Chapter 44:

The sun was higher in the sky now. Though the day was a bit colder than its predecessors, both ninja and civilians alike found no qualms in venturing outdoors to the crowded, stone bleachers of the coliseum. They were a people of tenacity and endurance, built to withstand and persevere no matter the disaster. But, as brightly as this will of fire burns, the sin of judgement blazes brighter.

Many were raised without empathy. Survival in this world—this world of fighting and death—is absolutely imperative. After all, you cannot possibly protect your village if you're dead.

While this may be what keeps Konoha thriving, it is also a sad way of living. It's like existing, without feeling. People rarely have time to concern the orphaned and wounded, when their own continued existence is balancing on the edge of ending. They all have families and loved ones that rely on them, after all.

Sakura's mother, Mebuki, understands this way of thinking all too well. She recognizes the cold stares, the blank faces, and the icy hearts in her own reflection. The older woman clutches the damp napkin that is gathered in her hand, crumpled and misshapen from excessive use.

Seeing Naruto's video, she feels terribly ashamed. She's ashamed of her upturned nose, her haughty attitude, and her holier-than-thou arrogance. How, as a mother, would she have felt had Sakura been left alone since birth, given a home but no family, and given money but no guidance?

She feels a knot start to curl inside of her stomach.

Her husband, Kizashi, is not a crier—but he is a gentle soul. The man reaches towards his betrothed and gathers that wet-napkin-clad hand in his own larger one. They look on as the screen displays a roguish, blond boy as he points accusingly towards one of his first enimies.

"I won't back down, I won't give up, and I never go back on my word. That is my ninja way!"

The people around them buzz, letting out satisfied roars as the movie fades into blackness. Patting the tanned hand that clutches hers, Mebuki clears her throat and sweeps her large bangs from across her forehead. "I think I'll invite Sakura's teammates to dinner, sometime."

"Surly not?" Kizashi jokes. "The last Uchiha, the Hokage, and the savoir of all of ninjakind, gathered at our small dinner table…that sounds a bit daunting."

She leans into his shoulder, watching as that Kiba boy throws his arms up in surrender and hands over his match.

"Our daughter sure does know how to choose her friends. I wonder how much food you would have to make, darling?"

"As much curry as that Sasuke went through a few weeks ago, I'd say enough to fill a room." Kizashi retorts.

They share a simple smile, gazing into one another's eyes as the familiar pinging sound that wheels through random names starts to roll. They are much too preoccupied with romanticisms to pay any mind to the collective, disgruntled rejections of the peers beside them. After all, neither Mebuki nor Kizashi blamed the poor dog-man. Naruto was a fierce adversary.

Feeling overwhelmed with love, the couple begins to lean in, but they're paused when the ground starts to hum and shake. Like a wave, spectators rise to their feet and bellow out with gleeful excitement.

The Haruno's share twin looks of confusion and stand up themselves, unable to see anything through the mass of spectators. Deafening shrieks fill the stadium, and after jumping to peek over the tops of rapidly moving heads, everything starts to make sense.

SASUKE UCHIHA

V.

ROCK LEE

Naruto's cheerful yell and powerful slap makes Sasuke grit his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, the man was incredibly strong, and even his "playful" hits were painful.

"Oh hell yeah—this is going to be awesome! Don't you remember the first time we really met Bushy Brows? And I thought Bushy Brow Sr. was a turtle? And you got your ass handed to you when Lee—"

"Shut up," Sasuke interjected, taking a step past him. He's already heading towards the exit, knowing full well that anymore roughhousing from his teammate would certainly send him falling down to the arena.

"Where are you going? Are you off to put on that onesie like in the Chunin Exams?"

Sasuke turns sharply, ready to strangle the blond idiot, but Sakura steps in front of him and plants a wet kiss on his cheek.

It's such a surprising gesture to Sasuke that he really doesn't know how to react to it. His body becomes hyper aware in those three seconds, feeling the stares of his former teacher and the man he called his brother. Taking a swallow of fresh saliva to parch his dry throat, and fisting his clammy hands, he's forced to direct his vision to the pinkette in front of him.

Sakura cradles his face, ignoring the wild look of shock and confusion that bloomed across his features. "Good luck out there." She whispers.

