A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews!I would like to dedicate this chapter to an awesome reviewer : mtm123, this reader helped me come up with this next chapther, thus enabling me to get this chapter out this quickly. Thankyou!

Warnings: I've introduced a fighting song to tis fanfiction. Goukisan- Guitar vs. Piano. Freaking amayzing, and I urge you to listen to it at the time that I tell you to. It'll be in parenthesis. And I never use any songs that can't be found on Youtube.Please search it and play it, you don't regret it! Its a fantastic song, no lyrics, just straight up sick instrumentals.

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Naruto series…but I'm saving up!

Behind The Smile

Chapter 24: A Silent, Cold, Terifying Hate: Sasuke's Hate.

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Sasuke's unwavering and repetitive strikes were becoming too much for his older brother to evade and block. It was natural for the older Uchiha to only move when in defense of himself, studying his opponents moves before executing the right attacks to take them down. He couldn't read Sasuke's, and it seemed he didn't even want to attack. Itachi's eyes seemed to waver as he watched his little brother attack him time and time again; he had a completely different fighting style now. The older Uchiha could feel the intent to kill radiating off of Sasuke, his actions driven by complete rage, his power driven by complete hate. It showed in every part of his body, reflected in his eyes.

Sasuke had lost the continuous struggle to control himself, to remain calm as he had all these years.

"Fight me!" Sasuke ferociously yelled to Itachi. His attacks were getting even more powerful as he seemed to grow angrier and angrier with each passing moment, his attacks started to become reckless, yet controlled all the same. Itachi took a glance to the seal on Sasuke's neck. It was pulsing, the curse seal seemed to be trying to break out; though it seemed that the younger Uchiha wasn't too out of control as he still had the will to keep the seal from consuming him. It must have taken years for Sasuke to learn how to control it.

As the two kunais from each brother collided, sparks flew into the air before dissapearing almost immediately. Neither one let up on the kunai, they both tried to overpower eachother. Itachi was a bit surprised as Sasuke's strenght. They were equal in strenght, despite the age difference. Knowing that neither would be able to overpower the other, Sasuke and Itachi jumped back, high into the air preforming the exact same, familiar handseals.

The Uchiha brother's chests heaved up as Scorching hot flames were exhaled from their mouths. Two giant balls of fire collided, creating a huge explosion.The explosion was so huge it blew most of the ceiling away. The cloudy sky above could be seen, it looked as though it was about to rain. The fresh air from the outside was welcomed as it carried away the stuffy smell of blood from the room. Sasuke moved quickly through the smoke as he waited for the presence of his brother.

Sakura looked up to the sky which could be seen through the huge gaping hole in the ceiling. The weather seemed to match her mood, as well the Uchiha's. All the emotions running in this room seemed to be effecting the sky. Her wavering, heart-broken emerald orbs remained fixated on the rapidly darkening sky; she did not flinch as the first rain drop his her face, placing itself right below her eye, before slowly traveling down her cheek as a tear would.

Sasuke didn't flinch as the skies thundered, letting merciless rain beat down on him. It was a sudden and unexpected, but he welcomed it as the water washed off some of the mud and blood from his face. Sasuke raised his head up to the heavens, closing his eyes. The water slipped down his face, dripping off his chin at a rapid pace. The coolness it provided did nothing to cool the burning loathe inside him. However, the younger Uchiha seemed to realize what he was doing, he brought up a hand to slowly grasp the curse seal located at the base of his neck- the continuous burning sensation sizzling the area of skin around it made him realize even more th extent of his mistake. He was fighting recklessly, and it would stop now.

Itachi remained unmoving, his sharingan eyes continuing to observe Sasuke, eyeing him calmly yet warily.

He wouldn't be able to dodge or parry his little brother's attacks anymore.This was the battle Itachi had told Sasuke to live for. He would see just how much Sasuke had lived for this day, he would see how much Sasuke had developed over the years, he would see how much stronger Sasuke had gotten, he would see, which one of them deserved to live. All he would have to do was not hold back himself any longer. Sasuke would be the one to see the true extent of his power.

Sasuke slowly lowered his head, and a small moment transpired before he sharly opened his eyes, revealing blood red sharingan, more prominent than ever.

He struck then.

