Set at the very end of The Color Blue, but hasn't yet been reached in the story. Therefore, SPOILERS.
52. See You In Hell
It would be so easy.
He had Orochimaru by the throat, pressed against the brick wall of a half-decimated building. The man wasn't even fighting, had gone completely weak except for his hateful snake eyes. There was no one else around; they were all fighting elsewhere.
It would be so easy.
He could kill him here. A kunai to the heart or the throat. Hell, just a quick twist of his wrist.
It would be a sweet revenge for poisoning his mind, drawing his attention too far from his brother, stealing him from the first bits of happiness he'd had in a long time. It would be a delicate justice for all those who died when the sannin had attacked the village, most especially for the Third Hokage. It would be righteous action, to remove his evil from the world.
No one would blame him for it.
Kakashi would be relieved. Sakura would gush at his prowess. Naruto would share with him one of those looks that meant he understood completely, and backed him entirely.
It would be so easy.
But Sasuke found his hands uncurling from around his old master's throat and he let the body fall to the ground. Somehow, it just wasn't worth it. Somehow, it didn't quite do the justice a trial would do. Or the sweet revenge of letting the man rot inside this new body. And he just didn't have the stomach for any more killing.
It would be so easy. But he didn't need it.
He turned then, to find someone, anyone, hopefully Jiraiya, to hold the snake down so that he could go help Naruto, when the sannin's tongue wrapped around his neck.
There was a scuffle, the scraping sounds of Sasuke's sandals as Orochimaru pulled him backwards to him.
But Sasuke was faster, better. The kunai was in Orochimaru's chest and digging before the snake realized it. He stumbled back in disbelief and his eyes darted, probably looking for Kabuto, who was nowhere to be seen. Blood, black and fetid, poured from his chest as he leaned heavily on the crumbling brick wall. They stared at each other, master and student, their glaring, blazing eyes dark and reflecting.
And then Orochimaru started to laugh, a demented laugh of a man finally, finally, facing his fears. The laugh spiraled high over the sounds of distant fighting, and then quieted abruptly.
"I'll see you in Hell, Sasuke-kun," he hissed, his eyes fading, going dark as his shuddering chest stilled.
A quick fire jutsu ensured that the snake wasn't faking, that he wouldn't be coming back, and that Kabuto wouldn't be getting his master's body to experiment with.
Sasuke turned away then, darting down the emptied street to join the fighting elsewhere, Orochimaru's words echoing in his ears one last time.
I'll see you in Hell, Sasuke-kun.
For the first time, he didn't think so.