This is the newly, improved, revised edition that DOESN'T SUCK! I omitted Naruto and the Kyuubi, and just changed everything :P.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own a cell phone, but I do not own Naruto :( Poem also belongs to someone named "Red Delicious". I found it on Google.

Last night I had a revelation.

Somehow I have to make you pay.

It's all about manipulation,

And what it takes to get my way.

He leapt from tree to countless trees with fierce determination as he moved towards his destination. The sneer that marred his attractive countenance spoke of hatred, screamed malice, and—oddly enough—whispered excitement. He had been waiting for this; this was what he worked for—what he lived for. This upcoming battle that he was speeding to with reckless abandon was the one thing in his life that he had always wanted.

The branch below his feet exploded in a shower of splinters as he pushed off with more chakra than what was necessary. Rain clouds rolled leisurely over his head as he continued to move under the canopy of trees. He moved quickly and efficiently with crimson eyes blazing as a snarl ripped from his throat. He hated this man, hated him and everything he stood for. Killing his brother was an ambition he would never let go until it was done.

A wicked grin curled his lips as the wind blew through his hair and ripped through his clothes, I'm coming for you…Aniki.

Another branch shattered beneath Uchiha Sasuke's feet.

I don't believe in soft solutions,

No one makes a fool of me.

Without receiving retribution,

No one hurts me and goes free.

The other Uchiha brother stood in a clearing surrounded by endless trees. He stood facing the direction from where his dear otouto was to appear. He had been waiting for this; he had prepared for this, had fed him hatred and lies all for this one moment of retribution and justice. A drop of water landed on his nose and he lifted his head to stare at the gray skies that seemed oddly fitting for what was to occur. Closing his eyes, he breathed—wheezed—through his nose as more cool drops fell upon closed Sharingan eyes.

He had spiked his chakra to alert his foolish little brother of his location and had felt the rapidly approaching chakra in return. Lowering his head, he focused his eyes to blurry pine trees and swaying grass. It wouldn't be much longer until his death. He had prepared for this; Kisame would retrieve his body and then dispose of what was left of him after the battle. A dull ache throbbed in his chest, but it had nothing to do with the sickness that would take him away if his brother did not.

The rain steadily fell around him and plastered his long hair to his face. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He shouldn't be waiting patiently for death; he shouldn't have to die at the hands of his brother. He cursed whatever deity was listening because he should have been inside the village of his birth with his family. He should have been raising a family and fulfilling the duties of clan head, he should be with his brother. But instead, he was standing in the rain awaiting death at the hands of his own flesh and blood.

He remembered the little boy who tugged at his pants leg and ask for lessons, the boy who he would poke in the forehead, the one who looked up at him in adoration. He missed that boy and in remembering those moments that he treasured most, he remembered when the same little boy had looked up at him in fear and had asked 'why'. He remembered telling the same little boy through a mouth that felt thick to loathe him, to be stronger in the way that he could not, and to seek him out and kill him.

His jaw clenched with the memory and his nails dug into his palms in crescent moon shapes that dripped and permeated the air with the metallic scent of blood that was then purified by rain. He had hoped his little brother would have had the sensibility to get stronger where he had, but the foolish little boy had given up everything and had run away to the one man he detested most.

But, it was his fault. He had driven him to extremes, had crushed the mentality of the innocent, adoring little boy and had turned him into what he was. And for that, he could never forgive himself.

And so, Uchiha Itachi stood and waited as thunder sounded in the distance.

I'll play on your fears, I'll leave you in tears.

You'll never be the same, my friend.

You're walking a line; it's a matter of time.

You'll never rest easy again.

Sasuke landed in front of Itachi with a loud and heavy thud, and both brothers met the other's eyes. One crimson stare filled with abhorrence, the other weary and cold. He unsheathed his Kusanagi, infusing his Chidori within the blade in the process. His spine was rigid, his posture tense.

"Aniki," he spat.

"Otouto," the other addressed.

A guttural growl tore through the younger brother's throat as he stepped closer, the crackling sound of his blade piercing the silent clearing.

"You die today, Itachi."

"Your team?"

Sasuke looked taken back by the question before he slipped into his offensive stand and pointed the blade at him.

"Dead," he spat, "They don't matter. It's about killing you, Itachi. That's all that ever mattered!"

Itachi regarded his brother coldly as tomoes black as death spun lazily in crimson irises, "Aa. You were always so foolish, Sasuke."

And with a crack of thunder followed by a heavy downpour of rain and a screech of rage, the battle between blood began.

I've got the power to bring you down.

The skies wept as the blood of brothers was spilt onto the earth, as each slice of flesh was punctuated with a streak of lightning. Its waters washed away the hatred, but the pain lingered behind as only one brother was left.

I've heard it said, to err is human.

