Thank you to those who have reviewed. I am happy to see any feedback. I am most definitely going to continue writing this.

Sadly, I must say that I do not own Naruto nor any thing associated with it, except for this story. If I owned Naruto, the world be quite different. Sasuke would never have left and Naruto would have his best friend where he belongs. ; )

This chapter is from Sasuke's P.O.V, so be ready for major OCCness on his part, at least in his thoughts. Again, I have created my version of the timeline. Differences will be found. Sasuke and Naruto have NOT seen each other for eight years.

Two Weeks Earlier

I hate to admit it, but I have missed the sight of this place. Konoha seems to remain constant, even with the chaos of the outside world. It is...nice to see the village unchanged.

Though the handsome face was expressionless, Sasuke felt what could only be a tinge of excitement about returning to his old village. Most importantly...Wait, there is not most importantly or any excitement. I am here because...because...Now that I think of it, why am I coming back?

A tremendous sigh left the raven's throat and he stopped walking towards the large gates. Why the dobe's face kept on popping into his mind was beyond him, but he vaguely wondered if that had anything to with his current situation. He dismissed such thoughts and then suddenly sneezed. He blamed it on the sun that was growing steadily brighter by the minute. It was a little after dawn and the rising sun washed the world in a yellow glow, which reminded him of a certain loud-mouthed ninja.

Sasuke wanted very much to bash his head into a nearby surface, but was interrupted by shouts from the main gate. The guards had finally noticed him and were most likely contacting the Hokage. He could imagine the message was along the lines of, 'some one matching the Uchiha's description is standing at the main gate.' This made a very faint smirk appear on his lips for a moment before disappearing. He had no time for disruptive thoughts as the ANBU would appear momentarily.

Brushing off any dirt from his clothing, Sasuke put his hands up slightly and waited five seconds before six ANBU surrounded him. One with a lion mask questioned in a gruff voice, "Are you Sasuke Uchiha?"
"I am." Sasuke replied quietly, staring at the gates of Konoha instead of the ANBU.

"What is your business here?"

"The same as yours." Sasuke answered, though he paused before continuing to reply, "I mean no harm to this village, its inhabitants, or the Hokage." He held out his hands towards them to allow himself to be restrained if they felt the need. Sasuke knew this made the ANBU glance at each other before the lion one nodded and placed chakra restraints on his wrists. The ANBU each placed a hand on him before disappearing in a poof of smoke and reappearing in the Hokage's office with a crack. "Hokaga-sama, we have apprehended Sasuke Uchiha."

The green chair swiveled around to reveal the large-chested Hokage. "This better not be a joke, I am..." Her voice faded as she took in the man who stood before her in restraints. It took several long minutes before Tsunade was able to speak again. "Sasuke, why are you here?"

"No reason." He replied, training his emotionless black holes on her. He knew she was going to press him for answers, but that did not mean he could not be stubborn.

"There is a reason. One does not simply betray their village, kill innocent people, and then return to their home village without a reason." The Hokage raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Hn. If you must know, I have finished what I set out to do and have no need to stay on that side any longer." Sasuke averted his eyes from the woman Hokage, hoping that she would not think that returning had anything to do with the people he had left.

"Itachi is alive and well, how have you finished your goal?" Hokage questioned, her voice filled with suspicion.

"I set out to kill my brother, yes, but I found answers...answers that proved much more valuable than revenge on my brother." Sasuke replied quietly, still averting his eyes. He did not care that avoiding her gaze was suspicious. He refused to look at her eyes, in fear that she would see something that he did not understand himself. It was true that he had found answers and given up revenge, but his reasons went beyond that, and he still could not figure out why or how exactly.

"Somehow I do not trust you, Uchiha. You will be kept in a cell and Morino will make a visit." Tsunade replied, waving a hand at the ANBU, telling them to take him away.

"Will others be informed of my...return?" Sasuke muttered before he could be whisked away.

"Yes, but only the previous members of Team Seven...or at least the remaining ones." Tsunade whispered the last part, barely aware that she had let it past her lips, however, Sasuke heard it loud and clear. His head snapped up and his black eyes widened a centimeter. "Remaining ones?" He questioned, unable to keep the quiver of worry from his voice.

