Chapter 11: The Last of the Uchiha
"Finally," Itachi begain, "we can finish this fight."
"It will end in your demise." Sasuke snarled.
Itachi's face was impassive. "Doubtful." He uttered in his monotone voice.
The two brothers stared at each other for quite some time. Sasuke's face was full of hatred. He was in his open white shirt with the purple rope around his waist, which held his katana. His jet black hair in its natural spike formation. Itachi was in his standard Akatsuki robe. The ring on his right index finger gleamed in the sunlight. Both his and Sasuke's Sharingans were armed and ready.
"Just to clarify," Itachi said, " I never hated you Sasuke." Sasuke was taken aback. "In fact, I only wished that we could be more like brothers. But I know that that is impossible now." Sasuke was shocked at what heartless brother had told him. The same man that wiped out his entire clan including his mother and father, was now wishing they were closer. With that, he bowed to his brother, and launched forward.
Kakashi's eye widened in horror. So much chakra he said to himself. "We have to move faster!" he ordered. The two jounins behind him nodded and started to pick up the pace. God let me make it in time, Kakashi thought to himself remembering the last time he rushed to the Valley. If we don't then he will surely die.
Sasuke's katana crossed with Itachi's kunai. Itachi looked impassive, and Sasuke kept a stoic demeanor, though it was tinted with anger. They broke apart and stood at opposite ends. Sasuke performed a few seals and put his hand to his lips. "Grand Fireball Jutsu!" He called. He blew through his hand and a huge fireball went straight for the Akatsuki elite. Itachi jumped out of the way in time and ended up behind Sasuke. Sasuke, anticipating the move, spun around with a chidori charged and aimed for his heart. Itachi caught his arm by the wrist and held it there. He looked into his brother's eyes. "Tsukuyomi!" He said. Sasuke was in an illusionary world, watching his parents die in front of him.
"Hmph." He said. Itachi looked confused. The scene changed to Itachi tied up to a log. Sasuke took his katana and drove it through his abdomen several times.
"How?" Itachi said through groans of pain.
"I told you that I would be stronger brother." Sasuke said with a sly tone to his voice. Itachi forced the genjutsu off of him and snapped back to reality. His steps faltered slightly before he got back up. "And now you die." Sasuke said. He charged a rasengan and used his sharingan to teleport next to Itachi. He thrusted it into Itachi's side. Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched the rasengan be halted by a chidori.
"You copied it?" he asked bewildered.
"Kakashi isn't the only one who can copy moves." He pumped more chakra through and the chidori exploded causing Sasuke to fly back. He landed on his feet and stared at his impassive brother. "You've become sharper, Sasuke. I'll give you that," He turned to face his brother, the mangekyo sharingan activated, "but you're still too weak. Amaterasu!" A jet of black light shot towards Sasuke. He was struck full on by the light and disintegrated. "Kawarimi no jutsu? Tch." Itachi said looking around trying to find Sasuke. A hand came out from underneath him. "Decapitation?" Itachi said out loud.
"Chidori Discharge!" Sasuke calle from under the ground. The chidori shot through Sasuke's arm through Itachi's body. He fell onto the ground, his body still. Sasuke came up and stared down at his brother's body. "And so you die."
"And so do you." Itachi's voice came from behind. A chidori thrusted through Sasuke's body. Itachi's other hand grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and started to drain chakra from him. Can't…recover…not enough…chakra. Sasuke said to himself. He felt as if the energy was being taken from his body. He thought fast. His eye widened.
"Kuchiyosen no jutsu!" A snake emerged from his robes and bit into Itachi's arm. Itachi let go and ripped his arm from his brother's body. The Snake's venom poured through Itachi's veins. It let go and poofed away. Sasuke fell onto his knees, panting for air. I have to use it now. Sasuke thought to himself. He went into second stage and focused the chakra in his right hand. The rasenshuriken formed with its white light blinding Itachi's eyes. Sasuke faltered. Not enough chakra he said to himself. He went into his monster stage, the chakra now flowing through him. His anger and rage was visible on his face. Itachi couldn't see, nor could he move. The venom paralyzed his movements. He looked into Sasuke's sharingan eyes. I've won Sasuke said to himself with a smirk.
"Amaterasu!" Itachi yelled. Another set of jet black light flew from his eyes. This time, Sasuke was ready and immediately dodged it with ease. Damn, Itachi thought, out of chakra.
"Goodbye brother." Sasuke said. He raised his arm and thrusted. "Fuuto! Rasenshuriken!" The shuriken made of chakra tore through itachi's body. The Chakra swan through his systems, destroying every cell in its path. It was the perfect assassination technique, even better than the chidori. Sasuke grit his teeth as he watched his brother die without making a sound.
Shit! Kakashi thought feeling the explosion of chakra hit him like a ton of bricks. They arrived three mintes later to find Itachi dead on the floor. His body was mangeled and a huge hole right through where his heart should have been. Sasuke was on the ground in normal found, blood pouring from the chidori wound. Sakura ran to his side and began to perform healing jutsu. Naruto also ran forward and summoned Kyuubi's power to help heal Sasuke. The wound closed up, but Sasuke wasn't responding. Kakashi walked over to Sasuke's body and knealt down. He performed a series of complex seals and thrusted his hand on Sasuke's heart. "Hah!" He yelled and a pulse of chakra ran through Sasuke's body. His heart jolted and then slowly started to beat again. Sakura's eyes became filled with tears of joy as she embraced her old teammate. Naruto gave a huge sigh of relied. Kakashi turned to Itachi's body and stared with wide eyes. Sasuke did that? The body had a hole that penetrated where the heart should have been. It was still burning with chakra. His skin had turned to a brownish tint, indicating internal chakra burns. His sharingan eyes still ablaze, but lifeless. It was a horrible way to die. He didn't die on contact, Kakashi thought, Sasuke made sure that he suffered before he destroyed his heart. Kakashi looked at his wounded former student. You unleashed your fury on the one man you vowed to kill. Now what will you do Sasuke?
