Chapter 1 : Destiny

Landing on a chaotic battlefield, Kakashi and the Konoha-nin under his order was confronting an unexpected scene.

Two rogues from Konoha, Uchiha ones, were laying on the floor. Not totally, the younger was holding on his brother's body. As Kakashi's band approached carefully, they could see Itachi's open blank eyes. He's dead. It's sad how he've been killed by his own brother but so have his parents been killed by his own hands.

Sasuke's sharingan changed and its pattern became more complicated. 'Mangekyou' thought Kakashi, now more alarmed of the young Uchiha.

A chidori was launched by the exhausted-looking Sasuke toward his ex-teacher who dodged easily.

A small fight where Sasuke had to defend himself alone from Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Naruto got him far from Itachi's body. He couldn't use his Doujutsu, so all he could fight with was what's left. His enemies' techniques and formation was hard to deal with and he could barely avoid their attacks. He just has to gain more time until team Hebi arrives.

Unfortunately for him, Yamato caught him in a sealed wood cage. A Shodaime technique. They wouldn't catch him if he wasn't distracted by his ex-teammate who was now on Itachi's body checking on him.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM !" he screamed at Sakura.

He looked hysterical. It was sad to see him like this. But Sakura has to check Itachi. She hesitated but got reminded of her duty by the chief : "Sakura ! Check him !"

Nodding at her teacher, Kakashi was right, Itachi wasn't dead yet. He was in a coma but his life was in danger and he wasn't able to breathe correctly. He's agonizing. "He's dying !" said Sakura to Kakashi.

Kakashi hadn't chose yet if he should tell her 'save him' with a gesture or words until someone yelled those two words at her. After all the hate, the vengeance quest and pain… He wasn't waiting for Sasuke to spell those words concerning his brother. Sasuke asked to save Itachi.

"You're a medical ninja ? Then SAVE HIM ! If you fail, you're DEAD !"

"Sasuke…" said Naruto slowly, looking at his friend with sad eyes. 'Does he regret trying to kill his brother ? Does he change his mind when he saw his dead body ? Did he regret when he thought him dead ?'

Itachi needed artificial breathing. Sakura hesitated but… Looking back at Sasuke's depressed face made her do it. She has to save Itachi. Maybe Sasuke could be saved like this.

The young Uchiha saw pain in the eyes of that young woman who was trying to take care of Itachi. He knew she loves him, and would do her best to please him, to save Itachi, yet he didn't expect to see her lips on Itachi's. His mind needed time to understand that she was helping him breathe. He felt an anger in his guts. An anger he couldn't explain. He didn't stand that view so he lifted his head to the other side. Kakashi noticed that.

Pumping his heart, after some minutes, Itachi coughed blood when Sakura was still giving him air. Itachi was now again conscious, but his eyes were still looking blank, he drifted his eyes to his side seeing a blurry person sitting next to him. Dressed in white, having a white skin and pink hair. He knew one ninja with pink hair, from Konoha, the Haruno lady. He has no idea where he was right now.

When he coughed, everyone froze and was totally silent looking at him. Sakura next to him was cleaning the blood from her mouth. Sasuke looked relieved, but still anger was devouring him from nowhere.

"Ha... Haruno-san ?" asked Itachi.

Haruno. Is this all he found to say in such a situation ? How does he know her name at the first place ?

"Y… Yes !" she replied, with knitted eyebrows.

"Where am I ?"

Right then. A hand appeared from the void above the pink-haired ninja. Everyone was calling her name in distress. The hand was holding a kunai and was taking it straight to her skull.

Not understanding what's going on, Sakura found her body pulled on the Uchiha laying on the floor and then suddenly rolling, when she found herself under him.

"Madara…" Itachi said looking at that hand.

Madara, or Obito, wasn't going to let them go this easily. He wished to see Itachi dead anyway and was disappointed on this salvation band.

"Why didn't you finish him off ? Sasuke ?"

"None of your business !" answered the young Uchiha.

Itachi felt pretty lost for the first time in his life. He wasn't understanding what's going on. Wasn't Sasuke dying to kill him. Badly wanting him dead ? What have made him change his mind ?

Kakashi's band was back to Konoha with two prisoners. Both well sealed.

After an annoying fight, and seeing how Sasuke wasn't following him, and Itachi preferring being under Konoha's mercy than his, Madara retreated.

Tsunade gave order to make Sasuke talk. He was hiding something and has a strong reason to keep Itachi alive. This latter was in a crucial state and having medical care. Meanwhile, she gave Inoichi the order to check both of their memories.

Now that he's reporting, after he made sure there is only the both of them in the office, Tsunade felt a heavy burden sitting on her being. Sasuke's memories didn't reveal much and explained why he wanted Itachi alive, but this latter's memories revealed too much about Konoha's history…

"What have life done to you Itachi… Moreover, what is life going to do now…"

"Tsunade-sama, if Sasuke's state is truly sterile, then Itachi is the only one who can assure the continuation of the Uchiha…" said Inoichi.

"Itachi have done enough sacrifices for the sake of Konoha… He should be paid back now. He should have whatever he wants. Take care of him, he may reveal some more to us about what happened in the past and what are the Akatsuki hiding."

Next chapter : Attribution