Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
There will me M/M in this fanfiction. Not between Sasuke and Itachi...well not too much. More like over protective brotherly with that slight sprinkle of could it be incest? Just like in canon.
The return to Konoha was easy enough. They had arrived late at night so there were no witnesses to their return. Sasuke's grip on Itachi's wrists were brutal and Naruto desperately wanted to tell him to ease off. Itachi however did not appear to be bothered by the treatment, he seemed lost in his own thoughts still wondering what had happened. He glanced curiously in the direction where the Uchiha district was before turning back to the path he was lead. Sakura bid the group a goodnight and cast a look towards Itachi that held contempt and pity. Kakashi stepped towards Sasuke and pulled Itachi away despite Sasuke's protests.
"He's made no move to escape yet. Plus I want to check out his wrist." Kakashi responded as he untied the rope. Itachi's wrists were terribly bruised, one obviously broken. He did not argue or struggle as Kakashi checked them over. Instead he kept his eyes focused on Kakashi, taking in the changes the man had gone through. Naruto looked towards Sasuke who was staring intently at his sibling.
Had Itachi really been this small at twelve? Sasuke was sure that he had been taller. Yet here he stood, smaller than Sasuke had been. Kakashi released Itachi's wrist, fighting off the smile he wanted to offer the boy. Instead he nodded back to Sasuke, signaling for them to carry on. Luckily, Tsunade had been already in her office. She had been going over files and was surprised by the knock on the door. Naruto barged in and she scowled.
"Well brat, decided to start in early huh?"
"Naaa, I just thought you would wanna see something." Naruto replied, voice softer than normal. This caught the lady's interest and she stood. Kakashi and Sasuke walked through the door and Tsunade turned her head and stared at the teen in shock.
"Well, this is-" Her eyes suddenly caught sight of a smaller figure standing close to Sasuke. Her eyes widened as she recognized that face.
"Itachi." She stated softly and her eyes lifted to a nodding Kakashi who glanced down at Itachi.
"Sarutobi has passed away. This is Tsunade. The fifth Hokage." He explained to the boy who gave a bow and respectful greeting.
Much politer than that brother of his...
Speaking of which, Sasuke was glaring daggers at his sibling while Naruto rolled his eyes.
"What has happened?" Tsunade asked and Kakashi met Naruto's eyes and motioned to the door. The blonde offered Tsunade a foxy grin and approached Itachi with a surprisingly warm smile. Itachi tentatively offered one back, still hesitant. Naruto offered a hand to Itachi and led him out, Sasuke's glare following them all the way. Once the door was closed Tsunade cast a glare at the two men.
"Explain." She ordered and Kakashi looked to Sasuke.
"He was hit with a jutsu and for some reason...that happened." Sasuke explained, waving a hand towards the door. Tsunade's frown did not lessen. She glanced down at her desk in contemplation.
"I have not heard of anything like this happening before. What sort of jutsu was it?"
"Something Orochimaru had in his scrolls." Sasuke shrugged almost carelessly.
"Figures." Kakashi muttered earning a glare from both Sasuke and Tsunade. Tsunade walked around her desk and peered out the window, brows furrowing.
"Does he remember anything?" She questioned softly and Kakashi was quick to shake his head.
"No, from what I gathered as far as he recalls he's still in ANBU and his family is..." His voice trailed off and Tsunade released a heavy sigh.
"How am I supposed to go forward with this?" Tsunade murmured she looked swiftly towards Sasuke. "What are your intentions here?" She questioned sharply. Kakashi eyed the Uchiha curiously. Sasuke glanced between the two, remaining aloof. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed softly.
"What do you expect to happen? You expect me to take in my now younger brother with open arms and hope for the best? I know what he is. He was thirteen when he killed the clan and is possibly twelve or thirteen now. Just because he's no longer an adult does not make him anymore dangerous."
"I won't have you gutting him in Konoha." Tsunade stated sharply.
"Then I can drag him somewhere else. Slit his throat and be done with it." Sasuke replied coolly. Kakashi closed his eyes. Tsunade glared at the Uchiha.
