Dark Truths Undiscovered

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I own the songs used within.

Ohhh... Ohhh Ohhh... Ohhh... Ohhh... Ohhh...

No matter what you say about love,
I keep coming back for more,
Keep my hand in the fire,
Sooner or later I get what I'm asking for
No matter what you say about life,
I learn every time I bleed the truth is a
Stranger soul is in danger
I gotta let my spirit be free to...
Admit that I'm wrong and then change my mind
Sorry but I have to move on and leave you behind

I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize nothing's broken
No need to worry bout everything I done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back got a new direction
I loved you once
Needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo
Just like a tattoo I'll always have you
I'll always have you
I'll always have you

I'm sick of playing all of these games
It's not bout taking sides
When I looked in the mirror,
It didn't deliver, it hurt enough to think that I could stop
Admit that I'm wrong and then change my mind
Sorry but I got to be strong and leave you behind

I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize nothing's broken no need to worry bout everything I done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back got a new direction
I loved you once
Needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo
Just like a tattoo
I'll always have you
I'll always have you
I'll always have you

If I live every moment,
Won't change any moment,
There's still a part of me in you
I will never regret you
Still the memory of you
Marks everything I do.
Oooh...


I can't waste time so give it a moment
I realize nothing's broken no need to worry bout everything I done
Live every second like it was my last one
Don't look back got a new direction
I loved you once
Needed protection
You're still a part of everything I do
You're in my heart just like a tattoo

Just like a tattoo
I'll Always have you...

Less than six days later, Sasuke returned. Bearing the battered body of Itachi on his back. His face pale and drawn, his eyes rimmed red. His strength nearly gone.

He had returned triumphant. odd how it rang so hollow to him now.

He had gone directly to Naruto. Laying the torn body at his feet. The statis jutsu preserving the older Uchiha.

"Happy now?" the Hokage had asked bluntly.

Sasuke bit his lip, looking away, "I... I understand..now"

Blue eyes had widened and he saw his friend, his real friend for the first time in years.

"I have nothing Dobe" Sasuke whispered, "No family, no home. I killed my brother when the truth was there to see. Sakura was right."

Naruto folded his arms and glared at Sasuke, "So? You want a little cheese with that wine?" he asked heartlessly, "You have a family! Haven't we always been? You have a home! You have an nephew who needs you to teach him the basics of the Sharingan."

He fell silent as Sasuke stared out the window, "What you don't have teme.... is a direction"

Sasuke's head snapped up, "What?"

"You lack direction. Choose Sasuke. Live with the future that you create or the past that created you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later the truth was out. Itachi was a hero. He was buried beside Kakashi in the hero’s plot. The whole village came to see him. The great evil had never been this young man, but the very organization they trusted to prevent such things.

Naruto had made changes to make sure such a thing could never happen again.

Sakura waited until the last of the mourners was gone. The heap of lilies on Itachi Uchiha’s casket rivaled even Tsunade’s funeral.

“Your home at last” she whispered to the dark wood, “Where you belong. You are an odd man Itachi Uchiha. Like a tattoo, you never go away. I miss you. I...love you. Your son is beautiful, like you, strong like you. Happy, not like you. We are doing our best... can you..... can you see?”

Then she sank to her knees before the casket and wept.

For Itachi.

For herself.

For Deidara, wandering somewhere out there. Praying he was alive, that the Konoha pardon would be accepted throughout the lands.

For the lives that might have been very different.

Once upon a time.