An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Prologue

I remember it all.

Waking in the middle of the night to the sound of shouting. Rushing into the main hallway with sleepy eyes and bare feet only to freeze at the sight before me.

My mother's body lay slumped against the wall.

Blood painted the floor beneath her. Her blood.

And standing over her was my father, a bloodied kunai clenched tightly in his hand.

At three years old, it was the most horrifying thing I had ever seen.

He noticed me almost immediately.

Those snake-like eyes slid toward me, cold and unreadable as they studied my trembling figure. I wanted to run. Wanted to scream. But fear rooted me to the spot, my legs turning to stone while my voice died in my throat.

Then he started walking toward me.

Still holding the knife.

I woke with a gasp, lungs burning as though I had truly been there again.

For a moment, I could only stare at the ceiling while my heartbeat thundered in my ears. Slowly, I turned toward the window and saw the first traces of sunrise bleeding across the horizon.

05:30.

With graduation only a few hours away, there was no point trying to sleep again.

I dragged myself from bed with a sigh.

The nightmare itself didn't surprise me. It always came around this time of year.

Why did graduation have to be so close to that day?

Instead of heading for the kitchen like I normally would, I walked straight out onto the balcony connected to the living room. Cool morning air brushed against my skin as I leaned against the railing, staring out at the Great Stone Faces carved into the mountain.

Peaceful.

Quiet.

Almost enough to make me forget.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

"You're up early."

Recognising the voice instantly, I relaxed slightly.

"I could say the same thing about you," I replied, offering a faint smile.

A moment later, Sasuke stepped beside me, resting his arms against the railing. Even in the dim morning light, the resemblance between him and Itachi was obvious.

The thought made my chest ache.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

I let out a quiet laugh, though it sounded forced even to my own ears. "I don't know why you sound surprised. I always get nightmares around this time of year."

Sasuke didn't answer immediately.

Ever since the massacre, neither of us had really known how to talk about things like this.

Still, he understood me better than anyone else.

The adults of the village all knew who my father was. The children didn't — not fully — but they still stared sometimes. Whispered. Wondered.

Sasuke was the only one my age who knew the truth.

After a comfortable silence, he finally spoke again.

"We should train before class."

I glanced toward him.

"It's too early for breakfast anyway," he added casually.