Foolish Little Brother

Or

How Many Times Can Sasuke Get in Itachi's Way in One Day?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not fantasize about owning Naruto. I did not create Naruto, and most of the stuff I write is probably horribly inaccurate. Besides, if I owned Naruto, it would focus more on The Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village. (the first episodes I saw had him getting the crap beat out of him during the Chunin exams, and I felt really bad for him).

Author's Note: This is my first fanfic. Bear in mind I think Itachi is really, really creepy, and I firmly believe someone ought to teach him that black polish on both finger nails and toe nails is excessive. Moreover, it bugs me that he doesn't put his arms through the sleeves of his robes. What is he, five? I picked Itachi for my first fanfic because I like the challenge of replaying a scene from the point of view of a vastly misunderstood character. Plus, of every guy in Naruto, his hair bothers me the least, and the Tsukuyomi is pretty cool. Anyway, here goes…something.

Death should not bother me. Murder should not bother me. Usually, neither has any effect on me. But until I sowed death, and distributed murder among my own clan, I did not know the true meaning of destruction. Seeing the familiar faces staring back at me, the sightless eyes accusatory and glowering, shook the unshakable core of my being.

It rained that day. Thick, heavy clouds filled the sky throughout the entire morning, waiting until late afternoon to drop an ocean's worth of water upon my—the—village. I left the house early that morning, a final, pathetic attempt to hide my plans from my clueless family. Even my ever perceptive father did not notice anything amiss.

I almost escaped successfully, free of any final contact with my family, contact that could shake my resolve and create the shadow of doubt that would ultimately prove to be my undoing. One foot out the door, the other hovered over the threshold, I allowed myself an instant of celebration. Then, I heard a soft, high voice faintly call out to me.

"Big Brother?" he whispered. Curse the insufferable curiosity of younger brothers. Of all the siblings in the world, Sasuke was perhaps the worst, always following me and pestering me for help with his training. How annoying, and ill timed.

"Hmm?" I turned back, wiping all traces of irritation from my face. A few more hours, and I would not have to deal with any of this anymore. But until then, I had to remain the perfect older brother, even if it meant suffering Sasuke for a few more minutes.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke whined. "You promised to help me with my new jutsu." He stretched the final syllable out into a plaintive sigh. Gods only can guess how much I hate it when he whines. Calm down, I told myself, today is just like every other day, no different than yesterday or…tomorrow. He adores you, will believe anything, he isn't a threat to the mission.

"Sasuke…I am going," I paused dramatically and gestured conspiratorially for him to come closer. "Out." I poked him in the center of the forehead as I spoke.

"Oww." Sasuke rubbed his head. "You always do that, big brother. You act nice and then you poke me in the head." He frowned at me, and I fought the urge to smile. Gods I hate his whining, incessant complaints about everything, and I briefly wondered if he was capable of normal speech. But the betrayed looks always amused me. He was so young, so naïve, so innocent.

"Sasuke, I'll help you with your jutsu when I get back, okay? I do not have time for you now."

"Itachi—"

I just walked away, unable to stand his presence anymore without revealing part of my plan. That face… As much as he annoyed me, I could not help but hope he would not be around that afternoon. He made me doubt I could complete my mission with him in the way.

"Sasuke, why don't you stay after school and train for a while? Get some help from your sensei." I suggested, trying to salvage my plan and keep him out of the way.

"Okay big brother." Sasuke flashed his trademark lopsided grin at my back, and I felt his content. But no Sasuke meant no obstacle, so everything would go smoothly, a small blessing in itself. I stalked away into the cloudy morning, doubting my ability to be impartial for the first time, doubting my ability to complete my mission. Maybe if I spoke to Sarutobi one more time…

No. No, the scroll in the Hokage's office would never allow me to reconsider. I agreed to the task, and as part of the ANBU Black Ops, I could not back out because I found it distasteful. I had gotten in too far to back out, anyway. My best friend rested in his grave, dead by my hand so I could gain the ultimate power of the Sharingan. Any failure in this mission dishonored his memory.

The day drug by slowly. Each second ticked by with all the speed of frozen molasses, and I each instant grated on my nerves. With no small missions to undertake that day, I paced the village like a caged tiger, angry and full of raw tension. Overcast skies, heavy with the impending rain did nothing to improve my mood.

