Broken Dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter 7: A Battle of Life and Death
"Sasuke…how prepared are you?" asked Itachi.
"My stamina is full," replied the younger brother.
"Yosh, you'll need to help me. I'm a bit weakened…" the Sharingan master said.
Sasuke nodded and turned over to his older brother. Then he looked to the enemies surrounding them. Each one with a different power and type of jutsu. Sasuke then opened his eyes with a great might shaking the ground below him… he opened his blood red Sharingan.
"Sasuke!" shouted a voice.
"Naruto?" Sasuke said shockingly. He did not notice Naruto within the shadows of his house.
"Sasuke, everyone is worried about you. We don't want much more, but only your safety," pleaded Naruto.
"It's true, Sasuke…" continued the Godaime. "We are only protecting Konoha and its citizens. Don't live your life as an outcast when you can be free."
The young Sharingan master looked murderously into her eyes. Within an instant, Tsunade was struck wit h a dark fear. Her hands began to shake and Naruto noticed this. Never in his life had he seen her shake so violently ever since she was covered in blood thinking about her loved ones' and their dreams. Itachi smiled evilly at everyone…
"You don't know my little brother anymore. He has powers you can't even dream of…" Itachi said proudly. "It'd be best to leave now."
"Sasuke? You must be joking Itachi-sama," Tobi laughed.
"But he's not. He taught me a hidden power that I have dreamed of having. A power that can destroy this country," Sasuke said firmly.
Orochimaru and Kabuto stepped into the light. Sasuke looked at them and felt the pity and disgust of having him to gain power from. Certainly, he was a powerful genius shinobi, although Orochimaru had no interest unless there was a gain. Kabuto pushed his glasses up and looked at the two Uchiha's standing in the room.
"Orochimaru and Kabuto. I haven't seen you for some time," laughed Itachi.
"It has been too long, Uchiha Itachi-kun," replied the legendary sannin.
"Too long since you have tried to use my body as your 'container,'" Itachi said poisonously.
"Yes, I remember that dream. It was gruesome wasn't it?" Orochimaru laughed.
Itachi clenched his fists and Sasuke put his hand on his shoulder. He looked warmly at his brother and with a fire in his eyes. Itachi turned his head and looked into the eyes of his little brother. Sasuke had stood by his side through everything once, and over again. Itachi knew that of all people, he would trust Sasuke with his life.
"Nii-san, we will get through this together…" whispered Sasuke.
"Yeah…" Itachi said quietly.
"Itachi, do you know the impact that you have created, on the village?" asked Tsunade.
There was silence… Naruto stepped out so Itachi and Sasuke had a clear look at his saddened blue eyes and spiky blonde hair. Orochimaru's mouth twisted into a strange smile and Zetsu and Tobi were quietly laughing at the Akatsuki members before them. Tsunade looked at Itachi with a hateful intent… She was a Hokage that cared deeply for the village…
"You have created a pain in everyone's hearts in Konoha and all the villages. Your deeds over the years have only led to pain and suffering of loved ones. The Uchiha clan is gone because of you… Nothing is left… and if you destroy Sasuke, no one can forgive you," said Tsunade angrily.
"If I forgive him…isn't that enough? Isn't that enough for everyone?" pleaded Sasuke sadly. "Please…he's my brother. My only true sibling now…"
"Sasuke…" Naruto said sadly. "Against all of your friends… Your former bonds…"
The young Sharingan master clenched his fists as well and an unnatural white came to them. The blood was almost being squeezed out of them. The young Uchiha had just felt that no one had understood him. No one would stand by his choices. No one! He bit his own lip and a trickle of blood fell down and slowly onto the ground…
Doesn't anyone understand me? No one does… Only Itachi. I don't understand how they cannot understand a fraternal bond with my older brother. We were bound by blood… and that is all that matters to me now…
Sasuke started running over to Orochimaru and Kabuto with a silver kunai in his hand. Kabuto leaped behind him and smirked. Orochimaru laughed insanely as Sasuke threw it at his face. Within a moment, he lifted his hand up and the kunai had pierced through it…Blood splattered everywhere and the sannin just laughed insanely…
"Sasuke-kun, you haven't changed," said Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sama, what are you planning?" asked his most loyal subordinate.
"Need I tell you? Kabuto."
