Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Also, there is some extreme violence in here now. Be warned.

A/N: So, although I probably should have written more, since this is an awkward place to leave off, I had a review that was awesome and felt a need to retouch my story. So, if you want, though I supposed you don't have to, go back and re-read. I added a whole lot, took out even more, and this product is just something I like so, so much better. Constructive criticism is the best, it really helps.

That being said:

Kawaii Kitsune-kun: Thank you so much for your review. I know you were worried about sounding like a flamer, but I understood what you were saying. You pointed out exactly what I was uncomfortable with: I didn't think Sasuke, particularly and older Sasuke, would be so unbelievably petty. And the fight with Itachi just didn't work. So thanks a lot, and I think you'll like what I have done with the story.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes were still closed and he didn't move.

"Sasuke." Itachi's voice was low and lilting, and yet somehow full pf power, enough power to finally break Sasuke's trance.

Sasuke's eyes opened to see Kiba shaking in what looked like a seizure, except Kiba's eyes were focused over Sasuke's head. Heart beating hard with fear, Sasuke began to panic. He had left his guard down and now his brother had the advantage! Itachi's presence, just knowing his brother was directly behind him, made Sasuke go empty inside.

"Itachi."

"Little brother, how is it that you have been camped her for weeks and did not notice my presence? I barely even hid from you."

Sasuke's face burned with shame. He should have noticed—that was what they were on the fucking mission for! He had been so involved with Kiba that he had stopped his primary job—watching. Now his heart wrenched in fear and torment as he watched his new friend seize and shake, his beautiful face contorted in pain, knowing his brother's Sharingan was torturing Kiba. Oh God—he couldn't lose Kiba, not now, not like this, he needed to move, he needed to fight, he needed to save his friend. But… if he let his brother focus on Kiba, he could…he could kill Itachi. Kiba might die but so would Itachi and then his revenge would be complete. Sasuke had waited so long and his body wanted so badly to use Itachi's distraction and finish him, but his heart was torn. He didn't know if he could let Kiba die in order to exact his revenge.

"Sasuke, why are you just sitting there, watching your teammate suffer? You must be weaker than I thought. How is it that I warn you and warn you and yet you only get weaker, never stronger? You make me sick."

Sasuke activated his Sharingan.

"Nii-san, you have changed teammates. I didn't think Konoha shifted teams around. They stuck you with a weak brat and this disappoints me as I was hoping to find your friend Naruto. Is he with you? Your other teammate, the girl, was unable to tell me the answer I desired. Perhaps you can help me out."

At this Sasuke's blood stopped flowing in his veins. It had been subtle, but Itachi was taunting him. He couldn't mean what he said about Sakura. Oh god, it was happening, he had let a few people in and now Itachi was going to destroy everyone he loved—Naruto, Sakura….Kiba.

Well, if he was going to kill them all, then Sasuke was going to take Itachi down with him. He would avenge his clan, his parents and his friends if it meant dying to wait for his brother in hell.

Slowly, Sasuke stood up. He turned to face Itachi.

"Itachi, leave Kiba alone. Leave Naruto alone and Sakura alone and anyone who is not me alone. Your fight is now, and has always been with me. I owe you your death."

"Stupid boy. You have grown taller and put on some muscle but when it comes down to it, I was wrong to put hope into you. I spared you to make you stronger, and yet you were unable to use even the additional power that fool Orochimaru gave you. You are pathetic and not worth fighting. I am glad you were too weak to kill your friend Naruto, because then I would have to fight you out of anger. At least I don't need to waste my time. Please tell me where Naruto is."

Clenching his fists, Sasuke began to seethe. He was stronger than he had ever been. How could his brother not see that? Why the fuck did Itachi still care about Naruto?

Kiba began to scream and Sasuke whirled around. He saw Kiba on the ground, his limbs twisting horribly as screams and growls ripped from his throat. Blood began to stream out of the sides of Kiba's mouth and nostrils and the sharp eyes that Sasuke had loved gazing into rolled violently into the boy's skull.

Rage began pooling with the chakra at Sasuke's feet and he used it, pulling it steadily up and in, out into his hands. The chidori formed faster that Sasuke had ever made it before, and it burned and crackled.

"Baka. Remember what happened last time?" Itachi sneered and Kiba screamed out even louder, all of his muscles taut from the pain.

"YOUR FIGHT IS WITH ME!" Sasuke's speed was so fast he appeared behind Itachi in a flash. Rock Lee had trained with him for months on speed and it paid off. Itachi didn't move, but Kiba's body went limp on the ground, more blood splashing out of his mouth.

"DAMN YOU!" Sasuke, in the moment, let go of the chidori with one hand, grabbing Itachi and pulling the man to him, instead of charging. Itachi's defensive stance didn't protect against the pull and he was forced to face Sasuke.

There was a huge burst of chakra as Itachi countered the explosive technique and both brothers were flung back a few steps. Normal ninjas might have been killed by the burst of burning energy, but the strength in Itachi and the rage in Sasuke caused them to remain cool, staring at each other.

"Your new tactic is to kill us both? Has your life become that depressing? I will admit you are stronger than I gave you credit for, but desperation isn't enough to beat me."

But Sasuke was too far lost in his emotions. His thoughts disappeared and he went berserk, attacking his brother. His blows and kicks came in a flurry. Itachi was able to block them, but it required engaging his entire body. His brother had become better. There was never an opening as each time Itachi would block a punch, a kick was already about to hit him. Sasuke's hits never weakened and never slowed, fueled by his lust for revenge. Finally, Itachi managed to push his brother away.

