Parallax: Chapter 2

(***)

He remembered how he had hated pink in his younger years.

Sasuke looked regretfully down at the slumped figure in his arms. Pink silk fanned out in a cascading waterfall over his skin like the plumage of an exotic bird, and without conscious thought, he allowed the fingers of his free hand to trail lingeringly over the smooth strands. As expected, they were soft to the touch and brought back a riot of memories.

It was funny how such simple stimuli invoked the most vivid of recollections.

Somewhere in the leafy forest, a bird had left its nest, the distant flutter of feathers echoing easily through the crisp, clean air of the woodland. Beams of mid-afternoon sunlight pierced through the upper foliage, leaving a breathtaking display of glowing columns that appeared almost tangible. And nearby, the pervading scent of tree sap tickled at his nose as it slowly trudged along on its downward journey.

For a quick second, he closed his eyes and absorbed everything around him. He wondered if he had ever really sat down and enjoyed the beauty of nature in which he had played almost his entire life.

A light breeze caressed his face just then, and rustled the hovering leaves into producing a soothing, relaxing chorus.

No, he didn't think so.

He had been preoccupied with other things back then.

Gently, he lowered an unconscious Sakura to the ground. He had come upon her quite easily after rendering Kakashi helpless. She hadn't even been aware of his presence when he'd appeared behind her and knocked her out with a restrained attack.

Sasuke straightened, his hooded eyes traveling over the prone form of the young girl.

Poor Sakura.

She had always shown such determination in striving to match her teammates, but she could never really reach that one elusive goal.

In the days of his youth, he had never paid much attention to her - just as he had never paid attention to all the small wonders of nature that surrounded him now. That was, until they had all disappeared from his life...

Sakura would grow up to be a beautiful woman, her aquamarine eyes always shining with exuberance and her unique disposition constantly leaving a lasting impression. But he had destroyed it all, hadn't he? He had destroyed it all in one flashing moment of blindness.

Regret and guilt couldn't even begin to describe what he felt now.

His jaw clenched at the thought.

He had prided himself on being the strongest. He had been so proud of defeating and destroying all those around him. And he had enjoyed it!

Fuck, what a fool he had been!

A sardonic smile formed on his lips as obsidian eyes remained on the pink-haired girl.

So was he still the strongest? Or had that one lapse taken away the very character he had spent his whole life trying to achieve? His rational side wanted to argue it, that he was nothing more than a man who had succumbed to the flaws that had tainted him the moment his whole world had been taken away by his own brother. But his pride refused to accept that. He was still strong, and he would overcome whatever the future threw at him - including this. After all, wasn't it because of his integrity and fortitude that he'd taken the opportunity to come back and fix it all?

It seemed that in the course of his journeys, he had constantly redefined the meaning of everything he had wanted to become.

A shiver ran down his spine and he fought the urge to wrap his arms around himself to ward off the shadows and demons that now plagued him wherever he went.

What was weakness? What was strength?

What was cowardice? And what was courage?

Twenty-six years of living, and he still hadn't found the answers to those questions. He swallowed hard, and let the sadness he felt overtake his face.

He wondered if he'd ever discover their true meaning...

(***)

/******

The taste of bloodlust and thirst for power were so intoxicating that he could understand why so many had become addicted to it. The metallic tang of blood hung so heavily in the humid air that he was certain he could probably taste the salty substance if he just stuck his tongue out. And the gratifying sense of victory merged and melded so beautifully with every cell in his body that he could have happily lived off the feeling for the rest of his life.

But he was such a dreamer, wasn't he?

He looked around at the dead bodies littered about him, the heavy burden inherent to the one responsible for their deaths somehow non-existent. Instead of guilt, instead of remorse or regret, he felt an inexplicable lightness within him, and he surmised that if he started walking, his strides would have an uncharacteristic bounce. He could feel the blood begin to dry on his hands, the thin red-brown crust flaking off whenever he bent a finger. But bend his fingers he did as he brought a hand up and ran it through his sable-colored hair. He encountered a few knots in the usually spiky strands, no doubt a product of the messy carnage he'd just instigated, but ignoring the brief pain to his scalp, he combed right through them.

