I LIED. Okay I was going to do a separate story for the sequel but here it is :D I hope you enjoy. This story is even worse.

I dedicate this chapter to A Heartless Flamer!

Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: This literature is purely for recreational purposes. I gain no profit from the story. I do not own any rights to 'Naruto'.


Ringing up the items impersonally, the young adult sighed as he guided them down to the bagger.

"Have a good day." He said monotonously.

"Okay," the girl leaned in with a grin "Sasuke."

"Not interested." He was so used to the blatant flirting he waved it off easily. The girl huffed, and grabbed her bags.

Sasuke sighed, and turned off his line light. He quickly left the area and yanked off his green apron.

"I'm leaving." He didn't spare any more words to his supervisor before he left the supermarket. He hated that job, but it was all he could get considering his resume. Gone were the days he's be out all night partying, drinking and doing drugs. No longer did he have the desire to do such things. It's not like he had the energy to do so anyway.

The drive home in Itachi's car was a quick one. The store wasn't far from their home.

He entered the house quietly, although his shift ended in the middle of the day Itachi could still be resting.

Ever since the accident two months ago Itachi slept way more than he used to but he was always tired. He disapproved of Sasuke's job, wanting him to stay home but he couldn't stop him. Not yet.

Sasuke grimaced as he thought back at his past behaviors. It was his fault that Itachi was hurt. He should pick up the slack. He now knew why Itachi was always so tired when he came back home from work. Sasuke was exhausted and he only worked half of what Itachi used to.

"I'm home!" he hollered. He heard the television in the living room on and he raised an eyebrow.

Itachi sat on the couch, trembling ever so slightly. His hair was messily pinned up; Sasuke had made sure to do that every night.

"Itachi," Sasuke began to reprimand as he sat on the couch heavily, "you shouldn't be walking down the stairs."

"I-i-'vvve mmm-m-m-assssterrred w-w-w-alkinnng" Itachi's talking was improving. Sasuke and his nurse had been working with him every day to much success. His mobility however was a more arduous task.

"The hell you have Itachi. I don't care what the nurse says."

"H-h-h-o-w wassss w-w-wo-rrrk?"

"Don't change the subject Itachi." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at his brother's attempt. The shuddering man turned his head slowly, his eyes unnaturally wide.

"S-s-sorrry" but there was a slight smile on his face. Sasuke shook his head and redirected his attention to the screen.

"Dora the Explorer?" Sasuke snorted and grabbed the remote from beside his brother. He'd find something else on the TV before he'd get up to cook.

"Y-y-you g-go t-t-to c-c-ollegge innn ah m-m-onnnth"

Sasuke sighed. So Itachi wanted to reopen this argument did he?

"I'll go next year. I can't leave you here that long."

"I-i'll b-be f-f-f-finnnne." Itachi slurred determinedly. He blinked and Sasuke could tell if he could, his eyes would be narrowed dangerously.

"I'm starting dinner." Itachi just wouldn't listen to his reason. He wanted him to go to college. Sasuke just wouldn't. He felt guilty as it was he didn't want to leave Itachi here. He owed him, if nothing else, companionship.

Before Itachi could respond, he left the man on the couch to start dinner.

As he was stirring the noodles he heard an occasional tap and footsteps. After a few minutes of the sounds Itachi appeared in the hallway, leaning heavily on his cane. Sasuke didn't bother reprimanding him. Itachi did whatever he wanted to.

"S-s-smmmells g-good." Itachi complimented as he took a seat in front of the island. He walked slowly and laboriously, climbing atop the chair with a bit of difficulty.

Sasuke nodded his appreciation and finished up dinner.

"You have a doctor's appointment tomorrow." Sasuke made conversation at the dinner table. He used to love silence, now he loathed it. Silence welcomed past regret and guilt. The thoughts that could spawn up would leave him sleepless.

Itachi nodded shakily and tightened his grip painfully. The noodles hit him in the face but he was so determined they went into his mouth.

Sasuke didn't say anything but inwardly he was proud of his brother. He was making leaps and bounds each day.

The next morning Sasuke pulled the passenger door open and helped his brother out of the car. Itachi gasped involuntarily as he was set down. The small impact jostled his injuries.

Sasuke grimaced and helped Itachi into a wheel chair. They used it for these visits because the hospital was big and Itachi didn't have the energy to walk that far.

