Getting home from the beach covered in sand, he searched around the house for his lover. He entered Itachi's room and saw the room was empty. His clothes had been cleared out. Entering the kitchen, there was a note sitting on the kitchen counter.

I don't have much time left so I will have to write down what I want to say very quickly. By the time you read this, I have already left Konoha. I don't know if I'll be back but just so you know it was for you. I'm sorry I won't be able to buy a cake for your birthday. Please don't hate me. One day, if that day comes, I'll come to you. I love you. Good bye, little brother.

-Itachi.

Tears streamed down his cheek and stained the paper. He gripped the paper tightly in his hands and collapsed onto the floor.

-Years later-

Sasuke lived in the same home that him and his brother lived in. Nothing had change for him except he had become depressed, dropped school, and distanced himself with anyone who tried to be friends with him. He often cried himself to sleep, thinking of his brother and hoping he'll come back to him soon.

Walking inside the food market of Konoha, he took a basket into his hand and walked to the snack section. He took a few bags of chips, instant ramen bowls, cookies, and some snack bars and dropped them into his basket. Someone had passed by him. From the corner of his eye, it looked like it was his brother but it couldn't be him… could it? Once finishing collecting his snacks, he headed to the cashier and placed the items on the conveyor belt. He turned around when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"You dropped this."

Sasuke dropped the basket, making a loud thud sound. He was stunned and in disbelief. This couldn't be real. The person that appeared right before his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"…Aniki?"

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"Wha-"

"Excuse me, sir. You're holding up the line.," said the cashier.

Sasuke turned to the cashier and then looked behind him again to see that he was gone.

On the way home, he kept thinking about what happen at the market. He saw him didn't he? It looked too real. Getting home, he slashed away his junk in the cabinets and went in the living room to watch TV.

-Weeks Later-

Every week he would go to the market, buying the same junk along with some curry, sushi, bread, eggs, cereal, and other stuff he liked and then it happened again. He saw his brother about 10 feet away from him, looking at the bottles of alcoholic beverages. There was no way he was going to let him disappear from his eyes again. He ran over to him as fast as he can.

"Aniki…"

"Oh, it's you again."

It was really him. The same person he loved and missed very much. It was still hard for him to believe that such a person would appear again in front of him. This couldn't be dream. He had to be real and he looked the same as ever when he last saw him. Tears were beginning to wail up to his eyes.

"Aniki… I've missed you."

"Aniki? Do you know me?"

"I'm your brother…"

"I think you've mistaken me with someone else."

Disappointment overwhelmed him. Why was he acting as if he didn't know him? They grew up together and loved each other. This must be joke.

"Are you serious?"

"Listen, I have some stuff to do so if you'll excuse me."

He walked away from Sasuke, leaving him completely broken and disappointed.

Sasuke was lying flat on his bed, trying figure out why Itachi was acting like this towards him. Did he do something to displease him?

He didn't understand at all what was wrong. Getting frustrated, he decided to go take a walk. Walking by Kano's game store he remembered the time when his brother picked him up after he saw his brother drinking blood from a human and then remembered what his brother told him in the car.

"Mara."

Now that he thought about it, he hasn't seen her at all. Maybe she would know what happen to Itachi.

He arrived at Mara's place, it was remodeled so not so much haunted than before. Someone wearing a black tailcoat, a white shirt with a wing collar, black tie, and a white waistcoat came out the door.

"Hello, does Mara live here?"

"Mara?"

"Orochimara."

"Ah, yes. Follow me. "

Sasuke never seen this person before but followed him anyway. He had his guard up just in case it was a trap. They walked in the long hallway, not talking. He wanted to break this awkward silence.

"Not to be rude, but who are you?"

"My name is Hiro. I am the butler of this home."

"Have you always been here?"

"Yes, we were living here for a while and then left."

"Why?"

"Orochimara-sama found someone she liked. He's quite handsome if you ask me."

"Is that so?"

"Here we are."

"Thanks."

Opening the door, Sasuke saw Itachi on the mattress, feeding on a human female being that was almost dying. Sasuke ran to him and pulled the human away and his brother away from each other. The girl was regaining consciousness. Itachi growled at him.

"Are you stalking me?"

"Aniki-"

"I am not your brother."

"Why, why can't you remember me?"

"Because I compelled him." Mara said, standing at the door.

"Compelled?"

"He doesn't have any memories of you."

Sasuke laid the girl down carefully, staring at his older brother. Itachi had always had these sweet, loving, eyes that said 'I love you' but those eyes weren't there anymore. They were different, empty. There was no love in them.

"Itachi…"

"This is ridiculous." He said.

"Itachi, we grew up with each other, loved each other."

There was a flow of tears coming down Sasuke's cheeks. This was heartbreaking for him to see Itachi like this. He wasn't the same person at all.

"Itachi, kill him."

Itachi disappeared in front of Sasuke's eyes and reappeared behind him. Sasuke tried to move away but Itachi tripped him over, making him fall to the ground. Itachi then grabbed his struggling brother by the hair and threw him backwards to the wall, his back hitting first, and falling to the floor. Sasuke struggled to get himself up. When he did, Itachi came up and punched him in the stomach. Air was knocked right out of his body. He began coughing and grabbed hold on his brother's shoulders to hold himself up. He took a moment to catch his breath. More tears flowed down.

"….Itachi, there was never a day that I stopped thinking about you. I always waited for you to come back to me because that's what you wrote in the letter. You said one day, if that day comes, you'll come back to me, remember? When you left on my birthday, I didn't do anything celebrate it as always. Back then, Mom and Dad would always be too busy to celebrate it with me. If I did anything to make you leave me, I'm sorry. If you want to kill me, go ahead."

Sasuke flinched when Itachi brought his hands up to his face, wiping his tears away, and kissed him on his forehead.

"You're so foolish, little brother."