Disclaimer: As usual.

And I'm sure there's some special name for a Japanese bed-on-the-floor, but I have no idea what it is. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Sorry I took so long. Real life likes to interrupt with things like exams. And Star Ocean 3. Universe is teh sick. :P

Note: 'Iku yo' means, literally, 'let's go.' You hear it a lot in shounen anime when some character wants to get the fight started. Though I really get annoyed about fanfiction writers sticking random Japanese terms into fics, I find myself doing it more and more often. --;; I guess 'Let's GET IT ON' would sound kind of weird. :P

Vengeance

He was at home. The familiar paper walls surrounded him; he was on a mat that he hadn't seen since he was a small child.

But there was something a bit off. The room was larger than he remembered.

It was Itachi's room. Itachi was there, lying on his futon, reading a book on ancient jutsu techniques.

"You're back again." Itachi turned a page without looking up.

"Nii-san."

"I'm not going to practice with you. It's a waste of time to help someone who will never improve."

"...That's not true."

"Isn't it? You haven't changed since you were eight years old. You're really still a child."

"I'm different now."

"No, you aren't. You're still as lost as you were then. You don't even know who you are." Itachi sat up and reached out his hand until his fingers touched Sasuke's chest. The fingers sunk through the clothing and the skin until Itachi's elbow met Sasuke's chest and there was nothing coming out the other side.

Sasuke watched, transfixed, as Itachi pulled his arm out again. Itachi stood up, looking down at Sasuke from inches away. "Sasuke doesn't even exist."

Itachi's fingers stroked Sasuke's cheek. "The only thing that's changed is your will to survive. Why is it that you feel dead to me now? The dead can't make me feel alive."

In a single motion Itachi's fingers slid from Sasuke's cheek to plunge into his chest again, palm meeting Sasuke's rapidly-beating heart to squeeze around the organ. Itachi's other hand threaded through Sasuke's hair, bringing Sasuke's face up towards Itachi's.

"Nii-san."

xxxxx

Sasuke shot up, sweating in his bed. He was back at his last hideout, alone.

What the fuck is this, he thought. Why can't I remember that dream?

He stumbled outside, squinting at the afternoon light. He'd slept too long.

There was a stream not far away. He went there to soak his head and clear his mind.

His head felt fuzzy even when he was awake. He couldn't remember little things, and he was constantly on edge. He hadn't felt like this since he had first been infected with Orochimaru's curse seal.

So many things were unclear right now that Sasuke clung to the things that made sense. There was only one goal that mattered now: He would kill Naruto. It was that simple.

Things were going to become more difficult now that Naruto had his guard up. Naruto had the advantage of numbers - he could call any of his ninjas to support him - and of course the Kyuubi's nearly limitless amount of chakra at his disposal.

But Sasuke knew that Naruto would never accept support. He would never allow others to suffer for his sake. That was Naruto's 'ninja way'. Sasuke almost smiled at the memory.

He would approach Naruto on terms that he could not refuse.

xxxxx

"A formal challenge?" The noise that came out of Kisame's throat sounded less like a snort and more like rock on sandpaper.

"Think about it." Dislike the shark as he did, Sasuke found himself spending more time than he had initially intended with the man. He was necessary, as the one who kept tabs on Sasuke for Akatsuki and made sure that he wasn't stepping over any lines. "If I plan for something more discreet, it will only be an opportunity for more interference. I need this to be Naruto alone, and he's just the kind of fool who would accept that kind of challenge."

Kisame's eyes narrowed. "You never used to do this kind of thing before." Kisame was referring to Itachi. Sasuke had trained him well, though he wasn't sure if the other members of Akatsuki addressed him as they would Itachi out of respect or amusement. Most likely the latter. That would change in time.

"That's true. But I never accomplished my mission before, did I? It's time to turn over a new, previously hidden leaf. You know what I mean?" Sasuke almost smiled at his own joke.

"Your personality gets worse every day." That was Kisame's goodbye. The shark left.

Sasuke smiled.

xxxxx

It was dramatic. Naruto loved drama, Sasuke knew that much. There was something very pretty about a kunai shattering through your enemy's window at the stroke of midnight, the only indicator of its source a tag tied to the handle. It had a location, deep into neutral territory. Sasuke was positive that Naruto would go there, alone. Why? The flat side of the kunai had the Uchiha crest carved into it. It was rather ironic that Naruto could not possibly mistake the kunai as belonging to anyone else.

Sasuke waited calmly at the given location. Kisame was waiting also, hidden a short distance away. Sasuke had long ago abandoned his childish notions of fair play. This was about destroying the target with efficiency, not about an honorable duel to the death.

It was a beautifully staged act in a tragic play. Soon the hero would come to save his best friend, who had fallen into darkness. It would be a climactic battle between good and evil, where good would always prevail. The hero's purity and charisma would win the heart of his foe. That was the way it always ended in good theatre.

But this time Sasuke was writing the script, and he was a terrible playwright.

Naruto burst into the scene like Naruto always did, full of passion and his idealistic views of victory. Seeing his face brought back memories of their previous fights. Naruto said nothing this time, he only sank into his fighting stance with his eyes set on Sasuke as if he could devour the other man with his gaze.

"This will be different from your petty fights with Sasuke. You two fought as children. We will fight to the death. Are you ready to kill me?"

Naruto's eyes were already starting to change. He bared his teeth with an animalistic growl. "Stop fucking with me, Sasuke."

"It seems I'll have to show you what I'm talking about. Words will never get through your thick skull." Sasuke's eyes bled into deep crimson. "Iku yo."