Chapter one
He watched helplessly as the man he had hated for almost all his life approached him, asking for his eyes. The wall pressed firm against his bare back, solid and unmoving, its rough surface grazing his skin.
Itachi’s hand extended as he moved towards him, the susanoo casting an uncanny orange glow across his much-too-pale skin. His eyes lacked the malice of someone who had killed so many, the coldness that could only be acquired by killing off too much of one’s soul.
Something akin to warmth fleeted past his gaze, an expression that Sasuke could only remember through the memories he deemed as fake.
It was almost like the same Itachi who loved him. The same Itachi that Sasuke wanted to spend all his time with. The same Itachi Sasuke loved.
But that person never existed. Itachi had only pretended to care about him, and treated Sasuke like his precious younger brother for his own personal gains.
He wished he could say he never loved him, that he saw through all his illusions, but that was too far from the truth.
Yet Sasuke couldn’t help but miss him, even if the Itachi he missed was just an illusion.
Itachi ruined his life, he killed everyone Sasuke ever loved. He tortured him mentally with his genjutsu. How could he miss someone like that?
Despite all that, Itachi couldn’t be born evil, he couldn’t have created an entire manipulation plot, an entire act, when he was five. Even Sasuke’s rage couldn’t blind him from that.
It made him wonder when he had lost him.
He could remember vague memories of his childhood, where Itachi was the person he looked up to. The only person who gave him attention when their father wouldn’t, even when he was busy with the ANBU. It hurt to remember Itachi giving him a piggyback ride when he sprained his ankle. He had been worried that Itachi would never take him to train after that.
Itachi never yelled at him for messing up on something, he would just gently explain how he was wrong. The only time Sasuke saw Itachi snap before that night was when a bunch of police officers accused him of killing Shisui, the incident still sent chills down his spine, even if he couldn’t remember what they said.
Even though Itachi did kill Shisui. He said it himself.
“You must kill your best friend, like I did.” Itachi said.
“You–you killed Shisui?” Sasuke was so confused. Shisui was so nice. Why did Itachi kill him?
Even if Itachi wasn’t born evil, he certainly is now, Sasuke thought.
There was no escape. Itachi would take his eyes and emerge victorious. Afterall, he had Sasuke backed in a corner with the Susanoo and a direct path to take Sasuke’s eyes. He wanted to close his eyes, but none of his body was under his control. His treacherous body forced him to watch every one of Itachi’s steps until he was standing right in front of him, his bloody hand reaching towards his eye.
Sasuke’s legs shook, the first time he had been scared in a long time. His eyes were locked onto the tainted hands of Uchiha Itachi.
I was still too weak
He expected his brother’s hands to roughly pry his eyelids open, and create a bloody, gaping hole of where his eyes should’ve been.
Did his brother want to torture him by making the process slower? By pulling him into a genjutsu and making him rewatch that night over and over?
Instead of the expected pain, he felt two fingers gently press into his forehead, the warm blood creating a thin layer between his hand and Sasuke’s skin. The touch was reminiscent of his childhood, and receiving it after so many years made the old memories Sasuke had shoved away cave in. Its warmth made Sasuke sick.
Itachi told him that they had to go home, but Sasuke wanted to stay longer. He wanted to spend more time with his big brother, but Itachi insisted.
“You’re a liar, big brother.” Sasuke pouted.
All Itachi did was smile and beckon towards him. Sasuke immediately ran towards him but was stopped with two fingers to his forehead. He huffed, pressing both hands to his forehead, but smiled nonetheless.
“Sorry Sasuke, but this is it.” Itachi had said, smiling in the same way Sasuke remembered. It was a feeble smile, however, as if he was too weak to manage the slight upturn of his lips. The moment felt too long yet too short.
Then, the Susanoo collapsed. and Itachi fell forward. His fingers dragged down his face, leaving a trail of blood. His head crashed against the stone wall with the Uchiha pattern, and he collapsed to the hard ground below.
Sasuke couldn’t breathe, so he just laid down beside the man he hated so much.
He felt none of the joy he expected, the relief of killing the man who slaughtered his entire family in cold blood.
No, because the man was his own brother.
And it started to rain.
Sasuke woke up in a cave, in front of a man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
The one that Sasuke swore to kill after Itachi, the other Uchiha with the advanced sharingan.
He had told Sasuke the ‘truth’ about his brother, telling him it was his obligation to know.
He told Sasuke about how his brother wasn’t evil, not at all. About how his brother sacrificed everything for him and the village and how the Uchiha clan was planning a coup that could’ve started a civil war. How Itachi was a double agent for the village and the Uchihas.
Itachi never killed Shisui. Danzo did. Danzo gave him an offer, to do nothing and get killed by the village, or kill the clan and spare Sasuke.
He chose the latter.
Although he loved the village over the clan, he loved Sasuke more than the village, Madara said.
Everything fit together way too well. All the inconsistencies that Sasuke had spotted and ignored were filled in by Madara’s story.
“Despise me, aim to kill me, cling on to your meaningless life.” Itachi had said that night.
He wanted to die, Sasuke realized. He wanted me to kill him.
It all made sense now. His life was an entire lie and Itachi planned it all.
