A/N: I came up with what I think is a rather cool idea for this fic, but have had trouble deciding what I would have happen. Not much to say, as of yet. Read and enjoy.
To Akizakura: I'm glad you enjoy this fic. Please continue reading and continue enjoying.
To Revan the Sith Lord (Who's Asking): The next chapter will be your request. That's a promise, and (Naruto quote) I never go back on my word. It's my way of the ninja. (end Naruto quote.)
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, he wouldn't say, "Believe it!" all the time in the American version.
Chapter 5: Itachi
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sasuke hadn't packed much the night he decided to leave Konoha. After all, packing heavy would only increase the chance of his getting caught, and if he were caught by someone like Kakashi, or even Kotetsu or Izumo, his quest for vengeance would be over before it even began.
Normally, it didn't take him long to get across Konoha. But having to look around every corner made it take a lot longer. After all, the walls of building had eyes and the ground had ears.
He had been relieved not to find Kotetsu and Izumo at the village gate. Tsunade must have had them do her dirty work again while she got wasted on sake, he thought, smirking with satisfaction.
Just outside the gate, Sasuke paused with momentary regret, turning back toward the village. Even now, it feels almost like I'm losing my family again. Kakashi-sensei and his pervy book and sagelike wisdom, Sakura, the only fangirl who ever tried to do anything with me except forcibly glomp me to death, and...Naruto, the idiotic, yet admirable non-blood brother who is able to chase his dreams, despite being screwed over by the gene pool. Man, I'm gonna miss them. Do I even want to do this? Sasuke was unaware of his face softening as he had these thoughts, and also unaware of a sinister chakra approaching him from behind.
"Having second thoughts, are we, little brother? Even now, your hatred is nowhere near strong enough, though I am surprised that you are out of the hospital so soon."
In utter shock, Sasuke snapped around to face his older brother. His Sharingan activated of its own accord as he glared at Itachi's lips. Despite the anger and ill will he bore toward his brother, he was thinking slightly more clearly than he had at his last encounter. My duty as an avenger calls for me to kill him. He defeated me easily the last time, and I haven't gotten any stronger since then. Not only that, he's expecting me to attack.
"What's the matter, little brother?" Itachi taunted. "Are you afraid? Or have you..." He laughed as if at something ridiculous. "...forgiven me?"
The younger Uchiha made no response. He could make no response. The truth was, he was afraid, but more afraid of the futility of any attempt against his brother, than of death or even torment from the Tsukiyomi (A/N Tsukiyomi is a genjutsu created by the Mangekyuu Sharingan, in which the user tortures his target while controlling space and time within the genjutsu. For a better idea, see episodes 81-84 of the anime. The Mangekyuu Sharingan is a stronger Sharingan obtainable only by killing one's best friend.)
"If you do not kill me, little brother," the elder Uchiha threatened without even a smirk, "I will most certainly return for Naruto."
Return for Naruto...Return for Naruto... The words echoed in Sasuke's mind over and over. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't. He couldn't let Itachi kill his family all over again; that would be worse fifty times over than a Tsukiyomi replay of the Uchiha massacre. But if I let Itachi kill Naruto I might gain the Mangekyuu Sharingan, which may be what I need to match my brother...NO!!! I can't believe I just thought that!!!
"Grr! Over my dead body, you will, Itachi!" Sasuke absolutely knew better than to attempt a direct attack on his older brother, and despite the disturbed state of his mind, he had come up with a little plan using the tools that had originally been planned to aid his escape from Konoha.
Six paper-bombed kunai and a flash bomb. Itachi's not going to get Naruto, nor is he going to get me if I can help it.
Itachi watched Sasuke take something out of his holster. "Now we're talking, little brother." His eyes widened in alarm as Sasuke jumped backward and dropped in on the ground between them. Crud, a flash bomb...He shielded his eyes before the flash bomb went off, but half a second later, he heard the sound of multiple explosions above his head, looking up to see many heavy tree branches falling toward him.
Much to the dismay of Sasuke, Itachi managed to not get crushed or trapped by the tree branches and began to retreat. "What are you afraid of, big brother?! We've just started!!!" He heard himself yell.
"That explosion you set off must have alerted the entire village to my presence. I've no intention of starting a war," replied Itachi as Sasuke tried to give pursuit, but was grabbed from behind. When he realized what was going on, he found himself facing Kotetsu, Izumo, Kakashi, and an ANBU.
Kakashi's eyes told Sasuke that he was smiling behind his mask. "You did an excellent job fighting off that intruder, Sasuke. I would expect nothing less from you." The proud expression on Kotetsu's and Izumo's faces reinforced Kakashi's praise.
"Please come with me the the Hokage's office, Sasuke. We need you to tell us all you can about the intruder you repelled."
---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------
Naturally, when the five of them reached Tsunade's office, she was both completely wasted and sound asleep. "Hokage-sama!" exclaimed Kotetsu. "What have you been doing while we were running errands for you!"
The Godaime looked hung-over as she groaned, "Catching up with about a month's worth of lost sleep..."
The ANBU bowed. "Hokage-sama, please stay awake long enough for us to give you our report. We had an intruder in the village tonight..." That snapped Tsunade out of her drunken stupor as the ANBU continued, "Thankfully, he was repelled by one of our genin." He motioned for Sasuke to give the details of what had happened.
When Sasuke hesitated, Kakashi told him, "Sasuke, tell Tsunade-sama everything you remember about the intruder. Things like his identity and where he's from would be best, but if you couldn't find that out, give us a physical description. We need to know who is responsible for this."
Sasuke looked up with anger in his eyes. "It was my brother. I failed. AGAIN!" he roared.
Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "Considering you probably saved this village from a disaster somewhere between the Sound invasion and the attack of the Kyuubi, I wouldn't call that a failure at all. What did he want?"
"I don't know," Sasuke said in a voice empty of spirit. "He said something about coming back for Naruto if I didn't kill him there. That's all I really remember." Itachi's voice began to echo in his head again. Return for Naruto...Return for Naruto...
"The...the only reason I was really there in the first place...was...that...I had intended to leave the village in search of power. To kill my brother."
At this Tsunade's eyes widened, but she was immediately calmed by a glance from Kakashi. "Sasuke, let me ask you something else." He continued when he got no response from Sasuke. "Would it not have made you happier had you been able to protect your family, happier than you will be even when you manage to kill your brother?"
Slowly, the Uchiha heir nodded. "You have the chance to protect your family again. The people of Konoha, and Team 7 in particular, you can keep them close to you, enjoy your time with them, protect them with everything you have. There is no way to erase what happened in the past, but you can keep it from happening again, just as you did today."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The End
A/N: I really hope that didn't seem too much like it was just cut off, that it felt like an actual ending. Once again, thanks go out to my reviewers/supporters. Please continue to review and support my writing, I check for reviews every day, and I try to respond either by PM or in the A/N before the next chapter. So goodbye, until next time. vanishes