With a short scream, the young Uchiha woke up. Looking around his room with wide, child-like eyes, his breathing was ragged and his chest heaved.
Suddenly his door was slammed open and before him stood his older brother with crimson eyes looking around the room, searching for any sighs of danger before landing on Sasuke's terrified form, softening. "I'm here little brother."
All it took were those 4 words for the young Uchiha to start crying. He'd been having that same dream for weeks now.
Instantly, the elder Uchiha's arms wrapped around his little brother. He didn't have to ask. It was obviously the same dream that had been causing his little brother distress for the past month. The elder would never let anything happen to his little brother.
Sighing, the elder began to remember what happened just a year earlier.
Both he and Sasuke had been coming back from a day of walking around. They were late getting home because they lost track of time. Sasuke had been asleep on Itachi's back as he walked them home.
Turning into the Uchiha compound, things were eerily quiet and instantly Itachi had been on the alert, keeping an eye out for any danger. That's when he had seen it.
The first body.
The first was followed by another and another as Itachi sped up, his heart pounding in his ears. What had happened here!?
Finally, he turned the last corner and before him stood a tall man, wearing a white and black mask. Holding Sasuke protectively, Itachi stood his ground as the man had turned, amusement in his only visible eye.
Finally, the man spoke, "Hn, I was wondering where you two were... So good of you to join us..." his voice was bored, not at all sounding like the one of a killer, " You shall be the only other Uchiha's left after this night... The night of the Uchiha massacre."
Itachi hadnt been able to speak, just kept staring at the man while keeping his brother safely behind him. Sasuke was his first and only priority right now.
As suddenly as it seemed the man had appeared, he disappeared.
Opening his eyes once again, Itachi looked down at the sleeping form of his little brother and his eyes softened. Whispering, "I will always protect you little brother." he lay down next to Sasuke, cradling him to his chest through the night and keeping him safe from even his own imagination.