This is le first chapter. I don't own Naruto. Trust me, it would be so different. But I love both the anime and manga. Anywho, feel free to review and stuff, I love reading them. Criticism is welcome!

Konoha was a ghost town. Not literally, of course, because ghosts didn't exist. Sakura Haruno firmly held this belief because she felt safer with a lack of supernaturals. However, this was hardly the time to think of such things. Although the silenced night enclosed the village, she had to be careful to avoid being spotted. She was going to defy all reason and all wishes from her fellow friends and mentors; Tsunade would be furious. Kakashi sensei would worry. And Naruto..Naruto would be lonely and sad. She knew this without a doubt. She also hoped that maybe he could understand, unlike the others, why she had to do this. She had stood on the sidelines long enough, watching her best friend attempt to keep that silly promise he made her. It had been a reckless thing she asked of him, too grief stricken to think over her words. Now she had to make things right. She couldn't watch her best friend chase after their now twisted, former teammate. Sasuke had to be stopped.

They both loved him, especially Sakura. Her heart still ached for him, although she understood it could never be. If she truly loved him, she would put an end to this. She had to stop him before he became any worse. She had to kill Sasuke.

She knew she may die. She didn't care. This wasn't about playing the hero and saving the day. This was about finally going out there and trying something she had been too afraid to do. And hopefully, somehow she could do it. First, she would talk to him. She wouldn't beg him to return or talk of her love, she would just try to communicate with him. All they've done since he left was beg and sob. But maybe, just maybe he was lonely, and if she could reach out to him in some way he would want to return.

She knew it was wishful thinking.

That was why she came into this fully prepared to fight. Her weapons were ready, her chakra was full, and best of all she knew where he would be. Studying under Tsunade meant that sometimes she overheard and saw things that were top-secret.

Earlier today, she happened to walk by the hokages office to hear a certain name uttered. They were talking about Sasuke. Although she knew it was wrong, she pressed her ear up against the door to listen.

"Tsunade sama, what should we do?"

"Hm". Sakura could easily imagine her hunched over the desk, pondering the situation.

"We know where they will be, it only makes sense to go after them. Whether we get there in time..is up to fate. Sasuke would no doubt be the easiest to retrieve. The other..you would have to kill. And although I do not doubt the strength of anbu, I think that mission is near impossible."

The words she heard confused her. Who was this other person? Was Sasuke teaming up with someone now? Did he have a new team seven of his own? The thought tugged at her already aching heart.

"Here is the list of who I want to go after them. Make sure Kakashi keeps this from his students. It's too risky to involve them. I wouldn't even involve Kakashi if I could avoid it, but I can't. Your mission is to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha, preferably alive. As you know, they're in the nearby forest."

Sakura ran off then, a plan instantly forming in her head. She knew they would not be able to return him alive unless he was willing. They wouldn't be able to persuade him. She had to do this, and she had to get a head start before the mission officially began. That was why she left in the dead of the night.

She slipped out in the shadows. Sneaking out of konoha had been easier than she thought. The moment her foot touched the soil of the forest, she took off into a run. Luckily, she knew how to go about tracking someone. It appeared that Sasuke wasn't concerned about covering his tracks, something that surprised her. This could be a trap, why else would he be so reckless? Or maybe he was in a hurry, but what for? Quicker than ever before, she silently jumped from tree to tree towards a nearby hideout where unbeknownst to her, two Uchiha were fighting to the death.

It was early morning when she finally arrived, yet you wouldn't guess it by the hazy darkness that still lingered. The clouds cloaked the sun almost fully, causing a grey atmosphere to illuminate the world. The time of day didn't matter to Sakura. Nothing mattered save the disastrous battlefield that now lay before her eyes. Rubble was everywhere. It appeared as if a war had gone on unbeknownst to the rest of the world. She looked around in fearful awe. Sasuke kun..what happened?

Silence was given as an answer, but she didn't need to hear anything. She saw two dark figures lying side by side and instantly understood. Her feet reacted faster than her brain and in a moment she was by her friend, kneeling beside his injured self.

"Sasuke kun.." she spoke softly, reaching out to lay a hand against his chest. She had always wanted to touch him like this before, however she had completely different reasons now. She just wanted to know he was alive. She held her breath, waiting to feel something. When his chest finally rose and fell, she let out the air in her lungs in a thankful, breathy sigh. Although his breathing was irregular and dangerously low, he was alive.

