This is actually my first take on a Naruto fic and I hope I can do good about it. The story revolves on the Uchiha brothers and the setting is in an alternate universe, not the Naruto world.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and the characters mentioned hereafter.

One teen stood in the middle of the mansion owned by the Uchiha family. His face was blank with emotion, his eyes unseeing as he stood amidst the pile of dead bodies of his entire clan. The house which was earlier filled with sounds of music, of conversation was now eerie with silence. Blood gashed from the small cut at the left portion of his face. In an instant, everything changed. He could see the dead eyes of his kin staring straight at him as if seeing through him. He could still hear it ringing against his ears – the roar of gunfire, the screams and cries for help and the swishing of the swords as they were all mercilessly slaughtered on the eve of the clan's family reunion.

He blinked as reality started to sink into his young mind. His family is dead.

With eyes finally registering an emotion akin to panic, the teen, barely seventeen searched for a particular figure amidst all the bloody chaos. From the living room, to the kitchen and finally upstairs, he desperately sought his younger brother. He opened every room and searched every corner until he came to his parent's room only to tower above the corpse of Fugaku and Mikoto. His father's eyes were wide in terror as it stared back at Itachi. The latter could only feel regret towards his father. The two were never really close like father and son. Their relationship was strained ever since Itachi entered middle school. Itachi always resented his father for the high expectations coming from him, pressuring the young boy at a young age and robbing him off of Itachi's right to be a child. At the very least, Uchiha Itachi could not even have a normal childhood like the rest do. No he does not. Aside from that, Itachi resented his father most because of how he treated his younger brother, for ruining Sasuke's hope of ever going to be just as great as the first born. For Itachi, he never felt like his father really loved his sons and because of those many reasons, Itachi had a falling out with his father. Their mother is tolerable. While not as brazen as her husband in her expectations from the eldest, she still shared the same viewpoint with Fugaku. But while Fugaku only felt proud of his sons when they did something to further the name Uchiha, Mikoto always felt proud for both boys.

"Kaa-san," Itachi whispered and moved to kneel down beside her when a voice spoke from somewhere hidden. He stood up immediately, alerted at the presence. And when he turned, he came face to face with the stranger he met three days earlier.

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The younger Uchiha was walking home with his friends, Naruto, Shikamaru, Lee and Neji while their teachers for martial arts followed behind them. It had become more of a habit for Kakashi and Gai eventhough Nara, Hyuuga and Uchiha have someone to fetch them up. But today was a little bit different. They thought it strange that no one came for Sasuke. For the twelve-year old boy, it does not make a difference whether someone came or not with an exception if it was Itachi. Sasuke would usually walk with his friends if Itachi did not come (at least when they were younger). Nara was the first to reach his house followed by Neji, Lee and finally Naruto.

The three left stood at the intersection of the road. "Don't forget about tomorrow, Sasuke-kun," Kakashi reminded his most brightest student about the event for the following day. Not only was Kakashi an instructor in martial arts but he too was Sasuke's history and literature teacher.

"Hai," the boy nodded and gave them a bright smile before waving his hand and walked. Kakashi watched his student's back before he focused on the Uchiha house far ahead. And he frowned. Even though it was far from where they are, his trained eyes could still tell that there were lines of patrol cars and ambulance in front of the mansion.

"Gai."

"Yeah...something is not right," Gai nodded and moved first to run after Sasuke.

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The young boy snuck on the bushes behind the mansion. He took the short-cut to their house even tough he could have taken the normal route. But he is excited. His brother is coming home from the university. His brother is an exceptional child, a genius at such a young age that he advanced to a university in less amount of time.

Remaining ignorant at the commotion within the mansion's perimeter, he made a run inside only to stop dead, frozen on the spot as his eyes made a survey at the living room.

Broken glasses and windows and figurines.

And then his eyes widened.

Blood.

So much blood on the floor.

Though young in mind, Sasuke was nowhere stupid. He knew something was wrong. Something happened. Besides, he ca't find a glimpse of his family. "'Kaa-san!" he cried and dashed upstairs.

The police officer who was last to leave the house heard the voice and turned. He was sure there was no one there a while ago. All the bodies have been taken out. "Something wrong, Hayate?" his companion asked.

"Ah, I thought I heard someone," he answered and frowned. "I better check back to make sure." Before he could turn around, he saw two civilans being prevented from entering the wide Uchiha lawn.

"Sir, we cannot allow anyone to enter the crime scene," Raiga said patiently to the two whom he knew as Gai and Kakashi. The teachers are quite famous around town even back when they were younger. He heard that there was only one who surpassed them at such a young age, younger than when Kakashi had been hailed a true genius. That would be no other than Itachi who at the moment was not among the dead people along with his younger brother. But he found it a bit disturbing to find a note up there - a note left on the crime scene. "We assure you there was no one there."

Kakashi slapped the policeman's hand away and glared. "And I can assure you my student had just arrived hime, probably had taken out the short route and is at the house at the moment."

"What route?" Raiga asked.

