Sasuke stared, red eyes fading to black. Before him laid his latest mission, his latest accomplishment, his latest "triumph". His goal had been the assassination of some lord in the Land of Fire. The man's bodyguards hadn't even been a challenge, and while it hadn't been strictly necessary to kill them, Orochimaru did like him to display a certain... bloodthirstyness.
The target himself had actually put up more of a fight, though that wasn't saying much. The man had wielded his katana with familiarity, but one lightning-infused strike from Sasuke's blade had ripped half the man's head off. Using the Sharingan had been overkill.
Now, as Sasuke stared at the spray of blood before him, he couldn't help but wonder what Naruto would think of the person he had become. Would he still try so hard to get him back if he knew how far his one-time friend would truly go for power?
Everything about this mission had reminded him of Naruto. From the very beginning, when Orochimaru had given him the task and its location, his first thought had been of Konoha and Team Seven. Ridding himself of memories had proved futile when he'd realized his path would take him right through the Valley of the End. Even though it cost him a day and a half, he gave the valley a wide berth. His weakness plagued him the entire way to his destination.
When he found his target, Sasuke again cursed his luck. The guy even looked like Naruto. He was young, probably only a year or two older than Sasuke. His eyes were a flat shade of blue, somehow lacking the same spark as Sasuke's old teammate, but his smile was just as white, and just as wide. His hair fell all over his head in shades of brown almost light enough to be called blond.
And he was loud. Everywhere he went, he was talking. He talked to his servants, his bodyguards, the people at the market. He talked to random people going down the street. The only time he was quiet was when he was eating, which he did a lot. He ate as though he'd been starving before destiny placed him in the lap of luxury. The empty dishes that would accumulate before him reminded Sasuke all too well of afternoons spent at Ichiraku Ramen.
It irked Sasuke that this man could act so carefree. He clearly came from poorer circumstances, and here he was, practically flaunting his wealth. Didn't the guy have better things to do with his time (and money)? Where were his "friends" now? Had he just left them callously behind at the first sign of a better opportunity? 'So much for loyalty these days,' he thought with a sneer.
But as Sasuke followed the man around, he realized that the people he talked to in passing were those that were in need of help, and somehow, the not-quite blond would find a way to aid them. As he listened unobtrusively from a nearby vendor, he learned that the guy took an honest interest in the people and their wares, almost always buying something of value. As he watched, unseen, in the man's very house, he came to undertand that the man held genuine regard for his servants, that he saw them, not as employees, but as friends.
So it was that when the the time came to carry out his assigned task, Sasuke sought out his target. And with eyes that bled crimson, he faced down Naruto, and he killed him.
For a moment longer, he stared, etching the scene irrevokably into his mind: body fallen haphazardly to the floor, blood sprayed, wet and glistening, across the bed and the walls, seared and shattered bone scattered carelessly in the corners of the room.
His eyes lingered on lifeless blue once more, and then, with a whisper like a sigh, Sasuke was gone, leaving silence behind.
an: I'll admit, this does not feel like my best work. I think, if I wasn't so lazy, I might go back and just rewrite the whole thing from scratch. Please let me know your thoughts, and ways I might improve it! I promise to give every suggestion the consideration it deserves!