Uchiha Clan.
Uchiha.
U-chi-ha.
Uchiha Itachi.
What does it mean to be an Uchiha? What does it mean to belong to a prestigious, powerful clan in Konoha? What does it mean to be Uchiha Itachi?
What is the price one has to pay for merely bearing the name? What sacrifices must one make just to be deemed worthy of belonging? Will his academic achievements be enough to compensate, or will the name demand more than he can give?
These questions plague Itachi's mind as he stares at the mighty red and white fan that decorates the wall—the symbol of Uchiha, the symbol of power and responsibility.
Will he be able to prove himself worthy of the crest adorning his clothes, or will the clan's glory crumble under his own inadequacy?
These thoughts are shattered by a cry, a cry that cuts through the haze of uncertainty. Itachi's panic surges as he looks down at his eight-month-old brother, Sasuke, nestled in his arms. He examines the infant frantically, fearing that something has harmed his precious sibling. Relief washes over him as he finds nothing amiss, realizing that Sasuke's cry is merely a plea for attention.
Chuckling softly, Itachi presses his forehead to Sasuke's, gazing into the innocent eyes that mirror his own. "Sasuke," he coos, "I hope I can be a good brother to you." His voice softens as Sasuke responds with a toothless grin, as if he understands the profound promise Itachi is about to make. "I promise you, Sasuke, I will find the answers to these questions. So when the time comes for you to ask them, I will have the answers ready. You won't have to wonder like I did." Sasuke remains oblivious, his tiny fingers playing with Itachi's hair. Itachi closes his eyes and whispers in his brother's ear, "I'll always be here for you, Sasuke. No matter what." It is a solemn vow, the most important promise of his life.
Little did Itachi know, this innocent moment would mark the beginning of his heartbreaking legacy.
Years pass, and echoes of that promise reverberate through Itachi's mind as he wanders the deserted streets of the once-majestic Uchiha compound. He had never imagined that he would one day break the sacred vow whispered to his innocent brother. He never thought that the day would come when Sasuke would regard him as his ultimate enemy.
But there he stands, living that heart-wrenching reality.
Sadness overwhelms Itachi as he gazes at the fading Uchiha fan on the wall, its vibrant colors long lost to time. It is a reminder that only he, Sasuke, and the Uchiha who hate his lineage and have lived too long are left in the clan. Closing his eyes, he tries to summon memories of happier times, when laughter filled the air instead of anguished cries.
Suddenly, he snaps his eyes open. The once-deserted streets transform before him, lined with bloody, lifeless bodies of his clansmen. Their accusatory stares pierce him, silently questioning, "How could you do this to us?" and "How could you betray us, Itachi?" He is back in that fateful night, holding his bloodied katana as Uchiha blood paints the walls and pools at his feet. The vivid hallucination torments him, but he cannot escape it.
Then, as quickly as it appeared, the illusion vanishes. There are no bodies lining the streets, no blood on his hands—only the haunting memory etched into his mind.
Trying to escape the haunting memories, he forges on. Tracing the familiar path he knows too well, he lets his feet drag him there while his mind is elsewhere.
As Itachi faces the door of his family home, more memories assault him. It feels like he's ten again, just coming home from the academy or training. The memories of his brother, Sasuke, flood his mind, a painful reminder of the innocence he stole from him. He can almost see his brother with excitement in his eyes, waiting for him to come home. Then the boy will cling to his clothes, begging to play or train with him.
The memory is too palpable that he expects Sasuke to greet him as he opens the door. But silence welcomes him. The pain that he feels is too tangible, and his heart constricts in his chest.
Violent coughs rack his body as memories of his brother flood his mind. He remembers how his little brother hugged him as he grieved for the loss of his teammate. The innocent child does not know how he saved him that night, but all he did was hurt him. He remembers how he always pokes Sasuke's forehead, asking for forgiveness he does not deserve and giving promises of next time that he can't deliver.
As Itachi stares at his blood-covered hand, he wonders, will there be any other next time at all? Will he die lying to his precious brother? But will he ever find it in himself to confide, to tell him the truth?
As he muses on these questions, another violent cough racks his body, spilling blood onto the hand he uses to cover his mouth. As he wipes his chin, he sardonically smirks at the irony that he sees. The hand that killed his clan is now covered with his blood. The irony is too strong that he lets out a single emotionless laugh. For he knows, sooner or later, his blood will cover the traitorous hand as he waits for his own death.
Leaving the embrace of the bitter-sweet memories of this once-loving brother, he forges on. Though his body is failing him, he gathers the strength and resolve expected from an Uchiha.
He is determined to reach his destination. The room where it all ended. As he approaches it, he steels himself, expecting the worst.
But when he opens the door, a gasp got caught in his throat. For the room is devoid of all the expected horror. That is the room where he ended the lives of his parents, where he yielded his katana with the intent of killing the two people responsible for his and his brother's life, is missing the aura of the most sinful act that he committed.
He can almost see his proud father and benevolent mother. That is the last place he saw them alive. And he cannot sully the sacred place with the filth that clings to his very name.
Itachi closes his eyes in an attempt to prevent his tears from escaping. He kneels outside the door.
"Forgive me, Father, Mother," Itachi says. "Forgive your traitorous son. Please accept your wayward son as my end looms near," he implores. "I intended to make Sasuke stronger. I will breathe my last in his hands. I will fulfill the promise I gave to you, Father. I will take care of Sasuke. I promise you, Father, he will be stronger. He will have my eyes."
And Itachi seals the vow with his blood. He presses his bloodied hand onto the floor. He then steels himself for the final confrontation with his brother, accepting that the scythe of death is firmly grasped in Sasuke's hand.