(Song: Goukisan-Guitar vs. Piano)

(Guitar solo)

Sasuke's multiple blows knocked the air out of Itachi's lungs, pausing him for a long enough moment to allow Sasuke to deliver a kick to his chin. He was sent flying into a wall, which was not exposed to the rain due to the part of the ceiling that still remained. Sasuke waited not one moment before charging again. Itachi immediately dissapeared from the crashing sight. When he reapeared he was already met with Sasuke's fist, he brought up his hand to catch it, immediately bringing up his other to stop Sasuke's other fist. Using his caught hands as leverage the younger Uchiha brought up both legs, slamming in his feet towards Itach's chest. The older Uchiha dissapeared in response, as did Sasuke.

They instantly met again, this time Sasuke immediately throwing a great number of repetitive, numerous strikes. Continuing with combos after combos- and Itachi could only block, dodge, or avoid. He swiftly moved his head to the side avoiding the first punch, doing so again to avoid the next. As a fist aimed for his abdomen Itachi parried with the palm of his hand, doing so again as Sasuke aimed another punch for his face. Sasuke jumped back before quickly equiping himself with a kunai- he then charged once again.

Itachi's calm sharingan gaze glanced behind him as he noticed a clone aiming an attack behind him, just as Sasuke, kunai at hand, was in the motion of stabbing his kunai straight forward. With incredible speed Itachi moved his body to the side, the clones fist still continuing to travel forward due to the momentum; the former Akatsuki member grabbed the clones extending arm by the wrist, furthering pushing his travel and he threw him into Sasuke's kunai. The puff of smoke presided with the dissapearance of the clone, signaling the Uchiha's simultaneous dissapearance as well. They reapeared together again.

It had taken a while before Itachi started fighting back.

(Piano solo)

Itachi did not stop as he started a combo of incredibly swift punches, each hit landing- some to Sasuke's face, some to his gut. Itachi delivered a final upper-cut of sorts, following Sasuke's travel as the force sent him slightly upwards into the air. Before Itachi could attack again Sasuke retreated, executing a backflip. Just as the tips of his feet touched the ground, Itachi was already upon him.

Sasuke dropped on all fours to avoid Itachi's powerful spin kick, executed a back-flip, leaving Itachi's fist to dig into the concrete. He continued to jump back, as Itachi came upon him aiming attack after attack- it was when the concrete wall neared a very close proximity that Sasuke stood his ground. Itachi continued with repetative strikes, leaving Sasuke only able to dodge, parry, or avoid. In a connecting strike, Itachi's palm slammed into Sasuke's gut, before a powerful kick sent Sasuke crashing into the same exact part of the wall that he himself had crashed into.

Itachi stood stationary, completley still as he waited for Sasuke to get up. The younger Uchiha calmly stood up, the dust, rocks, and debris falling off of him as he did so.

He stuck then.

Sasuke moved his head to the side as Itachi's aimed a punch; as his fist continued on over Sasuke's shoulder, the younger Uchiha wasted no time to grab his brother's arm , halting all movement as he prepared to bring forth his other arm in attack. Itachi allowed no split moment of time before he grabbed the hand that grabbed his, moving his upper body with enough force so that Sasuke's destination was at his will- in his decent, Sasuke prepared to slam his foot into Itachi's gut, but Itachi grabbed his foot with his free hand, his other still holding Sasuke's, and effortlessly threw his leg away in a way that caused Sasuke's body to produce a slight spin. He immediately let go of Sasuke, beggining to slam his fist into his younger brother's abdomen.

Sasuke dissapeared to avoid this, leaving Itachi's fist to dig into the concrete floor once again. An instant later Itachi executed a one handed back-flip from his crouched position as Sasuke aimed a kick for his head.

(Guitar and Piano together)

The echoing sound of two kunai clashing sounded the entire room. Itachi and Sasuke were located at the center of the room, and also the area to which there was no concrete ceiling sheltering them from the merciless rain.

