車輪の兄弟

Sharingan no Gokyoudai

-Brothers of the Sharingan-

Summery: In which, Itachi has been captured and is being held in Kumogakure. Sasuke must travel to see him, in the hopes of bringing him back to Konoha, or gaining information about Akatsuki. Having to visit the man in his holding cell, with the Raikage refusing to give over the Uchiha murderer, will Sasuke find he still holds a bond with his brother?

Disclaimer: This product is meant for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Some assembly required. Batteries not included. Use only as directed. Flammable.

A/N: Hey all! I'm back with an update.

Now, this chapter is a major milestone in the story, so I want no comments on the massive amount of angst! Lets face it, its a Sasuke/Itachi story - it is going to be filled with angst at every turn. But, I hope you all find some solace in the events of this chapter - especially if you've read the latest manga! The end of Itachi and Sasuke's reaction and everything was just... heartrenching. It makes me glad I've started this story, because this has become my outlet for my depression over that which is the canon Sasuke-Itachi relationship.

Ah well, anyway. Enough of my ramblings. I hope you all enjoy this new chap.

Chapter 6: Begin Again

The cool sounds of his shoes hitting the hard tiles underfoot reverberated around the wide hallway as the boy continued forward, pushing on despite the chilling sense of alarm that filled him, his heart beating fiercely despite his growing familiarity with the surroundings.

The silence in the halls of the criminal cell blocks of Kumogakure was almost deafening, as though every resident there simply wasted away their days without a single sound to prove their existence, merely awaiting the fleeting days when someone would come to see them - which were, no doubt, few and far between.

Sasuke concentrated on breathing deeply, his mind a mess of confused and conflicting thoughts, as he forced himself to stay focused on the purpose of this particular visit. He would see Itachi again, despite how difficult it may be to do so - and he would tell him what needed to be said, if he hoped that they might ever move past the hatred of their past.

That morning, Sasuke had wasted no time. He had woken earlier than usual, with every intent of avoiding Naruto and escaping the apartment before the blonde got up - fearing that Naruto would talk him out of it if the boy new he was going to see his brother again after saying that he wouldn't. He knew Naruto meant well, but Kakashi words rang truer in Sasuke's mind, and he knew he would have to talk to Itachi - not let what might be a one-off opportunity with his brother pass him by, as he knew Naruto would probably rather he do.

Making a stop over at the Raikage tower to retrieve Yamada so that he would be granted entrance to the holding cells, Sasuke had also managed to see Tsunade for first time since he had declared his staying in Kumogakure. From the obvious stress of the Hokage, Sasuke could tell instantly that the trial of Itachi's return to Konoha was not going well - and, despite the fact that he probably should also have been annoyed, Sasuke instead found himself relieved that he would have more time to deal with the current situation. When Itachi was brought back to Konoha, after all, he was facing the death penalty. And suddenly, though Sasuke had not dwelled on the shocking revelation long, he found that Itachi's death was no longer something he could handle thinking about.

He had received a quick nod from Kakashi, no doubt a sign of approval for his plan to visit Itachi, and then Yamada and he had set off. Now, Sasuke felt the nerves he had been suppressing all day flourish all through his body, and the anxiousness that overtook him at the thought of seeing his brother again - with the memories of what had happened last time, and the revelations he had had since - the situation was suddenly daunting. He would press on though, he told himself, as the cool surface underfoot continued to echo his footsteps down the tiled hall - he would do what was neccisary to perhaps finally end the suffocating tension that had rested between he and Itachi since the day of the Uchiha clan massacre.

He would say what needed to be said.

"Here we are, Sasuke." Yamada's ever-cheerful voice met his ears then, and Sasuke tried not to flinch, as he was startled from fragmented memories of Itachi's actions the day before, the words he had said, how he had touched him, the look on face when Sasuke had turned to leave...

