Disclaimer: I do not own Kishimoto-san's "Naruto" or Top Cow's "The Darkness".

This is my first fan fiction, so please go easy on me.

Thanks to Firespin98 for helping me format this.

Rated M for graphic violence and some language. Reader discression is advised.

Text guide part 1:

Regular speech: "Talking."

Thought speech: Thinking.

Flashback speech: "Remember when…?"

Chapter 1: The Desire for Power

Everything was happening too fast for Sasuke Uchiha.

When he awoke from the Mangekyo Sharingan induced slumber that Itachi forced upon him, he felt no better than the last time he was awake. For him, 48 hours of reliving that horrible night seemed like an eternity. He didn't know how long he was out, nor did he care.

After all his years of training, he was still weak compared to his brother. He said he didn't have enough hatred. How could that be, when Sasuke's hatred knew no bounds?

Earlier that day, shortly after he woke up, he challenged Naruto to a fight. He was so close to defeating him when Kakashi stopped their fight.

"Sasuke," Kakashi, both surprised and angry, said to him, "What do you think you're doing? That Chidori wasn't the size you'd aim at a friend from the village. Are you actually trying to kill Naruto?"

He may have at the time, but he wasn't really thinking about it. All he really remembered at the moment was his shock of how strong Naruto had become. If he couldn't even beat a hopeless loser like him, then how was he ever going to stand up against Itachi?

Later, he was ambushed by four Sound Ninja. They claimed that their master, Orochimaru, would give him the power he so desired. He could either go with them tonight, or stay at the Leaf and remain anchored by the bonds of his friends.

His bonds… those were what made him weak. It was the bonds with his friends that held him back from gaining power. He felt stupid for not realizing this earlier. The four ninja had said that Orochimaru would give him more power. He gave Sasuke the curse mark as an offering of power in the Forest of Death. True, it did give Sasuke more power, but if the snake-man wanted to give him more, then what was the catch?

Remembering the moment when he locked eyes with Itachi Uchiha again, he no longer cared.

Sasuke was in his room now, packing what he may need for the trip. Extra clothes, shuriken, and kunai, a snack, some ryo*, and… what else? He walked over to his dresser by the window. Standing upright was a group photo of him, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. He picked it up and stared at it long and hard.

He remembered taking that photo shortly after the group became Team 7. Sakura and Kakashi smiling (behind his mask, he assumed he was smiling), while he and Naruto were annoyed by their sensei messing with their hair like they were little kids. He set it back facedown, feeling sick at the nostalgia that came to haunt him. He opened the top drawer and took out a photo that he kept hidden.

It was an old picture of Sasuke and his parents, months before the Uchiha massacre. He found it on the floor of his parents' room the day after the massacre. Part of the photo was ripped off: the area where Itachi would have been standing next to his little brother. Sasuke didn't rip it out (though he probably would have); it was like that when he found it. As the only memory of the good years of his life, he took it with him.

With everything now packed, he walked to the door and opened it. He took one final look at his room before turning the lights out and exiting. For him, a new chapter of his life was just beginning… all he had to do was sever the bonds that held him back.

It was close to midnight when Sasuke left through the gates of the Leaf Village. He had encountered Sakura earlier, but he had to leave as soon as possible. She wanted him to stay, she tried to convince him to forget about his quest for revenge, but he knew she wouldn't understand. He knew she deeply cared about him, yet that was just another bond he had to sever.

"Sakura… thank you…" He said to her before knocking her out. His words were sincere; he was thanking her for everything she did up to this point. After that, he planned to never see or speak to her again.

Some yards outside of the gates, the Sound Ninja Four were waiting for him. There were no surprised looks on their faces, as if they knew all along that Sasuke would come with them. The ninja with two heads, Sakon, stepped forward and said to him, "Sasuke sir, we've been waiting for you."

Sasuke was confused at the sudden change in attitude. Earlier, they were treating him like dirt. Now, at least Sakon seems to be treating him with more respect than he expected. After voicing that thought, Sakon replied, "The moment you left the village, you became our boss. That was always the plan, so please pardon our earlier conduct."

Sasuke wasn't particularly fond of being called "boss", so he just said, "Yeah, fine. Let's just get on with it." He looked towards the waning crescent moon and thought to himself, And so it begins.

*= In case you didn't know, ryo is the currency in the Naruto universe.

The first chapter is done! Next time, I will introduce the Darkness, but it won't make its grand entrance until later. How will Sasuke react to the Darkness? It should be no surprise to those who have read the Naruto manga and/or seen the anime. Nevertheless! Read on to find out!

Note: Yes, I did use some lines from the manga, but that was to make the story more believable. Once more, all Naruto credit goes to Kishimoto-san.