0~o~0

Partner

0~o~0

Had my deary existence finally come to an end?

Nothing else could explain his current predicament.

His body floated in a never-ending void of pure darkness; isolated from even a mere whisper of life. The cold embrace of nothingness wrap around his body - her touch slowly drained his body of feeling.

Faintly, the monotonous sound of dripping came to his ears followed by the cry of another human being.

Who is there?

His sudden curiosity rekindled his will, pulling him away from what felt like death's door for a moment longer. Color and life soon returned to his inanimate limbs as they began to move towards the voice. Since I'm here might as well check the place out.

Time held no place in the void (that much was apparent) but he felt like his time was drawing near. He felt limited to what he could accomplish before Death would find him once more.

As he trudged through the ensnaring darkness, the world around him began to take shape and form. The scenery came together like an unfinished puzzle; with every piece fitting into place as he walked by.

The ground took form; shaping itself to resemble an ordinary city street near a dock. The pitch black lake water lapping onto the shore seemed all too familiar. Houses, skyscrapers and people soon came after giving birth to a new city. He cringed internally, wondering what all of this meant. Why was he here?

Soon enough, color began to materialize and meld with the background finally giving life to the scenery around him.

Wait. I know this place. This is...

Before he could make his conclusion a sole entity appeared beside him; drained of all emotion but yet more spirited than the others in this world.

The younger version of himself walked past him without a word nor a sound. He took no notice of his surroundings focusing solely on his own existence. At that age he cared about very little after all.

He was slightly taken aback but nonetheless his curiosity was growing stronger by the second. He felt as though his past was forcefully dragging him to where it wanted him to go. His past run, barreling through people who seemed to pay him no mind. Like a ghost, he was free to move as he pleased in this world.

Strange.

In the distance, he found a mansion that bore his family symbol on the front gates. This house could only be thought of as the Old Uchiha mansion.

This was his memory; but it would seem like he was only a spectator.

This is where it all began.

A young boy slept peacefully in his warm bed when a series of loud thuds and crashes from the floors below woke him up from his deep slumber. He rubbed his eyes quickly got up from his bed and made his way downstairs curious to what was going on.

In that instance, a pungent smell filled the air; it was overbearing and thick. He could identify small darkened smears across the various floors as he went down. The smell had been coming from the smears - but what was it? He made his way down the flight of stairs that was stained with the same liquid as the floor.

"Mother! Father! Itachi!" He shouted. No response, not even a groan.

If only I'd known sooner…I could have done something…

He continued through to the various rooms treading lightly on the dark smears in search of a leak somewhere. What he did find was large lumps in the center of every room. It was too dark to make any sense of what they were. Rather than focus on those, he continued to follow the sounds of the crashes that had not ceased ever since he woke up.

He came across a particular sight on his way to the front hall - his front door had been completely broken down. As he slowly descended down the stairs, he noticed that the smears almost completely covered the floors but strangely there were no accompanying lumps. Sasuke's heart instinctively jumped in his chest in the next instant when a ghastly shriek came from the main living area.

He recognized that shriek. "Mother!"

Without hesitation he rushed down barreling through the front area until he came across a shocking sight in the 1st floor hallway.

When the moon's luminescent light shined through the window, the boy's eyes were opened to the size of dinner plates, his mouth gaped wide open. The pungent smell of iron in the air, the dark smears on the walls and the mysterious lumps.

They were the Corpses of the staff.

"Father…?"

He identified his father's pale figure under the window, covered in his own blood. His father's eyes were staring straight into his, lifeless and dilated. Not only his father, but several of his butlers and maid's bodies lay before him covered in bruises, cuts and blood.

The boy, shivering with fright, fell backwards trying his utmost best not to scream out in fear. That would have only alerted the killer to his position. He slowly regained control of his paralyzed limbs, walking slowly through the pool of blood to kneel besides the lifeless corpses which was once his family.

He shook his father's body in hopes that he would still be alive but to no avail – they were all dead.