"Sasuke, you have improved. I will stop holding back."

The words hit Sasuke like a punch, pushing him further into his blood-lust state. Itachi waited, then raised an eyebrow in a small display of surprise as Sasuke began to laugh.

"You don't need to hold back! I am ready for you!" Sasuke grabbed his sides from the laughter. "This is it, Itachi. I am ready for you."

"Let us begin."

Sasuke lost all sense of time, movement, emotions. His body was in autopilot. He had worked with Kakashi on avoiding Itachi's Sharingan attacks. It felt as if time had slowed down, and all that existed was his brother and him. He closed his eyes and launched into attacks. If his muscles hurt, he couldn't feel them. If his brother had punched him, he didn't know. All he knew was the feeling of movement, of advancing on Itachi, of a slow and steady mantra building in his heart that pushed him to Kill Kill Kill. The fight seemed to last forever.

But then he stopped moving. He opened his eyes and saw Itachi sprawled on the ground, blood soaked and defeated.

His moment had come. He could actually kill his brother. Sasuke's heart hurt with jow and confusion. His whole life had led to this moment and he wasn't sure what to do. After he killed his brother…what then? Where would he go? The thought frightened him so much that he remained frozen, staring at his brother's crumpled form on the ground. It was another sound that finally broke his trance.

A cough. Sasuke turned and saw Kiba vomiting blood. It hit him—he didn't care what was next. He would kill Itachi and begin his life again, whatever that life might be. It terrified him, but he had Kiba, and with his new friend… he felt ready. His heart lept, it soared, it hurt with all the emotions he had built up. Tears of complete joy formed in Sasuke's eyes, his mind almost broken by this moment, this moment he had worked so hard for.

Sasuke whirled around, too fast for eyes to see, and lunged, shoving his kunai deep into Itachi's heart.

In a puff of smoke, Itachi's body vanished.

Utter despair racked through Sasuke, wrapping its tendrils deep in his mind and heart. A shadow copy. How he could have been so stupid, to think that he had actually beat his brother?

"Little Brother. What an impressive show you put on with that clone."

Sasuke whirled around to find Itachi looming above him, red eyes bearing down. There was, however, blood from a cut on Itachi's cheek.

Itachi took a finger and wiped away some of the blood, only to put the finger in his mouth, tasting his life force.

"Impressive. You actually nicked me."

Sasuke just stared, mute.

"Sasuke, where is Naruto? I'm tired of your playing around."

At this, the rage in Sasuke helped him to stand up, even though his entire body ached. His arms and legs were beginning to go numb from his earlier efforts fighting.

"You bastard. Your fight is with me." Sasuke tried to swing a punch, but his body was through, and he began to fall. Itachi grabbed his shoulder, hard, and wrenched him up.

"I am tired of you."

The Sharingan began to swirl and suddenly Sasuke was in another world.

Everything was red.

It was raining and Sasuke could feel his body, soaked and cold.

All around him were his friends, blindfolded and on their knees. Behind them were hundreds of Itachis.

Sasuke tried to scream out but discovered his lips weren't moving. When he touched his fingers to his mouth, he felt his lips….sewn together. Panic filled him and pain, and his vision swirled. He kept trying to scream and the more he tried to scream, the more he felt the pain in his lips.

All of the Itachis drew swords.

Sasuke watched as his brother and brother's clones began to cut away at his friends.

He watched Shikamaru's fingers get cut off, one by one.

He watched Chouji's flesh being cut off in strips, and then force-fed to the poor boy.

Sasuke watched Ino and Sakura being cut apart, Hinata's and Neji's eyes being stabbed out, Rock Lee's hands and feet removed, on and on, everyone he knew being tortured and sliced away at.

His throat felt raw like he had been screaming for months, but no sounds came from him. Tears flowed down his face but he couldn't tell because the rain was washing them all away, burning his eyes as he stared at the macabre specter.

And then everyone disappeared and it was just him.

How long had he been here? His body felt weak and Sasuke could no longer remember how he came to this place, or why he was being forced to watch such awful things, or even if the things were real.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, Itachi was standing in front of him, holding Naruto's disembodied head. Behind Itachi was a huge swirling fox, full of evil and rage and desire.

Sasuke's eyes rolled up in his head and he fainted.

It was dark when he woke up. So black, in fact, that he couldn't see anything. But he felt something warm pressed up against him. The warmth was comforting. He slid an arm up and over the owner of the warmth. It soothed him, and he sighed. It had all been some kind of horrible dream.

But then a slow red light began, building in strength, until Sasuke looked at what he was holding.

He saw Kiba's face, frozen in death, staring listlessly back at him. Kiba's body was covered in blood, and next to them was the same bathtub Sasuke had bathed the boy in. All around it were pieces of Kiba's flesh and Sasuke suddenly saw himself, cutting up his friend, letting the blood pull in the tub.

Sasuke wanted to vomit, but because his lips were still sewn shut, he inhaled his own bile and began to choke.

He was suffocating on his own vomit. Just as stars began to appear in his vision, he heard his brother's voice.

"You are weak, Little brother."

And then black.

A/N: Holy shit, sorry it got so gross. I am, to be completely honest, a little horrified with myself. This all just came out, and although I know it works better than what I had, it is just so intense. This story is taking control of me or something.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone reviewing, please please please don't let this turn you off of my fic.

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