Um... yeah. First fanfiction ever. I hope you like it - it was kind of a spur of the moment thing, I'm not really that in to Naruto, but of course I like over-analysing angsty characters, so here you go. -laughs-
I'm sorry if the things in brackets bug you, it's not really the way it should be done, but hey!
And I don't own Naruto. This is a fanfiction. 3
Sasuke used to be scared of fire.
He never told anyone, not even Itachi, because a Uchiha without fire is not a Uchiha. And the only thing Sasuke really remembers about his childhood is desperately wanting to grow up and be a proper Uchiha, so his father would smile at him, and Itachi would recognise him. (Of course, he remembers Itachi murdering his clan, but that nightmare can hardly be classified as a memory.) He's fifteen now and the only reason he wants to grow up now is so he can avenge his clan.
He's not scared of fire anymore, because he can't be.
He remembers his father teaching his brother the fireball jutsu (just like he taught Sasuke, only with more pride in his eyes) and shivering with fear; through his childish eyes the flames looked like they could swallow his brother and father in a second. It wasn't the flickering red fire that frightened Sasuke, it was the possibility it could take everything away in a second.
Almost ironically it wasn't the fire that took everything away.
It was only after the massacre of his clan that Sasuke began to realise how much he desperately needed fire. That night he was terrified. No one in the leaf village can imagine the prodigy (How can he be a prodigy? A genius? There's no one left in his clan to compare him to) of the Uchiha clan was ever so frightened, but he was just a kid. And he was bleeding and drooling and was so sure he was going to die.
He never, ever wanted to be that disgustingly helpless again.
The fire promised Sasuke that he would never have to be. Fire seemed powerful, terrifying, dangerous – but most importantly it made Sasuke feel safe. The same way he felt when Orochimaru's curse spread over his body for the first time, like no one could touch him. The same way he felt when he told himself he was better than Naruto, the first time chidori crackled in his hand.
And somewhere in his subconscious mind, Sasuke wonders if all this power he desperately clings on to is really for Itachi.
Thankyou for reading! If you liked it, please leave a review! Feel free to pick out my spelling mistakes, or whatever, I need to improve, hehe!