He can feel the heat of her breath from her closeness, and the coolness of Itachi's ring on her right hand. "…thank you,"

"Now, kiss," Kakashi commands gruffly, effectively ruining the moment.

Don't get him wrong, he's just as starry-eyed as any kunai-throwing ninja. But, seeing such pureness between these two is certainly a reality check. It seemed, only days ago, Sakura was the one chasing after this pointy-haired, broken-hearted fool. In fact, he remembers quite well the calloused denials of her affections—both verbally and physically.

The seed is planted, the bud doth bloom, and only then can it spread that seed once more. Sasuke and Sakura—and even Naruto, are beginning a journey more difficult and tedious than any S-Rank mission: Creating a family.

Kakashi feels rather old and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"You ruin everything," Naruto declares with a groan. "You really do. I'm so happy you were drunk by the time I got married."

Rolling her eyes, Sakura crosses her arm and heels her palm to her chin. "Naruto, if I remember correctly, you were drunk by the time you got married, too!"

The red gleam of Itachi's ring catches in the daylight as she and Kakashi share a laugh. Suddenly, Sasuke could care less about Rock Lee—who's already shouting and kicking up dirt in the dome—or the people chanting his name. It seems as though he's transfixed on the placement of that small, insignificant piece of jewelry.

Before he can stop himself, Sasuke delicately grasps Sakura's hand. His eyebrows furrow. "It's not on your left?"

He watches as her face heats up. He enjoyed this side of her. He enjoyed teasing her, making her blush, forcing out squeals of embarrassment in mundane situations. It reminds him of the girl he left behind, so long ago. It's a glimpse of the good part of his past with every red, feathery inch.

"Oh, that…" She snatches her hand back away from him. "I-I know it's silly, but in western culture…a ring on the left hand is a sign of marriage. You're traditional, so it's not like where you put it means anything, but… I didn't want someone to ask me about it. Because then, I'd have to explain that it's not like that."

"If you only knew," Naruto blurts out, gaining the attention of the room. Sakura whips her head around, but before she can say anything, Kakashi gathers the man in a headlock and scruffs the top of his head, digging his knuckle deeply into his skull.

"I am so proud of you, m'boy; winning that last round and all! I bet you want some ramen, eh? Let's let Sasuke fight, and then I'll get you a nice bowl of the good stuff. How does that sound?"

"Oh boy, you really mean that? Pork ramen sounds good, and maybe some gyoza too!"

Sasuke drops Sakura's hand, finding that he's wasted too much time already. He backs away, keeping his mismatched eyes on Sakura's emeralds, until the top of that spiraling staircase separates their vision.

The next time he'd see her; he'd be a different person—and while the Uchiha assumes his change would only be in rank, Sasuke had no idea of what was to come.

The cloud that drifts by, right across that heated sun, sends a sheet of shadow in its wake. Shikamaru closes his eyes, ignoring Rock Lee's psyche-up, wishing for a thunderstorm to grace the dry earth below his feet. Even a good rain wouldn't stop these matches, but at least he could direct them away from the battleground.

Strangely, he wasn't too keen on being in such proximity to two psychotic shinobi. Lee was, after all, overzealous—and he's pretty sure Sasuke couldn't handle losing all that well. (Not that he'd really ever seen the guy lose.)This match would certainly put a strain on the computer system. Shikamaru wonders if he'd trained Karin well enough for this type of combat.

"YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED." Lee announces as he stretches out his body. "I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO TAKE YOU ON AS MY RIVAL SINCE WE WERE JUST YOUNG BOYS, UCHIHA SASUKE."

"Whatever," Sasuke retorts dryly in his usual, unimpressed monotone. He makes his way to Shikamaru and offers both wrists, ready for the chakra bangles to be attached.

The man hides his smirk from Lee, but Shikamaru can see the excitement in the Uchiha's eyes. He, too, has been waiting. Though it could never be compared to the battled he'd had with Naruto, surly Lee would be a fierce opponent. Something within that gaze seemed dark.

"Hey, Sasuke," Shikamaru begins. "Something tells me I'll be in the way if I stay here."

He's not really sure why he said it. He certainly didn't need permission to hightail it out of there. Still, there was something within his body that made him feel like fleeing—like a deer that is startled by the crushed-leaf step of predator.

