The moon hung in the sky, bathing the Uchiha compound in a pale, eerie light. Itachi stood alone in the shadows, his black cloak rustling gently in the breeze. His eyes were calm, but beneath the surface, a storm brewed. His heart pounded against his ribs, a sick rhythm that pulsed through his body as he prepared for the task ahead. The decision had been made long ago—yet standing here, on the brink of erasing his clan, the weight of it all threatened to crush him.

Every face flashed before his eyes. His father, Fugaku, a man who always exuded strength and ambition. His mother, Mikoto, warm and gentle, who loved both her sons equally, despite the tension in their home. And finally, Sasuke—his innocent little brother, the one person Itachi swore to protect at all costs.

The village would burn if the Uchiha's coup proceeded. Civil war would break out. It would shatter the fragile peace they had fought for, and the village leaders had forced his hand. There was no other choice.

"It is for the greater good," he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. His Sharingan flared to life, casting an ominous red glow in the night.

As he stepped into the compound, the first cries rang out.

Sasuke's POV

Sasuke dashed through the village streets, his heart pounding with excitement. Today had been a good day—he had finally mastered the Fireball Jutsu, and his father had promised to watch him perform it after dinner. That thought filled Sasuke with a sense of pride, and he couldn’t wait to show Fugaku the results of his hard work. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally receive the acknowledgment he had always craved from his father.

But as he approached the Uchiha compound, something felt off.

The streets were unusually quiet, the lanterns casting long shadows on the walls. A sense of dread began to creep into his chest, though he couldn’t quite place why. His pace quickened. The village was too still.

"Mom! Dad!" Sasuke called out as he passed through the front gates, but only silence answered him. A cold sweat ran down his back, and his breath quickened as he neared the house.

The moment he turned the corner, he froze. His feet locked in place as his eyes fell on a figure lying motionless on the ground. An Uchiha elder. Blood pooled around their body, soaking into the earth.

Sasuke’s heart stopped.

"W-what...?"

His voice was small, shaking, but there was no one to hear him. He took a step back, his legs trembling beneath him. His entire body screamed at him to run, but something stronger compelled him forward. With each step, the scene before him grew worse. Bodies—friends, neighbors, family members—lay lifeless in the streets. Blood coated the ground, the once-proud Uchiha crest tarnished by the massacre.

His mind raced, desperately trying to process what was happening. The images were surreal, like a nightmare he couldn’t wake from. Sasuke’s breaths came in ragged gasps, his throat dry, his legs like lead. His body moved on instinct, rushing toward his home—the one place he thought might still be safe.

When he reached the front door, his hands shook as he gripped the handle, too afraid to push it open. Every part of him wanted to believe that his family, at least, had been spared.

But when he finally stepped inside, the hope in his heart shattered.

"Mom... Dad...?" His voice was small, a broken whisper.

There, in the middle of the room, lay his parents. His mother, Mikoto, and his father, Fugaku—lifeless, side by side, their blood pooling around them. His mother’s eyes were closed, her hand still outstretched as if she had reached for something—perhaps for him, for his safety. His father lay still, the usual strength and pride gone from his face.

Sasuke’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, his hands clutching the tatami mats beneath him. His mind screamed at him to do something, to wake them up, to change what he was seeing. But no matter how hard he tried, the reality wouldn’t shift.

They were gone. His entire world was gone.

A soft sound broke through his anguish, and he looked up, his heart skipping a beat.

Standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the moonlight, was his older brother—Itachi. Sasuke’s heart soared for a moment. His brother was still alive. His brother could explain everything, could fix this. He tried to speak, but his throat tightened, choking on the words.

"Itachi...?"

Itachi stepped forward, his face cold and emotionless. His black cloak billowed slightly in the night breeze, and his eyes—those same crimson Sharingan eyes that Sasuke had always admired—seemed foreign now. There was no warmth in them, no hint of the brother who had once looked at him with love.