Looking forward, Sasuke saw they had indeed reached their destination. The door, a heavy metal hatchet barrier like all the others, with a single difference - a white number 'nine' imprinted on the smooth stone metallic surface of the entrance. Itachi lay behind this door. The very thought was enough to send Sasuke's mind reeling, and he was hard pressed to calm himself as every muscle in his body tensed, and he nodded to Yamada.

"I'll be out here, when you leave." Yamada informed him unnecessarily, but Sasuke had a feeling the words were meant more to reassure him than anything else. It must be obvious how nervous he was - after all, Yamada had been there when Sasuke had told him to inform Itachi that he would never come again. He knew that something had happened, and that Sasuke had decided to return. He understood that Sasuke was struggling right now.

The young Uchiha nodded once again, not bothering to voice any of his thoughts to Yamada, as he instead concentrated on the task at hand - preparing himself to face Itachi again.

The heavy metal door swung open slowly, the hinges of the entrance complaining at the weight of the barrier, as the cool air from inside the cell seemed to immediately envelope him - as though the coolness of it was an extension of Itachi's presence itself - and Sasuke suppressed a shiver as he steeled his nerves, and boldly took a step forward, without sparing a glance at Yamada.

Walking carefully, slowly, Sasuke walked where only a few days before he said he would never go again, his words reverberating in his mind.

"You will tell criminal nine, that I will not be coming here again."

Sasuke tried to imagine what Itachi's expression must have been when Yamada had told him that, for the boy had no doubt that the elder Uchiha would have been informed of his words. Was Itachi disappointed? Was he angry with him? Sasuke would not have been surprised by any reaction the man would have had, when he had not as of late been able to accurately predict any of Itachi's words or actions. Perhaps Itachi doesn't want to be visited by him anymore.

Sasuke continued to move slowly, his body tense although his eyes were slightly wide, almost in a state of panic for all that he wondered if he was even welcome here anymore - how would Itachi react to him now?

The thought suddenly occurred to the youth, that Itachi could hurt him. And not just physically anymore. When had he unwittingly awarded Itachi that power? Probably the moment he began talking to his brother with more than spite in his voice. He never could find the strength to hate Itachi as much as he needed to.

And suddenly, the door closed behind him, and Sasuke was standing in the cell. The very first thing the boy noticed, though, was not the coolness of air where Itachi had left the window open - as he had always liked to do right before he was about to shower, nor the fact that a plate of what must be his brother's breakfast was sat steaming on the low table to the left of the room, and how this all indicated that perhaps he had come at a bad time. All that Sasuke saw, was the figure of his brother - standing in the middle of the room, apparently about to make his way to the bathroom, and now frozen in place - with a strange expression covering his face.

Sasuke was deadly still, and for one long pause, neither of the brothers dared to move - as though even the slightest adjustment of their positions would shatter whatever delicate link lay between them.

After a moment though, Sasuke saw Itachi's expression clear slightly, and instead, the shock that had covered the elder Uchiha's face a moment before was replaced with an indescribable relief.

"I had thought that you would not return." Itachi's tone was low and cool, as always, but he spoke so softly and gently, that Sasuke was made all too aware of the emotion behind his words.

Hesitating only slightly, Sasuke mustered the courage he needed to reply, "I wasn't going to."

Itachi did not skip a beat though, "I am glad that you did."

A silence seemed to stretch for a moment then, long and awkward, and despite the many harsh feelings that still roared within him, and the choice things he knew he needed to say, Sasuke could not help the polite question from forming; "Do you... mind if we talk?"

Itachi's expression became one of surprise, but he was still obviously feeling the relief of his younger brother's mere presence, as he nodded immediately, "Of course, Sasuke."

Sasuke chose to ignore the way Itachi had drawled his name, his mind unable to comprehend the strange and long-forgotten affection that lay behind it, and instead focussed on resisting the urge to avert his eyes from his older brother - he had to make sure the elder Uchiha knew he meant was he was going to say. He had to be strong.

Itachi sat down apon his bed, and gestured to the place beside him with a pleasant smile that Sasuke had realised as of late was saved just for him, as his older brother spoke again; "Will you sit, Sasuke?"

