Hey guys! Sorry for the last chapter being so sad. This one's a bit better. I posted the chapter at three in the morning and woke up around noon to find I already had like, four reviews! I was so inspired, after I had a bite to eat, I sat down and started writing this. Been working a new job at a costume store, getting ready for Halloween and Fantasy Fest (a celebration we have here in the sunshine state). Ack! So crazy! Everyone's wanting costumes!!! I got mine! Vampire red riding hood. Lol! Anyway, finished when I got some down time. Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be allowed to own these guys. It seems I'm always killing them off somehow or making them suffer...I'm evil...But they say you hurt the ones you love!

–

Itachi had fallen deep into despair. His heart was broken. The one he loved was gone, stolen from him by his own flesh and blood. There was nothing left for him in this world. The raven never talked anymore, never smiled, never kept anyone's company, not even Sasuke's.

Sasuke almost couldn't stand to be around his brother anymore. His presence was so depressing, it made him hurt. He'd tried. He'd taken Itachi to his bedroom after the incident, laid him down, and held him close. He talked to him, told him everything would be alright in the end. However long it would take for things to get better, he wasn't sure. He wanted to believe his own words of comfort, saying them for himself as well as Itachi. He had taken a bit of a liking to the blonde after all. But he wasn't sure he truly believed his words, maybe only halfheartedly. He wanted things to be better, he didn't know if they really would be though. Maybe if he wished hard enough. If he prayed to the few Kamis Itachi worshiped, maybe they could help make everything better. Maybe they could bring Itachi up out of his misery, help him find love again. Maybe they could help him out a bit as well. Sasuke witnessed how Itachi was with Deidara; it made him want someone to love as well. He was just afraid if he lost that person, he might end up in the same boat as Itachi. He both craved it and feared it.

As far as Itachi went, he'd tried. But not even he, who had helped to the greatest of his ability, he, who was always there for his older brother, could not raise him up out of his depression. Praying didn't help. It seemed the Kamis weren't willing to listen to his pleas for help, or maybe their help had not come into effect just yet. He hoped for the latter. But, as for Itachi, the younger raven just couldn't seem to stand his presence any longer. He was absolutely insufferable.

So Sasuke, after shedding his own tears for the loss of someone he considered a friend and helping Itachi make what would be called a grave for the blonde, the younger raven attempted to move on with his life. Whereas Itachi stayed, fixed on the incident, not willing to let it go, Sasuke tried to mend the strained relationship with his family. His father had not taken to him wanting to help his brother, but after a while, everything had calmed down. The situation with Deidara was hard on everyone in different ways, but, unlike Itachi, it would not keep Sasuke down. Maybe if he'd loved him like Itachi did, he'd feel different. But he didn't and so could not fully comprehend Itachi's torment.

–

A couple years passed. Fugaku had taken advantage of Itachi's unresponsiveness and forced him to marry. She was a beautiful young woman, sixteen almost seventeen years old. Itachi was twenty-three by now. Sasuke, seventeen. She had long, charcoal black hair and chestnut brown eyes. She had a bit of a pale complexion, but more tanned than Itachi and Sasuke. High cheekbones and full lips, small in stature and a delicate, fragile frame. She was extremely obedient and submissive. The daughter of a lord to a clan similar in rank to the Uchihas. Both clans were extremely proud. All except for Itachi.

Instead of being outraged or even saddened, he was simply unresponsive. He never acknowledged her, never looked at her when he could help it. And never attempted to consummate their marriage. Their relationship was strained to say the least, and everyone in both clans grew anxious over the situation.

The raven was not interested in the woman, whom he'd not taken the liberty of even knowing her name, not interested in having children, not interested in mending ties with other clans or keeping intact the ones his clan already possessed. Both his parents and in-laws had taken to viewing him as useless. He didn't care. Sasuke did.

