Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Just like I didn't own Naruto in any of the previous four chapters.
A/N: Dreams are in italics. This chapter is from Itachi's POV.
Chapter Five
He looked so innocent when he was sleeping; just like he did back then. Even on my first impression of this new Sasuke, I could see that there was a built in wariness of anything he didn't recognize that all shinobi had built into themselves. It wasn't something you could forget, as it wasn't a memory, but a specific trait that had attached itself to your personality.
I couldn't help but feel a little proud of my little brother. Even after all these years he was still listening to me: I had told him to be stronger in order to kill me, and he had obviously been training himself. Any other genin would've passed out after the first five hours, and most chuunin would have been just as exhausted as he was by the end.
But still, there was a lingering guilt that maybe I was pushing him too hard, expecting too much from someone so young. The same way Otou-san had with me. It was an unpleasant thought; one of the reasons I had been uncomfortable around the man was the fact I had always felt that I was a tool to further the reputation of the clan, and not his son. Of course, discomfort was something most people at my age experienced around their parents. My hatred had only been born a short time after I had been initiated into ANBU….
I tried to clear myself of those thoughts. I didn't want to get worked up over something that had happened years ago; the rise in my chakra would most likely wake Sasuke (another instinct that a shinobi wasn't likely to forget). I breathed in deeply, exhaled, and closed my eyes. Even after all of these years, I could not bring myself to regret what I had done. I would do anything to protect Sasuke.
Once again, I looked over at my Otouto. I briefly wondered what would once the two weeks I had been allotted were up. Would Kisame- being the idiot lug he is- try and take me away from Sasuke (he would be unintelligent enough to try), or would Sasuke leave on his own? Would he have retrieved his memories by then? If so… would he still hate me- would he still be a good little brother and kill me… would he remember all that had happened during his time with me? I had read somewhere that when someone recovers from amnesia, they lose all their memories from the amnesiac state.
For a moment I questioned if it was a good idea to keep Sasuke with me during this time: after all, if he did remember this his motivation and hatred might waver, and then he might not be able to kill me. I could have that happening: it was his job to kill me for what I've done, to protect himself from me, so I can't hurt him anymore. He needs to be strong to kill me, to prove that he can protect himself and that I can die in peace without regret, knowing my little brother is safe.
It was a moment later that I realized it would be stupid to leave Sasuke. He was in no state to protect or care for himself under these conditions, and I didn't trust anyone back in Konoha to be able to take ample care of him. So the only person who was fit to look after Sasuke was me, and I wouldn't abandon him again.
Hesitantly, I reached out to him, laying my hand softly on his head, running my fingers through his soft, midnight hair. His lips curled into a small contented smile and he sighed softly. He looked so beautiful; he was a temptation to all those who saw him, and it was a wonder no one had yet been able to claim him. Thinking back to when we were younger, I vaguely remembered that whenever I brought my little brother out, there would always be a large flock of young girls- I tried to think of an appropriate word- stalking us. It had always made me feel a bit jealous, until I realized that Sasuke didn't even notice that they were there.
I smiled a bit; no one would notice if they weren't looking for it, and even then only someone who knew me well would've been able to see it. It seemed that Sasuke had that effect on me: he always made me feel so light inside, keeping me locked in an almost constant state of ecstasy. "Do you know what you do to me, Otouto…?" I asked him softly, my thumb running across his cheek. The skin felt so soft under my calloused fingers. He seemed so young.
But how do you really measure age? Days? Months? Years? In a world where an adult could be light hearted and naïve, and someone considered to be a child was battle hardened and wise, do physical age and appearance even matter?
I shouldn't, I decided. Then again, being able to distract someone with your appearance could be useful; the ability to confuse someone with looks alone makes it easier to hide in plane sight. They see you, but they would never feel threatened by you until you have a kunai pressed to their throat.
I sighed and pulled my hand away from Sasuke. There was no need for him to be angry with me when he woke up to see me invading his personal space (we Uchihas like to have a personal bubble). Although there was no blatant animosity between us, any action that would particularly irk Sasuke could end up having him cut off any and all communication between us for an unspecified amount of time; easily long enough for him to get himself killed while being to damn stubborn to call for help if I wasn't watching him.
