It was quiet that night, not a sound to be heard that could interrupt my curious thoughts. The lights in everyone's houses were off, only darkness was shown through the windows. Where was the light that would illuminate through the evening's darkness? Where were the people that walked along the sidewalks with light smiles that represented their peaceful aura? Where was everyone?

I had such a good time at school that day. Learning. . . Achieving satisfactory grades. . . Succeeding in socializing and making friends. All I wanted to do was tell my parents and my brother right away, not that my Father would care very much.

That evening was solemn . . . tense, with not even a little indication of a presence. Just a slight whisper from someone unknown would ease this lonely feeling that made my spine chill. The slight breeze that overtook that night made fear crawl through my skin, which in turn caused my heavy steps to speed up. I wanted to go home. . .

But little did I know, home was no more.

When I saw them, I didn't believe it. I was under the assumption that this wasn't reality, but a nightmare that seemed so vivid, so real. Their lifeless corpses caused a wave of panic that seemed to cripple my every emotion. Once my brother stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight that shone through the swaying curtains of the open window, I felt safe, because I knew he would protect me.

My fear-driven eyes narrowed at the sword that had the color of crimson dripping off the sharp tip. What is this? What is this feeling?

It was betrayal.

Anger.

Fury. . .

And now that I'm confronted with him at this very moment after all these years, I feel the same emotions coursing throw my mind and my body. His onyx eyes are now looking at her. . . She's under his watch and I can't take this torment I'm under.

"Well little brother?"

The young Uchiha's expression contorted into something dark. What could he say to the brother he hasn't seen in what seemed like ages? All Sasuke could do was stand in the doorway and stare at Itachi. It wasn't until his elder brother's eyes narrowed at the unconscious detective that laid behind him on the floor of the room, her head tilted to the side, with her bubblegum-colored hair tickling her face, until he snapped out of his day dreaming faze.

Stepping forward in an intimidating manner, Sasuke spat, "Don't even look at her."

Itachi averted his eyes to Sasuke and said with zero expression present, "Look at you, Sasuke. You've finally learned to love again."

"I wouldn't have had to re-learn something so simple if it weren't for you," The younger Uchiha could already feel the hate coming to a boiling point and adrenaline was about to reach its surface.

With a light chuckle, Itachi replied, "Maybe so, but," he leaned close to Sasuke's ear, "will you be strong enough to save Sakura, or will you be just as weak as you were when I killed our parents?"

Tightening the grip on his katana, he screamed, "Shut up!"

The long sword swung at such speed in the hopes of striking the man, but the sound of metal against metal echoed throughout the narrow hallway, and Sasuke's eyes averted to where his sword hit. It was dagger against katana by then, both weapons were battling each other in a war of strength, as the two were in the same position, but trying to overcome one another. The two brothers stared into each other's eyes, but the younger one lost concentration as the image of his older brother at a young age popped into his mind.

The katana fell from his grip, but Sasuke spun and brought his leg up in an attempt to kick Itachi on the side of his face. With quick reflexes, he was able to block the kick by bringing his arm to the side to shield the desired area that was being targeted. Seeing the chance to play as the offensive, Itachi dropped a dagger from the sleeve of his cloak into the palm of his hand, then swung at his brother's chest, making a shallow scratch form on his chest. Sasuke stumbled back, groaning from the unexpected stinging sensation and grabbed his chest. Realizing he was open to strike, Sasuke looked up, but it was too late. Itachi kicked him at the same location on his chest that he was cut, making the younger Uchiha hit the wall behind him. The older man approached Sasuke quickly, grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the wall of the hallway, slightly holding him up to the point where Sasuke's feet were not touching the ground.

"Face it, Sasuke," Itachi's voice rose, "you have no chance of defeating me, yet I guarantee this woman truly believes you can save her."

The younger brother of Itachi shut his eyes, clawing at his older brother's arm that held such a strong grip. He continued, "You want to know why you won't be able to defeat me?" He slightly lessened the grip on Sasuke and leaned close to his ear, "You don't have enough hate."

The thought of being humiliated by losing to his elder brother brought Sasuke back into his current situation and he opened his eyes. Bringing his arm up, he brought it down elbow first onto the arm Itachi was holding him from, making him release Sasuke.

"Stop talking like you know anything about me!" He yelled, "You have no idea what I've been through all these years. . . The terrible things I've done just to face you!"

Picking up the katana that was dropped on the floor, Sasuke stared intently at his brother, "I've waited for most of my life to see you . . . to watch you writhe in agony from the pain I was going to bring to you. It won't be as bad for you," his voice rose to a yelling tone, "because absolutely nothing can compare to the emotional pain you've caused me!"

Silence overtook the two as they stared into each other's familiar onyx-colored eyes from a distance. One was calm and collected, while the other heaved in shaky breaths that reflected his emotional rage. Sasuke couldn't even stand looking at him. He wanted to finish this quickly and get Sakura out of this place, but he also wanted to watch his brother suffer in a slow and agonizing death.

