Sasuke stood against a wall, frozen in terror as his elder brother's battered body loomed ever closer to him. This was it; the final battle between the two blood brothers of the Uchiha and he was going to lose. He was going to die once Itachi was done tearing his Sharingan from his eye sockets, just like he had done when he was caught in his brother's Tsukuyomi. He could feel his breath hitch; his knees shaking uncontrollably as deep innate fear flooded his mind. His hands were so close. Sasuke was trapped, weakened, and completely at the mercy of his brother's will.
After everything he had been through, this was his fate? He had betrayed his village, betrayed his sensei, and betrayed his best friend all for the sake of power. The power to kill this man in front of him; Itachi Uchiha. This man; the man who had slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan, the one who left him alive so he could test his capabilities, and the person who Sasuke had once looked up to and admired with all his heart. Was he doomed from the start? To never be able to carry out his revenge? Sasuke didn't know. He watched as the blood-coated fingers moved towards his face.
But then, Itachi whispered something to him. His voice was so worn and soft, he almost didn't catch it.
"Forgive me, Sasuke…this is it…"
He smiled.
The two fingers tapped his forehead instead of gouging out his eyes.
It was a simple action with so much meaning behind it. Itachi always did such a gesture to him when they were younger, oftentimes to tease him or to tell Sasuke he was too busy to train him and that he'd do it "next time". It was back when they were still…brothers. Sasuke stared at his brother, too shocked to move a muscle. He felt the fingers slide down his face, blood trailing down as they began falling lifelessly from his chin. Itachi fell forward, his head slamming against the wall behind Sasuke. Dropping to his knees and collapsing to the ground, Itachi fell.
"Yes…this is it…" were Itachi's last thoughts before his world was consumed in darkness.