With his hands still on those shackles, a headache-inducing wave crashes towards him. He can feel the flex of Sasuke's chakra, testing out the strength of his restraints. They both shake from the pressure, and though they hold up well, the aftershock of his power is obviously palpable regardless.

Shikamaru would die for his country, and for his men. If he felt, even for an instant, that Sasuke wouldn't be able to stop himself from seriously hurting Rock Lee, he'd never have said this. Still, something within his gut tells him the entire field would be needed for action, and it would be best if he left while he could.

"I think I'll leave this to the both of you; just start whenever you're ready."

Shikamaru takes a step back, ready to explain the situation to Lee, but another unseen force stops him; comradery. He feels driven to speak just once more.

"Just so you know, I know what's on your video. I made sure to hide anything…incriminating. The only thing we had of you was from age twelve and below….less, really, because the Uchiha didn't allow cameras on or near their compound."

"Right," Sasuke says quickly, feigning apathy. In all actuality, Sasuke was relieved. He knew there wasn't anything of interest to view, unless they showed the darkest parts of his history. Certainly Kakashi wouldn't allow that.

Not that Sasuke was ashamed of who he was.

Shikamaru explains loudly to Lee what his plan was, knowing full-well his microphone is now turned on for everyone to hear. With a curt solute, he disappears in a puff of smoke. Seconds later, a digitized, stone-like sphere morphs around both Sasuke and his opponent; it signals the beginning of their one-on-one battle.

Lee looks beyond him, taking in the new environment. The sounds of hoopla-ing spectators cease to exist, and now only echoed breathing fills the void. Sasuke realizes that this stone is a two-way-mirror, of sorts. Everyone can see and hear them, but they cannot hear or see the outside world.

"WE CAN START WHENEVER YOU ARE READY." Rock Lee announces as he slowly unravels the wrappings around his hands. He dips down, folding one arm behind his back and turning the back of his hand outwards to face Sasuke.

It appears he has no need to waste any time.

Forcing a burst of lush, exhilarating chakra to his ocular nerves, Sasuke lights his Sharingan and copies his foe's stance perfectly.

This battle had been a long time coming.

"Man, Lee sure was ugly." Sakura hears Naruto say. He leans against the railing to Sakura's right, standing directly in front of Shikamaru who had slunk his way up here before their match had even begun.

Sakura watches in amazement as Sasuke dodges an onslaught of green, lighting fast, kicks and pivots his body to slam an uppercut into the ninja's chest.

Rock Lee curls out of the way at the last second, skidding against the dirt floor as Sasuke weaves his hand signs.

While Sakura is watching the actual battle, many people are fixated on Lee's life story. She admits that, as interesting as it was, watching Sasuke fight would always hold her captivated.

He was so dragon-like to her. On one side of the television, Lee's movie danced to life, but on the other, camera's zoomed in and slowed down the normally incomprehensible movements.

Sakura watches in awe as Sasuke's face fills the screen and his rapidly moving eyes are cut to half-speed. Left, right, up, down—there's nothing he does not see. From this vantage-point, you can even watch as his pupils and tomoe dilate as Lee moves closer and farther away.

"I WILL BE AS GREAT AS YOU ONE DAY, GAI-SENSEI!" A young Rock Lee exclaims to Gai.

"YOU CAN TRY, BUT YOU WILL NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE AWESOMENESS OF MIGHT GAI!"

"YES, GAI-SENSEI!"

The crowds laugh and Sakura hides her smile in her hand, closing her eyes tightly. He was really a funny person—but it wasn't as though he meant to be. In fact, Lee was a lot of different things besides "funny". He was brilliant in his own right, powerful as all-get-out, and something about his earnest love and pride for his ninja village sent Sakura into a wild, grinning fit.

Without warning, the audience seems to take in a collective inhale of air and an electric-like "zap" wafts from the rafters. When Sakura throws her eyes open, she's shocked to find out that she cannot see anything but the half-circled dome where Lee and Sasuke fight. Frantically, the woman waves her hands around, knocking Kakashi's hat off in the process.

Where did the lights go?

"Huh? What the hell is going on?" Naruto blurts out, voicing her confusion.

"Is it a power outage?" Kakashi surmises as he fumbles around. He presses the button on his attached microphone, only to realize it is completely shut off. There's no way he can address the audience members, and within seconds the roar of confused, worried onlookers starts to pour out.

