Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Older Brother: Sway

Five years. Where did the time go?

Itachi tried not to think about it, but five years ago, on this very day, he had lost almost all of his family. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, as he had so often done over the past years. He never had quite worked up the will to move back in to the Uchiha District. It was all still there, at the edge of the village, buildings still standing tall and the Clan's symbol still painted on the walls. Although it had been thoroughly cleared of blood and bodies the District would forever be a graveyard to Itachi, if not Hell itself. He hoped Sasuke felt the same way about their old home and wasn't harbouring a silent desire to return.

Sasuke was such a mystery these days. The boy that had kept no secrets from him, who couldn't help but smile whenever Itachi was with him, had changed considerably.

Sasuke was quiet and withdrawn. He disliked company and anyone that got too close to him, both physically and emotionally. As his older brother, Itachi could still get away with those things but only on occasion.

At thirteen years old, Sasuke was equipped with the knowledge, personality and experience of a veteran. A war veteran. He had lost his childhood.

There had been times that Sasuke still needed him. Itachi felt a sickness in his gut when he remembered the perverse relief that coursed through him when Sasuke returned from a mission, an A rank mission mistaken for a C rank, wounded and very much in need of comfort. What kind of brother was he, to find elation in the fact that his own younger brother was hurt because it meant Sasuke would let him in for once?

They had been through some pretty bad times over the past five years. Itachi remembered the fights, words flying so fast out of both their mouths that they stopped caring how hurtful they were being. There was one particular event he remembered, where they had both lost control. Itachi couldn't even remembered what he had said-

Oh, right. He'd told Sasuke that he was a pathetic ninja and the he couldn't protect anyone. He had no idea where that had come from, even now. Sasuke wasn't weak of character and was top of all his classes. Maybe, in his haze of anger, Itachi thought he was looking at himself and started speaking as if that were the case.

That was the last straw for Sasuke and he had landed a solid fist in Itachi's rib cage almost too fast to see. Itachi had retaliated, of course he had; he was an active ninja and programmed to respond to violence with violence. He hadn't wanted to punch Sasuke in the face though.

He regretted it as soon as he had done it. Sasuke had stumbled back from the blow, and to Itachi's horror blood speckled the floor where Sasuke was hunched over. It was nothing more than a split lip, but that didn't matter. Whether it was a split lip or a hole in the chest, Itachi had hurt Sasuke. And nothing could ever redeem him in that moment.

Itachi winced at the memory and rolled over, turning his back on the light seeping in through the curtains. There were good times between the brothers too. Sasuke had graduated from the Academy, with the rest of his class, and passed Kakashi's infamously unpassable test. As far as he understood it, Sasuke had been the one to initiate the actions that allowed what was now Team 7 to proceed.

Itachi had been in the teahouse, pondering, when Kakashi had approached him. The two were on good terms and Itachi was honestly relieved that the Jounin was his brother's Sensei. It really couldn't have been any other way. As his brother Itachi was disallowed to be Sasuke's Sensei and Kakashi was the only other ninja with a Sharingan. No one else was as qualified to mentor Sasuke. Well, in his opinion at least.

Itachi had wordlessly allowed the man to sit across from him and waited for Kakashi to speak.

"Your brother is going to make a very fine ninja," Kakashi had said, to which Itachi had raised his eyebrows. Why did the man feel the need to come to him just to say that?

"Thank you," he replied, hesitantly.

"He sees through deception well."

"You mean your little initiation test? Yes, I've heard that yours is the most difficult one to pass."

"This is actually the first team that's ever passed my test. You know Sasuke was the one that actually realised it made more sense to help his teammate rather than obey the rules?"

"Is that so?" Sasuke had told Itachi what happened but left out that little detail. Itachi felt his heart swelling with pride. For all his coldness and 'I-can-do-it-on-my-own' attitude, Sasuke did have enough sense and enough feeling to know what was right and help his team mates. When he had gotten home, Sasuke received a warm hug, with no explanation, and thankfully did not object to it.

