A Distant Closeness

June 21, 2006

Hey you, thanks for coming here. Sadly, this is just a mule acount for Trick-King untill the account is able to post strories.The link for me real account is linked as my homepage on this account. I will respost this story on there when I can. Happy reading and reviewing!

Summary: Sasuke finally kills Itachi, but all for what? Was there a bigger picture behind it all? My POV on Uchiha rivalry. Nothing more than brotherly love. T for a little goreand language.

(This takes place after Sasuke come back from Orochi. Well, assuming he does. So heand the others would be around 17 maybe? That would make Itachi around 22? Give or take.)

My Say: My first, un-betaed story. So pleased forgive my typos. Anywh00t, nothing too special about it. I've had this idea in my head for awhile. Why not write it? Constructive criticism is ppreciated. R & R!

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto don't belong to me. Blah blah and whatnot.

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror. He was even too afraid to let go of the katana. His eyes met Itachi's and for the first time in the longest time, and they were... black?

No more Sharingan.

Itachi cursed and coughed out blood which landed on Sasuke's front. Then the elder man's lips pursed slightly, almost creating a coy smile.

"Urusei Sasuke-kun, maybe another time."

Itachi's eyes glazed over and he collapsed, soundlessly.

The younger of the two froze and dropped to his knees. Sasuke's body went numb from grief and shock. Shaking, he reached out and grabbed the shoulders of his brother. Just like when he was little, Sasuke felt that Itachi was so close to him and yet so far apart. He gripped the soft fabric on the shoulders tighter and shook him lightly, in a desperate kind of way.

"Nii-sama? Nii-Sama! NII-SAMA!"

Sasuke's voice broke and he choked back a sob. His eyes began to sting but he kept his them tightly shut until the tears resided. Even at a time like this his stupid goddamned pride wouldn't let him remorse. Wouldn't even let him shed a single tear.

Against Sasuke's better judgment and will he creaked open his eyes and those... caught him off guard and wouldn't let go. No thought registered into Sasuke's mind except those eyes. Those black, deep eyes. Kind and warm. Like when times Itachi teased him for things like faking a sprained ankle and trying to have it easy by having him be carried by Nii-san. Come to think of it, Sasuke couldn't remember a time before his childhood when they weren't red. Red, like the color of blood.

Coming to from his ephemeron thought, those eyes called out to him. The glassy blackness soothed Sasuke somehow... as if all the answers he seeked were held lovingly there, unmasked from behind the bloody red Sharingan. They were oddly familiar too.

That's when next thought that came terrified Sasuke. Those eyes, were his eyes too.

He scooped up his Brother in his arms and poured out 9 years of emotions that have been help in much, much, much too long.

Why? I did it. I've ended my quest. He's...dead. Dead, rotting, and burning . He's out of my life forever. So why?

Sasuke didn't answer himself. He didn't want to, because he knew the answer. Instead he shut his eyes and let the hot water run over him. Feeling the wetness drench his hair and race down his skin. Droplets pounding on his face, and letting the steam entwine with his own hot breath. Just standing there. Not caring, not wanting. Not anything anymore.

The Konoha raven-haired smacked the shower knob, stopping the water flow. The blood that flowed off of him swirled into the drain. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself. Drenched to the bone, he walked in the steamy room over to the mirror. He rubbed a clear spot in it and slicked a hand through his hair to keep his bangs out of his eyes. A puddle of water developed were he stood, flowing like a river system into the tile's grout.

All the trademark spikes of his hair were gone. Weighed down by the water making the hair slick, shiny and straight.

Almost like... no.

He dried himself off and began changing.

With his boxers on and about ready to put on his shirt he stopped, looking at the mirror. Absentmindedly he stared at his reflection, critiquing himself.

I'm so much like him. I can't deny it. "I'll never be like you!" Ha! I'm so stupid. Look at me, so pale, just pale as him. The same hair color and the same -

He stopped in mid-thought and his gaze came to so stop his eyes. He didn't think. Sasuke just saw. He saw his life replay inside his eyes like an old family video. Blurred, patchy, fuzzy and all the same his own special memories.

He saw Itachi piggybacking, him when his leg was hurt. He saw himself talking to Itachi on the porch and being flicked by him on the forehead, watching his brother amaze the crap out of him. Each memory flashed by quickly playing like a slideshow. And as hard as he tried, he couldn't bear to rip himself away from his hypnotic eyes. No, Itachi's hypnotic eyes.

"Damn it, stop looking idiot!" Sasuke scolded himself. Shutting his own obsidian-grey orbs and jerking his head away. "What the hell are you thinking!"

