Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The show Naruto rightfully and respectfully, belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Hatred of the Crow

"We'll stop here tonight," Sasuke mutters.

"Oh, tired Sasuke kun?" Karin smiles, flirtaciously.

"All of you stay here!" he snaps, ignoring her. "I'm going for a walk. Alone!"

He reaches a secluded part of the forest with a grand, majestic lake. He trudges deep into the water and son it reaches above his waist. Then, he stops, but only to gaze at the brilliantly lit night sky. With all the beautiful stars out and shining.

"Looking won't help boy," comes a deep, commanding and gruff voice from behind him.

"Then just give me them back," he states, confidently.

"Stop this. Go and hunt down that brother of yours and kill him instead!" the voice orders, yelling. "Stop wasting your time here!"

"Why should I?" Sasuke asks, uncaring.

"Ah, you don't care. Should've listened to that pretty Sakura H- err, girl," he chortles.

"I killed her," Sasuke snarls, tightening his grip on his katana. "She didn't want to tell me about you. About the Crow… She was of no use to me!"

"Then boy, let it be known that the Crow hates you!" he replies, deathly serious.

"The Crow will return my clan or I'll keep chasing it until it does!" Sasuke yells, furious.

"Boy, the girl is alive and well," the voice says. "The Crow returned her soul to the living, but shall never return your clan!"

"Then he'll return a few-" Sasuke begins, snarling.

"And then another few, and another few, and another few! Until your clan is once more, complete!" he snaps. "Sakura is precious to the Crow! You'll never have them back! The Crow will never do your bidding!"

"That's what you think!" Sasuke yells.

"Oh, boy," the voice changes, becoming more feminine and soft. "I shall return to you, no one."

He spins around to face the speaker for the first time. He see's dots that form a multi coloured giant crow. It looks similar to how stars are depicted in astrology books. The Crow caws, before swooping down and flying through him. The Crow carries with it, in its claws, Sasuke's soul.

"Whoa, of all the ways for a ninja to die. He drowned?" Suigetsu mutters.

"Oh, poor Sasuke Kun!" Karin wails. "but, I still have you. Suigetsu."

"Such a shame, the clan ends with you," Juugo murmurs, he kneels and starts praying.

"Uh!" Sakura gasps, lurching upright.

"Daijoubu? Sakura Hime?" a voice asks.

"Hai, inner," she whispers in reply. "You took Sasuke Kun's soul, didn't you?"

"Hai," the voice fades off into nothing.

"So you took Sasuke Kun's soul to the afterlife," she sighs dejectedly, her eyes dull. "I should have known better." And with that, she lies back down and pulls the covers up.