother disposed of the clone he held. 'Yuu' stuck his tongue out before poofing.

A rain of Shuriken cascaded down on Itachi, but the boy evaded them all without difficult.

Yuu landed inside the flaming circle and pointed his sword at Itachi. "At least I used Shurikens, you Kunai lover."

The two clashed and Yuu glared at his brother while Itachi stared at the ground. His impassive attitude started to piss off the smaller boy, who didn't hesitate on speaking his mind.

"How do you look so calm!? I've slashed you, burnt you, hit you... I surpassed you in this battle! And the only reaction you do is widen your eyes! You're so exasperating Itachi!" The navy-haired boy pushed forward and forced Itachi to retreat until he couldn't. The flames were inches from his back.

"I don't want to hurt you, Yuu! Let's stop this already!"

"Shut up! This battle will be over when one of us is dead!" Yuu shouted and his new Sharingan spun, like it agreed with him. "I... I've already won!"

The boy darted with a basic slash that Itachi blocked easily. "No Yuu... you've lost."

Yuu's attack left a wide opening on his right side and Itachi planted a powerful kick with enough force to leave him unconscious. His little brother arched forward in shock.

Itachi waited for his brother to fall over, but a smug smirk on his face put him on edge.

"I... could've used... the same technique... and burnt you... instantly... did you know why I did... not?..."

The taller boy spun around at the slightest sound and could only watch in terror as a blade came out from inside the fire.

SQUELCH!

A wet noise filled the clearing and blood dripped to the ground.

"Ugh..." a painful groan escaped his bloodied lips. "Urk... agh..." Up to the hilt, Yuu drove his ninjato inside his brother. The tip of the blade pierced Itachi's clothes and emerged from his back. "Y...Yuu..."

"I... won."


A little long? Thanks for sticking until the end.

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