Author's Note: Sorry for making everyone wait for over a month for this update! I had to deal with some senior stuff before school starts and band camp among other things. This chapter is pretty long though, so I hope it can make up for the wait. Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy!


Whispers.

That's what he heard before she became visible to him. They became louder and louder as she approached, yet he couldn't make out a single word. Then all of a sudden, they vanished when she appeared, leaving no signs they'd been there to begin with.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he studied the girl who stood across the clearing. "This is her?" he questioned the spy as he leaned to the side. He blinked and returned his attention to her when he received a nod of confirmation. Sasuke didn't know what he was expecting, but certainly not this. This girl was terrified from simply laying eyes on him, so much so that she couldn't move. None of it went unnoticed by Sasuke. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You surrender now or I chase you down. Your choice," he warned.

And just like that, she was gone. Sasuke held up a hand when his squad motioned to follow her. "Focus on your mission and I'll take care of mine!" he reprimanded. The squad members clad in purple camouflage traded glances before disappearing, presumably heading towards the village.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed as he started after the girl. He didn't need any help, especially from any of Orochimaru's lackeys. The pink-haired teen came into view not long after. Sasuke raised an eyebrow a fraction when she peered over her shoulder and noticed his presence, speeding up a moment after. The Uchiha pushed himself harder to catch up. He would admit she was quite fast, but not as fast as him.

Sasuke waited until he was close enough and they were out of the cluster of trees and brush to place his hand on the hilt of his sword. He readied himself to unsheathe it and strike.

Sakura's eyes widened when she looked back once more and saw the dark-haired boy lunge towards her, swinging his sword in the process. Panic engulfed her at the motion. There was no way she'd be able to dodge and even if she did, he was faster than her so one of his strikes would definitely land. She couldn't outrun him either. Just as the blade was about to meet her skin, Sakura's feet left the ground and her body lowered out of the boy's reach. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was falling.

Sasuke skidded to a halt at the very edge of the precipice and sheathed his sword, releasing a curse as he did so. He raised an eyebrow when he peered over the edge and saw the pink-haired teen falling, frantically looking for something to grab onto or break her fall. Did she have no knowledge of the shinobi art? First, she made no effort to attack him and now she couldn't even find a way to get out of this situation. It was such a simple thing to Sasuke and every other ninja. At least, it should be...

The Uchiha sighed with boredom as he walked away from the precipice and turned when he decided the distance was good enough. Orochimaru wouldn't be too happy if he were to let the girl die, especially in such a stupid way like this. This mission would be much easier than he thought.

Sasuke ran forward and jumped off the cliff, diving downwards so he could get closer to her. The Uchiha waited until he was lower than the girl to tug his armband upwards out of the way. He then pressed the seal that'd been under it and a massive shuriken appeared in his hand. Sasuke wrenched his arm backwards and flung the item towards the rocky surface of the village walls. He watched as it sunk into the earth before he gripped the wire attached to it and used the momentum to swing towards the falling girl. She seemed to know what he was doing, as she reached for his outstretched hand when he got closer.

Sasuke started to focus on bringing them to a safe landing when they gripped each other's wrists. To his surprise, the girl tugged him forward and launched her foot towards him. The force of the kick meeting his face caused the pair to separate and fly in different directions. Sasuke fought to steady himself and stopped somersaulting backwards just before his back could hit the rocky village walls. He landed on his feet and immediately went into a crouching position as he recovered, channeling chakra to his feet so he would stick to the wall. The male caught sight of the girl, who'd landed safely on a house's rooftop, beginning to run again.

Sasuke smirked as he wiped a trickle of blood off his lip, his eyes still trained on the teen's running form. Perhaps she wasn't as defenseless as he presumed...


"Anything Itachi?" the Hokage asked with his hands tightly gripping the edge of the desk.

"Nothing of value yet Hokage-sama," the Uchiha responded in a nonchalant manner.

The masked man harshly slammed a fist onto the desk, causing a small container of writing utensils to fall over and spill its contents.

"Calm down dear," the man's wife urged as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The equally covered woman flashed a glare towards the indifferent Uchiha and returned her attention to Daiki. "This won't be an issue for much longer. Perhaps if someone tried harder," she growled, scowling towards the unmoving Uchiha.

It was the Hokage's turn to cast a look of anger towards Itachi. "Maybe you aren't taking our deal very seriously."

"What reason would I have to go against the terms Hokage-sama?" Itachi asked.

Daiki stood up and leaned across the desk, staring directly into the masked Uchiha's dark eyes. "It's been weeks and you still have nothing! I expect more from a so called prodigy such as yourself," he scoffed.

"Whoever took it upon themselves to hide the girl has done so well," Itachi replied in a bored tone. "If you allow me more time then I know I'll find her Hokage-sama."

