Stick with me on this one, though. If I'm particularly happy about your reviews and Alerts and stuff, I'll update it fast.
I have the entire thing written!
So let me know if you want to read it. If not, I'll just go... work on the stuff I should be working on.
Kabuto's dumb little radio played Christmas songs.
Orochimaru hung up stockings. One for himself, one for Kabuto, and one for Sasuke. He did this, apparently, every Christmas eve.
Sasuke stood up. His tall thin form cast an eerie shadow over the room, and the light from the fire caused the dark shadows under his eyes to stand out. He had grown since his time in Konoha, and had turned into a tall, lanky, and disaffected teenager.
"I'm leaving," he growled.
"But, Kabuto's making cookies!" said Orochimaru, faking a puppydog look.
Sasuke felt sickened.
"I hate sweet things."
And with that, Sasuke slammed the door and left.
He ran and ran, letting his feet take him wherever he went. The song on Kabuto's dumb little radio ran through his mind.
I'll... be home... for Christmas... You... can count... on me...
Where was Sasuke's home?
Oh, he knew the answer, but he wasn't about to admit it to himself. He mentally smacked himself and muttered, "Oi, Sasuke, what's getting into you? December 25th is just a date. Nothing to get nostalgic about..."
He grew weary. Finally, putting one foot in front of the other was tiring him horribly, and he sank down next to a tree. He didn't even know where he was, but he knew if he kept traveling, he would get someplace. But now, he was just too tired.
Fading in and out of consciousness, Sasuke found himself trying to remember his parent's faces.
His dad had tired eyes and longish black hair.
His mom was harder to see, but when she came to his mind's eye, it felt like she came to his real eyes too.
Sasuke saw her- yellow apron, long black hair, pretty, gentle black eyes.
She was walking- walking toward him.
"Sasuke, hon," she said.
"Mom?" he asked stupidly.
"It's me," she said kindly, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He jumped up to embrace her.
"You never did this when I was alive," she said, hugging him back.
Was he- taller than her? She'd seemed so large and warm back then. Now she was small- thin-
But still warm.
"You're dead," he said. "How are you- Why are you- warm?"
"Sh," she said. "Don't ask."
"Is it permanent?" he asked, hoping against hope. "And... Dad?"
"There is no jutsu to bring back the dead," his mom said quietly. "Permanently, anyway. Sorry, sweetie. Your daddy... He is dead. I will be, too. I've got to go back soon."
Go... back? Sasuke was confused, horribly confused, but continued his mother's embrace. He couldn't let her go. She was warm, and alive (for the moment), and he missed her horribly.
"I'm here to tell you that on the hour tonight, you will get a visit from a ghost."
"Are you a ghost?"
She paused. "Sort of."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean... I'm not a ghost, but I'm not alive. Sort of like someone took this body and brought me back to it."
"Could I do that too, if I wanted to?"
"No. And you don't want to!" she said firmly. "The dead should remain dead. Don't try and keep me here after I leave, Sasuke. I love you and I will stay as long as I can. But once I leave, that's it!"
He nodded.
"Now, I have to repeat my message."
He nodded again.
"Every hour, on the hour, tonight- you will be visited by a ghost. Until three o'clock. Understand?"
He nodded a third time.
His mom sighed. "There, now that we've got that out of the way, I have to leave in five minutes."
Five minutes? Every question Sasuke had ever wanted to ask his mom went straight out of his mind, and later he didn't regret it. She pulled him down and they sat. She held him in her arms, and for the first time in many years, Sasuke felt a parent's love again.
"Your father wanted to come tonight, too," she said. "He's so sorry he couldn't. But he said to tell you he loved you too. And that we'll see you again. We hope."
"I hope so too." The words came out of a half-conscious Sasuke. He hardly knew what he was saying-only that it was true.
"I've got to go now," she said.
She stood up and walked away through the trees.
"Don't follow me," she said. "You can't."
"Mom?" Sasuke cried, fully awake.
"Goodbye, Sasuke," she said, a tear falling down her cheek. It was nothing compared to his dripping face. He'd just remembered all the things he wanted to ask her and she was walking away-
"Mom- Mom- no, don't!" He yelled after her, reaching out, but somehow unable to move.
And she disappeared.
Forgetting what she said entirely, Sasuke sank down again and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Sasuke's a little OOC...