Letting out a tired breath, he angled his shoulders lower and congratulated himself on a job well done.

The Konoha village was now officially extinct.

And he had been the catalyst.

It had been a glorious slaughter - men and women screaming and fighting until the ground ran crimson with spilled blood. But he had defeated them all - him, the one who had betrayed them, the one who had once lived among them, the one who had finally seen what a weak creature he had been ...

He had enjoyed it, perhaps just as much as he'd enjoyed ending Kakashi's life not so long ago. In fact, he felt liberated - free - as if he could now faced the world without the burden of his past and without fear.

Fear?

What was he afraid of? And since when had he been afraid of anything?

Just as the question flittered through his head, a loud clap of thunder reverberated from above, threatening him with moisture-laden clouds.

He almost laughed at the sky's enigmatic response.

Tilting his head back, he looked up at the ominous clouds and watched in silent reverence as jagged lines of light flashed in a soul-moving display of power. Mother Nature wished to show off and having just accomplished his most pressing goal, he was more than willing to admire her.

"Sasuke!"

His name almost went unheard, rapt as he was with the darkening sky, but the flying kunai that accompanied it was more than enough to drag his attention back to the earth. The deadly blade flew dangerously close to his cheek, yet he knew it had been thrown with the intention of only being a warning.

Instantly, his eyes narrowed, and once again, he felt the familiar surge of adrenalin shoot through his body. Quickly, he sought out the idiot who had challenged him, his muscles tensing in anticipation of another death.

Had there been any less light, or had his opponent possessed a hair color other than bright sunshine, he may have missed him altogether. But there he stood, anger etched in every detail of that unforgettable face ... Naruto.

The years had been kind to the blonde. He had grown to an intimidating enough height and his body had filled out into the sleekly muscled form of a fighter. But where the most changes could be seen were on his face. Clear, blue eyes that had once shone bright with single-minded naïveté now twinkled with a matured resolve that reflected a battered, but unbroken, spirit. His cheeks had lost their childish roundness, his jaw now more defined and accentuated by the whisker marks on his skin.

Sasuke relaxed somewhat at seeing a familiar face. "Naruto," he said deeply in acknowledgment.

From where he stood, Sasuke could feel the other man's chakra flare to an overwhelming level.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

"Why?"

That one word, that one question, echoed endlessly between them, both condemning and potentially redeeming at the same time.

But in Sasuke's mind, it was a silly question, and frankly, he didn't see the relevance of it. "Why what?" he returned. An eyebrow rose in subdued mockery.

The casual tone irked Naruto, and even without any verbal confirmation, the brunette knew his opponent had been riled. He smiled indulgently at the blonde.

Naruto would always be Naruto, easy to please and just as easy to anger. "What do you mean 'why what', you fucking bastard?! The village ... Iruka-sensei ... Kakashi-sensei ... Sakura-chan ... ?"

His voice had started out in a near shout, but as the names spilled forth from his mouth, it slowly lost its vigor, the fire behind it suddenly replaced with a melancholy that might have pierced a weaker heart.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

But he had no heart - not any longer - because he had decided long ago that the damned thing was nothing but a weakness and he had been more than happy to be rid of it.

"Oh yes, Sakura ..." A slow, seductive smile appeared as he reached down into one of his side pockets and extracted a lock of light pink hair tied together with a simple black ribbon. He nonchalantly slid the silky strands across the sensitive skin below his nose, inhaling the sweet lavender scent left in its wake. "She was such a useless teammate, but she did redeem herself in the end by not begging."

The provocation wasn't much, but it was enough to drive Naruto into action. Before he even had the chance to blink, the blonde had disappeared, and if it hadn't been for the gut-wrenching yell that came from above, he might not have even been aware of the direction of attack. Instantly, he pushed off, rolling over his shoulder and landing deftly on his feet. He watched with hidden appreciation as Naruto hit the very spot he'd been standing with enough force to create a small crater. The particles of displaced dirt clouded his vision momentarily but even through the flying dust, he could clearly see those beseeching blue eyes.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

'Murderer,' that piercing gaze accused. 'Killer, fiend, betrayer ...'

