The moon shone dutifully through the window of the young shinobi who was quickly becoming a man. It played out a pale pattern across the whiskered face. Eyes closed an expression of consternation firmly in place. Breathing too quickly for sleep, yet showing a restful state. A sigh escaped from the lips of him, allowing for the opening of the blue eyes that made him so very Naruto.
He slowly sat up and rose from his repose on his worn bed. He walked to the window to look down upon the alley that his apartment faced. He closed his eyes briefly before seemingly making his mind up about something. He opened his window, slipped out, and softly returned the window to where it originally rested. He silently whisked off into the night, unaware of the ominous clouds growing around him.
Naruto stopped at a little clearing outside of Konoha. He moved to the middle of the open space that the forest had naturally formed. He stood still, the only allowed movement were those necessary, breathing of air, beating of heart, the skittering of his thoughts.
He removed the characteristic orange jacket. He let it fall limply to the ground. A blustering of the wind that had only just picked up ruffled his hair and grabbed at his clothing.
He smelled the oncoming rain. He felt the jolting charge of electricity that accompanied it. He inhaled deeply, reveling in the scent.
Then he began to move. First only jerky slight movements of fingers, twitches of his head and elbows moved. Then they became more forceful, longer movements. These slowly organized themselves into katas that flowed out of Naruto. He moved faster. Each movement was intense, charged with the power of his chakra. He reveled in the feeling, wanting to forget everything in the simplicity of the movement.
He did this for his sanity. He did this for his carefully constructed mask. He did this for the village. He did this for his precious ones. He feared if he did not do this thing, this ritual that had quickly become so ruitine, so addicting, he would lash out and hurt. That is something that he did not want to ever happen. He could handle all of the hurt in the world as long as everyone was safe. Even those who hated him; it was his ninja way.
The storm raged around Naruto as he continued. He was becoming more and more exhausted, Kyuubi's chakra now being used instead of his own. He fought the elements now, screaming all of his emotions into the wind. He wanted nothing more than to let everything out, disappear into the storm, but he knew when he awoke his sorrows and pitiful existence would still be there.
Now completely exhausted, Naruto lay in the grass, eyes closed, allowing the rain to cover him, wash him, sooth him. He felt himself fall into sleep, lulled by the rain and his own exhaustion. Unbeknownst to him, two shadows were lurking in the forest just beyond the break in trees watching him. They were waiting for the blond to loose himself completely from the world. This was going to be easier than they first had anticipated. Oh so much easier. They would be finally fulfilling the goal of the organization. Eyes glinted in sadistic pleasure. Soon, very soon.
Moonlight played with the features of an ebony haired boy. There he stood, looking like an eerie statue in the courtyard of a large compound. He inhaled slowly. He was stronger, free for the first time in two years to finally finish what has been his deepest desire for most of his young life.
He stepped foreword, glancing around him with blood-red eyes, reflections of the carnage around him. Yes, he had done his duty well. It was silent, only his faint breathing could be heard. It was fitting, seeing as he had just single handedly taken out Sound. Orochumaru had died pitifully. He had completed his Sharingan. He mastered it, it was his. And because of it, he was strong. He had done it all on his own. They hadn't called him a genius for nothing. He found another way to obtain Megikyo Sharingan, and in the process discovering his bloodline's mastery of the Sharingan. And because of this he was ready. And Itachi will never stand a chance.
He was ready. Finally, he could end all of these emotions, the only emotions that he had allowed himself to feel. The emotions that had led himself to this very position and spurred him on, making him a slave to their whim. He knew it was foolish, and a part of him had kept a part of his heart free of those emotions. But that is not something that he was going to dwell on now. He had to find Itachi. Find him and finish his dream.
Sasuke finally picked up his brother's trail. He smirked in menace. His life's dream would finally be realized. Then he could back to his life before his brother had taken it all away. At that thought he stopped short in his tracks. Reality came crashing upon him, nearly taking his breath away. For the first time in over two years, he began to feel again, or rather, he allowed himself to feel.
His heart felt that it was ripping. He saw all of his actions from his life in a different light. He saw them with eyes of a man finally realizing his mistakes. He replayed his fight with Naruto in the valley of the end, and he fell to his knees in agony. He knew that he could never return to Konoha and expected things to return to normal. He had tried to kill his best friend for crying out loud. His best friend, the only person he had ever allowed to invade the core of who he is. Some where in the back of his mind in these many months has kept him persevering. The orange dobe had in fact been the driving factor driving to the end that he is so close to achieving. Now he felt that he had lost his whole world. Naruto had become the symbol to of all of what he wanted after his vengeance. Now, Naruto would never forgive him.
With all of these thoughts running through his head, he hardened his resolve and began to blaze upon the trail that his brother had left with the use of his Sharingan. He would get his brother, and he would make him pay.