Okay, so this may be a bit over-dramatic, and I'm not sure how well I did, but howabout I let the reader (you! xD) decide? The song is 'You Can't Take Me' from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Sasuke: Kaiti does not own me, or this song, or any other characters or anything mentioned in here. And she doesn't own me either. Did I mention she doesn't own me?

Kaiti: Yes, I believe you have~.

Anyways, for all you Sasuke fans out there who wish he hadn't gone to Orochimaru, this is for you! It takes place during the time-skip, probably closer to the beginning of it rather than the end, and it's kind of a 'what if' type-thing. x3 Enjoy!

Got to fight another fight

Gotta run another night

Get it out – check it out

I'm on my way and I don't feel right!

He had thought that going to Orochimaru would get him the power he needed to take down Itachi. And, indeed, Sasuke at first had felt stronger.

However, the deeper he got involved, the less he felt as though he was improving in the way he wanted. He ignored this at first, however, and continued training under the snake. However, the feeling wouldn't go away.

Then, when he tested himself and his limits a few months after he had first arrived, he found that the curse mark was well-named. Without it, he was the same old Sasuke who almost lost to the number one hyper-active knucklehead ninja back on that hospital rooftop.

I gotta get me back

I can't be beat and that's a fact

It's okay, I'll find a way

You ain't gonna take me down no way!

Running away never solved any problems. Except this one.

Sasuke fled the sannin's latest headquarters under the protection of the new moon, heading in the direction he hoped was Konoha. His pride wouldn't let him think about what he would do once he got there, but he ran anyways.

Without Orochimaru and the curse mark making him stronger, he wouldn't be able to beat his brother. Not yet. But he would find another way to grow strong enough to avenge his clan. He was an avenger, and nothing would stop him from achieving his goal. But he would do it his way, rather than follow through with the chores Itachi and Orochimaru pushed upon him.

"And where do you think you're going?" The smooth, snake-like voice came from directly in front of Sasuke, piercing the quiet of the night.

"I'm through with you," Sasuke said, only able to see Orochimaru's outline. "You've been toying with me all this time, but you're done holding me back."

Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it

Don't push me; I'll fight it

Never gonna give in

Never gonna give it up, no.

"My dear boy, I gave you what I promised," Orochimaru said, chuckling. "I gave you power, and you gave me you."

"I belong to nobody," Sasuke answered evenly. "And you can keep your power, since it was all a lie that it was never mine to begin with."

"Ah, Sasuke," Orochimaru chided, as though dealing with a disobedient five-year-old. "You're thinking too hard. How cute, but you're also thinking about it all wrong. A gift is something you must accept. The power I promised is still within your grasp, but you must take a hold of it."

A memory flashed through Sasuke's mind of the first time he had let the curse mark take control. He had scared enemy and ally alike, and Sakura had begged him not to let it happen again. He would honor that plea starting now. Chidori lit the area immediately around him.

If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it

You can't come uninvited

Never gonna give in; never gonna give it up, no

You can't take me – I'm free!

"You're going to fight me? And without the help of the curse mark?" Orochimaru sounded amused.

"Like I said," Sasuke repeated, "I'm through with you!"

He rushed forward with every intention of impaling Orochimaru. Just as he made contact, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, prepared to go all out and do whatever it took to be free from the man.

Why did it all go wrong?

I wanna know what's goin' on

What's this holding me?

I'm not where I'm s'posed to be!

Sasuke fought against the chains that bound him, kept him trapped in the cell. He had nearly killed himself trying to get free from Orochimaru, and now he wished he had died. He needed to get away, needed to get back to Konoha.

"You brought this on yourself, you know," Kabuto informed him innocently from safely beyond Sasuke's enraged reach. "You could have been the most powerful ninja in the world, perhaps even more powerful than Kimimaro. And Itachi."

"Let me go! I'm warning you!" Sasuke yelled.

Kabuto smiled in his infuriating way and left.

Tug. Pull. Yank. His arms and wrists would surely be scarred before this was over.

Yank. Pull. Another tug and Sasuke's chains detached from the wall, though they still bound his arms. He burst from the cell.

I've gotta fight another fight

I gotta fight with all my might

I'm getting out, so check it out

You're in my way

Yeah, you better watch out!

The guards stood no chance against a Sasuke who had nothing to lose. His chains broke midway through the battle, but Sasuke used them only to grab a kunai and stick it into his mouth.

Kabuto blocked his exit. "Now, now, what would Orochimaru say if I let you go? I'm afraid I'm going to have to stand in your way; I can't let you leave."

With the kunai clenched between his teeth the way Zabuza had at the Land of Waves, Sasuke could make no reply. He charged.

Zabuza had managed to defeat his target, but it had cost him his life. Sasuke could only hope the same.

Kabuto was seriously wounded at the end of the battle, but Sasuke, for some reason, chose to leave him alive. He had to get away before Orochimaru showed up.

Orochimaru showed up.

Don't judge a thing 'til you know what's inside it

Don't push me; I'll fight it

Never gonna give in

Never gonna give it up, no.

"You could have done so much with your life," Orochimaru sighed. "It's a shame to throw you aside, Sasuke. It's not too late, though. Join me once again."

For answer, Sasuke charged. The fight with Kabuto had taken a lot out of him, and he hadn't stood a chance against Orochimaru even at his strongest.

So why did he seem to be doing better this time?

Sasuke wouldn't give up, would never allow Orochimaru to win in the long run. At the very least, Sasuke would not let the snake get his hands on the Sharingan.

If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it

You can't come uninvited

Never gonna give in; never gonna give it up, no

You can't take me – I'm free!

Sasuke stood panting over a very critically injured Orochimaru. The kunai fell from his mouth and clattered onto the floor beside Orochimaru.

It would be so easy to cave in now. Sasuke could let himself collapse as well, but something turned him towards Konoha. He had once told Naruto that he no longer dreamed of the future, only the past. And it was a memory of the past that kept him alive, that kept him pushing himself, that kept him going until he reached the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Faces.

One with blue eyes and blond hair, with birthmarks like whiskers on each cheek.

Another with green eyes and pink hair, her shinobi headband used as a hair ribbon.

And a third, covered in a mask, silver hair sticking up every which way over his own headband.

He entered Konoha, safe at last. He had temporarily abandoned his pride and knew that, if he begged hard enough, he would find at least one of those faces, and they would help him. Help him heal. Help him become stronger, if not for defeating Itachi, then for protecting those he had developed other bonds for.

Sasuke Uchiha was once again free at last.

Okay, this ended way differently than I intended it to when I started it, but... ^^;

So? Did I overdo it, was it perfect, was there something else you think could've been done to make it better?

Please review and let me know! ;D

(Also, yes, I know songfics are against the rules. But I'm just evil enough to break that. Throw me in jail if you want, but I see nothing wrong with songfics. x3)