"Ino? What are you doing here?" Hinata asked. She was coming down the prison hall.

"I could ask you the same," Ino said.

"I want to see the one who did that to her with my own eyes."

Ino scratched the back of her neck. "I was talking to him," she said, "I think you should leave him alone."

"He won't even know I was there."

"Are you sure? He's blind and clever."

"It doesn't matter so long as he doesn't know it's me."

"...I'll go with you," Ino said, "there's actually something I forgot to ask him." She started walking back where she came. Hinata followed by her side. The hall was a poorly lit rock tunnel carved down into the earth. It might intimidate criminals, but did it have to be so cold to everyone else, too? Maybe it was just convenience.

"What did you talk to him about?" Hinata asked.

"Just guilt tripping him. And he returned the favor a bit."

"What?"

"He doesn't see this village as his home, and I have a hard time finding a reason why he should," Ino said. Her face contorted in pain and she glanced away from Hinata. "I can't imagine what it's like."

"What?"

"Living with the knowledge. Those memories. It's easy to forget. No one ever mentions that event. It's kind of strange, but I guess when there is only one person alive who it affects, it makes sense."

"...The only thing I know is that his brother made his clan disappear in a single night."

Hinata's words were soft, yet the way they beat around the bush almost made it worse. Ino's stomach turned. "Do you hate him?" Ino asked. It was odd how calm Hinata seemed.

"I'll know when I see him," Hinata said.

The two stood meters away from the bars. Ino started walking towards them, her footsteps loud, and Hinata followed quietly. "Sasuke," Ino said.

"What is it now?" he asked.

"It occurred to me... say you... killed him. What then?"

"Until I have it, there is nothing beyond my vengeance."

"And what if you got your revenge and realized you wanted to be with Naruto and Sakura again? Yet, as a criminal, you couldn't be?"

"My hatred is unending. Even if that ridiculous scenario took place, it would only be after I killed my brother. I fail to see any point to your question."

"There's no way you can see yourself here?"

"For the past six years, all I have wanted is to kill him. If I were strong enough to do it, I'd just do it and whatever happened after would be something else. But a couple years ago... I wasn't even close to him."

"Sasuke, why did he let you live?" Hinata asked.

Ino turned to Hinata. "Hinata?" she asked.

"I don't care what he knows," Hinata said. She stepped forward, bringing her face mere inches from the bars. "Something about this doesn't make sense."

"I get it now," Sasuke said, "you and Sakura have become close. That's why she was fighting like that."

"I told you he's too observant," Ino said.

"Sasuke, Sakura and I are..." Hinata said. She raised a hand to her mouth and rubbed her thumb against her lips. "We're having sex."

"Hinata!"

"It was the fastest way to make myself understood."

Sasuke laughed. "And yet, she still chases after me," he said, "how stupid."

"You're her friend!" Hinata said.

"Friend? Would a friend do that to her?"

"It doesn't matter what you think, in her heart, she sees you that way. She's very important to me and you nearly killed her! Answer my question!"

"I don't care about any of that," Sasuke said.

"What!?"

"I don't care at all," Sasuke said, "I don't care who you're sleeping with, and if she dies, it's none of my business." He slid his foot against the ground (he was sitting) so his one knee came up. He scratched his chin against it. "I can still feel my other leg," he said. "When I woke up this morning, I thought I could walk. I fell to my face and squirmed. All for nothing. Who was I hurting out there? You assume that because Orochimaru is a criminal, that I must be. Well, you all got your wish. Now I am."

"Are you blaming Sakura for what happened to you now?" Hinata asked, "you think we'll pity you for that?"

"No. It was just a tool. I'm saying the only injustice here is that my brother is alive. Why is that so hard to understand?"

It really was the only thing he thought about. "Deserting the village is a crime," Ino said.

"We've been over this. Uchiha Itachi is a criminal, and I am the only one willing and capable of taking him down."

"What?" Ino asked, "you still think you can defeat him?"

"I'll find a way."

This level of obsession was beyond abnormal. "From within here?" she asked.