Again, the drawling, intimate placement of his name - and Sasuke squared his shoulders. No, he would not sit. He would stay this distance from Itachi, just in the middle of the room, where the elder could not touch him and make him stumble in his purpose - he would tell it to the man straight, and he would make Itachi face this along with him.

"No." He responded, and this time he spoke, his tone was harsh.

Sasuke then had the minute pleasure and simultaneous regret of seeing his brother's expression fall, as Itachi frowned instead, but sat patiently and waited for Sasuke to continue, as it was obvious the youth would be doing the talking here.

Sasuke took a few deep breaths, finally allowing his eyes to stray from Itachi's patient expression to the window behind the bed the man sat on. He took only a minute to consider his words, before forcing himself to plough on. It was now or never.

"We will talk." Sasuke announced demandingly, his voice quiet though he fought to keep a stern tone, "And you will listen." He told Itachi, his eyes flickering to Itachi's in case the elder tried to argue.

Itachi did not attempt any rebuttal, however - and to Sasuke's surprise, he instead seemed to be resigned and accepting, his expression understanding - as though he had anticipated this very discussion.

"Speak then, Sasuke." Itachi told him, and it was with great care and understanding that he nodded to his younger brother, "I will hear you."

Suddenly then, with no warning to the young Uchiha whatsoever, the emotions that had been buried inside of him for so long, with a mere look at Itachi's face, bubbled unstoppably to the surface of Sasuke's mind, his heart ached as he spoke to his brother.

"I had never... expected this." Sasuke's tone was soft, though he had no doubt that Itachi could hear him, as his expression flickered with conflicting emotions, "I never thought I would actually talk to you again. Not like this." The grim reality registered in the youth's eyes as he then stated almost coldly, "I wanted to kill you."

His eyes rose to Itachi's then, and he was not surprised to see that the man's expression was not angry at this truth. "I was going to fight you to the death. No matter what." Sasuke continued, "I have trained, every day of my life ever since that day, with only the purpose of killing you." Sasuke's expression became pained then, as he told Itachi in a whisper, "I could never forgive you."

To his own minute surprise, he saw the hurt that flashed through Itachi's eyes at those words, though the older Uchiha did not turn his face away from Sasuke's, his eyes keenly on the boy's face, accepting every word.

"There's too much I don't think I can ever forgive." Sasuke said, his voice gaining volume and certainty now, before he felt the anger boil within him, and he knew his expression wavered on sadness and outrage as he suddenly hissed condemningly, "You left me alone!"

Sasuke's teeth gritted, his jaw tense, as he took a step forward then, no longer able to contain himself as one his fists clenched, "I was six years old, Itachi!" He yelled then, the loudest he had ever been around the other man, and, he realised, the first time he had dared to say his name.

His words rung true and undebated in the room as his breathing became harsh, and Sasuke saw the deep pain that began to seep through Itachi's expression - but the youth did not, could not stop his words from flowing out of his mouth, out of his mind.

"You left me all alone!" He continued to shout, unable to control the anger and the pain that rocked him, his body beginning to shake, his volume growing, "You took everything!"

"I know." Itachi whispered softly, his tone quiet and understanding.

Sasuke's eyes flashed with anger, and he snarled at his brother, "I blame you." He spoke cruelly, taking a sadistic gratitude from the hurt he saw grow in his the other Uchiha's eyes, "It's your fault."

Itachi lowered his gaze, for the first time averting his eyes, and Sasuke saw his brother filled with shame. "I am sorry."

Sasuke shook with anger, his eyes wild then, as he growled, "And then you have the fucking nerve to say to me, that you won't leave me?" He demanded in outrage, speaking of what Itachi had said the day before, the reason he had stormed out. "You left me! You abandoned me. Like I was nothing to you." He hissed lowly, "You have no right to protect me! You have no fucking right to give me promises and hopes!"

