Geez, people.
And the flamer goes all sorry for her mistake after what she pulled. I thank you all for encouraging me to write despite that remarkable stupidity. As for her, it make take a long time to forgive you OR not at all. Your flame is really pointing to my confidence as an author and writing style. I DID flame you, but it was more like criticizing which was very different compared with what you did, and do you think it's funny?
So, what do you think my dearest readers? Forgive her or not?
Part 1: Stained Red
"Nee-chan..."
Emerald eyes flashed before blinking several times, "Hmm...?"
Sasuke made a worried sound on his lips before looking at his last family directly as if pleading, "You've been crying...again." He ran up and embraced the older girl before sitting beside her, "...I would kill him, I promise you. So please don't cry."
Sakura tipped her head to the right, "I'm not crying, Sasuke-kun." She sniffed silently, "...And I don't want you to be like your brother."
The Uchiha stared at her, unbelieving. She was lying, there was no denying that. She was the only woman who showed that she cares, not including those nifty fan girls that only liked him because of his ruggedly good looks and brains, and that loud mouthed Naruto and annoying fan girl Izumi, who of all the people on the ninja world, were his teammates therefore composing team seven with the perverted Hatake Kakashi as their sensei whose hobby is to read a certain book every day.
It had been four years since the massacre, establishing Sasuke's goal— to kill his brother, and resurrect the clan. He would loved to see that man lying in his own pool of blood, his eyes fading with each every passing second, and with his last breath, he will regret with what he did.
He was now at the age of twelve, just a year to go before he completely graduate at the academy with the highest grades ever since...second to his older brother.
Sakura currently had been at seventeen, still completely vague about the massacre and Itachi's betrayal. Her fan boys had drastically increased their number which they kept annoying the hell out of the both of them.
She had been on in the ANBU four years ago, and had completely abandoned her clan...killing the leader secretly— her aunt.
Sasuke had watched and helped, but...as she explained what her reason is, it seems that it was the correct thing that she should do, whether it was right or wrong against anyone else.
His brother had never been seen since then, the last thing he heard was that he had joined an organization called 'Akatsuki' for some reason...Power again? He didn't doubt that.
Uchiha Sasuke would kill Uchiha Itachi—
"Don't." He heard a soft whisper on his left.
He looked at her nee-chan. "Don't Sasuke-kun...don't hate him like what he said, don't follow his steps. If you thirst for revenge, it will soon consume you. We will defeat him together without turning ourselves of what he did."
She continued, "There must be a reason...why he did kill everyone."
Sasuke nearly scoffed, "Yeah right. It was power, I'm sure. He was obsessed with it."
"Then...why was a part of you resenting?" Sakura befuddled, "Even though he killed all of those that are important to him...he couldn't kill you." She smiled weakly, "...You're special to him Sasuke-kun."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save anyone...I never thought he would really do it. But when I arrived, I saw you, the only one alive but unconscious." She continued.
The boy's brows furrowed, "Special is overrating, Sakura-nee-chan. Perhaps he's planning to do something to my sharingan." He concluded tonelessly, "That's why he told me to hate him and get stronger...so that when I activate the mangekyou, he would take it and transplant them as his...It was all for obtaining power on the end."
She stayed silent for a while, "...Why would he do it? What is Mangekyou anyway?"
Sasuke locked gaze with her, "He told me on that night to go to a certain place." He explained, "Wherein the Sharingan's real secret is kept. Mangekyou is a special form of Sharingan that only a few can activate under certain circumstances."
He paused, "You will need to kill your closest or best friend."
Sakura blinked, "...Then that means?"
Sasuke nodded, "Aa. He did. He killed Shisui-san." He hissed, "With that, he had obtained those eyes. It was very powerful...but..."
"...Shisui..." Sakura froze, "...But what?"
"Not only would it bring complete blindness after fifteen years of use..." He crossed his arms and glared at the air, "and in turn for the power that it had given..."
"...It would shorten the user's life span with an incurable disease."
Silence.
"F-For how long...?"
"When the user gets completely blind, he would die." He closed his eyes, "Knowing him, Itachi could at least live for five years, at best."
Sasuke activated his bloodline, "The only thing to prevent it is to acquire another mangekyou...which he thought I would have."
"No..."
"It's true, Nee-chan."
"Sasuke-kun..." She shook her head, "Do you think it was...really just for power?"
He did not respond.
"...But I know that...he did love the both of us, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke glared at her for a split second, "That's completely impossible."
"So...When did you first activate your sharingan...?"
"...In a mission." He lied through gritted teeth.
