Author's Note: this was written for the prompt 'winter'. Sasuke-centric, rating maybe T for mentions of violence, has spoilers for the Sasuke retrieval arc (obviously, since it's Sound-centric...). Enjoy!

Prompt: Winter

(the snow reminds Sasuke of things he's tried to forget)

Winter in Sound was different than Sasuke had expected. But then, most things in Sound were different than Sasuke had expected. He was left to himself, mostly, to do whatever he wanted. He was getting stronger, he could feel it--there was no downside. This was the right decision. Sasuke wouldn't say he was happy at Sound, but he hadn't been happy in Konoha either, not since the night his brother had shattered Sasuke's world into a million pieces that would never fit together again.

But then winter had come, and suddenly being left to his own devices wasn't so appealing anymore. Sasuke couldn't train every second of his waking hours, and in those moments of rest, memories would assault him. Memories of snow...

It was the first snowfall of the year, and five-year-old Sasuke hadn't been able to wait for one more second to run out and play in it. He scooped up a handful of the cold, wet crystals, packing them into a ball. Laughing, Sasuke threw it at a tree, pretending he was Itachi throwing a shurikan at an enemy shinobi.

"Kapow!" Sasuke shouted when the snowball hit the tree's trunk and burst into white powder. "I got 'im!"

"Got who?"

Sasuke whirled around, his face lighting up. "Big brother!" Itachi had come to play with him! There was nothing Sasuke liked better than spending time with his brother.

"I told you to wait for me."

"But you were taking forever!" Sasuke whined.

"I was gone for two minutes," Itachi said, shoving something into Sasuke's arms. "Now put on your coat. It's cold out here, you could get sick."

Grumbling under his breath, Sasuke shoved his arms through the sleeves of the coat and buttoned it up. It was the first snow! He couldn't wait around for Itachi to get his coat--there was no time to waste!

Itachi smiled at him, the smile he only showed to Sasuke. "You're so impatient. The snow's not going anywhere, little brother."

Sasuke beamed up at him; he could never stay annoyed at Itachi for very long. "C'mon, let's play!"

"I have a mission tomorrow...I don't have time to play with you," Itachi said, turning to go.

"But--!" Sasuke scowled. "You always say that! Just for a little bit..."

Itachi sighed, then turned around. "...fine. But just for a little."

"Yay!" Sasuke didn't think he could ever, in his whole entire life, be happier than he was right then.

Sasuke shook his head. Thinking about Itachi now just made him angry. But he wasn't strong enough to kill his brother...not yet. He would get stronger, though. That was the most important thing--no, it was the only thing in his life. The only thing that mattered.

Blinking, Sasuke raised a hand to brush snowflakes out of his eyelashes. The snow stung his skin, like needles...needles and ice...

The masked boy was impossibly fast, teleporting from one mirror of ice to the next so quickly that even Sasuke's sharingan eyes could barely follow it. He was trapped, trapped by walls of ice, he and Naruto were pinned down and although Sasuke's mind was racing, he couldn't think of a way out. But he couldn't die--Itachi was still alive, he couldn't die yet! There must be a way, he just had to think of it, just had to think...

The masked boy was moving again, holding more of those senbon needles between his fingers--another attack. Sasuke focused his eyes on the boy's hands, getting ready to dodge. He couldn't get hit again...each blow slowed him down a little more, and if he wasn't careful, he wouldn't be able to dodge at all...

"This is the end!"

But the needles weren't aimed at him. Attacking...Naruto!?
Damn it! Please let me make it in time...

Pain pierced through his entire body as the needles drilled into him. He was barely standing...but...no...he couldn't die...Itachi...he had to...had to...

Sasuke grimaced, forcing the memory away. That was...a mistake. He had made a mistake that day. He had been fighting on instinct and adrenaline, and he had thrown himself in front of Haku's attack without thinking. A mistake.

"I won't die for anyone," Sasuke whispered, his breath visible in the cold air. "I won't sacrifice myself for anyone. I exist to kill Itachi. They...they were holding me back..."

Naruto and Sakura's faces drifted before his mind's eye. Smiling at him...fighting with him...supporting him. A team...

"No," he muttered. "I was weak with them. They were weak. Now...now I'll become stronger. On my own, I'll become strong enough to kill him."

Sasuke rubbed at his arms, shivering. He really should have put on some warmer clothes before coming outside. It had been a stupid idea anyway, coming out to watch the first snowfall.

"Hey, you."

Sasuke spun around, muscles already tensing for a fight even though he knew that voice. Probably because he knew that voice.

Kabuto threw something at Sasuke. "Don't you know enough to wear a coat when it's snowing out? It'll be bothersome if you get sick and I have to fix you."

Sasuke had caught the coat mostly on instinct. He stared at Kabuto, uncomprehending. This was weirdly nice--for Kabuto, anyway--and that made Sasuke extremely suspicious.

His brother handing him a coat. Taking care of him.

His brother standing over the bodies of their parents, his eyes as cold as snow.

"I hate you," Sasuke blurted out, without quite knowing why.

"That's nice," Kabuto said, turning to go. "Don't stay outside too long."

Sasuke watched him leave, still clutching the coat in his hands. The wind was starting to pick up, driving snow into his face. He should really go back inside; it would be warmer. There was nothing to do or see outside anyway.

He would go back inside in just a moment. Just a moment. Just for one more moment, Sasuke wanted to pretend that he was back home, and his brother was kind, and his friends were with him. Just for one more moment.

But it really was cold, and Sasuke was starting to have trouble feeling his fingers and toes. He turned and went inside, hurriedly wiping his cheeks. The wind had stung his eyes. That was all.

It was impossible that he was crying.