Sasuke felt his heart twist in confusion. Why was Itachi standing there like this? Why wasn’t he saying anything? The silence stretched on, and a pit formed in Sasuke’s stomach.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Itachi... what... what happened?"

His voice was barely a whisper, but the words hung in the air between them. Itachi’s gaze never wavered, never softened. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice as cold as the night air.

"You’re weak, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked, stunned by the words. His chest tightened, confusion and fear swirling within him. *Weak?* Why would his brother say that? What was going on?

"You don’t deserve to live if you can’t understand what it takes to be strong."

Sasuke’s mind reeled, struggling to make sense of the words. His brother’s face was unreadable, distant, as though they were strangers. This wasn’t the Itachi he knew. This wasn’t his brother.

Before Sasuke could say another word, the world around him began to warp and shift. His vision blurred, and a cold, suffocating sensation gripped him as Itachi’s Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life.

It was like falling into a nightmare—one that he couldn’t escape.

Images flooded his mind. He saw his parents again, but this time, Itachi was there, standing over them with a bloody sword in his hand. Sasuke screamed, but no sound came out. He tried to move, to reach them, but his body wouldn’t listen. Time distorted, dragging out the horror for what felt like an eternity.

Over and over, he was forced to witness the massacre, to see Itachi standing amidst the corpses of their clan, his eyes cold and unfeeling. Every time Sasuke thought the nightmare was over, it started again, like a never-ending loop of suffering.

"It was me," Itachi’s voice echoed in the darkness. "I killed them all. Every single one of them."

Sasuke’s heart shattered. His brother—his beloved older brother—had slaughtered their family, their clan. And now, he stood before Sasuke, emotionless, uncaring.

"Why?" Sasuke choked out, tears streaming down his face. "Why did you do this?"

Itachi’s gaze bore into him, cold and merciless. "To test my abilities. To see how far I could go."

The words were like knives, stabbing into Sasuke’s chest. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The person standing before him wasn’t his brother. He couldn’t be.

As the nightmare continued, Sasuke’s mind fractured under the weight of the truth. Every bond he had cherished, every memory of his brother—Itachi had destroyed it all with a single act of betrayal.

Finally, the genjutsu ended, and Sasuke collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his body trembling with the aftereffects of the Tsukuyomi. His vision was blurred by tears, but he could still see Itachi standing over him, looking down with those cold, unfeeling eyes.

"Live in hatred," Itachi said, his voice eerily calm. "Hate me, Sasuke. Despise me. Seek revenge. Become strong through that hatred."

Sasuke’s chest heaved, his heart twisted with rage and despair. Every part of him screamed for vengeance, for the strength to make his brother pay for what he had done. But he was too weak. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even lift his head to meet Itachi’s gaze.

"You’re not even worth killing now," Itachi said, turning away from him. "If you want to kill me, hate me, detest me, and survive through that hatred. Run, cling to life—if only to exact your revenge."

With that, Itachi disappeared into the night, leaving Sasuke alone in the shattered remains of their home.

Sasuke lay there, his body trembling, tears streaming down his face as the truth of Itachi’s betrayal settled deep within him. The pain was unbearable, the grief overwhelming, but beneath it all, a dark, burning rage began to take root.

Itachi had taken everything from him—his family, his clan, his innocence. And now, all Sasuke had left was that hatred.

As the moonlight filtered through the broken windows, Sasuke made a vow to himself: he would survive. He would become stronger than ever before, fueled by the burning desire for revenge. And one day, he would find Itachi.

He would make his brother pay for everything.

No matter what it took.

### **Itachi’s Departure**

The village was eerily quiet under the moonlit sky. The Uchiha compound, once filled with life, now stood as a haunting monument to the massacre that had unfolded mere hours ago. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, but the sounds of the village had long since faded. Konoha slept, unaware of the truth that had unfolded within its walls.

Itachi stood on the outskirts of the village, his black cloak fluttering lightly in the cool night breeze. His body felt heavy, weighed down by the burden of what he had done. The massacre of his clan—the Uchiha—had been necessary to prevent the coup, to protect the village from destruction. But the cost... The cost was something he would carry for the rest of his life.