"Why bring him all this way if you were just going to kill him?" She asked and Sasuke shrugged.
"I want to show him what he did." He stated simply and Kakashi shook his head. He bowed to Tsunade who excused him with a wave of her hand. She continued speaking to Sasuke as Kakashi walked out the door. He spoke to no one as he briskly walked out of the building, Sasuke's words echoing in his ears. He highly doubted Tsunade would allow Sasuke to kill his brother at this point. If there was a chance Itachi could be saved... Kakashi found Naruto and Itachi sitting outside on a park bench. Naruto was telling him about Team 7 without giving away anything about the Uchiha's or Sasuke's defection. He spoke highly of Sasuke and Itachi listened with a smile.
"You and him are friends?" Itachi asked.
"The best! Don't let him tell you anything different!" Naruto declared and beamed at the smile Itachi shot him. When Kakashi approached, Naruto leapt to his feet looking like he wanted to ask about Sasuke but was unsure how with Itachi sitting right there. Itachi watched Kakashi curiously. The Copy nin let out a loud dramatic sigh and plopped down beside Itachi, casually draping an arm around his shoulders. Naruto blinked at this, head tilting slightly in surprise.
"You kid are causing quite the stir." Kakashi teased, tone light but forced. Itachi looked down at his hands looking from Naruto to Kakashi.
"I feel like something has happened and I do not know abut it. What have I done?" Itachi asked suddenly, voice low as if afraid someone will overhear them. Kakashi tilted his head back and looked at the sky. Morning was slowly approaching.
"That is something Sasuke needs to tell you." He replied, feeling Itachi exhale. Naruto had wandered off towards the building leaving the two alone. Kakashi fought the urge to smother Itachi with questions. Instead he stared at the sky waiting for the boy to speak.
"So, I gather that I am supposed to be...older." Itachi began and Kakashi smiled slightly.
"Yup, you're about twenty-one years old now." He offered. Itachi's head tilted in thought a smile tugging his lips.
"So Sasuke would be about sixteen." He noted. He looked towards the sky along with the nin. "I suppose he's technically my elder now..." He mused and Kakashi nodded thoughtfully before looking at Itachi's hands.
"How's your wrist?" Kakashi questioned softly and Itachi glanced at his hand, observing the dark bruising and swelling. He moved it lightly.
"It's fine."
"You sure?" Kakashi prompted, recalling how stubborn the boy had always been.
"I am thank you. If anything I can go to Shisui and see if he has that medication he always carries. He takes that stuff like candy." Itachi stated offering Kakashi a smile. Kakashi managed to return it but as soon as the boy looked away it fell. He felt like he had been punched in the chest. Of course he would think Shisui was still alive. How would he handle this? He knew Sasuke would not be gentle with it. Itachi regarded Kakashi closely, noticing how troubled he looked. He reached out with his uninjured hand and touched Kakashi's arm.
"I heard Naruto refer to you as Sensei. It suits you." He murmured and Kakashi could not help but smile back.
"Now don't go telling everyone I'm a big softie now. I have a reputation to uphold." He replied, waggling his finger.
"Of course. Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea." Itachi laughed softly and the sound was like music to Kakashi's ears. How long had it been since he had heard Itachi's laughter? They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before they heard the bickering.
"You can't just-"
"Shut up Dobe."
"But he's-"
The voice was drowned out by Sasuke's approach. Itachi stood, Kakashi following. He looked at his sibling curiously but cautiously. What had Tsunade spoken to Sasuke about? When Sasuke reached for Itachi, the younger walked closer allowing the teenager to grab him by the arm. Naruto strode forward, looking concerned. Both sensei and teammate watched Sasuke who refused to look at Itachi.
"I'll meet you both tomorrow morning." Sasuke stated, glancing from the blonde to Kakashi who nodded stiffly. Naruto sighed and wished them all a goodnight, obviously reluctant to let Sasuke go, while Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and watch the two Uchiha's wander into the dark; Itachi glancing back once and meeting Kakashi's gaze. A silent question hanging heavily in the air.