Itachi was frowning intensely, and Sasuke fell silent for a moment - his chest heaving with the emotional turmoil he was riding through, and then, Itachi's lips parted very slightly, and he stated simply;

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke fumed, his eyes wide and in pain, "I was too young, and you didn't... you didn't even c-care!" The younger hated that he had stumbled on that last word, and the pain became overwhelming inside of him, his heaving now starting to turn to sobs, and he couldn't help it.

Itachi's eyes rose to his in a flash though, and for the first time the other Uchiha offered his own words of truth, the only argument he would make. "I always cared."

"You never cared!" Sasuke screamed in denial, the tears rushing to his eyes now as the pain of his own words hit him. "You hated me! You d-destroyed my life and made me suffer. I-I was so b-broken... and you didn't even w-want me." The boy's voice faltered and he fought against the tears that he refused to let fall from his eyes.

Itachi's own expression crumbled at Sasuke's words, as he stood up from his spot and stepped closer to Sasuke, speaking vehemently, his tone strained with emotion, "I have always loved you, Sasuke."

"No!" The boy rejected his brother's words, shaking his head violently, his body shaking uncontrollably, as he tried to retreat, "You h-hate me! And... and I'm sorry," Sasuke sobbed loudly then as the unpredictable words slipped from his lips, words not even he had ever understood, "I sorry I couldn't do it! I was too weak, and I... j-just couldn't, couldn't hate you! Even when you did... you s-said so, and then you..." Sasuke looked into Itachi's eyes then, and for the first time he felt his own disbelief at the reality of his next words, as he spoke in barely a strangled whisper, "... you hurt me, Aniki."

The old name slipped from his lips before Sasuke could even register it, and now he stood in shock. Itachi, too, was frozen as soon as the term of endearment had left his brother's lips - and Sasuke was unable to comprehend anything, his mind silent for the first time in too long, as he saw a single tear fall down Itachi's porcelain cheek - before arms enveloped him.

Sasuke did not struggle as he thought he should, the shock of his own words and Itachi's actions overwhelming him, as the sudden and incomprehensible warmth of his brother enveloped him like a fond memory, long forgotten.

Itachi held him tightly, his head bowed to Sasuke's shoulder as he refused to let him go, embracing his little brother as though it were the last thing left for him - the only way he could show that, he did love Sasuke.

After a moment, the anger Sasuke felt ebbed away completely, and the sadness and grief that he had suppressed all of his life was more real that it had ever been. The youth sobbed, as he no longer attempted to withhold his crying, and let the tears flow freely down his cheeks. In every way he thought he would never be able to again, Sasuke buried his face into Itachi's chest, his own arms rising to cling at Itachi's back like a lifeline - and he heard a soft sound akin to a cry of surprise and relief escape Itachi's lips beside his ear as he felt his younger brother return the embrace almost desperately.

And then, something between them shattered. A barrier that had lain between the brothers since the fated day of the Uchiha massacre, a day which still remained a mystery to the younger, now felt as though it were lifted from them - and a new kind of warmth resided within Sasuke, filling the space where all of his grief and anger had previously lain.

Just like that, Sasuke had voiced the things he had bottled up inside of himself since young childhood. And more than that, Itachi had heard him - had told him that it wasn't true, he didn't hate him - and to Sasuke's own surprise, he had discovered that he didn't hate Itachi as he thought he had.

Silence stretched between them for a long time - and for how long they simply stood there, their arms wrapped fiercely around each other in an embrace that should have happened long ago, Sasuke will never know. But by the time they slowly drew away from each other, personal space between them readjusting and normalcy returning to the air, Sasuke felt somehow lighter than he had been before. The boy wiped at his cheeks, obscuring the evidence of his crying, as he carefully avoided his brother's eyes - as though embarrassed for his strong reaction to what, in hindsight, he had only expected to be a pointed conversation - and had somehow turned into an emotional clash of painful truths.

Itachi's face was as Sasuke had never seen it though, as the older Uchiha seemed more relieved and sated than ever before, like he had faced a great fear and somehow managed to come out the other side alive. Perhaps he had.