Every meticulous detail.
Itachi had wanted him to kill him so he could get peace, and Sasuke could take his eyes and become a hero like Naruto.
He even planted the amaterasu in Sasuke’s eyes that would activate when it comes in contact with Madara’s sharingan, to protect him from the truth.
He was the child that sacrificed himself to solve adult problems.
He would’ve done anything to protect the world from another war.
Think of your gentle, kind older brother.
It all made sense, but Sasuke didn’t want to believe it.
He couldn’t breath, and all he could do was thrash around until Madara tied him up.
Itachi loved him all this time.
Now he was standing on a cliff, with the team he assembled to kill Itachi behind him.
He watches the waves crash onto the rocks, sprays of water misted over him.
All he could think of was his brother, and how those memories he had shoved aside were real.
Itachi loves him. Loved
And all Sasuke gave in return was hate. In reality, his brother deserved better from the world. From him.
Childhood memories and feelings were coming back to him. The memories Sasuke had buried with rage and hatred.
He remembers back when Itachi was in the academy, and how he was so excited when his brother came back.
He remembers their talk, where Itachi tells him how he would be getting assigned missions soon so he wouldn’t be around often.
He remembers the arguments Itachi had with their father, where Itachi was arguing against the coup.
He remembers how he found Itachi and Shisui in the woods, and asked them what they were talking about
He remembers Itachi asking him if he was upset with him.
“Even if I’m an obstacle for you to overcome, remember that I will always be there for you. That’s what big brothers are for.” Itachi had said.
Sasuke had wanted to protest and say that he didn’t hate him, but his mouth ran dry.
It was almost like Itachi predicted the future, yet Itachi left him.
I will always be there for you.
He remembers how Itachi had cried when he left him outside the Uchiha compound.
Memories of his brother relights a kindle in his heart filled with hate, a small warmth that he both cherished and despised.
Then the surroundings twist into something else.
Now, he is standing outside the tunnels of the Uchiha hideout, in front of Madara.
“Do you wish to talk to your brother again without ruining the timeline?” Madara asks, and Sasuke realizes he is implying that they traveled back in time.
“Only if it is real.” Sasuke says, trying to keep his cool. “I do not want to be in a world with you in control, if this is a genjutsu.”
“It is real.” Madara confirms, “You can cast a genjutsu reversal if you want, but I assure you, this is real. I am not in control of anyone here.”
“What is this then?” Sasuke narrows his eyes.
“This is an alternate universe where everything goes the same way.”
Sasuke doesn’t point out that ‘alternate’ probably means that something is different.
“There are multiple universes, and this one has the least diversion from our own.” The masked man continues, “Although you will not affect our timeline, you will affect this one, for good or for worse.”
“Then why are you letting me ruin an entire timeline?” Sasuke inquires.
“Because ours is the only important one, this is just a small diversion from our own. We are the main root and everything that happens there is what was supposed to happen. These diversions are just an if.”
Sasuke doesn’t point out that it was easy for him to say because they belonged in the ‘main’ universe. He had never been the most perspective, but even he could tell that someone from another ‘universe’ would say the same thing about their universe.
“Most of the people here will act the same, as long as the little change in event doesn’t affect them much,” Madara continues to explain. “I can confidently tell you that the Uchiha massacre and Itachi’s entire plan is in place. Right now, he is waiting for you where you met him previously. The event that changed was so small that this timeline is almost exactly the same.”
Sasuke grits his teeth, “Why did you bring me here? What do you wish to gain from this?”
Madara chuckles, “I spend time in alternate universes to..spend time with someone.” Madara uncharacteristically hesitates, and it makes Sasuke wonder if he's toying with him. Sasuke wasn’t interested in Madara’s sob story. Madara was probably repeatedly torturing someone he dislikes, Sasuke decided. “Perhaps you and your brother deserve some closure. I will bring us back to our original universe as soon as this universe reaches the same time as where we left off.”
So by sunset.
“Why are you revealing this to me?” Sasuke asks, “I shouldn’t expect the infamous Ghost of Uchihas to reveal his secrets so blatantly.”
Sasuke hasn’t quite recovered from their talk, the stinging in his eyes hasn’t gone away and the ache in his chest was even worse.
He killed his brother, who was a pawn in the village’s game. He almost shudders at that, but he makes sure not to give away too much to the masked man.
“Truth be told, only I can access these dimensions,” Madara says, “It doesn’t matter if you know or not. I can also erase your memories, if you wish.”
Sasuke doesn’t care enough to pry at Madara’s story. Madara sees him as a tool, likely, but what else was he other than a tool? Itachi loved him, but still used him. He made him into his executor because Itachi wanted to die.
Everyone in his life used him for their own gains, whether or not they believed it was best for him, to a point where he doesn’t even know who he is anymore.
An avenger, a younger brother, a son, a friend.
That was one thing that Sasuke could never forgive Itachi for. He was selfless in the most selfish way possible.
And he never trusted him with the truth and did every damn thing except for telling him.
“Alright then,” Madara says after a long moment of silence. “I will leave you and your brother alone.”
And he’s gone, disappearing into his swirling sharingan.