A/N: Heya! By golly... it's finally Christmas break! Cripes! I'm dead exhausted from this term AND I'M NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH IT! This sucks so much! I even have to do some work over the break. :p Well, hopefully I get to move on significantly with this series during the break. Who knows when I'll be able to update again once school resumes. (oh the woes of a premed student!) It's a milestone chapter everyone! It's a chappie that's actually significant for the series. :D So far, I think there's only been two or three milestone chapters (including this one)? Brace yourselves guys. This chap ain't pretty.

To Fernis: No problem ^_^ Glad I could clarify things for you :D

Potato: Thank you for the kind words! Yup! This is gonna be long one. Haha! That's what happens when you've been harboring a plot for years. It tends to grow out of proportions. Ahehe. I'm glad you're liking this so far!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone's support! You're all such beautiful people!

NOTE: I want to know what you think of this chapter. This has very minimal dialogue in it so I'd like to ask how everyone thought about it. Was it too wordy and boring? Was it fine? Etc. That way I know if it's okay to be using this method of writing. If you could let me know, that would be greatly greatly appreciated. :D Thanks!

*Totsuka – I got this name from the sword the god Susanoo-no-Mikoto was using. Itachi 's Susanoo apparently wielded this sword as well. (Source: Narutopedia) For this stpry, it's supposed to be Mikoto's maiden name (just to make it clear). :D

WARNING: There will be some unpleasant things going on here; namely death by own hands. If this makes you uncomfortable, please do skip this chapter.

*DISCLAIMER APPLIES*

BEFORE THE WORST

90

Surreal.

If there was any one way to describe Sasuke's perception about the whole situation, that would be the perfect adjective.

It was all so surreal.

The boy stood dumbfounded and dazed as his perturbed mind refused to accept the undeniable truth. Despite the masses of people that surrounded the poor child (because at this moment, that was what he was: a helpless child), he had never felt so abandoned before. The very thought of the feeling was enough to leave him almost breathless. A string of torturous unanswered questions whirled inside his brain like a rampaging tornado. Why was this happening to him? Was there something he had done wrong to deserve such a punishment? Was this his fate? To be lonesome and hurting? To be betrayed? And more importantly ...

Why did he do what he did?

The heavens thundered overhead congruently with the new wave of emotion that consumed him. It burnt his very soul with the stifling desire to commit a romantic act of vengeance.

Anger.

Never in his years had he ever felt the full extent of such a potent force of hatred. The power of such a dreadful emotion coupled with the devastating sadness was almost enough to make him lose his mind. The mixture of human sentiments brought the most unpleasant coil in his stomach. Despite the inner turmoil he was experiencing, he kept his face devoid of any hint of emotion; not even a single twitch of the mouth or a squint of an eye to announce that he was in anguish. The grey sky began to shed its own set of mourning tears over the ashen crowd on the sombre piece of land. The light pitter-patter of the rain against several umbrellas was the physical manifestation of the sorrowful aura of the boy. The sound of sniffling women he barely recognized roamed the vicinity. Whispers of unconcealed sympathy of various men tickled the raven-haired child's ears; yet he heard none of it all. As of this moment, he was only ever minding one of his five human senses. The sight of it... Just the mere sight of what the boy was beholding had him almost tittering over the edge of sanity

Two adult-sized coffins were slowly being lowered to the ground in a most respectable manner. A few young children he'd never seen before showered a multitude of flowers - a display of the colourful spectacle of chrysanthemums and the vivid shade of sweet peas -as a final farewell to two significant persons in the young Uchiha's life.

Sasuke's parents were gone.

They were gone and they weren't coming back.

He refused to let the idea sink in; but refusing the notion didn't make the cold hard fact any less true. He let himself stand in the rain, hoping that the droplets could wash away the heavy feeling in his chest. He released a small snarl as the image of the person responsible for his parents' death came to him. This was his fault. That demon was a traitor that deserved to rot in hell for all eternity. As he wrestled with the chaos within himself he felt a presence approach him from behind. Not too soon after, the feel of the raindrops against his skin was no more.