A drop of sweat fell down Sasuke's forehead and he bit his lip. He knew that the fight that determined his survival began now. The young Uchiha began to draw some seals and so did the older Uchiha as well. They opened their eyes with a great might and began to destroy everyone around them. Itachi and Sasuke both knew that something was supposed to happen…
My dream…
---
"Naruto?" asked the kunoichi.
She got up and looked wildly around. Her jade eyes did not see the Jounin sensei or the blonde haired boy anywhere. Painfully, she got up from her bed and got to a crutch. She started to limp towards the closet as she could barely move her legs. Although she gathered all the strength she could and could almost not hold her tears back. Every step she took, consumed a lot of her strength.
Sasuke-kun!
Naruto!
Kakashi-sensei!
I will definitely save them!
The kunoichi painfully dragged her limp body and put on her shinobi clothes. Then her eye caught onto her own head protector. It gleamed brightly in a ray of light. She trudged over there and held it in her hands. Then she clutched it close to her heart and tears glistened out of her eyes. She was going to save them now…
"It is time…"
---
The ANBU ninjas of Konoha were failing against Sasuke. The young Uchiha master had beaten all of them and the power he had gained with his older brother was unmatched. Although…it was not unbeatable. Naruto looked into the eyes of his once former rival and into the darkness within him. But still, no one knew the true power of dark. It was not evil, it was not creepy, it was not horrible. It was just misunderstood.
"You have become too evil Sauske…Kakashi sensei thought he could stop you from going to Orochimaru, but now you have gone with Uchiha Itachi," Naruto said sadly.
"I am in the darkness now… But that is misunderstood…" Sasuke breathed.
"Misunderstood?" Naruto asked.
"There are those who fear it, and those who embrace it. I have embraced it and now I am who I was meant to be. I do not care that you don't understand me… No one does," Sasuke said stiffly.
"Understand you! As kids, we were alike! In almost every way!" shouted the Uzumaki.
"Tch…" Sasuke laughed. "Why can't you accept me and my decisions?"
"Because…"
Naruto looked sadly at his feet. It was not as if Itachi wanted to kill his younger brother. He merely wanted him to inherit the traditions and teachings of being an Uchiha as he had. There was nothing wrong with spending time with an older sibling…especially since all the others are gone. Sasuke had not violated any laws and…
"Still!" shouted the blonde.
"Still what?" asked the dark haired boy. "If anything happens to me? What does it have to do with you? I haven't severed my bonds with you! They are still there!"
Sasuke shouted this at the blonde haired boy with tears in his eyes. The young Uchiha did not know why he was so angry, although he knew that his bonds with Konoha were not truly severed and they might not ever be. Naruto was the symbol of the bonds, and there he was…standing right in front of the boy. Sasuke's tears fell down slowly onto the Uchiha floorboards as Naruto walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm…I'm sorry-" started Naruto.
The Uchiha was unaware of his surroundings and noticed that Itachi was fighting on his own against the powerfulest Sound, Akatsuki, and Konoha ninjas. Sasuke turned and saw the fear within his own eyes. Then, a powerful blow with to his head.
"What!" shouted Naruto angrily.
"Just bring him back to Konoha hospital now, Naruto," demanded the high ranked Hokage.
Sasuke's vision hazed as he dropped down to the floor. A trickle of blood was falling down from his head and onto his face. He lightly lifted his fingers and felt the oozing red liquid. The young Uchiha then collapsed and his eyes closed for a single time as he drifted off into a dazed rest. He heard the screaming voices before him…
"Sasuke!"
---
"Where…am I?" asked the dark haired boy.
The young thirteen year old was in a white space and soon enough, he saw that he was somewhat transparent. He saw a stone coming into focus in front of him. He saw his eight year old self kneeling besides it with angry tears in his eyes. Sasuke walked over to the younger version of him and almost passed through him.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked to his younger self.
The crying boy did not answer and so Sasuke knew that he was visiting a memory. The young Sasuke looked angrily at the stone before him and hit it hardly with his fists. Blood began to fall out of his knuckles and onto the ground.
Soon enough, other Konoha shinobis came with a carving tool in their hand. The young Sasuke spun wildly around the other ninjas were frightened. They had never seen the young Uchiha master so angry and distraught before. They stood there for a while just staring into each other's eyes. Finally, the young Sasuke grabbed the carving tools and looked into the stone.
It was the stone of shame. Not the memorial stone for those who had given their lives for the village. Konoha's most promising ninjas that have gone over to the dark side… Their names were written there.
"No!" shouted the older Sasuke. "Stop!"
"Let me write it," said the younger Sasuke, not even hearing his older self.
