Mother Nature wasn't cutting anyone slack today. The rain poured down hard like the angels were weeping, blurring the world around. It fitted too, the tears.
Time was running out, not that anyone could ever beat time.
I won't let you down. Not again. He vowed in silence.
Sasuke pressed on through the trees to where his sources told him Itachi was hidden.
It was important that he get the right information, and Sasuke wasn't sorry that he had broken the ninja's arm to obtain it. But as naive as he's been, he wasn't that stupid. Itachi wanted to be found otherwise he wouldn't have left a trail.
He was taunting him.
Toying with him like a selfish child would tease his new pet by putting its food out of reach.
But the item wasn't food. It was a person. A girl.
Sasuke could see her pink hair in his mind's eye, stained with blood. He pictured her how he had seen her last. Her body crumpled on the ground, abused and dirty, like a discarded rag doll. Cuts covered her body. And Sasuke remembers telling himself that its never as bad as it looks.
How stupid he was. It was as bad as it looked. Possibly worse. Nothing good could have ever come from being near his older brother, the murderer of their own clan.
The hatred grew in him at thought of his brother. Not just his brother, though, but for himself as well.
I never should have left her alone. She didn't want to wait in the room.
He remembered the hurt look on her face as he turned and shut the door on her. Little did he know that Itachi was right there, outside the building, waiting to see his next move.
And she was left there like a sitting duck. It wouldn't have been any easier if he actually hung up a sign that said, 'We are here. Attack us'

"Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!"
Sasuke growled at himself, stomping on a branch, shattering it, as he continued on. His eyes glared out between the strands of hair on his face that was plastered there by the rain. Sakura was waiting for him and he wasn't about to let her down.

The city was large and washed out in the evening rain. Sasuke slowed down and panted quietly as he scanned the street. People still walked along the shops with umbrellas, probably looking for food or some Sake.
This was the city. The city were Itachi should be and where Sakura was being held.
Sakura...
Sasuke gripped the part of his shirt above his heart. It hurt to think of what she must be feeling.
Alone. Scared. Hurt.
Dead.
He froze in his tracks and people swerved to get around him.
Dead?
She couldn't be... could she?
He wouldn't.
...But he would. He was so cold-hearted that not even Sakura's pleading green eyes won't stop him, not even for a second. The guy did kill his whole clan. His family.
But not him. Not Sasuke.
A scream built up in his throat but Sasuke won't let it out. Instead he clenched his fists and stared up at the sky letting the rain wash over him.

"What do you want?"
He questioned to the sky.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?!"
Shouting louder, the people beside him quickly side-stepped away from him and hurried along with their business.
Others shot him him wearily glances and turned away.

He ignored them and began to walk on when a hand shot out from the shop he was next to, grabbing his sleeve.
"Hey, Kid. You don't want to start yelling like that here. It irritates people"

Sasuke shrugged off the old man's grip. He seemed vaguely familiar.
"Whats it to you?"

The man looked up at his headband.
"Hidden leaf village, huh?"

"I don't have time for this."
He growls and begins to walk off. After a few paces away, Sasuke sighs but is interrupted by the man again.

"Whats the rush?" he asked, walking along side him.

"Don't you ever take a hint?"
He snapped and the man laughed in his face.

"You kids are always so rude."
He looked up at the sky. "So what brings you to a village like this, kid?"

He didn't respond a moment.
"Is it any of your business?"

"Maybe not."
The man shrugs, "Figured a young ninja like you wouldn't be here for the scenery, if ya know what I mean."

He smiled nudging his head towards a group of girls standing outside a local bar. They looked their way and turned away, blushing and giggling.
"Bet a guy like you gets a lot of girls, eh?"

He glared at the man then at the girls before turning his eyes to the ground. He only cared about one girl right now.

He shook his head slightly and the old man glanced at him.
"Got something on your mind?"

"Why do you care? You're just some old pervert."

The man pretended to be offended.
"What? Me? I am not a pervert... I just like the ladies"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Are you on a mission here?"
He asked suddenly serious.