"Sasuke, you'll catch a cold." The man's tone was weary and strained. There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that Kakashi was feeling the same emotional exhaustion as the lad. Hn. But weren't they all? No words were uttered by the Uchiha; just silence. The thirteen-year old teen let himself fall into the recesses of his brain where flurries of wonderful memories enveloped him with warmth. Memories of his mother fondly playing with him and a certain blond friend of his at the local park. She would have this soft expression of unbridled content that made her look infinitely more beautiful than she already was. The boy reminisced about his father and the man's strict yet loving demeanour. Sasuke admired his father like the moon worshiped the burning glow of the sun. The boy could only dream to be as successful as his father someday. As he relived scene after scene after scene of memories, he valiantly tried to keep his sadness at bay. He would not cry. He would not show weakness. He would prove to his parents that he was strong enough to get back at the bastard who did this. Under the drenching April rain, Sasuke swore to himself and to his deceased parents.

He'd get back at Uchiha Itachi for his crimes.

llllllllllllllllllll

Itachi was the first born son of the mogul Uchiha Fugaku and the sinfully elegant Uchiha Mikoto née Totsuka. Like any normal parents, having their first child was one of the happiest moments in the new parents' life. The child was so adorable and delicate; to them, nothing could be more wonderful than their son. Itachi, the physical testament of their love, was the very definition of perfection in their eyes.

Years passed and the two noticed how Itachi appeared to be far too, shall we say, mentally developed for his age. He was able to utter his first word when all the other babies his age were still crying, garbling messes. He was able to recognize sounds, shapes, and smells way before any normal child. These of course were not amiss to Fugaku and Mikoto. They knew their child was a prodigy – a genius of sorts. They couldn't be any prouder.

At the age of four, the young couple enrolled their son to Konohagakure's preschool. Konoha was a recognized institution known for its exceptional curriculum and well-rounded students. The campus was awe-inducing and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Itachi deserved no less. Not a few weeks into school, the parents were informed of Itachi's general excellence. There was undoubtedly no surprise on the Uchihas' part. In fact, they assumed the school would have recognized their son's talent sooner. Suffice to say that Itachi was the school's rising star.

A year later, a new child was added to the Uchihas' family; another stunningly delightful baby boy. The sleeping babe's face was cherubic and indescribably endearing. He looked so much like his mother. Mikoto and Fugaku fell in love with their second son immediately. Itachi, believe or not, more so than his parents did. The newly pronounced older brother looked on at the infant with utmost pride and total affection. He swore to take care of his little brother to the best of his capabilities. Thus, their happy family was complete as they settled on the baby's name: Uchiha Sasuke.

Itachi was nine years old when he was sent abroad to study at one of the most prestigious educational institution in the world: The Akatsuki. Now, getting in the acclaimed school was no easy task. Students from all over could only even wish to acquire an entrance examination into Akatsuki. This school was, by no means, just for anyone. Students were only able to have an invitation to take the entrance test under the recommendation of the school of origin. Even if a person did manage to get a recommendation, The Akatsuki still had to conduct a very thorough screening process. Grades were checked, school involvement was taken into consideration, extracurricular activities were a definite part of the checklist; the list of criteria went on.

Naturally, Itachi was recommended by Konoha, sent an invitation to take the Akatsuki entrance exam, and consequently passed the test with flying colours. Without even having second thoughts, Fugaku immediately responded to Akatsuki's acceptance letter. Mikoto, being the mother, was more inclined to keeping her little boy at home; however, even she knew the benefits of being able to graduate at the renowned institution and so, with a slightly heavy heart, she agreed. Sasuke, who greatly idolized his big brother, was deeply saddened about the fact that Itachi would only be back every Christmas break and for only a few weeks during the summer. Sasuke thought the world of Itachi and for his big brother to be away was truly displeasing him. The day Itachi was sent abroad was a bittersweet occasion at the Uchiha household.

Every report sent to the Uchiha couple only had praises for their eldest son. What's more, Sasuke was doing superbly at Konoha as well. It looked like Fugaku and Mikoto had another Itachi on their plate. The time came when Fugaku had had a most brilliant idea. Maybe they could get Sasuke to apply into Akatsuki as well. Mikoto would have none of it and flat-out said no. It was hard enough for her to miss one of her kids. No way would she go through having both of her babies far away from home. It was a bit selfish of her, she knew, but what was the point of being a mother when her children weren't physically around for her to love, to spoil, to adore? Besides, Konoha was an outstanding school! Sasuke would be just fine staying put. Unfortunately for Fugaku, Mikoto's words were the law. There was no bending the woman's will. If the man did attempt to sway her otherwise, he was at risk of sleeping on the couch for an indefinite amount of time.