Sakura sighed, "You are lying."
"No...! I wasn't—
"...You are lying, Sasuke-kun. I thought that you have trusted me completely, but why are you lying to me now?" She frowned slightly, "Are you afraid to say the truth?"
Sasuke shook his head before sighing, "Alright...I just really thought that I was seeing things..." He paused, "I activated it on that night."
"Then?"
"I tried to catch him...but I failed." He gritted his teeth, "but before I was completely knocked out...I saw Itachi..."
He took a deep breath before staring at the ground, "H-He was...crying..."
Sakura's eyes widened,"...B-But why?"
"I don't know..."
Sakura decided to end up this conversation especially seeing the younger boy fidgeting with each word he says and... Itachi cried?
She looked at the Uchiha before pulling him to her and kissing him onto his cheek, "There was something more to this...and we'll know it someday..."
She smiled, "I promise."
The Uchiha nodded, "I know we will, Nee-chan."
"Saaaaaassssssuke-kkkkkkkun!"
Sasuke brows furrowed, "Here they go again...Can we please go faster, Nee-chan?" He jumped towards a roof, "I can't wait for our next training!"
Sakura smirked, looking up, "Well, just make sure that you are going to win this time."
Sasuke huffed, "Kakashi taught me a new technique, you don't know it...I can use it to my advantage, and eventually I would win."
"Well, then Uchiha Sasuke, I'm challenging you right now...which of us would get to the training grounds first?"
Sasuke focused chakra on his feet,
"And it would be me..."
Sasuke's P.O.V.
Huff.
Damn it, I lost again.
She always wins, I never did.
She was too strong, unlike me. Our gap was too huge.
Just like me and him.
Perhaps she can defeat Itachi...and I wouldn't even stand a chance.
I had always been top in the academy, ranking the highest in all the children studying there, but I've never been noticed by father. Itachi and Sakura-nee-chan were the only ones who ever did. And I despised it. I had always been weak compared to the both of them.
I've also noticed...Sakura-nee-chan became distant after what had happened. I knew that deep inside her heart was full of misery, hate, fear, anguish...I realized it when I saw her kill her own aunt; she just doesn't show it to me or she didn't really want me to know it. She always smiles at me...but it had all been a fake.
Aniki was like her.
They can be classified like twins...distant, cold...they just keep on hiding their real emotions.
I understand, no, I refuse to understand that— Itachi had killed all of them because of overflowing hate, not power. I've seen father overexerting him like he didn't give a damn for brother's physical and emotional condition, just because for the sake of the clan...And sometimes...no...seldom...I'm beginning to understand why Itachi did that...and I...I...did love him after all...
But—
Why did he spare me? Am I really that special?
Did he love me after all?
If he ever did, am I glad...?
His reason...
His reason for killing them...
I can't find anything except that he wanted power and to test his capabilities just like what he said to me on that night.
But sometimes, I still wonder if he had not chose to kill the clan...
He and I would grow up happily, with Sakura-nee-chan of course.
He would join the police force, and father...
My mind and heart doesn't want to accept it: Would father treat me like the way he did to Itachi?
Would he want me to get stronger and stronger with no emotions at all just like a complete puppet...?
No...I shook those thoughts away.
Itachi wanted to get power. He killed our clan to test his capabilities. He never had loved me. He would get my sharingan and kill me afterwards.
I would kill him and avenge my clan, and that's final.
Sakura's P.O.V.
Sasuke-kun...I don't even know what you think of your brother...I don't even understand what Itachi's plans are either...
In that time...what was he thinking...?
Frankly, I had thought, it was inevitable in that time, that we started to fall for each other.
I just couldn't accept it...If Itachi hadn't killed them...maybe, just maybe, we can live together...happily.
But my assumptions were completely wrong. Itachi doesn't love— he can't love anyone.
I killed my aunt, true, but I did it for a cause unlike him...she was a bastard, planning to take over Konoha through me.
Itachi had killed each and every one of them, mercilessly. He had completely smothered his emotions as he never thought of holding back...
But, still—
I've seen Itachi smile a true smile. I've heard him laugh...he had been happy despite all of the tiring missions.
Uchiha Itachi...
What are you really planning?
Normal P.O.V.
A blue chakra emerged from Sasuke's hand as it sounded like chirping of thousand birds before he lunged towards Sakura with incredible speed, I'll show her what I can do!
"Sasuke-kun, attack me as if I'm an enemy." She said, "And don't go get over confident about yourself."
"Che." He activated his sharingan, "I'll show you what a true heir of the Sharingan can do!"
