Naruto stood there not saying anything as she took in Sasuke's words. Sasuke felt a savage moment of triumph before it slipped as he saw the look on her face.

Naruto looked at Sasuke with an expression that seemed to be both completely devoid of emotion and at the same time full of exhaustion. "You really think you can just stand there and tell me I don't know what it's like to be betrayed or hurt?"

Sasuke frowned in confusion, surprised by her words.

Naruto shook her head. "I've always understood your pain, Sasuke. You're right; I could never begin to understand what it is like to lose my parents, my whole family. But you think that somehow is better? You want to talk about how I don't understand? Then tell me, Sasuke, can you understand what it is like to never have a family? You told me I didn't know what it was like to lose everything, now I'm telling you; you don't know what it's like to never have anything."

Sasuke bristled with anger, "This isn't about you—"

"I'm talking now!" Naruto snarled out, shocking Sasuke into silence. "You at least have memories of your family. I know you were happy. I remember how much you loved your brother. And even though they are gone now you have their memories to comfort you. I have no idea who my family was, or even who they are. Nobody has ever said to me "Naruto your parents are dead" for all I know they could be alive and have just abandoned me. I don't know if I have my mother's last name or my father's, or if it was just chosen at random. Do I look like my parents? Am I in any way similar to them? Was my father strict? Was my mother kind? Would I have siblings now? Did my parents want a girl? I will never have a chance to learn that firsthand the way you did. And you tell me it is easier for me?

"After the massacre you were alone by choice. The village has always loved you, been there for you." Naruto broke off there and gave a laugh, shocking Sasuke with the sheer bitterness. "The village never gave me a chance. You know, when I was six the orphanage threw me out. They said I was old enough to look after myself. I was on the streets for two months until the old man found out and gave me an apartment. And you lived alone by choice; nobody was willing to live with me so I was forced to be alone.

"I was so alone. Everybody hated me. I could never understand why people would look at me the way they did. It was like I was some kind of horrible monster. They said it was my fault so I tried to apologize but somehow that just seemed to make them angrier. I was beaten in the streets, did you know that? Everybody would stop what they were doing to watch, and I was never rescued. It was like they thought I deserved to be in pain. And I got tired of it, Sasuke. I know you were curious about the things I said to Gaara, but I could have been him. I almost was. I hated the village enough to do it.

"I always resented you. Not because you were so much smarter than me, but because you are so ungrateful. You had time with your family, you know they loved you. I will never get that and you don't even realize how important it is. You have the entire village behind you. You have the love, friendship and support of your entire team and you try to leave us behind the second you think you've found a better offer."

Here Naruto snorted, the noise jarring Sasuke from his thoughts. He had never expected Naruto to have felt loneliness or bitterness like he had and he found that he was beginning to doubt how well he had ever known the blonde.

"You know Orochimaru is full of shit, right?" Sasuke looked up in shock and anger, what the hell was she talking about now?

"You are going to an ex-leaf-nin in order to get stronger to beat an ex-leaf-nin. You said Konoha is holding you back and that Orochimaru would make you strong. Did it ever occur to you that both Orochimaru and Itachi used to be Konoha shinobi? They got strong in Konoha, they didn't need to go off anywhere else so why do you need to?"

Sasuke was starting to feel very unbalanced, since when was the dobe so insightful? And how had he missed what seemed like such a glaring detail? His brother had grown so strong well before his betrayal and he had done it without leaving the village. He was starting to question why he had felt that it was so important just a few hours ago.

"And are you going to tell me I don't know what it's like to have a brother betray me? Isn't that what has happened now?" Sasuke looked at Naruto angered and about to snap when he saw the look on her face and instead said, "What are you talking about, dobe?"

Naruto looked at him with a look of sadness and said, "You are like a brother to me, teme." At the look of shock Naruto continued, "And you are trying to betray the village. You hurt Sakura, and I don't mean when you knocked her out either. And this mission, Choji, Neji, Kiba, Lee and Shikamaru could be dead right now because they decided to rescue you. I know you left willingly and I don't know if I could ever forgive you if one of them died on this mission."

