Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 41: Rebel With A Cause

It was November 21st, and Sasuke had spent a full week living with Naruto and Namiko. Surprisingly, the three slipped into a familiar routine, and Naruto and Sasuke were getting along well, keeping their rivalry on a friendly level. The three ate nearly every meal together, trained together in the mornings, and then trained with their respective teammates in the afternoons. Evenings were for talking and getting reacquainted with each other.

Overall, Sasuke was having an easy time, though the routine protected him from seeing anyone outside Teams 7 or 8. He was thankful Sakura seemed to have stopped her crazy swooning over him, but he didn't fail to notice the way her face fell and her body language bristled if he talked about Namiko.

He was wary of his "replacement", Sai. To him, Sai was like a blank slate with no idea how emotions worked or how to relate to people, often resulting in offending someone. Most people would have thought Sasuke and Sai were halves of the same coin, but at least Sasuke could relate to Namiko and Naruto well and only offended people on purpose.

Namiko's night terrors seemed to be insanely strong now that she was home and the only way to keep them at bay was for Sasuke to sleep next to her, holding her tightly. The two traded kisses, and only kisses, when he joined her in her bed every night, but otherwise kept anything physical to a minimum so as not to arouse suspicion.

Every morning, Namiko would wake Sasuke the moment she felt Naruto start to stir awake. Sasuke would go out into the living room and fold up the futon neatly before starting water for tea, waiting for Namiko to "wake" up. Naruto had yet to figure anything out about their relationship.

Tonight was different; Namiko suddenly woke when she felt a familiar chakra approach their apartment. She leaned over and shook Sasuke's shoulder gently. "Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei is going to be here any moment."

Sasuke sprang into action, grabbed his shirt from the floor, and threw it on right as he heard the knock. "I'll take care of him, don't worry," he said as he shut her door.

Sasuke opened the front door and Kakashi stood on the other side, his visible eye crinkled in amusement, "Good to see you, Sasuke! Did you sleep well?"

Sasuke let out a scoff. "I was until you showed up at—" He leaned back to check the clock in the kitchen. "2:58 am and woke me. To what do we owe this intrusion in the middle of the night?"

"It's Itachi."

Sasuke's snarky expression fell like a lead balloon. "What do you mean?"

"He's ready to talk."

"…at three in the morning?"

Kakashi paused. "He's dying. Godaime says he maybe has hours left at most…he wants to talk. It's now or never."

Sasuke felt like the gravity was pushing him down. He collected himself and turned to walk further into the apartment. "Let me just tell Namiko so she knows where I'm going—"

"No," cut in Kakashi. "Itachi wants her to come too."

"…what?" Sasuke was confused. 'What could Itachi possibly want from her? Something to do with the kyuubi?'

"What's going on, sensei?" asked Namiko as she walked up behind Sasuke, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Itachi. Both of you come with me. No need to wake Naruto."

Namiko glanced at Sasuke, noting his body language was tense and on edge. "Let me change clothes and write Naruto a note to tell him where we'll be." At Kakashi's nod, she wrote a quick note and stuck it on the fridge.

Kakashi-sensei came for Sasuke and me because Itachi wants to talk to us. Be back soon. Love you.
-Namiko

Walking through the small hospital ward of the prison was odd. Dark yet sterile, the beeping of medical equipment stood out among the silence. Kakashi led them to the furthest corner, unlocking a small room.

Itachi sat in a hospital bed, breathing shallowly as Tsunade stood next to him, her hands actively glowing with healing chakra. She glanced up as she continued to work on him. "He's ready to talk."

She walked over to the three, her face somber as she lowered her voice, "He's very weak. I've taken off his chakra limiters because, at this point, his chakra and willpower are the only things keeping him alive. If you need me, we'll be in the hallway."

"I want to speak to Sasuke alone first," Itachi's voice cut through the tension in the room, "then Namiko with him."

Sasuke looked at his brother before turning to Namiko. "I'll come get you." She nodded and subtly squeezed his hand as she, Kakashi, and Tsunade left the brothers to talk in private.

Once out of the room, Namiko leaned back against the wall and slid to the floor, resting her head on the wall. 'I want to be in there with him, but I know this is something he needs to do on his own.'

"Ever since our fight, I've been…remembering things." Sasuke took a slow breath. "Remembering the feelings I had as a child, of adoring my big brother. I remember you teaching me shurikenjutsu. I remember you carrying me on your back when I sprained my ankle."

