A/N: It's here to show you a bit of Sasuke's home life and more about his relationships with those around him.

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My Master

~0~0~0~

The sunlight peeked in from the windows. It was becoming brighter by the second. The raven haired boy groaned uncomfortably before he hid his head under his pillow. Before he could slip back into the dream world, he heard the faintest sound of his door knob being turned.

Just as he thought, someone slowly opened the door to his room.

Step…step…

They slowly, carefully stepped inside. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke could have seen a small shadow creeping up to his bed.

He knew today of all days would be the most dangerous, so he secretly concealed a weapon under his blanket before he went to bed the night before. First, he made sure it was within his reach. Now all he had to do was wait for the right moment to strike.

"Heh heh…" He heard the assailant chuckle darkly.

"Look at him, sleeping so soundly. Unaware of what's happening around him." The intruder muttered.

"Suffer from your own misfortune!" The intruder sounded like a villain from a cheesy movie. The assailant then unleashed its devastating special attack, a heavy drop kick.

"Haiyaaaaahhh!"

CLANK!

"What?"

The pot lid that Sasuke had hidden beneath his sheets blocked the intruder's deadly blow.

"You're so predictable, Ren." He yawned lazily, getting up from his bed.

"Grrr."

She glared at him, while he stared back impassively.

"You seemed overly excited when you watched that ninja movie last night. During the scene where the hero was attacked in his sleep, I saw you grinning at me."

"Damn! I've been found out!"

Like the cheesy ninja movie, she leaped back and threw a white ball against the floor. Poof! In an instant, a cloud of white smoke billowed out.

"Hohoho! Farewell!" She chuckled before she made her grand exit.

"A smoke bomb?" Sasuke coughed "Troublesome woman."

"Sasuke-sama is such a meanie." Ren moaned from her down position on the kitchen chair.

"Is your foot okay?" His speech was full of comfort and concern, unlike someone she knew. "I heard the clank from all the way over here."

Being brothers, Itachi and Sasuke had a similar appearance (with totally different personalities!) but with subtle differences, so much so that Ren nearly mistook Itachi for Sasuke when they first met. While he was in the house, his clothes would consist of a black Uchiha shirt with a large Uchiha clan symbol on the back, and black pants

Itachi Uchiha had dark eyes, black hair that hung near his cheeks to frame his face and kept the rest of it in a ponytail. Itachi's most distinguishing characteristics were the long pronounced tear troughs under his eyes; a physical trait he inherited from his father.

Despite his status as the infamous Chief of Police, his appearance was not intimidating, apart from the intensity of his gaze at times. To Ren, he would always have a gentle and caring look in his eyes that would always melt her heart. But those eyes belonged to only a few, mainly his younger brother who always looked at him with such distain.

Ren could never figure out why. Itachi acted like any other loving brother would, but Sasuke was…horrible to him. And yet Itachi would go on to try to make Sasuke as happy as possible. She just didn't get it.

"Its fine, I think. I have some ice on it so it doesn't swell at least." Ren replied with a sigh. This was one in a long line of failures. Each and every day she thought up new and exciting ways to wake Sasuke up since the normal way began to lose its effect on him pretty quickly.

"I could always call a friend of mine to give you a check up." Itachi offered, picking his phone up.

"No, no. I couldn't trouble you anymore than I already have." Ren politely declined. "Thanks for the bomb though. I avoided his 'scolding' thanks to that."

"Glad I could help." He smiled, and then it fell to a frown then back to a smile. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Oh…" Sasuke appeared, looking less pleased by the second. "You're still here."

"That I am." Itachi replied with a smile despite Sasuke's cold attitude.

"So you're the one responsible for Ren's little toy from earlier."

"Don't scold her too hard this time. I'm the one who told her to do it."

"Are you some kind of sadist who gets off other people's discomfort on a morning?"

"Guilty." He joked.

"Of that and so much more…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Sasuke-sama…!" Sasuke ignored her call and walked past the table to the coffee machine.

Before Ren could get another word in, she immediately caught an eye of Itachi covering his lips with his index finger. He was always like this; never saying anything to Sasuke's rude behavior. He just sat there and took it all. He closed his eyes momentarily and got up from his chair.