Itachi smiled a little. Five years ago it seemed impossible that the two could ever make it through just one year. But here they both were, five years later. Sasuke was all set to enter the Chuunin exams in a few weeks and Itachi was back on missions, the success rate always 100%.

Just being alive, with his brother, was enough to send tears of happiness leaking across his cheeks. More than anything though, it was the thought that things would be okay.

…..

It came to him in a dream. Sasuke had never been a spiritual type, especially after that night. He didn't believe in prophetic dreams, or hidden meanings. It was only the mind, digging up information it had collected and then spewing it out in sometimes laughable, and, in Sasuke's case, often horrific ways when the body slept.

Too many times Sasuke had revisited the same exact moment. The moment he walked into the family hall, and watched his parents fall, like lifeless dolls whose strings had been cut. Then that man, that grinning, beady-eyed, bulky beast, would rush at him, sword always slicing through his chest. He would laugh as Sasuke struggled to wake up, gasping, shaking, sweating and downright terrified.

But this time the man didn't charge at him. His Mother and Father were lying dead on the floor, their blood black in the night, and the man was wiping his sword clean. He muttered something. A lucid voice in Sasuke's mind perked up, knowing that amongst all the nightmares, this one was the true nightmare. The one that had actually happened. A memory.

On that night, that man had said something. It was muttered, in a thick, choking voice. Desperately, Sasuke, half-awake, clung to what he was hearing in his dream.

Barely realising he was doing it, he rolled out of bed and scrabbled around his room, hands seeking a pencil and paper. Without needing to think about it, he scribbled something on the paper and then, sprawled awkwardly on the floor, he fell back asleep. When he woke up, Sasuke saw the scrap of paper in front of him and read the spidery words.

"The brilliant Uchiha taken down by five 'mere' ANBU. It hardly matters that the other five didn't show up."

And then he remembered.

….

Things were not okay. Itachi had been unable to support his brother during the Chuunin exams. It was a mission that drew him away, one he couldn't refuse. He owed a lot to the Hokage, and Itachi could tell the ice he was treading on was gradually getting thinner. The Hokage couldn't hold back Danzo forever and he was giving Itachi more leeway than any other ninja.

By all rights the Uchiha District should have either been torn down or renovated into shops since no one was living there. It's only purpose since the massacre had been a place for Sasuke to sleepwalk to a few years ago when the nightmares were particularly bad.

But the Hokage had kept the District off-limits. He wouldn't allow the land to be bought, used or vandalised, all on account of Itachi's beseeching that it just be left alone, to keep the honour of his family standing.

Itachi had wanted to ask the Hokage to post-pone the mission, or defer it to another ninja. But it had to be Itachi. The Jounin Sensei's had to stay behind to monitor the exams and there were no other ninja that could fill Itachi's shoes.

So, after wishing Sasuke luck Itachi had departed on a long mission, wondering every night how Sasuke was doing and if he would make it back in time to see the final rounds of the exams.

And after two long months, Itachi returned to a Hell.

The Hokage was dead, taken down by his own student, the rogue ninja Orochimaru.

The Village was in tatters, large sections in dire need of rebuilding and recent corpses buried hurriedly in graves so shallow Itachi could swear he felt the cold chill of their skin if he touched the ground with his bare hand.

And Sasuke was a victim, once again.

Rage and hatred coiled inside him when he saw the mark, the curse mark, Orochimaru had so kindly imparted to his little brother. Kakashi had sealed the mark, but that didn't make things any better.

On the night he returned Itachi had been unable to let Sasuke out of his arms, the two ending up asleep on the long sofa in a tangle. It was like every time Itachi let him out of his sight, Sasuke would get hurt. If Itachi could keep Sasuke safe by holding on to him, he would never, ever let go.

Long after Sasuke had dozed off, Itachi was worrying about what would happen now. With the Hokage dead there was no one but the two advisors standing between the brothers and Danzo. Itachi feared he would have to abandon the village, disgrace their names because to preserve them would mean their deaths.

