Sasuke ambled slowly into town, a list in one hand and a basket in the other. His brother, Itachi, had asked him to go into town for supplies.
"Good morning!" he greeted the townsfolk. Both men and women waved and winked coyly.
"Hey Sasuke!" shouted a pink haired girl, grinning happily at him. Her name was Sakura.
"So… what are you doing today?" she asked, trailing behind Sasuke, twirling the hem of her red dress.
"Nothing really. I have to run some errands for Itachi and then I think I might go to the book store and get another book." Sasuke sighed, checking his list again. He nearly collided with the baker's cart.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" cried the fat little man, grinning at the Unchiha.
"Its alright sir. Oh! Before you leave, Itachi asked me to get some baggets." Sasuke said quickly, displaying the list in front of the baker's face.
The baker smiled even more broadly and promptly handed the raven haired boy four small roles.
"Thank you sir!" Sasuke waved as the baker strolled out of sight into the crowded streets.
Sakura continued to follow Sasuke as he meandered through the crowded streets, ticking off items on the list. The basket was soon filling with goods.
"Right…" Sasuke paused, looking at the small, friendly shop wherein lay hundreds of books, ready for the taking. "Last stop."
"Why are you so interested in reading?" Sakura asked suddenly, looking at Sasuke through bright green eyes.
"Hmm? I don't know. I just want more than this provincial life." Sasuke decided, not even glancing at the girl.
"Sasuke… you have a much bigger vocabulary than is healthy." She sighed as Sasuke disappeared into the book shop.
"Ah! Good morning Sasuke!" cried Sarutobi, grinning at the arrival of his favorite customer.
"Good morning. Got any new books in today?" Sasuke asked, handing the book he had been carrying back to the elderly man.
"Finished already? You eat these books I swear." Murmured Sarutobi, shaking his head.
"Oh that's alright. I'll just borrow one of the old ones." Sasuke grinned goodnaturedly, climbing onto the ladder across the broad shelves of books.
"And which one would that be?" Sarutobi asked inquisitatively, reshelving the book Sasuke had just returned.
"Oh! That's easy! Daring swordfights, enchanted castles, a prince in disguise!" Sasuke flew across the shelf of books, reinacting the words he had just proclaimed. He grabbed said book and then slid down the ladder.
"Well… if you like it all that much, its yours." The old man smiled at Sasuke's shocked expression.
"I couldn't!" Sasuke gasped.
"I insist." Sarutobi held the door open, "Now go back to your brother." He prodded the handsome man out the door.
"Thank you!" Sasuke called, stepping out of the door and heading back up the street.
Sasuke rolled his black eyes at a small huddle of peeping tomasinas who had all been looking through the window at him.
Sasuke saw the tiny cottage he shared with his brother when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into the handsome face of Orochimaru. He had pale skin and bright yellowish eyes.
"Why hello Sasuke. How are you?" he asked sleazily.
"Fine Orochimaru." Sasuke put on a forced smile. He really did despize the older man.
"That's good." Orochimaru put an arm around Sasuke. "Lets say we go back to the tavern and I show you my trophy?" to emphysize the point, the taller man rolled his pelvis into Sasuke, who flinched from the contact. 'perv' he though immediately.
"I'm sorry Orochimaru. I have to help my brother."
As if for perfect timing, a huge explosion went off in the hut.
"Oh!" Sasuke groaned and took off at a run.
It took him a few moments to reach the cottage and run through the basement to find his brother obscured in smoke.
"O-Oni-chan!?" Sasuke coughed.
"I'm alright Sasuke!" Itachi gasped, clearing the smoke from his face. "Something went wrong again for the machine!" Itachi gasped, pulling off his eyeglasses and ruffling his long black hair, graying slightly yet still as black as Sasuke.
"Obviously." Sasuke sighed, helping his brother to pick up the scattered bits and pieces of the machine Itachi was trying to build.
"Um… Oni-chan, what exactly will this machine do?" Sasuke asked, frowning as he picked up a thick blade.
"Ah! This machine will help us out immensely! This will chop wood for us!" Itachi explained happily, screwing the parts of the machine back onto it. "So you'd have a good time in town?" he asked.
"I suppose. I got another book." Sasuke sighed, sitting down on a bench and handing his elder brother a wrench.
"Something happen?" Itachi asked suspiciously, looking at Sasuke through his goggles.
"Orochimaru happened." SAsuke grumbled, frowning slightly and dipping his head to skim through his book.
"He's a handsome one though Sasuke."
"Oh yea! He's handsome alright. And rude and arrogant! Oh Itachi, he's not for me. Not by a long shot." Sasuke rolled his eyes, glaring at his brother's back, who was screwing back on a piece of the machine.
"Alright! Lets fire it up again!" Itachi grinned and lit the giant stove in the machine's belly.
The machine rattled and Sasuke put his precious book over his head, getting ready for the rain of wood chips and bits of machinery.
But incredibly, it worked! The wood was split perfectly and the logs were thrown over Itachi's head.
"It works! It works Sasuke!" Itachi cried, a grin splitting his face.
"You did it Oni-chan!" Sasuke smiled and hugged his brother, dancing around with him.
"I'm off to the fair!" Itachi cried.
Sasuke waved goodbye as his brother drove off in the horse drawn carriage.
Meanwhile, miles away, a lanky creature sat on furry blonde haunches in front of a tiny glass case, within which was a single red rose, just bloomed and as red as blood. The beast's large blue eyes saddened for a moment. He gripped the rug at his paws with humanoid hands, tearing the expensive rug with sharp claws. Nine tails lashed slowly side to side.
"Tsunade… why are you doing this to me?" he growled in a deep raspy voice, fighting back tears that threatened to darken the blonde fur.