Chapter Text
He struggled to gather what little strength he had left to activate his Sharingan once more, and he succeeded. Itachi said mockingly:
"Just as I expected... your stubbornness and persistence haven't changed since you were a child. I use them against you every time to make you do exactly what I want in the end. It won't help you now, so give up."
Sasuke remained helpless before Itachi. Since their last meeting, nothing had changed. What were these past years for? He had worked so hard for almost three years, even going as far as joining Orochimaru and being ready to sacrifice his own body just to kill the brother standing before him... only to find himself in this desperate state. Itachi had stripped him of Orochimaru’s Curse Mark, leaving him utterly broken. Even Kirin, his ultimate trump card, was nothing compared to what Itachi possessed.
Itachi’s voice pulled him from his despairing thoughts, only to make them worse:
"Speaking of things that haven't changed... killing you is still a pointless endeavor."
Itachi pinned him down, though both knew Sasuke could no longer move; he had exhausted all his energy.
"I told you to appear before me only after you had killed your closest friend, and after you had obtained eyes like mine. Must I do everything myself?"
His words broke something in Sasuke far deeper than his will. He couldn't stand to hear another word. He had failed. Failed to achieve the one thing he had lived for. What was the point of his life now? Despair had already taken over. With great effort, Sasuke tried to maintain a cold, indifferent face:
"What are you waiting for? Do you intend to make me listen to more of your nonsense? I no longer care about your talk. If you're going to kill me, do it quickly."
"I suppose you've grown used to seeing the day our parents died... Don't you long to see something new?"
Sasuke winced in shock. Seeing something new? What was he raving about? What else did he plan to make him relive? He couldn't handle any more pain; what he had already endured had completely destroyed him. Was this a joke?
Itachi looked at him with disdain, then:
"Tsukuyomi!"
He had dodged it before when he was at full strength, but this time, he couldn't escape. He fell into Itachi’s illusion. He found himself at home, in his bed. It was late, and everything was silent. Breaking the bitter silence, a voice he knew all too well reached him—a voice he had deeply missed. A voice he had always hoped to hear while waking up in this room... Mikoto, his mother.
"What are you saying? You can't be serious!"
"Mikoto, believe me. Itachi has been a spy for Konoha against us for years."
Sasuke thought: Is it that same cursed night again? So Father knew the truth about Itachi all along. Of course he did. I had even noticed how strange Itachi was back then. What is he trying to achieve? Why show me this now?
"He always hated the clan’s way of thinking. His thirst for power always drove him to break the clan’s laws."
"That doesn't mean he would plan to destroy it! Has he lost his mind? Impossible, I don't believe this. There must be a mistake."
"What mistake? I'm telling you, he’s on his way to do it right now."
"What will you do? Wait a moment... What about Sasuke? Don't tell me he intends to kill him too! Sasuke is still a child, what does he have to do with this? My God, what is happening here?"
"Mikoto, calm down. Itachi doesn't intend to kill him. He told me this himself."
"Is it... is it true?"
"Yes. He told me he would take Sasuke with him. Sasuke won't know about any of this. They will leave the village and live far away. Sasuke will survive and continue to love his brother, unaware of these conflicts—unaware that his entire clan was wiped out by Itachi’s hand... only if..."
"Only if what?"
"Only if we don't interfere with his actions. Only if we don't resist him!"
"But Sasuke..."
"It's enough that he lives, Mikoto. Unlike Itachi, Sasuke has a strong sense of justice. Don't worry about him."
Sasuke listened with his eyes wide open, unable to believe what he was hearing. Did his parents die just so he could live? How did Itachi trick them? And why?
Suddenly, their voices vanished, and the room disappeared like a rug being pulled from under his feet. He found himself in that cursed room again. His parents were sitting on the ground, surrendering to Itachi as he did it. Once again, he saw the same scene that had stolen his sleep for years. He watched, unable to go back in time to stop any of this, unable to say anything to them. He had millions of things he wanted to tell them... and now, he was unable to stop them from surrendering to Itachi’s lies. He couldn't even look away. He was helpless once again, even though he was no longer a child.
If only I had never existed... if I had disappeared that day, my parents wouldn't have had to die because of me. If only I could disappear right now!
He fell to his knees, clutching his head, just waiting for it all to end.
Itachi moved after swinging his sword, walking toward him with steady steps. He leaned in and whispered in his ear—a whisper that sent a shiver through his body:
"That is indeed what I told them once. That is why they surrendered to me and spared me the effort. Our father had the Mangekyō too; that's how I saved myself the trouble of fighting him. They died ignorant of my true intentions. They chose death so you wouldn't have to live through any of this... but you are living it now. You live only for my sake. Only so my eyes don't lose their light."
He listened while staring at his parents lying still on the ground; they had died for him. Itachi watched Sasuke's trembling in silence, then finished by saying:
"In short, their deaths were for nothing. A hollow death without meaning. And this stupid death... who was the cause of it?"
At that moment, the world of Tsukuyomi vanished. They were back at the ruins of the Uchiha hideout, and Itachi was pinning him down, staring at him with the Mangekyō. The bleeding from his eyes increased, taking his sight bit by bit. He put his hand over his left eye, resisting the pain. He had used Tsukuyomi twice, Amaterasu, and even Susanoo. He hadn't expected to be forced into all this, and it had taken a great toll on him. He stepped back slightly, watching Sasuke intently.
