Never Fading Light
Chapter 7: End Game
Sasuke panted as he sprang through the trees. His heart was pounding so hard in his ears he couldn't even see straight. All he could smell was the acrid metallic stench of blood that was smeared across his face. He wouldn't think about it. If he thought about what happened he would break down, and then they would catch them.
...He wouldn't let them catch him again.
Bile rose up in his throat as he felt that soreness once more between his legs. It was the same feeling he had woken up with. He gripped a tree, leaning against it as he spewed vomit along the ground. He allowed himself only a moment of respite, before pushing himself forward with his chakra once again.
It was nighttime, and more than a few of the Akatsuki had been on missions. Maybe they hadn't seen the trail of blood yet coming from Itachi's room. A keened moan of horror left his throat as he remembered, mind flashing to the shuriken...and the warm blood that poured down his wrist. Blood, so very much like his own.
Sasuke froze, thoughts not able to turn treacherous as a blue flames lit up the night. They danced across his vision as the trees all around him began to catch fire. A rumbling overtook them as they began to crash down one by one as something was coming. Zetsu had warned him what was out in the woods. He just didn't think they would come quite so soon.
He crouched down in the tree, trying to make himself invisible as he saw the great monster emerge. It was the two-tailed beast Nibi. He had heard rumors of just this Jinchuuriki alone taking out villages. It was vicious.
Tears stung his eyes at how bad it throbbed between his legs while crouched at this angle. How could he? How the fuck could his brother do that to him? He had woken up in his bed, and he knew what they had done. ...What he had done to him while he was unconscious.
He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle his sobs as the monster stalked through the trees. Itachi had tried to explain to him what had happened, but it didn't really matter, did it? Itachi had touched him. Itachi had raped him. The sick fuck had took something from him that only belonged to his dobe. It hadn't been hard to slash the shuriken across his throat. He had felt nothing but hate for the bastard who lied to him, abandoned him, and then thought he could touch him. It was revulsion that had come over him as the blood splashed across his arm, not sadness, not remorse.
He didn't know if it had killed him. He hadn't waited around to see the end result. If he wanted to get passed the perimeter, he had to go fast. They'd kill him for this if they caught him. ...They'd probably do a lot worse.
Sasuke watched the Nibi's movement with his sharingan, looking for any openings he could get passed. He didn't think it knew he was there yet. It would have called for help by now. He saw an opening, diving down to the forest floor as he took off in a sprint. He heard a roar behind him as everything around him was burning with blue flames.
He sprinted through the forest, hearing the monster quaking behind him as whatever poor bastard it inhabited was forced around in that prison. The Akatsuki never let their Jinchuuriki regain their human form. They were trapped in that animalistic fervor forever. He would never let Naruto join that hell. Not ever.
Of course, he could also try to fight the Nibi, but with how upset he was he knew there was a good chance he would lose. ANBU didn't take those chances. He swung around a tree, avoiding a path with fire as he heard the Nibi begin to head in the opposite direction. He didn't know he was there. There were at least some small miracles.
Sasuke looked back to make sure it wasn't following, and gasped as something hit his neck, knocking him back hard. He was coughing, sprawled along the ground as he gasped for breath. Sasuke gripped at his bruised throat as he looked up, eyes widening in shock as he fell backwards in relief. He caught his breath, before kipping himself up to his feet, and running towards their arms.
"Obito!" He panted, clutching at his adoptive father as his entire body trembled with relief. "Gods I'm so glad to see you!" Why had he come here? Why had he left his home? He had been happy in Konoha. He had been happy before he had ever had the ridiculous notion to come find Itachi.
"Sasuke…" The elder Uchiha breathed, clutching him tight as he pulled him closer. "What's wrong? You're trembling."
"I found Itachi…" Sasuke confessed, the anxiety and stress over the last few weeks catching up with him. "I found him...and he's different…" Was different. He didn't realize how bad his voice was shaking as he sobbed into his cousin's shoulder. "He k-k-killed the clan," And then came on his stomach. "He's the leader of the Akatsuki," And fucked him while he was unconscious. "We have to tell them...We have to tell Konoha,"
"Ssshhh…." Obito cooed, and if Sasuke was more in his right mind he would be asking why his cousin was standing in the middle of this forest. "It's okay...It's alright now Sas…" He pet his spikes, and Sasuke just clung to him harder as he felt like he was eight years old again and staring down at his dead parents.
"I want to go home," He begged. "I want Naruto...and Kakashi...I shouldn't have come here," he admitted, because this was the worst mistake he had ever made.