Before Daiki or Fumiko could reprimand the Uchiha anymore, a nearby explosion caught the pair off guard. Both jumped in surprise at the loud bang before rushing to the window to see what the disturbance was. Itachi's eyes widened a fraction as he curiously peeked through the glass, too. Screams of panic reached his ears as he watched people run away from the building that erupted in flames.

"Sound!" the Hokage shouted with fury. "They've launched an attack on the village's military base," he realized. "They maybe looking to capture strategists or steal plans," the male muttered.

Itachi stilled for a moment at the mention of the enemy village, the village his brother currently resided in... He couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke might be with the intruders.

"Itachi!" the Hokage shouted, breaking the man out of his thoughts. "What are you waiting for?! Go and help stop them!"

"Very well," Itachi responded as the masked Hokage continued to shout orders to his guards present in the room. He exited and rushed towards the damaged building, traveling by rooftop so as not to be hindered by the crowds of panicking citizens.


Sasuke released a curse as the pink-haired girl somersaulted over another cluster of shuriken he threw towards her. This task had proven to be harder than he'd originally thought. She wasn't as fast as him but her evasion tactics made up for the lack of speed. Every time he would get close, she'd unexpectedly launch herself towards another building or hop down and run through panicking crowds. Her actions were unpredictable. Sasuke easily figured out the biggest factor as to why that was so.

She was untrained.

That much was obvious to him at this point. Of course, she'd received basic training, but nothing more than that. The girl never made an effort to attack him unless necessary.

Sasuke was broken out of his thoughts when she hopped down into the crowded streets after dodging the barrage of shuriken. The Uchiha kept up with the pink-haired girl as she ran through the crowd and towards an outside market. He ended up having to hop over and avoid displays she knocked over in an attempt to slow him down. Boy this was annoying...

A small smirk lifted on Sasuke's lips when he peered past her and noticed that they were about to reach the end of the market, and a dead end at that. Now was his chance. He'd catch her if she attempted to sidestep towards the crowds again. That meant her only option was...

Sasuke immediately weaved through a series of hand signs as the girl made an effort to run up the next building's brick wall at the dead end and flip over him. The Uchiha craned his neck and a fireball erupted from his mouth when she sailed over his head. He watched with satisfaction as the attack met its mark, only to narrow his eyes in confusion when part of the market's canopy caught on fire and the girl was no where to be seen.

Sasuke cursed aloud at the realization. She must've created a clone when she dropped down. The raven-haired male quickly scaled the brick building next to the outside market and scanned the village for the girl. He couldn't afford to lose her. It didn't take very long for Sasuke to spot the girl with strange hair among the crowds, heading the opposite away from most of the villagers. She was heading towards the burning military building. No, past it. The Uchiha observed silently as she entered a warehouse near the edge of the village. So her plan now was to hide it seemed.

Another smirk settled on Sasuke's features as he started towards the building. She'd worked herself into a corner now. There was no way she could escape this time.


"Just hang in there a little bit longer!" Naruto shouted as he practically dragged the man towards a nearby exit. The blond let out a gasp when the ceiling started to rumble and caved in a few moments later. Just in time, the Namikaze's skin and outfit morphed into a fiery orange, a massive tail erupting from his body and shielding the pair from the debris as they continued to head towards the exit.

Naruto coughed and sputtered as they stumbled out the door. He helped the man to a sitting position once they were far from the building. A medical ninja immediately rushed over towards the pair to examine them.

"I'm okay," Naruto breathed. "He needs help more than I do," the blond told the medic while gesturing to the injured ninja.

The Jonin medical shinobi nodded hesitantly prior to turning his attention to the wounded male sitting on the ground.

Naruto began to head towards the building again. He had to see if there was anyone else inside. He knew there were shinobi working to put the flames out and others that were battling intruders on higher floors. The boy originally intended to search the village for Sakura, but could find no signs of his friend. After looking practically everywhere in the village for her, the Namikaze decided to put a pause on that quest to help out at the burning building, especially when he heard that rescue assistance was needed.

Naruto was just about to enter once more when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He immediately turned and peered curiously at the ANBU member.

"I'll take it from here," the masked man said. "You've done enough. We appreciate your help."

"Wait, what are-?"

"Trust me, I'll handle the rest," the ANBU member interrupted, disappearing into the smoke-filled building a moment later.

Naruto only blinked at the open door for a minute before slowly backing away. Something about the ANBU member was strange, almost familiar in a weird way. The blond shrugged and studied his surroundings. Medics were tending to injured people all around him. Most of the worried villagers had already run away from the scene except for a few stragglers here and there. Other Chunin and Jonin were attempting to calm the citizens across the village. The Hokage however, was no where in sight. The Namikaze narrowed his eyes at the thought. Perhaps he was off somewhere else in the village, helping to cease the panic.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed another fire not too far away. This one wasn't very large and people were already working to put it out. "How did the outside market catch on fire?" the boy wondered. Something else in the corner of his eye caught the Namikaze's attention.

