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PROLOGUE- The Decision

Here it is- fresh from Fanfiction.net :P

My first shot at an AU Naruto fic :D

Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and TV Tokyo. This is a non-profit fanfic and nothing more. So please support the official release. Got it? Damn well better. Been doing this for two years XD

~oOo~

Itachi made a soft, frightened noise as lightning flickered across the sky. Not half a second later, thunder boomed, so loud that it shook the house. Rain poured down heavily, unceasingly- as if the heavens themselves were weeping.

Because of what I'm going to do, Itachi briefly thought. Because of what I have to do.

He shoved the thought aside, chiding himself for believing in such childish things.

Still, his stomach churned as twisted thoughts ran through his mind. Of how he would finish the job he'd been given. Of how he would do what he had been ordered to do.

Tomorrow…as soon as the sun went down…his clan was going to die.

And Itachi would be the one to kill them.

The storm continued to rage outside, lightning flicking across the sky like the forked tongue of a snake, thunder roaring like a tiger.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi jumped as a small, warm body crawled into bed beside him.

"I'm scared. Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Thunder boomed again, the house shuddering with the noise. Sasuke whimpered and clung to his brother.

"…Alright, Sasuke."

Sasuke cuddled up close to Itachi, who ran his hand gently through strands of dark hair until his trembling died away.

The storm continued to rage, but Sasuke felt safe.

He always felt safe when he was in Itachi's arms. Itachi wouldn't let anything hurt him. Itachi would protect him from the storm.

He drifted off to sleep, warm and safe in his brother's grasp.

Itachi, however, stayed wide awake.

He listened quietly as the storm grew fainter and fainter, the clouds slowly clearing to reveal the pale light of the full moon.

The inky black of nighttime slowly gave way to the pale pink and gold hues of dawn. Itachi felt vaguely nauseous. His last day in Konoha…his last day with Sasuke…

He gazed down at Sasuke's sleeping face. His soft cupid lips were parted, his whole being peaceful and angelic in sleep. Completely defenseless…completely at Itachi's mercy…

He thought about what he could to with Sasuke…what he could do to Sasuke… he was asleep, he couldn't say no…

I must be sick, he thought bitterly. To think something like that about my own brother…

He got out of bed, laying Sasuke back down carefully. He stared at him for a long time, fighting back the feelings that coursed through him.

It was something he wasn't used to. Something foreign, something strange. This longing he'd never quite felt before, not even with Shisui. That feeling, that you wanted to hold someone, to touch them, and when you couldn't do that, you wanted to touch yourself, until...

It was something Shisui had tried to explain. First by words, then by actions. The feeling of lust, of carnal desires…but Itachi never quite understood it.

Either way, he felt disgusting. Disgusting for allowing his cousin to touch him like that…to be with him like that…and then, to think such thoughts about his beloved little brother…
/]
[/Incest…perverted…pedophilia…
/]
It didn't matter. Shisui was dead. Rotten. Eaten alive by the creatures in Nakano River.

Dead. Gone. No more. Only a memory and a rotting corpse.

Just like the clan would be by the end of this day.

Sasuke mumbled in his sleep.

Itachi leaned forward, brushing his fingers against Sasuke's cheek. Then, very softly, very gently, he pressed a kiss to those soft lips.

Tears ran silently from Itachi's eyes, dripping off his nose to land on Sasuke's face beneath him.

"…I'm sorry Sasuke…I'm sorry."

~oOo~

Itachi coldly, systematically and effectively murdered each one of his clansmen, cutting them down before they had the chance to feel any pain.

It was easier than he thought it would be. His mind had gone numb- his body moved on instinct alone, now.

But then he stabbed his father through, and suddenly, he froze, as if he was a wind-up soldier that needed its key turned.

His father looked at him, a pained expression on his face. Betrayed. Hurt. His mother lay on the ground, bleeding,dying, looking up at him with misery in her eyes…he could not bring himself to finish them off.

A sword flashed, and they were both dead. No more.

[/Just like Shisui.

Madara stepped from the darkness, chuckling darkly.

"You're still too weak," Madara mocked. "After all you've been through, you can't kill them? You know what your father was planning. And your mother didn't stop him. So why did you hesitate?"

Itachi remained silent, sword dropping from numb fingers, useless metal clattering onto the wood floor.

"Fine. Remember where to meet me. I'll come get you as soon as I run a few…errands."

And Madara was gone.

Itachi took deep, shaky breaths, trying vainly to stop his shaking. Breath, calm down. They're dead, it's all over.

All he could do was wait for Sasuke. He knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"I did it to measure my capacity. To reach the full height of my potential." Something to make him sound heartless, cruel.

"Nii-san! What's going on? Nii-san? What happened?"

God, he wasn't ready. He wants to die, he should have killed himself as well...

Sasuke stood before Itachi, Tears sparkling in big black eyes, his voice sounding hurt and betrayed.

"Nii-san…why?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi didn't know why he said what he said next. The words flowed naturally, more naturally than the most well practiced of his lies.

"Some very bad people ordered me to do this, Sasuke," he said, surprised at how easy it was to admit everything.

"…Why? Why would they do that?"

"…Our clan was planning to do something wrong. Then I was ordered to kill them, or…" Itachi suddenly lost his voice. It felt like a rock had lodged itself in his throat. Tears pricked and burned in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke!" He choked out, clamping a hand over his mouth to keep from sobbing.