Kakashi-san had been teaching him chidori at a young age...? I better speak to him later about this... She thought while mulling how extremely unwise that man had been.
He glared at her unmoving form before, with his speed, practically teleported towards her back, Move, dammit...She's still underestimating me...
"Don't blame me if you die!"
Sakura slowly turned around and watched the incoming jutsu approach her, aiming straight for her chest. Sure, that would technique could kill her, but—
Crack.
The Uchiha's eyes widened as he watched the blue blow dissipate which each passing second, his wrist held tight in Sakura's hand.
She stared at him, a bit disappointed. "I told you not to get too confident about yourself," She frowned, "What if Itachi was the one in here? What would you do?"
"Itachi. Itachi. Itachi!" He spat, "Why was it always him, Nee-chan?! Would you just get over him and focus on our own lives. The Itachi you knew was dead!"
She blinked, "I'm telling you that what you would do if Itachi is here, not me? You think you're strong enough to defeat him, but you are wrong. I'm just reminding you to stop getting too full of yourself, Sasuke."
Sasuke grunted before staring at the ground, "I'm sorry...I just don't want you to think of me as a child and underestimating me for that reason."
The older girl released her grip before kneeling at the boy's height, "You would need to train more...and then, the both of us would defeat him." She smiled before wrapping her arms around his lean frame, putting her chin on his shoulder, "Alright?"
She felt him nod frantically, "I just...want to get stronger to protect you, nee-chan...I don't want to lose you. You're the last..."
She moved her head before kissing him on the forehead, "I really love you, Sasuke-kun..."
He blushed, looking away, "...Un!"
--Akatsuki headquarters--
Four, five, six...or eight?
"Seven."
Uchiha Itachi narrowed his eyes at the blue fingers placed few inches from his pale face. His eyesight did not get any better over these last years and yet, he did not even get to see his otouto once ever since he had killed his clan, therefore, his plan was not going on track according to what he had sought.
He fought back a grunt as he heard the shark-nin exasperatedly sighed, retracting his fingers away from his face.
"It's four, Itachi-san." Kisame stated.
"..."
"You really should grab a medic before you go completely blind."
"...Perhaps so."
Kisame grabbed his Samehada which was leaning against a wall, leaving his over-silent team mate sitting on the couch, and standing up leaving behind the Uchiha in complete silence.
"Where are you going?"
Well, that was unexpected from the Uchiha Itachi. "I'm going to get a drink. Why? Wanna come to?"
"..."
Kisame sighed before turning around, "What...? You're awfully quiet, something wrong?" He shouldered the gigantic sword.
Three rules regarding about Uchiha Itachi that he had kept in mind in the four years they had been together as partners at Akatsuki:
One. If you piss him off too much, he would kill you. Brutally.
Two. Never, ever disobey his orders.
Three. If being too or overly quiet, needs something.
"..."
Kisame shrugged his shoulders, "What do you need?"
"..."
"Aww, come on. You need something, don't you?"
Itachi nodded curtly.
"What is it?"
"...Konoha."
The mist-nin rolled his eyes, "You miss Konoha...?"
Itachi glared at him as if saying: You are over exaggerating.
"Fine. Fine. Off to Konoha then. I'll ask permission from leader first. Then after that we can go, okay?" Kisame held the door knob.
"Kisame."
The mist-nin shakily turned the object, ready to run for his dear life.
"Don't treat me like a child."
He grinned, turning his head to the right. "Well you are younger than me."
The Uchiha rose from his seat, sharingan illuminating dangerously.
"Ha ha...better go. See you..." He opened the door and ran through it.
Itachi stared at the ground.
Four...it had been a long time.
Part 2: A chance meeting
"Nostalgic, isn't it?"
"...Aa."
Kisame stared at him, bewildered. He shouldered Samehada, shrugging the thought away, "What is it that you wanted here anyway?"
"Find something that amuses you. Make sure that you don't get caught."
Kisame refused the urge to roll his eyes, "Fine..." He sighed, "Ja ne, Itachi-san." And then, he was gone.
"Sasuke-kun...you can go home now, I'll just go somewhere to bathe..." She smiled as she saw the younger boy blush.
"...Okay..."
Sakura leaned a little, kissing him on the forehead. "Take care okay?"
"There's nothing dangerous out here, except those annoying fan girls." He stated.
Sakura chuckled before walking away, "I'll see you later."
They've separated...
Their chakra still had been different in sizes. And here I thought you've changed Sasuke.
Itachi sighed, Sasuke or Sakura?