Sasuke was completely still, staring into the void with empty eyes. A loud crack of thunder echoed, announcing the start of a rainstorm. As the rain fell on his face, Sasuke's tears slid down, mixing with the water, releasing all his pain. He could no longer scream. He didn't have the strength to punch the cold Itachi standing before him, despite his overwhelming desire to do so. He could do nothing but cry silently with an expressionless face. He had promised himself never to cry before this man again... and here was the same scenario repeating itself.
He wished to be alone now. Solitude was easier than this. He was completely desperate, having lost hope in everything, especially his own life. His tears mixed with blood. The shape of his pupils had changed into a six-pointed flower shape.
"Finally..." Itachi said, breathing a sigh of relief.
He approached his brother, who had lost all physical and mental strength to resist. He reached out his index and middle fingers.
"I will take the light of these eyes."
....
The sound of thunder echoed and the rain fell heavily. The sun set behind the clouds, and the atmosphere was dark and gloomy. Team 7 was searching desperately, waiting for Kiba’s voice to confirm a location. Sakura was focusing all her senses. She was truly worried; would Kiba be able to track him in all this rain? What Tobi and the other Akatsuki members had said—appearing out of nowhere—had doubled her anxiety.
"The brothers' battle has reached its conclusion."
Tobi replied: "Did Itachi finally complete his plan?"
"Yes, he obtained them. But it seems he doesn't intend to take his life."
Tobi laughed in a silly voice: "No way! He won't kill him? Just kidding..." then his voice suddenly changed and he said in a serious tone: "It's exactly as I expected."
It was a relief to know that Sasuke was still alive, but... Itachi had won? And obtained them? Obtained what? How would Sasuke be now? How could he bear this? She prepared herself for the worst. His spirit would surely be broken before his body. Tears flowed from her eyes. The surfaces were slippery from the rain. As soon as the tears blurred her vision, her foot almost slipped from the treetop. She stopped to regain her balance and wipe her eyes. Naruto, whose shadow clones were everywhere, noticed her:
"Sakura-chan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. You heard what the Akatsuki members said, right? Itachi didn't kill him. I'm sure he wasn't beaten so badly that his injuries are fatal... He'll be okay. We'll find him and go back to the village together. The rain has calmed down now; we'll find him any second."
Just like the day Sasuke left the village, they were all optimistic. Only she was consumed by worry, a thousand scenarios—each worse than the last—spinning in her mind. She said, trying to believe her friend’s extreme optimism:
"I hope so."
Naruto heard Shino’s calm and steady voice through one of his clones:
"Naruto, tell everyone... my insects have found him. The target is motionless, located northeast at the two o'clock position from your current location."
"We found him, Sakura-chan! This way!"
He took off quickly, and she followed without hesitation. Finally, they reached him. Dark, black flames appeared before them; Amaterasu was everywhere. They saw the ruins of a large building and a huge carving of the Uchiha clan symbol. He must be here.
She found him at last, and she didn't like what she saw at all. She froze in shock, making Naruto curious:
"Sakura-chan, what's the matter?"
He looked to where her eyes were fixed. Sasuke was lying there, bare-chested, his body completely pale, almost matching the color of the floor beneath him. His face was entirely covered in blood. From that distance, no features could be discerned.
"Sasuke!!"
Naruto rushed toward him, unable to process the sight. Sakura followed, gripped by terror. What she needed to hear now more than anything was one sentence: for Naruto to reassure her that he was alive. With trembling steps, she went toward Naruto, who leaned over, staring at Sasuke with a look that increased her fear. Why is he so silent? Why doesn't he say it?
She knelt beside his body. The handsome features she knew by heart were no longer clear. Crimson blood was flowing heavily from his empty eye sockets, carving paths over his cheeks to cover his face completely, as if his body was weeping blood instead of tears. She stared at that dark void where the Sharingan once was in silence. Their silence was heavier than any cry; a silence carrying a terrifying admission that what was stolen could not be recovered.
Sakura's hand finally moved with difficulty to feel for a pulse in his neck. Her fingers trembled as soon as she touched him and felt the coldness of his body. No doubt about it, her deep experience confirmed it... there was a pulse! She could almost feel it; thready, irregular, and weak, but it was there.
Sakura didn't waste a single second; she took off her cloak, threw it over Sasuke’s cold body, and began directing her green chakra toward the void in his eyes. She shouted in a commanding tone to Naruto:
"Naruto! Don't just stand there! I need to move him from here immediately, and his body needs to stay still... I'll try to stop the bleeding first, or we'll lose him!"
Naruto jolted, as if Sakura’s scream was the shock that brought him back to his senses. He didn't say a word, but leaned down with great care to carry what remained of his friend. He whispered in a raspy voice, as if it came from the depths of hell:
"I'll carry him, Sakura-chan... Just keep your hands where they are. Don't let the green light go out."
Everyone arrived one after another; Kakashi, then Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Sai, and Yamato. Kakashi said with concern: "Is he alive?!"
The grief in his students’ eyes was answer enough. Kakashi didn't hesitate for long before giving the order: "Let's return to Konoha immediately!"