Author's Note: Yipee! This is the first chapter to the first fanfiction I have ever written! I feel so euphoric! I didn't even take my medication! So I guess I have to say something Authornotey now...uh….hmmm…..oh yeah! This baby's got Yaoi, but only mild stuff, no lemons…unless you want it then I guess I could accommodate. Hehehe.. I'm a SasuNaru whore so don't be shocked if things turn out that way. It wont be intended…much. Well…nothing else to say other than, if you like please review! And if you don't like…then…uh…..do whatever you want! Don't be too harsh, I'm pretty dainty. So if you feel the burning need to destroy me with flames, then please do it with the intention of helping me…Now that that's done, it's on with the…Disclaimer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, though I wish, I don't own Sasuke, though I wish, I don't own Sakura, though I wish she was dead…(I apologize to all Sakura lovers)Ok. Now on with the angst!

Prologue: Rain of Tears

A haze swept through the village of Konoha like slow seeping poison, invisible to the eye but no doubt felt by in all who lived there. A miasma laden with as much dread and sorrow that was endurable by the human body. For a second in time, the citizens of Konoha gasped simultaneously as sudden unexplainable fear squeezed them by the neck. It was as astounding as being slapped in the back with a porcupine, stung are the villagers, but try as they might, they could not shake off the thorns clinging to their flesh. To an outsider it might have seemed amusing. Though no doubt a tad bewildering, to be able to witness an entire village seemingly struck by invisible lightning.

One stormy afternoon at the heart of the Fire Country, time literally stood still. People walking down the street could no longer hold to there umbrellas as chills shook them in a manner the cold of the rain could not compare. Children instantly ceased their play near the warmth of the fireplace, tears welling from their eyes, ninja board games completely forgotten. Parents could only watch with glazed eyes, looks of horror clearly etched on their features. Even the patrons at Ichiraku Ramen halted from their task, chopsticks falling limply to clatter at their side, soup and noodles sloshed back into bowls, as their mouths held agape. One actually vomited, retching to the floor, not one paid him even the most minimal of attention.

Classes in the ninja academy took a wordless break, as young shinobi suddenly paled as fear gripped their young throats. They looked to one another, their eyes wide and questioning. Silently understanding that their friends felt the same eerie dread and the inexplicable sense of foreboding currently pulling on their heartstrings, cutting at the nerves, causing them to drop to their stomach while continuing to beat faster and faster. What are children to do when it seemed that the world would collapse from above their heads, but it was all they could hope for to bring closure to this nightmare. Jounin and Chuunin alike released their kunai and their pointers with shaky fingers as their students stared pleadingly at them to explain what the hell was wrong with them, dependant on their infallible wosdom. But even an accomplished ninja could manage nothing more than whisper, voices hoarse and eyes gazing into nothing.

But only the most expert shinobi could sniff the contents of the ominous air, concluded without uncertainty; the atmosphere was buried in chakra. Not just any chakra, but chakra drenched with malice. Their village was for a moment shadowed in unseen malevolence. As every soul looked to the black sky, awaiting the devil's return to claim the world as his once more, but only to be greeted by the steady onslaught of rain as the heavens themselves cried their own tears. It was a beautiful picture, the flooding streets, the violent thumping of heavy rain on tin and concrete, seamlessly complimenting the sorrow of the populace. Even the proud faces of the Hokage Mountain seemed dejected as waterfalls cascaded down the curves of their stony cheeks. It was an image worthy of an easel, seemingly tranquil in its chaos, but who would know?

Because for that moment, no one had uttered a sound.

As if a spell had been lifted, came the jarring screams of those finally able to grasp their distress.

A distance away laid the Hokage Tower, where the great Godaime resided, perched on her throne, seemingly bored out of her wits as work piled before her eyes and as the rain further kept her from play. But as thoughts of how to distract Shizune entertained her jaded mind, like a plug having been pulled in the pools of her consciousness, trepidation surged through every square inch of her being, causing the deceptively young ruler to jump from her seat, papers flying from her desk in response to her action.

She had experienced many things in her half-century of mastering s-class jutsus, wrestling with perverted shinobi, and fleeing from rabid debt collectors. But never in her long, action-packed lifetime did she ever feel her heart beat so erratically, going from calm to thundering without but a second in between. She clutched at her chest, unable to breath, unable to think as a cacophony of images whirled inside her head, grasping just one was a futile effort, as the sannin could not organize her thoughts even to formulate just a single reason as to why this was happening.

What is this chakra? Tsunade asked herself, finally able to think as her heartbeat abated slightly. There was definitely chakra, she could feel it, any experienced shinobi could feel it. Peering out her window overlooking the village as it lay buffeted by rain, drowning out whatever screams of agony and anguish from the people she had vowed to protect. For the Godaime, perceptive as she was, had the sense that something was horribly wrong with her village.

