Sasuke stared at the bloody, broken body of Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi. The man he swore to kill. The man who single-handedly kill their clan. The man who killed his family.
He should be happy. He finally fulfilled the promise he made to his parent's grave. But why does he feel empty? Why does it feel like something is missing?
He can still feel the gentle poke that his traitor brother gave him. He can still see the smile that he gave him before he crumpled in his feet. His mind is reeling from the last words that he uttered.
The words are reminiscent of the words he always hear as a child.
A poke to his forehead, then, the words he knew too well "Forgive me, Sasuke. Some other time."
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Some other time."
"Forgive me, Sasuke."
"Some other time."
"Forgive me, Sasuke."
"Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last time."
Itachi's last words echoed through his mind. What did he mean by that? Is he asking forgiveness because of all the atrocious things he did? Did he think that a stupid poke will make him forgive him?
He is no longer a seven-year-old child that he can manipulate! Itachi can burn in hell. But he will never forgive his crimes. He may forgive all his broken promises but not his crimes. He didn't even give him an explanation as to why he kill everyone.
But why does he feel empty? He already avenge everyone. He should feel accomplished. But no, he felt - betrayed.
--
Sasuke gazed into the horizon. Tears are silently poured out of his eyes. He now know the truth about his brother. About how the village elders gave him the most painful task. Delegated such a mission to a mere thirteen-year old Itachi. So that they can save their faces from the scrutiny of the villagers.
The village destroyed Itachi while Itachi saved them.
They labeld him as clan killer, criminal, traitor when it is them who made him that. It is them who drove Itachi away and then treat him as a psychopath. How can the village just turn their back on it's citizen?
It is a common knowlege that the Lord Second is suspicious of his clan. But the Uchiha is one of the founding clans of Konoha, how can the Sandaime just let his clansmen be slaughtered?
"Itachi." Sasuke murmured. For the first time since that fateful night, he uttered Itachi's name withour malice.
His mind drofted to the time that everything is still fine. He remembered how attach he was to his nii-san. Fat tears escaped from Sasuke's eyes as the memories of the better days flooded his mind.
He remembered how he would immediately run to the door when he heard his brother's footsteps. How he would cling to his clothes and nag that they play. Itachi, his understanding and kind brother would delay doing his homework just to grant his insistent requests.
Then, they grew older. But his attachment to Itachi never wavered. Itachi had a lot more responsibilities on his shoulders but he would still nagged him. He even beg to let him tag along in his missions. How he would cry because Itachi will leave him to fulfill his duty to the village. But Itachi always promise that he'll return. And he believe him. And he would patiently wait for him, excited for that day. And when he did return, he would welcome him with a hug. Then, pester him again about playing with him. And although his loving brother is tiredd from the long missions that he took, he would gladly grant his request.
Itachi was his hero. He loved his Aniki truly. He was his big brother. Then, suddenly, he became his worst enemy.
The love in his heart for his brother was replaced with hatred. He wanted to kill his brother who condemned him to living a life alone and lonely. He wanted to kill him to not just to avenge his clan but also to avenge the innocence and trust that he killed. He wanted to destroy him for destroying him.
He hated Itachi wholeheartedly while Itachi love him with his whole heart.
He was hell-bent on destroying him while Itachi would move heaven and earth just to protect him.
Itachi choose to be a criminal for his safety. And what did he do? Curse him. Curse the name that loved and cared for him more that he loved and cared for himself.
"We are no longer Team Hebi." Sasuke declared. "We are now Team Taka." Sasuke's teammates stared at the back of his head. "And the main goal of team Taka is to destroy the Leaf." Sasuke turn to face them, his Mangekyo Sharingan is staring at the others.
--
Sasuke is jumping from tree branch to another. It was a few days after he avenged his kind Aniki when he killed Danzo. Now, he is trying to reunite with his teammates to do the second phase of their plan. But before he even got out of the forest, he saw something that is familiar to him.