Then, of course, she remembered why she was here. She had left to kill him and this was the perfect opportunity. He was so vulnerable and weak that she could end his life painlessly. She had originally planned on talking to him first though, to at least see if there was any hope. If she could cling to that hope, she would have, but if she knew without a doubt he was evil and she couldn't change that, she would have been ready to end it there. At least, she thought so. But now there was no talking to him. She knew in her mind that it was not a good reason not to kill him. It was incredibly unlikely that he could be saved. She loved him so dearly though, and her heart begged her to cling to that love. Then she thought of Naruto. What would he think if she had killed him in cold blood, without at least trying to save him one more time? He might hate her. She couldn't bear that .

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them spill. She had to be strong.

"Sasuke kun..gomennasai." she apologized although she knew she had done nothing wrong.

Her heart ached for him and she knew she could not end his life, not like this. No doubt next time she wouldn't have as good an opportunity, but at least it would be fair. Her hand now searched for his greatest injuries, the chakra in her hand glowing radiantly. This went against her whole reason for leaving, but she wouldn't let him die like this. She continued healing him for a couple of minutes before finally giving a second glance to the other body. All she needed to see was the akatsuki cloak to know who it was, but her eyes followed up his body and to his face. The face of a heartless murderer who had troubled Sasuke for so long. A person who had betrayed his village and his family in one of the worst possible way. It was his fault that her and Naruto had lost their best friend. He was the reason Sasuke was like this. He had tormented the boy she had fallen in love with many years ago, creating a need for vengeance inside of him. He had taken Sasuke from konoha. He was Itachi Uchiha, the man who had killed everyone in the Uchiha Massacre. He was Sasuke's older brother.

You couldn't tell he was evil by the way he now looked. It almost seemed like he had smiled. It appeared in the end he had been happy. Or more likely it was some cruel smile meant to hurt Sasuke kun even more.

She had only laid eyes on him once or twice, and the two never really interacted before. It was hard to say she hated a man she barely knew, but she knew of him, of his terrible crimes and of the suffering he put Sasuke through. She was unable to truthfully say she hated him personally, but she hated the things he had done, the things he still did, and who he allied himself with. Not only did he take Sasuke away, but he worked with a group of missing nin who wanted to hurt Naruto. So although Itachi did nothing to her directly, his actions indirectly resulted in everyone she loved being ripped apart.

She crawled over to him cautiously. Although he appeared lifeless, she had to make sure. She hoped he was dead, or else she would have to kill him. I hate death. I hate killing people...but there isn't much I wouldn't do for my friends. I can only hope you've already passed, but if you haven't I will not hesitate to have your blood on my hands.

Her fingers hesitantly reached for his neck to find his pulse, a much less personal touch than she had given Sasuke. She shivered lightly at his cold skin and waited for a sign of life.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was not even the faintest of a pulse. He was completely still, no breath escaping his body.

Itachi Uchiha was dead.

Itachi

"Yuruse Sasuke…Kore de saigo da"

A pale, thin finger instinctively outstretched itself to a forehead that belonged to the one person Itachi would always love. Thin, lifeless blood poured from the elder Uchiha's mostly blind eyes and joined the liquid spilling from his mouth. A small smile, perhaps regretful, spread across his lips. He was content with the loneliness in his heart, for he knew he deserved the death his little brother craved of him. He fell to the ground in a heap of near death. For the last breathing moments he had, he could not help but wish the situation could have been different. Had his clan not been planning a revolt, had he not stop them, had he not killed every last one of them save for his brother. Had he not brought utter devastation to his younger sibling, had he not filled the boy's heart with hatred. But oh, he didn't regret it. He had done his duty and prevented civil war. His precious village, one of the few things that could compare to the love he felt for Sasuke, was relatively safe. His brother would soon return, whether by choice or by force of the jutsu Itachi had put in place. Things would eventually return to normal, as if he never existed. It was for the best.

He closed his tired eyes, allowing the grip of death to take him. This is the end.

A golden shimmer appeared in the depths of his mind, much unlike the burning fires of hell he had expected. There was no pain. His body felt more relaxed than it had ever been before. His muscles needn't work, his brain needn't think. His heart no longer beat to the painful rhythm of his existence. He was at complete peace. He felt his slowly fly towards this light, no longer needing control of rationality. And then he felt the touch. The warmth and radiance of a gentle sun burst through his senses and he slowly began to see more than the brightness that it produced, but instead the kind figure of a women whose face had haunted him for years. She was not like him. She was not dark, she committed little sin in her life. She had served her husband well, and had raised two children to the best of her ability. The power of a mothers gaze was most piercing at a time like this, not when she was angry, but when she stared at him with nothing but love when he deserved so much less.