And what was worse, Sasuke, apparently, would be drawn to Orochimaru because of the damnable curse mark. Itachi knew he had to get Sasuke to see sense, use his older brother abilities of persuasion to deter him if he ever displayed a desire to seek out Orochimaru. He doubted he would ever need to think about that though.

….

Here it was again. This all-consuming sadness and hate that had been so familiar to Sasuke for the past few months.

He remembered what that ninja had said on the night his family was slaughtered. At the time he had been too afraid to think straight and actually hear what the man was saying. But somehow he'd remembered and, finally, his brain had kicked into gear and allowed him to relive that moment, able to know what that man had said.

Five others that didn't show, and only five that took out the Uchiha Clan. Something about it struck Sasuke as odd, but for a few days he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Five and five….those numbers weren't right.

It was infuriating, like having completed a puzzle but for one crucial, missing piece. It drove Sasuke, like a force of will and he soon found himself sneaking around storage rooms full of papers and records. He looked at reports of his own Clan's massacre and found very little mention of the perpetrators. There were a total of seven ninjas listed as the people responsible for the Clan's demise, all of them ANBU.

Five…and five….

Sasuke rifled through countless papers, finding no mention of any other ninjas found on the scene or even any suspects that could be allied with the 7 criminals, all of whom had died on the night of the massacre.

There were 3 ninjas unaccounted for. Sasuke knew he had heard that man say those words, he specifically said five were involved in the deaths and five didn't make it. It troubled him greatly.

Another dream gave Sasuke the answers he needed. He was back to the day he and Itachi had to confirm the identity of the dead bodies of their Clan. The day his Sharingan had awakened. For ages beforehand, Sasuke had looked forward to the day he would finally be able to use his Kekkai Genkai and, maybe, his Father would acknowledge him, maybe even praise him, but best not to let his hopes get too high.

The first image his blood-red eyes had seen was his Father's face, stiff and dead. And then, the second, his Mother's face, so pale and unmoving it still made Sasuke's heart lurch to think about it. And then, the third.

The place where the corpses were kept was not just host to the Uchiha that day. There were two bags, stored at the side of the room, like they were not meant to be seen. Sasuke's newly keen eyes had seen the labels and paperwork carelessly deposited on top of the bags, even from a distance as Itachi had carried him out of the building.

A name had been on each of the labels, and the paperwork was probably waiting to be filed. Sasuke hadn't seen all of the paper but he did manage to see the most important part of it.

HOMICIDE VICTIMS

KILLED BY UCHIHA ITACHI

RANKED ANBU

EXTRA INFO: KILLED IN SELF-DEFENCE AND FOR THE MURDER OF THE UCHIHA CLAN. ONLY PERPERTRATORS FOUND ONSITE.

Five and five…but only two perpetrators found? And seven that reportedly killed the Clan?

….

Sasuke came home one night, looking like a ghost. His last mission had hospitalised him for a few days and Itachi had received word that he had been fighting with Naruto, outside of practice and with viciousness no Leaf ninja would approve of.

Things had been terse between them lately. The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, had been very sympathetic towards the brother's situation although she was kept out of the loop considering the planned Uchiha massacre. She could have ordered Sasuke to be stripped of his rank or locked up with the curse mark threatening to get out of control and lure him towards Orochimaru. But Sasuke was to remain on Team 7 and continue his training, much to everyone's relief.

Itachi had been planning to give his brother a long lecture about how disgraceful it was to, as Kakashi had told him, 'aim a Chidori at a comrade with the unmistakeable intention to kill'. But Sasuke looked so absolutely pitiful as he wandered into their apartment that Itachi decided to lay off. Although they had lived there for 5 years now, Sasuke was looking around as if he had just suddenly been dumped there, like he didn't recognise anything.

Itachi eventually broke him out of his trance-like state, and, without a word, Sasuke had given him an odd look and had scurried off to his bedroom. He had just gotten out of the hospital and was probably having some after-effects from the medication, Itachi mused. He would talk to Sasuke tomorrow, when he was actually living on their planet.

….

