"What if something does happen to you, Kari?" little Sasuke inquired?
Kari frowned slightly and looked down at her little brother. "No matter what happens, Sasuke...I'll find some way to show you that I'm alright...and that I'm with you no matter where you might be."
Itachi stood at the door, wet-eyed and desperate. He had been weeping. Indeed, tears had been falling from his eyes the entire journey to Sasuke. But his little brother appeared unmoved and eyed him warily.
Rage was filling Sasuke. The very sight of his older brother gave rise to murderous hatred that he had rarely felt before so intensely. His Sharingan blazed in his eyes. The longer he looked at Itachi, the more the rage consumed him.
"Sasuke..." Itachi looked at his little brother with tired eyes. "You can fight me later...but we have to leave and we have to leave now. Orochimaru will be here any minute."
"I'm not a fool, Itachi. If this is some trap-"
"Shut up, Sasuke! I know you've seen Kari somehow. She sent word in some way. Do you even realize what's happened to her?" Itachi stepped toward him and Sasuke snapped to a defensive stance.
"Don't come near me you...you..."
Smack
Sasuke went sprawling. Before he even had time to react, Itachi had stepped forward and punched his brother square in the jaw. The boy reeled from the blow for a few minutes as Itachi screamed at him.
"She's dead...Oh God, Kari is dead! She died to save you, Sasuke, and why she did so for such a miserable, spoiled child is beyond me. Do you understand what I'm saying, little brother? She's gone."
"I don't believe you!" Sasuke screamed back jumping to his feet. "She can't be killed! She's too powerful. Even you were afraid of Kari, even you couldn't defeat her. Everyone feared her. Even Orochimaru..."
"Of course no one killed her! No one can kill that beautiful child! Kari died of her own accord, Sasuke. She saved my life with her own and charged me with finding you and bringing you back. Did you think I was stripped of the Mangekyou and all of my hate by pure accident? Kari...was the bravest, most powerful, and kindest Auralen in history. She used that power to heal me, not kill me as she very well could have done. And she did it all hoping that you would heal too if I returned to how I should have been." Sasuke was silent. Itachi continued. "You should be proud of having a sister like her. And you should honor her memory by coming back to Konoha as she wished. Do you want her death to be in vain."
"I wished she had not been so stupid and just killed you! How could she forgive you? After all you've done to her and to me...to our family, it's unforgivable. I don't care that she's dead! I hope she suffered from such a foolish act." Sasuke's heart was breaking within him. He didn't mean anything that he said, but there was no way he was going to trust Itachi. He had gone too long hating him and old habits die hard.
Itachi was so enraged he half considered killing Sasuke himself. The only thing that stopped him was Kari's will that he should be brought back safely. Sucking in a breath he replied shakily, "What...what is it going to take, little brother? What must I do to convince you that I'm speaking the truth and that the best idea would be for you to come back as she wanted."
"I'll never come back. Especially not with you! I'll never-" but Sasuke froze in mortal terror and took a step back.
Puzzled, Itachi turned around...and remained rigid in place.
Orochimaru stepped into the room. He had a grin on his face but behind it you could see a horrible rage. "I thought I heard a lot of screaming in here. Sasuke-kun, what percisely is going on?"