He glanced back toward the compound, the pain in his chest tightening. In the distance, the Uchiha crest glinted faintly in the moonlight. It was a symbol he had once been proud of, a symbol of his family’s strength and honor. Now, it stood as a reminder of his crime, of the blood he had spilled.

The Uchiha clan was no more.

Except for two.

Itachi’s mind drifted to Sasuke. His younger brother—the one person he couldn’t bring himself to kill. Sasuke was his only link to the world he had destroyed, and Itachi had spared him. Not out of mercy, but out of necessity. Sasuke needed to survive. He needed to grow stronger. And for that, Itachi had to become the villain in his brother’s eyes.

"Sasuke..." Itachi whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. The memory of Sasuke’s tear-streaked face, the look of pure anguish and confusion in his eyes, tore at him.

"I’m sorry."

The words felt hollow. He had planted the seeds of hatred in Sasuke’s heart, forcing him down a path of vengeance. It was the only way to ensure his survival, but it didn’t make the pain any less real.

In time, Sasuke would become strong enough to challenge him. And when that day came, Itachi would accept whatever fate awaited him. His life was no longer his own—it was a tool to shape Sasuke’s future.

He felt a presence behind him before he saw it. Turning his head slightly, he saw a figure emerge from the shadows—the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The old man’s face was drawn, a mixture of sorrow and regret etched into his features. He had known about the coup, about the decision to eliminate the Uchiha, but that didn’t make it any easier for him.

"Itachi..." Hiruzen’s voice was heavy with emotion. "Are you certain about this?"

Itachi nodded slowly. "It’s the only way, Lord Third. The village is safe now, and I’ve made my choice."

Hiruzen’s eyes softened. "You’ve made a great sacrifice tonight. Your name will be reviled, and you will bear the burden of your actions for the rest of your life."

"I know," Itachi replied, his voice steady but devoid of emotion. "That is my role now."

Hiruzen took a step closer, his gaze piercing through the darkness. "I will honor our agreement. Sasuke will be protected. He will grow up without knowing the truth of what happened, and I will ensure he is safe."

Itachi’s heart twisted at the mention of Sasuke, but he merely nodded. "That is all I ask."

The Third Hokage reached into his robes and pulled out a forehead protector, marked with the symbol of Konoha. He held it out to Itachi. "You will always have a place in this village, Itachi. Even if the world doesn’t understand your actions, I do. You have my respect."

Itachi stared at the forehead protector for a moment before gently pushing it back toward Hiruzen. "I can no longer wear the symbol of Konoha. Not after what I’ve done."

Hiruzen’s hand faltered for a moment, then slowly withdrew. The old man’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he looked at the young shinobi before him, a boy who had sacrificed everything for the greater good.

"You will find a new path now," Hiruzen said softly. "But know that Konoha owes you a debt it can never repay."

Itachi bowed his head. "Thank you, Lord Third."

With that, the conversation ended. Hiruzen turned and disappeared back into the village, leaving Itachi alone once more.

Itachi cast one final glance toward the village he had sworn to protect, the village he had bled for. He had been born and raised in Konoha, and everything he had done was for its future. But now, he was no longer a part of it. He was an outcast, a criminal.

Without another word, Itachi turned away and began walking toward the horizon. The path before him was uncertain, but he knew where it led—to the Akatsuki, the organization that would serve as his new purpose. There, he would play his part, continuing his role as a villain in the shadows.

But no matter where he went, no matter what he became, one thing would never change.

He would always be Sasuke’s brother. And from the darkness, he would protect him. Always.

As the moon hung high in the sky, Itachi Uchiha left the village of Konoha, disappearing into the night, the weight of his choices heavy on his shoulders.

But what he didn't know was that the world has other plans for the Uchiha in this timeline. 

From the ashes of this night, a Reaper would be born, who would become the protector of the shinobi world.