Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters from it...you probably wouldn't want me to anyway. >> -sighs-

A/N: GAH! It's my first fanfiction, and I'm so excited! At first, I was really skeptical about putting this up of but I really liked the idea, and a bunch of my friends had also liked the idea, so I wanna thank them for giving me the courage and confidence to put this up for everyone to read!

Also, I have a beta reader, but this Prologue wasn't looked over by her. I did my BEST to go over and find my mistakes, but I'm SO not perfect, so I tried my best!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my work, and please review when you're done! ((No flames, please. However, I want to try my absolute best to improve my writing, so constructive critisism is ALWAYS welcome.))

And yes, there is a bit of OOC-ness in this fic, but I'm trying hard to keep them more in character! Eep! Too much to say! I'll just shut up and let you all read the story now. ENJOY!

Earlier Than Expected

Prologue

Sasuke's P.O.V.

When I went to Orochimaru, I thought that I wouldn't see Konoha for a long time. I was thirteen, and I needed power to defeat Itachi.

I still need that power.

Orochimaru was horrible. Sick. Psychotic. I hated him. I wanted to get power to kill my brother, to avenge my clan. I wanted him to train me and teach me. I had visioned that in a few years of being trained by such a powerful man, I would finally get my chance to reach my ultimate goal. But Orochimaru didn't train me. He didn't teach me. All he ever did to me was use me; I was his best guinea pig.

First, he would take prisoners, and his assistant Kabuto would do tests. It was so bad, I even choked up a few times. Orochimaru and Kabuto would do anything and everything imaginable; injections, pills, surgeries, hypnosis...any form of torture. They tried it on anybody, from children, to men, to pregnant women, and after they were done with them, they took out the unborn child and did tests on them. I was never one to care about other people, but I never thought that anybody was so heartless.

One day I decided to ask Orochimaru why he did such things. Why wouldn't he train me? I had told him that I would give my body to him, and I had planned to keep that promise. Where was his side of the deal? I needed power, and I wasn't getting that power.

He said, "Be patient, Sasuke-kun." I hated that. I wanted to ask him why he added that suffix to my name, as it bothered me. It reminded me of a certain someone. But I didn't ask. Instead, I waited for an explanation. I didn't have time to be patient!

"Kabuto is helping me develop a new drug. It would help increase your already astounding eyesight by 104 percent, and your strength and thinking ability by 239 percent. However, we haven't figured it out quite yet."

That's what he told me. He was killing all of these innocent people for a drug that he wanted to use on me. I didn't want a drug. I wanted natural power.

But the tests wouldn't stop, and after a while I no longer had faith in Orochimaru.

It was winter and I was fourteen when I decided that I needed to get out of there. I knew that escaping wouldn't be easy. In fact, leaving was never easy, was it?

Leaving Konoha was hard emotionally. Though I would never admit it, it hurt to leave. Konoha was the only place I'd ever known, and I could admit now that I left a lot behind. I could admit that I missed my village.

Emotionally, leaving Orochimaru was the easiest think I'd ever done. Sometimes I thought that I wanted to run away from that prison more than I wanted Itachi dead. However, I couldn't just escape by knocking someone unconscious and walking out like I did before. Who would I knock out to get out of there? Kabuto, definitely not. Orochimaru? Haha. Yeah, right.

I thought of any and every way to get out. Fighting was useless, and asking to leave would be even more impossible, and it would also cause suspicion. Using henge or genjutsu to disguise myself wouldn't work either, as I'm sure that I'd be found out easily.

To make a long story that I don't wish to repeat short, I was able to sneak out with the help of a few prisoners who probably aren't alive right now. I was expected to be pursued, but that never happened. I figure that Orochimaru is just waiting to get me at a time I don't expect.

My first thought was to go straight to Konoha. It would take a while to reach the village, and the cold December weather didn't make traveling either. I had doubts about going back, wondering if things would change, or if they had already changed.

I knew that they would remember me. My appearance hadn't really changed at all, save for a slightly different outfit. I couldn't stand the outfit I wore with Orochimaru; it smelled like a swamp. As soon as I got into another village, I used the little money I took with me from Konoha to buy a new set of clothes. It was a little strange not wearing anything with my clan symbol on it, but when I got to Konoha, I would change back. So in a navy blue long-sleeved shirt and white pants, I decided it best to return home.

Home.

I knew that things had changed. Hell, I had changed. Not physically, though. But I was back, and I just needed to...talk. I needed...I wanted...to act normal, like everyone else. I knew that I wasn't the chatterbox in Konoha, and I talked even less with Orochimaru. All those years of just not talking just made me want to, well, talk.

As excited as I was to be back, things in Konoha didn't go smooth. I hadn't stepped two feet into the gates when I was taken by these two chuunin straight to the Hokage's tower. Immediately, the Fifth started yelling at me, and I can't say I blame her.

It took about an hour, and I left the tower. Tsunade and I had worked out a deal, sort of. I gave any and all information I knew of Orochimaru and Sound. For a year, I couldn't leave Konoha, nor go on missions. However, she granted me an apartment, the rights to the money I had inherited from the clan (It was enough to keep me up and running for a year), and most important of all, when there was new information on Orochimaru and his whereabouts, I would be notified. I had explained that Orochimaru was very possibly still after me, and I wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.

Nothing had changed in terms of the village. The streets were the same as they were before, and most of the buildings were the same too. Some new business were up, though, and older buildings I knew before were replaced. Nothing I couldn't handle getting used to.

It was advised to go straight to my apartment and get set up. I was amazed at how nice the apartment was. It wasn't a luxury apartment, mind you, but it wasn't one of those one-room-cockroaches-everywhere rooms, either. The room was warm and comfy, and I smiled to myself. Back at Orochimaru's hideout, it was everything but warm and cozy.