I began my attack as the clouds finally broke, spilling rain on the village.

Dressed in full ANBU attire, I returned to the Uchiha compound, weapons in hand. The first fell easily, unaware of the impending danger of my kunai, unaware of their imminent demises. After those first murders, the scattered drops of rain fell harder, almost as thick and heavy as the rain of blood falling from my hands.

My extended family fell before my hands, most of the relatives in this area too old or too young to defend themselves well enough to pose a challenge. Despite that, I knew better than to relax my guard. At any moment the active ninja would arrive, and then I would have my hands full just staying alive. Even a prodigy is not a god.

Soon enough, one of my cousins, an active Jonin just back from an S ranked mission, appeared behind me, fingers flying through a jutsu. Before he finished the last symbol, I lodged a kunai knife in his throat. Too easy, really, especially to defeat a Jonin, so I was not surprised to hear the familiar whoosh of a substitution jutsu.

I reversed my grip on the kunai knife and swung behind me. A cry of pain rewarded my efforts, and I twisted the blade violently before wrenching it free. His corpse thudded to the ground behind me. I glanced down at my arm, slightly surprised by the thick blood that covered me in a gory, partially dry splatter. I looked demonic. Good, perhaps I could put some fear into their hearts before I killed them.

Night fell quickly, its approach expedited by dark storm clouds still looming overhead.

Even with the sight disguised by the half-light, I felt sick as the bodies began to accumulate in the street. A thousand sightless eyes glared up at me, and the accusations of guilt and betrayal cut deeper than any blade.

What was I doing? Did I really trust Sarutobi more than my own family? Could I truly place the safety of the village over the lives of my kin?

Pausing, I surveyed the carnage around me. The clouds chose that moment to disperse, and the glare of the full moon left no detail untouched. Every body glowed a cadaverous white, their wounds violent slashes outlined in the deepest crimson. It was awful.

I sighed and closed my eyes slowly. Too late now for me to change anything. I had killed too many and left too many alive for either faction of this silent war of intelligence and subterfuge to accept me. It would be best if I finished the job and simply disappeared. No future awaited me now, no life existed for me in the village.

I turned to the only remaining house. Mine. A part of me prayed that it would be empty, silently my clueless parents had realized what was happening and fled. I could not stand to kill anymore.

I walked slowly, placing my feet to avoid the creaking floorboards I knew so well. I watched my blood stained hands as they slowly moved towards the wooden door handles, which pulled open with equal silence, revealing an empty room. My heart sang softly. Maybe they had fled. Sasuke had taken my advice and stayed away, perhaps…

I heard a floorboard creak.

"Itachi…what have you done?"

I heard the pain in the voice, the desperation. How pathetic, that my father, such a strong ninja, would be so afraid. The fear in his voice told me everything. He would not fight back, he would not raise a hand to stop me. Fear paralyzed him, and speaking was his last chance. I wonder now if he hoped to persuade me to spare him. If he did, it was a foolish, cowardly hope.

My father and mother stood less than a knife throw away. I could not ignore the twisted faces gaping at me, horror and disbelief etched upon their features.

My dolt of a father spoke again. "What have you done, Itachi?" He demanded, as though he actually expected me to answer. I laughed bitterly at his stupidity. His only answer would be a knife in the chest, straight through his traitorous heart. Not that he would ever know that, considering the brevity of his remaining life span.

"How could you do this to your own family? Does not your heart bleed with every blow? Are you not killing yourself as well?" my sentimental mother broke the tension, realizing I did not intend to answer him.

"No. My heart does not bleed, for my shield is the mere realization that every life I take here saves a dozen, a score. I cannot ignore what you were planning, and neither could the Hokage. It is his orders I follow and it is too late to cease now. You are the only two remaining, and then I will leave the village."

"But why? Why would you choose the Hokage over you own family?" She looked desperate now.

"I have no need to justify myself to you," I said, growing bored with all of the talking, and feeling a rising desperation to leave the village. I wanted to be free of this mess and leave, but it seemed such would not be the case, when my father moved to speak again. Angrily I lunged, cutting him down before the first words passed his lips. My mother fell in the next instant, both of them dead. Relief washed over me. I was finished with that loathsome task, would never have to do anything so awful again. I was free.

