Chapter 2- "Dark Magic"

Sasuke woke up early. He went to the shop as he saw Sakura, he hadn't seen her in years. He had just gotten out of the asylum a week ago but they hadn't had much contact, it would take awhile since he had been away from the village for years. He noticed that she didn't have that hard crush on him anymore. Sasuke didn't know what he wanted anyway since he was still chasing an endless ambition.

As he sipped his coffee, he saw Neji enter. He seemed over his ordeals of his bastard brother, he hated how Naruto and him were pulled into the unfortunate events and he didn't know if there would be hostages in this game. He did his best to always know where Itachi was and play his games along the way.

Neji ordered some hash browns and some fish. He didn't seem hungry for breakfast, everyone had said he had been working hard on several missions. He looked tired too, it seemed all the work was getting to him. Sasuke eyed him until Neji sat closer and smiled, it had also been awhile since they saw each other as well.

"Ah, Sasuke. I haven't seen you for a couple years." Neji's tone was calm, "It's good that you're out of the asylum now..."

Sasuke smiled, "I'm still getting used to the outside, when I was there I didn't go out at all..."

Neji laughed, "I'm doing fine compared to what happened to me years ago..."

Sasuke began having flashbacks as he turned serious, it was gruesome to see it over and over. Neji was tortured physically and mentally and did go insane while being housed with Itachi. Sasuke then realized how much damage he could do if he hostaged victims, he didn't want to see it happen to anyone else ever again only to him.

Itachi should have focused more on him than Naruto and Neji but couldn't't help but throw in some distractions to make the games crazy. Sasuke knew better than to test limits this time, he had to be more careful of what boundaries to go for and who had his back.

Neji turned tense to see Sasuke have a dark expression on his face, "...You're still...Going after him?"

"I haven't given up yet, have I?"

Neji knew this next piece of information would be brutal, "There was a...murder..." he sighed, "Itachi had written your name in cold blood on the bark of the tree.

Sasuke sat up instantly as he grabbed Neji, "Who did he kill? Neji, you have to tell me..."

Neji closed his eyes as he sighed, "...They couldn't't...identify the body, it was so badly...disfigured that the identity isn't shown..."

Sasuke slammed the table, "Damn it! What's he doing?!?! This is the reason why I can't listen to whoever says to pull out, more lives go to death!"

"Sasuke. It isn't your fault, your brother is a bloodthirsty killer. He isn't easy either."

Sasuke listened to Neji as he went into the investigation, it had happened yesterday. It would be hard to figure out since there was no witnesses and no traces of Itachi near the crime scene. Disfiguration seemed to be the new "talent" Itachi was trying out so he could cover up his kills, Sasuke thought it was to improve his status in his organization. He seemed more hungry for power.

He turned to Neji. "I can't make anymore mistakes or any at all, I see the game now; if I don't watch my surroundings carefully, I can get tricked. That's the game."

Neji looked at him, "For one battling a murder, you have courage not many would have..."

"I have to Neji. Our last brawl ended in a stalemate and no death. Itachi will do anything to kill me this time because I almost killed him."

Neji looked back, "I think there something else he wants...I'm not too sure..."

"He's getting to the point where he can take over something and make his own organization." Sasuke shook his head, "It would really be a shame if he ever ruled the world..."

Neji nodded as they continued to eat and discuss other matters. It wasn't long before Naruto ran into the shop with a look of fear the disturbed Sasuke, he couldn't even speak properly as he tried to explain another incident that happened two miles from here. Itachi had murdered two people that belonged to the Rain village, Sasuke almost figured out why.

"That bastard!" he hit the table causing everyone to be in alarm, "First he's solo now he's taking orders from Pein to kill off people that he doesn't want around!"

Naruto sighed, "Sasuke, I think you better go there an investigate what happened."

"I can't...It could be a setup and I fell into a lot setup's last time..." Sasuke put the thought in the back of his head, "Naruto, this game we play has setup's and hidden information. I don't want be seriously injuried and not have any strength left to fight my brother."

"It can't be a setup! The blood's fresh!"

Sasuke looked at him directly with his cold stare, "Naruto, don't be stupid! I'm in a situation where it used to be "Come find me and we fight". Now it's "Death to anyone!"

"Sasuke, I've thought this over. The more you guys do this, the more chance both you will end up dead! The wrong people could get involved!"

Sasuke grinned, "It's too late for that, I found out something...My brother has been dealing some drugs, so now I'm a possible target..."

Naruto looked back at Neji who was still tense, the game was defentily taking a deadly turn and Itachi was getting into new things. There would always be something coming or going in this game but Sasuke knew better than to wait around and wait for the answers. He was always taking a risk by finding out the truth but he had to in order to stop his brother once and for all.

"Drugs!!!" Naruto looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke, do you know how much people get killed dealing those?!?! If they can't find him, they always go to the next person in line!"

"Naruto...I'm not scared, I've gone insane once and I hardly have any fear anymore..."

Naruto growled, "You'll go insane again! Sasuke, you shouldn't play "avenger" it makes things worse!"

Sasuke struck a cold stare again, "I have to...He didn't pay for he WHAT he did! My whole family suffered for no reason and I always blamed myself!"

"I-I can't stop you...but this is getting out of hand! What if gets so bad that suicide is the only way out?!?!"

"It won't be...I'm not taking the easy way out..."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, this was a horrible twist of fate.

That's Chapter 2, Please R&R.