His arms dropped into the sea of blood, silently staring at his slain family. He didn't move. He couldn't. The loss of his family was too much of an overwhelming feeling for him. He couldn't even cry out to morn for their deaths. A torrent of emotions flooded him to silence; confusion, anger, sorrow. He was suddenly wet, not from the blood but his own tears as it rained from his face down to her body.

Get up. You have things to do.

He heard a soft chuckle coming from the other room followed by a strained groan. Oh no he is still here…and he has mother!

Sasuke slowly made his way to the main living room to finda tall man cloaked in a black trench coat grabbed his mother by the throat as he pinned her against the wall. Overtaken by anger the boy tried to rush in to save his mother, but from the corner of his eye, he noticed that his mother shot him a glare to remain where he was.

"Please, don't be as foolish as your husband. Reconsider our proposal." He hissed through his teeth.

"There is nothing to reconsider! You're mad!" She screamed, flailing about trying to break free from his grip.

"It's a shame how true human innovation and vision is often confused for madness!" The man relaxed his grip letting her fall to the floor. "Don't you see? This is evolution! All I want is to make you all a part of it."

"Your vision is corrupt and disgusting." She coughed, trying hard to get up but she soon fell back as the man kicked her squarely in the stomach.

"So far only a few of the families I've visited has agreed with me." The man pulled one of the chairs and casually sat down. "Those who didn't share my vision met with an unfortunate end. Sad really. They were great people who could have changed the world. It would truly be a shame for the Uchiha Clan's main branch to join them in their eternal rest because of your stubbornness."

"Someone is going to catch onto your plan sooner or later and when that time comes I'll be laughing at your failure and ultimately your demise." Mikoto chuckled.

"You can laugh all you want," the man withdrew his hidden blade and pointed it to Mikoto "while you turn and rot in your grave."

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY MOTHER!"

Sasuke screamed as threw a small vase at the assailant's head, distracting him long enough for Sasuke to rush to his mother's side and pull her away. Or so he wished. The man quickly smashed the vase with ease, getting up and blocking Sasuke from rescuing his mother. The man walked slowly towards Sasuke who in turn fell back to the floor whimpering and sobbing slightly.

"Get away from him!" Mikoto grabbed the man's leg in a feeble attempt to stop him. "Run Sasuke run!"

"Get off me woman!" He raised his foot and roughly stomped on her wrist. But no matter how hard he stomped Mikoto wouldn't let go. "Persistent aren't you?"

Mikoto quickly placed her elbow on the floor and used it as support as she twisted her body into a sweep kick that knocked the assailant off his feet. Mikoto ignored the searing pain in her hands and ran over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke I want you to find your brother and escape through the back. Make sure that none of them see you, okay?"

"But what about you!"

"There's no time-" Mikoto's eyes widened as a sting of blood began to trickle down her lip. Sasuke quickly whipped his head around, noticing the large knife that entered his mother's back. "Mother!"

"You're becoming a real pain lady." The assailant threw the knife from his downed position and casually got back up to his feet.

"Mother I'll get you outside-"

"Sasuke!" She shocked him as she tightened her grip on his shoulders. "I believe I told you to find your brother! Listen to your mother and GO." Mikoto turned to the assailant with nothing but primal fury in her eyes. "I'll deal with him."

"But-"

"Go!"

She brought her hand to the knife, gripping it as tightly as she could before she ripped it out of her flesh. She spun the knife several times, spraying the blood along the floor before she pointed it to the man in black.

The assailant looked slightly taken aback. "…good lord woman. You won't die will you?"

"Not until I run this blade across your throat."

The man chuckled softly. He slowly shoved his hand into his coat, pulling out what would seem like a large revolver. "Game over."

"That's my line." A cool familiar voice spoke from across the room.

"Onii-chan!" Sasuke cried in joy. His brother had appeared from the darkness carrying a similar gun to what the assailant held. His brother always knew what to do. He could do anything. If anyone could save them it would be him!