Shikamaru's voice is penetrating, even over the confused ramblings of the people below them. "No power outage would leave just the battle dome's lights on."

And as ominous as his words were, the bright flash that lights up the curved TV were even more worrying.

Orochimaru had a distinctive voice, like nails on a chalkboard or any other peeving noise. Although everything was white, the hiss of the serpent-man's tone made it evidently clear who was speaking.

As a girl, Sakura had woken up to tear-stained pillows and perspiration-dampened sheets over the echo of that timbre. It was fear inducing; mind-numbing. Both she and Naruto remain frozen, wondering how on earth Orochimaru had snuck into Konoha, and what kind of snake he had hidden up his sleeves this time.

"You didn't kill him?" the demon asked, filling the ears of all in the arena.

But it didn't come from anywhere anyone could see. In fact, it sounded rather grainy and muted. To everyone's surprise, it was Sasuke who answered back.

…A very young, very pre-pubescent Sasuke.

"I don't need to gain power in the same way Itachi did. I don't need that kind of strength."

Orochimaru laughs his sickening cackle. It's the kind of roar that makes gooseflesh rise on your skin, and the hairs on the nape of your neck grow stiff in terror. Sakura can't remember the last time she's felt so afraid.

"You couldn't. You're too weak to kill someone important to you. Deep within, there is a goodness that is holding you back. But under my guidance, I can purge you of such hesitations. We can."

"What is going on?" Naruto yells as a cold-looking, boulder-like room fizzes into view on the flat screen. They all watch, paralyzed, unsure of how to react to the events playing out.

For a brief moment, Sakura wanted to believe this was just a strange opening to Sasuke's music video. Perhaps it would work in reverse order, from bad to good. But how…but how could anyone obtain such videos? Wouldn't that stuff be held deep within Konoha's archives, if it had been kept at all?

"I don't know," Shikamaru responds dazedly. "I don't know what is going on, but we need to stop it."

He tugs on Kakashi's hand, telling him he's going to try to make it to the lowest cell—to the mechanical room. Once in there, he should be able to get everything back on track, and find out why Sasuke's destroyed tapes had been brought out of the woodworks.

Kakashi knew he had to stay put, so that when everything was fixed he could direct the citizens. But he wishes that Shikamaru would have taken either Naruto or Sakura along. The two stand motionless in front of him; only the dim shades of their clothing are visible from the glow brought on by the screen. They're engrossed.

The sound of broken glass—or, perhaps, rushing water, emits from the speakers. It's an ear-splitting blast, one that makes Sakura cover her head and look around, wondering if they were all being attacked.

It takes her a few seconds to realize, horror stricken, that the noise is accompanied by futile splashing as the completely nude body (which was obstructed by a digital blur) of a fully submerged teen transitioned on the overhead monitor.

Sasuke—young, fleshy, blue, screamed out into the glass container where he was being forced in to. Bubbles flew from his lips and nostrils, carrying his cries. Thick locks of floating black hair thrashed around his scalp, and he squeezed dark-lashed eyelids closed in pain.

It was absolutely surreal. It took her head a few minutes to register what was going in. Panic flowed through her—she had to save him, she had to save him!—but Sasuke was already safe. In fact, he was just now blocking another open kick from Lee that sent him barreling towards the side of the dome. The platform vibrated from the pressure as they both fought, ignorant of the torture that played out on the video above.

An adolescent groan pulled her from the battleground and back towards the display monitor. She watched, helplessly, as he kicked, unable to touch anything but chunks of ice and writhe against the restraints that seemed to be tightening their grip.

"What the fuck?" Naruto yelled out. He kept repeating his curse, over and over, summoning his Nine-Tailed Chakra mode. His bright burst of energy ripples around everyone as he disperses his glow. She can hear him yell to the crowds with his clones, telling everyone not to look and to keep calm, as a few more make their way to the giant screen to—Sakura can only assume—shatter it.

Before his body can even touch it, a barrier becomes resurrected. The clone fails at punching through it. Worrisomely, this makes it inherently obvious that whatever was happening…was purposeful.

"Go find Shikamaru," Kakashi commands to one of the clones. "Keep everyone calm."