"I hadn't seen Ren in a while and she seemed bored. So I decided to entertain her for a bit before I left for work. Now that you're here, you take over for me."

"Don't just drop off your unwanteds on me." Sasuke scoffed.

"Hey!"

Itachi ignored Sasuke's comment and headed for his room to change his outfit. "Since you two are alone, don't have too much fun while I'm gone."

"Master Itachi…!" Ren colored red. He chuckled. He did enjoy teasing her like that.

He of all people should have known that she didn't feel that way about Sasuke. He was a cruel, heartless monster (!) but Itachi on the other hand was a godsend. Itachi wouldn't leave her in a bar filled with thugs. Itachi wouldn't physically and verbally abuse her for doing her job.

No Master would treat their maid that way.

She had been Sasuke's personal maid for years, putting up with his harsh behavior and cold personality. Not once had she thought of him as her master. He didn't deserve it. The only thing that was worth the stress she had to go on a daily basis was her mother.

Akina Tachibana was a woman of misfortune (so to speak). After falling in love with a man from Konoha, she left her home country to be with him. Things had been tough, especially with a blooming baby girl (Namely herself) but they were happy. Everything seemed to fall apart years after Ren was born.

Her father was killed in a gang shooting and her mother gave into a strange illness as a result. Despite all this, her mother kept working hard to provide for the family she had left. Being from the lightning country, she couldn't hold a job. Apparently there was bad blood between Konoha and her home country.

It wasn't only her mother. Because of her skin tone she was bullied at school. But she couldn't care less about that.

Everything seemed bleak for a time, but that was until Itachi Uchiha appeared. He knew of their situation and decided to help with what he could. He gave them both a job as his maids, paid for her mother's medication and paid for Ren's schooling (despite her protests). She owed Itachi a lot. It was why she had a hard time dealing with Sasuke, who loathed her savior.

Itachi return shortly afterwards and with a smile he waved Ren goodbye. "I'm off."

"Come home safe." Ren returned his smile.

"I will."

And like that, he was gone.

"You're a monster." Ren immediately fumed.

"What are you on about now?" He answered, barely paying her any mind while he fiddled with his morning coffee. The only thing he didn't want her making for him (for whatever reason).

"The way you treat Itachi!"

"What of it?"

"He's your brother for god sakes!"

"That man is no brother of mine!" Sasuke roared. Ren cringed in surprise.

"Stay out of matters that don't concern you. You're here to clean. Stick to your job."

When Sasuke turned to face her, he expected a face filled with anger and annoyance (like always) but what he did see surprised him to no end.

"Why are you acting like this…? You're horrible." Instead, he saw grief and sorrow. Why was she of all people sad? By now she'd give some witty response and walk away with anger.

"I thought you'd changed from that hollow of a child you were before." Ren's eyes bore holes into Sasuke's. "But I guess I was wrong. You haven't changed. I thought you'd grown up since you were surrounded by so many people. I assumed that they were all your friends. But I guess I was wrong about that too."

"You don't care about anyone but yourself! You're just going to sit in your room all alone hating the world around you until you die. You're just going to be that scared little boy for the rest of your life."

"All alone in that shell of self-pity."

At that moment, Ren immediately regretted what she said. An intense chill ran up her spine as Sasuke wore an indescribable expression of anger on his face as slowly trotted over to her. Gathering all the strength from her paralyzed limbs, Ren began to move backwards towards the wall until she couldn't move anymore.

She found something extremely peculiar about him. It wasn't his face or the fact that he was in an extreme fit of rage. What truly shocked her…were his eyes. They had turned from dark-onyx to a dark-blood red. Sasuke's face was only but a few inches from hers as he began to speak.

"Look here, woman. I don't know who the fuck you think you are but don't you dare act like that to your Master. As far as I'm concerned, I own you. Unless you want to be back on those streets like a beggared, I suggest you get your damn act in order."

"You think I care? Do you think for one moment that I care about what you think of me? You're nothing more than a face I'm forced to see every morning. If you want to leave be my guest, but if not, shut the fuck up and know your place."