The walk to the Uchiha district was silent. Sasuke refusing to speak to Itachi and Itachi afraid to anger Sasuke. When they approached then entrance Itachi was too distracted by staring at Sasuke to notice how weathered everything appeared. In fact it took him until they were well into the district to really look around. He was surprised with how quiet everything was. It seemed almost...empty. He chanced a glance up at Sasuke and was met with his enraged glare.
"Sasu-" He began.
"Shut up!" Sasuke snapped. He stood in the middle of the empty road and breathed in deeply, he could feel that night coming back. This emptiness...it was suffocating. Sasuke was drowning in and it and he would take Itachi with him. He shoved Itachi to his knees and the boy went down without a fight.
"Look around!" He ordered and Itachi's brows furrowed.
"Don't yell," Itachi hissed. "You'll wake-" Sasuke let out a cold bark of laughter and yanked Itachi to his feet.
There's no one to wake...
There never will be again...
He dragged Itachi forward, his grip on Itachi's wrists tightening to the point that Itachi was fighting down a wince. They reached their house and Sasuke visibly hesitated, Itachi attempted to pull from the teen's grip and Sasuke snarled at him to stop moving. He managed to open the door and threw Itachi in. Itachi stumbled and fell to his knees only for Sasuke to advance on him and grab him by the hair, dragging him into the house. Instinctively, Itachi lifted his hands to try to ease the pressure on his scalp. Sasuke entered one of the rooms and shoved Itachi onto the floor. Itachi tried to sit up but Sasuke merely shoved him down and forward. Itachi lurched onto his stomach, Sasuke's foot harsh on his back. Hundreds of questions were racing through Itachi's mind, but he could not form the words. His fingers touched something stiff on the floor. Glancing up, Itachi could see a large dark stain marring the flooring. He squinted at the dark stain and he glanced towards Sasuke who gripping Itachi's hair, smacked Itachi's face into the stain.
"Not everything could be cleaned up," Sasuke whispered as he crushed Itachi's face onto the floor. "Somethings you can't just wipe it away." Itachi tried to look to Sasuke but Sasuke only shoved the boy's face harder into the stain.
The blood of his mother.
The blood of his father...
A permanent reminder of what horrors this monster had inflicted. He knelt close to Itachi's ear.
"Do you know what this is Aniki?" He spat out the last word like it was filth. Itachi shook his head as best he could. He could not speak, bewildered and even a bit frightened by the cruelty his once sweet little brother was displaying. Where were mother and father? Sasuke sneered and leant his mouth close to Itachi's ear. "It's blood." He felt Itachi flinch in shock. "Mother's blood. Father's blood. Throughout this entire district is the blood of the people you killed-"
"No!" Itachi managed desperately. Sasuke shoved Itachi onto his back wrapping his fingers around his throat.
"No?" Sasuke laughed without humor. "In a single night you wiped out the entire clan save for me. In a single night you slaughter innocent people-my family!"
"I-impossible!" Itachi managed despite the hand on his throat. He trembled violently, unwilling to believe it. This had to be some terrible mistake. He struggled against the hand around his neck. The older boy dug his fingers into the pale flesh harshly.
"Not with the Mangekyō Sharingan." Sasuke stated in a cruel voice. Itachi blinked up at Sasuke and slowly shook his head.
"That's only possible if-"
"If you kill your best friend. Which you did a wonderful job of, by the way. Drowning Shisui Uchiha. Who would have thought!" Sasuke mocked watching with glee as the little color in Itachi's face fled. Itachi gave a weak shake of his head.
"I wouldn't kill Shisui..." He choked. "I could never hurt him!" Sasuke felt a swell of sick satisfaction fill him when he saw a sheen on wetness fill Itachi's eyes. Sasuke stood suddenly, kicking Itachi in the side. The boy barely flinched, too shocked to even react.
"You're a murderer Itachi. I have spent half my life hunting you down so I could avenge them. Now you're mine." Sasuke could say no more than that, casting another hateful look at Itachi before walking towards the door. He hesitated for a moment, gripping the door frame in a tight grip. "You can stay here for the night. Let mother and father keep you company." With that Sasuke walked out the door, slamming and locking it behind him.