The apartment door led to a small living room area, which connected to a little cute kitchen/dining room area. There was small circular wooden table with two chairs on opposite sides. The kitchen had a beige and white color theme, with a silver stove and oven, sink, microwave, and refrigerator. There was also wooden counters and shelves to hold snacks and dishware and all those kinds of things. The floor was a clean, wooden tile, which changed to beige carpet when it changed to the living room. The living room had a small television, an off-white couch and love-seat (a small couch for two people). A wooden door to the back led to a small bedroom, complete with a queen size bed with a wooden dresser and night stand. The bed sheets were a smokey blue, which matched the beige carpet and walls. There was one window, with sheer blue curtains allowing streams of sunlight to shine through. There was another door, and it led to the bathroom, with white tile and white walls. There was the laboratory, with a medicine cabinet behind the mirror. Under the sink were cabinets to place towels. There was a toilet, and a small tub with a showerhead and a white shower curtain. There was another door, which led back to the living room.

I was pretty pleased. The apartment was already equipped with towels for the bathroom, and plates, cups, bowls, forks, spoons, knives, and so on for the kitchen. I would have to buy food and drink later.

I had just sat on the couch when I heard a rushed knocking on the door. I sighed, and got up, walking to the door.

"Who is it?" I asked in an irritated tone. I was hoping that maybe they would leave if I sounded annoyed.

"Open up, Sasuke. We know your in there."

My eye's widened slightly, and I could feel my heartbeat speed up. That calm voice no doubt belonged to Kakashi. He had also said 'we,' which meant that...they...were there too.

I was surprised at how nervous I was. I wanted to see them so bad, but why was it so hard to just open the door. I shook my head. Don't be stupid, I thought to myself. It took only a deep breath to return to my calm self, and I opened the door.

There they were. Kakashi, same as ever. Sakura, hair a little longer than shoulder length, but still the same. Naruto...

"Where's Naruto?"

"Naruto isn't here," Kakashi said answering me as casually as ever. "After you left, he went to train with Jiraiya."

"...Ah."

I looked away for a second, before I stepped to the side.

"You can come in if you want."

Kakashi shook his head. "I have things to do. Just wanted to say hello."

Well, he has yet to say hello...I thought.

"...So hello."

"Hn."

And with that, he left to who-knows-where, leaving me and...

"Sakura."

She jumped, and looked around her frantically. I frowned.

She was the one I missed the most.

I thought that she would be happy, and hug me. I thought that she would cry and say that she loved me and make me promise never to leave again.

I would never admit it, but I felt...let down.

Instead, she looked scared, shocked, and extremely nervous. Was she scared of me?

"Um. You can come in if you want."

She looked at the floor, and swallowed hard. "I...I d-don't thin-"

"Sakura, I won't bite. Come in, it's cold outside."

When I said that, she seemed to be relived, and nodded as she stepped in to the room, and I closed the door as I followed. She looked around at the apartment, and stood to the side in the living room. She wasn't looking, so I took my time observing her.

She had grown a bit. She had let her hair grow back, and it was just below her shoulders. Her forehead protector was still tied like she always wore it. She had a red shirt, with a red jacket over it, the Haruno circle imprinted on the back. She had black sweat pants on, with white striped along the sides.

She still had that wide forehead, but she had grown into it a little bit. Personally, I never thought of that as a big deal. But that's how girls are, I suppose.

She snapped me out of my thoughts when she tapped me on the shoulder.

"You've got a nice house, Sasuke-kun," she said softly.

She still calls me Sasuke-kun... I'm glad, actually.

"Yeah," I replied. "It's more than I expected they'd give me."

"Sasuke-kun, why did you come back?"

"What?" I asked. I should have expected a question like that.

"Why did you come back to Konoha?"

Her voice sounded hurt, and I wondered if she was happy that I was back.

"Orochimaru wasn't helping, so I escaped."

"Did...did you kill your brother?"

My eyes narrowed as the thought of Itachi came to mind.

"No," I spat out.

Then she started crying.

"W-what's wrong?" I asked, confused at why this girl would randomly start crying.

"S-s-so you're gonna l-leave again, ri-right?"

I could tell how hard she was trying to stop crying. I felt guilty. She didn't want to seem weak in front of me, despite everything I caused her.

On the night I left, I told myself that I never wanted to see her cry again. I hated it when she cried.

"I always make you cry, right?" I said with a sigh.

She hugged herself, and her head was hung down, her tears splashing on her white boots. She was crying, and I hated it. I wanted her to stop crying. I wasn't leaving. Not now. I didn't want to leave again. It hurt too much the first time; I learned my lesson. I'm not leaving anymore...

"I'm not leaving," I said as I found myself wrapping my arms around her, pulling her as close as I could. I really hadn't thought about hugging her, It just...happened, like a reflex. But I didn't object to my own motions; I just let it happen.

"B-but-" she cried, her voice muffled against my shirt.

"I've decided that I'll get stronger here," I continued, resting my chin on the top of her head, my arms still wrapped tight around her. "Stop crying. It's annoying."

It was silent, and soon a small muffled sob mixed with a soft, smalllaughter came out of her mouth. I smiled.

I hate it when she cries.

A/N: Well, how did you like it? I'd like to inform you all that Chapter 1 is longer. It's also written better. (Thanks to my lovely beta!) I think I did a better job with keep Sasuke more in character in Chapter 1 as well.

So, pretty please (with sugar on top) send me your reviews! As I said before, please don't flame. If you have any constructive critisism for me, please leave a review or get in touch with me! I know that I need serious improvement on some things (like detail. hehe. >>), and help will be greatly appreciated!

Bye bye!