Sasuke looked around the corner, hoping his brother was there. He wasn't. As he rounded the corner and kept running, Orochimaru's voice whispered words into his head; words that echoed around his skull and hurt badly. "He doesn't love you," the voice said. "Madara was lying. The only reason he didn't kill you along with your parents is because you were weak. You are weak, Sasuke. You couldn't even save yourself." With tears in his eyes, he kept running. He left the complex where he had trained for so long with Orochimaru and ran. Running across the desert was the only solace he could find, short of killing himself. If only he could just find Itachi and ask him if it was true. Then he would know for sure and prove that the whispers were wrong. His brother wasn't so cruel as they said, surely...

-------Several Days Later-------

Day 1

It hurts. It feels like the pain should have killed me by now, but it hasn't. Orochimaru said that he was the only way for me to gain more power, but Kakashi-sensei taught me more than HE ever did...It's late. Naruto's voice before I left keeps repeating in my head: You don't have to do this, Sasuke.

I'm sorry, everybody. I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to.

Day 3

Naruto found where I am and stopped in. He started an argument with me again over what I'm doing. I don't think he believes that I will find Itachi and ask him what he killed the clan for. Did he really do it for the village, like Madara said? Or was it just for him to test his strength, like Orochimaru said?

Day 7

Naruto came again, and this time he brought Sakura. As if that could get me to go back. Pfft. She started crying over me again, like she always does. Some of the things she said really bother me, though. She asked me why I was really doing this. I even remember her exact words, and my response to them. I know I hurt her, though. She brought up some bothersome questions...and she started crying when I got carried away and shouted at her. Here's what we said:

"Go away, Sakura. I told Naruto not to bring you."

"Why are you doing this, Sasuke? Do you really want to kill the only family you have left?"

"What do you know about it? When I left for Orochimaru, you did the same thing and started crying because of me. Why did I think it would be any different now? You still have that misguided crush on me that you've had since we were ten. Why are you still chasing after me? Just go."

"You're avoiding the question. Why are you doing this? What will this do for you? At least tell me something!"

"No, Sakura! You don't need to know anything. You don't know how lonely it gets when you don't have a family. Think about it! My entire family is dead except my psychopathic mass-murder of a brother. I don't want to have any family at all if having him is the alternative. He hates me! He killed my parents! Now, tell me this: Why do you care so much!?"

That's where she turned and left. I couldn't help it, I blew up. Everything, every hateful feeling, every...every murderous thought I had ever had came out all at once and I started shouting at her. I need to sort out all of this as soon as I can.

Day 10

My ideas are all clear now. I will kill my brother because he killed the only family I will ever have.

He murdered my family in cold blood.

I will not forgive that.

Day 11

I'm getting stronger, I can feel it. In a few days I would be strong enough to find that man and kill him. My entire existence is hung on that moment. Naruto and Sakura haven't visited for a while. I think they finally got the message that I don't want to see them anymore. This is an improvement.

Day 12

Today. THEY. Came.

AGAIN.

They're being very persistent. It gets on my nerves. They know very well by now that I'm not coming back until That Man is dead.

Sakura argued again. It's annoying how she always knows exactly how to get on my nerves and into my head. Today it was more of the "Why can't I stay by your side" crap that she spouted last time. I snapped again. She doesn't understand! Nobody understands! Everybody else has some person that they can look up to and use as their example of a good adult, like a "I wanna be like this person" type of thing. I don't have that. I never DID have that. They all have cozy little lives with their families and friends all around them, praising their every word. They can have that. I'm better off by myself.

First chapter of my first fic, I'm so excited! I'm surprised that my obsession went this far, honestly...yeah. Read and tell me what you think! Give me a reason to keep writing it, because, frankly, I'm the kind of person that starts something and never finishes it. I need a reason to finish something, and having an audience is usually a good enough reason to keep going. Thank you!

Nomura