The Sharingan was so shallow and void of emotion… it seemed everytime it called you out it was nothing more then a shield to hide something more valuable within it. Itachi stared out the window of a hotel room, it had been four days since their retreat and he had been sleeping for two of those days. Kisame himself was busy with mindless slaughter in the forest outside the small town. Itachi curled his fingers a bit, staring in silence, of course it was absolutely impossible for people to tell what he could be thinking when really inside he was thinking about his little brother.

"So… you full of energy now, 'Tachi?" Came that fishes tone and Itachi's eyes slowly drifted from the window to stare over at his blue partner.

"Hai."

"Ah good, I was bored!" Kisame exclaimed with a dramatic wave of his wrapped sword before he set it against the wall and moved over to him, peeking out the window to see what the boy was looking at before glancing back to Itachi. "So… 'Tachi… What are you thinking about?"

"…"

"Well I was just thinking about that kid… your little brother." Kisame informed, moving to lean on the seal of the window, staring at Itachi for a reaction, of course when receiving none he continued, "He really looked messed up, you are very cruel." He chuckled, "Did you keep him alive for some specific reason?" He asked in hopes for an answer and of course nothing came from the silent Uchiha so he sighed and pushed from the seal, moving back to his blade and snatching the handle only to pause to the voice.

"Yes,…"

"Really? Why is that?" Kisame pushed now, staring intently.

"If you had a brother, you would realize…"

"Ah, so you do have some feelings deep in that stoned hole of a heart, eh?"

Itachi turned his head to stare over at him, watching Kisame shut up before looking away to the window silently. Of course Kisame didn't stop there, he decided to go a step further.

"So he's your link to humanity, then?"

And with that last sentence the room fell into silence, a sort of dark aura taking over the room to make Kisame raise his left hand in defense. "Okay, okay, no need to answer…" He said with a small scoff to the others disobedience toward the conversation as he grabbed his sword, putting it on his back.

"We leave after dinner." Itachi finally spoke, turning his attention back toward the window to stare out into the distance, his mind going back on his little brother for the time being, thinking about what he had done and actually thinking on if he'd recover or not.

"I've been waiting for this moment… This time it will be different… This time I'll kill you!"

"Will you, Otouto?" He whispered with his eyes to the window before they slowly closed in thought, "Lets hope you will." He breathed under his breath.

"Aniki! Aniki! Did you bring back anything for me?!" Came the soft voice of a small boy; Sasuke Uchiha, standing at the door way in anticipation to his brother's arrival.

Itachi stared at the small infant before moving his hand up slowly and giving a downward wave for him to come closer. And as obedient as Sasuke was, he did, seeing the hand but not able to stop in time as two fingers planted on his forehead and he gave a small 'ouch!' wincing and then staring up with a small pouting expression to his brother's action.

"Sorry Sasuke… Not this time." Sasuke heard him say, staring up at the others expression, it was void, but a hint of a smile was almost lining his face. "Aniki?"

"Yes, Sasuke?"

"Do you not like me?" Sasuke finally asked staring up at him with a sad expression to the subject, only to pause when he saw Itachi look shocked to that and then he actually… smiled… Sasuke tilted his head before closing his eyes halfway when he felt the others hand on his head, rubbing it before he was pulled into a hug and blushed a bit.

"Of course not, Sasuke… You are my brother, I love you."

And with that Sasuke popped back to life, hugging him back with closed eyes. "Aniki." He smiled with closed eyes, feeling the arms tighten just a bit.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke…"

"Does who hate you?"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he turned onto his back to see Naruto hovering over him. This action causing him to shove the other boy away, having Naruto face plant on the ground.

"Ah!"

"What the hell were you doing?!"

"You were talking in your sleep! I was just curious, ah!"

Sasuke glared at the blonde dope who was now on his butt, staring back at him. He frowned a bit in irritation and looked away, staring out the window with pulled together eye brows, his fingers clenched in the sheets over his waist before laxing back as his eye brows relaxed to his thoughts. Itachi had told him that only once… that he loved him… and yet here he was. His fingers curled back and his head lowered.

"Sasuke, you okay?"

