Piece of Me
"Though exhausted to the point where I can't walk on, there was you by side to see me through."
Dead.
That was how he felt for the longest time after being defeated by Naruto.
He had spent his whole life dedicated to one purpose or another. It always had the same goal but he had always been focused.
Whether it was revenge against his brother, revenge against the village or revenge for his feelings; he always put all his chips in.
But after settling those debts in him. He found no happiness in their so-called happiness. His heart weighed heavy and dead but he strove for what the people around him wanted.
He strove to build a family for a future, he strove for redemption for his friends, he strove to better the world for his brother and he strove to continue to wander for peace in his soul.
Through all that, he learned to be able to look at the man he loved with friendliness. He learned to love his wife for her strength in character and the child they had.
Still, the pieces of weaknesses corroded him sometimes in the dark of the night or in the corner of his mind.
He still craved his parent's love projected in his memories, the love his brother sacrificed for him and the dark love he had for Naruto. It was not filled no matter how many missions he completed. It was not filled with his daughter or wife.
So he continued his dark path hoping to be the darkness that complimented Naruto's light but time continued forward steadily.
Then he saw him.
A little boy that looked about five. He was practicing basic ninja stances clumsily. It was definitely self-taught but the foundation was solid.
Nostalgia hit him in a long wave as he watched from afar. He didn't know how long he watched but when the boy turned his way and asked who he was just from instinct he was stunned.
Memories melded perfectly as he saw a younger version of himself with that innocence in the boys' eyes. But more than that, he saw Itachi.
A burst of pain in his heart filled with bittersweet memories and he approached openly.
"Who are you?" The boy asked holding the kunai defensively.
Good. He had a tight grip and the way he stood was good for a quick attack and retreat method.
He stopped at exactly outside the boy's sphere of reach.
"Who are you?" Sasuke mirrored his question back to him.
The piece he had thought died within him awoke!