Sasuke moved forward to stand at the end of Itachi's bed. "But I don't understand what caused the big brother I adored to turn on me, slaughter our family like cattle, try to kill me, and then suddenly tell me he did all this because he wanted to spare my life. What part of any of that makes sense, Itachi?"

"Sasuke, before the massacre, when did you ever come close to beating me when I'd spar with you? What about when I encountered you when Kisame and I went after Naruto? Did I kill you then?" Itachi remained cool and impassive. "If I had wanted to kill you, I had multiple opportunities…but I could never bring myself to do it." Sasuke watched him carefully, churning Itachi's words over in his mind.

"You needed to become strong without our family or me by your side, and I knew if you hated me, you'd push yourself to grow stronger to defeat me. I put the idea of the Mangekyo Sharingan in your head to further that drive. Though I never expected you to get it without experiencing some sort of trauma to trigger it." Itachi watched Sasuke's eyes flicker with a hint of anxiety. "Or did you? Perhaps something to do with Namiko?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. "Namiko is none of your business. Why bother trying to force me to be stronger?"

"It's what our father did to me. When I was four years old, he showed me the horrors of the Third Great Shinobi War. After that, I swore I would eliminate war from this world." Itachi's facial expression softened. "That dream became even clearer from the moment I saw you as a newborn and heard your name. I was overwhelmed by the urge to protect you. I never wanted you to experience the war that I had, the wars the past generations had."

Sasuke shook his head, confused. "So you joined a terrorist organization after killing our clan?"

"After the massacre, I had no choice but to flee Konoha or be killed myself; if I was killed then I couldn't protect you. Sandaime and I made a deal; I would go undercover for Konoha and he agreed to keep you safe. I was already branded a traitor to Konoha, so that gave me the perfect cover story and I could infiltrate the Akatsuki, keeping an eye on them from the inside and reporting my findings to my contact still inside Konoha. My actions were all for the protection of the village, of you."

Sasuke's fists clenched at his sides. "You expect me to believe you slaughtered our family, and destroyed my life, just to protect me?" Sasuke's mind raced, trying to process the conflicting emotions and memories. "And what about you? What did you get out of this twisted sacrifice?"

"Nothing. I gave up my honor, my home, my family, everything I loved. I lived in the shadows, hated by everyone, especially by you. All I ever wanted was for you to be safe and strong enough to protect yourself and the village when the time came."

"And the village? Why would I protect the village that ordered the extermination of our clan?!"

"Sasuke, the village was not the one who gave the order ma. The coup our father planned to start would have turned into a civil war. A war the Uchiha could have never won and so many innocent lives on both sides would have been lost in the crossfire. You would've died. We all would have. So, when Danzo gave me an ultimatum, I chose the path that allowed you to live and prevented war."

Sasuke's anger flared. "And you think that justifies everything? The pain, the loneliness, the hatred I felt all these years? You took everything from me!"

Silence hung between them, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Sasuke's heart ached with the weight of Itachi's words. He took a step closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you, Itachi. But…I want to understand."

"Then let me show you the entire truth from beginning to end." Itachi's eyes blazed with the Sharingan, slipping Sasuke into his memories. Itachi showed him Shisui's death, the discussions of the coup and arguments with their father, Danzo's secret orders for the massacre, Itachi's meeting with Madara, and the tears he shed as their parents surrendered to their fate.

Itachi released the genjutsu and Sasuke stood there in shock. 'They really did plan everything. Our father's foolishness cost our clan their lives. They weren't going to back down.'

Itachi's gaze softened. "I know, Sasuke. I know. I don't expect you to forgive me. I just want you to understand why I did it. I wanted to give you a chance at a good future, even if it meant you would hate me." Itachi paused. "But it seems like you may have that good future in your grasp…with Namiko."

Sasuke's back instinctively tensed. "Why do you want to talk to her? Is it because she's a jinchuriki?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, I want to talk to her because you're in love with her, and I have some things I'd like to show her and talk to her about." He paused to let a heavy cough pass. "Especially if you decide to make her part of this family."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his protective instincts flaring. "She doesn't need to be dragged into this!"

"Easy, otouto, I just want to show her some memories, just as I did with you. She's already involved by being with you and obviously returning your love." Itachi's expression softened, a rare warmth in his weary eyes. "And from what I've observed, she brings you peace that I haven't seen in you since before the massacre. She deserves to understand who you are and where you come from. If you both choose to walk through life together, there will be challenges ahead and you will certainly need each other."