He stopped vacillating and decided to head for the bigger one.
This place...Sakura put her hands on the zipper on her shirt... Is where he had...
She removed her forehead protector, setting it beside a tree. I haven't been here for a while...
Whistling slightly, a large tiger appeared amidst the large amount of trees.
"It's been a while, Neko!" She embraced the said tiger, "You hadn't change a bit...!"
It only purred in response.
She giggled, "I just want you to secure my clothes...err...from you know whom..." She straightened, "I'm just going to bathe in that lake."
The tiger practically nodded.
"Well then..." She removed her black pants, followed by her black, fishnet shirt. Looking around, making sure that Neko was the only one was there, and finding no one else, she stripped her undergarments and dipped her foot on the lake.
Fidgeting slightly from the cold, she completely submerged on the water, finding it quite relaxing against her sweaty skin.
Itachi...where could you probably be?
This place...
Itachi jumped towards a tree, masking his chakra with great proficiency.
The chakra is located here...Where could she be—
He froze immediately at the sight, Sakura was...beautifully naked...and unfortunately for him, she was submerged on the lake with her back turned away and her waist long hair was covering the places he could only see. He blinked before looking away, giving some privacy to her over provocative disposition.
He sighed slightly as he heard a few unnecessary sounds on a bush located near the lake. So...they still haven't been gone?
He stared at two men, whose jaws were wide open and noses where blooded. In seconds, he grabbed a kunai and silently slit their throat, making them fall dead on the ground with a small thud. He blinked before peeking shortly where she should have been, and realized it was just an empty space.
He cursed silently before he found himself trapped in a genjutsu. As I expected, Sakura...
Taking a slow breath, he effortlessly dispelled the jutsu, reflecting it back into her, but it was dispelled immediately.
"Techniques that level won't work on me."
He heard a soft sigh towards his back, and a kunai placed against his neck, "...Hmm..."
"It's been a long time...Sakura-san..."
"The Itachi I know was dead." She retaliated immediately.
He closed his eyes, noting the cold voice he had just heard "...Do you hate me then?"
Sakura was almost taken aback by the sudden question, but decided not to linger on it, "...Why?"
He gripped the blade and retracted it away from his neck. "Why what?"
"Why did you kill them?"
Itachi turned around, and on another unfortunate event, she was fully clothed, "What do you think?"
She took a step back, "You seek power, correct? You've always been like that."
"No..."
"What?"
"That I cannot tell you."
"Figures."
He inwardly sighed,"Sakura-san...How is Sasuke doing?"
She blinked, was he actually concerned? "He was...none of your concern."
Itachi took a step further as she stepped back, "He was my concern, Sakura-san." The grass crunched under his feet, "Now please tell me."
Sakura cursed as she felt the bark of a tree hit her back, "Fine...He became entirely covered in hate and thirst for power to kill you. Tell me, Itachi-san. Are you happy with what your brother has become?"
"Did he get stronger?" He questioned, dodging the subject.
"...No...He was still weak...not enough to scratch you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes..."
He smirked, "How have you been?"
"I...why are you being so concerned anyway?" She frowned, backing away from his as possible.
"I told you, both of you are my concern." He pinned her against the tree, having no room for her to escape.
"You've joined an organization." She stated.
"I did."
She stayed silent for a while, "Are you really that obsessed with power that you've even kill the most that you cherished for?"
"What do I most cherish for, Sakura-san?"
"Your family."
"...No."
"Itachi-san!!" Okay...that was his partner's voice.
"Are you going to kill me...?"
"..."
He leaned in to her ear, "Let this be a hint, Sakura-san..."
"I am a tool."
Slowly brushing her bangs away, he stared at her expression. "You've been...improving."
She flustered slightly as she knew what he meant before saying softly, "...Sasuke-kun and I would kill you...soon. Expect that."
"Do you hate me...?"
"I—
Before she could even reply, he was already gone.
She breathlessly gasped for air at what just happened.
Itachi...what do you mean?
A/N:
Spoiler: So this story would follow what Itachi's plan is in the manga. Sakura was just inserted...8D. Hey, THIS IS ITASAKU, PEOPLE!!
And Sasuke would have been less cold because Sakura was there and yeah...quite diverging from the main story line because of her and coming up with a few forks that was fictional and made by me.
Also, I tried to make Itachi's personality identical on what the manga had him...he goes saying, 'did you get a little taller?' and became completely overprotective for his little brother XD, I hope that you don't find him OOC, though.
See you!
P.S. Forgive or not forgive?
-RA13-