"You know, Sasuke, you and I" he paused. "Our roles could have been reversed."
A heavy chain grazed the dirt, a cloud of dust settling at his feet. One foot after the other, he walked with his head lowered, his bangs covering his eyes. His body is sore and exhausted, fatigue settling on his limbs and into the core of his being. He is too tired to lift his head.
There are whispers surrounding him on either side, each harsh with neglect and ridicule. He was hated by these people. Those eyes that tell stories, they tell him that there is no room for him here in this village. There is no room for a criminal; someone that deserves death.
"No matter how hard you try to leave us," he clenched his fists, his knuckles turning a bright white. "Our bond that took so much work to form…It isn't something you can sever that easily!"
There are two figures that stand out from the rest, two people he has held these bonds with. He knows the pity and overwhelming sadness they feel for him. He knows that although he committed these wrongdoings, that they fought beside him until the end. He wished he knew how to thank them.
He thought back to how hard they tried to make him return, to bring light to the dark that shadowed his life with despair and cold, cold hardships. He wished he could turn and let them know that even in the end he secretly loved them with all his heart. They were his only real friends. They were his only family.
However, even he knows that the darkness that enveloped him was just too much for even the strongest of men. He drowned in the everlasting darkness that was his soul. He has no soul now. If you look in his eyes, your reflection gets lost in the void.
He heard her cry, the girl he loved. She was weeping in the stillness of the crowd. He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. He would never tell her how he felt, that would only cause her more despair. She was the highlight of his life and as he walked the darkened path to nowhere, she tried desperately to bring him back. He couldn't even do that for her. There is a comforting voice beside her as her cries become muffled in the man's shirt. His best friend comforted his love, and he was grateful for that. He couldn't stand seeing her cry. He knows those two will be together eventually, he just won't be around to see it. His best friend was trying not to cry, to stay strong for the female of the team. After all their bickering and cruel words to one another, he knows that although they aren't blood, that they are brothers. He forced those feelings away. There is no room for love when your world is encompassed by the hate for the world.
The hate he felt all those years has diminished—he feels nothing now. Numb to everything, he can't even feel the burning on his wrists as the chains rub against his pale skin. He didn't feel anything as another girl that looked so familiar cried for him as well. Her light eyes and pale skin were covered in salty liquid as she shook with sobs. He smiled to himself and wondered if he really meant that much to her. He never noticed.
"You don't need to leave, you idiot! There are people that love you."
He finally realized, with this walk to his own death, that people actually cared. He silently wondered what it would be like to be normal; to have a normal life with a family and friends.
He knows it's too late to hope, but in his heart he liked to think he could have been happy. However, that is not his destiny. That fairytale was left astray long ago along with his hopes of a normal childhood and life. He had made up his mind that the path he would take would destroy his chances for an ordinary life. But, these were sacrifices he needed to make. There is no such thing as going back, not for him, at least.
He walked up the steps to where he would meet his demise. The Hokage glanced at him, her look filled with an overwhelming sadness. She didn't want to do this, he can tell, but he knows she has no choice. He forgives her. A single tear travels down her cheek as she speaks to the civilians and shinobi that survived the long and tiring war. The village was still in shambles, his death more important than the reformation of the village. It's almost as if his death will bring about a peace that will let people move on; people can finally be happy and forget about the horrible things he has done. His death will bring closure.
"I'm not like you and Sakura. I chose to leave the village-they have always hated me anyway, Sasuke."
In a way, he likes to think of himself as a hero, a man that lived up to his expectations of being a cold-hearted and evil being that changed his ways and in the end helped the village. But, his past weighed a heavy burden that he could not be saved from. In the eyes of the world he was dead.
For the first time since he walked through the gates of Konoha, he rose his head and stared at the sea of faces. Some he recognized, others he did not.
He looked at his classmates, their faces sad with regret and agony, as if they could have done more to help him. He caused them pain too, he knows. He can't stand those looks and the sadness in their eyes.
Standing before these people, he realized just how many people cared about him. Perhaps if he opened his eyes, he could have seen the love that was so desperately trying to reach his heart. Friends can be family—he knows that now.
For the first time in a long time, he parts his lips and smiles.
He may not be a hero, but he likes to think that in another life he could have been.
"Naruto, stop!"
He heard the light rush of wind moving around him followed by a sharp pain in his chest. He never let his smile falter as he closed his eyes for the last time.
"No, Naruto!"
He savored his name on her sweet pink lips. It was the last he heard before his world went black.