This story was written way beyond the fight between Itachi and Sasuke. It was an early theory I came up with as to why Itachi had killed his clan.I also don't remember why I thanked these two individuals, but I thank them nonetheless. "Thank you "Shattered Inkwell" and "X Darkness in light X" for notifying me."

Thank you and enjoy!!!!

Uchiha Itachi had just come home from another Anbu mission. It was near nighttime, the sun was beginning to set. On the horizon he could see the sun beginning

to slink behind the trees. It fell slowly as though it was going against it's will. It was a universal truth that the weak would fall, the sun was no exception to this rule.

Itachi looked at his clothes. They were slightly worn from the espionage he had doing and he could see streaks of dirt where he had crawled on the forest floor. He frowned.

The dangers to him and his health in those missions had never really affected him; he killed a lot of enemies of Konoha. He never bothered to boast about his head count what difference did it make? Men already feared and admired him.

He had enough skill to avoid boasting unnecessary claims to impress the masses. He had more important things to worry about.

He had to worry about reputation. What would the Hokage want from him next? What would he eat for breakfast tomorrow? Each and every thought of his was calculated. Each movement was deliberate and measured.

There could be no room for error or mistakes, so he had to always keep thinking. He had to think and secure everything. He had to think about...yes, he had to think about death. Especially death.

Each man he fouled had brought his subconscious closer and closer to the question that ran in his ears, robbed him of sleep, alerted him of danger before everyone else in his squad. How will I die? It was getting darker. He didn't really mind, but knew his mother would worry if he was not home by dark.

Itachi decided as a shortcut home, to pass through the cemetery. A grave marker said, 1799-1890. Dying of old age seemed like a cowards way to die. A fool who preferred to play it safe; who had stayed inside until a crisp age had overcome him.

A man built on cowardice that had never seen the heart of war. What could a man like that have to show for his cautiousness? All he had was his years and rotting bones in the end. There would be no songs, no stories, no hushed whispers about him. In 100 years, he would have never been born nor died. He would cease to exist.

Itachi kept walking until he came toward the Uchiha compound. Rushing out to meet him was Sasuke, his little brother. His tufts of hair almost identical to his own bounced around his head and he ran barefoot wearing their clan symbol. It was somewhat disturbing how much they looked alike. He was sure Sasuke would always retain his face's roundness, while his own face was narrow, but nonetheless he could see him being his mirror image in a few years.

"Brother you're back!" Sasuke joyously yelled.

Itachi's mouth twitched slightly upward toward his brother's outburst of compassion. Itachi's expressionless face looked into his brother's before picking him up and hoisting him on his back.

With that, Sasuke began bombarding his brother with questions and achievements.

"How was your mission? Did you miss me? I missed you. Guess what! I finally got that fire jutsu down! Did you karate chop anyone's head off? Could you show me how?"

Itachi walked to their house occasionally answering his brother's questions. "…Ok…yes…no…perhaps."

Finally they arrived inside. Itachi's mom sprang up from their table and went to him her arms wide. She had been having tea, she smelt sweet and of chai leaves. She gave him a big hug while Sasuke jumped off. "It's good to see you," she said.

"Thank you mother," he replied monotone. He noticed she had another wrinkle in her face, but she was still as lovely as ever. He surmised her got his graceful ways from her. His mother moved aside to give him space. Beyond him he saw his father. He was coming in his direction, but his eyes were over him. Itachi was everything his father wanted to be.

He wanted his youth back, his fine looks. The acomplishments Itachi had completed that took his father his entire life to do, when it had taken him a mere 16th of his. His father wanted to be him, and they both knew it.

Without a word, he brushed past his father as his father brushed past him. Itachi went to his room. He knew if it were the last thing he did, he would never die by his father's hands.

He stalked to his room and dropped his pack on the floor. Quietly he plopped down on his bed closing his eyes still pondering the question.

He had come to one conclusion, he wanted to be murdered, but who would be strong enough to kill him? He wouldn't outwardly lie down and die. That was suicide, which to him, was as cowardly as old age. It was an inability to adapt and the lack of strength to go on. He was too strong, that was his problem.

Who would have the will power to train until they got the strength? Just then he felt weight on him. He cracked one eye to find his little brother looking at him with a goofy little smile on his face. "Are you okay brother?" he asked cocking his head to his side.

Itachi closed back his eye and nodded. His brother was relatively light. He need to eat more.

