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Chapter One: Training

SASUKE

With every blow he received from Orochimaru another face would flash before his eyes, fueling his rage and distracting him further. Punch. A silver haired man with a single eye buried in an orange book. Kick. A yellow haired boy glaring at him as they stood above the water at the Valley of the End. Slash. A pink haired girl with tears pouring down her face. Stab. A red eyed man whose mere name could launch him into fits of rage. Sasuke skidded across the ground and laid in a panting heap in the grass.

"You are distracted Sasuke-kun. We will stop for today. Make sure you are not distracted tomorrow." Orochimaru instructed.

"Hn." Sasuke clenched his fists and stood to bow before turning to go back to his assigned quarters within Orochimaru's base.

Sasuke walked carefully down the hall, avoiding other ninja as he went. His room beckoned to him and he shut the door behind him before sliding down the door to the dirt covered floor. The first day he'd come here played before his eyes.

"Welcome Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru purred.

"Orochimaru." Sasuke nodded.

"I heard you had an interesting altercation with the Uzumaki boy before you got here. Did you kill him?" Orochimaru's tongue slid across his lips and Sasuke suppressed a shudder.

"No." Sasuke replied.

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Sasuke mused. Many of the sound ninja had heard of his battle with Naruto before his arrival. And the question they always asked was, "Why didn't you kill him?"

"They said you had the perfect opportunity."

"He was lying there unconscious."

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"Why?"

"Kakashi was coming, I would never have made it out of there. I won't be Itachi. He's not my best friend. I don't have a best friend." Sasuke whispered. They were excuses. As weak and fake as Kakashi's had been.

"Sasuke-kun, I trust there won't be any more distractions today." Orochimaru hissed.

"No."

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NARUTO

Jaraiya sat before Naruto as he repeatedly made rasengans with his clone. Jaraiya sighed as he noticed Naruto beginning to tire.

"Naruto."

"What?" Naruto snapped.

Jaraiya's eyes narrowed at the blonde. "Don't take your anger out on me. I know what it's like to have a teammate abandon you. To not care anymore. To try to kill you."

Naruto glared at the ground. "Sasuke cares about us, I know he does."

Jaraiya's eyes softened. "Go back to the hotel, we'll pick this up again tomorrow. Don't wait up."

Naruto slowly made his way back to the hotel. Faces flashed before his eyes as he made his way through the crowded streets. Sakura sobbing and begging him to bring Sasuke back. Kakashi's fake smile as he told him Sasuke made his choice, that Sasuke had tried to kill him. Sasuke's face as he told Naruto he didn't give a damn about him or anyone in the leaf village anymore.

Naruto slowly climbed the stairs and made his way to the door down the hallway.

Naruto let himself slide down the wall of the hotel room he and Jaraiya had rented. The Akatsuki was after him. They wanted to kill him. Team Seven was gone. Sasuke was gone. He didn't keep his promise to Sakura.

Naruto replayed the final fight with Sasuke over and over in his head. He knew he lost, to Sasuke, he'd been unconscious.

"I know you care Sasuke. I wasn't unconscious, I was still awake, if only barely. You thought I was beaten, you though I was asleep. So... Why didn't you kill me Sasuke?"

"Feel better Naruto?" Jaraiya asked the next morning.

"Spar with me ero-sennin."

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SAKURA

Sakura crashed into yet another tree. "Sakura! I accepted you as a student with a promise that you would take this seriously!" Tsunade scolded as she landed on her feet in front of the aching pink haired girl.

"I'm sorry Shishou." Sakura bowed her head in shame.

Tsunade's eyes softened. "You're thinking about them again, aren't you?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes." Sakura whispered. Tears gathered in her eyes but she fought them back and angrily wiped them away.

Sakura stood on shaky legs. "Again!" She shouted.

Pay attention! Naruto's bandaged face flashed before her eyes as he apologized for not bringing Sasuke back. Sakura hit the ground and felt a bruise begin to form on her back. Get up! She lunged out of the way as Tsunade split the ground with her monstrous strength. Kakashi's masked and sorrowful face flashed before her eyes. Tsunade grabbed the back of her dress and threw her into another tree. You have to change! Sasuke's face flashed in front of her eyes, the same smirk twisted his lips as the night he left her on the bench. Sakura's dress was torn and getting in her way. She struggled to her feet and ripped away the bothersome fabric, leaving her in a black tank top and capri spandex she always wore beneath her dress. The fight between Sasuke and Naruto on the hospital roof flashed in her vision. "Again!" She shouted as she ran toward her sensei.

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AUTHOR POV

Three different voices echoed as they all trained with their respective sensei's. "I will get stronger!" Sasuke slammed a chidori into the chest of a sound ninja Orochimaru assigned to spar with him. "I will never give up!" Naruto landed a punch on Jaraiya and followed through with a rasengan he hadn't needed a clone to make. "I will show them my strength!" Sakura punched the ground where her sensei had been standing, her fist filled with as much chakra as she could spare. The ground shattered around her.