Hayate decided then that there really was someone there. When he entered the house and searched for him, he found the young boy upstairs, staring blankly at the room where the bodies of the couple Fugaku and Mikoto were found.

"Boy," he called and tapped his shoulder making Sasuke jump back in surprise. What Hayate saw there was plain horror.

"W-Where are my parents?" he whispered, trying to control his emotions. Hayate had often dealt with situations like this, when one asks about the victims before they turn hysterical and he could see the boy is close to going into hysterics.

"They are..." he gulped, trying to find a nice way to deliver the sad news to the boy. He took a deep breath. "They're gone."

Instead of expecting a hysterical boy or one in denial, he was rather surprised to see the boy nod his head. Now, that was not a normal reaction especially coming from a small boy. "And...m-my brother?" this time, he stammered and there was true fear in his voice which puzzled Hayate. He was more afraid of learning about his brother's death than that of his parents.

The policeman shook his head. "We didn't find his body but we do believe he is alive," he answered truthfully. It was that note. He left a confession note addressed to his little brother. He heard that Itachi and Sasuke were very close and that the older brother became some sort of a father to Sasuke as well as he continuously taught Sasuke things he should learn, whether in school or in life. At least that is what the rumors say. And so he wondered how the young boy would react to it.

He had to look away after seeing that hopeful look in his eyes. Hayate thought he already knew what would happen to the boy if he learned about it. Uchiha Sasuke will surely be crushed. "Then where is he? Where is Itachi?" he asked desperately and held Hayate's arms.

Kakashi and Gai stood at the doorway, watching the scene unfold to them. Raiga was forced to share information with them about something disturbing, the killer being known but the motive remained a puzzle. That was the time Hayate noticed the presence of the two and growled. "What the hell are you two doing here?" he barked, annoyed at having civilians at the crime scene. They might tamper probable evidence.

Sasuke harshly glanced at their direction but the harsh look left his face when he recognized his teachers. He ignored them though and focused on the policeman once more. "Where is he?" he repeated, his voice demanding.

Hayate sighed. "Look here boy, this is not the place and time to talk about it," he started but his evasive answer made the boy suspicious. "We should probably see to your family's - "

"No! I want to know where my brother is," he argued stubbornly and crossed his arms. Seeing no point in actually lying to him even if he was just a boy, Hayate spoke.

"Your brother is not here already. He probably fled after committing such atrocity," he said and regretted the words when he saw how Sasuke's arms went limp at his side, his eyes a look of disbelief. Hayate took out something from his pocket. "I'll let you have that for the moment but I will have to take it back for evidence."

He left after nodding at the two. He had no intention being in the same room and having to look at the crushed spirit of a boy who believed so much in someone else only to be betrayed by the same person for an unknown motive. He decided he would just have to wait outside. Hayate would admit this was the first time he felt like a coward, giving details to the family of victims. At normal times, he would have just spoken casually and leave.

And the boy whom he thought would still remain apathetic towards his family's death finally screamed in hysteria and denial after reading the content of the letter.

"It's a lie!" he cried. "Aniki would never do such - "

Hayate decided it was time to call for someone to subdue the raging boy. The boy is indeed crushed - immediately.

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It took three days for reality to sink into Sasuke's mind. He had been denying the truth for whole three days, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that his brother was the one who killed the entire clan. He always believed his brother was not a violent man. Yet...he was capable of doing it. It was painful to accept that. It was painful to learn that the one you look up to so much would be responsible for the clan's murder. He always knew Itachi never liked the entire clan but he believed that his dislike was not really enough reason for him to taint his hands with their bloods. But he thought wrong.

In one instant moment, everything he believed about Itachi became a lie.

I am sorry Sasuke, but it was I who killed them all. My hatred for the family was just too strong to ignore that I had to come home and settle it with killing them. Find me brother. Grow up and find me and then, I will tell you why.

In one instant moment, Itachi had become a distant figure that Sasuke could not even fathom.

And in that one night, everything ended for both brothers. The bond that so tightly held them both was suddenly loose and is about to break. In that one moment of truth, the boy, Sasuke, changed so much and Kakashi could remember the last smile he gave him and Gai. It was the last bright smile coming from the Uchiha boy.

After careful deliberation, Kakashi decided to become Sasuke's guardian and oversee the boy's growth upon recommendation by the country's president who had come to pay his last respect to the Uchiha family - the strongest political family in Japan. For Kakashi, it would be a difficult task because Sasuke had changed so much. His young heart and mind were focused into avenging the Uchiha against another Uchiha.

At age twelve, Sasuke had vowed to someday kill his brother and his personal vendetta was what drove him to strive, as he listened to what people say about him and his brother, as he tried to listen to police talk about Itachi's whereabouts. And for Sasuke to gain so much information, he decided that he will become a policeman someday. In that way, he will obtain information that the policemen are purposely withholding from him after learning his desire to hunt down Itachi.

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What'd you think about it? Hopefully it was okay. It was kinda easier creating an AU story than going with the canon...