So this is about the number of chapters I aimed for. This may or may not be one of the last ones. I might reach 10 chapters...

Itachi was sitting on the large boulder in the pre-determined meeting area. He sat there, eyes closed meditating, trying his best to not think about the task ahead of him.

If he didn't think too hard about what he was about to do, (And if he imagined the Uchiha as objects rather than living and breathing people), he'd be able to finish the mission and prevent a panic attack.

"Itachi Uchiha?" A voice asked from behind him. Itachi opened his eyes to reveal the Mangekyou, burning bright red and black into the twilight of the forest.

"Good, you held up your end of the bargain. I'm glad to see that. Especially because most people are too weak to handle murder." Madara spoke from behind him. Itachi stood up on the rock, then jumped down next to him.

"Let's get this over with." Itachi said stiffly.

"My, my, how cold!" Madara chuckled. "Why on earth are you so rude? Especially to your great-great-great-"

"Be quiet, and let's finish this." Itachi interrupted, and began to walk to a closer range to the Uchiha district.

"You know," Madara said in a quieter voice, that was almost sympathetic-sounding. "You don't have to go through with this."

"Yes, I do. And you're going to help me. Just as we agreed you would." Itachi replied.

Madara was silent as he contemplated the younger Uchiha. He had so much wasted potential...This boy could have changed so much. He seemed to be so bright and full of life before.

Similar to how "Madara's" childhood was.

The older Uchiha closed his eyes tightly, to try to block out the repressed memories. Now was not the time to reflect upon the past. Especially if the past was no longer relevant to the present. There was no reason to dwell on these things. He couldn't change anything.

He'd never get her back...

They'd walked for a few more minutes before nearing the district. There were two sentry guards on duty, same as always.

Itachi then closed his eyes, opening them a moment later, a certain light missing from his eyes.

That was when it began. The massacre that would lead to events that would be irreversible.

Madara began at one end, while Itachi began at the other. Slowly, they made their way through their assigned part of the district. Itachi would kill the people as quick as possible so they wouldn't call for help, and so he wouldn't have to hear their screams. So he wouldn't have to see the betrayal in their dark eyes. The worst part was the killing of the people in the street. They'd see their comrades being killed, and attempt to fight back. Itachi would then have to kill them, regardless of whether they died quickly or slowly.

Madara, meanwhile, was taking some Sharingan for his own to use and experiment. Itachi knew nothing of this. If he did, he might've not ever made the deal with Madara in the first place.

In Itachi's side of the district, he had climbed into the upper windows of one of the houses, and slowly crept down the stairs where the sounds of glasses and plates and muted speaking could be heard. There was probably 4 people. Mother, father, and two daughters, judging from the breathing and the quiet voices speaking.

He stood around the corner of the kitchen, then taking a breath stepped from the wall and into the kitchen.

Immediately, the man sitting there jumped up, his Sharingan spinning to life. Itachi gave him no time to speak, and cut him down the middle, his sword getting caught on the man's head.

This gave the woman, the first daughter and the other girl to stand up and move away from Itachi. He managed to pull the sword out of the man, the hand of the man tearing through the sliding doors, and threw two ninja stars hitting the first daughter and the woman in between the eyes.

All before any of them could utter a sound.

He was about to reach for another, but discovered that his tools had all been used and were gone. So he stood up, and began to walk towards the girl who'd fallen to her knees over the fallen forms of her mother and sister.

"No, they- Mother!" The girl finally found her voice, and held the woman's head between her hands. Itachi swallowed, and raised his sword for the final blow.

"How could you do this?!" She yelled, and looked up at Itachi through her tear and blood-stained face. With a shock, Itachi realized that he recognized the girl. It was Kei, the girl he'd walked home after knocking her over.

"I have to do this." Itachi muttered, attempting to reassure himself, rather than the girl sitting on the ground surrounded by her dead family.

"But why? Why did you-?" Kei choked back a sob.

Itachi grit his teeth, and began to raise the sword once again. "I'm sorry, Kei. This is for the village."

"Itachi, why would you-?!" Suddenly, Kei became silent as Itachi stabbed her through her neck, to make her death as quick and as painless as possible. He heard a gurgle from her as she fought death, and whispered a question that would haunt him for the rest of his life, and follow him until he died.

