Story: Kokai Saki Ni Tatazu

Author: Akane Arihyoshi

Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. I don't even really own this storyline. I own...like...the words that i use to describe the storyline. Sorta. Excdpt that words belong to the public, so I can't own them. But I own the sequence the words are in.

Slowly the boy's hand reached out to grasp the handle of the sliding door, his heart thumping as though he had just run a mile.

He opened the door.

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The sight that greeted the boy was horrendous.

Two bodies lay dead on the floor, soaked in their own blood. There was evidence of a terrible fight; holes were scattered along the walls, and several pieces of furniture in the room were beyond repair. Everything in the room was painted a bright red with the blood of the dead, making it a truly sickening sight.

Sasuke felt his knees grow weak and his breath catch in his chest. The very earth seemed to crumble from beneath his feet, swallowing him into a dark realm of pain. The child's senses were heightened by his training, which only made the scene worse. The feeling was less than pleasant, the iron-like smell of the crimson blood quickly transferring itself into a taste, which made the boy want to vomit.

Knees hit the floor with a soft thump, hands coming into contact with the red, wet floor, splashing quietly. Tears fell to the ground steadily, mixing with the horrible substance on the floor, forcing them to become one.

The tears of a child and the blood of the ones who loved him the most.

Yet, even through all his grief, Sasuke sensed the presence. He looked up in fear, but relaxed as the figure took on a comforting and familiar shape, that of his aniki.

Sasuke was safe.

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Itachi felt like laughing at the look on his little brother's face. The relief and pain that was displayed there was comical, if not pitiful. The child expected his older brother, his savior, to save the day and make everything all right again. What a childish way of thinking. To trust so easily. Was he himself that young and naïve when he was that age? Surely not...

"Aniki! Mother and Father, they're...dead..." the boy whimpered. His eyes filled with tears once more as he looked at Itachi, seeking comfort from his trusted brother.

"I know, otouto. I killed them myself." Itachi replied emotionlessly.

And just like that, everything Sasuke had ever known was gone.

Smaller onyx eyes came up from their previous position, focused on the floor, to meet larger eyes of the same, one pair filled with betrayal and pain, the other filled with cold hate.

"Itachi...aniki...why?"

How odd, Itachi thought with amusement, that his little brother should resemble his father so much at such a time as this. Both held the look of betrayal in their eyes, both had the same confusion, the same question. And both would die today. Fugaku had already gone, killed by has favored son, and now Sasuke would die by the hands of the same. Fate was mysterious, that it could take two people, a father who had neglected his younger son, and the same unnoticed child, and make their last moments so alike. It was almost ironic.

And, again, Itachi had no answer to the question.

Sasuke ran at his older brother, kunai in his hand and murderous hate in his eyes. Had there been a moment to spare, Itachi would have laughed. The young boy was blinded by his grief, as his father had been, making him an easy target.

The older boy quickly side-stepped out of the way of the attack, and activated his sharingan. This would be too easy. He grabbed the small arm that was thrust out in a weak punch and twisted it, forcing the smaller boy on the ground. Only two seconds later he had the boy expertly pinned to the ground, holding a kunai to his throat.

All at once, the hate in the child's eyes was replaced by fear. He knew he was beaten, that he had failed. All he could hope for now was a quick death, one without much pain.

Itachi took in his surroundings in an instant, committing them to his memory. He wanted to remember this moment, savor this feeling, as he killed his younger brother and became the last Uchiha. He pressed the kunai harder against Sasuke's throat, watching as the blood trickled down his neck. It would be so easy to kill him, just one quick movement and it would all be over with.

And as he raised his hand to drive the kunai into Sasuke's chest...

He found that he couldn't do it.

The child looked up at him fearfully and with confusion as he dropped the kunai. It clattered to the floor, useless. The elder boy didn't understand. What had stopped him? He was so close to his goal, and yet, when he had finally reached it, he just let it go...

Itachi stood up silently, turning to face the bodies of his parents. He had beaten them so easily, and without remorse, so how was it that he was stopped from killing a weak child?

It couldn't be that he actually had feelings for the boy...that he actually cared for his brother. No, it couldn't be.

But the evidence was there.

He couldn't kill Sasuke.

A/N: Okay peoples, just to clear something up. n those last couple paragraphs, I was NOT, repeat, NOT, making reference to ItaSasu. That is sick and wrong. They hate each other, for god's sake, they aren't going to suddenly fall in love with each other. And besides, they're siblings. Have you ever trieds so much as TOLERATING your sibling? That's hard enough. ItaSasu is not possible, nor is it in my story. Eww.

Anyways, I thought this chappie was the saddest one so far...I cried a bit while writing this, and you should just be thankful I didn't write in a couple of the paragraphs I wanted to write. THOSE were depressing. But I like this chapter a lot...it's sad, but it's nice all at the same time...besides, I never liked Fugaku. He sucks. He kept paying attention to Itachi and completely ignoring Sasuke, which I kind of hinted at in this chapter...that sucks. Fathers shouldn't do that. He got what he deserved, really. Sorry, that's my rant for the day...

Next chappie should be up within the week.