Naruto's jaw dropped at the sight. It couldn't be... Heading towards a warehouse was Uchiha Sasuke himself. The blond hadn't seen him for nearly three years. What was he doing here now though, the place he deserted? A newfound sense of determination filled Naruto as he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke when he entered the warehouse.

He wouldn't be defeated this time.


Sasuke scanned his surroundings after the large metal door slammed shut behind him. Tall shelves packed with miscellaneous items stood on either side of him. The Uchiha listened carefully as he slowly stalked forward through the aisle, his footsteps the only sound that met his ears.

"Still hiding, hm?" he chided lowly. Sasuke had walked past the warehouse enough in his youth to know that there was only one entrance. Unless she could manage to sneak past him, there was no other way out. There was an abundance of items to hide behind or even inside in the warehouse, but he'd find her eventually. "You really think I won't find you?" he continued.

Sakura's heart dropped the moment she heard the boy enter. She stayed put in her hiding place even as he walked through the aisles. Her heart continued to pound in her chest when he spoke. Sakura further panicked when she realized he was correct. There was no where else for her to run. If she made any motion to move, he'd surely hear it echo off the walls. Whoever this boy was, he was far more trained than her. Sakura attempted to control her breathing as fear overtook her. She was trapped now. There was nothing else she could do.

It was in that moment she remembered a conversation she and Naruto shared.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like, being a shinobi?"

The blond blinked for a moment as he tried to string the right words together. "Well... most of the time it's awesome," he explained, a signature grin adorning his features. "I get to do things not everyone can do and I know things not everyone does. I like protecting the village." He paused and a short chuckle fell from his lips. "I think I just like helping people in general."

Sakura hugged her knees tighter and rested her chin on top of them, a smile of her own forming. "I see... Do you ever get scared?" she asked, turning her head to face him.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," he responded, his grin slowly fading. "There's times I've been scared out of my mind on the battlefield... I've watched comrades die and been outnumbered before... Even though I was terrified, I knew I had to do something. I couldn't let their deaths be in vain. This war... it's caused so many senseless deaths. I've seen families torn apart and so many people suffering. That's why I still fight even though it may seem pointless sometimes." A look of determination settled on his features as he finished. "Even in the face of fear, you have to keep fighting!"

Sakura's eyes widened when she remembered his last line. "Even in the face of fear, you have to keep fighting," she murmured to herself. The pink-haired girl clenched her fists and closed her eyes. She was absolutely terrified. There was no denying it. Yet, a fire was lit inside of her at Naruto's words. While she mainly wanted to stay put and continue hiding until the boy inevitably found her, there was a small part inside of Sakura that desired to stand up and fight, even if she were to end up losing.

Sakura took a deep breath before slowly standing up. She wasn't going to play the coward anymore...

Sasuke halted abruptly upon hearing footsteps in front of him. They were slow and loud. She wasn't even trying to be stealthy. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow in surprise when the pink-haired girl rounded the corner of the shelf to his left, turning and stopping about twenty feet away. He stared at the new expression of focus and determination on her face before letting a small smirk lift on his lips.

"You're still terrified," Sasuke stated, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. He watched silently as she swallowed and shifted as if to attack. The Uchiha noticed her hesitance to advance and initiate their inevitable battle.

Sasuke knew he should just get it over with so he and his squad could leave the village unscathed, missions completed. He was far more experienced than this girl and he could easily overpower her. Yet he was curious to see how this played out, curious to know... "Show me your power," he muttered under his breath, fingering the hilt of his sword.

Sakura finally found the willpower to move again, rushing forward and wrenching her arm back to put some force behind her punch. The boy hadn't moved by the time she planted her foot into the ground and launched her fist towards him.

"Ugh!" Sakura grunted as she landed roughly on the floor. She immediately jumped up and turned around to show a look of bewilderment. Sakura hadn't even seen him move. Now the dark-haired male was staring at her with his arms crossed, wearing a bored expression.

Sakura shouted as she rushed forward once more, throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at the boy, who effortlessly blocked every single one of them. She let out a cry of pain when he caught her hand and twisted her arm into an uncomfortable position. She felt his leg slam into hers and sweep her feet out from under her. She found herself lying on the ground again an instant later.

Sakura groaned and held the back of her head, as she hit it none too gently when she landed on the floor this time.

"Is that it?" Sasuke asked with disappointment.

Sakura hissed when his words met her ears. She was growing more and more frustrated by the second. It wasn't going to end like this! She refused to let it! Sakura still had more fight left in her.

Sasuke was surprised to see the girl standing up again. His eyes widened when he noticed the small diamond on her forehead glowing lightly and purple lines begin to spread across her body. Sasuke was caught off guard when she threw another punch towards him, this one much faster than her other attacks. He grabbed her fist just in time, grunting at the stinging sensation starting in his palm. Then just like that, he was sent flying thanks to an immensely strong punch to the gut.

