Big brother....is it true?

Ch: 3 come with me

"What did you just say?" Sasuke asked mind going numb.

"You unlocked your mangekyou sharingan little brother. You surprisingly did it a bit...differently. You got it a moment before kisame was about to kill that friend of yours. It is very unique. It never happens like that. Usually it forms after." Itachi said.

"So Naruto's okay?" Sasuke asked hesitantly afraid to peer past Itachi.

Itachi turned around and gazed at Naruto's sleeping form. "Chakra exhausted but alive" Itachi responded with a frown. Kisame and Samehada were nothing but ash. Oops the ring was ash as well. Whatever he wasn't going back anyways.

"Big brother....is it true?" Sasuke asked.

"Hm?" Itachi asked turning back to face the exhausted form of Sasuke.

"Was...you know what...really a mission? I'd ask lord third about it but he's sort of dead. Orochimaru killed him" Sasuke said bowing his head downwards crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. He felt like a 4-year old again.

Itachi hesitated for a moment. Should he tell him?

"My eyes are the same now...." Sasuke whispered looking down at his hands his shoulders sagging slightly. Itachi wasn't going to tell him. Why had he hoped for anything different...

"You win little brother....yes while it was truly a mission it was was still my choice" Itachi pointed out careful to keep his tone neutral along with the circumstances. He couldn't have his brother taking revenge on the leaf now because he was telling him this. He had to explain it in a way that incriminated both sides evenly. If he didn't he feared for his baby brothers life.

"When I was little, well littler obviously....i couldn't comprehend what was going on. Itachi.." Sasuke trailed his head shaking side to side morosely. His mangekyou deactivating slowly going through the all the stages of de-evolution just so his brother could see.

"Sasuke..." Itachi said frowning. The elder uchiha felt his heart clench. No no Sasuke didn't need to forgive him. He really didn't. His heart couldn't take it if he did. He didn't deserve to be forgiven. After all looking back on the massacre he really had taken it much to far. He didn't need to kill off the entire clan. Just the one's who intended to harm the village. Oh sasuke....

"For the longest time toward the-the you know....all i knew was that there was something wrong between you and father. I remember you two passing each other one morning. I could just feel the tension. I waited for something to happen but nothing did. You just strode past each other. Hey big brother did you notice the way your holding your arm? It's just like dad used to" Sasuke said a slight laugh escaping his throat.

Gone was the revenge obsessed emo kid. The sweet, cheerful, happy go lucky, determined slighty annoying yet endearing Sasuke had returned full force. Sasuke started to drum his fingers attempting to keep his thoughts straight. It was a bit out of order but whatever Itachi was smart enough to sort it out.

Itachi's head snapped down. He gave a very un-Uchiha like snort. Oh the irony. Itachi wasn't given very long to reminisce as Sasuke began talking again.

"Did you see me? That day? When those uchiha's came to our house asking about shisui... ? I was there peering behind the corner of the wall. The door was open a crack and i could see you through it.....it-it was the first time I saw your mangekyou."Sasuke said lips quirking upward into a smile.

Never before had he spoken these words aloud. Not to anyone. Not to his parents, not to his sensei, not to his team, not to a single soul. But now here just talking to his older brother ...... explaining what he knew from his perspective. Talking to Itachi, just the two of them felt good. It felt uplifting to Sasuke. Cleansing. Like it was just chasing the darkness away. Like a barrier that Sasuke could see but Itachi wouldn't allow near him. Thats what Itachi was doing. Thats what Itachi had done. He had shielded him. Shielded him from the truth.