It seemed to go in extremely slow motion as their bodies still moved from the momentum that had brought them together-Itachi retreated his kunai, a sharp slice-like noice sounding from their kunai's grinding in the process. The descent of each seperate raindrop could clearly be discerned, and their distinct splashes as they crashed upon the Uchihas' skin and clothing. Itachi leaned his head to the side, Sasuke's kunai moving in above his shoulder, the rain pounding on his kunai. Sharingan prounounced Itachi continued in his swirved motion, bringing his kunai back to him as he brought in in a straight thrust towards Sasuke's abdomen. Sasuke had already started leaning back and to the side, no facial expression as the kunai progressed closer to him, at what seemed to be an unavoidable pace.

Itachi's kunai pierced Sasuke's side.

The blood immediately began to flow from his side, mingling with the rain, the dilluted mix falling to the ground and washing away with the continous rain. A breif moment of pain passed across Sasuke's face, though he did not halt in his movement, bringing his kunai to embed itself into Itachi's shoulder.

It was then that the two dissapeared to opposite sides of the room. Itachi closed his eyes, his nose very breifly cringing as he quickly pulled the deeply embedded kunai from his shoulder. Sasuke only took the time to glance down at his wound before lowering into a fighting stance. They both dissapeared once again.

The Uchiha brother's started exchanging blows to one another, dissapearing and reapearing in various parts of the room. One moment they were fighting under the merciless rain, another fighting under the shelter of what was left of the wall.They kept dealing blows to the other, drawing more blood on both sides. Neither one stopped. Neither one held mercy. Both were slowly killing eachother.

Rain continued to fall down upon her greiving countenance, the drops of water blending with the salty tears that traveled down her face as well. Her emerald orbs were no longer wide, holding a greatly dazed look. They lasily transitioned to Koizumi he was watching the Uchiha's battle silently. He seemed to be waiting for something, a moment perhaps; the exact moment when he could attack. He had done this. It was his plan, from the very start- he was going to let the brothers kill eachother, if that meant avoiding to risk his own life, he would wait however long it took. He knew exactly what his horrible words would cause. He knew his words would make the brothers fight. His lies.

Itachi wasn't the man everyone said he was. He was innocent. He did kill many people, maybe even many innocents. Just like Sasuke. But he did not murder the Uchiha clan. He just couldn't have.

Sakura lowered her head, trying to calm herself down, yet it was futile. She didnt' know if she was shaking from the coldness of the rain, or the complete terror and worry she had for both Uchiha's. Sakura brought her head up to look at the Uchiha brothers. They were like fighting machines, not once showing much signs of them being incredibly week from blood less, tireless from strenous battle, and in pain from various wounds. But she could see the serious, cold expressions on their faces. And their clenched jaws.

They were reaching their limits, they were reaching their deaths. And neither had the intention to stop.

She kept looking back from Koizumi to Sasuke and Itachi, praying with everything she had that each moment Koizumi wouldn't attack. They weren't stopping. More blood was blurring her vision. Whatever had been holding her tongue, keeping her stationary, was not doing so anymore.

"Stop It!" Her cry bellowed from her throat as her eyes pleaded towards them. Both made no indignation as to hearing her call. She looked to Koizumi, noticing that his body became more tense, signaling his readiness to jump into the fight. She looked back to the brother's more greif in her eyes.

She felt light-headed. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breath. All she could hear was the continuous pounding of her heart in her chest, throbbing till the point of pain, along with her slow agitated breaths. She couldn't really feel anything anymore. She felt numb.

"Stop it.." She unconsciously whispered. She looked back to Sasuke and Itachi who were relentless in their attacks."Stop it.." This time her words were somewhat louder, in regular tone, yet still soft. She wanted them to stop fighting. Yet she couldn't think. She couldn't find the will to move her body. She had lost her will to do anything. The continuous pounding of her heart hurt. Her head hurt. Every part of her hurt. She wanted it to stop. She wanted everything to stop.

"STOP IT!" Her cry tore from her throat as she screamed with every part of her being, echoing through the entire room.

On que a bright pink light surrounding both Itachi and Sasuke, while a spherical pink colored-light appeared inbetween them. A gathering beam noise brefily sounded before a small burts of energy created a large explosion, rocking the buidling they were in.The Uchiha brothers flew in opposite directions, harshly crashing into walls on each side of the room-the force of impact on both sides caused a huge crater in the walls causing smoke to come up in clouds as they covered most of the room. The thundering sound of debris and large peices of the walls and ceiling falling to the ground breifly out-sounded the pounding of the rain.

