Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, which really sucks. ;;
Yes, I am alive! Sorry for the long long wait, I feel horrible! –cries- I had exams, and then writer's block. I didn't know quite what to do with this chapter, and I still don't. All these chapters just write themselves after I start, but this chapter might come out a little..bad. So sorry in advance for the long wait for a bad chapter! –gives out cookies as an apology-
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Chapter 8: Uchiha Itachi
Sasuke and I both stand there, anger written all over our faces as we look up at Sasuke's older brother. I'm also grateful at the fact that Sasuke didn't take one look at him, say, "YOU!" and charge at him. He'd probably be dead, and I'm not talking about Itachi.
Sasuke takes a small step forward and I reach out to stop him from doing something stupid, but he just stops and snarls, "What are you doing here?" He's not even talking to me and shivers run down my spine.
All Itachi does, though, is stand up and brush the nonexistent dirt off his clothes. I catch a glimpse of a gun in his back pocket, and now instead of anger there's fear coursing through me.
"Be careful, Sasuke," I murmur, nodding towards Itachi. Sasuke only nods back in acknowledgement, murmuring 'I know' back. As for Itachi, jumps off the boulder and gracefully lands on the ground, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's. I wonder if he even knows I'm here.
"What?" he chuckles and folds his arms over his chest. "What kind of greeting is that, little brother? No hug or anything, just a mean face?" He smiles gently, but when I look in his black eyes all I see is…sadness?
Sasuke just snarls again. "What are you doing here? You have no business being here, or are you here to finish your family off?"
"What? I missed my little brother. I can't drop by for a visit?" He slowly reaches out a hand, index finger out, and pokes Sasuke right in the middle of his forehead.
He rubs the spot where he was poked and glares. "I didn't like it when I was younger, I don't like it now. Leave, Itachi," he orders.
Itachi just stands there, and then blurts out the oddest question ever. "Can I stay with you?" We just stand there, and I can't help but put a finger in my ear and clean it out. The hell did he just say?
"Yeah right, why would I let you stay with me?" Sasuke asks, after getting over the oddness of his brother's question.
"I…" he falters, and looks down at the ground. "I regret what I did," he looks up after he says this, almost pleadingly.
I scoff, while Sasuke snorts and turns away. I walk away backwards, keeping an eye on Itachi's gun. I don't really feel like getting shot in the back. "Yeah right."
Itachi's obviously much faster then what we thought, because before we can blink he's right behind Sasuke. Before we can blink again, he's on the ground, kneeling, with one hand clutching Sasuke's shirt.
"You have to believe me, Sasuke, I regret what I did. Please," he practically begs, but refuses to look Sasuke in the eye.
"Why did you do it? Really?" he asks, ripping Itachi's hand away from his shirt.
"Take me home with you, I'll tell you the truth. I'll do anything," he says quietly, reclaiming Sasuke's shirt. All Sasuke does is stand there, staring at him. I can't help but raise my eyebrows in wonder; he's thinking about.
"One problem, Itachi. In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of on a camping trip."
"I'll meet you at your house, you can sneak me in through a window so Kakashi won't see me…"
"How the hell do you know where I live and who I live with?"
"I've been watching you for a while, little brother… I've wanted your forgiveness for a long time." He finally looks up and looks Sasuke right in the eye, and I faintly see Sasuke nod.
"I…I haven't told anyone it was you, that night. They all believe you're dead, taken away by the murderer. Can't think of the Great Uchiha Itachi as a murderer," Sasuke smirks lightly. "We have to get back to camp."
He forces his shirt out of Itachi's grip once again, and nods to me. "I'll listen to what you have to say at my house," Sasuke says, before we both turn to leave. As we go back through the bushes and trees, for the first time, I feel Itachi's gaze burning into my back.
---
When we get back to camp, the buses are being loaded and the teachers are glaring at us. "What took you so long?" Iruka snaps, and we mumble about getting lost. "Well, what were doing in the forest in the first place? You knew we were leaving today!"