The last Uchiha put on his white nightshirt and looked at himself in the mirror again. Sasuke saw Itachi smiling at him. A gentle "I'm happy to see you after such a long time!" smile in truth, but Sasuke told himself that Itachi was mocking him. He would have punched it. He could see it happening in his mind. First, he would scream, draw his curled fist back, and hurl it at the hellish reflection as hard as he humanly could. The mirror would shatter and the shards of mirror would turn into a million Itachis and cut his hand. He would stare at the reflections untill he realized then pain and then would curse and run his throbbing hand under the faucet.

Sasuke's occupied mind clicked back to reality. He would have, he wanted to, but he was too tired. Both mentally and physically, tonight had been too much to take.

He stared down at the floor at the pile of blood-soaked rags and the equally bloody katana lying on top. Next to looking into those eyes, pulling that Katana out of his brother was most possibly the most horrifying moment to his life. Just so much blood everywhere. Not any blood either, their blood. And to even dare to think that Sasuke dreamed of having that blood oozing down and through his fingers. You couldn't get much more primitive than that. He still had that disgusting metallic tinge in his mouth and even that smell in his nose.

Sasuke staggered from the bathroom into his adjacent bedroom from exhaustion, dragging his hand against the wall for support. He fell onto his sheets stomach down. Limbs sprawled out in all different directions. Sasuke stared at the wall across from him in a zombie-like state. He wanted to ponder the events of tonight: What lesson? Why did he do this? Why did he kill everyone, including himself and leave me alone? Do I really... still hate him? But Sasuke had never been this tired before, nor this sore. The night had finally caught up with him.

The soft and steady lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dubbing of his own heart lulled him. His eyes began to close slowly, first ajar, then completely shut. Then darkness soon overcame him and in a long time, swep Sasuke away in a calm, deep, serene, dreamless sleep.

"I just have enough chakra for one last Raikiri blast. I won't have enough chakra for that if I use Raikiri Current anymore though... whispered Sasuke to himself behind a big concrete slab. "It's a big risk though, that has been my only line of defense as of now..."

The short raven haired had his back against the dusty wall panting hard. His throat was parched; beads of sweat trickled down his pale face and made his obsidian hair shiny. Cuts and bruises decorated his body made it ache and his heart racking in his chest so hard it hurt.

He had wasted a lot of his chakra fight his brother. Sasuke felt so ashamed, he was hiding behind a measly wall to trying vainly to recover while his brother was standing in the open so calmly.

What do I have to work with? a frantic Sasuke thought. His eyes scanning, fleeting, and filled with worry. Just my limited amount of chakra. He broke my sword into pieces. Maybe if I can find it I can still use it. Quick what's the nearest thing to a sword?

Lying near him was a lengthy lead pipe. Dented but still of significance.

Good, yes that will do. That will do just fine. Maybe if I reinforce with chakra it can will till I find my damn sword. Shit, but I have to be careful not to put too much into it... I still need to save for that last attack. Now where to fight. Roof or here on the grounds. Where do I have more of an advantage! Okay, calm down on the roofs I -

"Sasuke-chan. How long will you keep we waiting? Your Itachi- niisan grows tired."

The Hell? I need more time! No, stay calm. Roofs I can jump around more and hide and that will give Itachi more openings. On the downside it may cost me a bit more chakra. It will be a great advantage for me if he has to follow where I go.

"Ototo," Itachi drawled on in his usual half-bored tone while sauntering toward Sasuke"I'm going to give you until I count to 3 to come out. I'm tired toying with you."

What! He's only playing with me? Damn, damn, damn! Wait, no get back on track.

Bringing the back of his hand to his mouth, Sasuke wiped a small line of blood form the corner of his mouth.

Ground we can fight head on. I can dodge his attacks behind houses and walls to spare chakra.

"Hitotsu."

Most likely Itachi will blast through the walls to get to me and that will use up his chakra. But then again I can't hide forever. And I'm more prone to heavier injuries on the ground. Argh! Although on the ground I can pick up random things as objects!

Sasuke furrowed his brow together. More beads of sweat trickled down his flushed face. He could now hear his heart inclining it's pulse and feel it throb in his temples which only resulted in a headache.

"Futasu."

Shit! Think! Think! Ground, rooftops, ground, rooftops...

From behind the concrete slab Sasuke siwiftly dive-rolled at the long metal pipe and stood up crouched one foot in front of the other weight shifting leg from leg. An offensive stance.

Without warning Itachi sprang forward showing Sasuke he was now no-nonsense. His eyes gleamed as he held his left pointer, middle, and ring finger up.

"Mittsu!"