Sasuke screamed.

My heart screamed in reply. Foolish little brother! Why did you return? I tried so hard to keep you away, to keep you safe, so why did you come back? Every muscle in my body tensed while my mind raced through a thousand plans for avoiding his murder.

"Why?" he screamed, his voice torn with the agony, the horror he was experiencing. I threw a kunai at him, more to shut him up than anything. It barely grazed his shoulder, yet he fell to the ground sobbing.

I approached, determined to explain myself to him at least, simultaneously formulating a plan to let him escape. Blood, probably from our parents, dripped from my hands and spattered across the floor.

"Stay away!" He desperately screamed again. I paused, momentarily reconsidering my plan to let him go, idly musing that the world might be better without his shrieking. My mind was shutting down emotionally, and the thoughts lacked depth or logical support.

My pause afforded him time to flee, to run through the doors as fast as his short legs would carry him. I watched him go, and then left myself, walking towards the center of the complex. Hopefully, he would show a modicum of intelligence and run far away. I needed only to ascertain that no more Uchihas remained alive and I could follow suit with a dramatic, yet subtle exit. I jumped to the top of a thick wooden pillar to gain a clear vantage point.

I surveyed the area. A soft sigh escaped my lips. Good, no one drew breath, meaning was finally done. Then I caught sight of Sasuke. Each and every time I believed myself to be done, that annoying slip of a boy would appear. He was beginning to become more of a bother than an asset. Although other ninja from the village could serve his purpose, they would not have his drive, his hatred to guide them. No, he would be the only one capable of the task I needed now, so he would have to live.

He froze upon seeing me, silhouetted as I was by the blazing, angry light of the full moon. That would not do, would not do at all. How could an Uchiha, a brother of mine, be such a coward? Pathetic, and at the rate he was going, he would never have enough hatred. How could I make him understand?

"Sasuke," I muttered. He turned and fled again.

Fine, if he could not listen, then I would show him, make him relive each and every moment of it.

Tsukuyomi.

I replayed the events leading up to the moment for him, yet my lack of experience with the ultimate power of the Sharingan caused me to miss the crucial line, the orders from the Hokage.

He ran, again. I should have known. Of course, I would be gifted with the most worthless, pathetic, imbecilic lump for a brother. I followed him, determined to instill the foundation of hate he would need.

"Foolish little brother," I hissed. "Run, run and live. Survive and be ashamed for living in such a pathetic manner."

I pursued him, uttering similar taunts, until he collapsed from exhaustion. Satisfied he would interfere no more, I took one final look around, slashed a single line across my head band, forever marking myself a rogue ninja, and left the village.

I hesitated just before crossing the threshold of the gate. Curse my mother, for I could not free myself from the sight of her eyes burned into my mind. The sightless orbs stared at me no matter where I turned, and I saw enemies in every shadow. I wondered how long I had, before my former comrades began hunting me, how long before I became the quarry of the tracker ninja. Would I be killed, the Sharingan torn from my corpse and given to someone else, perhaps even Sasuke, to use? Had I done enough to ensure his hatred? Would he grow to be an avenger? Only time I no longer had would tell.

Author's Note: I apologize that most of this is stuff you already know, told from Itachi's view point. Thank you for bearing with me through that, and next time, your patience will be rewarded as the story gets going. What does Itachi do during all that time between his abrupt departure and his reappearance during his search for Naruto? I have no clue, but I will come up with something. I just figured it would be best to start here, and I apologize if I spoiled anything for anybody. Do not come crying to me over it though. It was spoiled for me too, so I know how you feel. Now we are all sad together because our friends ruin the surprises in all the anime to which we devote hours. Now we are over it. Anyway, please tell me what you think, other than that most of this is review, and throw in some criticism. I want your input on how to make the story better. Point out anything that is overly confusing, or wrong, including spelling since I do not yet speak Japanese. If all I get is fluffy, gushy "You're so great! Write more!" I will not post the next segment. So there. *sticks tongue out, then giggles at how out of character the stern admonition is* (at least it isn't that bad of a cliff hanger…I have had MUCH worse.)