Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye

Warning: this is a SERIOUS tearjerker…. If you're a huge Itachi-fan that is…

There was silence on the battlefield while Sakura held onto Sasuke for dear life. Naruto stared at his former…no still best friend and former crush turned good friend. Sasuke wasn't trying to hurt Sakura but Naruto realized…that his face…was no longer angry. He cautiously walked forward to see if he was truly seeing what he thought he was seeing.

Sakura closed her eyes waiting for whatever response Sasuke was going to have. Suddenly Sasuke started shaking and fell to the ground on his hands and knees.

"Sas…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked in a hoarse voice.

Naruto walked closer and realized his chakra had changed…it wasn't as dark as it was before…and he no longer had an ill-will like the other adversaries. His eyes widened… had Sakura actually gotten through to Sasuke?

"Sa…Sak…Sakura…" Sasuke croaked out. Sakura went to face the young Uchiha to find him…crying.

"Sas…Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said in surprise as she hugged onto him tightly.

To her surprised Sasuke returned the hug slowly, but then pulled her in tightly as if he didn't want to let her go.

"I'm… I'm…so…sorry…" he whimpered into her ear. "for…everything…I…I should have went home…right away…"

Sakura cried more at this and held him close. That was all she wanted to know. That he wanted to come home.

Naruto walked toward the two…but did nothing. Sakura and he needed this moment. He knew it.

Itachi and Kakashi stared at the two with wide, surprised eyes. Soon Itachi started crying (zombies can cry in this story because it's an anime.) That was when Naruto saw him. He stared right at Itachi with a sad expression. He was still in Kyuubi mode in case he was attacked by Kabuto controlling him, but he walked over.

"You really were the good guy weren't you?" he asked the elder dead Uchiha.

"Yes…" Itachi said sadly. "I'm sorry for making you all think I was not"

"If you are…then you need to see Sasuke…He deserves it. He needs to properly let go of you…He needs to know you'll always be with him…like the rest of your family." Naruto demanded.

"You forget Naruto… my mind may not be controlled but my body is not… it's dangerous for you to be over here as it is… I cannot walk myself over to him…" Itachi said sadly.

"You can't go over to him…fine…" Naruto said then walked over to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Sasuke…you need to see someone…" he said roughly grabbing Sasuke and dragging him to Itachi.

"Hey…what…Naruto…what are you…" Sasuke said in protest but never letting go of Sakura's hand. He stopped protesting immediately the moment he saw Itachi. He stared at him with more tears.

"Nii…san?" Sasuke said staring at him.

"Sasuke…" Itachi said looking at him sadly.

Before anyone said anything else Sasuke went and ran to his brother and caught him in an embrace. "Nii-san…I'm so sorry for not listening to you… I should have… "

"Sasuke…if anyone should be sorry it's me…I failed you. I couldn't protect you from Madara…I should have told you the truth but I never did. I should have found some other way to save you but I was a coward and allowed Danzou to order me around like a puppet. I don't deserve to be forgiven after failing everyone… I don't deserve any of this… I'm a failure as an elder brother…and the only time I can help you is after my death." Itachi said embracing his little brother.

"But…Nii-san…I don't blame you…I blame Danzou…I killed him for you and…"

"Konoha is not to blame Sasuke…" Itachi interrupted. He didn't like him blaming the village they grew up in.

"He's right Sasuke…" Naruto said. "Madara was the one who attacked the village… if he didn't do that the elders wouldn't have suspected the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke then realized everything Naruto had just said was true. Madara was the one who wanted war. He was the one who wanted to take over the Shinobe world.

"I forgive you nii-san… I forgive you. I don't want you to suffer thinking you failed me. I'm the one who failed you. I never listen and I'm head-strong. If I stayed in the village maybe Danzou would have found a way to attack me and you might have found out… He did while I was with Orocimaru… I don't want you to suffer. I want you to go to mom and dad and wait for me for a few years…"

Itachi smiled. "I don't know if I will Sasuke… I've done so much evil…"

"So had my father Itachi…" Kakashi interceded. "I know that he is in the better place waiting for me as well. You deserve it too."

Sasuke hugged tighter to Itachi as if he didn't want to let go of him. He wanted his Nii-san back and was afraid to let go. Itachi smirked and poked him in the forehead. While Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura tried to suppress a giggle Sasuke rubbed his head.

"Ow… just like old times…" he said with a little pout.

Itachi smiled. "yes…like old times…"

"W…wait a minute… " Kakashi said suddenly. "Itachi-san…you said…that the curse will only be broken by love…"

Sasuke then got alert and started blushing a little.

"Love… you mean Sakura loving him broke it? But…she said it so many times before…"

"It had to be sencere…and mutual…" Itachi explained.

Sakura and Naruto's eyes widened at the last part of what Itachi said.

"Mutual…?" Sakura said finally. "How…How can it be mutual… he's never…I mean… he's always… Sasuke-kun hates me…"

"I don't hate you…" Sasuke said embarrassed and looking the other way. Itachi grinned. Yep…this is the girl… he thought to himself.

Sakura stared at Sasuke's back. "what…what do you…mean…?"

"It's…it's like…like he said… the love…is…the…the same… for me…" Sasuke refused to turn around because he was so embarrassed and still holding onto his elder brother.

"I guess you found the one immediately like father…" Itachi whispered to Sasuke. "She is the girl isn't she?"