Through all this, Sakura still cannot find it in her to move. She watches, just like everyone else, as the younger Sasuke gives up. His eyes roll.

"It took twenty minutes for him to pass out today, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto's voice says. It doesn't sound like that anymore. Sakura tells herself that these are people of a different time—Kabuto works with orphans now, and Orochimaru is under constant surveillance in his hidden lair. They aren't bad people anymore.

But they were.

"Resuscitate him—let's try again."

Sakura remembers speaking with Karin about what happened to Sasuke in that hideout. "Environmental endurance," She had said. "Resilience to shock, poison immunity—his pain and passion receptors were flipped. Good felt bad and bad felt good. Bloodletting, induced hypothermia and hyperthermia, psychological torture, and drugs—like a lot of drugs."

One by one, each of these things come to light for all to see. Nothing Naruto does—even with the help of Kurama, can get through that magnetic field. Sakura feels helpless, twiddling her thumbs as a young Sasuke is hooked up to machines, poked and prodded, injected with serums and forced to watch deplorable things.

He is monitored on even the most microscopic level. Electricity erupts through his system if he reacts normally to slain bodies and heroic acts of valor. They wanted him to hate justice and righteousness. They wanted him to laugh in the face of kindness.

And, for a long time, Orochimaru and Kabuto had won.

Sakura cannot hold herself upright, anymore, and she falls to her knees before Kakashi can even move towards her. She feels fuzzy, surrounded by Sasuke's screams—almost as though she's been trapped in a nightmare.

For a long time, Sakura had always thought that the worst pain Sasuke had felt was when Orochimaru placed the Cursed Seal of Heaven. He had fallen against her young body, held those small hands, cried and vomited into her lap as convulsions rippled through him. His fever, looking back on it, was so severe it could have killed him.

These wails, however, could not compare.

Her eyes blur with her own tears as she tries to narrow her focus on the perfectly alright Sasuke that is blowing a powerful fire ball at Rock Lee in this very moment. She doesn't even realize that she's digging her nails in too deeply to the flesh if her abdomen, until a fiery burn blooms across in horizontal trails.

The rough pads of Kakashi's thumbs brush away tears fruitlessly. "You have to keep calm. Go to the stadium and look for anything that's amiss—see if there's any way you can remove the barriers. I'm going to keep directing Naruto's clones—hopefully Shikamaru will find out what's going on."

She removes herself from Kakashi's side in an instant and starts to stand on the railing. Finding her shuriken holster, she scans the darkness beneath her, wondering just how far out she'd have to leap to completely avoid the stadium-goers.

Before she can even send chakra to her feet, Orochimaru's sound reverberates all around them.

"Tell me, boy, are you weak?"

Sasuke looks older—older and scarred. Bandages curl around his wrists and his bare midsection, hiding the freshly drawn seals around each. Sakura has never seen him at this age.

His eyes are hard and cold already, though only two years could have passed. She feels her heart start to shatter—two years was all it took, was it?

"Shut up."

Two years, and he was still just as sassy as ever. The young man practices with his katana on a human-shaped hay form. His Chidori cannot reach down the length of the blade yet, and he's much more preoccupied with his training than his teachers prattling.

That, however, does not stop the man. "You can kill them, then?"

"I can kill anyone."

Orochimaru's form walks into view, standing directly in front of the panting teen. He doesn't seem worried in the least. "Oh, I believe you." He chuckles. "You killed your lover, after all."

"She wasn't my lover." He retorted.

Unfazed by his response, the Sanin circles him like he's prey. His feet barely make a noise against that stained cobblestone. "Your body is in perfect condition. I won't even have to train it, when I take it over. Your mind is altered, so crawling inside of it and casting you out will be child's play. But even with all of my help, I'm not…sure, you can kill Itachi."

This seems to catch Sasuke's attention. He was so predictable, then. Anything that threatened his power—his strength, was surly to bring a rise out of the boy.

"And why is that?"

"It's simply because you couldn't kill Naruto."

The mere mention of his name seems to set Sasuke's blood on fire. His body clenches, coiling into a tense, well-reserved rage. She can see the furrow of Sasuke's eyebrows, so familiar and sad—and the way his fists clench almost make her flinch.