The ground where Itachi and Sasuke once were supported a huge crater where the burst of energy had taken place.

Sakura's head had shot up on que to the explosion, wide eyes looking on his surprise at what had just happened. What she had just done. She could feel her body tingling, sizzling with the development of overwhelming chakra.

Koizumi looked at Sakura with wide eyes. He watched as she lifted her head up to look at Itachi and Sasuke. Her eyes were still an emerald color. She had tapped into the same power he could tap into, with her Shiyuki activated. But she had done something that even he couldn't do. She had wanted the Uchiha's to seperate, so they did. She didn't want to hurt them from the explosion so she sheilded them. And she had done so unconciously. Her chakra, her ability acted to her own wished, her will.

"Incredible." He muttered in awe, just under a whisper.

Question was. Would she be able to put it to use, use it consciously, whenever she wanted to.

Itachi had lifted himself up a bit, rocks and debris falling from him as he did so. His eyes transitioned to Sakura, with a gaze just short of suprised as he lifted himself into a standing position. Though he staggered, forced to lean on the wall for support. His face was slightly twisted from pain an exhaustion, however remaining emotionless. His sharingan eyes winced a bit before returning to their normal onyx color, something that was rare, as he never had to do so.

From his position against the broken wall, Sasuke turned his head to look at Sakura in disbelief. He moved to get up, but let out a small grunt of pain, grabbing his side. He moved forward to balance himself of his hands and knees. A few of his ribs were broken from the collision with the wall. He had lost way too much blood. His eyes returned to look at Sakura.

Both Uchiha's had lost their adrenaline rush.

Sakura looked distressed as she had to choose which Uchiha to run to. Only a few seconds had transpired before she ran to Sasuke. He let out a grunt of pain as she helped him stand. He slightly pulled himself away from her, staggering before using the wall for support. He only glanced to Koizumi before looking at Itachi once gain..

"Get out of my way, Sakura. This has nothing to do with you." He said his voice wavering in attempt to keep his temper under control. He was still suprised from her sudden outburst of energy, but more concerned with Itachi. "He turned his back on my clan, my family, to join the Akatuski." His voice was calm, but venemous. "He made his choice. And I'm going to make mine..he is going to pay for every pain my clan endured that day. For the pain he caused my parents. He's going to pay with his life!" He made a move to charge once gain, but Sakura grabbed him, throwing her arms around him in an iron-grip hug.

"Stop it! Please stop this Sasuke." She pleaded her words into his soaking wet chest. He paused, Sharingan eyes transitioning to her soaked pink locks."Does it truly matter? How do you know that's the real story? Are you just going to believe your enemies words? Don't you think he just said that so you two would fight? This was Koizumi's plan all along! And if you stupidly go along with it then we've already lost! He will kill you both!"

"You make it sound like I care if I live or die." Sasuke started. His voice was surprisingly calm, just as it always was. But again as the subject pressed to his brother, Sasuke was unable to steady his voice. "If that bastard goes down with me what do I care. Though I will be the one to kill him, not some pathetic Akatsuki leader. After I kill him, I have nothing else to live for..Koizumi can do whatever the hell he pleases."

The resounding slap echoed throughout the room, boucing off the concrete walls.

"Don't you ever say that," Sakura hissed with her tearful gaze. "You know you have me. You also have Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei. You may have more than that Sasuke. That's enough isn't it!" Sakura cried out.

Her words seem to have awakened a boiling anger in Sasuke. He threw her arms off of him.

"I have you?!" Sasuke scoffed disbelievingly. "I have you, Haruno Sakura? What kind of sick joke is that? Your all over my god damn brother! What kind of sick and twisted person kills their own clan for their own, sick, personal purpose! What kind of sick person cares for such a man! You care for such a man? You disgust me Sakura! You disgust me!"

Sakura was shocked at she looked at Sasuke. A huge lump rose to her throat. This horrible feeling came to her stomach. She felt sick. Sakura could feel the hate radiating off of him. That's all she could feel right now, his hate. It began to fuel her anger, her hate.