Sasuke gripped one of the warehouse's rafters and swung around to halt his flight. The Uchiha crouched and caught his breath before returning his attention to the girl below. He narrowed his onyx orbs while he studied her. She seemed so baffled by her own appearance and sudden increase in strength. That's when everything became clear to Sasuke.

"You don't know what you are..."

It wasn't a question. Sakura gasped when she tore her gaze away from the strange markings on her skin and looked all around for the boy. "W-What do you mean?" she stammered fearfully. When she twisted around, Sakura was met with a kick to the jaw. She crashed into the shelf next to her, knocking over a stack of wooden planks in the process. The dazed teen tossed the items off her and prepared to strike again.

She froze when she noticed something peculiar. The purple markings on her skin were receding. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when the male reached towards her, grabbing her arm and jerking her away from the large shelves. He practically dragged her along as he walked somewhere unknown to her. Sakura wrenched her arm out of his grasp and motioned to attack. The boy almost immediately had her in his hold once more. Sakura willed whatever gave her monster strength to return as she struggled to free herself, yet nothing happened no matter how hard she tried.

Sasuke roughly shoved the pink-haired girl against the wall, harshly gripping her shoulder to hold her against it. A massive frown replaced the dumbfounded expression that had been on his face. "You truly have no clue," he bit out.

"What do you want from me?!" she growled. He was right about her having no clue what was happening though. Sakura was terribly confused.

"All the years people spent waiting for the last of their saviors to show up and it's you," he hissed, "someone that has hardly any training and doesn't even know what they are?! You're the third?!"

Sakura ceased her attempts to get free from his hold. She could only stare at the boy after he finished. He appeared to be dead serious... "N-No. You're wrong!" she shouted, her voice cracking. That couldn't possibly be true. Tsunade would've certainly told her if she knew. Wouldn't she? "Y-You're lying!"

Sasuke only blinked at the pink-haired girl. When Orochimaru explained that she'd only just awakened her powers, he hadn't expected for her to know absolutely nothing of them at all. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why this was the case. He had known from an early age what he was, even before unlocking his powers. Why had her powers awakened so late compared to himself and...

Sakura stopped breathing when she heard it. The whispers, they were back. They were getting louder, closer. She raised her head and noticed that the boy had also frozen as well. "He can hear them, too?" Sakura thought as he cocked his head to the side, lessening his grip on her a touch.

"You always have to be the hero don't you?" Sasuke spat over his shoulder.

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Let her go Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

Sakura's eyes widened at the name. The person that'd been chasing her was Naruto's former teammate, the second? She peered at Sasuke's collar and sure enough, the mark her blond friend had described was resting on the junction between his neck and shoulder.

Sasuke returned his attention to the pink-haired girl and slowly released her from his hold. Even if she wanted to escape, the exit was still on the other side of the warehouse. He observed as she shrank to the ground while holding her shoulder and wearing a shocked expression.

"I'd tell you to stay out of my way but I know you wouldn't listen. You never do," Sasuke said as he turned to face the blond, his eyes taking on a shade of red.

"Not my fault you've made some stupid decisions," Naruto responded. He blinked and his blue orbs morphed into yellow with his pupils changing into plus signs. "I'm not gonna lose this time," he said, shaking his head. "You're not leaving this village."

"Why are you so obsessed with me?!" Sasuke yelled, preparing to unsheathe his sword.

"Because I'm your only friend idiot," Naruto chuckled.

Just as Sasuke was about to lunge forward, an explosion rocked the warehouse and a hole appeared in the ceiling. Before the Uchiha could think, he was surrounded by Leaf village shinobi, ANBU and Jonin alike.

"Put your hands up!" one of the captains ordered him. "If you make any other movements then we will kill you!"

Sasuke sighed when he looked down towards the swords at his throat. Then, he cautiously raised his hands above his head. He had no chance to take on all of these ninjas at once and escape with the girl.

Naruto peered over his shoulder when he heard footsteps approaching. Two ANBU captains walked to stand beside him, a man and a woman. He raised an eyebrow as the pair thanked him for his hard work and then strolled past him. The Namikaze listened in on their conversation while they stalked towards the Uchiha who was now being cuffed.

"I didn't expect to be finished with the efforts to rescue the injured in the fire and also have all the other attackers subdued so soon," the man explained. "That is, until he showed up. He had all the enemies captured and the rest of the people trapped in the building out within minutes."

"Incredible," the woman responded with a snort. "He's Hokage-sama's special guy for a reason I suppose."

"They must be talking about that weird ANBU member," Naruto thought. He remained silent while Sasuke was restrained and led towards the exit. The blond inwardly released a sigh of relief at the sight. Although he was detained, Sasuke was still one of the three so he'd have to be let go eventually. If the Uchiha wanted to be free, he'd have to cooperate with the village which meant helping with the war effort. Now he just had to find the third.