The younger tried to talk to him. Knock some sense into the man. It had already been two years now since Deidara's passing and he was still mourning. Sasuke knew it was terribly unhealthy for him. And he'd figured the blonde would not want Itachi to be destroying his life this way. He would have wanted him to move on. He'd tried to help him get over it and see his wife as something to be treasured, not shoved to the side as he continued wallowing in his depression. If he could just open his brother's eyes and make him move on, he could possibly be alright. But Sasuke had other concerns now. Since Itachi was out of the picture in his parent's minds, they'd now turned to Sasuke. The younger raven was now being set up for marriage. His parents had looked for a bit of an older girl for Itachi, since he was past the marrying age as it was, but Sasuke was the perfect age, although a bit delayed due to other circumstances. His wife would be perfect marrying age as well, fourteen, maybe fifteen. He was worried though. He hoped he could love this girl. Not just use her for bearing children like his father seemed to. And he felt he was indeed following in his brother's footsteps a bit. He was starting to find men attractive as well. He pushed it aside though, his family would not allow more dishonor to pass their way. He would have to settle for a woman and deal with it.

–

The time was nearing for Sasuke's wedding. The boy was introduced to his fiancee' about a week or so ago. Itachi wasn't sure. He'd lost track of the days. Sasuke had come to him and told him about it. He said she was pretty. Small and a bit too submissive for his liking, but he still thought she was fairly pretty when dolled up. Itachi hadn't paid attention to the details. Sasuke had become the true heir now. The pride of the family. He felt that was good for his younger brother. He needed to feel more appreciated and Itachi didn't want that future for himself anyway.

He wanted to be happy for Sasuke, he really did. But it seemed he just couldn't bring himself to smile anymore. He wanted to be there for the wedding. He wanted to somehow gather himself up and be happy again. Especially at his little brother's big day. That seemed to drive him somewhat. Mentally at least. Physically, however, was a different story entirely.

Itachi had fallen terribly ill not too long ago. From his state of depression, he'd not cared to give himself proper nutrition and he'd not gone outside in what seemed forever. He was sick from malnutrition and somehow his body just seemed to be failing him. He coughed up blood every now and then, but he never let anyone know of that. Especially not Sasuke.

He hoped he would die. He wanted to. To be with Deidara once again.

Itachi looked out the window to his room. Dusk. Not quite night, cool as though it were, but with enough light to be able to see properly. He knew he would not be in this world much longer. Maybe not long enough to see his brother get married, he hoped his death wouldn't spoil it for Sasuke. Maybe if he were gone from this world, never existed, everything would have been better for everyone else. His family would not have been dishonored as they were, Sasuke would have been able to shine all of these years, and Deidara...Deidara would not have met such a cruel fate...

The raven stood up and stepped over to the door. Sliding it open, a gentle breeze fluttered his way.

"-chi..."

He heard something, distant and almost unnoticeable. He seemed drawn to it.

"Itachi..."

A voice...calling his name. A voice he'd never heard before.

He followed it. Walking out through the field, out to the forest. He remembered this. He hadn't been out this way in so long. His favorite spot, his and Deidara's meeting ground, where he and Sasuke had buried the blonde. He stopped going out to see his lover's grave not too long after they'd set him in the earth. It seemed he lost a bit of his soul whenever he gazed at the marker.

He made his way through the dense foliage. When he'd gone through so often before, the path had worn away and made it easier for him to pass. But since it had become unused, bushes and shrubs grew into the walkway, roots and vines wound across it, making it much more difficult to pass through, especially in his weakened state. But Itachi remembered the way, never missing a step. He pushed aside overgrown branches and stepped into the clearing. Automatically, he turned to look at the grave. Untouched. He walked over and knelt down in front. He wished a silent prayer for the opportunity to be reunited with his love once again. When he finished, he leaned forward and placed a subtle kiss on the marker.

"You miss him...don't you, Itachi?"

The voice was right behind him. He could hear it clear as day. But...something about it.

Itachi did not turn to look, rather, he kept his gaze fixed on the grave.

"Who are you?"

The voice did not answer. He felt himself being watched. Just then, the raven felt a horrible pain in his chest and coughed. He'd been through coughing fits before, he would usually end up with a bloody palm afterward, but this fit was seemingly uncontrollable. He coughed and choked and gasped for air, blood running down his chin. He coughed until he couldn't hold it any longer. He vomited. Nothing but blood. Saturating the grave.

"You're going to die soon, Itachi."

He composed himself the best he could. He was terribly weak now, "That's...what I want."

"Oh...really? So you can be with him again?"

"H-hai..."

"What if I told you that wouldn't work?"

"Nani-ka?"