Obito sighed, rubbing his back. "Naruto will be happy to hear that. He's been going crazy with worry. Think he's onto the fact that you're not on a mission."
Sasuke gave a shaky laugh, aware he was smearing Itachi's blood all over his cousin. "Stupid Dobe...can't believe it took him this long." He saw the blonde's smiling face, those bright blue eyes twinkling at him. "We have to go. They'll be looking."
Lips pressed against his spikes, and Sasuke finally felt his heart begin to slow as he felt safe for the first time in so long. "No Sas…" Obito whispered in his ear. "They won't," Sasuke's breath hitched as he felt a stinging pressure in his neck, and he felt his body go lax as he was swept up into Obito's arms. "They already sent me to find you and bring you back."
Sasuke knitted his eyebrows, betrayal coursing through him as he managed to raise his palm, pawing at Obito's face as his eyesight was going bleary. "No...not you...not…" He managed to center his chakra, shooting Obito in the face with Chidori before everything went black.
,,,,,,,,,,,,
"He could have killed you," He heard a voice murmur as he began to come to. "Almost cut the artery. Don't think he likes you as much as you thought."
"You almost sound jealous, cousin," Itachi murmured, and his voice sounded strained. He sounded hurt. "I'm not taking him from you,"
"What the fuck did you do to him?" Obito growled, voice more heated than a moment ago. "He was terrified. I've never seen him like that."
"It was a misunderstanding," Itachi supplied, but there was hesitation in his voice. Hesitation and almost...guilt. "I didn't touch him."
"Liar," Sasuke breathed out, opening his eyes as he took in the two standing over his bed, trying to keep the hate free from his features. "You touched me."
Itachi's eyes skirted over his form, always perceptive his Aniki. "Otouto?" He questioned, and Sasuke noticed the bandages wrapping all the way around his neck.
"Did it hurt?" He questioned him, sitting up and noticing his wrist chained to the bed again.
"It stung a bit," Itachi said carefully, as if testing the waters. "Are you okay?"
"Doubtful," Sasuke replied back with, glancing over to Obito Uchiha. "You're a traitor," he hissed, not giving him a chance to defend himself. "I trusted you. You're a lying cheating rat!" He growled, spitting forward, and frowning as it missed its mark. Itachi's eyes were on him, but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to deal with that...not yet. He had bigger fish to fry.
"Sasuke," Obito started, and Sasuke bared his teeth at him, wishing he could actually snarl. "I care for you."
"Yeah," he hissed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You sociopathic assholes always seem to." His eyes roamed over Obito's face, seeing the bandage over half of it. He laughed at the irony. "Your face is burnt."
"Lucky shot," Obito pointed out. "I deserved it, don't worry."
"I'm not," Sasuke assured him. "Just wish my aim had been better." He smirked as Obito winced.
"Sas...I can explain what happened. The Akatsuki, they're not as bad as you think," Obito started. "You don't know what a monster Konoha really is,"
"Naruto is going to be Hokage in that village," Sasuke growled out, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the way Itachi glared. He winked at him, and he saw Itachi stiffen in his chair. Slow learner.
"He is only going to be so that they can control the Kyuubi inside of him!" Obito barked right back. "I care for him too. That is why I sent you here! They'll kill the both of you and not give a damn about it!"
"And Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned, feeling Sharingan eyes boring into him. "What about your lover? What about you goddamn lover, Obito!?"
"He doesn't have to know!" Obito yelled. "Not yet...Not until it's time,"
"Cousin…" He heard Itachi warn as he got closer.
"Time for what?" Sasuke questioned, crawling closer on the bed as his hand gripped the chain attached to him. "What are you planning with my brother, cousin?" He questioned. "Does it involve me?" He gripped the chain tighter as he crawled closer.
"It does," Obito said back, no denial in his voice. "But you know that. I can see that ring on your hand." Sasuke glanced down at his hand to where the Akatsuki ring had been placed, and his breath hitched as his cousin gripped his chin to make him look up.
Sasuke was grinning ferally as he did, eyes red with the sharingan as he pounced. He wrapped the chain around Obito's neck, falling backwards onto the bed and taking him with him as he squeezed. He satisfied himself with choking the life out of him as he tried to get Chidori to light up his fingers, but couldn't manage to connect to his chakra.
"Enough!" Itachi growled, pulling them apart and dragging Sasuke back with him. "Brightness…" Itachi murmured in his ear, dragging him back and holding him as he struggled. "Obito. Leave."