Sasuke looked up at his elder brother with sad but embarrassed eyes. "Yes… she…she is…"

Sakura was trying to fathom what he said. Sasuke loved her? How can this be? He always ignored her. He always seemed to hate her.

"Sasuke-kun…"Sakura said trying to get a little closer but scared to. Sasuke glanced at her but looked away again. He didn't want to face her. He didn't want to explain why he treated her so badly in order to protect her.

"I'm…I'm sorry ok….I…I was mean so that I could protect you…I was scared to get close to people because I didn't want to lose them again… When my task of revenge was over I was planning on coming home…and telling you…I…I love you Sakura… I don't want anyone else…" he said with more tears.

Sakura was now speechless. All she could do was cry and stare at Sasuke. He was the love of her life and she finally found out…he loves her as well.

Itachi smiled at his little brother as he said this. He was finally growing up. Suddenly a strange new sensation. He then started glowing.

"N…Nii-san…what's going on?" Sasuke asked confused.

"I…I think…you freed my soul from Kabuto…" Itachi said with a surprised look.

"Sai told me something like that happened when he met his brother…he gave him that sketch book and his soul was released…this must be one of the ways we can free the souls…" Kakashi said amaized.

"Nii-san…does this mean…you have to leave?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes…I think that if what Kakashi says is right…then that means that if something that the sould needed to be finished or that it wants…happens…then that means…that their soul is freed."

"Then…why didn't this happen when I forgave you or you forgave me? Or when the curse broke?" Sasuke asked confused.

"Because…" he said with a smile. "What I truly wanted…was to make sure that you would move on and rebuild our clan from scratch…make it a noble clan once again…and peaceful… Knowing how much you love each other lets me know that this will come to pass."

Sasuke stared at his brother with now happy tears. He knew why he was alive now. He was alive to help win the war against Madara and rebuild the Uchiha clan from scratch.

"I'm going to name my first son after you Nii-san." Sasuke said sadly as he watched his elder brother fade away.

Itachi let out some more tears as he said his final words; "Thank you I love you Sasuke…"with this he vanished. His soul was now freed and there was one less zombie for Akatsuki to use against them in the war.

There was a small silence as they all tried to take in what had happened…until Kakashi and Naruto went flying to the other side of the field. Sakura had punched them.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT ITACHI! ALL THIS COULD HAVE ENDED EARLIER IF I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING YOU IDIOTS! SINCE WHEN CAN'T YOU BOTH TRUST ME!" she screamed at them.

Sasuke was staring at this display in shock…but also terror… he knew Tsunade had trained her…she didn't know she trained her… with the super strength… He knew he would never cross her again. Instead…he wanted to try and calm her down before she killed Naruto and Kakashi.

"Sakura…" he said in a timid voice…which was obviously rare for Sasuke…

Sakura turned around slowly with tears still streaming from her eyes. This made Sasuke feel even worse and was afraid he was next.

"Sasuke-kun…" was all she could get out. She started crying more and more and now knelt to the ground. Sasuke came over to her and held her tight.

"I'm sorry…I…I should have told you… I… I love you since… I met you…please…forgive me…" he said now kissing her forehead.

Sakura sniffed and looked up to Sasuke she couldn't take it anymore. She now knew he loved her in return. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. All her emotions were coming out in this one long kiss. All her love, all her anger, all her guilt…everything.

Sasuke held her in return and kissed her like he should have done so many years ago before he left Konoha. When the kiss finally ended Sasuke looked into Sakura's emerald eyes and asked her the one question he's waited to ask since he knew he wanted…no HAD to rebuild the clan…

"Sakura…will you marry me?" Sasuke asked with a slight blush.

"Sasuke…do you even have to ask that?" Sakura said with a smile as he poked his forehead like Itachi did.

"Hey!"

Sakura smirked. "I guess I learned a lot from the man who would have been my brother-in-law…"

About two years later the fourth Shinobe war was over. Naruto and Sasuke both defeated Madara together and since Naruto proved himself time and again…Tsunade decided to retire and give the role of the true sixth Hokage to Naruto. (After the truth of Itachi came out the village refused to see Danzo as the sixth.)

Sasuke wasted no time rebuilding the clan. In fact the night that he professed his love he conceived his first son with Sakura…they obviously married the moment they could. Over the two years they had two children…Itachi and Mikoto. Not to mention one more on the way in Sakura's womb again. Naruto joked around many times about Sasuke and Sakura being like rabbits, but everytime earned some kind of punishment.

After the war was over, Naruto decided to finally take Hinata out on a date…Ramen obviously… For about a year they properly go to know each other and, after asking permission from Hinata's father (which was a hard task in itself), the sixth Hokage was now engaged to the heiress to the Hyuuga clan.

Peace was present throughout the lands once again and the curse of the Uchiha Clan had vanished. Sasuke would see to it that no member of the Uchiha clan must give into seeking revenge in order for the curse to never arise again.

As for the memory of Itachi… Naruto made sure that he had a special memorial made just for Itachi. The engraving says:

Itachi Uchiha

The youngest to graduate the academy, to become Chunin and to become ANBU captain. He was ordered to destroy his entire clan but saved his little brother. He played a role of the villain only to become known as a pure hero. He died not only because of his disease…but for the pride of Konohagure, the next generation of the renowned Uchiha Clan, and most of all for the little brother whom he loved more than everything else.