He had been labeled worse things in recent years, but strangely, when it came from Naruto ... when it came from the one person who had looked at him with such fierce determination and disguised admiration, he was somehow affected.

"Why?" the blonde asked again brokenly.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

He didn't answer. He simply couldn't.

"Why did you kill them?" With this, Naruto ran at him, a well-aimed fist raised with the intent to injure.

He blocked it easily, but didn't - couldn't - retaliate.

"You were my teammate!" the blonde yelled with fury.

A roundhouse kick, and another easy block.

"You were my friend!"

This time, another punch to the chest, which was quickly deflected, Sasuke's face remaining expressionless as the blonde's statements rang loudly in his ears.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

"You were my ideal!"

A kunai sliced a lethal arc just millimeters from his neck, and he barely dodged it by stepping back.

And yet, even with the appearance of the weapon in the blond shinobi's hand, all Sasuke could see was the blazing blue fire that burned endlessly in those fathomless orbs. Years ago, almost a lifetime ago, he had guiltily wondered what it would have been like to have those cerulean gems watch him, and only him, but now, with them trained so accusingly on him, he wanted them to disappear; he wanted them to turn away and leave him with the memories of the carefree days when they were filled with grudging affection.

Again, the kunai-wielding hand swung down at him, but this time, he brought his own arms up and grabbed the offending wrist before it could complete its journey. Skin upon skin, flesh upon flesh ... the heat of the contact nearly seared itself straight into Sasuke's soul.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

"Why?" the dark-haired man choked out, his tone inflectionless but his voice beginning to waver. "Why did you stay with them? Why did you stay and bear the mediocrity of people who do nothing but beat you down?"

The blonde tried to move his arm, but found it locked securely in place by his opponent's vise-like grip. And at Sasuke's questions, some of the fire left him. "Because," he said quietly, looking steadily into dark, searching eyes, "I wanted to become the next Hokage. I wanted to be the strongest ..."

For some reason, the brunette felt an unknown anger flood through him at that answer. "Damnit, Naruto! Can't you see that it's all a lie? Nothing but a big, fucking lie!" And with that, in a move fueled by blind fury, he squeezed his fingers tightly around the delicate wrist within his grasp, and jerked abruptly. The bone broke with a resounding snap, causing the kunai to drop heavily.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

In one, swift motion, the weapon was in Sasuke's hand. Naruto didn't even have the opportunity to voice his pain, for in seconds, the well-honed blade was embedded deep in his chest.

"Don't you understand, Naruto, that you can't be the strongest? I'm the strongest. That's why I left ... that's why I had to kill everyone ..." the dark-haired man whispered hoarsely as he watched the vibrancy leave those beautiful blue eyes. He leaned forward and gingerly brushed his mouth across those of the dying blonde's. The faint taste of mint, blood, and Naruto lingered on his lips and he ran his tongue over the moist skin to absorb as much of his rival's essence as he could.

His former teammate tried to speak, tried to perhaps mention the flaw in his logic, but all that emerged was a sickly gurgle.

Slowly, and shakily, Sasuke lowered his opponent to the ground, for some reason, unwilling to leave the other man alone when that final, inevitable moment came.

Yet, that clear blue gaze never left him.

And he ... he wanted to look away, wanted to walk away, and leave this man with all the other corpses that lay in the area, but he couldn't.

Not Naruto. He couldn't leave Naruto ... not again.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

Regret. That was what he saw in the dying blonde's eyes. Regret and pity.

He felt an urge to scream at the top of his lungs for the other man to stop it. He didn't need pity. He didn't want it!

He had what he wanted. He had strength. He had the affirmation that he was the strongest, and that was enough.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

Just then, the dark clouds decided to make good on their promise, and with one violent echo of thunder, plump drops of rain began to fall. One by one, the cleansing liquid started to wash away the blood - fresh and dried alike - from his body, and like a deprived beggar, he held his hands out in hopes of seeing the callused skin beneath the caked-on substance. But for some reason, not all of it washed off; tiny bits of color still clung stubbornly in the crevices of his hand.

