Naruto could tell Sasuke was angry. He was trying to hide it behind his usual Uchiha mask and was failing miserably.

Naruto could see plainly the way the muscles in Sasuke's jaw were clenching and unclenching tightly; that was always a sign that Sasuke was about to lose any self-control he was managing to hold on to. It was rare for Sasuke to get this angry. Only Itachi and thoughts of how he had killed his family seemed to make Sasuke lose control this much and Naruto knew this time he had pushed things too far.

Sasuke stared down at Naruto, glaring intently. He didn't know how, but Naruto had managed to find him again even though he had doubled his efforts to keep his location secret. It really was unbelievably infuriating.

He had been covering his tracks perfectly, not leaving a single trace of where he had been. How is it that Naruto had so much spare time on his hands he managed to find him so consistently?

Things were getting difficult and it was all because of Naruto and his incessant chasing. Why couldn't he get the message? A sane, rational person would have realised by now that he wasn't coming back. Sasuke remembered how optimistic Naruto had been in their younger days, but this was pushing the boundaries and was bordering on stupidity.

But it seemed Naruto was living up to his nickname of 'dobe.' There he was, yet again, staring at him expectantly, as though he would forget everything and come running home.

On some level Naruto must realise he would never want to come back of his own free will. On the small chance he was captured and taken back to Konoha, Sasuke knew he would simply fight his way out again. They couldn't watch him forever; as soon as someone's eyes were off him, he would take the chance and run.

Orochimaru had started to question his loyalty. He was so suspicious Sasuke had to constantly watch his back. He never knew what Orochimaru might do. He was easily angered and unpredictable at the best of times. He even seemed to be suspicious of Kabuto occasionally, and Kabuto was supposedly the one person Orochimaru was able to trust.

When he was nervous and distrusting of a person, it was never a good combination. But the Sannin was right to be apprehensive about Sasuke.

They all knew he would never be loyal to Orochimaru. In fact, he had no loyalties to anyone or anything anymore. He had detached himself from people and quashed all his insignificant emotions.

All he cared about was finding Itachi, killing him, and getting his revenge like he had planned from the very beginning. The revenge he had deserved from the start.

He had made this commitment a long time ago, ever since that night when Itachi first killed his family and he would stick to it no matter what. No matter how many times Naruto got in the way he would make sure he followed through with his revenge. Itachi could not be allowed to roam free.

But Orochimaru had persisted with his accusations. He then began to realise that Sasuke could easily be a spy for Konoha, and all the attempts to bring him back had been staged in an attempt to make it look believable.

It seemed likely; Sasuke had never actually managed to kill any of his teammates, even though there had been many, many opportunities.

Even Sasuke had to admit he was looking a little suspicious, and through Orochimaru's paranoid eyes, it really would look as though he was still affiliated with Konoha.

Tsunade had wanted Orochimaru dead for a long time and she had made this perfectly clear to him. Ever since he first betrayed her and the village, she swore she would never forgive him.

This could be one of her plans, although he had to admit, for Tsunade, it was a little too long term for her. She always liked plans with quick actions and quick outcomes. Things like this that took a long time and waiting did not fit in well with her quick temper.

Orochimaru had then proceeded to let Sasuke know that he was planning an attack on Konoha. Sasuke hadn't reacted the way Orochimaru had suspected, so Orochimaru decided to take things further and let Sasuke know he would be part of the operation.

Sasuke didn't dare refuse; he needed Orochimaru to trust him. He needed his training to be completed if he ever hoped to become strong enough to fulfil his goal of killing Itachi. He didn't care about Konoha anymore.

If he had to help Orochimaru destroy the village, then so be it. As long as he kept out of the way of Naruto or any other members of team seven, he would be fine.

Orochimaru could quite easily turn around and tell Sasuke he wasn't going to train him anymore. If this happened, Sasuke knew there was nothing he could do. Orochimaru wasn't a person to give second chances.

Sasuke knew that Orochimaru had always originally wanted Itachi as his new body. Although Itachi wouldn't willingly give his body to Orochimaru, Sasuke knew that if Orochimaru wanted to risk it, he could still try and get Itachi. There was a good chance he could succeed too; Orochimaru was undeniably powerful.

If Sasuke had to decide who would be stronger between Orochimaru and Itachi, he knew there would be no way to choose. They both had such different strengths. The elder Uchiha had always been Orochimaru's first choice and Sasuke had to prove he was the better, stronger choice.

Now, Naruto had found him again. And this time he was completely alone without his usual team. If Sasuke let Naruto escape alive, it would become clear to Orochimaru that he couldn't be trusted. It would be the final straw.