"If you die with the intention to reunite with him, its more than likely you probably won't. The only way you can guarantee a meeting with your blonde again is if you stay here on Earth, and wait for him."

"How can you say that?" Itachi asked incredulously. "He's dead. And how...how do you know so much about me?"

"I know about you because I've been watching you for quite some time now Itachi. Since you were born actually. You almost...remind me of myself. Now, as for your blonde...you must not tell me you do not believe in reincarnation?"

"I do. But that takes centuries. And even if I get better, I won't live near long enough."

"But that's where you're wrong, Itachi. What would you do if I told you I could give you everything you've ever dreamed. That you could never die from any ailments, you could have the strength to avenge your lover's death, and gain eternal life so that you may be able to see him once again?"

"I'd say its too good to be true."

"Ah, but I can give this power to you, Itachi," Itachi felt an icy hand placed on his shoulder. He turned his head and gasped. The man before him, looking into his eyes, was unlike any other. He seemed ethereal. His skin was ghostly pale and seemed to shine in the moonlight. His long, layered hair, the blackest of blacks. And his eyes, red as blood with three black marks surrounding the pupil. But what amazed Itachi the most was that he seemed familiar. Like he'd seen him before...he had the look of an Uchiha, "All that...and much, much more."

The man sneered, Itachi could make out a fang jutting from his mouth. His brow furrowed, trying to remember where he'd seen him.

"Who are you?"

"You recognize me, ne? Haha..." his laugh was low and unnerving, "Yes. You've probably read about me in your family's history. My name is...Uchiha Madara." Itachi's eyes widened in shock. "Yes Itachi...I am the founder of the Uchiha clan. I have lived this long without aging and will never age for the rest of eternity. I am more powerful than you could ever imagine and am near invincible. I am what is called a Kyuuketsuki, and am willing, Itachi...to share my power with you."

"Kyuu...ketsuki?! Those are said only to be characters of myth."

"Oh, I am very, very real, Itachi. Now, are you willing to accept my offer?"

"Why me? And what are the drawbacks of becoming such a beast?"

"Inquisitive one, aren't you? Hn, more like me than I imagined," he mumbled to himself, then spoke up, "It is as I have said. From the moment you were born, I knew you were special. You would be just like me. I've watched you, seen your struggles through life. And I've seen how my clan has strayed from what I'd hoped they'd be. You're the only one who seems true to me, Itachi. I want you by my side. And I know, you desire to punish your family for what they've done to you and your golden haired beauty. I desire to punish them as well. Why not do it together?...And I daresay I've never viewed myself as a beast. Animals are beasts. Kyuuketsuki are even greater beings than humans. We're a long way from being beasts. As for the drawbacks, a few things I feel you can easily adjust to: feeding on a diet of human blood and never being able to step into the sunlight again."

"That's it?"

"I'm afraid so. Everything else you've probably heard about us through the myths are but merely exaggerations of crazed storytellers. I'll give you time to mull it over. Even if you do not agree to come with me, you'll be dead before I actually do eliminate the clan and-"

"I'll do it. Tell me how its done."

Madara smirked. "I don't need to tell you..."

At lightning speed, Madara had Itachi pinned to the ground and his mouth latched onto his neck. He felt a sharp pain, the vampire's fangs breaking the skin and sinking into his jugular. He could feel him sucking his neck, drawing the blood out of the wound. It felt...almost erotic in a sense to Itachi. He drank his blood until he was dry and nearly dead. He couldn't move. If Madara wanted to, he could very easily kill him right then and there. He moved away and sat up, taking Itachi's head in his arm. He bit his wrist. Droplets of the vampire's blood fell onto his kimono, staining the white fabric, as he moved his wound over to Itachi's mouth.

"Drink..."

