Disclaimer: Do I really need to say this? I don't own Naruto, or Simple Plan.

A/N: This took me way too long to write. Writers block sucks like nothing else.

Sasuke scowled irritably at the various targets around him. …still only five out of eight…He sighed as he began the annoying task of retrieving his kunai. He winced as his ankle sent up a twinge of pain, and smiled bitterly at the memory it invoked. …Itachi… His family's murderer always was the perfect shinobi, just what his father wanted. …otousan…

Hey dad look at me
Think back and talk to me
Did I grow up according to plan?
And do you think I'm wasting my time
Doing things I wanna do
But it hurts when you disapprove all along

Itachi was in the past though, and this was the now. And why, why, WHY couldn't he get that technique right? He was sure it wasn't because he was doing it wrong. Even if it was years since the first time he had saw it, he still remembered it as if it was just the day before.


And now I try hard to make it
I just want to make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
I can't pretend that I'm alright
And you can't change me

Sasuke growled as he walked up the nearest tree and yanked out a kunai imbedded a good inch from the target. He grimaced as he put a little too much pressure on his twisted ankle, unwanted memories, buried by years of anger suddenly swirled up with the pain.


Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect

He smiled, but it was a bitter smile. The first time he had tried this, he had completely twisted his ankle. But his brother, no, that man, was there as well and carried him home. His smile grew even wider and gave a turn for the vicious, Home? What home? Home is defined by where the family lives and I no longer have any…no okaasan to clean my cuts, no aniki to for me to annoy, no otousan to try to please…


I try not to think
About the pain I feel inside
Did you know you used to be my hero
All the days you spent with me
Now seem so far away
And it feels like you don't care anymore

Sasuke calmed down as he took a deep breath. Again. His eyes snapped open, Sharingan whirling, as he gave as half-flip in a vertical leap. His black and crimson eyes spun as they calculated the trajectory and force required for a perfect bullseye.


And now I try hard to make it
I just want to make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
I can't stand another fight
And nothing's alright

He snarled in frustration as his body failed to match his eyes' predictions, as they started calculating where his kunai would actually land. He landed crouching, his Sharingan whirling one final time before fading away. He didn't even need to turn around, he knew that he had failed again. Che…only four this time… He slowly straightened up, and this time audibly winced as his ankle started protesting the weight he subjected it to. Sasuke sighed as he allowed himself a small break.


Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect

As he stared out at the shadowy forest canopy, he absently began trying to improve his jutsu speed, as his hands started flashing through familiar seals, his mind barely acknowledging the twisting of his digits. …I wonder how long it took him to master this technique… A sudden flash of anger erupted from deep inside him, and brought his chakra up with it. The familiar warmth of a fire jutsu in progress was the only warning he received before a wave of fire emerged from his lips. He solemnly stared as the hungry flames licked the branches in a familiar shape. Goukakyuu no jutsu…


Nothing's gonna change the things that you said
Nothing's gonna make this right again (right again)
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you
But you don't understand (you don't understand)

As the last of the wisps of flame burned themselves out, the ashes of stray leaves and branches slowly drifted towards the forest floor. Sasuke's eyes stared at the dying light of chakra-fed flames. …that's the basic Uchiha ninjutsu…an Uchiha member is only seen as an adult when he can use the Katon jutsus…hmm, you haven't reached Itachi's level yet. Perhaps for you it was still too early…Father, please come with me…Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!…As I expected, you are my child. From now on, you may shamelessly wear the family crest on your back…do not follow after your brother…Sasuke's eyes snapped open as the ghost of his father's voice kept whispering in his ears. He smiled bitterly, So I shouldn't follow my brother then? I wonder, would you say the same thing if you were here now?


Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect

He grimanced slightly as his body protested his upward movement, then continued protesting as he started to walk back to the center of the clearing. He snarled slightly at his weakness as he grabbed the kunai imbedded into the ground and irritably flipped them to cleanse off the small layers of ash that had settled on them.


Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect

He quietly settled himself into the starting neutral pose, facing the ring of targets, kunai held loosely between your fingers, and Sharingan activated behind closed eyes. And then there was movement. The leap, the flip, the throwing, and the ensuing snarl in mid air as Sasuke once again took score and found himself lacking. When he landed though, his bad ankle slightly twisted out from under him, sending more waves of pain through his body. He unwrapped the bandages surrounding his ankle, and, with the ease of one who has done this before, prodded and inspected the joint as waves of throbbing pain came with each poke. It was slightly swollen, but the dark red of blood showed prominently beneath his ghost-pale skin.

For some unknown reason, Sasuke's mind made the connection that the color reminded him of burnt skin; the fact that the pain felt burning only helped that odd thought grow. When he absently prodded a dark spot though, twisting pain shot up his leg again, …do not follow after your brother…Sasuke frowned as the painful memory refused to be reburied.

He winced as he rewrapped his ankle, notably tighter than before to compensate for the sprain. As the constant throbs of pain threatened to disrupt his concentration, he paused as a thought struck him. …what if… His mind raced furiously as the idea took seed. This time, his body twisted instead of flipped, tossed instead of thrown, and this time…hm…seven out of eight…

A/N: God that was horrible. My ending sucks.