Orochimaru had seemed placated by Sasuke's indifference towards the mentioned attack on Konoha, but meeting alone with Naruto like this would still look suspicious to him. If he let Naruto escape unscathed, it would be his undoing.

As usual, Naruto was ruining everything. The blonde didn't even know how close he was to destroying everything Sasuke had ever worked for.

"Stupid fucking dobe," Sasuke hissed to himself angrily.

He unsheathed his sword slowly, his eyes fixed assiduously on Naruto. The eerie silence was penetrated by the slow scraping of metal against metal as Sasuke pulled his sword out of the sheath to its full length.

He would make Naruto's death quick and painless; as much as he was an annoyance, Naruto didn't deserve to suffer. The blonde truly believed he was doing what was right. Naruto could never truly understand the concept of revenge. Naruto had never had a family.

He hadn't grown up with a large, close, extended family he cared about, only to have them slaughtered by his older sibling. Even thinking about what Itachi did make Sasuke grind his teeth together in anger.

No. Until Naruto lost something to that degree, he couldn't understand how he felt. The blonde could pretend to sympathise, but he could never come close to comprehending Sasuke's feelings. Sasuke knew if Naruto lost so much he would want revenge too. Any sane person would.

The blonde didn't even flinch as Sasuke's sword was revealed. He just looked up at Sasuke longingly, his eyes silently begging for acceptance.

For the first time, Naruto had come alone. Naruto knew it was a stupid idea; he didn't need to be told that by anyone. He could almost hear Sakura's voice nagging him in his head, telling him what he was doing was incredibly stupid and wrong.

But he also knew that if Sasuke really wanted to kill him, he would now have the opportunity. That is what he was planning on. He would give Sasuke the chance, and see exactly what Sasuke did with it.

Without Kakashi, Sakura, Sai or Yamato holding him back or protecting him, he could execute his plan all the way through. The plan was unbelievably risky and Kakashi would never have allowed it under any circumstances. He had to know one way or another.

Naruto had faith in Sasuke, but if he were wrong it would be his downfall. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he realised Naruto wasn't armed, or even in a defensive stance. Was the blonde foolish enough to think he wouldn't attack him?

He wasn't even wearing a weapon pouch and Sasuke couldn't see any other weapons Naruto was carrying. He didn't know what Naruto was planning, but he wouldn't let it interfere with his own plans.

He jumped down, reaching Naruto's level.

"It's good to see you again, Sasuke." Naruto said truthfully.

Sasuke was surprised at the tone of Naruto's voice. It wasn't as loud as usual. He wasn't shouting, or yelling about how he was going to drag him back to Konoha. How he had made a mistake going to Orochimaru and that he needed to come home before it was too late.

Perhaps Naruto finally realised his words were wasted on him. In fact, he was uncharacteristically quiet. He sounded sincere. But Sasuke ignored it.

Naruto had missed Sasuke more than he ever could have realised. He felt guilty as he stared at Sasuke. Sakura would have given just about anything just to see Sasuke again, yet here he was, selfishly taking the chance all alone.

It could take years for Sakura to find Sasuke again if this plan failed. It was an utterly self-centred decision, but he had waited a long time for this and he had to know if his Sasuke was still in there somewhere.

He had come close to finding out the first time they had caught up with Sasuke. When the raven had jumped down, wielding his sword, Naruto did nothing. He saw Sasuke swing the blade, but he hadn't known if it would hit him.

He had waited, wondering what Sasuke would do, wondering if he would be killed, but Sasuke's attack had been stopped. Naruto never knew what would have happened. Would Sasuke have stopped? Or would Sasuke have actually gone through with it and killed him? Now, neither Kakashi nor Yamato was going to be able to stop him.

When Sasuke launched the first hit, he realised at once that Naruto wasn't trying to fight back. He stopped, wondering what Naruto was planning. His eyes narrowed.

Did Naruto really think he was so weak that he didn't even need to keep his guard up? So what if Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed inside him? Sasuke had proven time and time again it didn't matter that Naruto had the fox's power behind him; he was still a worthy opponent.

"I wouldn't get cocky; I could kill you in a second if I wanted to," he spat, more than sure of his own power.

He had always been stronger than Naruto. Why should now be any different? He had no qualms about using forbidden jutsu, which were a lot stronger than any jutsu Naruto could even begin to think about using.

He had had training from one of the three Sannin. He had legendary power behind him. Orochimaru had created several forbidden jutsu of his own. His power couldn't be matched. He had taught many of these jutsu to Sasuke.

"So you don't want to, then?" Naruto asked.

He was still alive. He knew if Sasuke really wanted to kill him, he would be dead already. Hope began to blossom inside him. It was true; Sasuke really could have killed him already. But he hadn't. Sasuke was obviously hesitating.

