Sasuke rushed home, bursting through the front door, frantically scanning every corner like a headless fly.
The entrance, the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room... each room yielded nothing but emptiness, deepening Sasuke's growing terror as he realized that his home was just as dark as the outside.
No, it can't be... there must be somewhere I haven't checked...
Then, suddenly, he remembered his father's room, the one he wasn't often allowed to enter.
That's it!
Clinging to this hope, he stumbled toward the door, but as his hand reached for the handle, he froze.
A chill washed over him.
Someone was inside!
Sasuke felt the unmistakable presence of another person: the sound of breathing, the pounding of a heartbeat, the soft rustle of chakra—it was unmistakable! There was definitely someone in that room!
But only one person...
Could it be Dad...?
It must be Dad!
Sasuke's body tightened, trembling with a mix of fear and anger as horrifying images flashed through his mind. He struggled to shake off the dread.
"Move, move!"
Clenching his teeth, young Sasuke fought against the instinct to flee and pushed the door open.
Crimson blood.
Just like the trail he had seen before, blood slowly pooled on the floor, and as he stepped inside, he was met with the horrifying sight of his parents sprawled lifeless in a pool of blood.
The shock crashed over Sasuke's small mind, disbelief and horror etched on his face, completely erasing any trace of fear as his subconscious refused to accept what he saw.
"Mom! Dad! What happened to you...?"
"You're here."
A soft, weightless voice emerged from the darkness.
That familiar yet strange tone sent shivers down Sasuke's spine, his pupils constricting.
Who was speaking?
With fear coursing through him, he raised his head and saw a familiar face emerging from the shadows. Clad in an unfamiliar, sharp ninja outfit, splattered with blood, Itachi's crimson eyes glowed coldly beneath his Konoha headband.
Itachi exuded an aura of bloodlust and malice. In that moment, Sasuke felt no fear, only a sense of desperation as he rushed towards him, as if he had found a savior: "Brother! I'm so glad you're here! Mom and Dad... they..."
"Thud."
He was interrupted by a merciless shuriken, and instinctively, Sasuke dodged, but the blade still grazed his shoulder, leaving a bloody mark on his arm.
Sasuke fell to the ground, clutching his wound, disbelief clouding his eyes as he looked up at Itachi's unyielding, cold expression.
"Why... why...?" He recoiled in terror, pressing against the doorframe, unable to comprehend why his gentle brother would do this to him.
Itachi had improved significantly since their last encounter; it seemed their daily training over the past year had paid off. But he hadn't anticipated Sasuke's earlier return today and could only hope that Madara would handle the loose ends. There was still something he needed Sasuke to remember.
As he saw Sasuke narrowly escape his shuriken, Itachi sighed inwardly.
Yet, he maintained an outward calm, ignoring the pleading fear in Sasuke's eyes as he slowly closed them. "Foolish little brother..."
With that, he suddenly opened his eyes, transformed into the triangular shape of his Mangekyō Sharingan—
Tsukuyomi!
Sasuke was engulfed in darkness, and when he regained his vision, his surroundings shifted dramatically. Horror etched across his face as he watched the chaos unfold: "No, no, no! Stop, brother! Why... please stop! Mom, Dad, run away... brother, stop! Please!"
Before him lay a true hell on earth, with Itachi standing amidst a sea of corpses and blood. The sinister light emanating from his Mangekyō Sharingan enveloped the area, and the weapons in his hands mercilessly harvested the lives of their family members—those familiar faces Sasuke saw every day.
As Sasuke writhed in pain, Itachi bore an enormous burden himself.
Not only did he need to maintain the stability of Tsukuyomi, but he also had to control the harm done to Sasuke, lest the trauma shatter his younger brother's mind.
Screams, cries of despair, and angry curses filled Sasuke's mind, and finally, he collapsed to the ground, hands clutching his head as heart-wrenching sobs escaped him, tears streaming down his face.
"Haah—haah—"
Sasuke's wails drained Itachi further, but he couldn't show an ounce of emotion.
In his plan, he had to ensure that Sasuke remembered this horror and hatred so he could grow stronger, capable of protecting himself.
Because Itachi, who had been thrust into battle by his father since childhood, understood that the endless cycle of violence stemmed from hatred.
Only through hatred could people strive for the power they desired. As a cursed member of the Uchiha clan, they were born with the ability to harness the immense power buried deep within their blood through their hatred!
Strive to become stronger, Sasuke. From now on, you must learn to take care of yourself...
Finally, Sasuke's cries subsided, his body slumped on the floor, tears staining his face, his mouth drooling uncontrollably as he stared blankly at Itachi.
"Wh... why..."
Itachi looked down into Sasuke's eyes, where the pain revealed the slow emergence of his crimson pupils, but he seemed unaware.
Double tomoe... I thought his chakra would be insufficient, forcing him to only activate a single tomoe. Is this a result of training with that Naruto?
Itachi closed his eyes, his lips moving silently.
Moments later, he opened his eyes again. "To test my power."
"..." Sasuke's eyes, on the verge of losing focus, trembled as if struck by those words.
"Is... is that all?" Sasuke, like a wounded beast, trembled on the floor but struggled to lift his head. Sweat from his pain drenched his hair, obscuring his vision of the familiar face before him.
Why can't I see my brother clearly? Why has he become so unfamiliar?
"That's important." Itachi's calm voice resonated again.
"Important? Are you joking?!" Sasuke, barely standing, couldn't bear to recall everything he had just witnessed. In a frenzy, he lunged forward, voice hoarse, consumed by a single thought: to tear apart this nightmare!
This must be a dream!
Itachi watched as Sasuke's tomoe-filled eyes locked onto him, filled with fury. He knew he couldn't delay any longer; with Sasuke's premature return, he still had to deal with some hidden Uchiha clan members.
If any of those clan members survived, what would happen to the village? Could he really protect Sasuke?
Itachi didn't dare to imagine.
Sasuke's fist shot toward Itachi, who easily blocked it. Before Sasuke could draw his other hand from behind him, a surge of force slammed into his gut, nearly rupturing his insides.
With a controlled knee strike, Itachi sent Sasuke's small body flying.
"Uwa!" Sasuke spat out blood, and before he could hit the ground, Itachi had him by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
The agony, the crushing defeat, and the lack of air blurred Sasuke's vision. The red of his Sharingan faded, and through his tears, he looked at Itachi's indifferent face, whispering weakly, "This is a dream... you're not really my brother... you're not real."
"Foolish little brother, I've played the part of the good brother in your eyes just to test your abilities."
But Itachi's words shattered the last remnants of Sasuke's mental resolve.
**********
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.