We can't think up of anything for that, our minds elsewhere, so we end up with two detentions each when we got back. The ride back home was a blur, people sang along to the radio, but Sasuke and I just chose to stare out the window. I wonder if Itachi is really serious? He seemed like he was… Guess we'll just have to wait to find out.
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"Wonder when he should be arriving, and where? Front door?" I ask once we get inside Sasuke's room. Sasuke asked me to be there when Itachi showed up, and of course I said I'd stay.
Sasuke shrugs. "Kakashi's known me for a long time, and he knows my whole family's dead. Or supposed to be. If Itachi just knocks on the front door and struts in, there will be a few raised questions. In case you haven't noticed, we look a lot alike." He grins and elbows me playfully in the ribs, sitting down on his bed.
I nod; he's right. Same facial shape, same hair, same eyes, same body structure. Only differences mainly was the length of their hair, their height, and Itachi has strange vertical lines under his eyes.
Around nine o'clock, while Sasuke and I just lounge around his room listening to his music CDs, Itachi taps on his window. Immediately Sasuke gets up and opens it and Itachi climbs through, looking nervous.
Wasting no time, Sasuke stands there, arms crossed, and snaps, "Explain." Itachi nods, sitting down next to me on the bed. I shift uncomfortably slightly, but I don't move.
"Do you remember how our parents used to treat you?" he asks Sasuke.
"Yeah, to be honest I guess you could say I was spoiled." Sasuke laughs softly, remembering back to his childhood. "Why?"
"They used to treat me the same way. I made the simplest compliment on something, they'd get it for me. They'd hug me, tuck me in bed. I don't know why, but they started treating me different when I entered second grade. You were only five then. All they talked about was grades, yelled at me, said to pick my grades up. Said I could do better.
"I thought they were just worried, they'd get over their paranoia about my future. But they didn't, and sometimes dad would even hit me." He shrugs. "Sure, all the teachers and other parents went on and on about my good behavior, good grades, good life. But my home life was ruined, our parents changed and I still don't know the reason why.
I became distant with everyone, and you, so they couldn't get the chance to find the tiniest flaw in how I act around someone. So instead they got mad because I was too 'antisocial.' Year after year, my anger and new-found hate just kept growing.
I watched how they treated you; with love. I wondered if they would turn on you the same way they had me. I wonder if I killed them in worry for you, revenge for me, or both. Anyway, you were at karate lessons one night, and dad had just beaten me up over this stupid ass party I declined.
I was pissed than I ever remember being; I guess it was from holding it all inside for years. So I snuck into dad's office and took one of his swords off the wall, and killed them both while they were on the couch.
You came into the room in, and I just thought of the first excuse that came to my mind. I was selfishly mad at you, for mom and dad treating you how they used to treat me. So I punched you, and ran.
I admit I'm not sorry about killing them, I don't regret that. But I do regret leaving you alone, Sasuke." He stops there and stares at the floor, Sasuke seems to be in a daze.
"Excuse me for a moment, I have to…think and get…some water…" he trails off, leaving the room. I once again feel Itachi's eyes on me, and before I realize what he's doing, he reaches up and fingers my spiky blond hair.
"Your hair is interesting," he comments, and I'm not sure whether it's a compliment or insult.
"Um…yeah. I like it, I guess," I shrug, blushing slightly. Itachi leans forward and towards me to look me straight in the face, no clue why, when Sasuke comes back. We immediately snap our attention to him.
"Mom and dad…were really like that?" he asks, and Itachi nods. Silence. "I can't…fully forgive you for killing our parents. And leaving me. But…it'd be nice…to have you around more…" he mumbles, and Itachi smiles.
--- (Sasuke POV) ---
"Itachi," I snarl, anger and hate boiling up inside me. The only reason why I don't charge him now is for the most obvious reason; Naruto's safety. Stupid dobe, even the less irritating parallel-version of him gets in the way.
