*The original Naruto characters are not mine! (Beth, Yuri and The Uchiha Dragon are)

Pain and Anger

Sasuke ran home as fast as he could. He was late and he knew how furious his parents would be when he came home. He hadn't meant to stay out past dark, but he had been practicing with Iruka Sensei on a couple of new sparring moves.

As he neared his house, Sasuke felt like someone was watching him. He turned around but didn't see anything or anyone. His feeling of unease only grew as he walked into his home. It was quiet…too quiet.

Where are Mother and Father Sasuke wondered. Walking up to his parents' room, he was about to knock on the door until he heard a dull thump. Worried for his parents, Sasuke cautiously stepped into the room.

His eyes widened at the sight before him. Lying in a pool of their own blood…were his parents! Much to Sasuke's surprise, Itachi stepped out of the shadows.

"Itachi something has happened to Mother and Father! Someone killed them," Sasuke cried fearfully to his older brother.

"Let me show you what happened to them Sasuke," Itachi said. Sasuke was caught off guard as Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and sent a flood of images into his mind. Sasuke saw Itachi attack and kill every Uchiha…saving their parents for last.

Something stirred insisde of Sasuke and it scared him alittle…whatever it was wanted his brother dead.

Sasuke collapsed to the ground in agony once Itachi's mental assult was over. Despite his pain and anger over what Itachi had done… Sasuke wanted to know why he did it.

"Itachi, why'd you do this," Sasuke gasped out through ragged breaths.

"To test the limit of my abilities," Itachi replied in a voice so cold that it sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. Sasuke struggled to stand, his renewed anger both from a mysterious force and his brother's reasoning, strengthening his resolve.

"You're telling me that that was the reason you butchered every single member of our clan," Sasuke asked accusingly.

"It was of great importance," Itachi replied cooly.

"Was it really that important that you had to slaughter our family like cattle," Sasuke asked angrily. He didn't know where that had come from, but Sasuke felt something inside of him demanding answers from his brother over his actions.

As Itachi started to move closer to him, Sasuke felt his courage disappear and he ran from his house.

Sasuke kept running, trying to get away, but his brother was just too fast. Itachi appeared in front if him and Sasuke backed away fearfully.

"Please don't kill me," Sasuke begged, tears springing from his eyes.

"You're not even worth killing. Foolish little brother... If you wish to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And survive your miserable life... Run away, run away... Cling to life. And one day, when you have the same eyes I do, come before me," Itachi said.

Sasuke didn't know why or how he'd passed out, but the next thing he knew he was in the hospital.

He saw his cousins Beth and Yuri Hakomoda watching over him worriedly. The two sisters were twins and where in every way identical, except Yuri had dyed her hair black to avoid confusion.

"Sasuke we heard what happened…we're so sorry" Beth said, offering condolences.

"Our parents want you to live with us from now on," Yuri said seconds later. Sasuke smiled slightly at them.

"I'd like that," he said weakly.

Beth and Yuri stepped out of the room to let Sasuke rest some more. The two twelve-year-old twins turned to face each other with serious expressions.

"Do you think Itachi knows of the Uchiha Dragon," Yuri asked her sister.

"I don't think so…and I don't think Sasuke does either, but he might have experienced some feelings that were not his own after he saw what Itachi did," Beth answered thoughtfully.

"If that's so then the Uchiha Dragon might make an appearance to Sasuke soon," Yuri replied. With this in mind, the twins decided to keep watch over Sasuke for anything strange.

The next few days crawled by as Sasuke was released from the hospital and the funeral held for his clan held three days later. Sasuke, along with Beth and Yuri, laid the first three white roses on the ceremonial table. The village had yet to bury the bodies of the clan members. As Sasuke and his cousins turned to leave through the crowd, a young Naruto Uzumaki peeked around Iruka Sensei. He could feel the loneliness rolling off of Sasuke…but he also felt an uncontrollable rage in the young Uchiha. What was this power he felt contained inside of Sasuke? And why did it feel so angry?

Sorry if this is too long…I had a sudden inspiration to write and it all kind of flooded out. Also…Beth and Yuri are related to Sasuke on his mother's side. Their mother is Mikoto's younger sister.

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