Konoha Will Remember Chapter Two: Itachi
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Itachi could still fee their blood, his parents' blood.
He could still feel the heat of it and smell the saltiness of it on his body, hear it dripping off his sword. His clothes were drenched in it. His mind was smeared with it.
Just for a second, a split second, he couldn't quite remember if his brother's blood had been with it. He couldn't remember if he had ruthlessly cut down his brother or not. His mind held no answers for him.
And that thought frightened him for days; it made him crazed and anxious. He was lost as he though of the possibility that he destroyed the only person that ever looked at him with a shred of love in their eyes.
He remembered.
He remembered every time he poked his brother, every time he would tell him that he wasn't strong enough. Every time he would excuse him from a argument with their father.
He remembered every time his parents would cringe when he would approach or show affection towards his brother. He knew they were afraid he'd corrupt Sasuke, afraid he'd turn out like him. He knew that one or both always trailed him when he walked Sasuke to the academy.
He remembered the time Sasuke would ask to train with him, to do anything with him really, just wanting to spend time with him. He remembered all the times that it was his room that Sasuke sought solace in during storms.
When Itachi became the least bit aware of his mind again, he was free of his Akatsuki robes and was wandering around the border of sound and leaf.
And as his head continued to clear he remembered that his brother was alive.
He remembered.
He remembered the cruel words he said to him.
He remembered using the Mangekyou in Konoha.
And he remembered the appalling way he acted when confronting his brother, set towards the fox demon.
And he felt then, in that moment or reminiscence.
He felt ashamed.
And it was that feeling that drove him to do the unthinkable, something no one of his criminal stature would do. It seemed like his blood had receded, like something had suddenly left him, something dark and cloudy…
He was going to turn himself in.
With the thought of repentance and sin on his mind he fled for Konoha, avoiding everyone and eating and sleeping only out of habitual necessity. His mind was plagued with thoughts only for his brother.
It took him only four days to reach Konoha.
Four days in which he had time to think. About what? Even he wasn't exactly sure what had run through his head during that short period or time.
But by the time he reached the gates of Konoha he had decided on the actions he would take. Actually it was very easy; he himself narrowed it down to three steps.
Turn himself in.
Have an audience with the Hokage, he had matters to discuss with her.
Die.
And as he discussed this in his head he figured it was worth it.
After all his death was simply love towards his brother, wasn't it?
When he reached the gates the ANBU guards immediately moved into formation, but the words he spoke consenting to his capture threw them off.
First step done.
And when he ordered a meeting with the Hokage herself, he saw their uneasiness, saw their hesitation.
But later he was physically and spiritually bonded to a chair in a maximum security holding cell beneath Konoha village. His eyes were bound with a blindfold of chakra, they maintained his bright sharingan eyes.
He was with the Hokage, having a meeting.
Step two was completed.
It was harder to make the 3rd step happen, he had to go through the court system, had to be made legally illegal.
He told the Hokage what he wanted, what he needed in his heart.
Judgment.
He wanted the executioner's emotions.
However the verdict came soon enough, at least soon enough to Itachi. His days melded together, a wave of nostalgia shifted through his body.
He was presented with the fact, asked to sign documents, given medical tests. Then finally he procured what he wanted:
The date of his execution.
June 14th
'Ironic' he thought. 'The same day I took away the sun.'
June 14th was the day he murdered his clan.
Same day he left the last of his love, his heart.
Same day he would regret, the emptiness that had been created within him.
It was almost pleasing to think about the satisfaction many people would gain from his death.
They would be relieved.
But none would have as much satisfaction or relief as his brother.
The one he made an avenger.
The one that wanted his blood.
The one he loved.
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He felt wood on his back, invisible charka strings holding him in a cruciform.
He was aware of a crowd, the crowd cheering, and the Hokage standing in front of him. His eyes could clearly look out, bound again, however this time with different forms of binding.
He could feel the elevated stress in the crowd, the charka running high. He could feel their hate and madness. He could feel his death approaching.
He could make out several familiar charka patterns, none he could name however, except an unusual oddly patterned one. It was the Kyuubi kids charka, though he hadn't felt it when he first entered the village.
But he wasn't allowed the liberty of letting his mind wander anymore as the crowd fell silent.
Uchiha Sasuke had appeared. Itachi almost smiled. He felt anticipaition and knew this is what he had been waiting for. This was the reason he had let that dark cloud into his body all those many years ago.
Uchiha Sasuke had finally come to put to death the brother he had hated for so many long years of his life.
Itachi watched as Sasuke made his way, slowly but surely, towards him. He watched as he looked to the Hokage, looked to the crowd, and then looked down once more.
The sun of the day making clear the scowl he held on his face.
Sasuke stopped in front of Itachi, glancing at the Hokage again before glancing down.
"You, the condemned, have chosen to die through incomplete decapitation by kunai. As you have chosen this by your own free will you are to acknowledge it," Sasuke spoke with a deliberateness, not looking Itachi in the eye.
Itachi acknowledged the speech. "I have…otouto."
Sasuke's head snapped up and Itachi could see his anger begin to release.
Before I watch the blood flow from you I have one question," Sasuke spoke to Itachi, almost to quiet for the Hokage to hear.
Itachi didn't respond, so Sasuke moved on.
"Why?" Sasuke said, once again shaking from suppressed emotions. "Why would you murder our clan, our family? WHY?"
"Ah...you don't understand little brother? You don't know why you were to watch our parents be gutted?" Itachi leaned forward as far as he could speak directly into Sasuke's face.
Sasuke flinched at Itachi's choice of words, but recovered quickly enough to speak again.
"Do NOT give the lame excuse of 'Avenger!' I won't buy it!" Sasuke spat, raising the kunai in the air to slit Itachi's throat.
"Oh? But little brother don't you see? How strong would you have been if I hadn't slaughtered them all, what kind of ninja would you have turned out to be? You would not be what you are now," he grinned up into Sasuke's face, silently mocking him.
This is what Itachi wanted, he wanted Sasuke to know the sacrifice, to see the power. He wanted Sasuke to remember the days they spent together, and he wanted him to remember the feeling of their parents blood.
But there was something in Itachi's face that Sasuke couldn't see; the anger was clouding his vision of his brother, seeing him only as the murderer of his family. There was a ferocious intensity in Itachi's face that few have ever seen before.
Sincerity.
Sasuke raised the kunai, and brought it flying to Itachi's throat.
Step three was complete.
But Itachi knew Sasuke wouldn't be fast enough to block out his last words.
"For you, otouto. The only one of whom would look at me with love, not fear, unlike out parents. It's for you, otouto. My love for you."
That was the day that Itachi had looked forward to forever.
That day was the day a boy named Uchiha Sasuke would remember forever.
That day was the day Konoha Will Remember forever.
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As you can probably tell I have just finished editing this story. It has it's problems but some things I would like to keep the way they are because they remind of what I wanted at that point in my writing.
Thanks for reading. (edit-9/24/09)
-AnimeSiren