Obito sat up in bed, rubbing his throat and looking accusingly at Itachi first, and then to the still struggling Sasuke in his arms. "What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing is wrong with me...traitorous scum!" Sasuke screamed at him, trying to connect to his chakra, trying to get out of the strong arms around him that had once more plotted with his enemy. "I'm going to tell them! They're going to leave you!" Itachi gripped his waist harder, one hand coming to his hair as he tugged to try to get him to calm down. "Then I'm going to kill you! I'm going to rip you into pieces...all over again!"
"Obito, he's not going to calm down, and I can't have him passing out again," Sasuke smirked to himself. Of course Itachi didn't want him to pass out. If he did he would wake up, and the imposter would be in his place. The imposter that really owned this body he had let his brother defile.
"He wants to keep me just the way I am," Sasuke said, laughing as he leaned into Itachi and kissed his cheek. "This version doesn't try to kill him...anymore."
"What the fuck is wrong with him, Itachi?" Obito questioned. "He's lost his damn mind!"
"He never really had it to begin with," Itachi assured. "Out. Now. I need him calm."
"Do you really think that's going to happen?" Obito asked. "With you?"
"He seems to like me a great deal more than you right now, cousin," Itachi assured him. "I can sick him on you again if you really want to play this game, though."
Sasuke began to struggle again at those words, Itachi's hands gripping him tighter to try to still the struggles. "That's what you do, isn't it? Play games...with Obito!"
"I wasn't asking!" Itachi finally shouted, and Sasuke glanced back to see his eyes had windmilled with the mangekyo. "I will make you leave if I have to." Sasuke felt wetness along his neck, and realized Itachi had ripped the stitches in his neck and the bandage was now soaked.
"If I find out you hurt him, I'll kill you," Obito warned. "That isn't a threat."
"I'm going to kill you, Obito," Sasuke warned him right back. "That isn't a threat, either." Obito's eyebrows knitted in pain at the words, but said nothing as he saw the look Itachi was giving him. He shook his head, turning and exiting the room. "Get your hands off me," Sasuke hissed, voice a deadly cold. To his surprise, Itachi immediately relented.
Sasuke spun to face Itachi, eyes narrowed in hate. "What are you plotting with our cousin, dear brother?"
"Don't look at me like that," Itachi replied, voice almost wounded as he seemed to realize what he had walked himself into. "This isn't the same as…" He actually stopped himself from saying it, as if he couldn't bring himself to say those words.
Sasuke could though.
"Since you plotted the murder of our clan with him, then had me raped, tortured, and stole my soul with him?" Sasuke questioned, the earlier anger gone only to be replaced by that seething rage that was normally the growl of the Kyuubi in his chest. But he didn't have the Kyuubi anymore.
"You told me you forgave me," Itachi reminded him, not admitting to any of the accusations, even though they both know how true they were.
"Didn't you hear?" Sasuke questioned with an eyebrow raise. "I'm certifiable. Ask Deidara and Sasori...They had to pick up the pieces that you left behind after I stabbed you," It felt like he had been stabbed in the gut at the reminder, pain etched across his very soul. "Something my other half clearly had no trouble following me in."
"Where is your other half?" Itachi questioned, pressing a hand to his bleeding neck as he wrapped it in new bandages.
"He likes to hide from his problems, too," the Uchiha informed him. "Funny how similar we are."
"You're not similar," Itachi argued, voice restrained as he clearly tried to keep Sasuke from once more losing his temper. "Not even a little bit."
"No," Sasuke agreed with that assumption. "We aren't. It's tragic." He stared down at his cuffed wrist, frowning at the bondage as he held up his wrist. "Take it off."
"Take it off yourself," Itachi shot right back with. "Even in your anger over Obito, I never felt a glimmer of your chakra."
His clever Aniki… "I can't access it. Guess it means it doesn't belong to me, doesn't it?" He questioned. "Just like this body I let you fuck and traumatize."
"Careful," Itachi growled, knowing exactly where Sasuke was heading with this. "I'm being very patient with you."
Sasuke glanced down at his cuffed wrist, holding it up for Itachi to see as he held his gaze. "Oh. Are you?" He turned his wrist, holding it towards his brother again. "Take it off," he demanded again, and dared Itachi to argue with him.
Itachi got closer to him, not saying a word as he observed his little brother. "Are you going to run if I take it off?" He hand swept across his cheek, cupping the back of his head and dragging him up onto his knees as he leaned in. "Can I kiss you?"
Sasuke's heart leapt in his chest, pushing his feelings down as he held his resolve after seeing Itachi once more with Obito. With the person who had ruined their lives. "You've never felt the need to ask permission." His eyes narrowed as he pushed him back with one palm. "Get his permission, and then you can kiss him."