"Mother.." he spoke softly, more emotion laced in these words than he had spoken in ten years. For in this world, there was no way to hide them. This place forced the entirety of his soul into truth. Suddenly, the pain of what he had done shot through his once peaceful body, aching within him a hundredfold of what it had ever felt like before. Was this judgement?

"Itachi, you are overwhelming yourself. Relax. You know I could never hate you. In fact, I am so proud of you. Everyone is." she spoke to him soothingly, brushing a hand against his forehead. He stared into her eyes silently as she succeeded in calming him.

"A part of me wishes I could embrace you here and steal you away, but it isn't your time. You have done your duty all your life, you deserve to actually live."

"I don't understand.."

"You're not meant to. If only I could tell you..but wishes never come true if you speak of them. And this is what I've wished for you since the moment you were born. Protect what you hold dear, Itachi."

"..Sasuke?"

His mother smiled softly and released her hold on him, sending a small shiver through his body at the sudden loss of warmth.

"Goodbye. As much as I miss you, I pray it will be awhile before we see each other again."

The light faded away and darkness enveloped him once more. However, this was not the peacefulness of the dead, but the loneliness of the living. He was aware of himself and his body now, an ache in his being present once more. His heart continued to beat, but his brain didn't know what to think. A shallow breath returned in his body, sore from long, exhausting battle. He was well aware he was alive, and if it weren't for his message to protect his brother, it would have disappointed him.

Thoughts of his brother now entered his previously silent mind, and his body reacted. Sasuke he thought, forcing his eyes open. However, it was not Sasuke he first laid eye upon. A woman he was vaguely familiar with hovered above him with astonished eyes. At first he could not place a name to her face, despite the distinctive pink hair. But then he remembered Haruno Sakura, betrayed friend and admirer of his younger brother. He silently stared up at her with his red eyes, unsure how to react. He was certainly not tempted to speak; he had nothing to say.

Sakura

She was about to return to Sasuke's side when suddenly she swore she saw a slight movement in him. Impossible.. I had waited for a full minute. He's dead.

She moved closer to inspect him further, just to make sure, when something happened that nearly gave her a heart attack. Her eyes widened and she breathed in an airy, surprised gasp as Itachi's crimson eyes suddenly and unexpectedly snapped open. For several seconds she was frozen in a mixture of shock and fear. He was dead. He was dead. He. Was. DEAD. There is no way I missed his pulse..did I? I guess its possible..but I was extra careful! her thoughts raced, and then there was the realization that she was sitting vulnerably and only inches away from a living, breathing, Itachi Uchiha.

SHIMATA!

Now aware of her situation, she stood and jumped back..accidentally cornering herself against a piece of debris that was behind them. He was still laying on the ground, which made her think that he was too injured to do anything. However, that didn't mean she would let her guard down. Her hand instinctively reached into her pouch to take out a sharp kunai, ready to defend herself if necessary

Her grip tightened on the cool metal, her eyes narrowing sharply as he quickly sat up. However, he didn't even seem to recognize her presence. Instead, his sharingan eyes stared at the unconscious body next to him. This worried her. He could very well intend to end his brother's life now, and she would not stand by and allow that. In an instant she was in front of Sasuke, as if protecting him from the older Uchiha. Any traces of fear disappeared with in her, replaced by determination.

"Get any closer to him and I'll kill you right here!" she shouted, holding her kunai out in front of her. She wouldn't let Sasuke get hurt.

Finally he seemed to pay some sort of attention to the fact that she was here by making eye contact with her. For a second she thought he was going to come closer, but instead he just stared at her. She refused to look away, and eventually he spoke.

"Is he alive?"

The question was hard to answer, but she decided quickly what she had to do. If she said yes..he would probably attack her to finish him off. She wasn't a horrible liar, so that was her best option.

"You killed him." she hissed

Something unrecognizable flashed in his eyes, but before she could even think about what it was, it disappeared.

"You're lying." he accused.

"Why would I lie?"

"You're afraid I'll kill him." he bluntly stated.

"I wouldn't let you"

"..."

"You wont touch him!"

"..."

This pissed Sakura off. Not only was she being ignored, but he was still staring at her. The blood-red eyes of an Uchiha murderer disturbed her. She understood the sharingan wasn't evil, but for some reason it sent cold shivers down her spine even when Kakashi would use his. The power was useful in the hands of someone good..yet she still didn't like it. The lack of emotion in his stare didn't help.