Sasuke's fists unclenched, and he looked away, struggling with the turmoil inside. "I don't know if I'm ready for that. And I don't know if she'll be ready for that."

"Readiness comes from acceptance," said Itachi gently. "Acceptance of your past, your pain, and the people who care about you. Namiko can be your strength, just as you can be hers. You don't have to do everything alone anymore."

Sasuke was silent for a moment as Itachi's words slowly sunk in. Sasuke looked at the ground, and lowered his voice to barely a whisper, "I don't know if she would even want to…"

"My foolish otouto, she would. She protected you during our fight, and it wasn't because she thought you were weak. Only someone who truly loves you would throw themselves into danger like that. You didn't see her eyes, full of determination to protect you. Full of love for you."

Sasuke exhaled forcefully. "I'll go get her."

The three had been quiet in the hall and Namiko's mind was racing, worried about Sasuke. She heard him raise his voice earlier but she couldn't hear what was being said. 'I wonder how he's doing in there. His chakra is so turbulent right now, but I can't say I blame him. Itachi's chakra is weakening more and more. He doesn't have much time left.'

Namiko was so lost in her thoughts she didn't feel Sasuke's chakra move to the door and she startled when it opened. She looked up and quickly got to her feet, following him wordlessly. She stood near the foot of Itachi's bed, Sasuke at her side. "Why did you want to speak to me?"

"I'm quite aware of my brother's and your feelings for each other. There are things you should know about the bond between our families." At Namiko's quizzical look, Itachi continued, "Our parents knew each other quite well. Our father, as head of both the Uchiha clan and the Konoha Police Force, worked very closely with Yondaime. Our mothers were also friends. I would like to show you a few memories of mine."

Namiko glanced at Sasuke as if to ask if it were safe or a good idea, and at his subtle nod, she said, "Okay, go ahead," and was pulled into a genjutsu.

When the world shifted around Namiko, she noticed Sasuke was still next to her and they were standing on a street in Konoha. "He pulled you in too?"

"I guess so," he said with a shrug.

Namiko looked at their surroundings when she noticed a beautiful woman walking toward them carrying a small baby and a little boy, maybe five years old, following her. All three had thick black hair and dark eyes. She glanced toward Sasuke to ask if it was his mother, but she didn't need to; the look on his face was all the confirmation she needed.

'So the little boy must be Itachi and that means the baby is Sasuke.' She smiled seeing the tiny infant Sasuke in his mother's arms before taking a closer look at his mother. 'She was so beautiful. Fair with dark features…I feel like I've seen her before, but then I'm sure I probably saw her at the academy or something growing up—'

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when an older woman with brown hair and a much younger woman with long red hair walked past them, heavily pregnant. As the red-haired woman turned, Namiko's breath caught in her throat; it was like she was looking in a mirror. "…my mom…" Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the memory play.

"Oh! You had a girl?" asked Kushina.

Mikoto chuckled. "No, he's a boy."

"Wow, what a little cutie!" Kushina's voice was excited and cheery, "Hi there, little guy! What's your name, handsome?"

"It's Sasuke," replied Mikoto warmly as she stroked his tiny hand.

"Oh, after Sandaime's father, was he?" asked Biwako.

Mikoto smiled proudly. "Yes, so he will grow up to be a strong, splendid shinobi." She looked over Kushina. "You're due any day now, aren't you, Kushina? You ought to start thinking of baby names as well, especially since you have two names to pick!"

"Actually, we've already decided! We're naming them Naruto and Namiko." Kushina leaned over to rub Sasuke's head affectionately. "They'll be classmates with little Sasuke here. I hope you'll be good friends with them!" She giggled. "Maybe one day Sasuke and Namiko will get married and we'll be relatives!" Mikoto laughed right along with her.

Sasuke smirked slightly as he muttered, "Maybe one day she'll be right." Namiko's eyes snapped to his as she blushed heavily.

Kushina cupped her hand around her mouth to whisper to Mikoto, "By the way, does it really hurt like they say?"

"Wow, so there's actually something that scares you! Shocking!" said Mikoto teasingly. "I made it through twice and so can you…though mine weren't back to back." Her teasing smile turned more empathetic. "Don't worry! You'll be an excellent mother. All the pain you'll feel during birth becomes worth it as soon as you hold that baby in your arms for the first time."

Biwako grabbed Kushina's wrist and pulled her away like a child. "Come on, Kushina, let's go!" Kushina waved goodbye wildly while Mikoto waved back more reservedly.

