Disc: Naruto is not mine, yadda yadda.
Sasuke was the self-proclaimed avenger. He was often cold in his manner and seemed to prefer solitude. He would drive himself on through grueling practice sessions and battles, pushing to become strong enough to get revenge and restore his clan's honor.
Even so, Sasuke was a respected ninja in Konoha and his team came to value him greatly. Despite his usual emotional distance, Sasuke always had their back. Together Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto had been formidable team, and Sasuke had saved both of them more than once.
But after Orochimaru cursed him, his drive to avenge his clan became mixed with a terrible thirst for power. Suddenly things that Sasuke had abhorred as steps too far to obtain his goal were starting to seem reasonable. He remembered things his brother had done to increase his powers and found himself contemplating them overlong.
Itachi had told him how to unlock greater powers of his Sharingan. With clinical detachment he had explained how he murdered his closest friend. To have any hope of obtaining Mangekyou Sharingan and becoming stronger than Itachi, Sasuke too would have to kill his best friend.
Sasuke had always sought to be alone. Others were unnecessary, he had lost his family and that was it for him. Yet despite his resolve, unknowingly he had formed an intense attachment. Sasuke had blinded himself to the connection until the day it suddenly became threatened, and Sasuke had found himself willingly giving his life to protect it.
He hadn't been happy at the realization. He believed attachments to be weaknesses, and felt resentment about it, as though he were the victim of cheap trickery.
Eventually it became too much for Sasuke, the curse, his thirst for power, and his resentments, drove him from Konoha, and straight to Orochimaru.
Naruto had not let him go easily. The blond had followed him, demanding that he see reason and come back. This was the first time Sasuke tried to kill Naruto…
Naruto had fought with astonishing ferocity and passion. And Sasuke had known it wasn't for the satisfaction of winning or for honor that he fought like that, but because Naruto felt the same as he did. Naruto's closest connection to anybody… was with him.
Sasuke had watched the disbelief, anger and hurt in Naruto as they fought. He had watched those eyes scream with emotion when they realized that Sasuke had every intention of killing him. Yet he fought on, stubborn in his belief that he could save him from Orochimaru, and from himself. But Sasuke didn't want to be saved. The fight had been brutal, long lasting and had torn at both of them.
Chidori met Rasengan. Sasuke had watched his hand drive Chidori through Naruto's chest easily, like a hot blade to melting butter. He had seen Naruto's face contort in pain and realized, that in the same moment, Naruto had deliberately diverted his attack and had scratched Sasuke's forehead protector harmlessly instead.
Inside the energy ball formed from the collision, they had floated in eerie stillness, the eye of the storm, and simply looked at each other. Even influenced by their cursed forms, their eyes had bespoken the intensity of their pain, and they drowned in the memories of all the times they had depended on each other, enjoyed each others company, teased each other, and taken everything for granted. Everything was in those eyes, in those few seconds of raw honesty.
In the next moment, the ball erupted in powerful blinding light. When the light had faded; Naruto lay unconscious and broken at Sasuke's feet, his face still and relaxed; utterly vulnerable. Sasuke had his chance to finally deliver the killing blow, severing his indefinable bond with the bold and foolish ninja.
The cold rain began to pour like crying Gods… Sasuke's heart ached. Looking down, the sight of the blond at his feet had anguished him. There in the material covering Naruto's chest, was the gaping hole were moments before Sasuke had thrust his hand right through, like Naruto meant nothing. He should have died, but the skin below was intact. Sasuke hadn't known Naruto could heal himself; he surely would have been standing over Naruto's lifeless body otherwise.
The cursed mark on his shoulder flared up and he had fallen to his knees, gripping his shoulder in pain, and coughing up blood. When he had recovered somewhat, he realized his face was just above Naruto's, and he stared down at the person who had given everything to try and bring him back. In contrast to the bone chilling rain, he had felt the gentle heat radiating from Naruto.
For a long time he'd remained there, memorizing every detail of Naruto for what was probably the last time. His face, his smell, his warmth… Even at this point, he had wanted to see something that would have give him the strength to finish him, to break their ties, obtain Mangekyou Sharingan, and to prove that he was stronger than anything, and stronger than his attachment to Naruto.
But in that moment, gazing down on the battered body of the boy who had somehow become closer to him than anyone before; all he had seen and all he took with him was pain, wretched and hollow.
Shakily he had risen to his feet and made his way through the forest, stumbling and clutching the curse mark at his shoulder. He had betrayed his best friend and there was no going back. He had known there would be necessary prices to pay to become stronger. When he walked away he had tried to convince himself that he was not weak, that Naruto was nothing to him. He rambled and justified everything until eventually he had almost convinced himself…
He could have killed the blond idiot, but it would be following Itachi's path. He would become far more powerful than Itachi in his own way. And that was the reason Naruto was still alive. It had nothing to do with his feelings for him…. Nothing.
4 YEARS LATER...
"Sakura. Kakashi. To what do I owe this inconvenience?"
Sakura glared back fiercely at him with watery, red rimmed eyes.
"Sasuke."
Next chapter we find out what on earth is wrong with Sakura, and where is Naruto?
Thanks for reading! Please review.