And then it came.

For a second time in under a minute she had felt herself lost for words. She forcibly banged her palms into the glass, pushing her face as close to the cold surface as she could without breaking her nose, to glare into the distance. She found herself short for breath once again, startled by the abominable amount of chakra erupting like a volcano in just a few feet of space somewhere in her village.

She did not notice the Jounin running at an incredible pace towards the tower, running up the stairs with hurried panic until he reached the doors of the Hokage's office, flinging them open with wasted vigor.

"Hokage-sama! Somethi—" The statement never got to be finished. Still panting but more from fear than exhaustion, he quickly scanned the room and came to the obvious conclusion that the Hokage was gone.

Tsunade ran down the muddy streets at lightning pace, rain battering her body and soaking her robes, but did nothing to hinder her steps. She ran with the fear that she had missed something important and that she was already far too late. Ninja raced a ways behind her, with similar thoughts running through their frazzled minds. But the only difference was that she had tears in her eyes.

Uchiha Sasuke peered sadly through his window in the solitude of his room. Hugging his knees to his chest, as he quietly bore the eternal desolation of his estate. He didn't know why he still resided in his lifelong home, with only recollections of anguish and sorrow with the voices of old ghosts caught in an endless spiral with him precariously perched in the center as he masked his regrets with potent indifference. He was anchored to the place like a body to quicksand, soon it would swallow him, soon it would destroy him, but alas it was a future he looked forward to. Having let go of his revenge and having given up wasting any more minutes of his bound to be short life trying to destroy his insufferable older brother, he hadn't any more dreams to keep him awake and no more reason than to sleep and wait. Wait for oblivion.

Faint stains of blood still marred the hardwood floor just a stair down, a more permanent logo than the ones on his shirt. It was a more fitting symbol for the legacy of the Uchiha, all in blood. Even the family crest was soaked in blood. The innocence of a woman's fan scarred midway by life's essence, defining their past and foretelling their future.

Sasuke released a tired sigh, hugged his legs tighter, and peered more closely into the depressing scene before him. There wasn't a single indication at all that anyone else still lived, not even a malnourished dog mewling for shelter outside a neighbor's doorstep. He would find himself scanning for porch lights coming to life or the movement of doors in hopes than somehow his family would return, that they hadn't been gone for seven years of his life because they were dead. That they were on vacation in the Water Country, riding the waves and soaking up the sun while simply forgetting to fetch him from school all that time ago. But obviously, he wasn't a moron in denial. There was only so much hope he could muster until he is once again brought back to the day with all the carnage and only him as its witness. They were dead.

They would never come back.

Having tired of staring straight into misery for too long, he brought his head down on his knees, closing his eyes, willing the disheartening thoughts to kindly depart from his head. He continued to brood, but to an entirely different direction; his friends. His mind still reeled from what Sakura had said to him the other day. He was relieved from that the pink haired girl confided that she wouldn't lust for him anymore in the future. Though, he had known for a long time that his usually clingy, annoying teammate was slowly, and unusually taking some distance from him.

It's about goddamn time! He would think as the girl started to talk more normally towards him, treating him more like a person than a trophy to be won, and best of all; more like a friend. Though Sakura's impression of him had changed drastically after he left for Orochimaru, and having come back three years later, she was still obviously infatuated with him. Sasuke, having the best eyes in Konoha, (would rather brush his teeth with a kunai than admit that the byakugan might be better for perceiving) would notice her cringe very slightly after flirting with him, as if realizing that she had done something embarrassing and completely against her will.

It only took a few months when everything came to a climax. When for the first time in the history of the universe, Sakura called him 'Sasuke'. Having the leader of his fan club empire refer to him completely by name without suffix was like Naruto putting peanut butter and jelly on bread and not on his ramen (I know, gross. But it's what Sasuke thinks of Naruto…). The konoichi stared at him after that, patiently waiting for a reaction. He didn't give it to her. He pretended to not have noticed, shrugging her off as usual. Sasuke, having the best eyes in Konoha, did not miss the small smile on the girl's lips as she turned and walked away.

Sasuke smiled, or more smirked, at the memory. She never was annoying anymore after that.

He frowned instantly when he recalled her second confession.

As the black-haired teen prepared to dwell on it, an invisible force shook him to the point where he fell off his stoop by the windowsill.

What the fuck! He mentally groaned as he attempted to get up from the floor. Attempted being the word of reference as his body was wracked to the bone with shivers. This is pathetic! An Uchiha does not bow down to anything! Especially air… He resigned himself to squatting on the floor, thinking it would be a more productive endeavor to just calm down and try to figure out why he had felt like he had just saw his entire clan being slaughtered all over again. It was almost as bad as when Itachi pulled him into dream world with his mangekyo sharingan and presented him with hours upon hours of mental torture.