The raven didn't need to be told twice. He parted his lips to let the crimson liquid dribble into his mouth. He could taste the tang of metal, but it also seemed a bit...savory, almost sweet. He widened his lips a bit more to take the wound completely into his mouth. He raised his hands to press it closer, sucking and guzzling down as much as he could of the addicting substance. He could hear something. A drum? No, a heartbeat. His heartbeat, pace quickening, faster than it'd ever been in his life. And he heard another, Madara's. Very fast as well, they were coming into sync with each other's. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, his heart was too fast and a horrible pain shot up through his entire body. The absolute worst pain he'd ever experienced. He felt like every one of his nerves were on fire. His heart beat rapidly against his chest, threatening to break through, as he cried out in agony. Madara only sat back and laughed weakly. Then it stopped. At the height of the intense pain, everything stopped. He laid back, the vampire's outstretched arm supporting his head. He felt a rush and gasped. Blinking a few times, mentally making sure everything was okay, he sat up and turned to look the vampire in the eyes.

"Perfect. Simply perfect."

Madara helped him stand and he looked down to examine his hands. His skin was as pale as Madara's and baby soft, his nails, which had grown a bit, looked like glass, his body had regained every ounce of strength, plus so much more. He seemed perfectly healthy again. He ran his tongue along the backs of his teeth, fangs. His second incisors sharpened, his canines grew long and sharp, and his bicuspids grew about half the length of his canines. The other stepped over and untied Itachi's hair, bringing a lock of it over his shoulder for him to see. His hair, which he'd not taken care of during his depression, which had become tangled, brittle, and littered with split ends, was healthy as well and silky smooth with a brilliant shine.

"You are absolutely beautiful."

Itachi felt stronger than he'd ever been, healthier, and more alive. He took the opportunity to take in his surroundings. Everything was different to him now. Still the same, but different in a sense. He heard the beating of the fireflies' wings, saw every drop of water that fell into the glistening lake, and felt the air like never before as every fine hair on his skin was stroked in the gentle breeze. He turned to Madara, amazed at the new world around him. The man only gave a sincere smile and, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, led him to the water's edge.

"Look at yourself, Itachi."

The raven bent down and peered into the crystal water. A slight gasp escaped his lips as he looked into his reflection. His face had even changed. Not noticeable to the human eye, but noticeable to his. His eyes. Red as blood. Just like Madara's. He stood and turned to the other.

"Are all kyuuketsuki-"

He stopped, suddenly. His voice. He heard it. Changed as well. As it was with his looks, a human wouldn't notice the difference, but with his newly found senses, he did.

Madara chuckled, "Go on..."

"Are all kyuuketsuki gifted with eyes of crimson?"

"No. This gift varies between all of us. Since you and I are of the same bloodline, it would seem we share the same eyes. As for other features, ones you will gain with age, will be exclusively yours."

"Like what?"

"Like...like when you are a bit older, you, a kyuuketsuki, will become closer to nature. You will gain an attributed animal. Whatever the animal may be depends on how you are in a worldly sense and is different for each of us. With this, you will gain a quality of that animal you may use and hide at will. For instance, a bird or bat, you may gain wings. Whenever you use this quality, your animal will follow you."

"What's yours?"

"Hn...," he sneered.

–

Sasuke sat out front of Itachi's and his wife's room. When the girl had claimed that Itachi had gone missing, his parents called a search party. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help find his brother, but fear held him back. Itachi had been sickly and weak. He didn't look like he would last much longer. A tear ran down the younger's cheek. What if Itachi was dead? If he'd gone out, what would he do if he'd found him? He couldn't bear the thought. The men had already been looking all night and through the earlier part of the day. He sat with Itachi's wife, holding her, letting her weep her fearful tears into his shoulder. His mother and father walked up to the pair. Sasuke looked up at his father, a bit accusingly, his father looking back down sternly. They both stayed perfectly silent.

One of Fugaku's men, the leader of the search, slowly made his way up to where the group was. He knelt down in front of them and spoke solemnly, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. All eyes were upon this man as he chocked out, "Uchiha-sama. In the area common to Itachi-sama in earlier years, we found a great pool of blood. There didn't seem to be any kind of struggle, but the ground is saturated. There is no way anyone could survive losing that much blood. Especially not in Itachi-sama's state. We did not find his body though..."

The two women burst into tears.

"How could you not find his body?" Fugaku asked incredulously.

"Ano...we, uh..."

"If you didn't find his body..." Sasuke spoke and looked up hopefully, "then there could be a possibility it wasn't Itachi?"

"Doubtful, unfortunately, Sasuke-sama. We searched the area thoroughly. And we covered more than enough area. In his state, Itachi couldn't have gotten very far. My guess is that it was him, but someone got to his body first."

