My reviewers have DIED. Seriously. I have ONE, and occasionally a second. D: A little tiny bit of a note for this chapter. Let's just say Naruto and Sai were ready, and had their entire plan laid out before Sasuke woke up, but they are faking it.

Wait, Sai, what did you say you saw before Sasuke passed out?

I just saw Itachi reach out and strike him - then hold him there for a few moments before…

Did you see his eyes?

Well…they looked like they were moving.

Spinning?

It kind of looked like that, now that you say it. What does that have to do with anything?

…I think…We need to lie. Lie about what happened when Sasuke wakes up.

What are we going to say?

…I'll tell him.

Then you're going to have to practice. You have to look confident. If he sees a bit of doubt on your face -

I know. But -

What?

I think…I think I'm going to tell him he killed his brother.

…

I'll plan it all out for when he wakes up. You can just sit still and look like you usually do…

I don't think it will work.

The last dream I had that was this vivid and understandable was back when I was thirteen, and still reliving nightmares of my parents -and my relationship with my brother- being murdered. This new dream had my same brother, but no one was being killed. Yet. For now, this wasn't a nightmare. It was a familiar scene being replayed- like most of my dreams- and it was depicting the sweetest memories I had from before the massacre.

The memories of my loving, hero like older brother that only existed in memories like these.

My mother was there for me when I needed her, and she would comfort me whenever I was upset or hurt. What young boy's first true love wasn't his mother? The Uchiha talent of hiding emotions didn't seem to run in her genetics when she was with me, either. She wasn't stoic, and if anything, she was overprotecting and embarrassing. But that was a given with most mothers. She was better than my father, by all means, who even scolded that love she gave. I knew my father cared about me, but he would never show it to me through action. He thought too much love spoiled children. The only thing he would ever talk to me about was how I had to live up to be as amazing as my brother.

But neither held me in high expectations for being anything besides their child. They both looked through me when it came to a future, and to a purpose, or rank. They just saw Itachi.

But Itachi saw me.

When Itachi was a teenager and I was barely six, he was already a Chunin. He was even accepted into the ANBU black Ops., right before the murder. He was a natural prodigy, and his abilities were beyond all ninja his age before him. He could use the Sharingan when he was eight. He graduated from the academy at nine. He also had the stoic, emotionless attitude my father desired.

Accept for when he was around me.

All of his free time in his busy, mission-filled life was spent with me. instructing me, teaching me, and playing with me when he didn't have anything new that was basic enough for me to learn. He made fun of me like an older brother naturally would, too. He was kind, and always more than willing to help me, so long as he didn't have work. He showed me smiles that he never showed anyone else, not even our parents. Striving for my fathers approval, Itachi drove me to be as good as he was. I enrolled in the academy. I got perfect grades and pushed ahead of my entire class. My father began noticing me then. He taught me more advanced jutsu, and I practiced until I couldn't move and barely breathe to get them right.

All because of Itachi.

But he was changing. Gradually, he stopped having time to train me, claiming he was too busy. But he still picked on me, and treated me like he cared. But only me. Within the month, I watched him nearly kill three police chief, right before my eyes. They were accusing him of murdering his best friend Shisui, who had supposedly committed suicide. I heard my father yelling at him at night about missing clan meetings, and avoiding missions, for other 'secret ones' he couldn't talk about.

Then he killed everyone, everyone but me, and replayed everything for me with his sharingan. Some special kind of sharingan. That was always the most unbearable part. The part that had me shaking and talking - and sometimes screaming - in my sleep. The sickeningly sweet smell of blood, and the feel of it on my shoulder, stinging from a small cut Itachi made. The faces of my dead mother and father, paler than usual and full of pain, sorrow, and dissatisfaction in life. By the way they were laying in the blood bath, I could tell my father had died first, shielding my mother with his own body. Dreaming within a dream, I remembered imagining what it felt like to have your life partner's bloody body on top of you, protecting you, while your own son was looming ominously above him, ready to slaughter you next.

I was sure I made some kind of noise then. I could feel myself lingering towards waking up. Itachi admitted to killing Shisui, as well, which lead me to nearly killing Naruto, believing what he said about gaining the Mangekyo Sharingan.

But I already knew all of this. My dream was reminding me of how caring and loving Itachi had been. How much I used to admire and respect him. How important he had been to me. How he'd fooled me, and then taken everything away.

I woke up instantly. My eyes were open, but I couldn't see anything yet. Too blurry. My dream had been telling me just another reason I wanted to kill him. Not just because he had taken away my parents and my future, but because he had tricked me into believing he actually loved me, then betrayed me. My own brother.

I immediately noticed when I woke up, some out of the ordinary feeling in my head. But it wasn't terrible, it was a lightweight feeling. Like some incredible weight had lifted, and

"Sasuke?"

I sat up immediately, hearing my name, and Naruto's voice.

(Naruto)

I had woken up before Sasuke had, and now Sai was sitting behind me - just as expectantly as I was - propped up slightly on the balls of his feet.

A lie. Everything I was about to tell him was a lie. I could have seen myself deliberately lying to him beforehand, if it was for his own good, but not now that I was doing it, and not about something this big. Something this important to him. Something that could really go wrong and backfire in my face. I was still confused, but I had to long that whatever Itachi did to Sasuke at the very end of their little duel would help me better convince Sasuke. I knew Itachi's goal was to be killed by Sasuke - or at least, I was pretty damn sure - but maybe not now, or not yet. I had a feeling, a hunch, or more appropriately a hope that Sasuke wouldn't remember what had happened, and that I could plant my own ideas in his head. Yes, I was going to tell him he had killed his brother, his ultimate goal, desire, ambition, drive. But it hadn't really happened, and if for some reason Sasuke ever found out otherwise, he'd probably detest me like nothing else on earth. The hate wouldn't be comprehendible.

