Sasuke felt his way through the streets at night. It was too quiet and only growing quieter as he neared the Uchiha compound. The crickets even refused to chirp.

He didn't really want to go home. He had stayed after school to practice more with his teacher. Since he couldn't see the hand signs, he had to feel Iruka-sensei's hands as he did them. Even then, he still messed up. The cloning jutsu was no laughing matter.

Although the Naruto kid seemed to think it was funny for some reason.

Sasuke's issue was simply he didn't know what he looked like. His face felt smooth just like his brother's, his mother's, his father's and pretty much every other person's face. His hair was silky but wild. His brother's was smooth and long. His frame still had the frailty of childhood. Itachi's was steadfast and strong. His mother's was rounded and soft. His father's was straight and broad.

The wind blew against cold still windows. There were no sounds of flickering candles. He opened his eyes trying to use what little light sensitivity he had to gage his surroundings: there was no light.

Something was wrong.

He shivered.

There was a prickling at the back of his neck. "Is someone there?" he asked nervously but didn't stop his journey home.

He couldn't. His parents were already going to be angry with him for being out so late alone. Itachi would be too if he was back from his mission. His heart ached for his brother whom he hardly ever 'saw' anymore. Itachi was growing steadily more distant. It made Sasuke uneasy.

And the other day the other clan members had confronted his brother about Shisui who had died in the river. They thought Itachi had killed him. Itachi would never. He adored Shisui. They were best friends.

And they mentioned Itachi's Sharingan. Sasuke's stomach tightened remembering the special attention they had brought to the subject. What was so different about his brother?

He turned the corner stepping into a puddle though it hadn't rained.

He felt the familiar broken curb that signified he was nearing the house. He stayed close to the wall, reaching his hand out to slide his fingers against the stone. It was cold and silent.

Where was everyone?

He entered his home, took off his shoes. "Tadaima!" There was no answer. "Okaasan? Otousan?" He called for his parents but no one answered.

He left his cane by the door and entered the strangely cavernous house.

His heart started to race as he searched room by room for his parents. There was no reason they wouldn't be here. They had to be here. It was dinnertime. It was past dinnertime and it was so quiet. He was shaking.

Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Something bad happened.

He stopped before entering the last room. He gripped the doorknob shaking. There was a muted thud from inside. They were in there. They had to be. Someone was in there. He needed to ask them what was happening. Where was everyone?

But he was afraid.

"Move!" he urged himself shaking and frozen with fear. He couldn't think properly.

Slowly he pushed the door open.

The air was still and there was no light that he could perceive. Carefully he stepped over the threshold holding his hands out before him warily. He didn't usually feel the need to do this in his home. His parents were sure never to move anything without telling him but suddenly he felt it was necessary.

"Okaasan?" he asked softly. His voice trembled. "Otousan?"

He stumbled over something solid and yet oddly soft. He frozen knowing exactly what it was. He shook his head and bent down slowly, his fingers grazing hair—

He fell backwards. "Okaasan! Otousan!" He was shaking uncontrollably. "What happened? What's going on?"

Something shifted in the room.

There was someone else here!?
 He stood up and jumped backwards breathing hard. He sniffed and the scent was familiar. The stranger stepped forward softly. Sasuke recognized that gentle determined footstep, he knew the faint smell of green tea and mint.

"Niisan!" He looked around for his brother despite himself. "What—I don't—okaasan and otousan are—!"

There was a slice through his shoulder and hot blood slide down his arm.

"Foolish otouto."

His brother's voice was cold and emotionless.

"I wonder…" He heard his brother step forward. Sasuke backed up instinctively.

"Mangekyo Sharingan."

There was the sensation of prodding chakra.

"Interesting so your blindness does benefit you after all."

"W-what are you talking about?" Sasuke stuttered feeling sick.

Hands grasped him harshly. "I pity you." Those hands pressed Sasuke's hands to the cold skin of his parents.

Sasuke screamed.

"They're not the only ones."

He was yanked out of the room and thrown into the street; there was something near him. He reached out, hot tears stinging his eyes and touched cloth of a shirt damp with blood. He smelt it.

"Stop!" He was thrown towards another body. "Auntie?" He was tossed again beating his body and riddling it with bruises and scraps.

Another dead.

All cold.

All still.

He stood up slowly. "Why? Why, Itachi?" Sasuke was shaking, his heart was cloven in two, needles of anxiety and shock piercing his body. "Why did you do this?"

He searched in vain for his brother wishing he could just wake up. Please, just wake up, he begged himself. He wanted to cut off his hands dripping with the blood of murder.

"To test the limits…of my own ability."

What? "To test…your ability?" Sasuke's brain seemed to shatter over the words. "You killed…" He couldn't finish.

"It is of great importance."

Where was he? Sasuke couldn't even pinpoint the voice but he stood up and ran toward something…anything. Just toward the darkness.

"You're out of your mind!"

Itachi punched him in the gut, breaking a red. He nearly threw up. His heart raced. Who was this guy? This wasn't his brother.

"Who are you?" He backed away in the mud, slamming into another body. "I'm…scared."

He couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I…I don't wanna die!" He stood up and tried to run but he was lost, he hit a bloody wall stumbling over yet another body. "Uncle."

Footsteps pursued him with unnerving patience and control.

"Please…" he whimpered. His hands tingled with the sensation of deadness. "Don't kill me."

"You're not even worth killing."

You're not even worth killing. The words echoed in his head. This wasn't his brother. His brother had been the only person who thought he was worth anything!

"Foolish otouto… If you wish to kill me one day, foster your hatred and despise me. Surviving in such a manner as this, by all means flee and cling to your wretched life." He laughed low and cold. "If you can. You'd have to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan to do that. If you weren't blind, you would have the potential to be one of the few people to ever awaken it."

"The Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"The Uchiha's true power. But you can't even awaken the normal Sharingan." There was a pause.

Sasuke couldn't breathe. "You're not my brother. Itachi…please!"

"I pretended to be the brother you desired for one reason. To test your potential." He stepped forward.

Sasuke pressed himself against the wall.

"You said you would find a way to awaken your Sharingan."

Sasuke's head started to spin. He remembered Shisui… had Itachi really…?

"So you have the potential to defeat me."

"You killed Shisui-san…?"

Itachi huffed. "I did what I must so I could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan. I needed to lose the one closest to me."

Sasuke shuddered. He was falling through darkness. His world was shattered.

Dead.

"Find me when you possess the same eyes."

And there was nothing more.