A man is jumping from tree branch to another. But that is not just any man. He looked like Itachi. But it would be impossible as he killed him. Itachi died at his feet. However, he is not mistaken, the dark eyes, the fair complexion, and the deep stress lines that run from the sides of his nose. He knows that the man is Itachi.
So he went after him. He wants to ask the questions that Itachi never answered.
"Itachi!" Sasuke called out to his brother.
The reanimated Itachi did not acknowledge his brother that was tailing him. He continued jumping, wanting to finish the task he set for himself.
"Itachi!" Sasuke called. "Don't you dare ignore me! You told me that I could come to you if I already have your eyes! I have questions that I need you to answer."
"You don't need answers from a dead man, Sasuke." Itachi answered. "But if you must, later, I still have to do something."
"No! I need you to answer me, right now. You always poke me in the head, saying "forgive me, Sasuke. Some other time" and then you die on me!" Sasuke ranted.
Itachi's dead heart constricted at Sasuke's words. His brother is right. He always asked for forgiveness that he didn't deserve and promise a next time that he never delivered. He might be dead but isn't it a time to correct his mistakes?
Itachi gave a side way glance at his towards his brother who is still following.
"I'll answer your questions after I break this jutsu. Don't follow me." Itachi said and summoned a flock of crows to distract his brother.
But Sasuke persisted. He cut every last one of Itachi's crows with his katana. He won't lose his brother now. He won't waste this chance.
Sasuke followed Itachi after he killed the murder of crows that Itachi used to distract him. He followed his big brother to Kabuto's hideout.
They battled him and for the first time he fought alongside Itachi not against him. In that battke his older brother protected him several times, going as far as injuring himself just to protect him, his precious little brother.
During the fight, Kabuto confided that he envied Itachi. For he was an Uchiha. a name that connected him to his roots. A thing that was denied to him.
At that time, Itachi know that answer that he was looking for, years ago.
"Uchiha is just a name. A name will lose its meaning if you don't work for it." Itachi answered.
Itachi, then unleased the forbidden jutsu, Izanami, to end the battle. Leaving Kabuto inside his own mind, battling an endless loop unless he realize his mistake. He, then place Kabuto under his Tsukoyumi to tell him how he can release the reanimation jutsu.
And then, Itachi broken the jutsu. Before his reanimated body collapse, he walked towards his brother.
"Finally, the chance to explain everything to him." Itachi thought. He walked toward him so that he can show his memories to his precious brother.
"Sasuke." Itachi called his attention. "I always lied to you. And I'm sorry. I should have told you the truth from the very start. Now I know it was wrong for me to keep this big od a secret from you."
Itachi eyed his brother. The brother that he cherished. Even as he is saying those words, he knows that in his heart, if it meant saving him, he would gladly do it all over again if it meant safety for Sasuke.
Itachi reflected on his worst fear. It's not about disappointing his father or clan elders. His worst fear is disappointing his baby brother.
"You're too attached to me. You looked up to me. I feared that I'll make a mistake and you'll be disappointed. But what I did is worse than that." Itachi admitted. "Sasuke, I don't regret accepting the mission because you're safe and you got stronger. Strong enough to defeat me." Itachi smiled but it vanished quickly. "The only thing I regretted is making you a criminal."
Itachi pressed their foreheads together, reminiscent to the way he did sixteen years ago. "You don't have to forgive me, Sasuke. But I want to impart this much truth to you. Whatever you do from here on out, know this, no matter what, I will always love you." Itachi solemnly swear. A vow that he intended to keep even in the afterlife.
Sasuke watched Itachi's reanimated body crumple like a piece of paper and saw Itachi's smiling soul ascend to the skies.
"No matter what, Sasuke." Itachi mouthed.
Sasuke felt a lone tear escape from his eyes as his Aniki disappeared. Right then, he decided to save the village Itachi cared for so much and restore the glory of Itachi's name.
"I'll make you proud, big brother Itachi." Sasuke vowed.