Let It Burn: Death [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 11

The sight of his brother made Sasuke pause on a tree branch watching the figure disappear further into the forest. Could it be him? Or was it just a trick of the eye? Only an illusion? But illusion or not he had to know rushing after him.

"Wait!" the teen shouted, having caught up. "Is that you, Itachi?"

There was no answer, irritating the rogue.

"I said wait!"

Susanoo encased his form as an arm reached out in order to grab the Akatsuki member from behind. Suddenly, another appeared knocking away the attack and sending it crashing into the surrounding timberland. Only one other person was capable of such a thing, causing Sasuke's brows to narrow as the young man glanced over a shoulder.

"You are Itachi."

"Incredible," he mused. "I didn't know you could do it too."

But the praise was ignored. "What are you doing here? I thought you were dead."

"This is Kabuto's jutsuI'm here because of the Edo Tensei. A reanimated shinobi back from the dead."

Edo... the name sounded familiar before realizing it had been Orochimaru who'd once mentioned it in the past. A Resurrection Jutsu to bring back the dead. But from Kabuto? When had he become a part of this war? And when had the former assistant started working with Madara?

"I cannot stop now. I have important things to do."

"I don't care!" Sasuke shouted. "You're here. And I have questions!"

"Even if I tell you to leave it for later, you would not listen to me," Itachi said.

"You're as obstinate as ever, you'll never find your patience."

"Do you remember what you said to me? 'When you have the same eyes as me, come to me'! So why are you running away? Do you feel guilty because you lied to me? Or you don't have the courage to tell me the truth? I know everything about you! That's why I will destroy Konoha!"

"When we fought, I told you we each live deep inside our own fantasy, remember? Your reality might be an illusion. But my truth is real."

"I no longer live inside a fantasy!" the teen snapped. "I can see through your Genjutsu! These are your eyes!"

"That part of you is still the same. But I've heard about what's happened to you. I know how you've changed." And that disappointed him a bit.

"No! You changed my world, long ago! I was supposed to die. You were supposed to kill me along with our parents. Why am I different from our father and mother? Why did I survive? And what about Mai? She wasn't even an Uchiha! Why was she worthy like me?"

"Because you two didn't know anything," Itachi said. "You didn't understand what the Uchiha Clan had done. You were both just children. You think I did it just for you? I wanted you to grow up and judge me. I deserved to be dealt with only by another Uchiha! The only thing I did was give hatred to you and made you flee the Village. That's why I failed. I turned you into a criminal. I wished that you would walk the right path and yet... from the moment I died you followed the wrong path. I wanted to rewrite the indication on your path with my lies and efforts."

"You wanted me to walk on that path while I was ignorant about the truth? I don't wish to walk on such path! Even if you rewrite the indications, I can see through those changes already!"

Itachi chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," the older Uchiha said. "Not just indications guide you on the path you walk..." he mused, thinking of Naruto.