Sasuke's heart sank. He was dead. Itachi was really gone. The one person he cared more for than anyone else in the world was gone. He felt like ripping his heart out. Maybe this is how Itachi felt with Deidara...

"Well, this is a terrible turn of events," his father said, exasperatedly, "however, we cannot prolong Sasuke's marriage any more than we already have. The wedding will go as planned. I doubt Itachi would have shown up anyway. Come, Mikoto."

Fugaku put his palm against the small of his wife's back, nudging her to move. She stood up and mopped her face, following her husband away.

Sasuke gave his deepest sympathies to his sister-in-law, kissed her forehead, and trudged back to his room to be alone. All of a sudden, he wasn't feeling too well about his marriage...

–

The next evening, after the sun had faded and moonlight took hold of the land, Itachi was awoken by Madara. The two had taken shelter in a nearby inn during the daylight hours. When the raven opened his eyes, he became overtaken with an intense hunger he'd never felt before.

"Time to feed..." Madara smirked.

They made their way out of the inn, making sure none could see their faces. The face of an Uchiha is easily recognizable no matter if one has seen that particular Uchiha or not. And so, they kept themselves hidden in the shadows, away from everyone.

"You have many new powers now, Itachi. Learn to use them to get what you want, whatever it may be."

"Like what?"

"You can control people's minds to some extent. You can't make them do anything you want, but you can use it to lure them away so you may feed without being noticed. Try it."

"On anyone?"

"Yes, but the weak-minded are easiest obviously. Better for your first try. Here, try him..."

A young man, about Itachi's age had fallen in to walking near them, headed in the same direction, fresh vegetables clasped in his arms, lightly humming a jolly tune. He was a rather handsome young man, a bit shorter than himself, seemingly responsible yet still obviously simple.

"Don't read too deeply into him, Itachi. You don't want to go forming some kind of feeling for him. Remember, humans are but food to us. We need to keep our distance. Now, casually gain his attention. Right when you get the opportunity, lock your eyes with his. Then project your mind into his. Speak to him softly, and he will do what you want."

Itachi nodded to the older and shifted himself over to the unsuspecting man. Feeling the presence of another so close, he turned to look at the raven. As soon as his gaze fixed on his scarlet eyes, Itachi seemed to be able to see into the man's very soul. A simple one indeed. He pushed himself in and fixed himself into the man's mind.

"Good. Now, lead him away."

Itachi prodded the man to change direction and follow him through a small alley and around, behind one of the small buildings. He obeyed. The area was unused and hidden away, out of the moonlight, so if anyone did happen upon them, none would be recognized. He led the man to the far corner and turned to face him. He looked down into hazy brown eyes and raised his hand to stroke his cheek down to his neck.

"A bit nervous?"

"I've never taken a life before..."

"You'll get used to it," Madara said then thought for a moment, watching Itachi stare at the man, and sighed, "Think of it this way...his death will not be meaningless. It will be to serve as your food. You ate meat as a human, did you not?" Itachi nodded, "Then it is the same. You felt no sympathy for the animals you ate, so there is no reason for you to feel sympathy here with him."

"But...he is human...as I used to be."

"Used to be. Not anymore, Itachi. Now, you are more."

"More..."

"Yes, Itachi. Now, take his life. Project a soothing image into his mind. It will keep him calm and quiet as you feed. He will not feel a thing and will be relaxed and content as the life leaves him. If you so wish to keep your humanity, you may do that for him. Search his mind if you need to."

Itachi nodded and started to filter through his memories. As he reached a certain point, he pulled out and turned to Madara, frantically whispering, "I can't do this..."

"Why not?"

"He has...children..."

"Itachi, many people have children. You'll need to kill people who may be parents and may eventually even have to kill children themselves. You need to harden yourself to this. If you try to steer clear of people like this, you'll starve. And when you starve, its harder to control your actions. So let this be your first step. Kill this man. Have his memory of his children be his final thoughts and drink him dry, Itachi."