A wave of urgency rushed over him as he remembered what occured prior to the Leaf village shinobi showing up. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted worriedly as he whipped around to look at the spot he'd last seen her. The girl was gone, leaving no indication that she'd been there in the first place.

Sasuke lowered his head as he was led out of the warehouse and the Leaf shinobi marched him through the streets of Konoha towards the prison, a smirk present on his features.


"He's been placed under the highest level of security in the prison," the ANBU captain explained. "Hokage-sama, do you want him transferred to the-?"

"No," the Hokage interrupted. "I want him in the interrogation room at the prison. Use any methods necessary to get the information out of him. Do not stop until he reveals everything he knows."

"Sure thing Hokage-sama," the man replied. "Is there anything else you desire me to do?"

Daiki pondered a minute before speaking. "What of the others that have been captured?"

"All under heavy surveillance," he replied.

"Very well," the Hokage said with a nod. "You're dismissed."

The ANBU captain vanished after bowing, leaving behind a puff of smoke.

The masked Hokage turned to the other ANBU member present in the room. "Do you have any problems with my orders Itachi?" he questioned sarcastically after noticing the slight tension in the man's shoulders.

"None at all Hokage-sama," the Uchiha responded evenly, forcing himself to relax. "As long as you abide by our terms and keep my brother alive, I won't object."

The Hokage stared at the still male before nodding slowly. "I see... I know you don't agree with my methods Itachi, but you are a smart man." He paused and stood up from his desk, walking towards a window. "Do you understand why we've done what we have?" he asked, referring to himself, his wife, and another despicable man...

"Perhaps you could allow me to have some insight," Itachi replied dryly. He'd been told many times the reasoning behind the Hokage's actions, yet it never changed his mind.

The male chuckled lowly as he stared out into the village. "I'll admit I'm a cruel person for sentencing an innocent baby to death," he said. "But we had no other choice. If there was any chance even one of the three could swap sides or turn out to be a traitor, then something had to be done. It was for the best interests of the village. It just ended up having to be her..." the man continued, a touch of sorrow in his voice.

Itachi made no motion to speak.

"I want the best for this village, as do you Itachi," the Hokage said. "You must understand..."

"Ah, Hokage-sama," Itachi said shortly. He wanted nothing more than to strangle the man or slit his throat right then and there. He desired to spill the truth to the village, to tell them who this man really was. Liar, murderer, traitor... They were all words he'd use to describe Kobayashi Daiki. Yet, they were also words the Uchiha would use to describe himself.

Itachi swallowed and clenched his jaw. It made sense really, one monster making a deal with another monster...


Sasuke opened his eyes when another masked ANBU member entered the interrogation room. He'd been escorted to the medium-sized, dimly lit space quite some time ago. After the pair of guards strapped his hand restraints to the table, they'd traveled to the back of the room and hadn't moved since. The Uchiha eventually fell asleep and remained that way until now.

The masked man sat down in front of him and opened a file he'd been carrying. "Your name is Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

Sasuke said nothing.

Smack!

The slap's sound echoed throughout the room. The dark-haired male let a tiny smirk lift on his lips as he slowly turned his head to face the interrogator once more.

"There will be no fooling around here," the ANBU captain said, relaxing in his chair once more. "Now, is your name Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes," Sasuke growled lowly, still feeling the stinging sensation radiating from his cheek. He answered a series of simple questions without complications. The minutes seemed to drag by as he said "yes" or "no" repeatedly.

"How did you and your squad infiltrate the village?" the interrogator asked.

"Wasn't very hard. We practically just walked right in," the Uchiha answered. He grunted as one of the guards behind him grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head back.

"I won't tolerate any of your arrogance either," the interrogator announced calmly, signaling for the guard to release him.

Sasuke hissed as he lowered his head, feeling a wave of pain reverberate through his skull. He flexed his hands, wishing he could yank them out of the restraints. The Uchiha inwardly cursed when he felt the warmth leave the mark in his neck. The chakra suppressing restraints were making this quite a bit harder. Nothing to panic about though.

He only needed some more time...


"Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto!"

The pair ran towards each other and embraced in a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked when they broke apart. He immediately started looking her up and down for injuries.

"I'm fine," she reassured him quickly. "You look more hurt than me," she added as she took in his dirty appearance.

"Oh, I was helping out at the military building. It's nothing serious, really!" he said as he peered down at his filthy clothes.

Sakura nodded and grinned at the boy. "Thank you, for trying to find me and helping save me. It means a lot to me..."

"Anything for a friend," Naruto said, a smile of his own forming.

She nodded once more and her grin began to fade. "Listen, I have to go now."

"You're leaving already?"

"I have to get something sorted out," she explained with a frown. "I need to tell you something," Sakura said, referring to the revelation that she was supposedly the person he'd been searching for. "But I have to know for sure first. Meet back here tomorrow?"

Naruto was obviously disappointed that she had to leave so soon.