I feel nothing but shame from those words. I was so young and naïve then. Itachi is nothing like the man I thought he was…

"Put the gun down and back away slowly." From the corner of the man's eye, he saw the revolver in the teenager's hands and didn't bother to turn to face him. Itachi walked up behind him and pointed directly behind his head.

"…what if I said no?"

"Then I'm afraid you'd have a bullet lodged between your brain and skull."

"It's a shame that it's come to this but…" the man raised his hand slowly.

"Don't move!"

The man ignored Itachi's command, pressing his finger against the collar of his jacket. "Torch it."

Suddenly - CRASH! - the sound of the front door crashing down echoed through the building followed by the sound of metal objects hitting and rolling along the hard wooden floors.

"Metal…? Mother, Sasuke get down!"

But it was too late. A deafening explosion came from the front entrance, along with small embers and debris that was shot into the room. Mikoto and Sasuke were thrown to the walls since they were next to the hallway.

The man used the momentary confusion to slip passed Itachi's guard, pulling the gun to his face and tightly squeezing the trigger. But Itachi was too quick – he pulled away completely avoiding the bullet. Itachi's trigger finger squeezed tight and the gun fired. Unfortunately, the man pulled away fast enough for the bullet grazed his cheek and took part of his ear.

As the man groaned in pain, Mikoto got to her feet and charged in before the man had a chance to shoot again. The man noticed her advance and rolled away just in time for Mikoto to stab the wall (where his head had just been) behind him.

"Itachi take your brother and get out of her now!"

Itachi stood there –momentarily frozen- at what his mother was implying.

Mikoto noticed that the man was momentarily distracted by the flames that crawled at his feet. She quickly ripped the blade out of the wall and threw it at the man; slicing his hand and with that he dropped the gun. Before he had time to recover and pick up the firearm, Mikoto performed a spinning back kick that knocked him into the wall.

"What are you doing Itachi? Run!"

"No we can't! We have to help Mother!" Sasuke moved over to his brother and shook his body. "She's already winning and you have a gun! You can save everybody!"

Itachi stood there only for a moment before his eyes immediately turned into slits. He saw something that Sasuke was too busy to noticed.

"Itachi I know you can see it! Just run!" Mikoto's final scream set his mind into action; he knew what he had to do.

Itachi gave a soft smile to his little brother who only looked at him in confusion. He softly placed his hands on Sasuke's neck and then with a strong vice-grip-like hold; Sasuke quickly began to lose consciousness.

"Onii-chan…? What are you…" Sasuke's small body went limp; tugging at consciousness. Itachi's face contorted with anger as he lugged his little brother over his shoulder. So long as he lived, Sasuke would never forgive him for the heinous and cowardly act he did next.

He ran.

Tch...

Momentarily dazzed and drained, Sasuke's eyes opened once more during his brother's escape. It was this memory that had been locked away from his subconscious. In that split second, his eyes locked onto another person who appearing out of dining room with a dark grin plastered on his face. His yellow snake-like eyes would be forever burned into his dreams and nightmares; haunting him for the rest of his days.

With no more than a glance towards Sasuke's direction, he turned to the room where their mother had been.

If only I'd remember those cold dead eyes sooner…no one would have had to suffer.

Itachi along with his brother were the heirs of one of the world's most prestigious family – the Uchihas. Rather than wish for his brother to succeed as the heir, Itachi wanted his brother to live a life he wanted. Or so he said.

Itachi took it upon himself to run the affairs of the many Uchiha Enterprises. He appointed the various sects under the Uchiha name to the lesser branch heads as well as some of his most trusted friends. Despite this he had fully control of everything. He appointed Sasuke as the Co-owner of each of those sects with control that could rival his own. All except for the Police Department and access to their records. He was keeping Sasuke away from something but didn't seem to care either way.

Damn straight I didn't. I had more important things to do. When I was old enough, I hacked those records anyway.

And so, Sasuke had everything a child could ever want. He was waited on hand and foot. He was pampered and cared for every second of the day.

Oh how I loathed it.