The following night, Itachi felt a wave of Déjà vu as he watched Sasuke stumbled into their apartment, looking confused and uncharacteristically helpless.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Itachi called to the boy, who slowly looked at him with blank eyes. He didn't respond and dropped his head to look at his feet. "What happened?" Itachi asked, feeling that familiar dread creep into his gut.

"Am I weak?" Sasuke suddenly asked, head snapping up.

"No." It was true. Sasuke had excelled beyond his years and would probably continue to do so.

"Hn," Sasuke muttered. Itachi had tried to get him to stop with that infuriating non-committal response but Sasuke wouldn't relent. He wondered if it was just to annoy him sometimes. Sasuke fidgeted a little, bringing up his hand to paw at his left shoulder. Itachi didn't miss it, and the dread felt heavier.

"Is this about the curse mark? About Orochimaru?"

"He said he could make me strong enough," Sasuke murmured, eyes downcast.

"Strong enough for what? For him to take over your body and blast the ever-lasting hell out of this village? You know that's the only thing he wants and you'd be a damned fool to let him use you for something like that." Itachi realised he was being too harsh and softened his tone a little. "You're stronger than the curse mark, and stronger without that demon."

Sasuke seemed to think for a moment, letting it sink in. Itachi grasped his shoulders, finally making Sasuke look at him.

"Whatever is making you think you need that wretch, we'll get past it. I'll always be here for you. If you ever get this urge to find Orochimaru, or a longing for power, just come to me, and I'll keep you safe. You're strong, Sasuke, and you should never feel like you're weak. Because it's just not true." Itachi smiled at Sasuke and a little to himself. He had been planning to tell Sasuke off but here he was, comforting his brother, who had flung his arms around his neck and didn't seem about to let go anytime soon.

Itachi hugged him back, and thought, a little conceitedly, that his big-brother-power-of-persuasion never failed. He was glad that Sasuke would still listen to him.

The next day, Sasuke left anyway.

Edited 3/7/15

Without the motive of revenge on Itachi it could seem a little strange that Sasuke decides to join Orochimaru anyway but I will clear that up later on. Also I apologise for the POV's and perspectives jumping all over the place for this chapter.

And a side note: I'm using 'sway' in the sense of persuasion (which Itachi is losing), not in the dancing sense.

Thank you to akasukifangirl, LivinOnCloud9 and Shirayuki Hime999 for reviewing last chapter.

akasukifangirl: Thank you, haha, I hate when adults gossip. I'm one of those people who just wants it said to their face. I actually wonder if in the original story Sasuke was ever held back, since he clearly has the skills for a Genin before he graduated the Academy. I'm just speculating though. To be honest I didn't really have a character in mind for Iruka's conversation partner. Any generic teacher ninja will do, they're basically following the rules and letting the higher up's have their way (I have this subconscious hatred of authority). I'm a little harsh with Iruka's character but I don't think even the kindest person could begin to understand the pain of what Itachi and Sasuke feel, not having been through it themselves. So in the end, the brothers only really have each other…(too poetic?)

Yes! Three members for Danzo-hate-club!

LivinOnCloud9: I have discontinued stories in the past but I don't think that will happen with this one (barring any tragic accidents that could occur to me and impair my writing ability – touch wood). I styled this fic in a way that, if I do need to stop, I can find a way to end it quickly and decently. I was actually very inspired by another fic to write this one – 'Things Learned' by Don't Trust the Snake. You might like that one as well if you like this one. I'm really glad people like the alternative storyline – I don't want to sound conceited or dreadful but I really don't like these fics where Itachi kills the Clan and it gets brushed away as unimportant or something. For me it doesn't really do itself justice. I think I crossed the conceited line so I'll just stop and say thanks for reviewing.

Shirayuki Hime999: Thank you, normally what I write is very predictable so it's good to hear that it has someone guessing I always think they're both victims, Itachi is just better at hiding it. Hopefully the forthcoming chapters will clear up how the brother's relationship developed and what led to Sasuke's decision to leave.

Thanks for reading,

Cipher.