"But the Hokage-sama-" started another.
"Let me!" the young Sasuke shouted through tears.
The other shinobis backed down and left the area. The rain began to fall gently and Sasuke's tears were no longer visible. Finally, with a swift motion, the younger Sasuke rammed the small stone into the stone before him. He was going to write.
"I have loved you!" I
"Yamero!" shouted the older Sasuke. T
"But you looked for more!" A
"He's changed! He's not that person anymore!" protested the transparent Sasuke. C
"And now…" H "I only look for revenge…" I
The present Sasuke felt cold all over his body. He shivered and looked into the eyes of his younger and foolish self. Although what was on the stone, would never change. No one would change. Besides him. He knew that no one would be able to accept his older brother, even if he had redeemed himself through anything.
I know better now. Kakashi was right…Revenge isn't everything. It is actually…nothing. Itachi was always my brother, and now, the anger had been destroyed and I don't dream of a peaceful future with Konoha. I dream of a peaceful future with my family.
---
Sasuke opened his eyes slowly and his vision was beginning to return t o him. He felt hazed because of the hard hit to his head, although he tried to sit up and look at his surroundings. It was dark and he felt a seeping liquid under his own feet. Sasuke immediately jumped up and saw that his body was almost drenched in blood. He wondered why…and finally his eyes were in focus and his eyes got used to the dark light…
"What…happened? Itachi?" asked Sasuke.
"Sasuke…" breathed the dark figure.
The youngest Uchiha looked around… His eyes widened when he did. People were everywhere. Something happened while he was knocked out. He saw…Naruto lying in a pool of blood on top of the hard floorboards. Sakura was there as well…She was bandaged and hurt, although she began to encircle her hand in a green flame to try to heal her friend.
"Naruto…" she breathed softly.
Then, his dark eyes looked at the blonde next to them. She was pinned against the wall… Tsunade-sama. Sasuke looked at her dying slowly. She had a sword piercing her and into the wall. She coughed out blood onto the sword and Sasuke was truly frightened now… What happened while he had been asleep?
"Tsunade-sama, shouldn't I-" started Sakura.
"No…Naruto needs medical attention," pressed the Hokage.
"Nii-san, what happened?" asked Sasuke.
No one answered him and Sasuke looked at the other corner. Orochimaru was still standing although his subordinate, Kabuto was lying on the ground. Kabuto was dead. Sasuke was sure, for seeing the boy covered in blood and with several weapons piercing his body. T here was no faint breath, there was only death.
"Itachi!" shouted Sasuke scared.
In the other corner of the room, the Akatsuki members were severely wounded and lying paralyzed on the ground, although they were still alive… Sasuke suddenly realized something…Itachi was the only enemy. No one else was here. Sasuke knew that his older brother had protected him from all the dangerous enemies in the mist. But…to do this all alone…was incredible.
"You did it…" Sasuke breathed soflty.
"Sasuke…I'm dying…get out of here," replied a cold and dark voice.
Sasuke looked at the dark figure before him. Sasuke saw his older brother in pain and anguish. Itachi was covered with blood and with many swords piercing his heart. Even as he was, Itachi was powerful although he was not able to hold off everyone… Itachi then fell backwards and the young Sharingan master caught him with his arms.
"Itachi, don't die…" cried Sasuke.
"Sa…suke, I wanted to… I allowed Zetsu to-"
"Douste?" shouted Sasuke Why?
Itachi smiled gently and his head protector fell off. He held it within his hand and Sasuke looked sadly at his older brother. Itachi saw the tears streaming out Sasuke's eyes. He wiped them away and his hand soon fell down…
Sasuke saw Itachi's eyes close for a moment and knew that he was still alive. He could feel his heartbeat and knew that his older brother had a chance of survival. He darkly allowed his brother on the floor as he stood up and looked harshly into everyone else.
"Remember what Itachi had taught me before? Eh, Sakura? Kakashi? Naruto? Remember that!" shouted Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun…" cried Sakura softly.
"It's only an Uchiha jutsu now…"
Sasuke drew the seals and summoned something dark from within the ashes. A weapon more powerful than life itself. Sasuke was fighting in Itachi's name, in the clan's name now. The moon outside began to become clouded with gray clouds. Something dangerous was about to be unleashed upon the world.
Author's Note: I was so blocked out on what to write on this chapter. Hope you like it and that it wasn't too disappointing. Just to say, it will only get more angsty from here. Please review!
