It was July 23rd, and where as anyone would by joyous of such a date he was clearly not. For him it was a constant reminder of what he once had and had come to lose. Something so close but yet so far away and though his brother sent cards wishing him happiness the emotion never registered within his mind. Happiness was a lost cause, a feeling he could never regain. In its place was an emptiness so deep, so hollow that it surprised him as to how he could continue on with this life. This tragic nightmare he lived, day after day. What angered him most was his inability to escape such a burden that had been bestowed upon him by the heavens, and surely he felt that any God of his were feeding off his pent up rage. He held no anger for the world, for it had committed no injustice, but at the people which inhabited it, the very ones who had stripped him of a normal life.
Because of them his parents were dead, buried six feet under in a cemetery where they laid their dearly beloveds. But they had been treated differently. For them there was no coffin, no person to see them off, no proper burial, for hopes that they would rot within the Earth, as most thought they deserved. No one had asked or bothered to think of how he would feel about such a thing, for they could care less. To the eyes of many his last name marked him as a traitor, a lost cause, a royal screw up. Not that he cared. He was the last of his clan, the last noble Uchiha. For all he cared Itachi had died along with his family, the weasel wasn't worth his appraisal. Why, he had left the first chance that had had presented itself, and for that the young boy resented him. When he had needed someone the most, his brother had left him to fend for himself, alone in the cruel world that had engulfed his own.
He allowed the letter to slip from his fingertips and fall to the floor with all the rest that he had disregarded from the previous years. Every holiday Itachi sent him a card wishing him some sort of happiness, and today was his birthday, the day he gathered up all the worthless pieces of trash and set them ablaze. He fished the lighter from his pocket and kneeled down as he placed the edge of the metal to the pile. His thumb pressing into the trigger as flames spread throughout the page, engulfing the pile in a sea of red. The edges recoiled as they burned, and soon the paper turned black as it perished along with the others, leaving behind nothing but ash. He blew the fire out, and closed his eyes hesitantly before opening them again, hoisting himself up as he kicked at the embers with the toe of his navy blue sneakers.
But soon he grew bored of lounging about, and decided upon going out to face the world, of allowing them the privilege of seeing his face. It wasn't everyday they got to be in the presence of a noble.
He snorted to himself, and approached the door, feeling the nob within the palm of his hand. His fingers circled around the metal as he turned it ever so gently, and with a tug the door swung open and a warm summer's breeze rushed through the newly found opening.
Sasuke stretched and then slowly made his way outside, the door falling shut behind him. He wasn't sure where to begin, or where to venture off to. He glanced towards the only tree lying in his finely cut yard, its branches supporting a family of blue jays. The parent's sat, perched on a branch as they listened to their babies call and cry out for their attention, and once it was feeding time one flew to the ground below him, and began digging in the dirt, in search of worms.
This sight brought a faint smile to his face, and he thought back to his own family, when they had been such. How he would give anything to go back, and rejoice with his kin. But it was impossible to do so, so he would just have to live within the time that lay embedded in his own painful memories.
He began on the road leading into town, looking to the houses that lined the streets, imagining the people who lived within. He began to daydream, and it wasn't until the streets began to grow crowded that he became aware of his surroundings. Lying before him was the old academy building, with its green colored walls, and red shackled roof. He thought back to the days he had spent dealing with the annoyance of a young blonde, his once best friend.
But through the years they had grown apart and gradually stopped talking. When they saw each other, it became a casual routine of awkward waves and glances. The last time he had spoken to the boy, he was going with Sakura, a young pink haired girl who angered the Uchiha greatly. But that had been years ago, and for a brief moment he found himself wondering where Naruto was now.
Kids were entering the old building, huddled in groups. And from the distance he saw a familiar face, though the boy had grown considerably. He was lean and tall, but wore much of the same attire. With those same orange goggles hanging from his neck, and that arrogant, stubborn look that still resided within him.
"O...Obito!" He called out and surely the boy turned, surprise registering upon his face. Hesitantly he made his way over to the older man, and hook his thumb within a belt loop as he slouched back, raising a dark eyebrow questioningly.
"Do you still talk to Naruto?"
"Course." The boy laughed, as if the question itself was a ridiculous thing to ask. But then his gaze met with Sasuke's and his grin faltered, "Why?"
"He wouldn't happen to live at the same place would he?"
Obito shook his head almost immediately as he folded his arms behind his head, "Nah. He and Sakura got a place together but then the bitch cheated on him. You should go pay him a visit; it'll do him some good." The boy took his backpack from his shoulder and searched the contents lying within for a piece of paper and a pen, quickly there was a sound of something tearing, and then he jotted down an address and handed the Uchiha the freshly torn note. "If he asks tell him I sent you."
Sasuke nodded, his way of thinking Obito, and the younger male then made his way back towards the building. He glanced down at his palm, where the note lied, and read the address once, then twice. He was going to visit his old friend, for the sake of seeing someone he had thought once worth his time, the only question was, would Naruto want to see him to?