Part I:Mild or Severe Insanity?

Sasuke lies awake in bed, eyes glazed over in pain. He had long since ceased his agonized screams, screams which he muffled by biting his would not give them the satisfaction.

He had long since lost the ability to foucus on anything. He had become numb. If he was bleeding, he couldn't feel it, though he was sure he was. He healed far slower than he used to. His ability to heal weakened by the curse mark and the twisted experiments he had been through. The elders had probably given him anesthetic to lessen the pain. He had long since become immune to any such thing.

He can hear muffled voices, running steps and harsh breathing but he can't bring himself to care. He tilts his head to where he assumes the door is and focuses as hard as he can. His team Taka, and Team 7 come bursting through the door. He stares blankly at them, his eyes still glazed over and barely able to focus. They ask him if he's alright. If he's okay. Alright? Okay? He wanted to laugh. Such a moronic notion.

He grinned lopsidedly, the kind of twisted grin a corpse would give you before launching itself forward and devouring your esophagus. Oh yes, he was just fine. Their eyes widened with horror and he began to laugh. A dark, chilling sound. It wasn't a sound of joy, on god no. It sounded insane, pained, twisted. One of them undid his bonds and helped him sit up. He was still laughing. His laughs gave way to violent coughs which shook his malnourished and shriveling frame. He must have coughed up two pints of blood into his hands. He stared at the crimson liquid before bursting into another fit of insane laughter.

He could practicaly feel them shake in fear of him. They feared him.
They FEARED him. He laughed harder, clutching his bleeding sides and ripped open the wounds as he doubled over. He abruptly halts his laughter, breathing hard. He slid off the metal table and onto the concrete floor, collapsing after his first step and into a firm chest. He did not bother to see who it was, he simply could not bring himself to care. It was all just so fucking funny,so he started to chuckle. Not a full-blown laugh or cackle, but just as broken.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?", someone asks. He grins and pushes himself away from the strong chest, gripping the side of the metal table for stability and stands as straight as he can. He raises his head to look at them, concern and fear marring all their faces. He grinned the same grin as before, his amusment evident. "Am I alright", he asks, "am I okay?"
He speaks them brokenly as a statement. He leans on the table and turns his face towards the ceiling. He looked thoughtful. "I cannot count how many", he started, "I have lost count long ago". They watched him suspiciously,eyeing the young man. But, he could not be called a man. He was a boy. He was sixteen. "Can you guess", the raven started, still not looking at them."I lost count", he turns his head towards them, staring blankly, then turns his head back to the ceiling, "at one thousnad, five hundred and eighty one." "What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun", Sakura asks. He stays silent for a moment, before looking back at her. He grinned again, the same corpse grin from before. "Why I speak of the body count of course. The number of people I have killed." At this he fell to his knees.

"I regret adding you name to that list", was all he muttered before going silent. He sat on the cold grey floor, sitting on his legs, hands uptured in his lap, head down. His bangs hid any view of his face,and only one stepped forward. Kneeling before the boy Kakashi rested his large hand on the ravens shoulder, eyes gentle and caring. "I know." He started "Now, lets get out of here. He wouldn't want you in such a place." The raven simply nodded before grabbing onto Kakashi's strong arms. Leaning on him as he lifted his weary, broken body from the cold, hard floor.

Externally he looked calm and sullen, he knew. But internally, why, he couldn't stop laughing.

You laughed too, internally, didn't you. You also thought it was funny. It is. Moronic people with their insignificant worries. So carefree. So fucking clueless it was hilarious.

Kakashi lifted him into his arms bridal style, the blonde's eyes sparkled with jealousy.

Ah, yes. Foolish dreamers they were. Always filled with hope. How he had come to loathe that dammned word. Always content that the protagonist would defeat the antagonist or convert them. Then it would be a happy little end to a happy little story with no real tragedy. At least not for someone who has experienced real tragedy. So many movies that were dubbed tragedy because the protagonist was an orphan, or only had one parent, or was poor.
But the main character always saw the bright side. They'd laugh and smile with their friends, then when it was time for bed they'd cry themselves to sleep. They'd cry because their mommy was a slut, or their daddy was in jail. Or maybe because they recently went to the funeral of a family member, or family friend. They'd cry, but you never did see any sadness or lonliness in such people's eyes. You could go to an orphanage and find the most broken child. He has. But there was no sadness or pain in their eyes. Eyes that searched for pity. Pathetic.

They walked silently through the corridors, all eyes on him. His head was lowered, his bangs abstructing any view of his face. Not that it mattered. Behind his bangs his crooked grin grew.

Protagonists and their obnoxious little friends were so very annoying, but so very fun to fuck with.

He could be called a sadist, he supposed, enjoying every fucking minute of their trembling. They could also call him a masochist, getting stronger through pain, sometimes inflicting it to reassure himself he was alive, not yet a corpse.

It didn't matter though. Who really cared of the opinion of the dead,
anyway? Why no one, of course.

He could feel eyes on him, but not from the living. No, from hell below and heaven above. His brother was looking down on him from the heavens above.

You're watching me. What are you waiting for? What are you searching for? I can feel your presence in this world, but why are you here?

Stupid questions he supposed, but he didn't know the answers.

Are you here for me? Why would you be? I don't require or deserve it. No, forget that. I doesn't matter if I require it, I don't deserve it. I don't fucking deserve it!

He squinted slightly as the bright morning sun assaulted his eyes.
He had no idea how long he was underground, but the season had changed. It was now late fall, the days getting shorter and colder. Soon snow would cover the ground. "Hold on tight." He raised his head to look at man's statement had an obvious flaw, but he didn't point it out. He wasn't holding on to anything. And even if he was, it wouldn't have mattered. kakashi held him in a vice grip close enough to his chest that Sasuke could hear the man's heartbeat. He lowered his head again and looked at his lap.
His slender hands laid there limply, his knuckles still scarred and bloody.
Once again holding in sickening laughter, he let his mind wander...

And wander it did. His eyes drooped as he let his mind take control,
a truly stupid idea but he couldn't bring himself to care. And so the concious nightmare begins....

/Slow, deliberate breathing invaded his senses, controlling his heartbeat and his racing thoughts, attempting to tame his rabid mind. He could feel it assaulting his nerveous system, slowly killing him. And he savoured every minute of it. He always had though, hadn't he?

He heard the slow drip-drop, the only sound anyone could hear, he supposed. But he could hear so much more. He could hear the pumping of hearts, the flow of blood, hell he could even hear food being digested and the electric sparks travelling down spines, giving the brain's commands to the rest of the body. Yes he could hear it all. And if he listened hard enough, he could probably hear their thoughts. And oh, what thoughts they'd be. What delicious, fearful thoughts they'd be.