At that moment, all the agony came flooding back, tearing him to pieces. Sasuke wanted to cry out, wanted to scream! He would have done so if his throat hadn't suddenly become so hoarse. A hand clutched at his heart while his other hand sought desperately for support, as he breathed and gasped erratically. His wandering hand found the windowsill, weakly pulling him up to stand.

He didn't know what to expect when he once again peered at the world through his window, but he was relieved when it wasn't the red and black of Itachi's nightmare. Though he didn't need his sharingan to see the metamorphosis the world outside had undertaken. What once had seemed sad and surreal was now dark and ominous the incessant downpour bringing everything into contrast.

He could see it. He could feel it. There was a layer of mist that wasn't there before, made completely of…

"Chakra…" He finally gasped out. He could clearly see the tiny particles all over the atmosphere, like dust, glowing blue and…red? No doubt the Hyugas had already deciphered the principles behind this unusual phenomenon, but some things didn't need any close inspection… Could this be the cause of these…feelings? Are the villagers feeling it too? Am I the only one…? Why…?

He was once again stopped short of his reverie when an explosion immediately brought his frightened eyes to the direction of the west. It was not an explosion that could have been heard by the ears, it was one felt in his life force, his very core. His chakra practically screamed within him, running faster than his own blood. A new bout of shivers embraced the disturbed youth in recognition of the alien force somewhere in the village.

He just stared off into the west, mouth open, eyes unable to see the event as his chakra continued to pulsate from its afterglow. Whatever it was was definitely chakra, an explosion of chakra, and it was chakra that scared him like nothing else ever has.

But somehow, the chakra felt strangely familiar, like he had experienced such explosions in the past. But the young genius could not put his finger on it, nor did he have time to dwell on it further as he felt his legs start to move him across the room. He left the door to his room open as he quickly sprinted down the stairs and ran out of the house with nothing but his pajamas. It was uncharacteristic of Uchiha Sasuke to go anywhere without a trusty kunai or a few shuriken. But as he didn't even see it significant to grab a pair of shoes, he'd be damned if he had to allot more precious time into stocking on weaponry.

As he ran past the cobblestone streets of the Uchiha Estate and through the gates into the muddy roads of Konoha proper, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that whatever waited in the distance would be imminent danger. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he was completely heedless of everything else, every precaution thrown out the window as he made it his life's goal to reach that fire before it went out.

Rain consumed his garments as his bangs plastered to his face, mud splattering to his pajama pants. He ran on through the thoroughfare, completely oblivious of his body's discomfort, only absorbed in the need to bear witness to what was left of the event that had taken place on this miserable afternoon.

He could sense ninja's from every direction, converging to that one spot. Hopping from roof to roof or just running like him. Shadows gliding through the mist and rain, graceful and refined even in the presence of potential evil. It was a ninja's destiny to dance on nails for their village, but not for Sasuke. He couldn't give less of a damn what happened to his precious Konoha. He had left the Leaf with the intention of leaving, even though he returned; it was not for the village.

His expression remained decidedly blank as he raced to the finish line. Though his eyes remained black and soulless, his heart beat with rapid anticipation. He leaned his body forward, letting his arms fall limply for the purpose of speed. With aerodynamics as his friend, he could feel his body react as he came closer and closer to his goal. He took a shortcut through an alley, weaving his way in between buildings.

This was the first time he had noticed his location. Sasuke found himself in what appeared to be the slums of Konoha. It was a dingy area, lined with shabby apartment buildings, which appeared even more squalid thanks to the weather. To think Naruto lived alone in one of those.

He immediately pushed his thoughts on the significance of his current location into the gutter as he aligned himself with the task at hand. Well, no doubt that dobe is there already, since he lives so close by. Guess I can't beat him at everything. He smirked to himself as he thought of his blonde friend, who never failed to bring a smile to his stone etched lips. They had come a long way since they were gennin.

This was it. He had made it. The aura had died down significantly since it had first caught his attention just minutes prior. He could already make out the faint silhouettes of a group of people and a few others having just arrived. As he drew closer and the figures became more distinct, though still obscured by the rain, he expected the commotion of people, talking amongst themselves, ignorantly spouting theories to each other for the sake of seeming intelligent. What he didn't expect was the eerie silence and the all too rigid atmosphere.

He had stopped running once he could clearly see the crowd. Whatever it was at the center lay hidden, completely surrounded by the apathetic busybodies of Konoha. Though he couldn't blame them for being curious, he did have a desire to gut the whole lot of them for being so unresponsive. It was scaring him dammit!

Deciding it would be better to join them in gawking at whatever it was, he gulped and trudged onwards. He closed his eyes as he pushed through the cold bodies. He didn't get so much as a nudge in return as he forcibly made his way to the to center, with only his inner eye to lead him. When he felt like he was right beside the spot of the enigmatic chakra, now dwindled close to nil. Bracing himself, he opened his eyes…

And he visibly froze.