As dawn broke the pale young man continued sleeping, lying on his side and limbs slightly sprawled about. The sheets were messy and tossed about, a sign of restless sleep. Studying closer, Sasuke looked ghostly against his white sheets, the sun casting on him made his look skin almost as white as the sheets and his shirt themselves. Sasuke looked just as frail too. The silhouette of him cast from the sun was a soft black which brought your eyes to his grey boxers. The young man's Raven hair had a navyish tint from the sun against white canvass of the bed. In fact, Sasuke's messy black hair was so out of proportion with the soft feeling it seemed it was the only flaw, and yet the factor that held everything together. The whole picture painted a crisp and clean illusion of a small, normal, and handsome boy sleeping his life away in blissful dreams.

Far off from the truth.

Drrrrring, drrrrring! Drrrring, drrrring!
God damn it! Stupid alarm clock, I'm not getting up. I don't give a hundred shits if I have a mission today. I'm staying in bed. thought Sasuke in his half-conscious state of sleep.

He clutched his pillow and shoved his face harder into it.

Uchiha Sasuke was not a morning person overall, but today was different. Normally Sasuke would have grunted an irritated sigh and gotten up reluctantly. It was unusual for him to resist small things like this without good reason. He'd more likely just get it over with quick and painless.

Drrrring, drrrrrrring! Drrrring, drrrring!
No! I swear to the Gods above on my life I am not getting up. The last thing I need to do is to see Kakashi.

So he did have a good reason for not waking.

Drrrrring, drrrrrring! Drrrring, drrrring!
"STOP THAT RINGING! IF YOU THINK I'M GETTING UP YOU'RE SURE AS HELL WRONG! I'M NOT GETTING UP TO GO TO ANOTEHR DAMN MISSION TODAY AND IF YOU STILL THINK I AM WELL FU-" Sasuke bellowed out of nowhere.

He snatched the infernal nuisance and hurled it to bits against the wall before he could even finish his rant.

Sasuke was breathing hard, eyes wide open with rage and the Sharingan activated. His hands were curled into tight fists and his teeth were grinding up against each other. In other words, Uchiha Sasuke was pissed. But out of nowhere his face wiped clean as a slate, and returned with that usualmask of angry apathetciness. Most appalled with his sudden outburst, trying to recover from this crude moment he apologized under his breath to no one in particular.

"Yeah sorry but I'm up damn it. There's no need to tell me twice."

Turning to his well organized closet Sasuke lifted and hanger with a fresh Jounin uniform hanging neatly on it. Holding the outfit at arms length he scanned over it quickly for any flaws but his mind wandered off during the process...

Yesterday night never happened. You're still alive, and I still and will forever hate you.

Tossing aside the uniform aside on his bed Sasuke, walked over into the bathroom to wash his face, brush his teeth, the normal daily things.

I've still yet to defeat you. You can't keep me inthe dark forever.

After wiping his face on a random towel he snatched his toothbrush began scrubbing his teeth. He was even now begining to slightly sneer while doing so.

See it's like nothing happened. You're not dead.

Sasuke spat out the mix of toothpaste and spit form his mouth a little too harshly.

Just act like I don't care. Like always. It's no big deal. If I tell myself it isn't then it isn't.

Sasuke told himself that he was handling yesterday's events well, but he knew he was lying through his teeth. It was denial. It happened all too fast for his mind to comprehend yesterday night. But that wasn't the fact that was scaring him, it was the fact that today it was starting to sink in fully. To top it all offhe had to face Kakashi-ji. So instead of attacking his problems headon he just kept on lying to himself until he believed that falsehood was truth. That's how he handled everything he didn't like, and he had a bad habbit for falling a little too deep in his own web too.

Right, I have to help load food onto carts in the market today. D-rank missoin. Whoop-de-freakin'-la.

Starting to calm down from the force-fed lie, Sasuke walked out and dressed uncaringly into his Jounin uniform. Grabbing some leftover ongiri from the fridge he popped it into his mouth. Glancing over the his beside table he saw his new forehead protector he had gotten after he returned.

I remember when Naruto gave me that, and Kakashi gave me my old slashed one. It's still in my closet shelf actually. A carbon copy of my Brother's he said. Tch, I'm such an open book to him. I can't face him. He'll figure out everything just my looking at me.

He over to the placed the band set across his forehead and directed the cloth over his temples. Scruching his face Sasuke shoved the rest of the nasty old onigiri in his mouth and forced himself to chew and swallow. A little ways before his door he paused to put on his shoes and walked out the door without a second glance.

Shut up and think about the damn mission.

(TO BE CONTINUED) Well what do you think? Please tell me What was good/bad/intereting or anything! Just review! Please!See that awesome periwinke button on you lefthand corner? CLICK IT! Yes click it and leave me a review. They are chocolate to my eyes.