Everyone in the stadium watches quietly…so quietly… as Naruto—a younger Naruto—walks from beyond a gaited metal cell. He is dressed in his old jumpsuit, kicking and screaming obscenities, fighting against the henchman that drug him out of the chamber.

Sasuke's Sharingan can see right through genjutsu and shadow clones. Whatever this person is, it was formed from an extremely illegal jutsu—one that could even trick someone as skilled as himself.

Kakashi can feel his body tremble with anger as he wonders just how many human sacrifices were made just for the sake of that elaborate mannequin.

"If you can kill him now, I'd say you could even kill Itachi. We've extracted the Nine Tailed Fox. He's of no use to us, after all."

It is like Sasuke is a shell of his former self. In those eyes—eyes that used to be so familiar to her—Sakura sees genuine malice. Without even hesitating, Sasuke draws his sword and plunges it straight through that life-like Naruto's heart. He doesn't even bother sending his blue lightening along the blade.

Orochimaru laughs. He laughs and laughs, almost on loop, as Sasuke flings dark blood off of his blade. Sakura can feel her heart beat faster, ready to hear Sasuke share that cackle.

"What about her?" Orochimaru asks.

Freezing in her spot, Sakura watches in dumbfounded awe as a mockery of her former self is dragged into the light. The clone—or whatever it is—is tattered and bruised; her bright pink hair is greasy and clumped from blood and sweat. She screams, sounding so much like Sakura's tone it's eerie, and the girl falls to the ground before him.

"No, please!" The thing exclaims. "I just want to go home! I want my mommy!"

"Quite!" Orochimaru commands, and the fake, Genin Sakura clamps her mouth shut and fills the room with gasping sobs.

"I know how much this one means to you." Orochimaru begins. "You can kill someone you've had a physical relationship with. Take the geisha, for example. Young, beautiful, experienced. You can even kill someone you've had a mental relationship with, like your poor friend Naruto over there. But, Sasuke, can you kill her? Can you kill the innocent?"

Sasuke crouches down low, looming near the mock-Sakura. For a minute, when his hand reaches out, Sakura can feel the gentle graze of his fingertips. The same hands, the same boy.

But that Sasuke isn't the same that now battles Rock Lee.

He forces the girl to look up at him, and for a moment Sakura wishes that he can tell those eyes apart—the real ones aren't so pale, that's not the real her. The footage is granular, cutting in and out, but with such a large monitor it's easy to see many things. Sakura can see hatred in those black irises.

It makes something crawl from inside of her heart. Something that was hidden away for so long—that grain of disgusts for herself that she was sure had been buried eons ago.

In that Sasuke's look, she sees her worst fears. She sees a man that does not care for her true potential, or her mind, or even the body that encapsulates it all. Instead, she sees someone that thinks so lowly of her, he cannot even muster pity.

Kakashi manages to wrap his arms around Sakura's legs, urging her towards the dome to finish her task. As she falls towards the ground with guided expertise, she hears the snap of a broken neck, because Sasuke wouldn't waste chakra on a timid little rabbit.

Hinata cannot stop her cries, or the way her body shakes as the memory of what she had just seen flows through her head. She can feel Ino as she keeps her upright by wrapping strong arms around her shoulders. Others buzz around them, many too stunned to say anything, but many more expressing their hatred and disgust.

What they have all just witnessed will stay with them forever. It is burned into their minds; the betrayal of Sasuke Uchiha.

No one had ever seen him in this way. No one knew just how uncaring and dark he had grown under the wings of the Snake Sanin. It didn't seem fair, or just, to blame this monstrosity on an age-old curse his clan was burdened with. Right was still right, and wrong was still wrong, regardless of mental capacity—at least, in Ino's mind.

Ino's rage builds up just as quickly as those around her. Soon, everyone is on the same page, blaspheming Sasuke and all that related to him.

"He's a devil! He could do that to his own teammate?" Someone yells.

"The only reason he was saved was because of Naruto! If we all ban together, there's no way he'll be allowed back into the village! Kill him! Exile him!"

Hinata feels masculine hands touch her shoulder, and she jumps up just in time to be gathered against one of Naruto's clones. She cannot hear his heart, or feel the warmth of his skin, but the worry that is etched on his face mimics her real husbands identically.

"What's happening?" She yells against him. "Oh Naruto, please stop this madness."

