[ Chapter 3: Intersection ]

Sasuke picked up the cup from his dresser. Examining it closely, Sasuke figured Mrs. Haruno realized the cup was missing. It probably was a good idea for him to return it to her. It would be a better idea for him to visit her and sneak it into a cupboard... But he couldn't do that. Sasuke didn't want to enter the Haruno home again. The atmosphere was too heavy for him. It was full of reminders. Traces of the missing Sakura lingered all over the area. Pictures, possessions, clothing... Even her scent lingered around her room... Sasuke couldn't go there. And also... There was something about the Haruno family that greatly affected him. Sasuke would carry the burden of guilt, one pushed onto him by the grief of the Haruno family. They wouldn't know it...

But then again, there were a lot of things the Haruno family didn't know...

Sasuke placed the cup back on the dresser. He decided the pink object would stay with him, among other things.

Sasuke...

Her voice quietly chimed through Sasuke's ears. Looking to his side, her slim figured stood against his bed post. She sat down on the empty space, her back facing him. Sasuke looked at the crevices of her bare shoulders. Her body glowed with a soft white light. It illuminated her quite beautifully while at the same time giving off an eerie feel. It was a heavy feeling Sasuke got every time her image appeared before him. Looking at his memory of her now, Sasuke thought she looked just as he remember last seeing her. Sasuke's hand moved to touch her shoulder. Reaching out, his hand only grabbed air. The room was empty.

With sleep abandoning him completely for another night, Sasuke decided to head out for a walk.

It was half past two in the morning. Sasuke's eyelids drooped with a fleeting heaviness. Tiredness pulled his eyes down only softly. He could feel himself be a little tired, but somehow it wasn't enough for him to fall asleep.The sounds of his foot steps and crickets were all that could be heard in the empty neighborhood street. Looking up at the sky, Sasuke let out a forced yawn as he often did during his sleepless nights. He figured forcing yawns would trick his body into believing he should sleep. Unfortunately, it never believed him.

While wandering aimlessly in his thoughts, the young man stopped at an intersection. It was where the path to his apartment and the path to the Haruno residence split. Sasuke looked towards the direction of Sakura's home and then back towards the direction he came from. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimps cherry blossoms floating in the air. Quickly turning back ahead of him, Sasuke's eyes widened. There she stood. With pink hair brushing against a pair of pale shoulders, emerald eyes looked sadly at him. Sasuke gazed at the image before him. Her right arm nervously crossed her stomach and held onto her left elbow. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

"Saku-" Sasuke reached out for her, but stopped. Looking around him, he found that he was alone.

Sasuke closed his eyes as memories flooded his mind.

----------

(begin flashback)

Sasuke walked along the road with Sakura trailing slightly behind him. After a day of training, the members of team seven walked home. They had already split paths with Naruto whose apartment was in a different direction; now it was only Sasuke and Sakura walking together. As far as Sasuke was concerned, he didn't care whether or not they all walked together at the end of the day. He would have been exactly the same if he walked alone. He did, however, sense that Sakura had a few things riding on these walks, and he understood this for obvious reasons. Everyday Sakura would trail a few steps behind him silently, but Sasuke knew she always had something on her mind each time. Rather than walking to her house, it felt more like she was following him, waiting for the off-shoot chance that something might happen. But nothing ever did. Everyday was a quiet walk where exchanges were few and far between.

The two reached the next split in their path. Sasuke went ahead towards the direction of his apartment. Sakura, on the other hand, stopped at the intersection. She did so, for some seemingly odd reason, quite intently.Sasuke stopped without turning. He considered what he should expect. A declaration of love. A promise of eternal devotion. Other forms affection and whatnot. He turned around. Sakura stood there timidly with one hand crossed over her stomach and holding onto her other elbow. She was speaking, but he didn't bother to listen. Sasuke already guessed, quite accurately in fact, what she was saying. Even getting down to the specifics of her words, Sasuke knew it would be of no concern to him as far as revenge went. Other than revenge, everything was just talk he didn't feel the need to listen to. By the time Sakura finished, Sasuke gave out an audible sigh.

"Look, Sakura. I think you already know what I'm going to say just as how I know what you were saying without listening. We've been through this. I have other things on my mind."

Sakura made no move to stop Sasuke as he turned back towards his path.

"I know you probably don't care, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said, stopping Sasuke again "But... That doesn't matter to me."
"So why do you try?"
"I don't know... I just do."
"That's a stupid answer." Sasuke said in his usual clipped tone. "Don't bother with me. You're wasting time."

Sasuke finally left the intersection, where Sakura stood looking towards him.

