Itachi shook, his entire body vibrating with the combination of sobs and shivers that could not be held in. I'm sorry! He cried out with his thoughts. I'm so sorry! How could I take from all of you that which I could not give myself?! How did you deserve this?! I am a monster! Forgive me! Please!

The shinobi, only eighteen years of age, but all alone in the world, curled tighter into himself, begging the horrible night to end. Wishing to forget the memory, but knowing he deserved every ounce of pain he felt. Know it was he who cause this and he deserved to reap the thorns he'd sown. Even as his body rebelled against him, toward the dark and terrible punishment that awaited, much sooner than he'd planned.

I'M NOT READY! PLEASE, NOT YET! HE STILL NEEDS ME!

"Iiiitaaaachiiii!" A light angelic voice barely a whisper and far off sang.

The young man, vulnerable in his illness, froze, his frame suddenly stiff, ready for anything.

"Iiiitaaaachiiii! Baaaabyyyy!"

Itachi looked up and his jaw dropped. Before his eyes stood his mother dressed in white and bathed in light, as beautiful and perfect as the day he'd taken her life. "M-Mother?!"

"Baby? Why are you crying?"

"M-Mother. Yo-you know why. I'm a monster, Mother. You gave birth to a monster."

"Oh nonsense! I gave birth to a boy. A beautiful, perfect, angelic little boy...two of them actually."

"But...the things I've done...I'm a demon!"

"No!" The apparition strode toward him with stern determination. "We forced this on you, Baby! You took what little light you could find in the blackest situation and you did your best! You did your best and both your father and I are very proud."

"Mother. I cannot go, Mother. He needs me. He needs this."

The apparition shook her head. "I'm sorry, Baby. You have to come with us. It's your time."

Itachi's concentration broke for a moment as he curled into himself, fighting through a particularly terrible tremor wracked his sick bones, coughing violently as his throat, lungs, and head threatened to rip themselves apart from the inside.

"He needs me," he finally breathed at last, his voice hoarse and broken, nothing to the beautiful tenor it had been.

"Yes, he will always need you, but he has his friends. He has Naruto. He'll be alright. Give him the truth, Baby, and he will wax like a new moon, to shine bright, big, and new, glowing with the light of his sun."

"The truth?" Itachi looked back up at the apparition, who nodded. His mother's spirit smiled at him lovingly.

"He needs that. Yes, give him the truth. He will do right by it and he deserves it. He's strong, Itachi. He can handle it."

"But, what if-"

"Itachi," the apparition placed a hand on her hip sternly, "you are ill. You are running out of time. Now, do as your mother says. I know what's best for you, I always have."

With a weary sigh, Itachi nodded. He reached to the nightstand, beside the bed in the hotel room he'd rented for however long it took him to recover from this particularly strong bout of his illness, though it appeared he never would. He opened the book he'd grabbed and tore out a few sheets of lined paper from the back. There, he addressed a letter to his little brother.

My Dearest Sasuke,

I have no words that can be written or spoken that will ever truly describe the depth of my love for you. You will read this and scoff. You will rage and become quite confused and for that I can only apologize, as it is all I seem to be able to do, when it comes to you. There is no better way for me to do this, but my time has come. I cannot seem to hold on, even for you, despite it being my greatest wish. You have been getting stronger and you are surrounded by strong friends. I know your teacher will keep you safe, so I will endeavor not too worry too much, but, here it is:

The truth.

That night, a great deal happened, and quite equally, just as much didn't happen. Know this, it didn't happen.

This book is my journal. I have kept it since I was eleven, when first I joined ANBU. It is technically an illegal record, but it will tell all. I pray you will believe me, but I cannot make you. I kept this from you because I believed it would, should have died with me. I wanted you to take justice for the fall of our clan, by my death. It would have given you closure. It would have served as revenge. And I would have received the punishment that I rightly deserved, however, it would seem Fate has different plans.

By the time you get this, I will be dead. I have had this disease for as long as I can remember. The doctors I've gone to all say it is terminal and incurable. I thought I had at least another three, maybe four years if I didn't push it. I was mistaken, not for the first time.

I will send this to you, via my summons. His name is Kashikoi. After my death, he will be yours, not as a summons, but my last order to him will be to protect you. He is strong and wise, trust him as you would me, the old me, whom you loved and worshiped far beyond what I rightfully deserved.

I am truly sorry, Little Brother. I love you more than anything in the world and I would give anything to see you smile again, as you used to, but I have no place upon this earth nor in your life, any longer.

I love you.

I love you so much it hurts. But I know you are cared for.

Keep Konoha, Sasuke, and with you and your Rookies caring for her, she will keep you.

Be wary of her darkness, for all the great light she has, just as equally is her darkness black.

I love you, Otouto.

Endeavor to be everything you wish, and more.

Forever your older brother,

Itachi.

P.S. Tell Kakashi-senpai, I am sorry for what I did to him in Konoha a couple of weeks ago. I had too keep up the act, but I hope it didn't damage him too much.

Itachi sighed falling back against the wall and his pile of pillows as a wave of weariness washed over him, but just as quickly shot forward, curling into a ball as bout of agonizing coughs tore at his lungs and throat, forcing him to throw up blood and what little food he'd managed to eat the evening before. He glanced to the right, where the image of his mother still stood, watching him with a loving look. He prayed she was not a hallucination.

"Come, Baby. Finish up and we can go."

Itachi nodded and summoned Kashikoi. The crow took one look at him and bowed his head, a single large tear rolling out of his eye and dropping onto the bed. "Good-bye, you were a good master."

"Thank you, Kashikoi," Itachi rasped in a broken voice, "however, I have one last mission for you." The crow looked up. "Take this to my brother in Konoha. After he receives it, I request that you stay and protect him, as I would. I could bear leaving if I knew your wise eyes were watching him. And keep that man away from him."

"I will. You have been good to us in such a way as no master has ever been. Good-bye, Itachi-sama."

Itachi laid back on the pillows with a dead sigh, before gathering the strength to seal the book and letter into the storage seal he wished for Kashikoi to take. "Good-bye, Kashikoi. Take care of him, for me."

The bird flew off and Itachi looked back to his mother, falling back on the pillows as another wave of utter tired took him. It took every ounce of strength in him simply to force his broken lungs to form half a breath. "Come, Baby. It's time."

With limbs that were almost too weak to move, he reached for her. She smiled at him, bright and beautiful, like an angel under Heaven's light. She took it, kissing the hand that looked four and five times its physical age.

Taking his other hand as well, she pulled him toward her, and even as she did, Itachi felt a great weight lift from his chest. Suddenly, he could breathe again, as he had when he was a young boy just entering ANBU. Suddenly, he felt himself, strong, undefeated, genius, capable of facing any trial with a stern face and a brilliant plan. He felt free like before the Massacre, except better, for no burden laid upon him as Clan Heir.

His mother laughed brightly as a smile split his face. "Come, Baby. The others are waiting. Fugaku is near wit's end. No one quite knows how to handle Shisui. He yearns for you so."

Itachi's beaming smile brightened. "Of course, Mother. I am most eager to see Shisui as well. I have missed him more than any."

Updated: 3/9/2019

Sorry to any and all followers, it probably seems like I'm dead or something, because I haven't updated anything in so long, but I'm not. A lot has happened and I've been busy. I mostly just added a few minor details, fixed spelling and grammar, and such. The bigger changes will come next chapter.