He had been given all that a child could want but he was never given what he truly desired – to avenge his parents untimely demise.

He was given all the luxuries known to man, all the freedom a child could ever need but still he walked down the path that Itachi didn't want for him. He walked the path of law enforcement. He yearned to become a detective. Just like their father.

It was the only way I could track down those murderers! At least I did something about their deaths! I'm not like Itachi! I won't just turn my back on their memory like he did!

Itachi's pace suddenly slowed down until he came to a complete halt, letting his little brother down who was now fully awakened. Itachi then glanced over to him with his ever present poker-face. He must have scared himself. When Sasuke glanced over to him he clinged to his brother's back. It sickened him.

You're better off without someone like him!

That beloved older brother of yours, the who could do anything. He doesn't exist anymore! Not only is he a coward but some time after now he is going to become as corrupt as the people who took your family away from you! The disappointment is just going to keep building up until you just can't take it anymore!

He is going to make partnerships with the criminal who governs crime in the city of Konoha! He's going to become the thing that you've despised your entire life! Can somebody like that be forgiven?

Sasuke kept looking at him like he was something to be pitied.

Don't look at me like that! How could I look up to someone like that? He's not even going to apologize or talk about his actions!He is going to keep you in the dark until it eats you from the inside out!

Just then the buildings and scenery around them began to collapse and morph around them. Itachi kept his cool even when Sasuke rushed off without him.

Tell me! What am I supposed to think of you? Huh? Answer me!

Itachi closed his eyes, lowered his head and faded into the void that appeared. He clicked his teeth before he chased after him, allowing the memory behind him to collapse and disappear.

The afternoon sunlight spread across the large body of water casting a dazzling orange hue. The multi-colored shades of orange and red blended into one creating a calm intensity that resembled a small burning fire in the sky. The sight was breath-taking to say the least.

A small boy found his way to the city lake, noticing a dark haired boy sitting on a large boulder near the riverbank. He noticed that the boy had small tears on the side of his eyes. He was crying?

Please. I had something in my eye.

"What's your problem?" Sasuke didn't answer.

"I've seen you in this exact same spot for days now. And I know you've seen me. I mean you glare at me every time I pass by."

I thought if I ignored him long enough he'd just go away, but he was well…him. I couldn't help but glare at that face of his. I should have known better.

"What? Do you hurt your leg or something? Where does it hurt? What's your name? How did you get here?" He barraged him with a seemingly endless stream of questions.

Annoying…

"Does it hurt bad? I'm here by myself but I can go call someone to help. What do you think?"

Really annoying…

"Hey answer me before it gets worse!"

"Would you just shut the hell up?"

"Hah?" The boy's face grew angry.

"You heard me! Just stop talking and get the hell away from me!" He raged but the boy didn't take too kindly to his reaction.

"What the hell is your problem? I was trying to be nice to you!"

"What is your problem? I didn't ask you to do that!"

"Is that how you treat people who worry about you?"

"I don't want to be pitied by some scruffy looking retard!"

"What was that?" The boy grabbed Sasuke by the shirt and threw him to the floor.

"That's it!"

"Bring it on!"

Without a moment to spare, Sasuke charged him in a violent tackle. Before he even knew what had happened, he was tumbling over the water onto the sandy shore into the water. When rolling came to a stop, Sasuke found himself pinning the tall boy to the ground – the water only inches from his nose.

Sasuke found that his cheek had become hot. The boy just punched him, knocking him into the water where the boy continued with a straight kick to his gut. Sasuke coughed shortly before he pushed the boy's leg aside, dodged his incoming punch and socked him straight in the face.

Sasuke was shocked. The boy didn't move he kept his face still ignoring the pain before he reeled his head back and slugged Sasuke in the face.

If he can do it, so can I! Sasuke kept his head still as he continued to push with his fist. The two glared at each other from the corner of their eyes, each refusing to give up.

The two continued their fight into the way hours of the night.

When they were done - both physical and mental exhausted - they washed up on shore too tired to even move a finger.