"Shut up, Dobe." He made out and then moved to lay back down, staring at the window. His body on it's side to face away from Naruto in his depressed state, of course now having to deal with the teen throwing a fit behind him for Sasuke being so rude.

After about ten minutes, Sasuke heard the door closed and Naruto had left for the day. His eyes slowly opening to look over at the door before he slowly moved to sit up and then look at the wrappings he had placed over his childish actions. His bangs fell over his eyes when he lowered his head and his fingers curled slowly to the thought of Itachi and he clenched his teeth. He needed to get stronger… He had to.

Orochimaru was his only option now… These people would get him no where. He slowly moved off the bed and pulled on his shoes slowly with his eyes half closed to all the thoughts before he looked to the door and then moved to open it halfway, pausing to hear Sakura talking to Naruto.

"Uchiha Itachi is his brother?!"

"Shhh! Keep it down! Yes… Itachi killed Sasuke-kun's hole clan and left him to be the sole survivor." Sasuke stared at the ground with wide eyes, how could they be talking about that so easily! He gripped the door before slowly closing it back and locking it, moving away from the door and stopping at the night stand, staring at the Konoha head protector laying there. His eyes slightly hollow as he stared at for a short amount of time before he looked away, walking over to the window and opening it. Jumping from the window to a tree, sliding down it to walk to his apartment.

"Do you want to know why you are weak? It's because you lack something… you lack hatred."

He stiffened to the memory and actually had to glance back a few times, having a sense of being watching after thinking about Itachi. He felt haunted and the only way to stop that feeling was to kill Itachi. Sasuke clenched his teeth in silence, walking up the stairs of his apartment in the middle of Konoha, he had never returned to that place; the Uchiha complex, not since he had ventured in after waking up that time when he was eight. He walked to his closet, grabbing a backpack and packing his things. Moving over to his dresser to grab some other needed clothing, his eyes caught the picture and he stopped halfway there. The picture was taken the day they became team seven. He picked up the picture, staring at it for a long time.

"Naruto! Stop it! Sasuke-kun is much better then you!"

"Ahhhh, Sakura-chaaaan, why do you have to hit me so hard?"

"Idiots…" He whispered to himself, more of convincing himself of this as he slowly set the picture down and then moved his hand to trail up it and grip the top, slowly pushing forward to make it lay face first on the nightstand as he moved away from it with bored eyes, pulling his backpack up over his shoulder as he walked out of the apartment without a single glance back.

The night sky was clear to have the moon shine brightly as his sandals tapped lightly on the ground, going to just walk right out of the village without a word, his hands at his sides calmly as his bangs hid his eyes. Though he was forced to stop when he heard a voice and turned just a bit. "Naruto, go home."

"What the hell do you think your doing?!"

"I'm leaving, obviously." Sasuke said calmly before slowly turning, looking over at him only to pause to see the head band in Naruto's hand.

"Sakura-chan told me about your brother and your clan! I'm … I'm sorry that happened! And I know I probably don't understand everything yet but I will help you get stronger!"

Sasuke paused to those words, staring at him in silence before his eye brows slowly pulled together. "You?" He said and then gave a dry chuckle, "You? Uzumaki Naruto, the boy no one acknowledges or respects… You only defeated Neji and Gaara on a whim… it was luck Naruto." He said with a seriousness. "Try and stop me and I'll show you just how far that luck of yours can go." He said with a frown, his eyes glaring over at the blonde, who seemed to look sad in a way.

Of course Naruto snapped out of it and glared. "Where are you going to go?! There's no where to go, Sasuke!"

"I'm going to Orochimaru… He has offered me power and I will gladly accept it." Sasuke said with his face now voiding of emotion that always got to Naruto.

"Orochimaru's not the right way! He just wants your body, Sasuke! He wont-"

"Even if that's the case… I'll sacrifice my body to avenge my clan." He spoke calmly, staring at the other with dull eyes, seeing Naruto gasp in shock. He looked over him to notice his tensing body and knew Naruto was going to lunge recklessly.

"If that's what you really think… then fine! I'll stop you!" He said with a glare, quickly moving his hands up in the ninjutu hand seal of his shadow clone technique.

Sasuke's lips parted in a sigh to the words, knowing this would happen. But alas he didn't move, standing there in silence as he watched him until he opened his mouth. "Come then."