He much rather liked his bed, thank you very much.

And as the years came and went, the Uchiha brothers grew with such finesse and refined breeding. Itachi growth was beyond Fugaku's expectations. It was only a matter of time before Sasuke followed in his brother's footsteps. Soon, the eldest Uchiha had started to show interest in his father's dealings. Fugaku was by all means overjoyed by the news.

One Christmas, when Itachi was sixteen, he'd asked his father if he could possibly work at Amaterasu in preparation for an upcoming on the job experience activity. The OJE was a major a requirement in school to prepare the students for the 'real' world (or so Akatsuki liked to call it). OJEs were done for one term and, if the student wished, could extend until just before he or she graduated high school for extra credit. Fugaku thought it was a great idea since his boys were to inherit Amaterasu in the not too distant future. Once father and son were at an agreement, Itachi began to partake in the workload of the company whether he was in school or back at home with his family; a Fugaku-in-training so to speak.

What seemed to be a fantastic idea turned out to be a masked disaster waiting to happen.

After Itachi's first year of outstanding work, the teen began to use underhanded methods without anyone's knowledge. Using the information he had access to, he had little chats with his father's business networks. In a matter of months, the company's support system from small businesses nationwide was wavering. The business owners were pulling away from Amaterasu. The company was going down, and it was going down swinging at an accelerated rate. If Fugaku didn't solve the anomaly soon ... The man couldn't even imagine what was to become of him and his family's lives.

Try as he might, all his attempts to stop the downward slope his corporation was going through was all for naught. How could he resolve the problem when he didn't even know what was causing the crisis to begin with? He refused to let his family know of the troubles he was facing and carried on like nothing was wrong. His family would not be involved with his burdens; Fugaku made sure of that. He perfectly masked his depression behind his perfect Uchiha facade. However, someone could only go so long before breaking down. Almost another year passed when depression, anxiety, loss of hope, and a series of morose emotions swirled within him until he could take no more. One fine day while Mikoto was out for leisure, while Itachi was abroad, while Sasuke was hanging out at his best friend's home, Fugaku managed to find himself a noose...

Fortunately (unfortunately), Mikoto was first to arrive home, saving their youngest son from the horror of seeing something so dreadfully traumatizing.

Itachi had been properly informed via a call from the police. Sasuke was forbidden to go home that day. Instead, he stayed with his best friend and his best friend's godfather that night. Kakashi was quick to the scene to pacify the young Uchiha's anxiety. Although, much to the silver-haired teacher's chagrin, he was informed a day later that he was to be in charge of informing Sasuke on the sad turn of events. Mikoto had been too heartbroken to even utter a single sound; had been too devastated to even move. So now it was Kakashi's duty to break it to his youngest ward, making sure that he was extra careful with delivering the news. Sasuke locked himself in Naruto's room that day and outright refused to come out. He wanted his mother; he wanted his big brother. Both were nowhere to be found.

Sadly, it didn't end for Sasuke there.

Four days later after Fugaku's death, Mikoto thought it wise to follow in her husband's footsteps. She had lied to everyone when she said she would be fine. How could she be fine?! The love of her life was gone and she wasn't sure she could bounce up from the tragedy of it. She began to blame herself; maybe Fugaku had done what he did because she was inadequate as a wife. If she was an inadequate wife, she probably was an incompetent mother as well. Useless. That was what she was. She let those thoughts consume her; and when it was just too much for her to handle... It was a good thing Sasuke was still at Naruto's home. The baby Uchiha was spared from seeing his mother down on the tiled bathroom floor and drowned in her own blood. Kakashi, however, was not.

The teacher thought it a good idea to see how the recently widowed mother was faring a day later. The sight of the once radiant woman pallid from the loss of blood would haunt Kakashi until his time came to an end. The man couldn't even bear the thought of having to tell Sasuke about his mother when the boy hadn't even recovered from the loss of his father; but notifying him was an unfortunate necessity. After the authorities arrived, Kakashi was taken to the station. There he asked for the men in uniform to have Sasuke escorted to him. The child arrived half an hour later with Jiraiya and Naruto in tow.