Tsunade arrived moments later with a team of medics. They began full recovery on Sasuke. Sakura was drained of chakra before she or Naruto could even finish half of the job. "He's stable now," Tsunade said calmly, "What of Itachi?" Kakashi motioned with his head to the body. Tsunade grimaced at the horrific sight. " He has fulfilled his dream. What more can one ask for?"
"Sakura….." Sasuke managed to breathe out. The pink haired kunoichi knealt down next to him.
"What is it Sasuke-kun?"
"I…" He tried to say it but the words wouldn't escape his lips. "I…Love…you." He passed out from the fatigue. Sakura stood there shocked. He loves me, she thought to herself, He finally loves me. She felt a warm sensation through her body. She felt happy like she was when she was 12. Then it all came crashing down. But he's too late. I love Kakashi now. The reality of the dilemma hit Sakura like one of Tsunade's punches.
"Sakura." Kakashi called.
"Huh? Yes sensei?"
"You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied.
Kakashi saw right through it, but played along as to not attract attention. "Ok." The team headed back to Konoha in single file formation. Kakashi was glanicing at Sakura every so often noticing the worry on her face. What's bugging her so much? He asked himself. Naruto looked stoic whenever he looked at his injured friend. You've accomplished your dream Sasuke. He said to himself, Now it's time for me to accomplish mine. Tsunade led the group back through the gates of Konoha to the hospital. Kakashi and Sakura sat in the waiting room while Naruto went to get some ramen from the hospital cafteria. They both sat silently. Kakashi was reading his porn while Sakura sat there silent with the same expression on her face.
"Spill it Sakura," Kakashi suddenly said, "I can tell that something is bothering you."
Sakura looked down at her knees. "It's Sasuke," She began, "he said something to me that made me feel…awkward." Kakashi looked down from his book to his lover.
"What did he say?" He asked softly.
Sakura hesitated. "He said," she paused, "He said-"
"Ramen Ramen Ramen!" Naruto said happily walking into the waiting room with a bowl of pork ramen.
"Naruto!!!!!!!" Sakura screamed. Naruto stopped walking.
"What?" He asked. Sakura sighed and got up to go to the bathroom. Kakashi looked after her with worried eyes. Naruto sat down next to his ex-sensei.
"How's Sasuke doing?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto put down his bowl. "He's coming along, but he has some severe damage to his abdomen. He had a chidori run right through it. And after your rasenshuriken attack, I'm surprised he's even alive."
Kakashi looked out the window. "Sasuke's a strong guy. He wouldn't have let himself die until Itachi was dead. I'm only wondering what's keeping him alive right now?"
"Maybe it's somebody else." Naruto suggested.
"Another man on his hit list? Nah can't be."
"No I don't mean a foe. I mean a friend."
Kakashi thought about it for a minute. A friend eh? Not that bad of an idea. Maybe this friend is special to him? Maybe so special as to- His mind came to a screeching halt. 'He said something that made me feel…awkward.' The conversation was running through Kakashi's mind. Oh shit. Sasuke's in love with Sakura. Cold sweat rolled down his temples. And she's considering it. Kakashi clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles popped one by one.
"Kakashi sensei?" He asked. Kakashi stood up and walked towards the bathrooms. He opened up the girls bathroom and saw Sakura looking in the mirror. She looked at him and then screamed.
"Kakashi!" She screamed.
"Do you love him?" Kakashi demanded.
"What?"
"Don't play games with me Sakura. Do you love him?"
"Love who Kakashi?"
"Sasuke! Do you love Uchiha Sasuke?" Sakura paused and looked down at her feet.
"I don't know." Kakashi's eyebrow curved in anger.
"What do you mean you don't know?" He yelled. Sakura flinched at the volume of his voice. "Are you going to drop what we have to be with the boy who broke your heart 5 years ago?"
Sakura began to cry. She didn't know what to say to him. I love you Kakashi, but I don't know how to tell Sasuke that I can't love him anymore. He's been through so much. How can I even begin to tell him that we're together?
Kakashi read her thoughts easily and his gaze softened. He walked over to Sakura and hugged her. She hugged him back and held on tightly. I'm sorry Sakura. He said to her through his sharingan. Sakura's eyes went wide. Then she realized how he did it and she buried her face in his shoulder. "We'll pull through this together." He said back to her. The two walked out of the bathroom only to be confronted by Tsunade.
"Kakashi what the fuck were you doing in the women's bathroom?!?!"
Sakura's mind was racing with excuses. She came across the most basic one. She punched Kakashi in the head. "Pervert!! You were so busy reading Icha Icha that you walked into the wrong bathroom! And you didn't leave instantly!"
Kakashi was taken aback. He put his hand behind his head sheepishly. "Sorry. Your bathrooms are so much better than ours." Tsunade rolled her eyes and walked away. "Baka…" She said under her breath.
Kakashi sighed with relief. "Thanks babe." He said to Sakura.