/ ... What was he afraid of? ... /

Like a child who had lost his way, he dropped his hands and looked down at the body before him. Those eyes were lifeless now, and in a slow, gentle gesture, he lowered the lids of his former rival and teammate.

And so, what was he afraid of?

'This,' he thought. He was afraid of this. He was afraid that the blood would never wash away from his hands. He was afraid that everything he wanted would come at the expense of everything he had. And he was afraid of this ... this loneliness.

Still, the falling rain continued to innocently drum a lulling rhythm around him, beating and tapping on everything in a refreshing baptism of renewed hope and eventual rebirth.

His lips twitched up slightly.

What made Naruto so special that even the heavens cried when he died?

'Arrogant asshole,' he said with teasing amusement in his head as he watched the blonde's unmoving body with wry fondness. And it was then, sitting there beside his former rival that he realized the drops of water that slid down his cheeks were much warmer and saltier than rain should be ...

******/

(***)

He was tired.

He was weary of body. He was weary of heart. And he was weary of soul.

He had traveled over thirteen years into the past with a forbidden jutsu, and every joint, muscle, and organ complained with a fatigue that wasn't merely physical. But it would be worth it, or so he had tried to convince himself.

He would stop everything before it even began. He would spare everyone the darkness and the pain that would be coming. It would be his way of achieving the absolution he knew he didn't deserve.

But first, he would have to remove one more player from the scene.

Naruto.

Once he stopped the blond boy, he could continue toward his goal without interference.

Resolve shining stubbornly in dark eyes, Sasuke left Sakura's unconscious form and went in search of the boy who would one day start him on the road to redemption

(***)

In his experience, Sasuke was nothing but an idiot - a stupid, arrogant, self-absorbed idiot!

Wait, wasn't 'stupid' and 'idiot' the same thing? So wasn't he repeating himself?

Naruto stopped for a second on a tree branch and complimented himself for the quick realization.

And they all complained about him being the academically inferior one!

The blond genin grinned, and then turned serious as he carefully listened to the surrounding trees for a clue that might tell him where his brunette teammate had gone. The other boy was fast. Naruto had to give him that much, but that didn't mean he could just show off!

Still, at times, he had to admire and respect Sasuke for his skills. During some of their training sessions, he'd found himself stopping in mid-jutsu to watch his teammate practice. Although he would never let it be known publicly, he enjoyed watching his rival move - lithe, flexible limbs stretching with a poetic grace that sometimes caused his heart to skip a beat, and stole the breath from his lungs. But then, reality would come rushing in and he would continue his training with renewed vigor, determined more than before to outdo Sasuke at whatever endeavor he attempted.

He could read nothing from the surrounding trees save the ambling path of one energetic squirrel. The blonde sighed, and mentally yelled at himself for being left behind by that idiot again.

Damn, how he hated Sasuke!

Blindly, he picked a direction, and hoped that luck was on his side today. If it was, then he'd be the one to find that thief, and Sasuke would be the one looking at him with envy.

The very thought lightened his mood, and he jumped off the tree with an energy that had long become his trademark. But before he even had a chance to find his next landing point, he felt a jarring force connect with his chest, knocking the air right out of him and causing him to drop like a rock to the ground. What air had been left in his body wheezed out upon impact, and he found himself struggling to draw in some much-needed oxygen.

Belatedly, he noticed the dark figure hovering just within his peripheral vision, and felt a strange fluttering of nervousness in his stomach. Ignoring this, he tried to push himself up to face his sudden opponent, the rough debris of the forest floor digging into his hands as he rolled over.

"Who ... who are you?" the blonde managed to say.

The stranger didn't move or say anything at first. And then, "Naruto ..."

His name had been spoken with such affectionate longing that the young genin's ears literally perked up. Question upon question formed in his clueless mind, but before he had the chance to act on any of them, the dark figure had disappeared.

'Fast. He's so fast ...' he thought in astonishment just as a blinding, white light consumed his field of view and his head snapped back violently from an unseen hit. Against his better wishes, his legs crumpled and again, he fell into a heap on the ground.

But as he drifted off into unconsciousness, he couldn't help but think that the stranger's voice had sounded remarkably familiar.


End Chapter 2