Eyes; golden, slit eyes. Snake eyes. It was all he could see, all that was there. They consumed his vision, pained flared on his shoulder, there was nothing else. Then he saw Naruto, with red eyes, slit like the first but different. Nine silver tails flew out from behind him, and that Chakra, that terrifying, overwhelming, exhilarating Chakra. Foxy foxy, come here little fox. Fight with me fox, fight with me. And he was fighting, a memory of that fight with Naruto when they were both so young and foolish. Then he was a boy, so small it was unbearable and he tried, he really tried, but Niisan is so much bigger. Perfect, Father called him, genius, prodigy. You should be more like your brother, Sasuke, don't disappoint me Itachi. He heard it echo, teachers and strangers, look at him, the Uchiha boy, yes, a most promising student, the clan prodigy. Be the best Sasuke, don't disappoint. You'll never be good enough, brother, you'll never beat me. Fire on his arms, it burns! Make it stop! Don't, please don't! You can't do this! Fire left the marks and he couldn't move, couldn't see, his life was gone. Get back here! I can still fight! Don't you walk away! You're annoying, Sasuke, don't bother me again. No! Gates loomed in his vision, and relief seeped into his tired bones. It would end here, the humiliation would stop here. They would kill him. They hated him for his betrayal, for the pain he caused. It would stop here. It never stops! I'll get you for this, Itachi, I swear! I'll kill you for their deaths. Killing…death…pain…-

Sasuke Uchiha snapped his eyes open, looking for the sound that woke him from his slumber. After a few minutes he didn't hear anything, and he realized it was not something external that had woke him. He- he'd been startled into wakefulness by a nightmare? It was- that hadn't happed for years! Angry at himself, Sasuke got up and dressed. He knew he would not be able to sleep. Naruto might not mind if he woke him up for some sparring. Oh, right, Naruto was missing and Sakura too. Sasuke sighed and made his way to the forest, he'll train alone then.

Blood dripped down into one eye and Sasuke was having trouble keeping his opponent in focus. Startled, Sasuke snapped his Sharingan back into place. His opponent sharpened instantly. He suddenly wished he hadn't, seeing that Itachi had an amused look on his face. Damnit! He could have used the Mangenkyou while he didn't have his Sharingan on, and Itachi didn't. He's not fighting me! Some part in him screamed.

"Don't you dare hold back! Fight me!" That amused look was still on the other's face. Sasuke made some quick hand signals then put his right hand over his left wrist. Lightning formed there, and a chirping sound filled the air. Itachi looked slightly startled.

"It looks like we were both holding back. Come at me, brother." The tone was mocking; he was reminding Sasuke of their shared blood. It infuriated him. Sasuke charged at his greatest speed, veering to the left suddenly and going for a strike at the back. Itachi dodged of coarse, but the strike was not for his heart as expected, and Sasuke still buried his hand in his opponent's lower back. A gleam alerted Sasuke of the katana wiping around to chop off his head, and Sasuke mused for a second if his Sharingan had even noticed when Itachi had picked it back up again.

Bending backwards at the waist to avoid the hit, Sasuke dug his hand upward into Itachi, towards the chest. The katana was coming back around and Sasuke threw his right foot up and over Itachi's shoulder hooking it around the older one's neck and using that to lever himself into the air, avoiding the blow by less than an inch. Itachi then took the katana and switched hands in the front, stabbing down over his left shoulder with it. Caught by surprise, Sasuke could only move to the right and let the blade come, his movement resulting in the miss of his heart.

Twisted like a pretzel and hanging of his brother's back, Sasuke reached over and clutched the sword with his right hand, using his free foot to push off Itachi's back and yank the katana with him. He left it there, not wanting to waste time pulling it out. He then dug upwards with his left hand again, making a quick series of one handed signals. He spread the fingers of the hand in Itachi, widening the wound, before dispatching his Chidori and bringing his right palm down on the inside of his left forearm. Before Itachi could pull away fire laced up Sasuke's arm and into Itachi. The older boy made a gurgling sound before his knees gave out.

A satisfied smile on his face, Sasuke pulled his hand from his brother's body.

"Wow."

"I second that."

"Yeah." Team three stared at their newest sensei. He was fighting an invisible opponent, kicks and punches a blur, sweat showing obviously that he'd been here a long time, but still his speed was off their scales. "Hey, what do you think he's doing out here? I mean, he's been here a long time, why was he out that early?"