Sasuke wheeled his brother up the sloped entrance. The receptionist on the first level smiled at them kindly. They saw her at every doctor's visit it seemed. Itachi smiled back ever so minuscule. Sasuke ignored her as always.

He backed them both up into the elevator and pressed the correct level. The receptionists grinned at them widely than the one on the first level. She adored these two.

Sasuke ignored her sparkling eyes and signed in. He wheeled Itachi over to the small waiting area and reclined back into his chair. Ten minutes later and Sasuke began to get agitated.

"I'm thirsty." Sasuke proclaimed and he stood up. Before Itachi could respond he pushed the man toward the hall with the vending machine. He punched in the code and suddenly a mischievously smirk was on his face.

Then, he looked down the hallway to his right and then the hallway to his left. Finally, he peered down the steps to see if anyone was coming up.

He turned back around and paid for the one soda then hip checked it. His smirk widened as two sodas came tumbled out.

"S-s" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Don't even preach. They get enough money as it is." But that's not what Itachi wanted. Sasuke turned around as he heard an abrupt clattering. His heart dropped as his brother fell down the stairs backwards. His wheelchair fell out from under Itachi as he tried to gain purchase.

Sasuke ran after him but the time he reached his brother the man was unconscious, his body contorted.

"Shit."

Sasuke winced as the judge brought down his mallet three times.

"The verdict has been determined in the case of the custody of Itachi Uchiha." Sasuke swallowed as he stood beside his state appointed lawyer. The judge's stern face only hardened as he looked down at Sasuke.

"For the remainder of Itachi's Uchiha's rehabilitation he will be rewarded to the state."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Had he heard correctly?

"Itachi will receive the necessary treatment in Konoha's Facility for the Mentally Impaired."

Sasuke's mouth opened slightly. They were really going to take Itachi away from him? One mistake shouldn't dictate his brother's fate. Yet, and this thought was immediate, his mistake to play with a vehicle cost Itachi his dependence.

Sasuke shuddered as the reality began to set in. He had failed Itachi. He had failed him yet again. He left the courthouse numbly to go tell Itachi the news.

The hospital room was silent except for the silent beep. The only injury Itachi had sustained from the fall a week ago was a broken leg.

Itachi sat in the bed watching cartoons on the television. Sasuke would have found humor in this if the circumstances were different.

He took a seat next to the bed and sighed.

"Itachi-" he began but the man brought a trembling hand up.

"I-i'vve h-hearrrd"

Sasuke sighed.

"I'm sorry Itachi. I've failed you yet again."

"D-don't b-blammme y-yourrrssself-f"

"Why not? It's my fault Itachi!" Sasuke glared as Itachi tried to shake his head in the negative "It is!"

"G-go t-to c-colleggge S-sssasske. I-I'll b-be f-finnne"

"We'll talk about it later. Get some rest." Sasuke left the room without another word.

In the end, he decided to listen to Itachi and go to a local college. He decided to finally use the inheritance from their late parents. He couldn't find it in himself to feel guilty about that.

When the man was moved to the facility visiting hours were hard to come by. The denied him access every time. His attitude didn't help any.

It'd been two years since he'd seen Itachi. The attendant assigned to Itachi would send him weekly status reports. Sasuke read them all three times over. It sounded like Itachi was improving. His speech seemed like it was doing much better and they said his walking improved.

Soon, Sasuke would be able to see Itachi once he was moved into a different ward. The excitement he felt was obvious in the way he threw himself into his school work.

He was in class, taking notes when his phone went off. His professor shot him a warning look. Sasuke ignored her and reached into his bag. It was the hospital.

Sasuke immediately stood up and pressed accept.

"Yes?" he answered as he shouldered his bag and left the room. He completely ignored the stares he got and walked toward the University parking lot.

"Your brother..." Sasuke's stomach dropped.

"And?" he prompted as he high tailed it to Itachi's car. The woman on the other line paused and Sasuke growled before snapping his phone closed.

He sped the whole way to the hospital and practically ran up the stairs to an old familiar hallway.

"Itachi Uchiha" he bit out to the receptionist. She looked up irritably.

"What?" Sasuke patience snapped and he almost got physical when someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ah Sasuke. You've come. Good good." Sasuke's shook off the doctor's firm grip.

"Where's my brother?"

"I'm sorry Sasuke." The doctor began. Sasuke glared at him, wishing the doctor would just spit it out.