The scenery quickly changed and Namiko and Sasuke were in the hospital, looking at Mikoto holding a baby Sasuke and Itachi stood by her side as they looked through a window. Namiko slowly walked forward to get a better look and her mouth dropped open. There were two babies in cribs, one with blonde hair and whisker marks on his cheeks and one with a bright shock of red hair.

Mikoto looked on the verge of tears. "Oh, Kushina…they're beautiful…I wish you could see them…"

Itachi looked up at his mother. "Who will care for them now?"

She took in a shaky breath. "They'll go to an orphanage for now, but after that, I don't know. " A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered to herself, "No matter what, I'll watch out for them as long as I'm alive, Kushina…"

Namiko saw Sasuke tense out of the corner of her eye as the scene changed around them again. This time it appeared they were outside Uchiha Senbei. A young version of Namiko, probably around five years old, stood several meters from the shop, watching others closely as she tugged on the end of her waist-length hair nervously.

Mikoto along with a younger Sasuke and Itachi were walking past when Mikoto noticed Namiko. "Sasuke, do you see that little girl over there? She and her brother will be classmates of yours next year at the academy. Maybe you should go say hello."

Young Sasuke followed his mother's line of vision and froze, ducking behind her with pink tinting his cheeks. "I'm okay. I don't need to."

"You're scared of talking to a girl?" teased Itachi.

"Well, you're scared of talking to Izumi and she's a girl!" Young Sasuke shot back.

Itachi paused, glancing at their mother. "That's entirely different."

Mikoto hid a chuckle behind her hand at her sons. She walked over to the younger Namiko and crouched down to her level. "Well, aren't you beautiful? You know, your hair reminds me of a dear friend of mine, long and bright red just like hers."

"Really?" Namiko replied excitedly, "I haven't seen anyone else with red hair in our village! Does she live here?"

Mikoto's expression softened. "No, I haven't seen her in five years, but she was an amazing kunoichi. The strongest one I ever knew. She always kept her hair long, all the way down to her knees!"

"I'm going to be a kunoichi too! My brother and I are supposed to start the academy next year!"

"Well, then maybe one day you'll be just like my friend Kushina." Mikoto smiled at the young girl. "Why don't I treat you to some senbei? I was about to buy some for both of my children."

Namiko held her hands up and shook her head wildly. "No, no, no, I couldn't ask that of you!"

Mikoto laughed. "You aren't asking, I'm offering. My name is Uchiha Mikoto. Come on, I'll introduce you to my sons. In fact, one of my boys will be in your class at the academy." She stood and offered her hand to the girl.

Namiko hesitated for a moment before accepting the woman's hand and following her to young Sasuke and Itachi. "These are my sons, Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke is the one who is going to be in your class."

Sasuke stood perfectly still, openly staring at the Namiko before him. The young redhead smiled brightly as she bowed slightly. "I'm Uzumaki Namiko. I also have a twin brother named Naruto and he'll be in the Shinobi Academy with us. It's nice to meet you!"

Sasuke just nodded at her, a light pink tinting his cheeks. "Nice to meet you too."

"Now then, pick whatever kind of senbei you'd like, Namiko-chan," said Mikoto as the four stood in line.

"Goma senbei, please!" Namiko said politely and Mikoto turned to place the order.

"What brought you over to this part of the village?" asked Itachi.

"Hmm?" Namiko stopped watching Mikoto and turned to the boys. "Oh, I went to the library and decided to walk this way back home."

Sasuke's curiosity finally got the better of him as he took a step closer. "The library? Do you like reading?"

Namiko nodded enthusiastically. "I love it! There are so many stories about great shinobi and kunoichi, though I love reading civilian fairy tales too! I want to learn all I can to be prepared when I get to the academy!"

Itachi smiled gently, appreciating her enthusiasm. "That's a good mindset to have. Knowledge is as important as strength for a shinobi."

Mikoto returned with several bags of senbei and handed one to Namiko before handing some to her sons. "Here you go, Namiko-chan! I hope you enjoy it."

"Thank you very much, Uchiha-san!" Namiko said with a bright smile, bowing slightly again. She took a piece of senbei and bit into it, savoring the flavor. "It's delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it! There are extra in the bag for your brother too," said Mikoto with a smile. "Why don't you walk with us for a bit?"

As they walked together, Namiko chatted animatedly about the books she had read, while young Sasuke found himself listening intently, captivated by her energy and passion. Itachi observed his younger brother with silent amusement, noting how Sasuke seemed genuinely interested in Namiko's stories or perhaps the girl herself.