Itachi nodded, choking back a tear. He reached back in to the man's mind, found the memory and brought it to the forefront of his mind. He seemed to relax after this. His eyes drooped shut and his lips stretched into a small smile. Itachi cradled his head in one hand and exposed his neck with the other. Taking one final look at Madara, he opened wide and sunk his fangs down with precise aim into the man's jugular. As the blood flowed from the wound, down his throat, he felt the same sensation as he did with Madara's blood. Addicting, drawing him in. He could hear the man's heartbeat as it slowed with the lack of blood, became fainter, as his grew stronger. He couldn't help but love this feeling. Before he heard the heart stop completely, he was pulled away.

"Itachi, I will tell you this now," Madara spoke, staring Itachi directly in the eyes, "Never drink the last drop. Stop before the heart stops. We must drink living blood, and no matter what, the last drop will have already died before it leaves the body. Dead blood is poison to us."

Itachi nodded in understanding.

"You've done extraordinarily well, Itachi. Now, let's dispose of the body. We must respect those who have given their life essence to us by at least burying them..."

–

Sasuke sat, staring out his window. Today was his wedding. He should be happy, but he wasn't. He was already dressed in the traditional black montsuki kimono, the Uchiha family crest stitched proudly on the back and over his heart, tied with a black obi, black hakama, and a black haori. His soon-to-be-wife was being prepared in her many layers of traditional attire. A soft breeze flowed through the window, gently blowing his neatly brushed hair. The air was cold against the track of tears that had run down his pale face. He wished Itachi could be there with him.

A knock sounded at his door.

He hastily wiped his tears and answered, "Nani-ka?"

The door opened slightly and Kazumi, stuck her head in through the crack. Sasuke looked at her disdainfully. He'd grown to hate this young woman. She'd been the one who delivered the message that sent Deidara to his death and Itachi spiraling into despair. What made him even more upset was that after doing all of what she did to hurt Itachi, when she realized he wouldn't wake from his mourning, she just completely gave up on him. The young raven saw it as her destroying his brother and ditching everything because the outcome was not in her favor. What was more, she had moved to start flirting with him afterward. He despised every bit of this woman.

"It's time, Sasuke-sama. The ceremony is starting."

"...Hai."

–

Itachi rested up against the trunk of a tree, gazing into the wide, open doorway, watching the reception take place. He had talked Madara into letting him go back to the Uchiha mansion to watch Sasuke's wedding from afar. The older had given in, but insisted to follow in order do make sure the raven would not intervene in some way. But Itachi knew his place. He was dead to the world now. The only time he would show himself again would be to feed, kill his clan, and reunite with his blonde.

He watched, a wide smile on his face, glowing in the light of the full moon. He saw his little brother, dressed in the same outfit he had to wear for his own wedding, he seemed to be enjoying himself, but the raven could tell the younger was not completely happy. His new wife had already changed from her white shiromuku to a bright and colorful iro-uchikake and was beaming with sheer happiness, a giant smile plastered on her delicate, pretty face as she sat next to the younger Uchiha. They were receiving gifts, compliments, and well-wishes from everyone around them: his family, her family, and family friends. His parents sat on Sasuke's other side and his own wife sat next to them, all looking very proud and very happy.

Itachi couldn't help but feel a sharp sting in his heart. He wanted to be there. Wanted to let his little brother know he was all right, to not be sad, and only be happy. But, how could he? Even if he could just walk down there and talk to them, he had no right to speak of happiness. He'd forsaken everyone around him to wallow in regret, self-pity, and hate. As he gazed over at his wife, he'd slightly wished he'd taken Sasuke's advice and treated her better. She deserved it.

"Come on, Itachi. Its time to go."

But he had made his decision and acted of his own accord. He will follow through with Madara's plan and wait through time to see his blonde once again. He gave one last longing glace at Sasuke and turned to disappear into the shadows of the night.

--

Here you go guys! Things will start to go more in Itachi's favor now. Madara has become his mentor and has given him the power he needs to avenge Deidara and live on to see him again. Can't guarantee there won't be any kind of complications though. That's all right. Itachi's strong. He can handle whatever's thrown his way. Anyways, you can probably guess what's gonna happen in the next chapter. Will work on that over the next couple days while I'm off. Next couple of weeks is gonna be busy at work though with all the parties and celebrations going on where people will be needing costumes, alterations, accessories, and stuff. Will work on writing on my days off though. Please leave a review guys! Inspires me to write faster! Anyways, ja!