Before him lay the body of Uzumaki Naruto.

And suddenly…he could hear again.

He didn't know why the sounds never caught his attention. He reasoned that they had been drowned by the hard pitter patter of the tumultuous downpour, but it wasn't true. His heart forced him to be deaf.

Sasuke was always meant to witness, meant to see the blatant horror of his life before any chance of walking away. It was his fate. But today…

He wasn't alone.

The shocked Uchiha could hear it now. It was like seeing a garden that was once black and white, thrust into a world he didn't expect. Time took a vacation as his world sunk to perpetual blackness.

Though he felt like he had fallen to the bottom of an ocean, his ears were in perfect synchrony with the cacophony of muffled words and desperate sobs threatening to break through his skin like acid.

Desiring to see the source of the heart wrenching medley that was playing on an endless loop before him, he lifted his head with great difficulty and slowly looked glanced at his surroundings.

The people he knew so well, every single one of them had come to partake in the orchestra of death. The first he noticed was his old sensei, Iruka, directly opposite him, weeping with his hands over his face, refusing to even look at the boy he had grown to love as a son.

Behind him stood Kakashi, who was absentmindedly rubbing Iruka's back, knowing full well that it gave no comfort. The Jounin hadn't shed a tear, he could tell. But the man didn't seem to be breathing either. The rain battered his hair down to his face, silent pain clearly etched on his one visible eye. He was the image of a man who lost hope in life. Iruka wasn't the only one who thought of the blond as a son.

To the left of them was Hyuuga Neji, with a pallor that rivaled his own. Neji would make it a personal goal to permanently exude stoic indifference at times of peril. He would have succeeded, if it weren't for the endless stream of tears running down his pale cheeks to collect on the dirt floor. He tentatively peered down at his cousin, who felt it unnecessary to uphold such masks. Hyuuga Hinata sobbed loudly on the ground, desperately clutching the left arm of Naruto's jacket like an anchor, lest she float into despair. She rocked her body to and fro, stuttering and gasping and choking with her sanity deteriorating right before his eyes.

There were three bodies clinging to the corpse of his best friend. One, surprisingly, though not really all that surprising, was the Godaime herself, crying with her head buried in Naruto's abdomen. She was too mature and had seen too much pain in her lifetime to be hysterical, but the woman emptied her eyes nonetheless, shaking violently, rubbing her face on Naruto's stomach, desperately seeking the warmth she would never find. Would mother have cried for him like that if she had still been alive?

And so, he turned to the third, which was by far the loudest of the group. Sakura gripped on Naruto's other arm, ruthlessly pulling on it, desperately trying to wake the blond from his eternal slumber. No one stopped her as she continued to wail and sob hysterically, occasionally choking, finding it hard to breathe. In between gasps she would mutter incoherently. Her emotions were ridden on a rollercoaster ranging from anger to the deepest darkest pits of despair.

That was all Sasuke could bear to watch intently before he would break down as well. Ino kneeled behind Sakura, crying in her hands. Nearby was Shikamaru face stunned and staring at Naruto, he found it too troublesome to cry. Chouji slouched next to him, crying freely. On the other side, Lee painfully sobbed on Tenten's shoulder who was half-heartedly patting and embracing him, for she was caught in her own tears. Gai stood behind them, hands on their shoulders, looking almost similar to Kakashi. Next to the Hyuuga's, Shino's expression could not be deciphered behind his collar and shades, while Kiba looked down with a heartbroken stare at Hinata, as Akamaru tried desperately to cheer up his master by licking his hand. Behind Tsunade, Shizune looked forlorn. The rest were the villagers and other ninjas, which he indifferently noticed, were sad and guilty. But he didn't care anymore.

He stared blankly at the only person who had caught his heart. The one reason he had returned and the one reason he continued to live. His heat continued to plummet at started to melt as it landed in his stomach. He could feel his own heart slow to a crawl, lethargy consuming his senses. He felt cold, but felt nothing at all. How many deaths did he have to endure before the world was satisfied?

Uchiha Sasuke did not shed a single tear, for the dead cannot shed tears.

Sasuke was dead.

None had noticed the pained scream that had erupted somewhere in the distance. They paid it no heed, for inside, they were screaming too.

Among the grieving party hid a demon. A traitor situated within the face of a friend. Inwardly, the monster smiled.

So it begins.


Author: If you like it please review it! If you want more tell me how much! If you hate it then….tell it to your mama! Nah juz kiddin! Please people I need your reviews! Without them I will forever label myself a failure and refuse to write anymore fiction for fear of rejection! And I'm nat kiddin. Bye folks! See you next week! Hopefully….for I have finals and all….for the story will truly begin!