Sasuke Uchiha walked down the snow filled streets of The Village Hidden in the Leaves oblivious to the snowball-throwing children around him.
He only raised his head at the call of a familiar voice.
"Sasuke!" called Sakura waving.
Sasuke stopped walking, returning the wave and managing a faint smile.
"How are you doing?" asked Sakura once she caught up to him.
"Fine" Sasuke replied.
They continued walking while carrying out a (mostly one-sided) conversation.
Soon enough they reached the point where they parted ways.
"See you later Sasuke!" said Sakura as she left.
Sasuke replied with a small wave as he continued walking.
Without Sakura's talk to distract him Sasuke's thoughts turned to the importance of that day.
It had been one year to that day since he had returned to the village.
One year to that day since he had killed his brother.
Sasuke returned home, shedding his heavy winter coat at the door.
He walked down the hallway towards the kitchen (hopeing to get a warn drink), but paused at the mirror hanging in the hallway.
He slowly removed the bandanna that had previously been covering his head to reveal a series of ropey scars that criss-crossed his skull.
Sasuke slowly raised a hand to brush his fingers across the short bristly hair that had began to grow over the scares.
The scares were a year old, but the memories were still fresh.
Sasuke stood triumphant over Itachi's dead body.
He had finally did it, he had killed Itachi!
In his celebration Sasuke failed to notice (or just didn't care) that the building he and Itachi had been fighting in was burning around him and ready to collapse.
The only thing that mattered to Sasuke was that he had triumphed!
Suddenly a support beam came crashing down on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
In to much shock to even be surprised that his skull was intact Sasuke was barely able to make out someone's voice.
"Sasuke? Sasuke!"
He woke up in the village hospital two weeks later.
Realizing what time it was Sasuke remembered that he was suppose to meet Naruto at Ichiruka's.
Replacing his bandanna and throwing on his coat Sasuke headed out the door towards Ichiruka's.
As Sasuke walked to the ramen stand he couldn't help but wonder why he had lived that day.
He had been fully prepared to die, having completed his goal, so why hadn't he?
Now he had nothing to achieve, nothing to live for.
Sasuke's thoughts were broken of when he heard Naruto's voice.
"Hey, Sasuke!" called Naruto, grinning and waving like a fool.
Sasuke looked up to see the entire rookie nine plus team Gai waiting for him at Ichiruka's, calling him to get his butt over there and have some ramen.
For the first time that day Sasuke truly smiled.
Maybe he did have something to live for.