It's forgiveness that's divine.

I thought about forgiving you, but

I want revenge, I want what's mine.

As Sasuke stood over his brother's heavily bleeding body that slowly rose with shuddering breaths, there was no sense of victory, no satisfaction, just sorrow. He fell to his knees and the rain fell heavily on the two who had been wronged as if trying to sooth away the pain. Arms hanging limply at his sides and bending at the waist, he touched his forehead to Itachi's the same way he had done to Naruto at the Valley of the End nearly seven years ago. Droplets of rain fell from his face onto his brother's slowly, as if they were sharing the liquid that washed away and created anew.

I think it's time to settle scores now.

It's time to set the record straight.

"Why," he whispered brokenly with eyes tightly closed and shoulders shaking with barely suppressed emotion, "why did you do it, aniki?"

You'll know it's coming, you won't know how

Or when, you'll have to watch and wait.

The rain continued to steadily fall and that was the only thing that filled the silence. Pale fingers dug into wet soil and shoulders shook and breaths turned into muted sobs and onyx eyes remained tightly shut. He told himself it was okay, that this was what he wanted, that Itachi's death was the only way he could be happy.

You'll never be the same, my friend.

You're walking a line; it's a matter of time;

You'll never rest easy again.

"Sasuke."

His eyes widened at the weary voice that tore through the silence like a kunai, but he did not move.

"Life has been cruel to us, otouto," Itachi spoke slowly before he coughed and caused blood to dribble down his chin, "Since birth, you and I were destined to live in pain. It does not make a difference whether it was I who caused it, or if it were the clan. Everything was chosen for us. Our loyalties were torn between the clan, and our village that we have sworn to love and protect. We were taught to give everything for our village, sacrifice our lives—our happiness—for our village."

Sasuke lifted his head slowly to look at Itachi's painfully calm face as he spoke.

"Loyalties to our family and friends were to be thrown away if ordered. We were not given choices; we were never given a choice. And so, they have taken everything away. Our freedom, our dignity. But we were to kill and sacrifice for our village, give to our village…and I have. I have sacrificed, bled in the name of the Leaf," a hacking cough tore through Itachi's chest, "and they have taken everything that I could give. But the one thing that would never change, no matter what the Hokage ordered, or what the council demanded," another cough interrupted him but this time Itachi did not continue.

I've got the power to bring you down.

Sasuke told himself he did not love his brother. He had stopped loving him long ago. He had thrown away any bit of affection he had that moonlit night a decade ago.

So why was he weeping?

You know, it feels intoxicating

To be intimidating.

It's invigorating.

And then he spoke again, voice shaking and straining to get the words out.

"You are my brother, Sasuke. That will never change. I do not deserve your forgiveness, otouto. But you are my little brother, and I have ruined your life in the name of the village. But you must live, and be strong in the ways that I am not."

Sasuke froze at the implication of Itachi's words. The rain continued to fall on and around them, washing away Itachi's life in a river of red.

He did not love Itachi. He could not love Itachi!

"Beware Madara, brother."

Lightning flashed in the distance, and Itachi did not speak and his chest did not rise and Sasuke did not move.

"I love you, aniki," he whispered as more tears (rain, he told himself, it was rain) fell from his face onto Itachi's.

For a long while, he kneeled by his brother's (his aniki's, his aniki's!) cold, lifeless body and stared at his face with dull eyes. He did not lift his gaze when Kisame dropped from the trees a few feet away from him, did not react when Kisame's growl thick of hatred was louder than the falling rain, did not look away when he slowly stood and pulled his Kusanagi out from his aniki's chest.

The katana fell from his hands and landed on the earth with a dull thud, and Itachi's words repeated in his head and he once again fell to his knees as Kisame disappeared with his brother's corpse and he buried his face in his hands.

"I have ruined your life in the name of the village."

Sasuke's head shot up from his hands and onyx eyes bled crimson.

"…Ruined your life in the name of the village…"

Fury flowed through his blood as he reached for his Kusanagi and gripped it in his hands until his knuckles were white.

"…in the name of the village."

As he stood, he growled, and cursed, and hated and spat. As he jumped into the trees to plan a village's demise, rage clouded his vision and he stumbled and he yelled in anger and pain.

I've got the power to bring you down.

They would pay.

You know something, you see it coming,

You know I will stop at nothing.

They will all pay.

Well, this is the second draft; it wasn't as good as the first one though . My computer crashed right when I finished it too! The first draft was a bit AU while this one was closer to canon. In the first draft, Sasuke had returned to Konoha and Team 7 was there to help deal with the loss of Itachi and the realization that he did love his brother. I was also going to throw in that he got the Mangekyou Sharingan after the battle with Itachi (if the internet is correct, that's how he got it) but I don't know if I should. I think I should! What do you guys think?