The woman seemed surprised by his expression and words, but did not hesitate in responding, "It is none of your business. Take him to his cell!" She snapped, giving a sharp nod to the ANBU, who quickly moved to the cells before Sasuke could retort. He did not put up a fight as the ANBU put him in a cell and reinforced it with a barrier. His thoughts were on the Hokage's words. She said 'remaining ones'. Why would she say that? Did someone...did they...die? No, Kakashi is too smart, Naruto is too resilient, and Sakura...maybe it was her. No, she is always being protected. Naruto and Kakashi wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not that I care if any of them died, especially not the hag. They are just old baggage. Yeah, old baggage that means nothing to me. They aren't...aren't...

"Sasuke Uchiha. Strange seeing you again, I must say." Sasuke raised his head and all inner debates immediately stopped when he caught sight of the scarred man who had given one of the tests for the Chunin exam years ago. Ibiki Morino. Sasuke would have shown fear if Uchihas' did such a thing, which they did not. He silently prepared himself for what was to come.

Three hours passed slowly for Sasuke. The pain had been manageable, but the memories had been almost un-bearable. The torturer had finished his work and now any secrets about the fate of Konoha were exposed, at least what Sasuke knew about such things. However, they were both confused on why there was no clear answer as to why he had returned to the village. If Morino found the answer, he did not tell Sasuke about it. A low grumble left the raven's mouth and he leaned against the bars of his cage. He clenched his jaw and stared blankly at the opposite wall, once again trying to puzzle out the Hokage's words.

His brow furrowed the more he thought. He had been here a whole of three and a half hours, so why had he not heard anything about the blond idiot? Now that he looked back, he realized he had not felt the familiar chakra signature of his rival. His face went even paler than normal, if that was even possible. "It couldn't have been him...No..." He whispered to himself without realizing that he had spoken out loud. The thought of the loud-mouthed blond not being alive any more made his heart feel like it was dropping.

Why does the thought of him dead so much different from thoughts of the others dead? He is my rival, so shouldn't I be happy that the competition is gone? Why does it feel like my heart is going to stop beating? This makes no sense. Besides, I do not know if he is actually dead. Maybe he is out on a mission or something along those lines. It is Naruto, after all.

Sasuke was about to fall asleep when the door to the room banged open and the Hokage herself walked up to the cell. "Morino reports that you passed with flying colors and gave us all the information that your brain holds."
"Hn."

"You will stay here for the next week, before you are released and put under surveillance at all times." Tsunade paused, as if thinking about what to say next, "Old teammates of yours will want to see you. Even though you are a prisoner, would you like to see them?"

Sasuke listened to her words with hidden excitement. He hated being in cells; it reminded him too much of Orochimaru. The sooner he was released, the better he would feel. The statement and question about teammates coming to see him was not surprising, but it still sent a strange jolt of emotion through his body that he could not hide. "I suppose it would be fine." He was proud of himself from keeping the excited trembling from his voice. For some reason, Sasuke was not thinking about Kakashi or Sakura, but of Naruto.

He wanted to see Naruto and even wanted to get into the childish fights that they always got into when they were younger. A thought crossed his mind and he stopped in his hidden excitement, his heart stopping. Will HE want to see me? I tried to kill him at the Valley of the End. I put a Chidori through his chest! I tried to kill my best friend. I heard many rumors of his deeds afterword, so I know he is not dead because of me, but still...Why would he want to see the person who proclaimed him as their best friend and then shoved their hand through his chest?

The memory of what he had done made Sasuke sick to his stomach. He had let his quest for revenge and power cloud his mind to the point where he would harm the person he cared for. He ran his hands through his raven hair and groaned softly, hating himself more. Eventually, he fell asleep, curled in a fetal position on the cot.

The rain poured down as Sasuke leaned over the still body of his best friend. He said nothing, but the tears that slipped down his face and mixed with the rain spoke louder than a thousand words. One tear hit Naruto's face and mixed with one of the blonde's own tears, creating a larger path down the whiskered cheeks. Sasuke wanted to touch the wet face one last time, but refused to allow himself such weakness. Dropping the scratched hitai-ate beside the barely alive Naruto, Sasuke sped away, willing the tears to stop. "Naruto...I am sorry." He whispered before he was completely out of sight. He was sure the other had not heard him, which made him feel better at the moment. Watching Kakashi come and collect the most likely unconscious boy made feelings bubble up inside him, feelings that he pushed away. He was free now, free to take revenge and seek the power that he needed.