He merely cocks an eyebrow at me, and glares at me coolly. "Foolish little brother, you should've just listened. Instead you chose to bring him along. You could've saved his life…" With that, he presses the knife against Naruto's throat even more and I see a thin line of blood trickle.
"Let him go. Now," I snarl again, but I'm just answered with a cool stare. Naruto stares at me with wide eyes, trying not to breathe too hard or move in any way. "Why are you here?"
"I just thought I'd come visit you and see if you remember me." He gives a small smirk. I growl and scuff my foot against the ground, stopping myself from lunging at him.
"No, I don't remember you at all," I hiss, venom leaking from my voice. "Who the hell are you again?" Why is he here? He's only endangering himself and me. Me because I'll attack him and he'll probably kick my ass. Himself because people believe him dead, and if they see him…
"Really?" he asks, mock sadness entering his eyes. "I'm your dear big brother. Remember how you came home one night, eight years ago, and found your loving parents dead?"
"Stop, shut up," I snap, but he ignores me.
"I remember it like it was yesterday. How the fools were just sitting there, oblivious. How I picked up our father's sword and snuck up behind them- "
"SHUT UP!" I all but scream, but he pauses for a second and only moves his hand from Naruto's mouth to his hair. He firmly grips it and violently yanks his head up, Naruto whimpering slightly, and stretches out his throat.
"How I snuck up behind them," he continues, "and they turned and asked me what I was doing. They only saw the sword a second before I slashed father's throat. Mother got up and tried to run, but I grabbed her wrist and I remember hearing a crack," he grins sadistically.
"Mother screamed and tried to yank my hand away with her other one, but I just slashed her throat as well. She collapsed on father, jolting him slightly and he danged half-off the couch. Blood was everywhere, but then again, you remember don't you Sasuke?"
I collapse on my knees on the cold ground and clutch my head, willing the memories of that horrible day to go away. "I HATE YOU!" I scream. "I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR I WILL!"
Itachi merely smirks, and Naruto whispers, "Sasuke, just run…" Itachi shakes his head violently, rubbing his throat against the knife slightly, and he hisses in pain.
From the entrance of the alley, I can't believe my eyes with Sakura steps in slightly. I can see her squint her eyes, trying to see, since it's darker in the back where we were.
"Sasuke-kun?" she yells down at us. "Is that you? I thought I heard you scream," she yells down at us, probably just shadowy figures to her. So she's good for something.
Surprised, Itachi twists his body around to look at the intruder. I know what I'm about to do has a very high chance of killing Naruto, but it's also the only chance I have to get him away from my psychotic brother while he's distracted.
With Naruto and the death of my brother in my mind, I get up quickly and quietly and lunge towards Itachi and Naruto.
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Meh..wonder why I always make Sasuke's POV shorter than Naruto's? I just..do..can't help it. XD And sorry if you're hating the whole, "SORRY SASUKE FORGIVE ME!111!" Itachi. He is sorry, he has no tricks up his sleeve. Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I'll try to make the next one much shorter. Hopefully with a picture coming along with it, too. -.-; Also, if you like Final Fantasy VII, keep on the look-out for two one-shots I'll be writing soon about Cloud and Zack. Also, should I include a liiiiiiittle bit of one-sided Itachi x Naruto? (Remember Itachi's little staring problem with our Naru-chan)
Crematosis: Yes well, besides Sasuke, Itachi is my favorite person in Naruto. So I just had to get him in this story in all his sexy glory! It is hard keeping them in character, but it's all worth it hopefully. Your story is amazing too, I'm in love with it! And Albel…I just get depressed when I remember he's not a real person. –sigh-
BloodMistress: Sorry for the cliffhanger. I hate them, too, but it also makes the wait worth it sometimes. When I'm reading other stories…o.O Sorry for not updating soon, it took a long time for this one.
Rice-Ball247: It can get very hard. I try to make them different and similar, but still not so similar that they're boring. xx Yes, Itachi's just…awesome. Heh. XD
Guardian of the Hell Gate: Sorry for the long wait, and I'm also sorry that you still don't know if Naruto will be alright or not. )