Ren immediately looked away, unable to bare eye contact with him any longer. If she didn't feel it herself, she wouldn't believe that she was crying.

Sasuke didn't stay long. He clicked his teeth and turned away. Before he disappeared into his room, he cringed for a moment, holding his left eye as he winced in pain.

"Is that the daughter you've been boasting about?" Itachi smiled pointing to the little girl, who looked no older than ten, that shyly hid behind her mother. She was the spitting image of Akina, onyx-purple eyes and long dark hair.

"Hai. This is my lovely daughter, Ren."

Ren offered a small smile before she cowered back behind her mother.

"Don't mind her. She is always shy to strangers but when she opens up, she be a handful." She lightly patted her daughter on the head.

"Go on Sasuke, say hi to Ren." The little boy next to Itachi didn't budge. He only stared blankly off into the distance paying no one any mind. He looked like he didn't want to be there.

"Go on." Akina tapped her daughter's shoulders lightly.

"Um…Hi," Ren waved behind her mother but there was still no response.

"I'm sorry about Sasuke. You see, quite recently there was a fire at the Uchiha mansion and…our parents didn't make it out."

"Oh my, you poor dears! I'm so sorry about your loss."

"Its quite alright. It's just that Sasuke hasn't been the same since then. So please excuse his behavior."

"Of course."

"To be honest, I think he really needs a friend right now and I think Ren would be the perfect one for him."

"I couldn't agree more."

While her mother and the man talked, Ren couldn't take her eyes off the boy. He looked so lonely and sad. Ren didn't like talking to strangers but that boy was a lot like her when her father died. She figured that she could at least try to cheer him up. No one liked being alone after all.

"Now come on in so we can discuss our arrangements." Itachi let them inside the apartment, but before Ren could enter, Itachi kneeled beside her and with a whisper he spoke. "Ren, I know that Sasuke may look hard to approach, and he probably is. But if anyone can be his friend, it's definitely you."

"So no matter how much of a fight he puts up, will you promise me to always stay his friend?"

Ren nodded vigorously. "Good. I asked this of another boy about your age. One day I'll introduce you two. You three have more in common than you think."

Itachi stood up, giving her mother a slow nod as they made their way into the house. The house was much larger than an average house. It's like they were rich. The adults made their way to the kitchen and left the kids to watch TV in the living room.

For some reason Sasuke could feel like he was being watched. He turned to the side, noticing that Ren had been staring at him from the corner of her eye. Sasuke paid her no mind. Only when she did it over the next hour did Sasuke become irate.

"What?" Sasuke asked not taking his eyes off the T.V.

"So ummm what do you do for fun?" He didn't answer. He refused answer any of her questions for the rest of the day so she gave up.

The next time she was over for a visit, Sasuke was in the living room just staring out the window. Ren didn't say anything to him that day. He looked like he wanted to be alone.

Over the next few weeks things were the same. She had made no progress with Sasuke and he seemed to be getting worse. He only responded to the sound of Itachi's voice. That was what she thought until Sasuke walked up to her.

"Why are you here?"

"Huh?"

"I'll ask again. Why are you here? What are you doing here?"

"Well my mom is in charge of the house when your brother isn't here so-"

"That's just it. Your mom has a reason for being here. You don't." Sasuke glared at her not with cold eyes that had not seen any warmth, but with empty eyes that did not want to feel any warmth. It frightened her.

"Well I…I…"

"She does have a reason for being here Sasuke." Itachi claimed from the other side of the room."I hired her mother with a few conditions. One of those were that Ren would be your…personal maid. Yes, that's it."

"Personal maid?" Sasuke looked up to his brother. "What's that?"

"She's there to keep you company and make sure you're happy ."

"I don't need friends." Sasuke saw through his plan in an instant. Itachi was surprised.

"Not a friend. She's too young at the moment but when she gets older she'll be there to make sure you eat your meals, get up early for school, etcetera. Like any other maid."

"You sure you aren't trying to trick me?"

"I'm sure." Sorry Sasuke.