Don't go, you idiot! Go after them, don't let them take him away! Make sure that he is alright, do not walk away! Don't you dare! Sasuke thrashed on the cot, sweating and panting. The screams that left his throat brought the ANBU to his room, who in turn brought Tsunade.
"Sasuke, wake up! It is just a dream." She said, walking over to the cot to reach out a hand to the upset boy, only to be swatted away by a stretched out hand.

"Naruto! Don't..." Sasuke woke up then, sitting straight up before burying his face in his hands. His shoulders shook, but no tears fell from his eyes. He did not realize someone was in the room until a hand was rested on his shoulder. His head snapped up and he stared blankly at the Hokage. "W-What are you doing here?" He mentally cursed himself for letting his voice crack.

"Your screaming woke up the entire building." The statement made Sasuke's eyes widen and he put his face back into his hands with an almost inaudible groan.
"Dreaming about the idiot?" Tsunade questioned. Sasuke stiffened and then reluctantly nodded his head. "The Valley of the End..." He whispered, figuring there was no point in hiding what he was dreaming about from the Hokage.

"What exactly happened that day, Sasuke?" He looked at her then, confused, though it barely showed on his pale face. "He never told you? I thought the idiot would blab all about the events that went on there once he got back."

Tsunade shook her head, "No, he refused to say more than he had failed to bring you back. When he came into the hospital, he was clutching a slashed hitai-ate and mumbling your name while crying, more like sobbing. I had to sedate him before he made his injury worse. By the way, where did that gaping hole come from?"

Sasuke buried his face further into his hands and then his knees which he pulled up to his chest. You refused to say anything, but why? If you do not want the details being told, maybe I should keep such things to myself as well. That was one memory that I managed to keep from Morino. Sasuke shook his head at Tsunade's question, silently refusing to answer her. He did not know why Naruto had refused to mention anything about that day, but if the blond did not want the events broadcasted, then he would honor the blond's wish.

He heard a sigh and then the sounds of the people leaving his room. He laid back down and found that he could not sleep. He lay there until the door of the dark room opened again, letting the morning light shine in. Inside the cell, Sasuke blinked to adjust his eyes to the newfound light and he accepted the food that was offered to him. The ANBU had to open the barrier partly to slide the food into the cell. The next week passed, following the same routine. He would receive three healthy meals a day, have occasional visits from the Hokage, mostly at night when he screamed through his nightmares. The only oddity was his dreams. Instead of dreaming of the death of his family or horrid memories of Orochimaru, he dreamed about Naruto. Some of the dreams were good, but in the end, they would return to the Valley of the End and he would jerk awake to find Tsunade beside him. After that, he was unable to sleep and waited patiently for the door to open, signaling morning.

When the morning of his last day in the cell came, not that he was counting the days or anything, the door was opened not by an ANBU, but Kakashi. The silver-haired man was easy to recognize, even after eight years. "Nice to see you again, Sasuke." He said as he approached the cell.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded to the man, feeling suddenly awkward. He did not show it, but was certain that he had given something away, judging by the look that went through the other man's eye.

"I would ask why you are here, but you have not been very forthcoming about that, I am told."
Sasuke shrugged and sat up in his cot. He glanced behind Kakashi to the open door, hoping that a certain blond was waiting around the corner.

"He is not here," came the quiet reply that made Sasuke's heart plummet. Questioning black eyes turned to Kakashi, and Sasuke knew that he was letting his old sensei see emotions that he should keep inside. He should have been able to turn towards him with an expressionless face, but somehow he was unable to put up a mask right away.

"If the Hokage has not told you already, she will eventually. It is not my place to tell you." Kakashi lowered his head for a moment before raising it and saluting Sasuke in his loose way. "See ya' around." He walked out, brushing past a girl with bubble-gum pink hair. The girl walked slowly up to the cell and crossed her arms. Sasuke realized that this was Sakura, who had definitely matured over the eight years. She was by no means beautiful, but she had grown rather pretty. Sasuke could tell with one look that she was strong, but there was something heavy on her heart, as he had noticed when Kakashi spoke about Naruto.