"So now that you've cleared your mind a bit…why don't you tell me why you were really crying?" The boy was the first to break the silence panting and heaving.

After all of that, he was still concerned about him? Was this his plan from the beginning? No. He couldn't be that smart. He looked so stupid.

He is stupid, but his heart is always in the right place. And to answer your question, he did plan it.

He definitely did just to earn a fight out of me. Or did he do it because he knew about the family I belonged to.

"You just want my money don't you?"

"What? I'm trying to help and you think I want money?"

"I am a son of the Uchiha Clan main branch."

"The what now?"

What? He doesn't know who we are?

"Listen, I don't know who the Chibi family is-"

"Uchiha! U-C-H-I-H-A!" Sasuke screamed into his ear.

"Ok, ok! The Uchiha family. I don't know who they are but you're a friend in need. And Jiraiya always says to help friends in need."

"Friend? Who said we were friends?"

The nerve of this guy.

I know, right?

"Well, uh, I don't know. 'Strangers are friends you just haven't met yet' by Jiraiya." He seemed fearful and nervous like he was trying to convince himself – not Sasuke – that it was true.

"…you father has a saying for everything doesn't he?"

"…actually, he kinda does. It's weird." He chuckled.

"You're the weird one…"

"I'm not weird!" The boy fumed but his face quickly turned sour. "And by the way, Jiraiya isn't my father. He's my godfather. My parents…aren't around anymore."

"Oh? My parents were murdered in front of me three years ago."

Naruto's eyes went wide and he momentarily choked on his on his own spit - wondering if the boy was mentally unstable for saying that so nonchalantly.

"Well I guess we are the same." The blonde sat down on the rock, cradling his legs with his arms. "My parent died in a car crash a few years ago. I mean it's not as dark as yours but I think that the pain of losing a loved one is all the same."

As soon as it began, the conversation seemed to die. Sasuke couldn't find the words to say to him after that. Not that he wanted to talk to him anyway. He's nonsense about human decency fell on deaf ears. Doing things out of the goodness in his heart? Something was definitely wrong with him. Though, Sasuke thought that he could relate to the boy since they suffered similar (slightly different) pains.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Sasuke glanced over to the boy.

"Name's Naruto Uzumaki."

"…Naruto? Your name is Naruto?" Sasuke began to snicker and it wasn't long until he burst out laughing.

"Hey! My name is not funny!"

"Yes it is!" Sasuke covered his mouth trying to stop himself. "Who would name their son after a ramen topping?"

"What's your name anyway?"

"Sasuke –snicker- Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well Sasuke a stupid name anyway!"

"Sasuke is a unique name that could only belong to someone as talented as me." Sasuke smirked, but then his face contorted with pain when Naruto hit him "Ow! What was that for?"

"My name is cool!"

"No it isn't! Ow! Quit it!

They began to fight again.

He watched as the two fighters began to fade into the void and were quickly replaced by older versions of themselves walking along the beach. He looked to left and noticed that the 7 year old Sasuke stuck around to watch. He looked slightly puzzled. This was 2 years after we met.

The boy smiled as he continued watching.

"So this girl, Sakura, how long has it been since you last saw her?" Sasuke asked, watching a few crabs scurry off into the ocean.

"I haven't seen her since I was seven." Naruto picked a random stone between the sand and juggled it in his hands.

"You've been carrying that locket ever since then?"

"Yep." Naruto reeled his hand back and let the rock loose, allowing it to skip over the lake's surface.

"I only have one question. What does that girl mean to you?" Sasuke turned to Naruto, staring directly into his crystal blue eyes. Naruto notched his head to Sasuke with a bittersweet expression before it grew into a small smile.

"She means the world to me."

Sasuke stared at him for what felt like hours before he groaned and turned back to his walk. "Gross. You sound like one of those hopeless romantics."

"I thought I sounded cool." Naruto hurried to catch up.