"Why...?"

Itachi wiped off his bloodied sword on the tablecloth, and exited the house, not looking back.

He'd never be able to live with himself if he did.

Walking through the road, past the bodies, and towards the last place he had yet to kill.

His house. Where his mother and father were probably having dinner without him and their son, Sasuke, who seemed to be running late from school.

Silently entering the large house, Itachi slipped through the familiar hallways, his heart pounding so erratically, so loudly, he was sure his parents would hear it from a mile away.

Nearing the kitchen, he took note of how the dishes were still not washed, and how the lights in the house were off. He couldn't hear anything from any of the rooms.

They must've known what he was going to do...

Itachi allowed chakra to flow to his ears, and listened closely for any unusual noise.

He could hear the sound of gentle, yet labored sounding breaths from his parents' bedroom. Not only that, he could sense the sporadic way their chakra flowed, which betrayed that their fear.

Hands shaking, he performed the hand seals, and appeared in his parents' bedroom. Before him, they stood silently, sad smiles etched on their worn and tired faces.

"Mother, Father-"

"We'll try to make this easier for you." Fugaku interrupted, and knelt on the ground, staring past his son and into the dark night.

"I- I'm so sorry. I-" Itachi closed his mouth, feeling bile rise up in his throat. What kind of sick person murdered their parents for their village?

"It's okay Itachi." Mikoto said, and knelt next to her husband. "Stand behind us." She ordered.

Itachi complied, and took small steps and stood behind his parents.

"Mother, Father...I'm so...so sorry." Itachi said, as his shaky hands slowly pulled out his katana.

"Itachi, before you do this, we need to let you know something." Mikoto said, her soft voice echoing slightly through the deathly quiet room.

"We are proud of you. Everything you've done, we've- we've always loved you." Mikoto's voice broke, and a stray tear rolled down her pale cheek for the last time.

"Mother-"

"Son, you are strong." Fugaku interrupted. "Even if we...if I never told you, I just thought you should know...I love you, Itachi. You are my son. My brave, brave son."

Itachi blinked away the tears. The sword tip was resting on the wood floor, shaking from Itachi's hands. He was completely a mess.

"Itachi, you are an Uchiha. We know you can do this. For us, for the village...and for your brother."

Itachi inhaled a sharp, soul-wrenching sob. Grabbing the sword with both hands, he tried to stop the shaking, and tried to see through the tears falling from eyes.

"Don't worry about us. We understand, and we will always love you, no matter what you have to do. If this is how peace can be brought...then let it happen."

"You are truly a gentle child..."

Itachi closed his eyes. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do it-

"Breathe, Itachi." Mikoto said.

So Itachi listened to his mother, and took a deep breath. Then opened his eyes to look at his parents, alive and well, for the last time.

Then he finished the mission assigned to him. He assassinated the remaining two adults Uchiha clan.

He closed his eyes, the tears making their way from his eyes, to the floorboards. He took another deep breath, as an attempt to calm his frayed nerves and shattered heart.

He then did the common ANBU teleportation hand seals, and disappeared from their room and his house for the last time, in his and Madara's meeting spot.

"Why, hello Itachi-san. I believe I upheld my end of the bargain," He said, twirling a kunai on his hand. Itachi sickeningly recognized it as a specially made kunai from the Uchiha's personal blacksmith, Jiro. He had always been polite to Itachi and Sasuke, and treated them as normal people, rather than the heirs to the Uchiha clan legacy.

"You can leave now." Itachi said, no emotion in his voice. If he let his emotions run wild, he wouldn't be able to even stand without the guilt and the pain tearing at him.

Madara chuckled darkly, then performed his odd technique of disappearing into thin air. Itachi activated his Sharingan as he used the jutsu.

Itachi immediately became suspicious. He just disappeared like that. A different dimension perhaps...?

Then he realized that it was the Mangekyou, same as him. However, it was more mature than his own. It enabled Madara to teleport to anywhere.

Suddenly, Itachi a felt a familiar chakra signature hit him like a wall. With a sinking feeling, he realized that he hadn't completely finished the mission.

Sasuke was still alive.

Chapters are shorter, but everything is much more intense. I hope this wasn't too rushed. I tried to incorporate as much emotion and feels into this as I could. Hope I killed your heart! :) Sorry.