His brother glared at him, grabbing him by the back of the thighs and hefting him up, lifting him into his arms and crashing their lips together. Sasuke felt electricity shoot down to his toes as his legs wrapped around Itachi's hips on instinct, even though he was angry, even though he hated him. But that's what this was really all about wasn't it? His body was trained. His soul was weak and in pieces...but for the moment still his.
Sasuke didn't kiss him back, letting Itachi knead their lips as the hands tightened around him in frustration. He finally pulled back, keeping him supported up on his hips as he kissed down his neck. "I'll kill him if you want me to...Obito was convenient in your upbringing. I don't need him now."
Itachi sounded almost desperate, needing him to agree to the offer. He needed him. Sasuke's breath hitched at that, legs tightening further around around his hips, heels pressing into his back as his hands fisted in long black tresses. "My upbringing...You mean the one you were supposed to be apart of?"
His Aniki held his gaze, coal black eyes focused on Sasuke's own. "Did you want me to raise you? That would have been sick. You know that." Itachi kissed him again, and Sasuke turned his face away to break the contact.
"You didn't need me," He murmured in reply, not letting go. He didn't think he'd ever be able to fully let Itachi go. "You were better."
"Stop it," Itachi snapped, throwing Sasuke down onto the bed as he glowered down at him. "We're not having this conversation. It wasn't you."
"No," Sasuke agreed. "I made you better. The ripped up one with scars changed the future and made you better...something you were never able to do in all your genius."
"I've praised you for it," Itachi argued, eyes now guarded and fists clenched at his sides.
"You always give me what I want," Sasuke agreed, leaning back on his elbows. "Always...and never." Regardless of how dead he felt inside, he still had to blink back the tears at this realization. "What was your plan with Obito?"
Itachi shook his head in frustration. "You know the plan, Otouto. You're not stupid."
He did know the plan. Obito had been sent to watch over him and Naruto. He was supposed to gain their trust, and then when Itachi was ready to enact the plan he was going to be the one to pull the pin to get things started. He had sent him to Itachi, knowing that eventually Naruto would follow. He would come to the middle of all of these Jinchuuriki and spring the trap.
"I always wondered why you refused to kill him...Why you kept him alive even after he fucked me," Sasuke mused. "I think I was too caught up in it to realize your end game then. What you were going to do if you had lived." Sasuke sat up then, playing with the manicle on his wrist, noticing the bracelet Itachi had given him was absent. "When you killed me you were going to have to put it somewhere, right? You were going to have to put all of them somewhere. Naruto was always the key."
He watched the emotions play out over Itachi's features. They were subtle, but then he knew his Aniki better than anyone. He could see the worry, followed by anger, followed by frustration. "I want you," He finally said, as if he couldn't think of anything else to say to cover the fact that Sasuke had spent 10 years inside his own head examining all of his brother's flaws. ...Finally able to see them when he wasn't consumed by his grief.
"I know," Sasuke agreed, because he did. Itachi wanted him. He had given up his life for him. Deep down in that sociopathic brain of his he was sure he loved him. He crawled back over to Itachi on the bed, sitting up once more on his knees as his palms slid up along his brother's stomach. "Conditioning will do wonders."
Itachi sighed and grabbed Sasuke's wrists to still his movements. "Conditioning?" He questioned, hands squeezing hard enough to get him to wince.
"I knew it was my sickness…" He told him, shaking his head sadly. "This thing between us...it's always been me." Itachi's eyes flooded with the sharingan, and he couldn't bring himself to fear that world in his mind. "You had to make me fall in love with you, right? You had to fuck me."
His brother actually laughed at that, but Sasuke held his resolve even in his surprise. "Are you joking?" Red eyes scanned his face. "Otouto...Of all things that might be questionable between the two of us, me wanting to put my dick in you is not one of them. I wasn't conditioned to fuck you because I needed to." He yanked him back close, cupping Sasuke's skull as he laid their foreheads together. "I've always wanted you."
"Always...and never," Sasuke repeated, though he was trembling slightly at their nearness. "I found you in every world and made you come to me." He kissed Itachi then, pulling back. "You didn't come for me here. You let your ambitions take over. Because I was never the most important thing to you." Not in their world, and certainly not in this one. "And you aren't the most important thing to him. He killed you without hesitation."
"I'm not dead," Itachi whispered against his lips, as if it were a secret he wasn't even sure of. As if it were something he regretted.
"No," Sasuke agreed. "But he would rather you were at the thought that you had touched him." Itachi flinched underneath his hands, and Sasuke saw regret flash through his eyes. "We were both conditioned. You to get my soul...and me because you needed it. I thought there's no way I could have changed the world and we wouldn't be together."