Naruto was telling the truth. Even back then I had known about Naruto's…instability. He felt like no one in the world cared for him. He had a very thin connection to the world as it was. His promise with her and his belief in meeting up with her one day was all that really kept him going. That was, until he met Hiruzen Sarutobi later that year.

But that was before I crushed his dream and his spirit with a small act of kindness.

"I'm starting to take an interest in this girl. I'm tempted to find her myself."

"What? You can really do that?" Naruto rushed up to him, his eyes glimmering with hope.

"Of course. The Uchiha never fail to find their man, er, girl." Sasuke smirked. "But I'm only helping you on one condition!"

"I'll do anything! Anything! Datte-" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto's face fell.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just an old habit I'm trying to forget." Naruto forced a smile continuing with what he said. "But really, I'll do anything! So please!"

Sasuke shrugged it off as one of Naruto's weird quirks. "I want you to help me become a detective."

"Hah? How the heck am I supposed to do that?" Naruto raised his hands to the sky in frustration.

"I'll have you know that there are hundreds of unsolved crimes in this city. Don't you think that it's sad that so many people are suffering from the polices negligence?"

"I guess."

"This is where we come in. We will form a team of our own and start small. Solve cases that the police thought weren't worth their time and gradually move to bigger cases when our team grows."

"So we'll be like Heroes or something?" Naruto's eyes shone from excitement.

"You can call it whatever you like."

"Yosh! I'm in!"

What luck! It almost seemed too convenient. Sakura Haruno had transferred out of the country town Hijoshi to the city of Konoha three years prior to Naruto's arrival. Sasuke found it ridiculous that the two missed each other on the sole fact that they lived on opposite sides of the city. He could track her down easily.

Now all that was left was the fated meeting between the two childhood friends.

If only I had known. If only I had delved a bit further into Sakura's file; Naruto would have been spared from what happened next.

Naruto's excited face withered within an instant. His once joyous expression faded once he caught a hold of Sakura's disturbed deameanor. She clutched her books tightly to her chest, taking ever so slight steps away from him. She was cautious of him. Why?

"Excuse me…?" She repeated.

"It's me, Naruto. Sakura-chan…don't you remember?"

"I'm…sorry but I really don't know you."

"…what?" Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"Maybe you're mistaking me for someone else?"

"There's no way I'd do that!" Naruto said that louder than he had wanted. It only served to scare her more. "I'm sorry but…don't you remember… the lake. Don't you…the promise we made years ago?"

Sakura hesitantly shook her head from side to side and Naruto's heart sank.

"Ramen boy? It's the nickname you gave me…" Sakura shook her head.

"Ah! I thought his face looked familiar! It's that delinquent from downtown!" One of Sakura's friends commented.

"You mean the one who took down the train gang all by himself?" Another one added.

"Come on Sakura, before he causes more rumors to spread."

"Yeah I heard that kid was a no good delinquent~" Her other friend sang as they dragged her away from him.

Sasuke noticed that Sakura clutched her forehead as she repeated Naruto's name to herself. She was clearly in pain, but why would she? It was like her mind was rejecting the information she was being fed. Or maybe...

It wasn't until they were completely out of sight did Naruto begin to speak up.

"…no way…how could she just forget like that…?"

Naruto's desolate expression was something that Sasuke would never forget. It was the face of a man who had nothing left to live for.

"Maybe she was that sort of girl." Sasuke's expression changed drastically when Naruto placed a firm grip on his collar.

"Don't you dare say that about her!"

"Right…" Sasuke remarked as Naruto loosened his grip on him. Sasuke would have hit Naruto for ruining his new shirt, but he didn't. The sight of the slow tears running down his face stopped his fist cold.

"…I'm going home. I'll see you later at our usual place."

Sasuke could have stopped him. He should have done something. But instead he decided that Naruto would have to overcome his personal demons on his own like he did. He made a small prayer in his heart that Naruto's depression would be gone soon. He was greatly needed in Sasuke's upcoming investigation.