"It is good to see you, Sasuke. It has been different without you." Sasuke studied the girl before him, taking in her sincere facial expressions. "I have one question for you..." Oh, no. She hasn't given up, has she? Seriously, after eight years she is still going on about 'loving me' and 'perfect Sasuke'. Ugh! I thought I had gotten rid of such things after I left this village. "...Sasuke...Why did you leave? You broke my heart, but do you know how much it hurt Naruto? He...He...WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" She shouted, her fists shaking with what was presumably rage.

Sasuke's eyes widened, he had not been expecting that. She was yelling about Naruto and the pain he went through, instead of her own? He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling guilty again. He lowered his head and shook it, knowing that explaining would only make her angrier and go against Naruto's wishes to keep what happened to themselves. However, staying quiet seemed to make her angrier as well. The barrier apparently been taken down in the night, as the bars of the cell were dented by the force of Sakura's hit. Sasuke was suddenly thankful for the cell. He was pretty sure that the curse seal would not have been able to stop the impact of her fist.

After she had cooled down a bit, Sasuke spoke up, "Where is he?" It was said in little more than whisper, but Sakura heard it. Staring at her, Sasuke saw what looked to be sorrow and pain in her eyes. "He...He..." She visibly swallowed hard and appeared to blink back tears before running out of the room. Sasuke tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. Why was Naruto such a touchy subject? There was no way he was dead, as he had originally thought. The idiot wouldn't go and die when he had things unfinished. He did not have much time thing, however, as several ANBU entered the room and led him out of his cell. Before he could question where they were going, they disappeared and reappeared in the Hokage's office. Kakashi and Sakura were both present, along with someone who looked suspiciously like Shikamaru. Tsunade sat at her desk with a serious expression on her face.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you betrayed this village and did unspeakable things while under the wing of Orochimaru. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I am guilty of said charges, but I, as the rumors have claimed, killed the snake and have returned to Konoha in search of forgiveness of my childish mistakes." Sasuke saw that Sakura, Kakashi, and the possible Shikamaru were all looking at him with expressions akin to shock and surprise. The old Uchiha would never have said such things to anyone, but Sasuke knew now was not the time for airs or masks, it was time for the truth.

"You are aware that you will be watched by ANBU until we view you trustworthy?" Sasuke replied with a sharp nod and Tsunade continued, "You will not be allowed to leave this village without escort of both Jounin and ANBU. You will live in a provided home. Understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Sasuke bowed and then glanced at his old teammates. They were both avoiding his gaze, causing his brow to furrow slightly. The man he assumed to be Shikamaru approached him, "I have been assigned to take you to your new accommodations, what a bother." Definitely Shikamaru. He put a hand on Sasuke's forearm and led him out of the Hokage's office. Once they were on main street level, Shikamaru led the way to a small apartment building. Sasuke glanced around when they entered, the woman at the desk offered a faint smile before going back to her work. Sasuke was glad to see that the place was quiet and the apartment that they stopped in front of was on the highest floor. The place only had three stories, but it was high enough for him to feel comfortable. The closer to the sky, the safer he felt. All of Orochimaru's hideouts had been underground or had one level above ground.

Shikamaru's cough brought him out of his thoughts and they entered the apartment. "ANBU will be watching." Sasuke turned to the other man only to find him gone, with only his last words filling the space. He was left alone, not that he minded too terribly much. Looking around, Sasuke found that his new home had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a joined kitchen/dining room/living room space. It was all simply furnished and clean, though the walls were bare, it was something he could get used to. "Home sweet home, I suppose." He muttered to himself before picking the bedroom on the right side of the hall as his own and plopping into the bed with a sigh. Sleep claimed him quicker than he thought was possible and he found that only nightmare plagued him that night, the memory of the Valley of the End, but this time Naruto died.

Naruto and his point of view will not return for a chapter or two. Sasuke gets to take over for a bit. Sasuke seem to OOC to you? I apologize, but this is a fanfic, and my second one.
Have any questions/suggestions/reviews? Send me a message or write me a review! ; ) I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and I apologize for it taking longer than the last two to get out. Writing for Sasuke seems to take longer for me and this chapter was the longest yet. Ah well. Expect the next chapter within the next week or two! Sasuke might find out about Naruto...You never know.