Final

By xannychan

Disclaimer: I don't own characters.

A/N: Another Orochimaru exploration. I had done one before, but I didn't get one review. Bah…

Warnings: Very, very, very slight slash, character death.

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Orochimaru is water. He is ungraspable, incomprehensible, absolute.

His power is absolute. (When he shudders underneath Orochimaru, Sasuke does not hesitate to tell him he hates him, but he has never left him. Yet.)

His perfection is absolute. (When his hand glides up Sasuke's shirt, he loves the way the boy's pretty lips fail to spit out a reason why he doesn't simply break Orochimaru's hand.)

His decisions are absolute. (When the last of the seal spreads across the floor with Sasuke in the center, he does not look into his swirling eyes—he doesn't have time to face the confusion or hurt or regret.)

What Orochimaru fails to realize is that water is empty.

And like water, he has absolutely nothing.

(When he's breathing his last breaths through Sasuke's failing lungs, looking up into the faces of once-upon-a-time teammates and his current executioners, Orochimaru sees his life flash before him. His final goodbye was a scream that Tsunade and Jiraiya have never forgotten.)

Desire

Sorrow

Hatred

Anger

Revenge

Love

Terror

Regret

Death.

(Perfection)

(Means)

(Nothing)