My blood pumped, the air electrified with the prospect of death sparking amongst the trees. He was so close, I could feel his chakra like stagnant water pooled on the forest's floor; it's potency thick enough that I could feel it slide against my skin. But I was not afraid, I wouldn't allow it. I had waited, trained, bled and breathed for this moment so that any trace of fear was torn out of me. I whipped through the trees with no other thought but murder, the one I was yet to commit and the ones already committed to my kin. Today would be the last day they would scream in my ears, demanding retribution for the crime that had consumed my life. Orochimaru could take my body for all I care, after Itachi has taken his last breath my life's purpose would be complete... and I could rest...
I drew my own chakra to my feet and landed heavily onto the side of a tree trunk, the leaves rustling in protest at my sudden and abrupt stop. I waited until the the world around me stilled, slowing my breathing down until nothing could be heard but the momentairy chirp of birds. 'His chakra... it's stopped moving...' I continued to remain still, using every sense I had and honing them to their sharpest extent. My skin prickled as I felt his movement, circling around slowly like a panther in wait; ready to strike. I tensed in anticipation, waiting until the last possible moment before I leaped, the tree I was once perched upon shattering into toothpicks as I landed on the ground with a slide.
"This is becoming tiresome, brother" I heard him drawl, stepping past the rubble he had just created like he hadn't even moved a muscle. I immediately avoided his gaze without thought, cursing myself for my instinctive fear. I knew I had strengthened my Sharingan to the point where he could not grip me within his Tsukuyomi, but I couldn't help looking away despite myself. The last time I had dared make to make eye contact with him he had shown me the death of my parents countless times for 24 hours, and ever since it was difficult to look him straight in the eye.
I shifted my feet on the earth, holding my right forearm with my left hand and charging chakra to it. "Then let's end it" I said back, matching his tone to the decible. The skin of my palm jumped and prickled as I charged the Chidori, and letting out a roar I lunged faster than even the Sharigan could see. But my brother was not one to be underestimated, ducking out of the way with barely a sound. I had antcipated this and instinctivly swept my foot downward across his escape path, catching his ankle before hurling the sound of a thousand birds towards his stomach. I smelled the distinct burn of flesh and cloth and smiled triumphantly, until I felt a searing pain cut across my forearm which inadvertantly halted my Chidori.
The dust settled and I saw Itachi standing across the clearing, his robes swaying to a stop the only sign that he hadn't been standing there the whole time. I grunted silently to myself and glanced down at my limp arm, hanging akwardly in front of me like it was broken. 'A medical jutsu...' I realized with a smirk, placing my left hand over my forearm and sending pumps of chakra to heal the tendants he had severed. I flexed it experimentally and re-took my stance, charged by the first injury I was ever able to inflict against my brother. I could see the flesh of his stomach through his Akatsuki robe, the skin red and beading with little drops of blood.
"A hit, well done brother" he said condensendingly, or however condensendingly he could be in that same monotone of his. "If only it was substantial enough to waste chakra on, like yours."
I disregared his dig and lunged again, just missing him as he dissapeared into the trees. I knew he wasn't actually hiding from me, he was just playing another one of his games; testing the limits of my training and seeing what situations I could handle. I contemplated following after him to take away his preseved advantage but instead divised my own plan, momentairliy playing the part of the inferior little brother until I could strike.
"I met an interesting person in the forest early today" he spoke from the trees, not raising his voice whatsoever and yet booming in my ears. 'Another one of his genjutsu's' I was able to devise, keeping my Sharingan sharp in case he began bombarding me with his illusions. He must of known that something like that wouldn't work against me now that I was at this level, mocking me with it's absurdity rather than taking our fight seriously. I just smirked at his foolishness, knowing that his weaknes was still asuming that I was not a threat. I drew my Kusanagi as slowly as possible to prevent sound, drawing it to eye level and watching as sparks began forming on the blade's surface.
"She was roaming through the forest by herself, completely unaware that I was watching her." I could feel the familar sparks of chakra pressing against my skin yet again, but this time every surface brimmed with the bridled energy. My arms, legs, torso, every muscle jumped and shivered with with electricity, and I felt my Sharingan pulse in excitement. "You should of seen her little brother, how seductive she was" he continued, his presence in the trees moving secretly as I concentrated on the task at hand. "She was just a woman mind you, and like any other woman I found her only mildly worth my attention at first. But as I watched her..." My senses jumped as I felt his chakra move abruptly in attack, and I spun and let loose a wave of energy towards the trees with my Kusanagi.
"One Thousand Birds Current!" I yelled, seeing his form dart through the leaves. They exploded with a resounding boom, several meters of trees taken out with a single swipe.
"Amaterasu!" he yelled in turn, and I leapt to dodge the black flames setting the rubble on fire. My skin singed but I ignored it, landing in the branches in the tallest tree I could find and watching for his signature robes. The unnatural flames died down, the once peacful clearing now blackened and desigrated with our mutual killing intent. "There was something about her that was... different. She was strong, for that which I could tell just from looking at her. But her chakra was depleted, her current weakness begging me to claim her..."
"Itachi!" I yelled impatiently, the intensity of our situation curling within my stomach and taking away from my patience. "I have no interest in your useless ramblings!"
"You should of heard her shriek, little brother" he continued as if I hadn't spoken, and with a growl I leapt down to the forest floor, diregarding my previous plan and diving into the trees. "Not in pain, or even in fear. She shrieked in defiance, screamed her anger and swore her vengence even with so little chakra." I cut through each tree I encountered, their heavy trunks falling to the forest floor with a crash. I saw his robed back for the briefest of seconds and struck, my eyes flinching as another explosion of wood clouded my vision.
I saw a kunai shoot towards me and ducked, imbedding into the ground with a thunk before it exploded from the note attached to it. I rolled away generally unscathed, wondering why he insisted on using these primitive techniques when he knew it wouldn't work. "It was so satisfying to watch her squirm until she was forced to submit" he went on as I got up, resuming my chase and ending up back in the middle of the clearing. He was finally in clear view, standing with an imperial air and watching as I readied my sword. He tilted his head as I gathered my chakra yet again, despite knowing that I was using too much too fast. I didn't care, all I needed was to land just one hit... just one... "To make her sob even as she screamed her hatred" I charged and gathered everything I had, sprinting towards him and feeling my mind grow hazy from the growing threat of the cursed seal being unleashed. I embraced the feeling, hoping it would give me the slight edge I needed to finally end it.
"How beautiful she looked as I cut her, her pink hair dying red from the blood"
Despite the power of my intent, all the work I had done to get to this point, my mind perfectly clear and quick from the approaching release of the seal, to be steps away and predicting his moves 5 times in advance, knowing that I might of ended it right there... I blinked. And it was all he needed. With the slightest sign of a smirk he thrust his hand forward, and I was thrown several meters until I slammed into one of the only remaining trees with a crash. It fell from my impact, the only thing keeping my ribs from breaking the One Thousand Birds Current still coursing through my body.
I heard him chuckle and knew he had dissapeared into the forest, resuming whatever path he had been taking before our battle. "You are still too weak brother. And you will remain so until you are able to destroy those pesky little soft spots you used to call teammates." I coughed and felt blood spurt past my lips, glaring into the trees with the most hatred I had ever felt. "She's in the forest a couple miles back..." And with that I knew he was gone, his palpable presence swept away with the breeze.