"Fine." Sasuke looked to her "What was your name again?"

"Tachibana, Tachibana Ren."

"Whatever. From now on you're my slave." Sasuke smirked.

"What?"

"…that's not what a personal maid is Sasuke…" Itachi could feel beads of sweat form down his head.

"But doesn't being my maid mean that I own her?"

"No no Sasuke. Ren is person, not an object. You can't own people." Itachi appeared.

"Onii-chan?"

"Ren is a friend who is here to help you out with things you might need. Okay?" Itachi patted him on the head.

"But she's a girl. She can't help me with anything!"

"Hey! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't do anything!"

"Does so."

"Does not!"

"Does so!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Uh huh!"

Itachi just laughed.

~0~0~0~

"Sasuke you jerk!"

"Huh?"

"You saw what those guys were doing to me! Why didn't you stop them?" Ren fumed.

"That wasn't my problem."

"Of course it was! You're my friend!"

"So?"

"So act like a friend should and help me!"

"I thought you'd tell them off. I mean, you do it to me all the time."

"No I don't!"

"…you're doing it now." Sasuke sighed.

"It's not the same thing!"

He cocked his head. "What's so different about it?"

"Ugh! Forget it."

The next time the bullies came up to her, they did what they did. It wasn't like she was expecting Sasuke, but she hoped that he would at least get the message. After they were done teasing her, she went home and immediately left for the Uchiha household to give Itachi a visit.

When she got there Sasuke was covered from head to toes in bruises.

He got the message.

Ren opened her eyes, finding herself cradled on the same wall with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She hadn't moved in hours. Her cramped legs and arms were proof of that. She stretched as she got up wishing she hadn't fallen asleep in the first place. She didn't exactly want to remember when she and Sasuke first met anyway. It was only a reminder of how much of an emotionally deprived boy he was.

Ren sighed deciding that she wouldn't mope around all day thinking about her so called Master. She had to admit that she was in the wrong for calling him a child like that but nothing was exactly right about what he told her.

She did notice that Sasuke seemed...on edge these past few days. Ren wondered if his disappearance that night of the bar brawl had anything to do with it. When he came back, he didn't seem the same. No...he seemed more like himself from a few years back. She rememebered those years vividly. He acted as if he was a man on a mission.

Something must have happened to him recently. Something eventful. But even so! Even if he felt more tense than he usually did, it was still no reason to take out his pent up emotion and anger on her.

She decided to finish her job and leave.

Before she could find any of her cleaning equipment, a small white box on the kitchen table immediately caught her attention. Without much conscious thought, she picked it up and the words 'To the slave' came into view. Obviously it was for her. When she opened it, a large silver bracelet caught her attention.

Figures she thought as she walked to Sasuke's room. She opened the door, without knocking, and found Sasuke on his bed, with his arm slung over his face. He opened his eyes and looked at her impassively. His eyes had returned to its natural black.

Ren considered that she was seeing things when his eyes actually changed color.

"I found your present."

"Mmm." He hummed, not really answering.

"It's a poor way of apologizing." Ren juggled the box in her hand before she threw it on his bed. "You know I hate it when you buy me stuff."

"Since when were you under the impression that I was apologizing?"

"Since you always do this when you blow your top."

"Don't misunderstand." He slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. He must have been napping for a while now. "I only did it to get your attention."

"My attention?"

"You're here, aren't you?" He paused. "If I did nothing, you'd have probably cleaned and left without a word."

Ren looked away shortly before she brought her gaze back to him. That was as good as any confirmation.

"Now that you're here, I'll say this once and for your own good you should understand."

"There are some things in this world that you must not, under any exception, ask about." Sasuke stared at her sternly "Understand?"

"Hai."

"My relationship with my brother is my own. It does not concern you. You may worship the ground he walks on but I do not. I hate him with every fiber of my being. You will have to understand that. Force yourself if you have to."

"But you used to-"

"That was then, this is now." Sasuke interrupted her.

"Your eyes."

"That falls under it as well; even more so."

"I understand." Ren sighed.