-----

Sasuke convinced Kakashi to train with him during their spare time,his intention--unknown to Kakshi--was to be able to execute one more chidori past his limit. During their session, Sasuke's thoughts began to swell upon his plan of revenge. Thinking about his brother caused him to push harder with raw anger. Eventually it was hard to separate Sasuke's emotion and the use of his own strength. Noting Sasuke's unfocused state, Kakashi told Sasuke to take a break after reaching his limit. As the young man sat on the ground, his thoughts caught up to him.

Age, Genin rank. Age 8, ability to use Sharingan. Age 9 Chunin rank. Age 13 Anbu squad leader.

Age 13...

The Uchiha massacre.

Sasuke made an angered grunt. So much strength and skill at so young an age. It seemed no matter how hard he tried, Sasuke felt he could never match that man... And that man... That man had everything Sasuke wanted. That man could have been the perfect role model for him... But why did that man choose to go the other way? And at the age of 13, that man...

Visions of shadows and sudden flashes of light screeched in Sasuke's mind. Blood splattered. Screams screamed. People Sasuke loved, and people Sasuke thought that man loved, fell.

Sasuke shut his eyes with increasing hatred. The past would always haunt him, and he felt that he could only fight it is by fixing his future. He could only chase away his anger by getting rid of its source. But at his present state he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough, not yet. Sasuke wanted strength and he wanted as much as he could get as fast as possible. He didn't have time to take it easy. He didn't care if he reached his limit. He wanted to surpass and master his limit because of that man. That man who continues to live and breathe the way the Uchiha clan cannot, the way that he cannot. A part of him was dead already, Sasuke decided. Uchiha Sasuke died and all that was left was a vengeful ghost. So there was no time to accommodate limits. Sasuke had to execute another chidori NOW.

Sasuke hastily stood up. Lightning began to materialize in his hand. Looking at a large boulder as his designated target, Sasuke charged towards it. As he attempted to generate more power in his hand, Sasuke could feel his body rapidly lose strength. Feeling as though the air were being sucked out of him, Sasuke ignored his pain and continued to accumulate power. As he approached the boulder, he gave a mighty cry. It was do or die for him. Chidori or nothing.

This could be it.

"That's enough, Sasuke!"

His eyes widened. Kakashi held back a heavily breathing and heavily exhausted Sasuke.

"Are you in a hurry for your deathbed?!" Kakashi said harshly.

Sasuke relaxed from his position slightly. However, he was still breathing heavily and was visibly riled up. Sasuke was angry.

"You don't understand! I NEED to be able to execute another one. The my current limit isn't enough!"
"YOU don't understand. You could die if you don't know your limits."
"Who cares about my limits?! I need power, I need strength! I need to be able to kill that man... That man... He..."

Sasuke found himself unable to formulate anymore thoughts. At that point he could only feel and not think. The ever perceptive Kakashi understood this. He has seen passion in all its incarnations, including hate, and has felt it himself a few times. But he also understood its consequences, something he was sure Sasuke could not see.Luckily, Sasuke couldn't train in such a manner alone.

"I'm calling it a day." Kakashi almost nonchalantly.
"What?!" Sasuke replied "What about my training!?"
"I don't know about you, but too much training gets to my head."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm going to find a friend and eat out or watch a movie or something. You know, I'm going to enjoy myself. I suggest you do the same."

Sasuke watched him slightly annoyed and almost shocked. Do something else other than train? How can Kakashi say that even after Sasuke made his point (sort of).Kakashi starting making his way back to the village, but after a few steps he stopped.

"One more thing, Sasuke."
"What's that?"
"There are many paths in life that you can choose to take. Some are entirely different courses, while others intersect into different paths. I know what you are aiming for, and it's your choice to take that way. But if you go about it the wrong way, you'll find yourself one a one way path towards a dead end. It would be best if you found an intersection and go another way."
After a few moments of silence, Sasuke spoke "You're awfully preachy."
"No, I'm just giving you advice."
"Whatever."

After Kakashi left, Sasuke looked around him. The training grounds were empty; he was alone. A few moments of silence lingered. Then with an inner wince of pain, Sasuke left the training grounds.

-----

Sasuke stopped at the intersection.

"Good job with training today." Sakura said coming up from behind "You did well, as usual."

Sasuke said nothing. He simply stood where the path of his apartment and Sakura's home spilt.

(end flashback)

----------

Realizing himself from reminiscing, Sasuke recalled what he was originally doing. He looked around him for a few more moments.

"Have I chosen the wrong path?" he asked the stars.

When no answer came, Sasuke went on his way.

--------------------

Author's Note: ff.net is doing some crazy things to the formatting again. If you say anything wrong, ignore it. Nothing much to say here other than thanks to the readers and reviewers. :)