"I promise I'll be here," she said, reaching for the blond's hand.

Naruto appeared to be apprehensive at first. After some time he grasped her hand in his and the corners of his lips lifted upwards to form a smile. "Okay, but you better be here on time!"

"I promise," she repeated.


"Sakura!" Shizune shouted as the pink-haired girl entered.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Tsunade said after breathing a sigh of relief. She started to move forward and reach out to hug Sakura, only to stop because she noticed the livid expression on her face.

"Why?" Sakura whispered angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

A troubled frown came to rest on Tsunade's features while she stared at the girl. It didn't take her long to figure out what she was talking about.

"Sakura," Shizune began, "please hear us out."

"So you both knew?!" the teen shouted in fury, clenching her fists. "How could you not tell me that I'm part of some prophecy?!"

"Sakura, it was for your own safety," Tsunade explained. "We assumed what happened when we heard that people infiltrated the village and you didn't return. We looked everywhere for you."

"Is that why you've forced me to stay here all my life?! To keep me safe?! Why couldn't you have told me so that we could train and prepare?!" she yelled, taking a step forward. "The people in this village have been waiting for years for the three to emerge! Do you not want the war to end?!"

"There's way more to it than that Sakura," Tsunade said quietly.

"Forget it!" Sakura screamed, waving a hand to dismiss the woman. "You're both liars!" With this, the girl turned and entered her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Shizune swallowed after moments of awkward silence dragged on. "I know you don't want her to worry, but I think it's time we tell her," she told Tsunade hesitantly. "She isn't a little girl anymore..."

"Perhaps you're right," was all Tsunade said before entering her own room.


Sasuke coughed and spluttered as he was finally allowed to breathe again. The pair of guards had forced his head under the water and kept him there until his interrogator deemed the punishment enough. He couldn't stop a shiver from trailing down his spine as droplets of cold water dropped down his bare torso, now covered in bruises and cuts.

The Uchiha had been subjected to countless hours of torture, refusing to give away mission details or information on the Sound. He wasn't weak and Orochimaru wouldn't have any of it when he returned.

"You still won't answer?" the interrogator asked, drumming his fingers against the desk in frustration. He hadn't left the room once due to the Uchiha's stubbornness and also because of the Hokage's orders to stay until obtaining all the information he desired. They'd been at it for nearly the entire day now and there seemed to be no end in sight.

Sasuke lowered his head as he continued to pant, gritting his teeth in anger. He could feel it growing hotter now. He only needed a few more minutes.

"Okay then," the interrogator started, "we'll move onto something else for now." He paused as Sasuke slowly lifted his head. "We've gathered that your comrades' mission was to steal our battle plans and strategies. You've claimed that it was your mission as well, but you weren't at the military building with your comrades when they were captured. What was your mission?"

Sasuke snorted in amusement at the man. Did he really believe that he'd give any information away now after hours of refusing to? He grunted in pain as one of the guards grabbed a handful of his hair and forcefully slammed his head into the table.

The interrogator raised a hand, signaling for the pair to stop their assault. "Hold off for a bit unless I say otherwise," he ordered.

Sasuke let out a low growl when the two released him and he sat up again, a trickle of blood dribbling from his nose.

The man looked down at his notes and stilled for a moment, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the Uchiha. "It's known you're one of the three mentioned in the prophecy. The third has also emerged recently. I don't believe it's a coincidence that you, under orders from Orochimaru and an enemy of the Leaf, would return to this village just after. Was your mission to capture the third?"

Sasuke only glared at the man. He started to flex his hands in the restraints again, itching to be free. "Channel it," he said silently, remembering Orochimaru's teachings. The burning sensation in his neck intensified.

The masked interrogator sighed and cracked his knuckles. "Where did you locate her?"

"Ah, so you village higher ups don't even know how to find the third then? Shows just how pitiful Konoha is," Sasuke scoffed. He snorted as he locked gazes with the masked interrogator. "Do you really think I'll give you any information at this point?"

The interrogator gripped the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles turned white. He attempted in vain to hide his frustration. The male decided it was time for a more intense form of punishment. The Hokage gave him orders to do whatever was necessary to obtain the information and he was fed up with the Uchiha's arrogance. He leaned across the table and punched the teen's cheek, his head snapping to the side from the force. "If you refuse to answer again, then I won't hold back any longer."

What happened next shocked the guards enough to make them freeze in place, shooting worried glances towards each other. Sasuke rotated his head to look at the interrogator again and spat in his face, right into one of his eyes. The Uchiha smirked slightly while the man jerked back at the action.

The interrogator finally snapped, launching himself over the table and towards the dark-haired teen, knocking over the tank of water in the process. He began a brutal assault on the restrained Uchiha as the guards watched on silently. "Get him up!" the masked man yelled eventually when he stepped away from the battered boy, who was hunched over and struggling to breathe. "Now!" he shouted when the men hesitated.

