He was betrayed, but betrayed by who?

A sasusaku short story told in a few parts. This is part 1 and centers a little more around Itachi and Sasuke than Sasuke and Sakura, but I promise as it goes, it will lean more towards them. Warlock Sasuke and witch Sakura.

(I used google to help me figure out Latin "phrases", so if they are WAY wrong, please forgive me as I know ZERO Latin! It's just something different that I wanted to try! I will not make them speak strictly in Latin for all of the parts!🙏)

The tingling he felt in his fingertips would not disperse, the influx of magic nearly tangible even on his own tongue; but the fact that he was harnessing powers from an unnamed, poor, and defenseless mage did little to persuade him from taking what wasn't rightfully his; little to dissuade him from doing so by whatever means he deemed necessary.

He didn't give a damn that the young witch would die by the end of the "ceremony".

He didn't give a damn that another was lined up to take the deceased place.

All cared about was power and gaining lots of it in order to defeat the most powerful warlock that the world has ever known; that he had ever known.

His own flesh and blood.

His own brother.

Itachi Uchiha.

When the warlock's victim ceased all signs of life, going limp and cold beneath his touch, he turned to his mostly loyal follower (a red-head witchling eager for his approval) and said—

"Another."

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It was a cold, dreary night when he set out on his quest to kill his own brother. The rain pelted his thick coat, beading up on the leathery-black surface for a brief moment before making a downward descent to the dirt path below; a path well-worn and well-traversed that sadly he had more fond memories of than not. Being forcefully removed from his beloved family home had hurt him almost as much as his brother's betrayal.

He stormed the castle gates, easily disarming his brother's faithful guards, and he thought he was in the clear, until he stumbled across her.

Walls crumbled in her wake, a green glowing fist jutted out in front of her as her only weapon, the same brilliant shade as her eyes… he noted, while long rosy-pink braids flowed casually in the wind down her back. The sorcerer silently marveled at her tenacity as she easily maneuvered around his followers (almost dancing amongst them) as she took them out… one by one; leaving only she and he alone in a matter of seconds. They stood facing one another, his face a mask of stoic, masked tranquility, while hers was twisted into a deep grimace. With her fists still glowing, she took a menacing step towards him.

"I don't know what you thought you were doing here…but I suggest you leave now… while you still have some form of dignity intact." He thought to laugh at the audacity… at the balls on this woman… but refrained. Did she not recognize him; was he so quickly forgotten? "I know who you are," she intoned, as if somehow reading his thoughts. "But your brother does not wish to see you, so leave."

Her voice had sent a pleasant thrill down his spine, but at the mention of his brother… his demeanor quickly shifted and the aura surrounding their meeting grew darker as his anger was triggered. Any normal spell caster would cower in fear of it, of him, but this young witch didn't even appear remotely fazed by him and simply lifted a brow as he took a step towards her. "You will go and fetch my brother now or you will be incapacitated like the rest of your friends. I'm not in the mood for games, young witchling. My quail is not with you… but I will not hesitate to deal with you first, if the need to do so should arise."

Her face turned to one of outright furry and she lifted a fist into the air, ready to strike him down where he stood. "Why you—"

"Satis (enough), Sakura."

Both turned at the sound of the voice and her expression immediately softened as the man slowly hobbled his way towards them, stopping just a few feet behind her. "Itachi. I—"

"It's alright. I can take care of things here. Why don't you go and attend to our wounded."

"But—"

"Vade nunc (go now), Sakura."

She seemed displeased, but finally relented; bowing low in his direction which was a sign of her utmost respect for her beloved leader. "Ut vis (as you wish), Itachi."

With one final glare at Sasuke, she vanished, leaving both him and his brother utterly alone.

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The battle raged for several hours, exhausting both of their energy, but finally, Sasuke had managed to gain the upper hand and was one strike away from ending his year's long torment. He readied his fist, the appendage pulsing with a final bout of energy, but as he was ready to inflict the final blow, a powerful whirlwind of Sakura petals danced around them, encroaching on his personal space and he suddenly felt his body being lifted high into the air as a familiar figure came into view.

Sakura.

As he dangled just feet off the ground, unable to break the hold she had on him and unable to find a weak spot in her flower-prison style jutsu, he cautiously watched her as she methodically, stealthily stalked towards him. Her nose was continuously dripping blood, but her eyes held a venom so powerful that any other grown man would have coward in fear. And though he felt an uncomfortable tingle of fear on the back of his neck… the sorcerer's outward appearance remained relatively unfazed; unaffected by her intimidation tactic.

Just like a feline with its prey…she began to play with him; cutting off his airway for moments at a time before allowing him a few deep breaths, before starting the torture all over again. It was at this moment that Sasuke gained immense respect for her craft, but also cursed those who invented it. His hands clutched at his throat as he watched with blurry vision as she bent to inspect her leader and a gentle hand came to rest on his brother's left shoulder, while that same green glow from before bled into his tattered skin.

With very little oxygen left, Sasuke's brain and body began to succumb to the gentle pull of slumber… and he stopped struggling against the strong magic encasing him. The last thing he saw (before he was unceremoniously dumped on the ground) was the pink-haired witchling fall to her knees, before collapsing onto the ground next to the fallen form of his brother.