"Now that's dealt with. Your job for today has not ended so I expect you to return to your usual duties as my personal maid as of now." Sasuke laid flat down on the bed. "You may leave."

"Mmm," Ren thought about it for a minute. That was the closest to an apology she would ever get from him. She ran that line through her Sasuke Thought Translator and came up with: I'm sorry. Don't leave, I still want you here. She'd take it, but he still deserved something special for making her cry.

"Sasuke-sama~" Ren sang.

"What?"

When Sasuke removed his arm, he was immediately taken aback. Ren had literally crawled onto his bed, hovering over his body. She smirked before she sat over his thighs, bringing her face only a few inches away from his.

"Wh-what are you planning?" Sasuke tried to maintain his poker face.

Oh my. How cute. He's blushing.

Just then, Sasuke felt his cheeks become immeasurably red. Not from embarrassment, but from the stinging that was left over from Ren's repetitive slaps to his face.

"Ren!"

By that time, Ren had already scurried to the door with a triumphant smile on her face. "Divine retribution."

She couldn't understand him.

He would always drive her bat-shit crazy with his conflicting behavior and split personalities. At first, he'd be normal and talk with her like usual. Then treat her like she didn't matter to him in the least. But he'd always do something for her like no one else would.

Rather than dwell on what she meant to him or what he meant to her, she focused all her thought processes on the matter into one thing. This was something she was absolutely confident about. It was the sole idea:

"I hate you Sasuke Uchiha."

The bright city lit up the night sky. The cool winds signaled the coming of winter.

A lone figure stood upon the highest ledge looking down at the area he had spent the last few years of his life at. His dark onyx-purple eyes scanned the dark thugs and lowlifes that were fighting for their pride below.

It had been in this very city that he had awakened with no memory of his life. He was only seven when he woke up in an unfamiliar house but more so in an unfamiliar world. A world filled with hatred, pain and darkness. A world he thought he left behind a long time ago.

He had long since given up his days in the arena but strangely found himself returning as an onlooker on occasion. It was strange because he called himself a changed man – ever since meeting a certain blonde who made him realize the error of his ways.

The money wasn't his only drive for fighting. He enjoyed it - the thrill of the fight, the rush of adrenaline, the feel of absolute dominance when he was the victor. But that was all in the past.

After meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto Uzumaki, who broke him from his perpetual lust for power, he found a new meaning in life. He was grateful of their help, but he couldn't help but feel that something was…missing. After they 'saved' him, he had always felt empty.

Maybe that was the reason he returned to this place; in a desperate attempt to fill that void.

"Yoshino Yuuji," a cold voice called from behind "I've been sent for you."

"Is that so?"

"My associate has heard of your actions in the past and is very much interested in the abilities you possess."

"Don't care."

"Wouldn't you want the chance to become more powerful than you already are? If so then it would be in your best interest to in the very least meet with my associate."

"Not interested," Yuuji turned away from the arena, walking past the man who had appeared before him.

Now that Yuuji had a good look at him, he seemed vaguely familiar. He had onyx black eyes with shoulder long grey hair. He wore circular glasses, a dark purple shirt with a white undershirt and a white obi around his waist worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and pouch on the right side of his waist.

"We've been watching you for some time now, Mr. Yoshino. You come here often despite claiming to be a changed man. Is there something in your past that you cannot leave alone?" He paused, noticing that Yuuji stopped walking.

"Or is it that there is a yearning to return to that place once again?"

Yuuji eyed the man carefully before he responded with a carefree grin, "How would a bonefide stalker know how I feel?"

"Because you are not the only one who feels this way, Mr. Yoshino. There are many others like you and my associate feels like it is his duty to unlock each and every one of those people's natural potential to its fullest."

"…what's the catch?"

"There is none. You have the freedom to do as you please within our organization, as long as it doesn't draw too much attention, of course."

"Why should I trust you?"

The man smiled.

A/N: Maybe some of you realized but this is a Filler chapter. Nothing too important happens here (except the ending section) but it's an addition to the ongoing story nonetheless. Everyone here should recognize the man who walked up to Yuuji. By the way, Yes I did get lazy with the flashbacks.