Sasuke desperately attempted to regain control of his breathing when the guards released him and roughly pulled him out of the chair, forcing him to stand. One of the guards roughly tugged his head back while they each held his arms.

"Give me answers or you'll suffer worse than ever before," the interrogator ordered after performing a series of hand signs, lifting his right hand up afterwards to show a palm full of white hot fire.

Sasuke offered no response as the man drew closer and reached out with his hand filled with flames. He was too weak to rip himself out of the guards' holds. A scream of agony left his lips when he felt his skin burning and tearing apart. He tried to pry himself away once more. It was no use. He was too weak...

He was just too weak...

"I know you can do better than this Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru stated as he watched on.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in pain when he attempted to break free of the unnamed man's hold, only to have the male put him in an even more uncomfortable position, jamming his knee into Sasuke's spine and nearly jerking his arm out of its socket.

"Channel it," Orochimaru advised him, "your frustration and your anger. Use it to your advantage."

Sasuke tried to follow Orochimaru's words and focus on his fury. Nothing happened though. He laid his forehead on the ground and hissed as the pain became almost unbearable.

Orochimaru hummed for a moment before the smallest of smiles tugged the corners of his lips upwards. "Perhaps I made the wrong choice. Maybe I should have bargained with the Namikaze and made him my apprentice instead... He doesn't seem weak..."

Sasuke opened his eyes and growled, the mark on his neck beginning to take on a fiery red color. He despised that word, especially when someone implied that he was weak. He wasn't... Sasuke refused to be...

"Foolish little brother..."

The raven-haired male vividly remembered the words his elder brother uttered that night. He truly was weak then, but not now. Nothing like that would ever happen again. Sasuke wouldn't let it. He would never be weak again.

It was then that a rush of power surged through him, lighting a fire inside Sasuke. His opponent flinched in surprise when he turned and glared maliciously with a pair of red eyes, now darkening to appear as if they were black.

Orochimaru chuckled quietly as he observed the sights that occurred afterwards. They'd be considered horrific by anyone else, but it pleased him greatly. He couldn't resist another grin as he watched the boy get lost in his rage.

The interrogator retracted his hand when Sasuke fell silent, his head slumped over and the guards being the only thing that held him up. All was silent for a minute before the man pushed at Sasuke's head to make sure he was unconscious. "Perhaps I went a bit too far," the masked male muttered. He gasped in surprise when an eerie chuckle left the Uchiha's lips and he slowly lifted his head to reveal a pair of crimson orbs.

"How foolish of you," Sasuke said, tilting his head to the side, "to think you could actually overpower someone like me..."

"H-How? The confinements should've kept your chakra restrained enough so that you couldn't recover even after being removed from them for a short amount of time. No other prisoner has ever recovered so quickly..."

"I'm not a regular prisoner," Sasuke said, a devilish smirk adorning his features. He stared at the now terrified man as he backed away. The Uchiha felt the guards tense up when black markings started to spread across his body. His smirk grew larger when he caught sight of the interrogator freezing up. "I can see it in your eyes... You fear my power..."

"Put the restraints back on him!" the man called.

Bang!

The room was reduced to rubble in a matter of seconds. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as alarms started sounding seconds after. He would show them... He'd make his power known...

One after one he defeated anyone that got in his way inside the prison, grinning with delight as the shinobi of Konoha screamed in agony. He walked past motionless bodies and people writhing in pain while he made his way to the prison's high security cells, stopping all that attempted to hinder him.

After putting an end to all the guards in his path and reaching the high security block, the Uchiha broke all of his comrades out of their cells. He panted harshly as he leaned back against the undamaged wall behind him and felt the power dissipate. He still had difficulty controlling the power and he couldn't afford to lose himself in it. Sasuke's facial features contorted into a mixed expression of pain and exhaustion. He began to feel the effects of the torture he'd received earlier.

"Uchiha-sama, are you okay?" one of the squad members asked, reaching out to help Sasuke.

Sasuke immediately slapped the male's hand away and pushed himself off the wall, stifling the expression of pain that'd been occupying his features. "I'm fine. You focus on completing your mission while I finish mine. If you can't complete yours then buy me some time," he ordered gruffly.

The squad members exchanged glances as they turned and prepared to retrieve their confiscated gear.

"Wait!" Sasuke called as the group began to move. "You," he said, pointing at the spy who'd found the third, "You saw where the girl went after reentering the village the night she emerged. Take me there. The rest of you, go."

The spy swallowed nervously before nodding and leading the Uchiha in the opposite direction of the squad.

Sasuke did his best to stifle the grunts of pain that attempted to leave his lips as he followed the spy. He refused to seem weak to anyone.

"I... I couldn't control myself," Sasuke panted while he collapsed to his knees, watching his severely injured opponent being hauled away by medics. The Uchiha maneuvered into a sitting position and held onto his throbbing arm, staring aimlessly at the ground. He'd only used the power once before, against Naruto, and it wasn't even intentional. Yet, he had more control over it that time than this instance...