Before they knew it, they had reached the entrance of the Uchiha compound. Namiko stopped and looked around, realizing it was time for her to head home. "I should get going. My brother will be wondering where I am."

Mikoto nodded understandingly. "It was lovely to meet you, Namiko-chan. I'm sure you and Sasuke will become great friends at the academy."

Namiko smiled widely. "I hope so too! Thank you again for the senbei, Uchiha-san." She waved goodbye to the Uchiha family and started on her way back home.

As they headed back into the compound, Itachi placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Looks like otouto has his first crush, huh, okaa-san?"

"I think you're right, Itachi." Mikoto winked at Sasuke, causing his blush to return with a vengeance as he pouted.

"I don't have a crush!" Sasuke declared adamantly before barely speaking in a whisper. "…she's just really pretty and friendly. I like her long hair…"

"She's a sweet girl. You don't have to make her your girlfriend or anything, though she would be a good choice. You can worry about that when you're older." Mikoto smiled encouragingly at her youngest son. "Having friends is important, especially with someone as kind and smart as Namiko. I think you two will be good friends."

Sasuke nodded, still thinking about the red-haired girl and her vibrant personality. "Yeah, I think so too."

The scene began to blur and fade back into the present. Sasuke stood silently as he glanced at Namiko, who seemed lost in thought.

"That was the first time we met," Namiko said softly, a nostalgic smile forming on her lips as she stared into the void around them. "I remember your mother talking to me about who I now realize was my mother, but I had forgotten everything else."

Sasuke nodded, his expression softening. "I never forgot."

Namiko whirled around to face him with a surprised look as they were both suddenly brought back to the reality of their situation as Itachi went into a coughing fit. He tried to cover his mouth but blood soon coated his palm.

"He used up too much chakra showing us that. I'll get Tsunade!" said Namiko as she walked toward the door.

"No, don't bother…" Itachi's voice was hoarse and raspy.

Sasuke's eyes widened in alarm as he stepped closer to his brother. "Itachi, save your strength. We can get help."

Itachi shook his head weakly, his breathing labored. "It's too late, Sasuke. I've already accepted this."

Namiko hesitated at the door, her eyes darting between the two brothers. "There must be something we can do," she insisted, her voice cracking.

Itachi gave a faint smile, his gaze softening as he looked at Sasuke. "There's nothing more to be done. I just... wanted to see you one last time. To tell you the truth."

Sasuke sat in a chair beside his brother, his hands trembling. "Itachi, don't talk like that. You can't leave me now."

Itachi's eyes filled with sorrow and regret. "I'm sorry for everything, Sasuke. Especially the pain I've caused you. But you needed to grow strong, to protect our village. Our family."

Tears clouded Sasuke's vision but refused to fall as he grasped Itachi's hand. "I understand now. I see why you did it. But I don't want to lose you."

Itachi's grip weakened, his breathing growing shallower. "You'll be fine, Sasuke. You've done what I had hoped and grown strong. I'm so proud of you. Live your life... and use your strength to protect those you love. Protect the family you have in Namiko."

Namiko froze for a moment before finally walking closer to the brothers and laying a gentle hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I promise he won't be alone. He has me, and Naruto too."

"I promise I'll protect our family, my friends, and our village, nii-san."

Itachi closed his eyes briefly, as if it took too much energy to keep them open. "Promise me you'll use my eyes for Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. It's my last gift to you."

Sasuke tried to keep his breathing controlled and tears from falling. "…I promise."

Itachi smiled as he opened his eyes and focused on Sasuke. "No matter what, know that I will love you…always…"

As the last word left his lips, Itachi's eyes drifted closed, and a steady tone sounded on the heart monitor.

Uchiha Itachi was dead.

A/N: I'm so sorry! I killed Itachi on Sasuke's birthday (today - July 23). I swear that was never my intention when I decided to write this chapter, it unfortunately just worked out that way and made this even more bittersweet. Moving was super hard even though it was just a few miles away and kept me busy. Thank you all for being patient!
I may be able to update on Sunday the 28th, but we'll see just how quickly I can write. I'll be on my 10th wedding anniversary trip from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, August 4, but I will be bringing my laptop with me. So hopefully I'll be back on my normal upload schedule soon!
This chapter was so emotional, and I cried while writing parts of it. The next chapter will be emotional too…but it'll get better soon and we'll have some major fluff chapters coming.
I love you guys and thank you again for being so patient and supportive! I loved reading all your comments and I hope to see you soon!

Love, Eriisu

PS: Comments are my tip jar!