Uchiha sasuke had stopped smiling after that night. He would usually just sit on deck and stare into deep water of lake. His days were a mixture of hatred and training, and now when he would look at his reflection, he would see a tired child with large bags under his eyes. He could remember his brother's last words to him.

'I can't' he thought; his head between his knees. 'If I avenged my clan, what would be difference between me and itachi? We both would be kin slayer.' he shocked his head 'No, I have to do this. This is what they would want me to do, what is expected of me.'

[sasuke don't follow in your brother's footsteps] he suddenly his father's words. His head shot up; his eyes wide. 'No, what they truly wanted was for me to forge my own path' he had a sudden epiphany.

He stood up straight. His face more determined than ever. He looked at lake's water and made an oath in his heart. 'I will no longer follow down the path itachi determined for me. I will forge my own path, no matter what.' He then turned and walked back to his house.

!

Next day

"Sandaime-sama. Bad news bad news…" A chunin instructor of academy yelled at top of his lunge as he rushed in hokage's office.

"Hoo? What Happened?" Hokage cracked open one of his eyes,

Instructor waved a sheet of paper in air and said "sasuke, uchiha sauske"

Hearing that name made hokage alarmed "What about him? Start from beginning and give me that sheet."

"hai!" Instructor promptly gives him the sheet. Hokage's face lost its color as he begun to read it. "After end of morning class as I find sasuke absent I went to his house to investigate. He was not in his house and I noticed that his clothes and back pack is gone." He gluped "Then I found this note on his table saying that he is resigning from academy and he is going to find his own path"

"I see" paper crumpled in his hand.

Miles away from from konoha a black haired boy was walking alone under the shadows of trees. For the first time in months a small smile was gracing his lips.