Author: Akane Arihyoshi

Story: Kokai Saki Ni Tatazu

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or Itachi, or anyone else. I don't even really own the storyline. However, the word sequence I use to describe the storyline is all mine.

Sasuke shuddered at the intense glare his brother had him in. He didn't understand, couldn't understand. He had failed. Itachi should have killed him without a second thought, like he had killed their clan. So why was the boy still alive?

Across the room, the elder Uchiha was wondering the same thing. What had stopped him? Why had he hesitated?

"Foolish little brother..." Itachi snarled, more angry at himself than at the boy. His eyes glowed in hatred, a burning red. The child looked up in fear, scared that, even now, his life was at an end.

"You thought you could beat me?" he continued. "You thought you were stronger? If our parents couldn't stop me, how could you ever hope to? Revenge is for the strong, and you are pitifully weak..." His eyes met the boy's, and he almost smiled at the pain and fear he saw there.

Sasuke thought for a moment, then glared harshly at his brother through tear-filled eyes. "I'll kill you." he whispered, as if afraid that noise would cause another wave of tears.

"Then go. Leave this place. Return only once I am gone. And tell everyone that I, Itachi Uchiha, am the sole cause of these events."

Sasuke stood where he was for a moment more. "Someday I'll be stronger." he said quietly. "Someday I'll beat you." Then, with one last look at his brother, the last family he had, the boy ran out the open door, towards the village; towards safety.

Itachi walked to the door and watched as the boy ran. His long black hair swayed in the breeze, and he returned the dropped kunai to the pouch on his leg. The sharingan in his eyes deactivated.

Soon the entire village would know of his deed. Soon he would be an outsider, and they would search for him, looking to kill. He guessed he probably had twenty minutes to leave the village, twenty short minutes to leave the place he had known his entire life, his home. Less than a quarter of an hour to leave behind all the people he had come to know throughout his life.

More than enough time.

The Uchiha grabbed a bag he had set by the door, filled with food and other essentials. He took one last look at his hated home, before turning his eyes back onto the slowly disappearing form of his little brother. He hesitated, wondering for a moment where the boy was headed, and he considered following the child to quench his curiosity. But no, he needed to make his escape. He quickly climbed into a nearby tree.

"Foolish little brother..." he said with an almost endearing tone, before he silently disappeared from view.

-----------------------

It was silent for the greater part of his journey. The only sounds were made by the the trees, as they swayed softly from the wind. Itachi landed on the branch of a tree, sharpening his senses to his environment. All seemed calm. No danger here.

These were the times that the Uchiha treasured; times where he was alone, where the was no one to answer to but himself. Times where he could just think, without having to worry about his village or his family.

Those times were so rare. But not anymore.

However, now, instead of the petty childish thoughts he had thought before, his mind turned to more serious matters. The figure of the Akatsuki leader went through his mind, as it had been off and on his entire trip. Itachi was more than halfway to the agreed meeting point, where, hopefully, the leader would be waiting for him. After that, he had no idea.

His time to rest was finished, and he jumped from his branch to another. And, as he moved on, his thoughts turned from the mysterious cloaked figure to his younger brother. Sasuke...was he safe by now, had he already reached the destination that only an hour ago he had been so desperate to get to? The one place that would lead him away from it all, away from Itachi. Was he safe there, had he made it? Were there already ANBU on his, Itachi's, trail?

With this train of thought in mind, Itachi hastened his pace. 'He really is such a foolish child...' Itachi thought grimly, but a small smirk found its way onto the Uchiha's emotionless face.

A/N: I am so sorry that I didn't get this out in time. I remembered about two seconds after i promised you all that I would get the chapter out within a week that I was going to be in FLORIDA for a week. For all of you that don't understand how far that is from me, I live in the Northwest. So again, so sorry.

I'm also sorry for the entire chappie being so short. I tried to write a bit on the plane, but...somehow it's easier to write in Math. xD And my teacher was giving me an odd look, so I didn't have much time there either. Sorry.

Akane