Sasuke looked down, ashamed for the first time in years. "Nobody was supposed to come after me," he admitted quietly. "I didn't think anybody would come."

Naruto looked at him and said, "Leaf shinobi always take care of their own. And we will always come for you. I will always come for you. Especially when I know this is all Orochimaru's doing."

Naruto's confident statement caused the Uchiha to stiffen and say, "And what do you mean by that, usuratonkachi?"

Naruto scoffed, "Look despite what you may think, I'm not stupid," she decided to ignore the disbelieving snort in order to continue, "and I can tell when things aren't right. Not that long ago we were in wave. When we fought Haku you risked your life to save me. You knew it was a trap and you still chose to protect me rather than yourself. And what? So very coincidentally after Orochimaru gives you that mark you decide that you want to leave the village even if you have to kill me to do it? No way. There is no way you just changed so much all on your own. You and I have always had a close, if a little unusual, friendship. And I've understood you in ways you can't imagine. And I know that you are not totally yourself. Meeting up with Itachi most certainly did not help, but can you honestly say you've been feeling yourself lately?"

Not wanting to admit that the blonde was right, Sasuke looked away. Now that the girl had pointed it out he admitted to himself that he had been feeling different since he had gotten the curse mark. He even reluctantly admitted that he didn't like the change.

Naruto sensed his thought and said, "Ero-sennin told me what would happen if you went to Orochimaru."

Sasuke looked up sharply, "What do you mean 'would happen?' He would train me!"

Naruto leveled Sasuke with a pitying look, "Orochimaru wants your body. He may really exact your revenge on Itachi but you would not really be the one doing it. And he would never let you have your body back. He would have killed you.

"And I want to know what happened to the rest of your 'ambition'" At Sasuke's look of confusion, she continued, "When we first formed the team you told us that you also wanted to restore your clan. In wave you were willing to give up your revenge for me so I think your dreams have changed even if just a little. And how are you going to achieve any of them if you go to Orochimaru? You'd never be free again. And I can understand how you can't let Itachi get away with what he did, but do you have to do it alone?

"Kakashi-sensei favors you. Everyone does," she said, again with a bitter chuckle. "But if you asked him, he would make you strong enough to beat your brother. And I'm getting stronger every day. I'll do anything I can to help you. And you know Sakura would do anything for you. I think after wave and especially during the Chunnin exam Sakura really realized just how much of a liability she was becoming to us."

Sasuke was once again shocked to hear the girl talk about their teammate in such a cruel manner. Noticing this, Naruto smiled. "Like I said, I'm not stupid. Sakura knows she was of no help during the mission in wave and after you and I were knocked out in the second exam she needed you, Bushy Brows, and team 10 to rescue her. She'll get stronger so that she'll never be so helpless again. She would follow you anywhere and would do anything to help you achieve your dream. Now I only have one last thing to say to you."

Sasuke looked at her, slightly apprehensive at what she would say next. He had been so sure he was doing what he had to by leaving. It had made so much sense at the time. He was slightly fearful to note that he could not understand way he had felt that way. He remembered just before the exam had started that he had felt excited at how strong Naruto was getting because he knew as her rival he would get stronger by fighting with her. Why had he started to feel threatened? And even if he did feel jealous at how fast she was progressing she was also getting stronger by being a member of the Leaf village. He was suddenly frightened about how much the curse mark had been affecting him without him noticing at all. How much of his thoughts and actions had been his own?

Naruto looked at Sasuke and past him at Kakashi who had just shown up and was assessing the situation. "I've only got one more thing to say." She repeated and waited for him to look at her, "Will you come home now?"

Sasuke looked at his friend and said, in a low, remorseful tone, "Yeah. I'll come home."

Naruto gave him a smile and said, "Good. We were worried. Don't ever feel like you can't talk to us. I understand better than you think. You'll find that there are a lot of people who are willing to help you. I have created a family of my own; you are a part of it. You will never be alone again." And with that the three turned back, Kakashi hiding a look of deep pride in his student, ready to return to the village, their home.