However, Sasuke didn't see him the next day nor the next month for that matter. He heard nothing directly from his self proclaimed best friend for months. All he had were the rumors that spread over the city like a wildfire. Naruto's attitude after that day could only be considered as nothing but volatile - fights, gang violence, theft, suspension. His reputation was getting worse by the day.

I wondered what the idiot was up to but I was swamped with cases that needed my immediate attention. If I had gone to meet Naruto, Hebi would have never formed and I would have lost trustworthy associates.

Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo would have given into their own inner desires and walk a path of darkness if Sasuke had not intervened.

That was until one day, Naruto's rampage came to a complete halt. Although Rumors were still spreading, the truth was simple enough for Sasuke to find. He moved to an apartment complex where he seemed to get his act under control – self control and self repentance. He met Sarutobi.

A lot had changed in the year Sasuke spent away from Naruto. After he was recruited by 'The White Snake' he found that his ideals and morals were slowly slipping away from him. He had slowly changed over time. The environment that was provided for him only nurtured his hatred and desire for revenge.

I asked myself 'When did I change?' on a daily basis. I was too caught up in my own desire to notice what was happening to me. By the time he came to me, it was too late.

"Sasuke!" The hoarse angry voice that Sasuke remembered was as annoying as ever. The blonde quite literally appeared out of nowhere screaming in plain sight along a city street. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"…Naruto." Sasuke turned to him with his cold calculating eyes which only seemed to add to Naruto's already raging fury. Winter had already come, forcing Naruto wear an orange jacket that was much bigger than his size, along with thick black gloves and pants. Sasuke wore a dark-blue jacket, white gloves and matching black pants.

The red head, Karin, walked ahead of Sasuke ready to chew out the brat that dared to disrespect Sasuke. The pale skinned assassin on his right, Suigetsu, gripped his baseball case tighter ready to 'hit a home run'. Sasuke motioned them to stand down as he walked forward.

"But-!" Karin interjected.

"It's fine."

"Answer me Sasuke! I always thought that you were on the side of the justice that you always talked to me about. So why – goddammit - why are you on the side of the people we were trying to put away!"

There was little surprise about Naruto's sudden accusation. Sasuke hid it well. However, Naruto was right on all counts, but Sasuke had a plan when he joined the underworld; to take it down from the inside. Naruto knew of nothing and would then ruin his progress if he wasn't stopped now.

"Don't stick your neck where it doesn't belong Naruto."

"You think I could just let my best friend walk into the wrong path without doing something to stop him?"

"You don't understand anything Naruto!" Sasuke glared.

"Then make me understand! Why you would join people like them? Is it because of your dream?"

"What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore the Uchiha clans honor and destroy all those who conspired to the fall of the main branch. Whether my hands get dirty in the process or not is none of my concern."

"Oh my god, that was so cool Sasuke-kun!" The red head shrieked trying to grab a hold of Sasuke but he quickly evaded her.

"Sasuke!"

"No Naruto! Nothing you say is going to change me. I'm going to kill every last one of those murderers! It's time to make your choice! Either kill me now and saved the lives of those murderers or join me and make them pay."

Naruto froze solid. He didn't expect words like that to come through Sasuke's lips.

"If you aren't ready for either of them step aside. If you try to stop me again, I'll take you down."

Sasuke slowly turned away and left his 'friend' behind.

I should have never turned him away. If I had only known of what happened next. If only I had put some consideration to what He would have done, I could have saved him.

The set of images that entered his mind in that instant could only be thought of as sickening and unpleasant. The chilling image of a howling blood-crazed blonde surrounded by bloody mangled bodies...

A/N: I changed Sasuke's flash back in chapter 19 to match this one. I also took care of a few problems with the earlier chapters. Fixed a few dramatic errors and holes in the plot.

N.B: Also for future reference to readers. Ren is not Sakura nor is she taking her place in the story. Sakura's role is reduced to a minority since this is Sasuke's arc while another girl plays a bigger role. That's it.

Also I'd like if readers made an account when they review. I'd rather give my feedback personally.