"Just because he'd good doesn't mean he doesn't still train, Atsuko. He has to stay in shape you know."

"I know that-"

"My father," Ryou started softly, and both of his team mates turned to him instantly. The shy boy didn't interrupt often. "Said that he was a missing-nin. Sasuke-sensei, I mean. That he was gone for four years."

"My mom wouldn't talk about it." Shin conceded.

"My older brother said he was going to the Hokage to demand someone else for our sensei. He came back really grumpy, called Hokage-sama a 'senile old woman who needs to have her eyes fixed.'" Someone laughed. Three sets of eyes snapped to Sasuke. His laugh was still really disturbing, even if his voice had improved.

"Run around the village, outside not inside, no using Chakra." Shin, who had groaned as soon as he heard the word 'run', opened his mouth.

"What'd we do?" All they got was that twist of his lips that passed for a smile. Sighing they all set off. As soon as they were out of sight someone spoke up.

"You, Sasuke Uchiha, are a cruel sensei." Someone dropped out of a tree.

"Kakashi, I do believe you are on time."

"Nah, I was supposed to be here yesterday." Even though the words were light, the tension in the air was thick. The two had never really gotten back on good terms. Sweat was trailing down his face, and Sasuke wanted to wipe it off, but his towel was behind him and that would mean turning his back on Kakashi. This entire village had been his enemy once, and no matter the three years he'd lived here those habits were not breaking.

"Hn." Whether Kakashi had noticed his hesitation to turn his back or not, he traveled to the left and sat on a rock. This let Sasuke reach sideways for his towel and still stay facing the ninja.

"You shouldn't be angry at them for being curious."

"I'm not."

"Come on, are you telling me you just sent them running because you wanted to? You didn't like that they were asking their families for information on you." Sasuke just toweled himself off and slung the white fabric around his neck, watching his former sensei. "Not that I blame you really, living in a village where half the population wants to kick you out and the other half kill you outright, suspicion is good." Sasuke watched him, and had a sudden flashback of the month after he came back, when he'd attacked his former sensei for saying sorry, heedless of his own injuries. The look he could see in the Jounin's eye was similar to the expression he'd worn then.

"If you're going to apologize again, you'll get the same answer." Sasuke told him, not willing to dance around it and act like they were having a normal conversation. Kakashi gave no reply, which Sasuke took as acceptance. Things were not easy between the former student and his master and Sasuke was not going to go around and pretend that they were.

"We're back!" Shin called, huffing and puffing from the run and looking like he was going to fall forward.

"What's our time?" Atsuko asked breathlessly.

"Individual or team?" Sasuke asked while looking down at his zeroed stopwatch.

"Min-" Shin started to request his time separately but was cut off.

"Team time please, Sasuke-sensei." Sasuke was so surprised he told Ryou the time, let it slip from him without thought or control. The muscles in his shoulders were so tight they hurt, and sound seemed filtered for a second. Relax, relax. Relax. Then the tightness loosened and it must have only been a few seconds because they were still celebrating for breaking their record. He had wanted them to work for the time, to see if it was worth it to them. That training was blown out the window.

Slowly, Sasuke began to smile. An idea came to him, this one looking like a fiasco waiting to happen. And he couldn't wait.

"We are going to have a test today." Sasuke announced pulling something out of his pocket. "If you fail you have to run three times around the village." He expected them to fail, and it was not going to be forgotten.

"Three times? No fucki-"

"Atsuko!"

"But Sasuke-sensei, three times?" The girl demanded. Sasuke stiffened again.

"Sensei," Sasuke said sharply. "Just sensei." If they were going to label him teacher then he'd rather it not be right next to his last name. That disturbed him. They gave him a puzzled look, but didn't ask.

"It doesn't matter, 'cause I'll beat it easy." Shin declared. "What's the test sensei?" Sasuke opened his hand to show what was in it. The three Genin stared in surprise, and muffled laughter came from the left.

"Bells?" Atsuko asked, incredulously. "Our test is bells?" The laughter was louder at that.

"The test is to take the bells from me. And ignore him, he's just checking up on our progress."

"But there are only two bells." Ryou pointed out. "And three of us."