With one blink of her eyes he suddenly vanished, appearing behind her and on the other side of Sasuke. Her head whipped around to find him looking down at his brother's body.

She quickly reacted, charging at him with a fist full of chakra. There's no way he can dodge this in his state. I've got him!

..Or not.

He managed to disappear once again, now standing where Sakura had been moments ago. And then he did the weirdest thing. She watched him sit down beside Sasuke and reach out to him, placing a delicate finger on his forehead. She was ready to attack again, worried that this was a weird jutsu. She was also cautious, not wanting to start something she couldn't finish. But before she could even move he stood and started walking away.

She had to think about what to do next. She could let him leave and return to the original situation. She glanced over at Sasuke, trying to decide what to do. If she let his brother go, all he would do is run after him. If she could do that for him, lighten the burden..

She decided it was best to follow him. He completely ignored her presence, which wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was dangerous, playing this game. She was a mere foot or two away from someone who had no moral code, no conscience. He was acting really, really weird. Not to mention he should be dead. Oh, and the fact that he had the audacity to act as if she wasn't here. Inner Sakura was raging inside of her, just begging to throw a punch. Instead, she spoke calmly. "Aren't you going to kill me?"

He instantly stopped walking, making her almost crash into him. She stopped before that happened though. He was staring ahead of him, saying and doing nothing for what felt like an eternity. She shivered lightly, realizing what she did. She was practically begging for death. Still, she couldn't help but be a bit snippy at times. I dare you to fight me, Itachi Uchiha!

He didn't attack. She was about to say something when finally he spoke. It was a cold, threatening word that scared her further, although she refused to show it.

"Leave."

She stood in place as he took to walking again, and she realized something. He didn't run like he should have been, but walked instead. That meant he must have been greatly injured and weakened by the battle. That meant she could beat him in a fight. And that meant she wasn't going to give up. The only problem was that she had to do so farther away. Sasuke might wake up, and if he saw her here and getting in his way of killing Itachi himself, he would be unhappy. Of course, when he did wake up and noticed a lack of a dead Itachi, he might assume he's alive. Either that, or someone came to take his body. Hopefully he would believe the latter. To believe that, the two of them had to get out of the area. Only then could she attack. If he wasn't up for battle, chances are he wouldn't attack her even if she did follow him. Playing on that chance, she decided to do just that. She continued following him as he made his way into the forest once again

He continued to walk without turning around or looking at her, but she knew he was aware that she was still there. They walked like this for a while as Sakura tried to decide on the best strategy to win this fight easily. She had to do something quick and stealthy so he wasn't given an opportunity to dodge. She still had her kunai..but was that fast enough? She wouldn't second guess herself. Trusting her instincts, she flung the deadly weapon and watched as it cut through the thin air and pierced the Uchiha murderer in the back, right in the middle of a red cloud on his Akatsuki cloak.

CHAA! inner Sakura roared as she charged at him with another fist, meaning to hit him so hard that he started flying through the forest. However, her attack hit one of many crows that dispersed, due to her kunai, from the fake itachi. It had been a clone.

This time, she didn't need to hide her feelings within inner Sakura. She let out an annoyed groan and reached for her kunai that lay on the ground. With her weapon held firmly in her hand once again, she took off to find the real one.

He couldn't have gone far.. I don't know how I missed him switch places with a clone, but now I just have to put in a little more work and find him. Chances are he didn't go back, because he wanted to leave. Unless he did that purposely to make me think he wanted to. Is he the type to underestimate someone? Well..he did insult Sasuke kun's abilities a lot. But from what I hear he praised Kakashi sensei. So I guess it depends on the person. Would he underestimate me? Probably. What he must expect me to do is go running back to Sasuke kun. Which means he went in the opposite direction. I was hoping to be there when Sasuke kun woke up, while he was still injured and weak. But that can't happen with Itachi still alive.

She took off in the direction she decided on, running at full speed. She was going to catch up with him and she was going to kill him. She had to. Sasuke had to believe he had successfully gotten his vengeance. If he did, maybe he would be more likely to come back to the village. Even if he found out later that Itachi was alive, once they had him back they could stop him from leaving again. Determination flooded her veins, powering every step she took. Maybe that was why she soon made a mistake. She was expecting to find, not be found. This is why the male voice that jumped out from behind left her startled.

"Eh? What's a konoha brat doing out here!?"

She turned, holding her kunai up defensively, and skidded against the tree branch she was on.. to face someone very tall with a weapon that was almost as big as the man. If you could even call him a man. He was probably twice her size! Not to mention that his complexion was rather.. gloomy.