Even though it had been only a moment ago that they had held each other, Itachi hesitated then, as though struggling with himself for a moment, before he was unable to resist his hand rising to touch Sasuke gently, his fingers meeting the boy's soft black hair and his thumb lightly rubbing the youth's cheek.

Sasuke's eyes softened at the touch, for the first time relaxing in Itachi's presence, as though letting go of the invisible tension between them, and the usual alarm that filled him when Itachi acted this way was gone. Instead, Sasuke felt himself grateful - as though, although nothing had been said - Itachi could somehow make it all right.

After a moment more of simply reveling in the fact that Sasuke was finally letting him touch him, Itachi graced the boy with the gentlest of smiles, before he spoke once again, and his words - though simple, were finally heard.

"I am glad you do not hate me, Sasuke." The boy's eyes closed as he felt Itachi's fingers on his cheek, so softly, and the man's voice continued evenly, "Although I have not explained things quite yet, I do hope you will understand me when I say, that I am trying. Nothing I can do will ever erase our past," He amended seriously, "And I will never try to deny what has happened, and what I have done. But you and I... we can move past even our history, Sasuke."

The elder Uchiha's hand slipped under Sasuke's chin then, and the boy's eyes opened, his lips parting in slight surprise as Itachi tilted his face up to look into his, and Sasuke saw - really saw, for the first time - the sincerity that lay in his brother's eyes.

"We can do this, only if you still want it, Sasuke." Itachi told the boy very quietly, as though it were a secret plan for only them to hear, "We can stop causing each other pain, and begin again."

For some reason, these words hit Sasuke hard, and he was faced with the seemingly impossible future that Itachi was offering. Could they really move past everything that had happened between them? Could they, in clear conscience, dismiss the deaths of their clan, of their parents, and renew their relationship to become something other than hatred and regret? Would they have the strength to become brothers again?

Sasuke's eyes glinted with a hope he knew was showing, and which he couldn't bring himself to hide, as he saw that same hopefulness in Itachi's eyes.

Itachi wanted this every bit at much as Sasuke did - and for the first time in his entire life, the younger Uchiha knew that.

And that was enough.

"Yes." Sasuke whispered quietly, condemning himself to a future he had never envisioned for himself and had, although he hadn't known it, always wanted. "We can do that, can't we... Itachi?"

The voicing of his name, so softly, and for the first time without any hatred put behind it, seemed to suddenly alight Itachi's face, and his response was with a careful smile and a level of warmth to his tone. "We can, Otouto."

The time in Itachi's cell seemed to pass by quickly after that. As though the very element which had slowed the time between them had ebbed away with the painful words that had been said, and they spent the rest of the day simply sitting together, speaking lightly about nothing much at all, drinking tea and, for the first time in too long - actually enjoying each other's presence. It was a leisure and a joy that had been deprived of them for too long.

With a smile and a deep breath that brought an end to it all - Sasuke knew that day, as he walked away from Itachi's cell, after a soft goodbye and a promise to return tomorrow - that they really were going to start anew. This was real - and they weren't what they were only a day ago. They were finally free to be whatever they wanted to be, at least to each other.

And even though Sasuke couldn't quite believe everything that been said and done; truths still as yet unproven in his mind and too hard to accept just yet, such as Itachi's words of love and the possibility of a happy future, the boy knew it was more than he had ever expected even if it were all to end now.

From here, Sasuke felt that as long as he and Itachi kept to their words and tried to be more than a source of pain for one another, then maybe it could all be all right one day. Because suddenly, none of why he was here had anything to do with revenge, or trials, or the Akatsuki.

This was about them. It was about Sasuke and Itachi.

It always has been.

A/N: Whoop! Sasuke and Itachi are gonna looooooove each other again. XD

Man, I can't wait till the yaoi really arrives, aye? These two are just so fun to write.

So! If you are happy by their little reconcilment and am looking forward to the yaoi, please do not refrain from letting me know. :)

I will return with an update soon, within the next week, most likely (If I gets lot of reviews! -shift eyes-).

-Emerald-