Disclaimer: I don't write, draw or own Sasuke, Itachi, Sai, Orochimaru or any other character. The mystery two sound ninjas are mine.
A/N: Ok, this is POV was inspired by the release of Chapter 300 and 301 of the manga. So read at your own risk if you want to be spoiled.
What foolsI sit before the giant snake statue waiting for his return. I know he will be glad to see me in such a position, a submissive posture. My curse seal pulsates to the flickering of the candlelight that is the snake's eyes. His dark, twisted energy begins to boil in my veins. I close my eyes, turning off my Sharigan eyes for a while. Orochimaru studied Itachi carefully during his time with Akatsuki like a snake waiting for the weasel. He had said that Itachi never turned off his Sharigan and that is one of the best ways to get strong. My brother is a fool not to recognize that of which I know of only after three years. My eyes already strain under normal conditions and from this I know that I will soon go blind. And what use will I be or my brother if we are blind to the world? But then again, we are already blind to life, only death graces our visions.
Only under the cover of my eyelids, do my eyes earn their rest. I stretch out my leg and fall into a meditative state. The curse marks erupt across my vision followed by the spiraling wheels of the sharigan. Then all is dark. Two yellow, snake eyes begin to form far off in the horizon and I soon find myself falling into their yellow sea. My upper body moves in a slithering, suggestive motion against the cold rock of the lair.
In my mind's eye, I am wrapped around a tree branch, watching the battle unfold. Naruto is in some new form of Kyuubi, his body hunched over, four charka tails whipping about. Orochimaru is performing some incantations in order for him to use the Giant Snake's power. Fool. I have fought Naruto with one tail and that almost got me killed. Naruto was only at the fourth tail level and if he ever reaches all nine, even Orochimaru wouldn't stand a chance. A small laugh escapes my mouth. At least I am learning both my enemies' moves. What was the old saying?
Aw yes, study your opponents, learn their every move and then attack.
The fight ends and my vision flickers. I want to know what that one boy is up to, the one who is an outsider. I see him talking to Orochimaru and Kabuto. They leave, heading towards the hideout.
I feel two warm, small arms wrap around my chest. A female chest presses against my back. Her hands dance across my sweater. The scent of blood and spices are a welcome smell to my mind and soul. I hear the sound of footsteps stop before me. I know of their presence and who they are. Like when I was with Konaha, I knew the importance of a team, especially on the more dangerous missions like killing an entire resistance army. A smile graces my lips, the good old days.
"Report," my cold, harsh voice is barely a whisper and seems to hiss out through my lips.
"They are still scattered across the country. If they replenished their ranks, we are not sure of. But there are rumors that Kakashi has possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan," replied the ninja before me, his high voice countering his male stature.
"Good. Now go."
The massaging arms leave my body and soon I am alone again before the snake and my thoughts. So Kakashi has the Mangekyou, interesting. How he got that rare sharigan, I will have to ask him next time we meet. He is not even an Uchiha, yet his Sharigan eye seems to have adapted to his body chemistry perfectly. Oh well, he's a fool also. His body won't be able to stand the use of the Mangekyou over a period of time and that is where we Uchihas will succeed and he will perish.
The same goes with Sakura. Tsunada might have trained her and that is where her weakness is. Sakura relies on close proximities to deliver damage. But I know long distant attacks and getting her out of the picture will be fatal to the group because Naruto will get irrational and be easier to fight and the healer can no longer heal. Oh yes, I know the growing feelings that Sakura has towards Naruto. She might be blind to it, but it is obvious to everyone. What a silly girl not to be able to let of a man who does not love her.
I stop my musings when I my seal breaks from its rhythm. My body stops moving. I sense Orochimaru, Kabuto and that new kid standing at the entrance. I gather up my façade of the egoistic brat who will be Orochimaru's new body and is one of the top three powerful Sound ninjas. I speak in annoyed tone, while I am rejoicing in ticking of Kabuto once more. It is hard to read Orochimaru, but he knows as well as I do that I won't give him my body that easily, not if Itachi is still breathing. The boy introduces himself as Sai and talks about how we are alike.
Another idiot.
So what if I once was an outsider like he is in Konaha, Sai is nothing like me. I open my eyes with the Sharigan activated, studying him. He does not show emotions easily. I can see that he repressed them deep enough to believe that he is emotionless. Well, Orochimaru said he was a gift and I like to play with my gifts. Once again Kabuto yells at me. Orochimaru said it was my gift not one of Kabuto's sought after experimental corpses. That four-eyed ninja is another stupid ninja despite his genius. He lets his emotions get the best of him and thinks he is so great being one of the closest to Orochimaru. But little does he know that I am even closer to the Snake Sannin.
I can almost feel Orochimaru's cold breath caress my neck and that hidden lustful look only revealing itself in our training sessions. At first I was disgusted, scared at the way Orochimaru handled me. But, now to my sick humor, I like to play along and taunt the decaying man with my own little flirtations but letting nothing go beyond that.
Sai mentions something about Naruto and Sakura. I grow tired of his speech. If I were to gain anything from this interaction, it would be that Konaha ninjas talk too much, blurting everything out in the open. But then again, the Sound ninjas don't talk enough, keeping everything in the dark. I snap once more, enjoying the role of the spoiled brat.
The stubborn, rude brat that both the Konaha and Sound ninjas know is dead. After all the massacres and missions, he passed away into the night to be replaced by a cold, calculating, miniature Itachi. I am victim to foolishness. Like my old nickname, I never saw anything before me and always rushed into battle. But unlike that "Foolish Little Brother" I have separated myself from the fools that surround me. I accept my Itachi side and that means that Itachi has a Sasuke aspect to himself. And when we meet, I will exploit that weakness and use it to defeat him.
People think that I am playing right into each of their hands. Little do they know that I am already far-gone and this little act is only to let them play into my hands. Without a flicker of emotion, I disappear waiting for my 'training' to begin once more. It is funny how when people think of the Uchiha clan, they think of the Sharigan eyes right away. But they forget the one element that made us even more deadly…our ruthless genius staining our mind, body and soul.
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A/N: There ya go, my take on the new Sasuke and his darker outlook on life. Now, he was present for only a couple pages but still one can tell that he acts a little differently then how he talks. At least that's what I think, but then of course I was like "Finally, he's back, about time!" lol.