Whew! It's been a while since I posted a story on FF .net. After reading about Itachi Uchiha's death on Wikipedia, I decided to write a eulogy for him, given by Sasuke. The death was so ironic it practically screamed at me to pick up my pen and start writing (or rather, put my fingers to the keyboard and start typing). This eulogy is sort of a deviation from what I usually write. I hope it turns out well. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer (as always): I do not own Naruto or any copyrighted material affiliated with it.
Eulogies are usually given to someone who deserves to be praised for a great accomplishment, such as bringing about peace between nations, serving the community as a good citizen, or even simply being a loving family member. Itachi Uchiha did not do any of those things. In fact, he did the very opposite of every one of them. By joining Akatsuki, he brought up more conflict and strife between all nations as they struggled to promote understanding and unity. By abandoning Konoha, he proved that he was all but a good citizen. By killing the entire Uchiha clan, he showed that he cared nothing at all for family.
However, as his brother, I can still find something to praise him for. He probably had a most difficult life as the older sibling, having to live with the unfair hand he was dealt by life.
He had to live with everyone's mistrust and hatred, including my own. Itachi killed my entire family back when I was a child. The only person he spared was me. He left me with a message after killing everyone, that I should become stronger and defeat him to avenge all their deaths. I followed his words with all my heart, never learning the truth until now.
He had to live with being a shinobi, essentially a killing machine. It turns out he had been ordered to kill the entire Uchiha clan by the government of Konoha, a command he could not argue with or even question, as an assassin for hire. The Uchiha are a powerful clan, possessing power dating back to the founding of Konoha itself, and the government feared that the clan would rise and wrest the power from their hands. That must have been very difficult for him to do. I'm not sure how his sanity survived.
All this time, there was a caring big brother under that cold, indifferent façade, even if I didn't see him. Had he carried out the full mission given to him by the Konoha government, I wouldn't be standing here right now. Even in the earlier years of my childhood, he treated me kindly. He helped me out with school and shinobi training, and there were even occasions where he vouched to my mother and father for me, despite him being a prodigy and far more impressive than I.
He will always be despised by everyone; people will speak his name in hushed tones. But now, I know the truth behind Itachi Uchiha, and that's all that matters. None of the lies and rumors spread around will tarnish that for me.
As they say, there is no point in crying over spilled milk, but before I leave the grave of Itachi Uchiha behind, there are a few words of thanks I'd like to give.
I want to thank him for giving me the power of Amaterasu, and for freeing me from Orochimaru's clutches.
I want to thank him for sparing me on that night he killed our clan, and for telling me the truth in that last moment.
Finally, I want to thank him for being the good brother he was. He may have been nothing more than a murderer as a shinobi, but he was still my brother. And maybe . . . I was wrong about him when I said earlier that he cared nothing at all for family.
Farewell, Itachi . . . and I hope to say the same of Konoha soon . . .
All right! How was it? Please tell me. Also, please read and review as usual. No flaming, constructive criticism wanted.