"Your mother is with your father now."

Hopefully Kakashi chose the right words to lessen the blow. Lessen the blow? Who was he kidding? Nothing in this world could ever soften the hit of despair that was sent Sasuke's way. That was the very first time Naruto had seen Sasuke howl in absolute anguish. She never wanted to see Sasuke in that state ever again.

Through all these, Itachi never came back home.

The week of his parents' wake was one gigantic blur to Sasuke. Hordes of people would come and whisper their condolences. They'd talk about him in hushed tones like the insensitive mongrels they were. In spite of all these, Sasuke remained out of tune with the world. His mind had completely shut down and it was as if he was a walking corpse. He was officially put under Kakashi's care since the authorities had been unable to get in touch with his older brother. Itachi should have been there for Sasuke to sympathize with him and to care for him. Hell, he should have been there since their mother and father had just passed away! This was Itachi's obligation as a son and as a brother! So where the fuck was he?! Kakashi was mentally screaming.

On the last day of the wake, both Kakashi and Sasuke were quietly informed that Itachi had completely bypassed even the very idea of visiting the deceased couple. The eighteen-year-old Uchiha was apparently in touch with the family lawyer all this time. Now, Itachi was in control of Amaterasu and was planning to operate at the very distant Suna branch. What's more, there were already some rumours of the return of the small business networks since Amaterasu would be under new management. Something snapped in Sasuke and he was sent into a barrelling rage. Kakashi understood the boy's anger. The guardian and his ward knew: Itachi had caused this.

The boy gritted his teeth as an image of his traitor of a brother (no, they weren't brothers any more) filled his head. Sasuke would make Itachi pay dearly.

llllllllllllllllllll

"Sasuke..." Her voice sounded like chiming bells amidst the cacophony of weeping. Suddenly, he felt like his rage and grief weren't as suffocating as it had been a few seconds ago. The young teen turned around and faced her. Kakashi was silently thankful that his ward had finally responded to someone.

"Hey, champ." Jiraiya greeted Sasuke carefully. The boy was at a sensitive point in his life. The usual obnoxious hello would just make the young Uchiha feel off. However, as expected, Sasuke failed to regard Naruto's godfather; rather, he opted to stare with gloomy eyes at the blonde. The look had Naruto approaching her best friend in an instant. She gave him a most sincere embrace that was meant to comfort. The Uchiha remained motionless as he let himself bask in Naruto's presence.

No words were exchanged. There was only a mutual understanding.

Sasuke sighed before burying his head at the junction of Naruto's neck and shoulder. Just as the casket was finally completely lowered to the ground, Sasuke let himself silently cry. He would never let his weakness show, not even to the blonde that was currently hugging him. Naruto continued to hold on to Sasuke, thinking that the boy's tears were just drops of rain from her wet yellow locks. She, however, let herself cry over the loss. Naruto loved Mikoto to a fault. She saw the woman as the mother she was deprived of. Were the fates so cruel as to take another mother away from her?

Bad Luck

It was those words again. Those two words were drowning her. Sometimes... sometimes she believed those words to be true.

The funeral was then being put to a conclusion. A few moments later the service ended and everyone left soon after. Kakashi and Jiraiya stood not too far away from the two kids. Naruto waited for Sasuke as the lad stood shell-shocked at the foot of his parents' resting ground.

No words, just mutual understanding.

Now was not the time to be pitying herself. Naruto understood that Sasuke needed her the most at this time of sorrow. She needed to be with him to comfort him. It was her responsibility to help him recover from this. Naruto needed to be strong for the both of them for now. Sasuke needed Naruto.

No words, just mutual understanding.

Sasuke, however, questioned if he really did need someone's pity.

No words... and no mutual understanding.

Sasuke needed revenge and someday he'd have it.

Naruto took this opportunity to firmly hold Sasuke's hand. This caused Sasuke to internally sigh. He wasn't good enough to outdo Itachi yet. Not yet. He'd have his revenge someday but for now he just needed to rest.

For now, he'd let Naruto comfort him.

But only for now.