(A/N: Sasuke and Itachi fans! It has arrived at last! That one fight everybody's been waiting for! Wow. Did I have fun with this or not. I swear, I didn't know the ending when I was typing it… it just kinda worked out like that.)
Sasuke leaned against a wall; for fear that his legs would collapse under him. He fought to pull more strength and chakra, but it was all spent.
Itachi walked toward Sasuke, his eyes hard, hiding the disappointment. "I am ashamed of you, little brother," his voice was strong and filled with malice, "This is the third time you've faced me, and the third time you've lost. You had the chance to get true power; to unlock the real Sharingan," he shook his head slowly, "but you did not. You let him be. Your hatred was not strong enough for you to kill your best friend. Your life's effort was not important enough for you to cast all away and succeed." He stopped, inches from Sasuke, "You are weak. You cannot be from my clan. You are no longer my brother. I will disown you by taking your life."
Sasuke closed his eyes. It could not end here, but he had no strength left to fight. He tried to build up chakra, but his neck began to burn. It was not supposed to come down to this, but he had no option left. He had to use it. It was his only choice. Sasuke forced himself to relax and the burning in his neck began to spread. It went all through his body.
Itachi took a cautious step back when he felt Sasuke's chakra begin to grow. Then black designs that looked similar to the Sharingan eye began to spread over his body. It started at his neck and spread to cover the left side of his body as far as Itachi could see. Then it spread to the right side of his body. As it spread, all of his injuries healed, without leaving a mark. Once his wounds were gone, a black pointed cross was formed on his face.
From that and the other designs, spread shadow. It spread until it covered his body. His hair grew longer and more pointed. His nails and lips were black and wings burst from his back. They looked more like giant, webbed hands sprouting form his back, once they took shape. But the most shocking of it all was Sasuke's Sharingan eyes. They weren't his normal Sharingan, but they weren't like Itachi's Sharingan either. They were different; abnormal.
Before Itachi could react, Sasuke rushed him with inhuman speed, his wings flapping once to add to it. Itachi tried to move out of the way, but he was too shaken. Sasuke bunched Itachi swiftly and thoroughly. Pain pulsed through his body. One final blow forced his legs to buckle. Itachi fell to his knees and Sasuke struck his head.
Itachi knew how dangerous it was to stay down when his enemy wasn't afraid to attack. He forced himself to his feet and managed to dodge another of Sasuke's string of attacks. But Sasuke eventually landed a blow against Itachi's chest. It impact was appalling and sent Itachi flying backwards. He knew it was over as Sasuke slowly lifted Itachi up; just as Itachi had done to him so long ago. This could not be Sasuke.
Sasuke looked Itachi in the eyes as the power of Chidori absorbed his free hand.
Itachi looked over at his brother; a half-smile light his face, his eyes full of pain, "Is that really you, little brother?" His voice was strained, almost tortured, "Is this tryly what you've become?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed threateningly, but Itachi continued, "This is not the power you seek; it is false." Sasuke tightened his grip, Itachi winced, but kept speaking, "I didn't do this to you." His voice was strong now as he asked, "Who was it?"
"Orochimaru," Sasuke replied, knowing Itachi would recognize the name, "He gave me this power; power greater than yours!"
Itachi was pained by Sasuke's words; this couldn't possibly be him, "What did they do to you? Why did you let him do this to you?"
"This is my power," Sasuke said proudly, "I have defeated you."
"No," Itachi said, shaking his head slightly, "This is not your victory. Orochimaru has used you, little brother; why did you let him use you?"
Sasuke had had enough. He couldn't answer this question; it reminded him of what Anko had said once. Orochimaru had used her and discarded her; he would most definitely do the same to Sasuke. He didn't need lecturing from Itachi. "Shut up!" he shouted, the uncreative phrase shocking Itachi, "You're not my brother! Not anymore!" And with that last, defiant sentence, he shoved his hand, still holding Chidori, into Itachi's chest.
The Sharingan faded from Itachi's eyes, to perfectly reflect Sasuke's eyes when he was not fighting. Itachi's face contorted to reflect pain; but it was not the pain of the lightning edge piercing his body. Itachi took in a deep, steadying breath before speaking, "You were not-" he winced, but continued, "-supposed to become his." He tried to take another breath, to speak, but it stilled in his throat. His eyes faded; Sasuke would never see a pair like his again.
Sasuke took a step back from Itachi. The curse faded and Sasuke looked as he did before, except for the blood that stained his hands. Itachi fell to the ground. His forehead protector loosened and clattered on the ground before him. Itachi looked nothing like how Sasuke had thought he would. Through all of his dreams of killing Itachi and avenging his clan, Sasuke never imagined Itachi would look so sad. It was pathetic. Sasuke no longer held respect for his brother.
As Sasuke looked down at Itachi's body, blood covering him, hair askew, Sasuke realized just how misled he had been as a child. He realized how foolish it was for him to follow his big brother around and try to be like it. It disgusted Sasuke to think he had wanted to be like his weakling for the greater part of his life.
A few moments later, as Sasuke saw his ex-brother's body begin to stiffen, he realized he had formed the same relationship with Orochimaru. He respected Orochimaru; he wanted his strength; he wanted to be just like him. Sasuke decided something in that moment of realization. He would never depend on another person again. He would gain his own power and live his own life. He would not let such petty things as friendship and love get in his way. He would never follow another around again. He would become truly strong.
And Sasuke found out he knew just how he could accomplish this goal. Looking down at his empty ex-brother's body made Sasuke remember one thing. So he bent down and reached for Itachi's right ring finger, his eyes focused on the Kanji symbol for Shu -or Scarlet-.
((A/N #2: ok… for all u Itachi fans out there, I'm sorry, I had to kill him. It was the only way I could make my plot work. And I -as an Itachi fan myself- never believed that Itachi hated Sasuke. I wanted to do this lil blurb thing on Itachi being ashamed that his brother couldn't stop him w/ his own power cuz I have this horrible ability to like the bad guys more and find the good in them. -wow. That was a confusing sentence O.o- hope y'all liked it, whether u like the fact that Itachi's dead now or not, and please RnR!))