"We've lost him. Your brother passed this morning." Sasuke's eyes widened and his glare softened.

"What did you just say to me?"

The doctor shook his head sadly and Sasuke grabbed his shoulders.

"Well? What are you telling me?" With a look, the doctor stopped security from grabbing the young man.

"Itachi has died Sasuke."

Sasuke stepped back in horror. They kept him away from his brother for two years and this happens? Sasuke found it hard to believe.

"Where is he?" Sasuke whispered.

"His body was taken to the morgue. There they will go through funeral arrangements." Sasuke nodded numbly, bowed, and left the hospital.

"Come this way Sasuke Uchiha" the young man hated the way the funeral said his full name but he followed him anyway.
"Please confirm Itachi Uchiha is in fact the deceased." Sasuke nodded shallowly and they entered a cold room. A large steel table sat in the middle. A white sheet was laid across a still figure.

The funeral director grabbed onto the sheet and pulled it down slowly. Sasuke tensed as he looked at his brother for the first time in two years.

Itachi was abnormally pale; the lines in his face seemed even deeper than before. His hair was pinned in the same manner as Sasuke had been doing when he watched him.

Sasuke looked away and swallowed.

"Yea," he said thickly, "that's him." The funeral director pulled the sheet back up.

"Let's prepare for the funeral then."

Even though he paid for the service Sasuke didn't attend the funeral. He instead stayed in the house that way and got drunk. He didn't bother going back to school.

A week of drinking and sleeping passed before someone knocked on his door. He groaned and rolled out of his bed. He didn't bother putting a shirt on, he didn't have any clean shirt to where anyway.

Sasuke buttoned his jeans and stumbled down the stairs. The knocker persisted. Sasuke grunted as his head pounded even more at the obtrusive noise.

He yanked open the door.

"What?" It was his lawyer.

"You need to sign this and have it in my office by Tuesday." The lawyer sniffed derisively and handed him a folder. Sasuke accepted it and closed his door.

He had no idea what day of the week it was. He shrugged it off for now and plopped down on the couch.

"What the fuck is this?" Sasuke asked himself with a sigh. He opened the folder.

"Dammit." It was a will. He didn't want to read this. There were three pieces of paper.

Nevertheless, Sasuke sat up and read the first two. It rewarded him with all of Itachi's assets. Sasuke's eyes widened at the amount Itachi had saved up. He turned to the last page and saw it was a letter. Itachi's neat penmanship took up the crisp paper.

Foolish Little Brother,

If you are reading this it means I have failed you. I am sorry to have left you Sasuke. Do not blame yourself for my own misfortunes. I know you continue to do so. It isn't your fault Sasuke. I have never blamed you. I never could.

I'm proud of the man you have become Sasuke. The nurse has told me great things about your education. Continue your schooling; I'm sure you will succeed in anything you put your mind to. I won't talk long, I'm positive the nurse's wrist must be cramping.

Please know that I am resting in peace. I am liberated from the tremors and difficulties I've been dealt. Do not despair Little Brother for I am free.

No matter what I'll love you always.

Itachi Uchiha

The paper crumbled as Sasuke applied pressure to it. It fell to the floor as he let it go. Small tear drops fell out of his eyes as he lay out on the couch. He curled up into a tight ball and closed his eyes but sleep did not come.

A few weeks later, the young man shook hands with the orphanage's headmaster.

"Thank you sir!" the man grinned widely, shaking his hand energetically. Sasuke snatched his hand away when the man wouldn't let go. He nodded at the man. This was his last stop.

Sasuke left the home leaving the grinning man. The headmaster smiled at the check and went to tell the children. They'd be getting a good Christmas this year.

Sasuke parked at the beach. He got out and removed his shoes. The slightly cool sand felt marvelous on his bare feet. Walking down the beach, he was glad it was chill outside. The beach was empty.

"Itachi," he breathed as he progressed into the water.

"What am I to do?" he whispered as he continued to walk. The salty liquid went up to his ankles, and then it was at his waist.

"I miss you, brother." Now the water was up to his neck.

"But," Sasuke smiled wistfully, "I'll see you soon."

With those whispered words, the last Uchiha vanished with the wave that collapsed over him.


There it is :D Even less edited than the other one. LOL This is in the tragedy genre for a reason. I took this outcome based on how Sasuke reacted to Edo Itachi.