AN: I'm thinking some of you may be left wondering about Itachi. It's pretty late for a prologue-like chapter, but this serves as an explanation to the holes thatopened up in the last (previous)chapter. I guess with this, this fanfiction is complete. I leave the rest to your imagination.

Extra Chapter: For the Loves of His Life

Day after day. It was like his heart, mind, body and soul were slowly being crushed into irrepairable fragments. Always... always before... He'd always hoped that his uncle would return. That his uncle would come back, and once he did, they would return to normal. He'd hoped with all his being that once Uchiha Taka came back, they could return to being uncle and nephew... just like before. Just like how it'd always been before. Before she came into the picture.

Why he had to go fall in love with her and then elope was beyond his thinking. Then again... he was too young then to understand. Now... well, at least now he knew why. He was love with her. Love. What a detestable thing. It was infatuation. Obsession. It was a sickness. How such a distinguished person like his uncle could be infected with such a thing was incomprehensible. It was the girl. That Hyuuga. That incorrigible whore. How dare she.

It was a good thing that she died in the battle against the Kyuubi. Yes. It was a good thing that she was dead. The trecherous thing managed to disillusion his once-respectable Uncle to this point. To this point...

Uchiha Taka was chained up to the walls of the secret dungeon under the Uchiha manor's premises. Many years ago he and Hyuuga Reika had left the village in order to elope. Everyone was against their marriage. Even himself. Even... himself. Then he came back with her, hoping to call some sort of truce between themselves and each of their families in order to help Konoha fight against the nine-tailed beast. Reika went to battle without even knowing that her dear husband... had actually been captured by the Uchiha. And to this day, remained as captive... perhaps never to walk free again.

If only he never met her. If only Taka never left... he wouldn't have been in this position. Why... Why did he choose that path? Everyone knew... everyone knew that all that welcomed them on that path... was despair. Destruction. Desperation.

That was spelt clearly in his eyes.

"Itachi... may I... have some water?" he asked hoarsely as he looked up to his nephew. Itachi looked at him quietly for a moment and then slowly nodded, turning around then to get a cup. "How... is everyone?"

"They're doing fine," Itachi answered tonelessly. He brought back a cup of cool water with him and then proceeded to feed it to his uncle. It was his turn to watch him that evening. Itachi then let the cup down and took a few steps away from him. Uncle and nephew locked their cold, unforgiving eyes towards each other. One day, perhaps 10 years before, those eyes used to be so warm. They used to show fondness towards each other. But now... they spelt nothing but some awkward form of cold hatred. "Why did you do it?"

"Why... do what?" Taka answered, bowing his head down. Itachi knew... there was a kind of cruel smile on his lips just then. For just part of a second... but he managed to catch it.

"You pretend to still be locked up. I know you're not bound by those chains," he replied coldly back. What happened to the fun times? What happened to the ever-doting uncle? The ever-lively nephew? Where had they gone to? "It's been too long. I know you've already found some way to escape."

"And what... dear youth, do you plan to do with that knowledge?" he asked mockingly, his entire attitude making an about-face. Itachi glared back at him. Never in his life. Never did he ever think that he would one day... that he would today... hate his uncle. That he would loathe the only person he'd ever looked up to in his life. Uchiha Taka.

"Why did you kill Shisui?" he asked, his tone now burning in cold anger.

"He... was so dear to me," Taka said with a bone-chilling chuckle. He raised his eyes to meet with the youth's. Itachi knew at that moment that Taka was crazed. Of all people... why Taka? "Do you know what happens to an Uchiha if they kill someone very dear to them?"

"The mangekkyou-" Itachi choked out in sudden revelation. "But your wife is dead."

"Yes... my Reika... of course, after her, the only other person I cared for was Shisui... and you, my dear nephew. But not to worry... I've no use for you anymore." Itachi watched on, nerves tingling in anxiety as Taka slowly raised himself to his feet. "Itachi... you and Shisui have been... kind enough to watch over me all these years... but the time... has come. I am strong enough." Taka looked at him with a sickeningly malicious grin on his face.