But they weren't. He was with Naruto. Itachi was ruling the world. They didn't need each other. There wasn't some all consuming compulsion to be together or the universe would implode. The truth of the matter was it had all been a lie. He had wrought Itachi's destruction upon their world based on a lie. Based on conditioning. He had ruined everything.
He didn't realize he was crying until a thumb swept across his cheek to wipe them away. "What's going on in that head of yours, Otouto?" He questioned, shaking his head. "Please don't do this," He grit his teeth, frustration clearly taking over. "You won't like the results."
"I belong in hell for what I did, Itachi," Sasuke replied. "Nothing you could ever do will ever match that knowledge."
Itachi growled, grabbing his wrist and pulling out a key to undo the manicule. "Get out," he snapped at him. "If you think I'm forcing you into being here, than go!" He grabbed him by the shirt, tossing him off the bed, and Sasuke grunted as he had to struggle to remain on his feet. "I won't let you do this. To pretend like what we have doesn't matter."
Sasuke righted himself along the wall, pushing up as he watched his brother warily. This was normally the point he instilled his most wicked lessons. "It would ruin your plans if I went back to him."
"If you went back to him, it would do a lot more to me than ruin my plans," Itachi assured him, pointing to the exit. "If you want to leave, there's the door." Itachi was angry, and more than that, he almost looked hurt. "I didn't know Sasuke!" He yelled at him. "I didn't…" He shook his head, and Sasuke realized how pale his brother had become. "It's never been about your body. I've fucked your clones before, Otouto...it never filled the void." He began to pace, and Sasuke felt his legs get unsteady beneath him as he had rarely ever seen his brother this upset. "I only ever wanted you. I fell in love with you."
No lessons then. Just the rarity of honesty.
Itachi had only ever told him he loved him a handful of times. Always in the most desperate of times. This wasn't any different. "I know," He managed, because he did know that Itachi loved him. He felt it when his soul was given back to him. "We had our chance though. It didn't work. I shouldn't come back here anymore."
"Selfless, really?" Itachi questioned him, mocking anger filling his tone. "You did this Sasuke!" He screamed at him, knocking his hand towards the lamp as it shattered against the wall. "You did this so we could be together! Not so that I could fuck your clone!" Itachi stalked over, shoving him hard against the wall. "Take some responsibility for your actions just one time!" He slammed his palm on the side of his head. "Why do you always make me do this? Why must you always be so stubborn?"
"It's the Uchiha way, I suppose," He said cheekily, even though his heart was pounding in fear as Itachi's eyes shifted. "Going to torture me, now?"
"Why would I ever need to torture you, Sasuke?" Itachi questioned. "You do quite enough of that yourself," He growled, beginning to drag him out of the room. Sasuke struggled, trying to fight against Itachi as he was pulled down the hallway. "You want a grand gesture? I've made those. I've proposed to you. I've died for you." Sasuke clawed at that powerful wrist as he knew where they were headed, and he couldn't tap into any of his chakra to fight back.
Itachi used his strength to drag him towards the cells, throwing him into one and slamming the door. "Perhaps it's time I gave you what you begged me for."
Sasuke glared, slamming himself up against the cell as they stared at each other through the bars. "Just because I'm in this cell again, Aniki, it doesn't mean I'm going to beg for your dick."
His brother grabbed both of his wrists through the bars, clasping the bracelet down on one of them. "We've played that game plenty of times. Not what I was referring to, though it is one of my favorites."
Sasuke stared at the bracelet in incredulity. "Are you crazy? You don't have the chakra to hold me here."
"Ah," Itachi breathed, still gripping his wrists tightly. "I don't, but like you said, that sycophant version of you likes to hide. He can stay in your head for as long as he wants for all I'm concerned. It doesn't strain me to hold back a coward." He kissed him through the bars, holding Sasuke tight as the other tried to pull away. "But a little insurance never hurt anyone," He pulled back, flicking Sasuke's forehead. "Be happy it's not the diadem."
Sasuke reached up at the familiar gesture, squirming as desire went through him even with his anger. Itachi saw the action, giving him a smirk. "What are you going to do, Itachi?"
"What I should have done back then when that cretin touched you," Itachi replied, feral grin stretched across his lips as dread filled Sasuke's gut. "I'm going to go into Konoha and grab Naruto myself...and then I'm going to kill him." His grin widened as his eyes sparkled with madness. "Don't eat too many rats while I'm gone, Otouto." He teased, winking as he let go of him and walked out the door even as Sasuke was screaming at him to come back.
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