A/N- Hmm, it's been a while since I last did Naruto…well, I'm glad to be back to doing it, but now I have a totally different pairing…NaruSasu! Oh, I'm another fan girl, sheesh… Anyway, this is just a Sasuke one-shot, so we'll see how this goes. Enjoy!

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Would They Be Proud

When who you grew to kill for was who you always wanted to make proud, how do you know you did the right thing?

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He lay in that musty room, obsidian eyes staring at the dark ceiling, or what he assumed was the ceiling, everything around him cloaked in the darkness he had grown too accustomed to. The soft skin slowly slid over his rough pupils, small white dots splattering his now closed off vision. He took in a sharp breath, letting it out slowly at a strange thought, opening his eyes again quickly before pictures could play on that natural projector screen.

His eyes narrowed and glared into the darkness, his mental arms trying to slap and push away the plaguing thought in his mind, trying to burn the pictures, shred the files of memories, tear apart that one tugging question. But it was no use, he would have to go along with it, he had nothing else, or no one else, to keep his mind off the matter. So the teen sat up slowly, knees bent as they craned over the bed, feet firmly placed on the floor. His slender arms bent as his elbows were placed, one on each knee, his hands clasped together, chin resting between them gently, eyes staring at the wall where the door was sure to be.

And then he began to think, to wonder, while not making a single movement or sound. He thought of how it all happened, where the first piece of dynamite had been placed that had begun the crumble of his peaceful life, how he had been buried in all the hate, the revenge, and if Naruto had ever truly dug him out and saved him. He let out a small, rough, cold laugh at that ladder piece of wonder.

But just as soon as Naruto had entered his thoughts, he left. That wasn't what Sasuke was concerned about right now, not even close, what he was concerned with was much more…personal. What he was concerned about had had a permanent affect, one that had lasted for around a decade, one that had destroyed him inside and out.

So, for the first time in a long time Sasuke began the reel of film that was his past and analyzed every little move he had made. From the very beginning when he reached out and opened that sliding door, his then innocent eyes looking around for the cause of arousal only to fall upon a figure standing over two bodies.

He remembered how that man had slowly turned, slowly faced him, his dark eyes seeming to stare emotionlessly towards him while still sending him some kind of coded message. He also remembered seeing his parents lying there in a pool of blood, faces thankfully not in his sight. He had fallen to his knees scared, petrified, and in complete miserable shock. He felt the old tears that had stung his face, his mind too clouded by this sudden change of scenery to be of much use.

He then remembered how he had ran.

His lips curled silently into a sort of grimace at his weakness, his cowardly way of running from the very person who took away everything he ever loved. But, in his own defense, he was a kid, a kid without his father's pride, and his brother was a member of the ANBU, how could he have done anything but run? Well, he needn't worry about that anymore, so he continued on, watching the dastardly film.

He thought about school next and meeting Naruto and Sakura. How he and that blond idiot had become such fast rivals by something as trivial as that little witch. God, how they annoyed him, how everyone in Konoha had annoyed him. But even though the two of them had become such fast and long lasting rivals, they seemed to build a relationship, even with the smallest and most uneven of bricks, they managed to build something that could have lasted for centuries…had he not shown up.

His eyes narrowed in anger at even the simple thought of the man's name, his stomach clutching in hatred at how he had captured him. That pain, agony, suffering, even though it had all turned out to be worth it he would never forgive that snake for what he had done. But, then again, it was just another thing he needn't worry about any longer.

And then came the last part, the last final memory that struck the question that had begun all this ruthless thinking, the one thing he'd done that could possibly push his favorable answer over the edge.

Itachi's death.

He was proud; he couldn't deny that, it was what he had been working towards since the day he began training as a shinobi, no, even before that. He was happy with what he had done and how he had done it. There were no regrets, no sympathies, no worries…or so he had thought until today.

But his thoughts swelled beyond that, beyond the killing of his brother. After that, after he accomplished what he had so long worked towards, had he gone a step too far? Had he clung to his goal, his vengeance for too long? Had it warped him, tainted him, shaped him into something he never intended to be?

Was Naruto truly the only one who could have ever saved him?

There was a sudden knock on the door and Sasuke was torn from his thoughts, finally having a reason to be released from his prison. "What is it?" He asked dully.

The door opened slowly, a small woman's figure being outlined by the light from beyond his room. "Um, Sasuke, he's here." The woman spoke, taking a step closer, closing the door behind her as he stood. "But I was wondering if, you know, we could—"

"He doesn't like to be kept waiting, I'll be going." Sasuke replied, his face just as unemotional as his voice.

"Oh, darn it!" The red haired girl muttered as she waited for the calm male to make his way into the hall.

As Sasuke turned to his right, black and red cloak blowing back in the man-made wind, he thought again over his subject for one last time.

Would they be proud?