--------------
Ch. 14 Chibi Revelations
"I fear my eldest son, Itachi, has learned of our tradition. His chakra was not found in my study, yet lately he has been distancing himself from the family, even to a point of avoiding his best friend and cousin. I have spoken to all I can find, and no one knows what might have caused such a change. Yet, he looks at me differently now, and lately if I mention Sasuke's potential, I have a feeling of dread, as though I have crossed a line I shouldn't have around him. Sasuke still idolizes his brother. I intend to find a friend for him soon. He will never achieve the Mangekyou Sharingan without one. Of course, they will be an Uchiha, just as Itachi's is. There is no point in befriending someone outside of the family. The Kyuubi's attack has reminded us of our need to create strong shinobi capable of using the Sharingan. Soon Itachi will be tested. If he lives, he will be my heir, and become fully trained in our bloodline techniques. Should he fail... he will die, and Sasuke shall become my heir. Either way, the Uchiha blood shall continue. If Sasuke fails as well, my wife and I are already discussing having another child. The Uchiha clan will survive."
Further on the scroll:
"Itachi's cousin spoke to him today over his actions. However, my eldest son ended the conversation by killing his best friend. He passed his test. He has achieved the Mangekyou Sharingan. What I do not understand is why he left once he did so. Perhaps he felt that what he had done was wrong? Did he think we would call him a traitor? Nonsense. The Third Hokage spoke with me this evening about the death of my kinsman. I explained our family has many enemies who wish to smother our bloodline, and allowed a search for the killer. I know Itachi is intelligent enough not to be caught. His younger brother could learn from him. Sasuke is too kind and gentle. He also refuses to have one of his cousins as a best friend. He keeps wanting to spend time with Itachi. I must find an equal opponent for him, or he will be of no use to this family."
Sasuke's hands shook as the scroll slipped from his fingers, the only noise in the room besides his harsh breathing. His father... It wasn't how it seemed, was it? His father didn't just say that they were supposed to kill their best friends or die... did he? No...
Hurriedly, he tore through other scrolls, looking for anything about the advanced levels of the Sharingan. Finally, he was able to locate one that mentioned the "Test of the Mangekyou". Swiping his hand over his father's desk to knock everything to the floor, Sasuke unfurled the scroll and sat, eyes flying over his ancestor's writing.
"The Hyuuga family will all inherit their Byakugan, yet only some of the Uchiha clan will carry the Sharingan bloodline. The stronger the living blood, the higher the chance of increasing our numbers of powerful shinobi. Therefore, only the strongest of the Uchiha clan shall survive. This is the Test of the Mangekyou. The Mangekyou level of the Sharingan eyes is achieved by killing one's best friend. However, we can not simply kill ninja from other families, or else we might become under investigation for it. Therefore, each Uchiha child will befriend another Uchiha child, so that during the test, even should one die, the other shall pass on to become a talented Sharingan user. In this way, we shall produce even better shinobi than the Hyuuga. Once the test has been passed-"
The scroll was flung across the room as Sasuke breathed deeply, his core horribly shaken. His family... they were that bloodthirsty? They were so determined to become the most powerful, the most respected, the best, that they would sacrifice their own children? And his father had already accepted that his younger son would probably die? And he hadn't even cared that Sasuke would die? He had already planned to breed a child as a replacement? For thats what it was in Sasuke's eyes. They weren't having children. They were breeding them. Only the strongest children for the strongest family. The thought of himself, breeded as nothing more than a tool, caused the brunet to fall to his knees, the contents of his stomach emptying under his father's desk.
After minutes of dry-heaving, he stood on shaky legs and slowly made his way to the kitchen, drinking some water to clean out the taste, before taking slow, tentative steps towards his brother's room. Had had found scrolls there in his search earlier, but had tossed them aside as mere jutsu manuals. But now he wondered. He lifted his hand to push the door open, his whisper echoing through the dark room.
"Did you really know... Nii-san..."
---
Outside of the Uzumaki apartment sat the only other existing Uchiha, his eyes closed in contemplation as he recalled that moment. His younger brother had finally confronted him again. The hell he suffered at Orochimaru's hands had taken a toll on the younger boy, and Itachi could see that fierce determination in his eyes as he lunged, ready to kill his only blood kin. Orochimaru himself was currently distracted by the Konoha shinobi, the Kyuubi carrier as well as a group of his friends. Sasuke's friends, he supposed. Kabuto had already fallen, as well as many of the snake-summoner's other followers. No doubt the over-confident bastard thought he would have no difficulty so far from Sound. He had not planned on Itachi's arrival, as well as that of the other ninja. His younger brother was so predictable. When it came to his elder sibling, nothing else in this world mattered. He ignored all around him and focused solely on revenge.
It really didn't suit the boy.
Itachi had easily dodged his brother's blows, mocking him constantly for his weakness, secretly hoping that he would realize Orochimaru wasn't making him stronger and return to his village. But there was no luck, and the eruption of the Kyuubi's chakra, one he hadn't felt since that night so long ago, when he last saw the Fourth Hokage, had distracted him. On instinct, he had wanted to see if the seal had broken. Yes, he wanted that demon for his own uses, but if it was freed from the brat, he would be all but impossible to imprison again.
During his distraction, Sasuke attacked wildly, and Itachi's hesitation cost him. Soon he found his younger brother's kunai at his throat, another against his belly, ready to rip both it and his neck to shreds and allow him a slow, painful death. Staring down into those red eyes so much like his own, he realized he could easily use a genjutsu to escape, only to blink with his brother when another tanned hand gripped the kunai, keeping it in place, not allowing it to cut.
"Sasuke, don't!"
"Shut up, Naruto! This has nothing to do with you! He killed them all!"
"Yeah, and if you kill him, you'll be just like him! He left the village, so did you! The only difference between you two is that he killed his family, and you haven't. Kill him, and you'll be no different!"
"Shut up!" But Sasuke's hands were shaking now. The blond was breaking down his resolve. "I have to kill him!"
"No you don't. C'mon, teme. Everyone's waiting for you. Prove you're better than he is!" The kunai moved slowly from his throat, and Itachi watched as his brother began to cry. Not sobs or loud noises, just a few tears trailing down his face.
"The Uchiha had to die. The clan must not be restored. You're supposed to kill me." Kill me before I do something stupid, brother. Before I become like our family.
"Shut it, Itachi. Or next time I won't stop him." Those blue eyes, red filling them slowly, was enough warning, and the elder brother used the mere seconds he had to escape, returning to the group waiting for him. Silently, they made their way away from the battle, not one of them looking back.
'And this is the result.' Itachi frowned in annoyance. He deeply disliked being in anyone's debt. As soon as he made Naruto happy, he could get the hell away from this place. It brought back too many memories. Memories from what happened after he decided to surprise his father with his chakra-suppressing skills. After he had found that scroll. After he had learned his father was going to let his little Sasuke die. Memories of screams and blood, and his brother's fear.
'Damned honor.'
---------------------
This is short, yes, I know. And I know there was no Naruto and Gaara love in this chapter, but I was dying to post this! If you go back and look in previous chapters, you'll notice I never mentioned the "Uchiha", "young Sharingan-user" and such, was Sasuke. Everyone merely assumed it.
Also, it was pointed out the difference between brunet and brunette. Thanks, I kinda knew, but I figured I saw it so much the other way, if I put it the right way, I might get complaints about spelling and such. I might go back and change them all to be proper.