The sudden change in tone startled he slightly.
"Uh.. yeah.. No.. maybe.."
He rubbed his head in frustration a moment.
"She... It's not a mission like that. Its... Personal"

The old man nodded wisely in understanding.
"A girl. There's always a girl involved."

"I don't want to talk about it."
Sasuke muttered, running his hands over his hair, shaking away the rain.

They walked in silence for a long time before the man finally spoke up and what he said completely caught Sasuke off guard.
"Your brother has her, huh?"

The bold question caused Sasuke to stumble slightly before completely stopping.
"W-What did you just say"

Taking a few steps ahead, the old man stopped and regarded him with old sadness in his eyes.
"You're an Uchiha. Sasuke, right? The only surviving person in your clan, other than your brother that is. My guess is he found you some how and took something important from you. Who's the girl, if I may ask?"

Sasuke clenched his fists in shock and anger. How much did this old fart know? HOW does he know?

The answer to his questions walked towards him, his foot steps echoed to a stop behind and Sasuke turned to see. Standing there, clutching a stemming bag of food in the nook of his arm, a boy stared at him confusedly.
"Naruto...?"

He pushed a stray blond hair away from his eyes, not even bothering to shield himself from the drizzle.
"Sasuke? Why are all the way out here?"

Sasuke's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.
Naruto.
He couldn't tell him the truth.
Naruto would blame him. Blame him for Sakura's capture.

As if reading his thoughts, Naruto dropped his free arm to his side. His face instantly serious.
"Where's Sakura?"

He doesn't know if it was the accusation in Naruto's voice or his complete and utter exhaustion, but at the moment, Sasuke just could stay on his feet. Dropping his head, Sasuke fell to his knees and would've dropped face first into the street but a strong hand caught his shoulders. Sasuke glanced weakly at the old man.

"Let's get you out of the rain"
His nod was a mere tilt of his head and he let his his eyes close. Sleep consumed him as the aches of his travel finally soothed for the time being.

The room was strange to Sasuke as he slowly awoke. He blinked trying to remember what happened when he finally whiffed the smell of Ramen and he groaned weakly. He remembered now. Naruto found him last night with the old man. He struggled with his name but he knew it was Naruto's teacher. One of the three legendary ninjas. Jiraiya, right?

Sasuke sat up weakly and looked around.
Naruto was sleeping on his side at the other end of the room, Jiraiya was gone apartently.
With that, Sasuke began to stand up but pain shot up his legs and he fell back down on the mat. He rubbed his legs gingerly when a sound started him.

stretched and yawned loudly.
"Hey. You're up."

Sasuke just nodded, embarrassed by his display last night.

Naruto caught it and smiled meekly.
After a long moment of silence between them, Naruto stood up, walked to him, and sat down on his mat next to him, his face serious again.
"Sasuke--"

"I don't want to talk about it."
The young nin growled, struggling to stand up, get away. Anything. Anything to avoid the truth.

Naruto sighed and moved over as Sasuke fell back with a loud grunt.
"Its not like you can get away from me. Just tell me what happened"

He shook his head roughly.
"There's nothing to say, alright!"

"Where's Sakura?"

Pause.

"Gone."
It came out in a whisper of shame as Sasuke hung his head.

Naruto stiffening up.
"Gone where?"
He grew angry when he didn't respond and stood up, towering over his friend. The colloar of Sasuke's outfit was grasped tightly in his fists.
"Sasuke! Where is she? What happened to Sakura?!"

"He took her! ALRIGHT! HE took her!"
He shouted indignantly, waving wildly his hands at the window.

Naruto glanced at the window in confusion, his anger gone a moment, and released him.
"Him who?"
"Him...My brother... Itachi..."
Sasuke spit the name out like it was poison on his tongue.

The room grew deadly quiet as Naruto gazed at his fallen friend.
His look mixed with anger, hurt, confusion, pity. But mostly it was with understanding.
He stumbled back down next to his comrad.
"What happened?"
Sasuke sighed weakly and told him what happened.

In the end, Naruto only had one question.
"So where do we start?"