Sasuke finally felt as though he had enough power and had grown tired of both Orochimaru and Kabuto. He knew they wouldn't let him leave, though, so he would have to kill Orochimaru or end up being tracked down for a long time. A decision that he didn't take lightly, but it was his only way out and he'd spent the last several months planning his escape and making his peace with what he had to do.

He would distract Kabuto and kill Orochimaru quickly before escaping. It would be easy, as long as everything went the way he'd hoped.

The next day he went to train on some of Kabuto's more powerful jutsus so that he could make sure that he was sufficiently tired. And then afterward, he'd sent Kabuto to go and fetch him something to eat, saying that he had overworked himself and wasn't feeling well. Something that had happened a lot in the beginning, but he still feigned sickness from time to time in order to appear weaker than he was.

Once Kabuto had set off to the kitchen through the labyrinth they'd been living in, Sasuke slipped quietly to Orochimaru's room and pulled his sword out while he slept. He felt like a coward for having to resort to assassination, but the quicker and quieter, the better.

Of course Orochimaru was none too pleased with being awoken with a sword to his neck and decided to try and take over Sasuke's body early as punishment for his insolence. He might have overpowered Sasuke had he been in top form, but he was still weak from Lord Third's jutsu and fell prey to Sasuke's blade.

By the time Kabuto returned with Sasuke's meal, Orochimaru was dead and Sasuke was gone.

Sasuke had set up his own hideout a year or so ago, when Kabuto was away on business, and kept some of the things he'd been hiding from Kabuto there. Like the picture he had of Shanan, Naruto and himself. He also collected things he thought would help his training and eventual return home there as well and he decided that he would keep it as a base until he was able to return to The Leaf.

He really wanted to go home now, but he didn't think that they'd let him back if he didn't redeem himself first. He knew that he had betrayed the village by beating Naruto and leaving to train with Orochimaru for over three years. So he decided that killing Itachi would be his ticket home.

An old desire of his, but one that had faded over the years thanks to his love and devotion to Shanan and the light that she'd given him.

So the next task on Sasuke's list was to gather a special team to help him track Itachi down and he had three specific people in mind that he'd met over the years thanks to Orochimaru and Kabuto. It took him two weeks to collect them all, but he finally did it.

Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo.

All had unique abilities and were all powerful enough to help keep him alive while they tracked Itachi. He showed them where their base of operations would be and they set up bedrolls and a small research area. It wasn't a big place, but it would suit them all just fine for a while. And Sasuke made sure to tell them all explicitly not to touch any of his things or he would kill them. An empty threat, but he had to assert his dominance with this particular group of people.

It didn't take long for Sasuke's team to get wind of Itachi's whereabouts. Just about a month, actually. He'd been hiding out in the old Uchiha headquarters.

It was at about this time that Kakashi and Tenzo had left with Naruto, Sakura and Sai to also look for information on Itachi. Shanan was on a separate mission with Guy, Neji and Lee gathering information on other Akatsuki members.

Just as Sasuke had gone to look for Itachi at his hideout, he was intercepted by Deidara who hadn't actually died in his fight with Kakashi and The Leaf.

Not that Sasuke really felt like fighting with Deidara, but he needed to get to Itachi if he wanted to see Shanan again, so he fought him. It wasn't as easy or as quick as he thought it'd be. Deidara wouldn't stop attacking him until he finally released his ultimate weapon, which was a giant explosion, and Sasuke had to summon Orochimaru's giant snake to hide inside of, in order to survive.

Kakashi's team was nearby and had seen said explosion, and so made their way towards it to make sure that nobody had been hurt and found a small village nearby.

Sasuke woke up a few times and could see Karin healing him before he blacked out again. He didn't wake up fully healed until the next day.

All he wanted to do was find Itachi. Find Itachi and get home. To Shanan. His girlfriend. The girl that he'd loved for almost as long as he could remember and his only reason for wanting to be strong, even though it meant suffering alone for so long and enduring both the physical and mental pain that he had. He knew he'd hardened over the years, he had to, but whatever softness remained was because of her. She kept him in the light and she kept him sane. He was so ready to be done, but he'd heard that some members of The Leaf were nearby, so he had to slip away as quietly as he could while Suigetsu, Karin and Jugo distracted them. If he was lucky, he could just return with whoever it was once Itachi was dead.