Everything went black after that.

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It seemed as if days had passed before Sasuke woke, but when he did, he realized that he was trapped in one of the old cells in the dungeon of his childhood home. He tried in vain to break free from his shackles, but the attempts were futile and energy draining. The young warlock simply didn't possess the stamina, nor strength to gain enough power to do so, and what little power he was able to conjure up was almost instantaneously absorbed into his bindings. He let out a deep, guttural growl of annoyance, and was startled by a feminine voice that came after the displeasing sound.

"It has to be obvious by now to you that escaping is futile. You must be stupider than I thought to keep attempting it. But keep doing so please because it's quite entertaining to watch."

He knew that voice.

He didn't wish to look up.

But the temptation was too much to resist.

The pinkette was sitting on a narrow table across from him with her hands placed on either side of her hips… her legs were crossed at the ankles and her fit figure was no longer encased in delicate, protective armor, but rather a maroon, flowy (body hugging) gown that accentuated her feminine beauty attractively. As his eyes lifted, he had to admit that he liked the view of her curvy hips and slender physique—

Until he saw the smug smirk on her lips. He glowered and tried to resist all temptations to scan her again by looking away; looking at absolutely anything else (even the walls) other than the exposed skin near her neck and shoulders and the delicate skin barely visible near to her sandal clad feet. Sasuke heard her chuckle and knew that the tips of his ears were probably scarlet if the heat on them was any indication.

"Don't worry, young lord. Your brother will be down shortly to see you soon. Luckily for you I was able to heal him with relatively little effort on my part. Otherwise," Sakura let the unspoken words drift away, allowing for his imagination to interpret the rest on its own. When she remained silent, he took the opportunity to glance at her and noticed a look of curiosity on her features. The little enchantress seemed so different from before and it unnerved the hell out of him as her gaze seemed to linger on his eyes.

"What…," he snapped at her; anger at her silence and his own predicament boiling suddenly to the surface… his skin tingling with agitation and annoyance. He was shocked at his own outburst, but she didn't seem to be.

"Nothing. Just… curious."

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "What's curious," Sasuke found himself questioning and a small smile twisted the edges of her lips… sending his heart palpating rapidly behind his rib cage. The unexplainable feeling of attraction caused him to shift where he sat on the dirt floor and his eyes rectified his poor decision to look at her by glancing around the cell; appearing as if he was looking for something in particular when all he really wanted to do was look at anything other thanher. Her response to him was just as confusing as his emotional turmoil.

"It's just… you seem familiar somehow. Not because you are the brother of my clan leader, but because I feel like I know you somehow… as if we knew each other in a past life."

He was almost certain he would remember a face like hers (a body like hers) and yet— he was unsure of even himself in that moment the more he thought about it; the longer he pondered her words. "You must be mistaken…," he finally settled on to try and shut her down. What he really wanted was for the young witch to leave him alone, so that he can concentrate and figure out a way out of this prison cell. But before he could voice his feelings, the low sound of a door in the distance opening caught his ears…and he somehow knew that it was his brother, coming to see him.

Sakura turned to her right and smiled at the approaching figure, who was cloaked in the shadows as he came to a stop right next to her. The tattered remains of his attire had been swapped for something a bit more appropriate (given his position) and the dark-haired sorcerer couldn't help but feel envious of how close the pair in front of him seemed. It made his skin boil just seeing the affection and respect in her eyes and he had to look away… lest he growl again like some sort of overly-possessive werewolf or something and humiliate himself even further. He was almost grateful to his brother when he sent her away. Almost.

"Derelinquas nos nunc (leave us now), Sakura."

She once again bowed. "Ut vis, Itachi." The two brothers watched her go until she was out of sight before turning to inspect one another silently. Sasuke was the first to break it though; giving in briefly to his own impatience, just as he had done numerous times when they were only mere kids.

"Itachi," he growled. The anger he felt previously boiled in his stomach once again; only this time, he felt as if he was seeing red. The fury he felt for this man was unlike any he had ever felt before. The hatred, the loathing… the burning desire to end him… was all that Sasuke could focus on for a brief moment; until his "brother" dropped the hood of his cloak, sending a cold shiver down Sasuke's spine.

With eyes now wide, he took his brother's appearance in.

A thin, bony frame…

Sickly colored skin…

Sunken cheeks…

Hollow, empty eye sockets—

This was not the illusion he saw during their battle.

This was not the brother he left behind.

Itachi, what happened to you?

A small, soft smile lifted his brother's cracked lips as he turned in the general direction of where Sasuke was still sitting, frozen in place on the cell's floor. "Opus est loqui (we need to talk), Sasuke."

"Frater, quid tibi accessit (brother what happened to you)?"

Itachi sighed and placed a hand on the cell door, fingers lacing through the bars as his smile turned sad. "Multum accidit, frater. Me explicare. (A lot has happened, brother. Let me explain.)"

"… bene. Explicare (Fine. Explain.)."

Author's Notes:

If any of these sound like your own writing or another you have read I apologize but I didn't copy anyone's work. This is entirely my own writing.