Then again, Sasuke would probably do that anyways.
I sighed again, remembering a time when Sasuke would always come to me for help, despite the opportunity to ask either Otou-san or Okaa-san. Despite my busy schedule and constantly pushing him away, he would always come to me for help with shuriken practice. I found it rather ironic that it had taken me so many years to finally help him, despite my constant telling of "tomorrow".
My internal calendar must've been seriously screwed.
I stood up and walked over to the other side of the cave, my vision relatively clear despite the dark because of my active sharingan, and sat down again in an attempt to sleep. I knew that my brother would be fine by the next morning, and most likely anxious to consider his training. I may have had good endurance and an excess of chakra, but I doubted that I would've managed to be in a good enough mood to bother re-teaching my brother things he was already supposed to know if I tried to run on no sleep.
As my eyes finally drifted closed, exhaustion finally overtaking my active mind, I found myself relieved that Kisame wasn't here, as his grating voice most likely would have been the only thing in this world that could've kept me awake.
That, and Orochimaru doing the cha-cha with the Hokage naked. That probably would've done the trick.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
I was so damned tired. I could barely bring myself to pick up each foot to bring myself into my room. I cursed whoever had decided to give me a room on the far end of the house. I had to walk past so many damned rooms! The kitchen, the bathroom, the mostly un-used family room, my father's study, the rooms of several close relatives, the council chambers….
I halted suddenly when I heard voices coming from said room. They were angry, loud voices- those I had quickly come to associate with pissed-off elder Uchihas telling off another, most likely equally as pissed-off, Uchiha. I was about to walk past the council chambers, uninterested in the inner workings of our oh-so-egotistical clan, when I was stopped in my tracks by the mention of my younger brother's name.
My eyes narrowing, I suppressed my chakra as best I could (not as if I had much left after a particularly troublesome mission from ANBU), and walked silently over closer to the doors. "…crazy! Where the hell did you think up such an idiotic idea!" It took less than a second for me to realize that the voice was that of my own normally sweat and gentle mother.
It was Otou-san that spoke up next. "Please, Mikoto, you have to understand that this is what is best for the clan—"
"How can you say that sacrificing my little boy to a mad man is the best thing for the clan! If you're so damn noble, why don't any of you go yourselves! Why are you willing to sacrifice a child for your own selfishness!" she cried, the betrayal in her voice cutting deep into my heart. It was my mother's cry that first made me hate my clan.
"You can't understand, Mikoto-san," said another voice, one I couldn't quite put a name to, but I realized was one of the more prominent figures of the Uchihas. "You were not born into the main house, and so cannot understand that this is the best way to keep our clan flourishing. If not Sasuke, than whom else?"
My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment my heart stopped.
Sasuke. They wanted to sacrifice my Sasuke.
"Why not anyone else? Why not one of you elders! You preach that you would do anything for the clan and its members, but you're willing to sacrifice a little boy for your own survival! Why don't you just fight him if you're all so great? Why not die yourselves for the honor of the goddamned clan! Why don't you—"
"Silence, kisama! Our decision is made. We will give Sasuke to Orochimaru, and then he will leave us in peace. Once he had made the transfer complete, we will kill him. As Sasuke is still young and week, it should be easy. Our decision is final."
There was silence for a moment, before Okaa-san spoke up. I hoped that what ever she said could make a difference, that she could—"Fine".
And that was the moment I learned to hate my mother. It was also the moment I decided to kill our clan. For Sasuke.
I would do anything for Sasuke…
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
A moment later I was dreaming of a naked Orochimaru and Sandaime doing the cha-cha together.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
To be continued…
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A/N: Come on, reviewers! Give me some love for that chapter! It was almost 1800 words! That, and I finally told you why Itachi killed the clan! Do you think it was a good reason? Was it original? Or is it already used (overused)? Did you like the way I ended it? I thought it was pretty humorous.
Please review! Come on, there are fifteen of you getting this on your author's alert, show me some love! I'll update even faster (maybe)!