"I am looking for Shikamaru right now." The clone explains. His bright glow draws the others near him, all curious of what he has to say. "He's in the bottom level of the coliseum. He thinks there might be something wrong with Karin. This wasn't what was supposed to be shown."

Ino has the collar of Naruto's shirt in a second. Her puffy, tear-stained eyes narrow in on his like daggers. "You let him come back here? You let Sasuke come back knowing full well what he has done? How could you?"

"This isn't Sasuke." Naruto defends. He no longer sounds like an unknowing brat. His voice rings out like a beacon, both masculine and dominant, as he holds his ground. "Sasuke isn't like this. This is propaganda. You're too smart to fall for this, Ino."

"Propaganda?" Ino hisses. "This isn't a paper with slander on it. You saw the same thing I saw. He's in there, fighting Lee now. Don't you get it? There's no one stopping him from killing Rock Lee! He's demonic, Naruto. He's tainted! Stop defending him!"

The audience seems to hear every word Ino says, as it is passed down the entire circle. Eventually it turns into a chant—a chant thousands of people scream at the top of their lungs as they turn towards the display above them.

Everyone watches as Sasuke downs a hundred men on one of Orochimaru's battlefield, as if to prove their case.

Before Ino can assault the Naruto clone again, it exclaims: "I found Shikamaru! He's fighting with Suigetsu! Something is going on!"

Hinata shakes her head, looking into those artificial eyes with worry. "What is it? What's happening?"

But the clone seems to be concentrating. They all speak information as it comes, giving even Kakashi a play-by-play of the action.

"Shikamaru's caught him. Me—the real me— knocked him out. We have to break into the control room. It's Karin…Karin is showing us all of this. She's barricaded the door. I broke through, Shikamaru—"

And before he can finish his sentence, the lights turn back on in a powerful flicker. There is a battle going on in the control room—it's obvious. Mechanics all around start to go haywire—in a second, Kakashi's microphone works, and in another, there is no sound or view playing above.

To everyone's shock, the dome surrounding Lee and Sasuke is abruptly brought down and the two men pause in absolute confusion as the loudness pelts their eardrums almost immediately.

You can, in this moment, read every emotion registering upon Sasuke's face. At first, he thinks there must be some sort of ambush going on. He releases his chokehold on Lee and scans the upper deck, looking for Kakashi and Naruto and Sakura.

Kakashi is there, and Naruto's clones are all around—but there is no Sakura. There is no Sakura, and Sasuke starts to panic.

Sasuke rushes out towards everyone, leaving Rock Lee behind, but he is stopped by a few of Naruto's clones. They all speak at once, confusing him further.

"Don't go out there!"

"Shikamaru is fighting Suigetsu!"

"Calm down, Sasuke, calm down."

They all blur their words together, and Sasuke's too frustrated and too…too…too worried to try and figure out what they are all trying to say. With an annoyed hiss, Sasuke disperses all three in the blink of an eye, which absolutely terrifies the Konoha audience.

"He's trying to attack Naruto again!" They exclaim. "It's a coup!"

The yelling, the screaming, the hyperactivity that bustles around him is overloading every single one of Sasuke's senses. Anger starts to flare throughout him—he wants everyone to shut the fuck up so he can figure out what's going on! His chakra restrains teeter from his power, as Sasuke is calling forth Susanoo without really meaning to. His body craves the creature, and he naturally draws him forth.

But Sakura stops him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

He turns quickly, incredibly happy to discover that she's more than alright in the mess of these examinations. Sasuke pulls her up into his arms, against his chest, forcing her legs around his hips as he looks fully into her face. He's ready for Cy-Lan to run around a corner, or some other adversary that's hellbent on killing.

"What's going on? What's wrong?"

Instead, he sees the scared worry etched upon Sakura's face. He can pick up chants now. As he stares at Sakura, listening to, "Down with the Uchiha, down with the Uchiha" Sasuke realizes that he is the enemy.

And as he realizes this, the familiar tap of his adolescent shoes on the cobblestone pavement of Konoha, from the night he left so long ago, resonate around them. Sasuke listens as his younger voice rings throughout the speakers, and realizes that Shikamaru had lied to him all along.

"Why are you prowling around here in the middle of the night?"