"I must be sick because I cared for you! The same, sick, twisted man who has killed so many innocents, both abandoned and attacked my village. Who has hurt me time and time again! Who doesn't show any care nor kindess to any living soul! What is wrong with you?! Is this how the Uchiha Clan worked? In the middle of a crisis they turn on each other? Were they only driven by rage? Did they all have vendettas? Did they have the slightest dignity to discern between right and wrong! Or did it not matter in the face of gaining power? If that's the case, if Itachi, this kind, respectful man, really did kill your family, we might as well thank him for killing such a pathetic clan!" Sakura's eyes widened even more as she realized what she just said. She took a shaky intake of breath, as she tried to hold in a sob. Everything seemed to stop for a moment, even her heart as her emerald eyes wavered in face of his completley still countenance.

She wasn't able to see the different emotions cross his face, only the shock, however momentary of a second it lasted. A stoic demeanor immediately took over, emotinless, raw, cold. Everything about him seemed terribly cold now. His eyes, his stance, everything. But for a second, just a second she had felt it all. She had felt it. As she looked into his eyes she could see the hurt. The amazing amount of hurt. A thousand people worth of hurt. Along with that hurt came all the other emotions within it. Anger, greif, irritation, shock, disbeleif.

Just as soon as she saw it, felt it, it was gone. He had buried it deep within his soul. Sasuke had found a way to shut her out. But, she could still feel one thing, she could feel it radiating off him. Sasuke was letting her see it. That one emotion. The hate. It was silent, cold. Terrifying. Sakura had never felt this much hate directed at her ever. It was the most horrible thing to feel in the world.

Sasuke's hate.

He pushed himself off the wall he was slightly leaning against.

"Aa." Sasuke began. His voice was extremely cold, biting. Colder than anything she had ever heard or imagined. It sent chills down her spine, it also sent a huge amount of grief. Sasuke seemed like a completely different person. "Your glad he killed my clan," Sasuke wouldn't even speak Itachi's name anymore. Nor hers. The whole time his cold eyes never left hers.

"N-No!" Sakura tried to start. She wanted to tell Sasuke she loved him, that she was sorry, that she didn't mean it. But Sasuke didn't let her continue.

"I'm not worthy of anyone's forgiveness, gratitude. But he is?" Sasuke looked away from Sakura, and up into the cloudly sky. "Conveniant for me, because I'm not looking for anything." His voice continued to be extremeley cold, monotone, voice of any emotion. The moment Sakura moved to touch him he started his own movement, a recoil of sorts, not letting her fingers brush any part of him. "Get out of my way." His eyes transitioned back to Itachi as he started walking towards him, kunai at hand. "Interfere again and I will kill you."

Itachi stood up fully.

"Sasuke." Itachi firmly called to his little brother, who's eyes snapped to meet his. "Enough. If you wish to kill me, wait until Sakura is out of danger."It was then that Sasuke let his eyes travel to Koizumi, as if he pondered the thought in his head.

"Sakura's protection is not something I'm concerned about." He let his cold eyes transition back to Itachi. "Leave it to the 'kind, respectful' brother who gives a damn about others' wellfare." His deep obsidian gaze traveled back to Koizumi. "He's wasted enough of my time, I want him dead either way."

"I am honored, truly honored, to be important enough to be fit into your busy schedules. "Kouzumi's amused voice rang throughout the room as he began summoning his own Shiyuki. "I'm glad that all of your family matters are in order. I just couldn't bare to end your lives knowing that there was still tension between you all. It would be impossible to live with the guilt." He didn't laugh, but the amusement and sarcasm could be easily recognized.

"It's over Koizumi" Sakura firmly stated, she would not let her emotions get in the way this time. It was her time to protect the ones she cared about.

Koizumi found himself almost frowning at Sakura's words. Her want to fight him. He found himself with nothing else to say.

Sakura was a bit curious about why there was no witty banter from Koizumi, thus resulting in an exchanging of quips, between them like there were in the movies. But then again this wasn't some fictional action story battle. This fight was real.


Thanks for Reading!

Was that okay? Like really, did i put too much drama in this chapter? I can rewrite some of the parts of this chapter if you readers think it would be better. My concern is basically with the whole Sasuke and Sakura fight dialogue. Did i need that? Or should i take that part out and make Sasuke not hate her?

But again just to remind you guys, no matter what happens..this is a Sasu/Saku fic!...Maybe XP