Mendacis

You did it. You really did it. Throughout Konoha there was only one topic of conversation: Itachi Uchiha's arrest. Nothing exactly was known about the process, but the wildest rumors made the rounds. Only one person didn't seem to care how the Anbu had managed to arrest Itachi, he didn't care if ninja had died in the process and he didn't care that he now had no chance of his revenge.
Sasuke Uchiha didn't know what to think of it at the moment when Kakashi told him. He had rushed blindly to the prisons, squeezed past the guards and was now a few steps away from his brother's cell.
He almost crept the last few meters and yet he made enough noise that Itachi could hear him.
He was wearing a dark cloth blindfold and apart from a small wound on the side of his neck, he didn't seem to have any visible injuries. That disappointed Sasuke, at least until he understood what the blindfold meant.
They had blinded him.
"Are you happy to see me like this?" Itachi asked and turned his head in Sasuke's direction.
He was silent.
"Or are you sad because you weren't there?"
He was still silent. What should he have said?
"I hope for you that you are not so silent about my trial, Sasuke."
Of course, Itachi knew it was him. But how? Sasuke couldn't figure it out. Here in the dungeons you couldn't tell the difference between chakras. Besides, Itachi couldn't use his, the Medic-Nin had made sure of that.
"How do you know that it's me?" Sasuke finally asked.
"I always know exactly where you are."
Sasuke hated the arrogance that set Itachi's tone of voice. Because he connected these words with a memory of the time when he still had a brother.

* ~ *

It was night and the rain fell incessantly. It drummed against the windows and roofs, soaking everyone who was outside to the skin and creating a pitch-black darkness.
Itachi found no one when he ran into the forest; Sharingan activated to see anything at all. Still, he didn't evade quickly enough. Not this time. Branches cut wounds in his face, twigs and thorns cut his arms. But the worry made him feel no pain.
He had almost reached the little lake.
When he heard the whimpering, hatred joined his concern and made him accelerate again, faster, faster and faster, until he was finally with him.
He quickly put the warm coat around his brother, pulled him into his arms, and pushed the soaking wet strands of hair back from his face.
"What were you thinking about just walking through the rain?" He asked softly. Sasuke sniffed.
"I - I didn't mean to, but ..." He broke off, buried his face in Itachi's wet jacket and snuggled up against him. He didn't have to continue speaking, Itachi knew why the little one had run away. Sasuke so desperately wanted to be looked at by her father, respected and praised by him.At that moment Itachi thought that he and Sasuke couldn't have been more different. It would be all right for him to be ignored by Fugaku.
"Sh-sh", he made and carefully picked up his brother. "Let's hurry to get home. Otherwise we'll both be sick tomorrow. Okay?"
Sasuke nodded and put his arms around Itachi.
"Nii-san?" He asked after a while. "How did you find me so quickly?"
Itachi laughed softly.
"I always know exactly where you are."
Sasuke smiled.

* ~ *

"I can't wait for them to kill you," Sasuke hissed dismissively.
Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"So? And then why don't you just kill me here and now? I will hardly fight back."
"Probably because you look so pathetic. And I don't fight someone so weak. That would be downright boring."
"You are a bad liar," Itachi said disdainfully.
Sasuke bit his lip briefly.
"I'll be in the front row tomorrow," he hissed, then ran away.

All of Konoha seemed to be there, although Sasuke was probably the main reason. After all, he was soon the only one of the Uchiha clan still alive and freed from the darkness in his heart. Several girls hoped to be able to help him with his new goal - rebuilding the clan.
Itachi was supposed to have the most humiliating execution possible, so the council of elders opted for the old method of beheading, which is seldom used in Konoha.
Itachi was handcuffed and two Anbu accompanied him to the wooden bench. Today he wasn't blindfolded and his milky white eyes seemed to be looking at the onlookers in amusement. He stood upright and made no appearance that he would be dead anytime soon.
Tsunade stepped forward.
"You know why you are accused and death is the only punishment for you that comes into question. The individual counts are known to everyone, so they will not be read out now. We think you don't deserve it, but Since it is a tradition in Konoha, I ask you: Do you have something to say in your defense, or a version other than the familiar version of how this tragic massacre came about? "
"No," Itachi said firmly. "It happened exactly as it is in the indictment."
Tsunade sighed and nodded.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
Inwardly, Sasuke tensed. So many times he had imagined what Itachi's last words might be. He watched him closely.
"No."
At the same moment when Itachi said no, he suddenly turned his head to the right and stared at Sasuke. It was creepy to be looked at so intensely by those dead, veiled eyes, but Sasuke couldn't look away.
[i]I always know exactly where you are.
"Are you sure? No last words?"
"I have nothing left to say."
The hangman bent down and picked up his knife-like weapon.
Sasuke didn't notice that he had held his breath until suddenly he couldn't utter a sound.
When he had inhaled again, he called: "I want to ask him something else."A second later he wondered about himself. He didn't want to ask Itachi anything. He had all the answers he needed.
Tsunade fixed him no less astonished.
"Okay. What do you want to ask him?"
Sasuke thought feverishly and only when he looked at Itachi again did he know which question Itachi had lied to.
"Why am I still alive?" He asked quietly, but the square was quiet enough for Itachi to hear his words. Again he looked his brother in the eye, and for the blink of an eye, Sasuke said he saw a touch of vulnerability in his brother's white eyes.
Itachi turned back to the front.
"I have nothing more to say," he repeated.

* ~ *

"Nii-san, can I sleep with you?"
As if to support the fear in the child's voice, the thunder struck and Sasuke winced.
Itachi threw back the covers and Sasuke snuggled up against his brother, the familiar warmth and security.
"Why has it thunderstorm so often lately?" He asked whimpering.
Itachi put her arm around him.
"I don't know," he replied quietly.
"Something bad always happens in movies when there are storms like this."
Itachi smiled.
"We are not in films, but in reality. And I promise you that I will make sure that nothing bad happens to you."
Sasuke giggled.
"I love you."
He closed his eyes and didn't see the next flash of lightning. And when it thundered again, he was long asleep.

* ~ *

Tsunade frowned at him.
"I would like to order you to answer the question."
Itachi stared at a point a few yards to her left.
"But I can only order your death."
She nodded to the hangman and when he raised his gun, Itachi looked Sasuke in the eye for the third time.
Suddenly he got cold and goose bumps covered his arms. He shivered when he met Itachi's gaze.
[i]I'm cold, Nii-san.
Itachi lowered his eyes and the weapon whizzed down.

Sasuke was surprised to see tears running down his cheeks.
"Sasuke?", Kakashi asked softly.
"I'm fine. I'm just ... glad it's finally over."

You can't even lie to yourself. You really are a hell of a liar, Sasuke.