It was then Sasuke realised Naruto's plan. He fed at the blonde's sheer stupidity.

"You think I won't kill you? You think I'll go running back to Konoha with you?" He sneered.

Naruto stared at him. Surely Sasuke couldn't blame him for trying? He had tried just about everything else to get Sasuke back. This really was the last resort. He was already fighting the urge to beg Sasuke to come home. Naruto swallowed.

He would throw himself at Sasuke's feet and plead if he had to. When it came to Sasuke, he didn't care about his pride.

He resisted. He had to stay strong; his plan wouldn't work otherwise.

"I'm waiting, Sasuke." Naruto said, his voice a little more challenging this time.

Sasuke was furious. In fact, he hadn't been this angry in a long time. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears and his gripped his sword tighter, his knuckles turning white due to the harsh grip.

He grabbed Naruto by the throat, slamming him against the nearest wall and pinning him there. The thump was loud and Sasuke idly wondered if Orochimaru could hear it from inside the lair.

They were only just outside after all. He heard Naruto let out a little gasp as he was pressed against the wall. He hadn't expected such a sudden physical attack. Sasuke normally used jutsu from a long range.

"Why are you doing this to me?" He snarled, his voice low and dangerous. Naruto couldn't help but glare.

"What am I doing to you?" he snapped incredulously.

He grabbed Sasuke's wrist, trying to lessen the pressure on his throat. Sasuke simply squeezed harder.

Eventually, Naruto just let go. If Sasuke was going to kill him, then so be it. This is what he came for after all; if his confirmation was death, then he had no right to fight it.

Sasuke grimaced as he felt Naruto relax completely under his grip. The blonde was just looking up at him sadly through those impossibly blue eyes.

He couldn't kill Naruto if he wasn't fighting back. It…it wouldn't be right. Sasuke knew Naruto would laugh if he could hear his twisted sense of morals. Oh yes, he could kill Naruto if the blonde fought to the bitter end, but if Naruto gave it, it would be terribly wrong.

But Naruto was testing him; he was sure of it. Naruto's plan had obviously worked. His lips curled into a sneer as he stared at Naruto. It seemed the blonde was a little cleverer than he let on.

It had been a risky plan, but it had worked. He didn't know his conscience still remained, but it had picked the most aggravating time to pipe up again. And now it was stopping him from killing Naruto, telling him that perhaps it would just be better to go back to Konoha with him.

Things were falling apart for Sasuke, and they were falling much faster than he could ever have imagined. Orochimaru would know; they were only just outside the lair. He knew Orochimaru probably wasn't interfering because the Sannin wanted to see what Sasuke did.

He was trying to think quickly. Letting Naruto go wasn't an option. That would make him look like a traitor in Orochimaru's eyes. The training would come to an end, and he would be powerless against his brother. It would be back to square one.

Then Sasuke realised what he had to do. He would take Naruto prisoner and give him to Orochimaru as a makeshift gift. He smirked as he realised the brilliance of his plan. Orochimaru had always been obsessed with Naruto.

Sasuke just supposed it was because of the power he held. The Kyuubi. It would be better than death, and Sasuke wouldn't have to kill his old team mate. As a bonus, Naruto would never bring his team from Konoha and interfere with Sasuke again.

The Hokage had always had a soft spot for Naruto. As soon as the blonde became missing, she would not allow anymore Konoha ninja to come and chase after him through fear of losing them the same way she did Naruto.

Naruto, however, wasn't calculating plans. Sasuke's grip was unbearably tight, and he was instinctively struggling to breathe. Sasuke's grip also didn't waver as he saw bright spots in his vision.

Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes as Naruto realised that Sasuke, somehow, had really found the resolve to kill him. He should have known this was coming. He should have known that Sasuke was nothing but Orochimaru's shadow, but he didn't regret the plan.

He had needed to know if there was still hope. That Sasuke would still come home. It hurt, but at least he knew the truth; Sasuke didn't care about him one bit.

He wasn't planning on fighting, but instinct was kicking in, and he struggled weakly against Sasuke. It was too little too late and everything swam out of view. Sasuke's smirk was the last thing he saw.

At first, Orochimaru wasn't pleased to see Naruto at all. He stared down at the blonde with contempt, circling Sasuke in a predatory fashion. Sasuke had simply waited until Naruto fell unconscious, then dragged him inside the lair to bring him to Orochimaru. It turned out Naruto was a lot lighter than he looked; carrying him inside hadn't been any trouble at all.

Kabuto was lingering in the shadows, watching the entire scene, his glasses flashing in the candlelight. Sasuke supposed he was too cowardly to come forward as Orochimaru wasn't in the best of moods.

"I thought I sensed him here. Why did you not kill him?" Orochimaru hissed. It sounded almost like a challenge to Sasuke.