Itachi tilted his head to the side, "Are you done with your pathetic speech?"

Sasuke's eyebrows narrowed in fury at him, "Bastard!"

Gripping his katana tightly, the younger Uchiha ran towards his brother and brought up the sword as a slight smile planted on Itachi's face as he brought up his dagger, declaring a melee battle.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Is that it, Nara?" Kakashi asked, as he and Shikamaru stared at the house.

Closing his eyes, he replied, "It sure is. Notify back-up that they need to close off the perimeter of the neighborhood."

"Of course," Before speaking into the walky-talky type device, he said, "Isn't it strange no one has jumped us yet?"

Smirking to himself, Shikamaru replied, "    I had a run-in with a few of them earlier. They know not to mess with us, trust me."

Sighing, the Hatake replied quietly, "Why did I even ask?" Pressing a button, he spoke into the device, "Squads 1-4: block off the perimeter of the neighborhood, no one gets in or out."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"This is bullshit!" The brown-haired man hit the wall near him with the side of his fist, "I should be a part of the squad that's entering the hideout!"

The sun-kissed blonde couldn't help but scoff at the police officer, "Shut up, Inuzuka. Stop acting like you have a close bond with her."

Kiba glared at Naruto with a scowl on his face. Anger blinding him from the professional environment around the two, he stepped towards Naruto in an attempt to intimidate him, "What do you know? You think just because you're a high-paid detective, you automatically know everything?!"

Narrowing his blonde eyebrows at him, Naruto responded with sharpness in his tone, "I'm not one to be very serious, but this is a very serious and severe situation we are dealing with. Now stop pouting about how you never won Sakura over and do what you were told."

Getting close to his face, Kiba responded through gritted teeth, "You know wha-"

"Uzumaki, you there?"

Naruto glared at Kiba once more before replying, "Yeah, what's up Nara?"

"Round up each squad and tell them their positions immediately."

"You got it." The Uzumaki looked around before shouting, "Everyone, come here!"

The numerous men and women stood around him and he said, "We're ready to get into position. Squads 1 and 2 are in charge of guarding the perimeter. No one is allowed to leave or enter. Squads 3 and 4, you guys are going to stand with arms raised outside of the location, just in case the Akatsuki or Sasuke Uchiha does anything suspicious when we get them out of the hideout. Squads 5 and 6, we will enter the hideout and get Sakura Haruno out safely, as well as using full force to arrest any members of the Akatsuki and Sasuke Uchiha," he reached into his pocket and took out five pictures, then passed the pictures around, "You should all know Sakura Haruno, but just in case, there's a picture of her. The red-head is Sasori, the blonde is Deidara, and the dark-haired older guy is Itachi Uchiha. Those three are the remaining Akatsuki and they usually wear black robes with red clouds on them. The last picture is Sasuke Uchiha. Be very cautious of them. Are we all clear?"

Everyone nodded and Naruto smirked, "Then let's get Sakura back."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Metal clashed against metal in a fiery battle. It was brother against brother, while Sakura laid unconscious in the corner of a room. Sasuke couldn't understand what this feeling was. He always imagined the attempt to kill Itachi would be exhilarating, but it was more cautious and wary. His main motivation wasn't completely to kill his elder brother, but to get the woman he loves out of harm's way. If there was really a poison injected in Sakura, then she must not have much longer.

With that thought, the younger Uchiha used full force to land a blow on Itachi. A visible cut appeared on Itachi's arm, blood beginning to seep out of the wound. The older brother stared at the cut for a moment, while Sasuke tried to land another strike towards his neck. Itachi ducked, but used this opportune moment to swing his leg under Sasuke, causing him to fall on his back. While Sasuke laid on the ground wide open, Itachi jumped towards him, dagger in hand ready to strike, but he quickly got up and moved out of the way.

Since he reacted quickly, Sasuke knew it was the perfect time to land a hit. Getting into a stance, the younger Uchiha pointed his katana, tip first at Itachi, then ran towards him, only to see that his brother wasn't moving, but stood still and stared at Sasuke.

Why isn't he moving?

Is he playing tricks with me?

It wasn't until a penetrable sound took Sasuke out of his curious thoughts. His left hand gripped the sword, while his right palm was placed on the back of the handle. Sasuke's eyes widened in realization once he was looking over his brother's shoulder and at his katana that had fresh blood dripping off of it and onto the rocky ground.

Itachi coughed over Sasuke's shoulder and smiled lightly, "Very good, Sasuke."

"I-Itachi. . ." he trailed off, not being able to process what had just happened.

He wasn't supposed to have this feeling. There wasn't supposed to be a pinch of regret and guilt spiraling through his other emotions that held anger and rage. It was supposed to be a victorious moment, but it was the complete opposite.