Sasuke was trembling, staring wide-eyed at his older brother.

The brother he loved.

The brother he trusted.
"I'll always be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. And even if you do hate me, that's what older brothers are for."

Nii-san doesn't tell lies, Sasuke told himself. He has to be telling the truth. (He had to be...)

"I-I forgive you N-Nii-san." (Spoken with the true innocence of a child.)


Itachi bit his hand to pull himself together.

"I have to leave now, Sasuke," Itachi said, his voice quiet, fragile. "I can't stay in Konoha after this."

He glanced over his shoulder. No ANBU or Hunter nin yet. But they would come. Itachi was sure of that.

"You'll have to stay here, Sasuke. You'll be safe. Hokage-sama will protect you-"

"No!" Sasuke shouted. "I wanna come with you!"

"Sasuke, you can't-"

Sasuke grabbed Itachi's wrist, panic and fear written clearly on his face.

"Nii-san, don't leave me! I don't wanna be alone! Don't make me be alone!" he wailed. "Please, Nii-san! I'd do anything you say! I'll do anything for you! Please, take me with you! I promise I'll follow you forever and ever! Please don't go where I can't follow you!"

Tears sparkled in his big black eyes, running down his cheeks. His nose was running, his face full of fear. Itachi had never seen anything looking so pitiful.

At this moment, Itachi hated the power Sasuke had over him. He melted his heart, and took away his ability to deny him.

If Sasuke wanted it, Itachi would find a way to give it to him. No matter what it was. If Sasuke asked for the moon, Itachi would give it to him, wrapped in a pretty red ribbon, just to see him smile. If he asked for the world, Itachi would give it, and give him the stars for good measure.

Anything.

(Besides, Danzou-dono said that he'd kill Sasuke if he found out...)

After a long pause, Itachi finally spoke.

"…Alright, Sasuke," he said. "You can come with me."

Itachi took Sasuke into his arms, letting him cry into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi whispered. "I promise I'll find a way to make it right."

With those words, he began to run.

Away from Konoha.

From the only life he'd ever known.

"Nii-san, where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe, until someone comes to pick us up."

"Who?"

"You'll see when we get there."

Itachi stopped in a forest clearing, wary of others that might come. He motioned to put Sasuke down, but Sasuke clung to him.

"Please, Nii-san…please just hold me for a little bit."

Itachi fell to the ground, sobbing and exhausted. Sasuke muffled his mournful cries in Itachi's chest.

They stayed like that for about twenty minutes when Madara came to them. Though he only had one eye exposed, Itachi could see the incredulous look on his face.

"You said you were leaving Sasuke behind," he said, gesturing to the younger boy.

Sasuke glared at Madara.

"I'm gonna stay with my Nii-san forever and ever. You can't stop me!"

Madara shrugged.

"It's not my problem. Get up, Itachi. We're leaving."

They ran until the sunrise came, this time predicting a new beginning, rather than a gory end.

He never once faltered in his steps. Never once slipped or let Sasuke hit his head.

He vowed to himself that nothing would hurt Sasuke again. He would take a thousand deaths before he let Sasuke be hurt.

Sasuke's tears slowly dried

I will protect him, Itachi promised himself, clutching Sasuke tighter. I will protect him and shield him from every ugly, unclean thing, even if that thing is myself.

"Our new member has arrived."

Itachi stepped into the room, glaring coldly at the room full of people. Sasuke stood behind him, cowering.

"What's with the kid?" A tall, blue skinned man asked. "This is Akatsuki, not a day care center."

Itachi flashed his Sharingan warningly.

A man with long black hair and deathly pale skin seemed to notice this. He also seemed to like what he noticed.

"Uchiha Itachi," he said, smirking wickedly.

Itachi nodded.

"This is my brother, Sasuke," he said, putting a protective arm around him. "If any of you dare to harm him in any way, I swear I will rip your throat out."

This seemed to please the pale, golden eyed man even more, seeing the genuine killer intent in Itachi's eyes.

"Riiiight," the shark man scoffed.

"I was a captain in the ANBU Black Ops. I'm not weak."

He kept his voice quiet and level, yet put more anger and determination into those words than any shouting would have.

"Quiet, Kisame," the one in the center, who had bright orange hair and many piercings, said. "This…child…won't interfere with the operations of Akatsuki, will he?"

"No," Itachi said. "I will look after him and keep him out of trouble. If something happens, I will take full responsibility for it."

"Fair enough."

The snake-faced man led them down hallways to get to a room with an ebony door. The grin never left his face, and he seemed intent on the two boys.

"Here you are, Itachi-kun, Sasuke-kun."

"Who're you?" Sasuke asked, his first words spoken since they arrived.

"My name is Orochimaru," the man replied, ruffling Sasuke's hair, making him shiver. Orochimaru then turned and walked away.

"…He creeps me out," Sasuke said. "And his hand was cold."

Itachi laughed, despite himself. Sasuke's pouting face was too adorable for words.

"So we're gonna stay here?" Sasuke asked. "And we're gonna be together, right Nii-san?"

Itachi smiled somberly.

"Yes."

"Forever, Nii-san?"

"Yes, Sasuke," he said. "Forever."

~oOo~

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