But it was worth it. It would be worth Sasuke's contentment and safety for now. Maybe I was a masochist, but that was really what I wanted most of all, no matter what it entailed. Then, if he never found out the truth, everything would be perfect. It would be a lie, but I was willing to cover it up. The other upside, Itachi - who I truly and wholly believed was innocent, for reasons I couldn't grasp - even against his wishes, wouldn't have to die at Sasuke's hands.

Aside from Sai - or what anyone else would think - I didn't think the plan was insane. I thought it was fantastic. It wasn't a fool proof plan, no. I still had to tell Sasuke and have him believe it, and I had to keep it a secret. But so long as those two things worked, it was a perfect plan. Even if a little far fetched.

Sasuke sat up, and I tried to mentally prepare myself in the instant before he turned. Compose your face. Look relieved that he's awake, with a glimmer of excitement. Try to ignore his confusion, if it really is there. Try and hold back, and not look too, overly exited - that would be a giveaway. Just imagine how you would act if he really had mauled Itachi…

He turned his head towards us, and a fake relief spread - voluntarily - across my face. "Good, you're conscious again!" A small smile, nothing huge. Like you've already gotten over the excitement, but your still reveling in it. I straightened in my sit just a bit more. "How are you feeling?"

"Lost." He murmured. "But amazing at the same time." He turned completely around, still sitting, and rubbed his head as if he was waking up from a voluntary nap that everyone else knew he had taken.

"Lost?" I questioned, trying to look slightly confused. It must've worked.

"What happened? How did I get the consciousness knocked out of me?"

Yes. "I almost sighed but restrained - that wasn't part of the act. He had forgotten. Phase one, complete. But that was the easier part, nearly a given. I hoped Sai looked just as convincing and relaxed behind me as I did. Look a little confused, "You don't remember?"

No, not a thing. But I feel so…lightweight." An odd twist, but it was in my favor. He had forgotten, and maybe this strange feeling of his was working to my advantage. What hadItachi done? Sasuke stretched a bit, waking up.

I crawled closer, now attempting to look shocked and confused. "You don't remember?" Maybe that was too thick. Maybe stressing the word had made my faking too obvious, but Sasuke looked baffled, and took in everything I said.

"No. I can't remember…I came out here with Sai to find you - " Understanding seemed to take his features, and I thought, terrified, that he had understood. His eyes trailed behind me to Sai, then back. "Thinking I would find Itachi -"

I nearly bit my tongue. Don't blow it, don't blow it…Please. I tried to remember this was keeping him safe, keeping him alive, with me, here, before I lost my composure. I was going to lose it if I didn't say it. I surprised him slightly, but I leaned forward and slid my arms around his torso, pressing my head to it's familiar spot against his chest. "Sasuke," I sounded happy, and a little like I was telling him something obvious, but the revelation that this could keep him here made my voice clear of doubt.

"You killed Itachi." But my face, carefully hidden against his chest, broke then. It hurt so much to tell this lie.

At first, he was silent, and I dreaded for the worst. I heard Sai's body shift in the dirt - he must have been fearing the same thing. Sasuke's hands lifted up towards his face, and he ignored my embrace. He stared at his palms for what seemed like too long for comfort, then he replied, "I did?"

I mentally took a deep breath. He hadn't denied it. I nodded against his flesh, managing to keep my voice straight. "You're memory of it must have been lost near the end." Something logical.

"I did, didn't I?" He stared at his hands for a few moments longer, then I felt them return my embrace. He sounded sure of himself, with a tad of hysteria and excitement mixed in. His next question nearly tore me into tiny pieces. "Where is he?"

No. No. No. Fuck, no! I tried desperately to keep my body from tensing up. To keep from screaming. There was no corpse, no evidence! There weren't even bloodstains on the ground! He'd never believe me if I told him we had already cleaned up, or his body had been obliterated. Even if I told him he had murdered Itachi somewhere else, he'd go looking for his remains and never find them. I'm sure all of those same thoughts filled Sai's head, at nearly the same moment.

I looked up, horrified, at Sasuke's face. But to my utter disbelief, he was starring past Sai and I with a sick, satisfied smile on his face.

It looked so wrong.

Then I realized very quickly, that he was seeing Itachi's copse. A Genjutsu. An effect, an illusion made from the lasting impression Itachi's Sharingan technique had on his head. It had worked. He believed me. He saw the proof, unreal as it was.

His expression was so wrong, because if he had truly killed Itachi, that would have been his real reaction. He would have been satisfied, happy, exited. Sickeningly so. I had planted the fake belief in his head that he had achieved his goal, his drive in life. His days of power seeking, training, and isolation were over.

And it was all a façade.

But had you never found out about Itachi's truth, you would have felt the same happiness and relief. Sasuke's live of avenging would be done, and you wouldn't have to fight so hard for him. Kyubbi finished my own thoughts.

But it isn't true! it's all a lie!

But even so, now - if he never knew the truth - everything would be fine again. I would have Sasuke. Sasuke would have me. Our relationship would be normal, and Sasuke's need for revenge would never get in the way.

Even if it was all fake.

But how long would it stay that way, what with our bad luck?