"Don't worry about it too much Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru reassured as he walked to stand behind the Uchiha. "You'll gain more control with time. You only need to learn to embrace it more."

"Embrace it?" Sasuke questioned, still shaken up by his own actions.

"Yes, you have to embrace it... Embrace your frustration and your rage... your hatred..." Orochimaru explained.

Sasuke only blinked at the ground, making no effort to respond.

"I know what you're thinking Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru stated, taking another step forward. "You're conflicted because you were taught to do the opposite in Konoha." He paused and chuckled lightly, earning barely any reaction from the Uchiha. "Don't forget why you accepted my offer Sasuke-kun. I know more about your powers than any of them ever will," he continued, his voice lowering. "I've learned even more after studying you and experimenting with the meteor fragments. Would you like to find out what I know?"

Sasuke tilted his head ever so slightly to the side as a sign of interest.

"All three of you have inherited specific powers as you know, but there's more to it than that. I know what exactly these powers trace back to, what they originate from. I know hardly anything of the third at the moment since this person has yet to emerge, but I know all about you and the Namikaze. I know what you both are..."

Sasuke fully turned to face the snakelike man, narrowing his eyes and setting his lips into a straight line.

"I assume you've heard the legend of the Kyuubi," Orochimaru started. He waited for Sasuke to give a small nod before continuing. "The nine-tailed fox with power great enough to destroy the shinobi world as we know it. That is the power that Namikaze Naruto possesses. Naruto is the Fox."

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly against his thighs, turning around and staring at the ground. In truth, he was afraid of what the answer to his next question might be. "What am I?" he nearly whispered.

"It took me a little longer to figure out than the first," Orochimaru explained, "but now I'm sure. You showed your rage and bloodlust during the battle, along with such hatred, among other things... My suspicions were proven to be true just then."

"What am I?!" Sasuke repeated loudly, struggling to hold his voice intact. He could practically visualize the devilish grin on Orochimaru's features as he leaned down and whispered the words.

"The Demon."

It seemed like his life was destined to be what it was now. It was as if he was destined to be what he was now... A cold-hearted demon.

The image of bloody, lifeless bodies filled Sasuke's mind. He remembered it all so clearly... He could picture his clan members' corpses, his parents' bodies... He vividly saw Itachi with his swirling red eyes.

Sasuke would never allow something like that to happen again. He wouldn't be the weak child he was back then. He would avenge the Uchiha clan and kill his elder brother, no matter what. That, he was sure of. If he had to be the Demon to do it, then so be it...


Sakura stretched after waking up from her nap, yawning quietly. She eventually laid back down and heard something crumple under her weight. She shifted and grabbed the item, pulling it out from under her. Sakura's eyes softened as she unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and remembered what it was for.

She couldn't help but feel guilty when she emerged from her room in the morning and found a box of her favorite chocolates along with a note on top. Tsunade apologized in the note and promised to tell her the truth when she returned from the hospital. Sakura decided to write a note of her own, as she would probably be with Naruto when the pair came home. The pink-haired girl flicked her gaze to Tsunade's door where she taped the note. She then sighed before folding Tsunade's note up again and shoving it into her pocket.

Sakura looked down and picked up the half-eaten box of chocolates, setting it in her lap a moment later. She hadn't gotten sweets in forever. They were costly, especially in times of war, and Tsunade never had time to go and get any. She must've gone out of her way to get the chocolates with a busy schedule. Sakura clutched the box to her chest and frowned, feeling even more guilty.

Slam!

The girl jumped when she heard the front door creak open and slam shut above her. Sakura narrowed her eyes in confusion. Neither Tsunade nor Shizune should be home right now.

Sakura swallowed nervously at the realization. Even if either of the women came home early they would always give her a signal. She waited for it but it never came. A stranger was in the house. Sakura heard the person's footsteps travel to a part in the house that was further away from her. She set the box of chocolates down next to her and stood up, quietly stepping towards the back entrance. The teen bit down on her bottom lip when she heard the footsteps stalking towards her once more. If she were to open the back entrance now, the intruder would certainly hear it.

Sakura held her breath as the footsteps stopped just above the entrance in the house. There was no way anyone besides Shizune or Tsunade would know. Her heart thundered in her chest as the dreadful moments of silence dragged on. She slapped a hand over her mouth after letting out a nervous, harsh breath. They couldn't know... They couldn't have heard her...

Bang!

The door was broken into millions of pieces by the explosion. Sakura blinked rapidly and pushed herself off the ground as the dust cleared. Her eyes widened in shock as she caught sight of the intruder. Standing across from her was a livid Uchiha Sasuke.


Author's Note: So this concludes chapter three! I'll hopefully be able to get the next chapter out sooner than this one but school is starting next week so it'll be a challenge. Anyways, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for the support!