After a few seconds the weight on Itachi shifted.

When Itachi opened his eyes, his brother was lying down on him, his head on his chest and arms around his waist. "I love you brother," he said then yawned.

Itachi had to admit his brother was innocent, cute and innocent.

He had no use for strength. He trained hard but it wasn't to be good, it was to impress him. In the back of his mind he believed his big brother would protect him any real danger. He would be living in his brother's shadow for the rest of his life. He looked at the shadows the moon cast on his ceiling. To live in a shadow was to be a shadow. It was a disheartening thought and a pitiful way to live. Sasuke would either spend his entire life try to outdo him, or spend it lying down and accepting his fate. Looking at the way thing were going, it would most likely be the later.

The boy was obsessed with him. It was as though he lived off the very air he breathed. Could he not see the futility of it all? Could he not see that such uncalled for admiration when it should be scorn could cause a life to...

It struck him. It struck him hard, startling him. His brother was the missing link. He would die by an avenger.

Then he looked at the sleeping mass on top of him. Even in his sleep he carried an innocent smile, it was almost ridiculous.

Sasuke could not hate him if even if he destroyed all Konoha. What could he release that would spark his brother's future and his end?

The door to Itachi's room creaked open to reveal his parents. His father was shadowed by the doorway. Even so, he felt his disdain, as though it sickened him to be in his domain. His father picked up Sasuke who curled in his arms while his mother came over to Itachi and gave him a peck on the cheek. She then took Sasuke from his father's arms and whispered, "Good night," to him. He responded in turn and wondered why she had married such a man.

Then his father closed the door giving him a small, seemingly accidental nod.

Itachi lay in his darkness. His mind was set, the fates themselves had given him the tools one by one. His family, their family was the trigger.

If Itachi took away everything Sasuke knew and loved, he would want to stop the living memory of it all.

He would want to avenge the dead. Itachi slept in a half conscious sleep.

His father… the man he hated would also die by his hand. Two birds, one stone. The saying made so much more sense now. His father, and him, their fates were sealed. It was funny to think that he and his father's idol were destined to die together. Not physically but when he killed them, he would be killing a part of himself. As for his mother. He smiled lightly at the thought of her. No one deserved her, not even him. She belonged in heaven away from the terrors of the earth. He was sure his abusive father would be going to hell. He would free her. It was the least he could do.

He would fight his way through enemies and test his strength until he got tired. He would not go on a killing spree for enjoyment, he disliked killing for no apparent reason. Yet he noticed he felt no remorse. It was a task, nothing more. A chore, if you will.

His brother would indeed have to get strong, very strong.

The others were mere pawns on the master chessboard. He thought strategically for a moment. Would it be enough to kill their parents? He decided not. None would be spared, women and children alike, except one pawn.

He was tired. It was late. With knowing his end, his suitable end, Itachi slept clutching a kunai. He had a busy day tomorrow. He uttered his contract before drifting away, "I promise, I will die by an avenger."

It had been 8 hours since his brother had killed them all. His brother, the one he fell asleep on, the one who always protected him had destroyed everyone.

He was the sole survivor of the Uchiha massacre.

Him, Uchiha Sasuke, left, and orphaned.

It wasn't real. It wasn't real. He looked at the blood caked under his fingernails. His clothes were clean now, his body was clean. But his hands. His hands.

It was real. Why? Why was it real?

He kept staring at his hands; his eyes were puffy and red, but dry. They had long ago been emptied of tears. He kept remembering his brother's only words of meaning to him.

"Brother if you wish to kill me, hate me with all your being. Train, become stronger." Sasuke gripped his now shaking hand. His hand did not shake out of fear, but out of blind rage.

Why? How could he have been so blind? Was he so weak that he did not deserve death? It was the greatest blow given to him. To his god, he was not even worthy of death. He loved him, and his existence was meaningless.

"Why Brother?" The word tasted like poison to him. "Why?!"

He stood and looked out of the window of the now empty Hokage's office. Everyone had already come and gone, speaking their record player sorries and prayers. He was done. He wanted one thing and one thing only. Death.

"I will kill you Itachi. You will die by my hand." His hand, the hands that would never be clean of his brother's betrayal. The sky mocked the day and shone blua and brilliantly, but beyond the sky and beyond all that is, something was.

And without even knowing it, Sasuke was on the brink of fulfilling a promise, and the wheels of two powerful fates began to turn.

There you go! Review! Hope you liked it!!!