All of a sudden, the shackles that binded him snapped open and his hand immediately grabbed his throat and he managed to also pin him against the wall.

"Uncle!" he gasped as he wildly tried to free himself.

"My daughter... My wife might have died, Itachi... but I want my child. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Itachi choked. "We never found-"

"Lies!" Taka growled. "Your father must know it. Yes, he must. He's the clan's representative after all. If not him... then the elders..."

"What are you..."

"I'm going to kill them Itachi. I will kill them. Don't worry... I'll let you live. Someone has to continue the bloodline after all..."

"N-n... Don't... Uncle-" The last thing he saw was his uncle's fist that drove straight to his stomach - and then it all went dark.

What woke him up hours later was the stench of blood. It was floating down to the cell. Itachi immediately jumped to his feet and ran out. Taka couldn't have done what's he'd just said he was going to... but he did.

There was blood everywhere on the grounds. His cousins... aunts... uncles... grandaunts... granduncles... his distant relatives... They were all there... lying down in pools of their own blood. Children... even animals... His uncle was crazed! He'd turned into a madman! Itachi didn't even know what to think of anymore; his body began to move before his mind could even register the fact that all his relatives... were dead.

Everywhere... everywhere... footsteps. There was one.

Itachi jumped up to the highes thing he could see - a pole, and searched his entire surroundings for any survivors. He was sure he'd heard footsteps... It was Sasuke! As soon as he realised that his brother was still alive he left for the main house. If anything, Taka was surely there. If Sasuke was the only one that survived all this, he had to protect him... but his father surely wouldn't die against Taka, would he?

Itachi found his answer lying on the floor... twitching. His father was just stabbed... his mother... also dead. A shimmering silhouette caught his eye and immediately all his senses sharpened to find out what it was. Taka emerged from the shadows.

"They guarded the secret to the very end," he said listlessly. "Is keeping my daughter from me that important? Itachi? They've already killed my wife... and maybe... they killed my child too... didn't they? Didn't you, Itachi?" His last statement was roared out, and in a split second each drew out their weapons and lunged, thrusting the dangerous items towards each other. Itachi did it out of impulse. His body was acting on its own... but his target was met. His life taken in an instant.

The mortified youth watched on as the life slowly disappeared from his uncle's eyes. He became petrified as he felt his uncle's body slide down slowly to the floor... and then the door clicked open. Sasuke.

Oh god, what had he done? What had he done?

He'd killed his own uncle!

But- didn't Taka... Taka killed everyone he knew... Uncle Taka...

"Mom? Dad?" he heard a terrified squeak come out of his brothers voice.

Still shocked at the events, he slowly stepped into the light. The brothers silently looked at each other for some moments. At the first pangs of fear that he could see in his little brother's body, his mind finally connected with the situation. It went from A to Z in an instant, and he knew... he was the one to get the blame for this. Shisui... Mother... Father... he would be the one to blame... all because of... Taka.

"W-why did you..." his little brother was terrified. The terror only bit the situation into him harder. Sasuke was witness to him killing Taka. Young as he was, he would assume that he was responsible for all the other killings.

"I wanted test my strength," he heard himself say. That's right. Everything he'd cared for was now destroyed. Even Sasuke... his mind would never forget this horror. Everything... was destroyed.

He watched dully as Sasuke ran away... only to be tickled by a sudden thought.

He found Sasuke easily enough, catching him just outside on the main street towards the exit of that side of the village.

"Hate me, Sasuke. Live... and let that hate grow," he said. "Live to be strong enough to kill me." He told him about the secret of the mangekkyou. He knew he had it... and used it on Sasuke.

It was the last thing he could do. Sasuke had to live strong. He had to live for him. And until he got strong enough... not to become prey to anyone... andonce he was strong enough...then maybe Sasuke would give him peace by killing him. There was nothing left for him in this life. Damn that uncle.

Damn Uchiha Taka.

He destroyed everything.