Chapter Four: The Ghost of Christmas Past

Just a quick note: Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I realize a lot of time has passed since Christmas but I have been extremely busy and things just keep popping up here and there. So anyways, I'm sorry for the delay and I still really hope that you enjoy the rest of my story anyway!

About an hour or so later Sasuke was reawakened by a bright light that entered the room and a clock announcing the first hour. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and then placed his hand in front of his forehead and squinted to see. That's when suddenly he realized that Keiko was standing before him, or at least he thought it was Keiko. Instead of her usual pigtails her hair was straight down and she was wearing a white robe and a pink tiara on top of her head.

"What are you doing? How in the world did you get in here?" he questioned her.

"I am the ghost of Christmas past." She replied.

"Oh I get it, this must be a dream. Nice try Keiko." He told her as he started drifting back off to sleep. Keiko,.. *ahem* I mean the ghost's eyes suddenly turned as white as her robe as she stared over at Sasuke and then levitated him out of the bed and dropped him onto the carpet.

That's when suddenly Sasuke let out a shriek and his eyes shot open as he hit the ground. "Hey! Watch it!" he snapped at her.

"I'm sorry but we have an awful lot to see and we don't have much time to do so. Our time together is really short." She told him while holding out her hand and offering it to him.

"Let me guess, I really don't have a say in this one way or the other right?" he questioned her as he slowly got to his feet and she slowly shook her head at him.

"No, you don't." she told him as he took ahold of her hand and then suddenly they both levitated off the ground.

"Wait! You didn't tell me that we were going to fly there!" Sasuke cried while he started feeling his heart pounding frantically against his chest.

"You really need to get out more." She told him before they flew out the window together and within the speed and flash of light they appeared outside a hospital and slowly landed on the ground. "Recognize this place?" she questioned him.

"Yeah,.. it's a hospital." He replied.

"Yes, but it was also the hospital where you were born at." She told him as he quickly turned his head over to look at her.

"Well how was I supposed to know that!? I can't possibly remember being born, nobody can!" he cried while folding his arms and turning his nose up at her.

"Alright I admit it, you got me there." She told him before taking him over to the window. As Sasuke peered inside he saw his older brother Itachi holding him inside his arms and heaved a sad sigh while hanging his head. "I'm sure that you at least recognize that guy holding you." She said.

"Of course I do, that's my big brother Itachi." He told her.

"And I'm sure you remember what happened to Itachi." She said as he heaved a heavy sad sigh again and nodded.

"I would rather not think about it though. Itachi was such a great and protective big brother to me and I didn't find that out until it was too late. He died because of me and I would do anything in the world to bring him back." He said.

"As I recall he did have a child though." The ghost began as Sasuke silently nodded at her. "A baby girl,.. your niece Sachi." She reminded him before she reached her hand out towards him and Sasuke reluctantly grabbed it and they instantly vanished from the scene before reappearing in a bedroom where a five year old Sasuke was playing with his toys.

"Hey Sasuke! It's time to come downstairs your supper's getting cold!" his mother called from downstairs.

"Coming Mommy!" Sasuke exclaimed as he shot up from the floor and disappeared.

"What are we doing here?" Sasuke questioned the ghost.

"I'll show you. Once we get downstairs you should remember." She replied before he touched her hand again and they vanished from the room and reappeared down in the kitchen where Sasuke's mother was cooking dinner. As soon as he caught sight of his mother tears started rolling down the grown Sasuke's face.

"Mom." He whispered rather loudly but the ghost just simply shook her head at him.

"The number one rule about being in the past is that nobody can see or hear us." She told him as he watched himself as a child hurry into the dining room and sit down next to Itachi.

"Where's Daddy Mommy?" the little boy questioned her.

"I'm sorry sweetheart but he isn't going to be home tonight." She told him while heaving a sad little sigh and slightly shaking her head. "He's out on another mission." She told him as little Sasuke hung his head in sorrow.

"But it's Christmas Eve." He said sadly when suddenly the grown Sasuke sighed as well as he remembered what year this had been and sure enough he turned his head to see a undecorated Christmas tree with nothing underneath it, and he looked outside the window to see an enormous snow storm.

"My father never had any time for his family. He was always out on missions. He never really made a point of celebrating Christmas with us either." He explained. "He didn't really believe that we should have time playing or having fun regardless of whether it was Christmas or not, and he always made us train. The only time we ever got presents is when my mother sneakily gave them to us." He added as she slowly reached her hand out towards him.

"Come, we have one last thing to see." The ghost of Christmas past told him as he reluctantly reached his hand out towards her and grabbed it and they disappeared again. This time they reappeared out in front of the gates to the village.

"Oh no, not this. Anything but this." Sasuke began while feeling his heart starting to ache since he already knew what was coming.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but to understand the present you must first understand the past. Don't you remember this night?" she questioned him.

"Of course I do!" he hollered angrily at her over his shoulder. "I didn't even want to be brought here in the first place!" he added as he began watching the scene unfold in front of him.

"Please Sasuke! I'm so in love with you I can hardly stand it!" Sakura sobbed as tears rolled down her cheeks. "If you can't stay here with me then take me with you Sasuke! Because if you were gone, it would be the same thing as being all alone." She told him with a sniff as the younger Sasuke thought this over for a few moments before responding to her.

"Sorry, for awhile I thought I could stay with squad seven, but in the end I have decided upon revenge." He told her as she started to go after him.

"Don't leave me! For if you go I'll scream!" Sakura exclaimed as Sasuke watched himself knock her out before gently laying her down on the bench. He had remembered how she had almost gotten him to stay with her.

"That's really sad." The ghost began as they both watched the older Sasuke walk off in the distance. "Even though you had lost your family you gained another one when you joined team seven, yet you were willing to throw your friendship you had with Naruto away as well as the love you felt for Sakura in order to gain revenge." She finished.

"Go away!" Sasuke hollered again at her feeling the anger and rage boil up inside his heart. "Why do you haunt me with all of these painful memories!?" he yelled.

"These are the shadows of the things that have been. They are what they are. Don't blame me." she told him and that's when the same bright light that had entered Sasuke's hospital room appeared before him again and before he knew it he woke up back inside his bed.

"It was just another nightmare." He realized while muttering it underneath his breath. "Humbug!" he exclaimed before he rolled back over and drifted back off to sleep.