Taking prisoners was not Sasuke's job. Orochimaru didn't know what explanation Sasuke had; Kabuto had plenty, if not too many, test subjects already locked up in the cells deeper in the lair.

There was no reason for him to bring Naruto here. His calculating eyes snapped back up to meet Sasuke's. His voice was deep and bordering on angry. Sasuke stayed emotionless, his Uchiha mask staying firmly in place.

He knew he would have to speak carefully as to not make Orochimaru angrier. If he said anything that sounded disrespectful, Orochimaru would make things as difficult as possible and he wouldn't even begin to think about accepting Naruto, gift or not.

It was strange. When he was with Orochimaru, he could calm himself and calculate each answer perfectly to get the results he wanted. With Naruto, he wouldn't need to be around the blonde five minutes before he lost his control completely.

"I planned on it, but then I decided to bring him to you, as a gift. Does he not please you?" he pulled out his sword, pressing the tip against Naruto's throat, hoping Orochimaru wouldn't see his weakness.

This next moment would decide if Naruto lived or died. Orochimaru could easily order him to kill Naruto and, without looking like he had betrayed Orochimaru, Sasuke couldn't really refuse.

"I'll kill him, then, if that is what you wish." Sasuke said smoothly, trying to sound as though he wasn't bothered what choice Orochimaru made.

He leaned forward a little, positioning the katana to a point on Naruto's throat that would kill the blonde instantly if he pressed with just a little more pressure.

He was still desperately hoping he wouldn't have to go through with it. He didn't even know if he could. Naruto was even more defenceless than before. He hesitated for a second. Thankfully, Orochimaru acted before Sasuke did.

Orochimaru raised his left hand calmly and slowly, signalling for Sasuke to take no further action. His eyes roamed over Naruto appreciatively, taking in the sight with approving eyes. Sasuke had done well after all in going against immediate orders. Such beauty did not deserve death.

Sasuke saw the acceptance flicker over Orochimaru's face and he knew Naruto wouldn't have to be sacrificed. He almost let out a sigh of relief, but resisted. That would only get him into even more trouble and Orochimaru would start questioning him immediately. He quickly pulled his sword away and hid his shaking hands behind his back.

Then, Orochimaru did something Sasuke would never have expected. He kneeled down on the floor beside Naruto, an almost caring look on his face. Sasuke frowned. Orochimaru never lowered himself before his captives. Usually he called for Kabuto to take them away at once.

"Oh, he has grown beautifully." He purred with delight.

Sasuke suspected he meant the Kyuubi, which was inside Naruto. Orochimaru finally stood up again, looking at Sasuke.

The raven noticed the strange look in Orochimaru's eyes. He couldn't quite place what it meant, but he knew it wouldn't be anything good.

Orochimaru never really showed interest in anything unless it concerned taking Sasuke's body for the future. Was the Kyuubi really that powerful?

"You did well to bring him to me," Orochimaru said.

Sasuke could tell by the tone of his voice that there was a 'but' coming. Nothing was ever simple when it came to Orochimaru. The only person who could ever do anything right by him was Kabuto, and it was even rare for him to make a right move by Orochimaru.

"But I believe it goes without saying that I have absolutely no interest in the rest of your team. If they breach the sound village, or even come close, kill them where they stand." He said uncaringly.

Sasuke nodded; he didn't really need to be told this. If he had brought Kakashi or Sakura here, Orochimaru would have killed them instantly. It had only ever been Naruto that he had shown interest in.

Sasuke had never felt such a strong connection with Sakura or Kakashi. He didn't think he would have as much trouble killing them as he had with Naruto. Naruto was just…Naruto. He was different.

Orochimaru gazed down at Naruto.

"You may leave." Orochimaru said, his eyes not leaving Naruto.

Sasuke blinked. Orochimaru never usually dismissed him so quickly. But he couldn't exactly complain; this had been the outcome he had wanted. The outcome he had so desperately hoped for.

Orochimaru didn't seem to want to harm Naruto at all and he had managed to look trustworthy. He took one last look at Naruto before leaving like Orochimaru had requested.

Later, he sat alone in his cold, dark room, thinking about what he had done. He had had no other choice. This had been the only possible way to keep Naruto alive and also showing Orochimaru that he had no allegiance with Konoha.

But why did it feel like he had made a big mistake?

A/n: Hello everyone! Yes, I'm back (finally) with another sasunaru fanfiction. For those of you who loved 'Naruto's Angel' and my previous fics, I hope you will enjoy this just as much. It will be around thirteen chapters of similar size to this one, and I will be regularly updating every week.

Don't forget to tell me what you thought by clicking the little review button below! All comments are welcome.

Whippasnappa.