He didn't relish the idea of taking another life, even Itachi's, but he would do anything to get back to her. He'd waited long enough.

He finally made it to where the hideout was, without any hindrances, and Itachi was just sitting and waiting for him. He'd already heard of Orochimaru's death and figured he was next on Sasuke's list, even if he didn't know the actual reason for why he was.

First, they exchanged genjutsus. And then, Itachi explained some of the Uchiha's past to Sasuke.

Afterwards, Itachi placed another genjutsu on Sasuke that had felt so real to him. He was sure his brother had taken his eye and that he was finished, but he hadn't and Sasuke was able to break free and finally hit Itachi with a shuriken jutsu.

After that, their fighting made its way to the roof where they matched fireball jutsus and Itachi broke free by using his Amaterasu technique on Sasuke, which engulfed the area in black flames and ate through his fire. Then he used it again on Sasuke, but Sasuke shed his skin and escaped through a crack in the roof of the building.

Sasuke was nearly out of chakra, but had the upper hand by using another fire jutsu that he'd aimed into the sky in order to create a thunder cloud and control its lightning with his advanced Chidori. Which he then directed at Itachi.

Despite everything Sasuke had thrown at him, Itachi still hadn't died. He summoned his Susano'o and deflected every one of Sasuke's attacks until Sasuke was completely drained of all chakra and energy.

He very slowly made his way to Sasuke, who'd been backed up against a wall as his legs trembled and he waited to die, sure he'd never see Shanan, or Naruto, or his home again. This was it. Itachi would take his eyes and kill him. How foolish he'd been to believe that he could ever protect her...

Itachi had Sasuke right where he wanted him. He stopped directly in front of Sasuke as he coughed up blood. He slowly raised his hand to Sasuke's face. And, instead of taking Sasuke's eyes, his last act had been to smile and poke Sasuke gently on the forehead. The same as he had always done when Sasuke was a child. And then he collapsed, still smiling.

Sasuke was so taken aback by it, but he still couldn't move. He'd just expended every ounce of his chakra and had just been so frozen in fear. He soon collapsed next to Itachi, having exhausted himself entirely.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's team had failed to distract The Leaf ninja for very long, but they had let slip that Sasuke was also nearby and that he was also looking for Itachi.

And then, Team Kakashi ran into Tobi, Itachi's masked partner. Who, unlike Sasuke's team, was able to successfully keep them occupied for some time before finally disappearing upon learning of Itachi's death and that Sasuke had beaten him.

Once Sasuke woke up he was in a different hideout and was now face to face with Tobi, who had revealed himself to actually be none other than Madara Uchiha.

He explained to Sasuke that Itachi did not kill the Uchiha clan of his own accord. He was ordered to do so by The Leaf in order to prevent a coup d'etat led by their father, Fugaku, and that he only ever agreed to do it if they would protect Sasuke.

Itachi truly loved his family and his clan, but he cherished his village and loved his little brother more. All he ever wanted was peace and for Sasuke to have a good life.

And Sasuke had had a good life so far. Even the last few years had been guided by love.

But now he was faced with a dilemma. Itachi had done all that he could to protect his village, but what had they done to protect Itachi? He missed Shanan more than anything, and was desperate to see her face and to touch her and kiss her the way he had before he'd left her. He couldn't even wait to reunite with Naruto, and apologize for hurting him so badly during their fight and for what he'd said the last time they'd seen each other. He wanted so badly to explain that he had to be cold in case Kabuto, or anyone else, had been nearby and watching him, like they always did. His loyalty was constantly being tested when he was with them. But how could he forgive The Leaf after what he had just heard?

Maybe if he told the two of them about Itachi and what all he'd gone through then they would leave with him. They could go somewhere else together this time...

He hated it, but he had a lot to consider. So he decided to make his way back to his hideout and take some time to think things through. Though, whatever he decided, he knew that it had to include Shanan. She was his motivation for everything and he'd choose whatever option led to her.

A/N- Curious how you guys feel about the story so far! Any predictions or worries?? :D