"Great, he can count." Atsuko rolled her eyes.

"Two bells, so that way one of you still fails and I get to make them run." The three Genin just stared at him.

"Sensei, you're weird."

It was perfect.

Shin, determined to show the others up in front of Kakashi, broke off almost immediately. Atsuko did the same, the thought of team work not occurring to her, just that she did not want to run. Ryou hesitated, giving him a strange look, before he too left. Ryou might have suspected it, but he was still to timid to say anything to his team mates.

Shin's first attempt was fierce, empowered by will. He went down in thirty seconds. Atsuko attacked him with shuriken from behind, but found herself tied to a tree. Ryou used her distraction to pop out of the ground beneath him and make a grab for the bells. He came the closest, but Sasuke had him tied up next to Atsuko in a minute.

He knew his team, and had expected Ryou to come from the ground just as he expected Atsuko to start using long range attacks. Shin was harder to read when he was showing off, but he alone couldn't come close to taking Sasuke down. After Shin's second try all three were tied up.

"What did you do wrong?" They were silent. "Shin, you were so caught up in the idea of impressing a Jounin, you let your ego take control. Atsuko, you're too rash. You don't think things through enough, just act. And Ryou, that was a nice try, but you know better. You need to know when to stand up and say something." They were still silent. "Well, do you know now what you did wrong?" Sasuke asked sharply.

"Yes, sensei."

"No you don't! Did the last two weeks entirely slip from your mind?" His voice was insulting, biting, trying to get them riled like he did with Naruto.

It worked.

Sasuke listened as Shin and Atsuko shouted excuses and profanities at him, arguing with each other about anything and everything. But Sasuke just stood there silently and watched Ryou, waiting. Come on…

"Teamwork." Ryou was quiet, the word soft. Atsuko and Shin kept arguing, having not heard him. Sasuke just watched at the shy boy, encouraging. "Teamwork!" Ryou called louder so the other two would hear him. "It was a teamwork test!" Atsuko and Shin went dead silent, stunned by the obvious revelation.

"And you failed." Sasuke put in, breaking the silence. "But since Ryou figured it out he gets to eat before running."

"What? We don't get to eat before hand? But three times around will take the rest of the day!"

"Tough, now get started." Sasuke went to his pack and dropped a boxed lunch at Ryou's feet. He then turned and left, leaving them there.

"Uh, Sensei? Sensei, we're still tied up." Shin said timidly.

"Then use an escape Jutsu. And don't try to get out of running, remember what happened last time."

"I can't believe he left us tied up!" Atsuko said angrily.

"Get over it."

"Get over it? I'll show you get over it!"

Ryou sighed and hung his head.

Sasuke glared up at the tower where the Hokage resided. He'd been summoned again. It was really strange going into that tower, though he didn't know why. Anbu shadowed him again. Though it irritated him less this time, he was more nervous about it. Maybe because of all the fighting, however easy, that he was doing now. His nerves had been on edge for a while.

If possible Tsunade looked even worse than before. Tensions had been high, sure, but it puzzled him as to why she looked this ill. She looked up this time, before going back down to her work, tension plainly radiating from her form. That was…different. Was she afraid of him? Surely she could beat him in a fight, or was she really sick?

"Uchiha, I need your teams to start taking C class missions. They've had enough of D ranked ones, and to be truthful with tensions like they are not many people are putting in for help with menial tasks anymore. Both your teams need to step it up. I have one ready for you to take." Sasuke fumed internally; mad this had just been shoved on him without warning. He took the folder with the mission specks and nodded silently, tuning on his heal to leave.

"Oh, and Sasuke? Be careful out there. Two more teams have been jumped, and another missing. Things are brewing beneath the surface, and they're dangerous."

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or setting. No copyright infringement intended.

AN: Sorry if my timeline is a little off, but he did leave for the sound when he was about thirteen, right? So he got away after his three years were up, but I don't think he'd just go right back to Kohona. So in my story he spent another year roaming and learning obsure techniques before finding his way to Kohona again. Now he'd been in the Leaf for three years since then, which means his twentieth birthday should be popping up soon. There, that's the timeline.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed: Son of Darkness, sugarbox, Ashley, Spectrum, and Yakusha.

That said…feed me! I need to know how I'm doing! Please review! And please, say something besides 'I like it, write more.'

TS