"How do you feel?" Itachi asked, his tone never changing despite the fact there was a sword pierced through him.

The younger Uchiha felt shaky and vulnerable at that very moment, but did not have the courage to describe this feeling to his older brother, "I-"

"I guess I was wrong about you. You have become strong, although you developed in all of the wrong ways," Itachi could feel his eyes watering, but blinked the tears away, wanting to stay strong for his little brother, "I wish your hatred for me didn't consume you and throw you into a dark abyss of no emotion."

Breathing heavily and drawing a final shaky breath, he said with anger attached to his tone of voice, "You can't say that. This was your intention all along. . . To torment me. . . To force me to give up on a normal life. You aren't allowed to wish these things anymore."

Chuckling lightly, he replied, "I suppose you're right. But now you've found someone you can protect. . . Someone who can give you a sense of normality."

From the location Sasuke was in the hallway, he could see that familiar pinkette over his brother's shoulder. He stared at her pink hair that was sprawled underneath her and her skin that wasn't glowing as much, due to all that has been done to her. His onyx eyes peeled off of her once Itachi grabbed both of Sasuke's shoulders, then looked him in the eyes.

"I may have messed up your life and caused you to do terrible things, but that doesn't mean I never cared about you."

The younger Uchiha closed his eyes and shook his head, "You can't do this! You can't admit these things to me and try to make it better!"

"Sasuke," the younger of the two opened his eyes and stared at his brother, whom he used to look up to. Itachi stared intently at him and said, "Take the sword out. I'm ready to earn what I deserve."

"Ita-" he was cut off.

"Get her out of here."

Swift and quick, Sasuke moved the katana from the inside of Itachi's stomach. Giving a slight smile, he placed two fingers on Sasuke's forehead. He widened his eyes at the elder brother's gesture. Before anything else could be said, Itachi slowly fell backwards and onto the ground, leaving the younger Uchiha to stare in awe at his deceased brother.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"It's down there," Shikamaru said to those who will be entering the hideout. They all stared at the open door that was attached to the floor. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai were there as well, requesting to be a part of saving the pinkette.

The lazy Nara glanced at everyone once more before saying, "Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sasuke could hear the footsteps the echoed off the narrow walls, meaning they were coming for her. He glanced at his brother one more time, before taking long strides towards Sakura. He knelt down in front of her and placed his arms under her back and legs, picking her up.

She winced and opened her eyes, "Sasuke?"

He walked down the hall and looked forward without even sparing her a glance, "I'm sorry."

"Wha-" she was cut off when he placed her up against the wall on the ground, "W-What are you doing?"

Sasuke stared at her with such intensity in his onyx eyes. Putting his hand behind her head, he leaned in and gave her one last kiss, allowing her to decipher the emotions he showed behind that single kiss.

Pulling away slowly, he stared at her lips once more before saying, "Thank you for everything."

Tears slowly rolled down her drained face and she sobbed, "Don't."

Sasuke stood from his knelt down position and slowly walked away, prepared for what was coming to him.

"Sasuke," she sobbingly whispered.

He stopped then moved his head to the side, looking at her and quietly saying, "I love you," yet he hoped she didn't hear him.

The Uchiha couldn't look at her anymore, so he began walking, hearing the numerous sets of footsteps approach closer. During his walk, he remembered everything Sakura's done for him. She risked everything to keep him safe. She showed him a different side to reality, one that could pull him away from the darkness and hatred he has always kept bottled up inside of him. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have developed the small pinch of hope that bloomed in his heart. Lastly, without her. . .

Sasuke would have never experienced love ever again.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

He watched the numerous officers walk in, guns raised. Sasuke threw down his katana that he's held so dear to him and put his hands up. One officer cautiously went behind him, locking handcuffs around his wrists, then roughly shoving him towards the exit.

"We found her!" Just that brought a sense of relief to him.

Once he was outside, Sasuke saw all of the officers that had their guns raised at him. He was shoved forward, until someone kicked him down, causing him to fall on his stomach. The officer put his boot on his back, pushing down and pointing his firearm at his head.

"After all this time. . . We finally got you," the familiar voice told him, victory lingering in his tone.

Sasuke knew this voice. It was the voice of the former intoxicated man he saved that night. Just then, it was as if everything happened in slow motion. He craned his head to the door that led to his house, the moon illuminating the ground beneath the house. He watched as a sun-kissed blonde held the unconscious pinkette in his arms, her arms dangling and her head stretched back. Sasuke stared at her facial features as she was carried towards the ambulance. Right then and there he knew. . .

That's the last time I'm ever going to see her.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I CRIED WHILE WRITING THIS, OKAY ;-;

Comments and criticism are well appreciated! This was my first action scene and kind of my first emotionally suspensful chapter. Please tell me how you think I did!

EDIT: This is NOT the last chapter. There are two more chapters left, so you guys can stop freaking out in the comment section XD.

~Kit_Katzzz