"Orochimaru is desperate."

Ino couldn't understand why either of them would go so far for hatred or power.

"Sasuke," Hinata asked, "you still haven't answered my question. Why are you alive?"

"Because Kakashi is weak."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Heh. You know, for the longest time, I asked myself that very question everyday," Sasuke said, "every time I did, the answer was the same: to make me suffer." He lifted his head. "But something didn't feel right about that. Then..." He grit his teeth. "I remembered something and realized it's because he's guilty. He wants me to kill him."

Hinata put her thumb and index finger around her chin, her head held down in thought. "That doesn't make any sense," she said, lifting her head. "Why not just let you kill him then?"

Sasuke shrugged. "He's a coward, or has some twisted sense of honor left," he said, "how should I know what goes through his head?"

"I'm still not buying it," Hinata said. "For someone who claims to have such great eyes... He killed his own parents and left his only sibling alive, and you think it was merely out of guilt?"

Sasuke turned his head and went silent.

Ino asked the question for him, "What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying, isn't it possible that he simply didn't want to kill him?"

"Shut up..." Sasuke said.

"He killed his own parents, everyone in the clan, the elderly, children... all in a senseless act," Ino said, "how could someone like that spare anyone out of love?"

"Shut up."

"Maybe he didn't want to kill them, either," Hinata said.

"Shut up!"

Ino looked at Sasuke. Tears were running down his cheeks. "If that's true, then there was a reason he killed them?" Ino asked.

Sasuke said nothing.

"Wasn't your brother part of the special forces?" Hinata asked.

"My brother was nothing but a monster," Sasuke said.

"Was he always a monster?"

"..."

"Sasuke, think. Did anything strange happen before..."

"..."

Ino turned to Hinata and said, "He'd rather not even discuss it. Let's just go."

"I think we're getting somewhere," Hinata said.

Ino got close to her. "I don't like where this is going," she whispered. "If what you're suggesting is true, then there is someone who doesn't want us to know."

"That's... You're right," Hinata said, "let's go."

The two began to walk away.

"Wait," Sasuke said.

"What?"

"Ino. Do it."

"Huh?" Ino asked.

"It. What only you can do."

Ino raised a brow. She glanced about, then wrapped an arm under Hinata's.

"Ino?" Hinata asked.

Mind Transfer.

You wanted to understand me, didn't you? Sasuke asked.

What are you getting at? Ino asked.

I'm going to try to hypnotize us. Even without being able to see, I wonder... If I imagine you, and you I, I wonder if it'll work.

Is this some trick?

There were a few strange things that happened around that time, but I can't remember them clearly. I want to show you my memories.

...Ok. I don't know why, maybe it's curiosity, but I'm going to trust you.

Heh. As if I could do anything like this. Okay. I'm going to do it.

What a strange feeling. As if being in another's mind wasn't enough, now she was in his memories. Odd conversations between his brother and father. A severe admiration for them both. The love of a mother and child. It was so intense. She didn't feel like she was just seeing his memories, but living them. As him. More odd conversations. Wait, what was that? Sasuke overheard something about when something was going to happen. Oh my god. The pain. The pain. She opened the door to see her parents slain. The pain. Those eyes. The whole murder. Again, and again.

Then she was looking up at Hinata. Her chest was heaving as she gasped for air.

"That was nothing," Sasuke said. "Seventy-two hours."

"What?" Hinata asked.

"He tortured me for seventy-two hours. Showing me my parent's last moments to his hands, over and over. Walking through the desolate streets, searching for any life. His words."

"I was just eight," Ino said.

"What?" Hinata asked, "what are you talking about, Ino?"

"Who's Ino?"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"If I had to guess, I'd say she's lost her sense of self," Sasuke said.

"What do I do?"

"If I could see, I could probably reverse the effects."

"You know that's not happening."

"Then take her to a genjutsu specialist, or a medical ninja."

Ino shook her head and stood up. She looked at her hands. "What is going on?" she asked, "who are you two? What is wrong with my voice?"