Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation.
A/N: Drabble time. Again. I think the plot bunnies are eating my brain..
Realizations
.
"I know I better stop trying. You know that there's no denying.
I won't show mercy on you now."
.
Fire.
Searing heat.
Pain.
He felt it. Felt it ten times worse when he remembered the attack had been administered by his best friend.
His best friend.
What had happened?
Up until now, Naruto had believed that it would all turn out fine. That he could talk some sense into Sasuke-or beat that sense into him, if necessary. He would drag his friend back to the village kicking and screaming if he had to. Everything would work out. Somehow.
The Uchiha was obviously conflicted; Naruto figured that he'd made a really bad choice, but that it could be reversed. That Sasuke might even willingly return when the whole mess hit home and he realized what was going on.
He had decided that Sasuke must not have known what he was doing. What the repercussions would be.
But everything had changed now.
He saw the Uchiha's face, his hard expression. He saw just how deep the other boy's hatred for his elder brother ran. He saw the resolve-the decision that had already been made. That he would do anything to kill Itachi.
And he was hit with a sudden, awful realization.
Sasuke knew exactly what he was doing.
He didn't care about consequences.
And he had no intention of stopping the madness.
They had fought before-during sparring, training, impromptu fistfights that, all things considered, were unavoidable when you looked at how often they argued. But this was different. There was something unusual behind every one of Sasuke's blows, and it took the blond a while to figure out what it was.
Bloodlust.
He wasn't unfamiliar with bloodlust, being a shinobi.
He was used to having it aimed at him.
He was even used to feeling it radiating from Sasuke, like it had been at the time of Itachi's return.
But he was not used to a combination of the two.
The person he considered a brother really wanted to kill him.
As the fight wore on, Naruto continued to observe his (former?) teammate closely. Something finally clicked; one last revelation that he really didn't want to face.
For one split second their eyes locked.
And that's when Naruto realized that he truly had no idea who Sasuke was anymore.
.
I have been waiting for someone like you.
But now you are slipping away.
-Within Temptation
.
A/N: Well, that's that. The song is "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation.
I'm going to go work on INFFY and TJOPO now, I promise. -makes self scarce-