"What did you do?" Sakura demanded as I woke up on my bed in our motel room. I gave her a confused look before looking at my fist, which was wrapped in bandages.

"Nothing," I replied flatly before getting out of bed and attempting to push past her.

"No, fuck that, you're not just going to walk out like nothing happened," she said sternly.

I glared at her before saying, "I fell." She laughed humorlessly at that.

"Really?"

"Move."

"No."

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is that I walked into my motel room to see my partner's hand bleeding and bottles of alcohol scattered around his unconscious body. Then, he wakes up and lies to me about it because he doesn't want to tell me or anyone anything, that's my fucking problem."

I pushed past her and silently walked to the door with the car keys in my hands. "Ok, Sasuke, just run away from it, that always makes things better."

"I'm not running," I replied while putting a shirt on and popping some painkillers to relieve my headache.

"Sure, Sasuke, you're not running from anything," she taunted. I made sure to slam the door just because and quickly jumped into the car before she could say anything else.

I sped off and realized that I didn't know where the hell Shisui even lived, so I texted him quickly and put his address onto my phone's GPS. I drove off, ignoring the calls Sakura sent my way, even if it made me feel even worse. Eventually, in about an hour, I had entered Salt Lake City, which made Brigham City seem normal.

It had the same skyscrapers complete with a backdrop of mountains, but it also had areas that reminded me of small towns, it was like a city and village meshed together, and it was pretty, but I didn't have time to explore, I had a goal. I sped through the city and eventually made it to the address Shisui had sent me.

It was a house, big enough for a family to live in. It was painted beige and had 4 steps leading up to the front door. I spotted a minivan and a BMW M4 Coupe parked in the driveway, Shisui had a good job, a family, he had moved on, and yet, here I was, still clinging to those events.

I knocked three times on the front door and a man who looked to be in his early 30s came to greet me. He had curly black hair and was about 2 inches shorter than me with a thin build. His face was bright and cheerful, like always, a contrast to my own face.

"Sasuke…" he said before laughing and hugging me like we were old friends. "It's been too long!" He exclaimed while leading me through his house. The insides were painted light blue and the house seemed relatively normal, it had 3 beds and 3 baths, completely normal, Shisui really was living the American Dream.

"Where's your family?" I asked. His expression turned from happy to serious in an instant.

"I sent them out, I wanted you to meet them, but I didn't want them to hear what we would be discussing."

"So you know why I'm here," I said. He nodded and motioned me to sit down on a sofa in the living room. I sat down and he sat across from me with his hands clasped together. The next minute went by quietly, both of us staying quiet and silently waiting for the other to bring up the dreaded topic.

"Sasuke, I can tell you everything I know, but I don't think you'll find the answers you're looking for," he explained. That statement shocked me slightly, rather, a good amount.

"You don't know where he is?"

"No, no one does, your brother will only be found if he wants to be."

"But, he had to tell you something!"

"He did, the night your parents were killed, he came to me."

"What did he say?!"

"He told me that he was going to disappear until he could find the real killer, he told me that no matter what he wouldn't come back until he was ready."

I took in the information he was telling me in droves, this proves Itachi was innocent, but why was he hiding from me? Wouldn't it be easier to work together on this?

"There's something else too," Shisui said, his voice quiet and his gaze set on the ground. "Itachi asked me to protect you, to keep you safe and sane, but...I couldn't. After he ran away, I fell into my own depression, I couldn't stand being in that place, it was like a mausoleum, it was torturing me." Now that was something I didn't know, but it would be foolish of me to be mad at Shisui for something that happened so long ago, or maybe I just didn't want to be mad at him.

"It's fine, Shis-"

"No, it's not." He paused for a second before looking me in the eyes, the irises filled with regret and sorrow. "I couldn't stand that place, but most of all, I couldn't stand being around you."

I froze.

What the hell was I supposed to say to that?

"Every time I looked at you, I thought of Itachi, and it drove me insane, I thought I was going to lose it, so I left." I stood up and walked over to him. I looked at him before tentatively laying my hand on his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him.

"It's ok, Shisui, I don't hold any hostility towards you," I told him truthfully. He nodded and cleared his throat before smiling up at me.

"Thank you," he said. I nodded and backed up, letting him stand in front of me. "Sasuke, you should forget about all of this, forget about finding Itachi, because in time, he'll find you, believe me, you will see your older brother again, he'll be an innocent man, and you can live a normal life, all you have to do is wait."

I thought over his words carefully, will I really see him again and be able to actually enjoy my time with him, like I did back when we were young? I wanted to believe it so badly, I wanted to trust Shisui, but some part of me was impatient, some part of me didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Yeah, ok, thanks Shisui." I shook his hand and walked to the front door, giving him one more reassuring glance before stepping out and into my car. I sat down in the driver's seat and let out a long sigh, breathing out all of my frustrations in the process.

I could've gone back to help Sakura with the case, but I wasn't sure if we would be on the same page after the morning. I remembered arguing with her, but I still didn't want to leave her all alone.

So I drove through Salt Lake City, drove and drove, occasionally getting out to use the bathroom, but otherwise, I just drove around listening to music, trying to get all of the thoughts I had out of my head. I absorbed the views of the city, driving along the rural areas as well as the city, the place was just beautiful, I didn't really want to leave. As I drove, the sun set and the moon came out, night was in full effect when I stopped at a liquor store to pick up Jack Daniel's, after today, there was no way I wasn't going to drink.

I stepped into the run-down liquor store, which was empty except for the cashier, an old man in his 60s. I grabbed a bottle and quickly paid the man my due before walking out and into the car. I opened the door and put the bottle in the passenger seat.

I was about to take my seat when I heard a yell that sounded like it came from nearby. I quickly locked the car and briskly walked to the area where I heard the yell come from, an alleyway behind the liquor store.

I saw 8 men, all fairly well built and around my height, cornering a young boy, who was clutching a bag of money in his hands.

Not the smartest idea.

"Please, I need it!" He yelled as they cornered him quickly.

"So do we," one of the men said. I clenched my fists as the man laughed when the boy cried out.

He was young, no more than 9, why was a young kid like that out here in the dark all alone? I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw one of the men raise his hand, ready to strike the boy and take the money from him.

"Hey," I called out, like a cliche action movie star, "Does it really take 8 of you to deal with him?" The men sneered at the sight of me, turning their attention away from the boy.

"No, I guess you're right," one of the men said, "I'll take care of the boy, you guys, go get him." At that, they converged on me, 7 men, ready to beat me, but I was ready.

I ducked under Thing 1's punch and jabbed the second in the stomach. When he doubled over, I kneed him in the face and dodged a kick sent by Thing 3. I stepped back and elbowed Thing 1 in the face before ducking and avoiding Thing 3's punch. He ended up hitting Thing 1, which worked out for me. I avoided more strikes and dropped Thing 1 onto his head, incapacitating him. Thing 3 hit me in the stomach, fueling my ire even further . I avoided Thing 4 and 5 and tripped 3. I grabbed Thing 6 and threw him onto 3 before jumping up and slamming my heels onto the back of 6. He gasped for air and I slammed his head onto the concrete with the heel of my boot. I ducked and avoided a punch sent by Thing 7 before kicking him in the ribs, momentarily capacitating him. I was about to finish him when 3 grabbed my ankle and dragged me to the ground. My head hit the concrete, hard, and it wasn't long until blood began to drip from the wound. 7 kicked me in the stomach, making me gasp for air before 3 punched me in the face. I raised my arms and protected my face from the assault of the four remaining men who began to kick me while I was on the ground. I exploded onto my feet, knocking the four of them back. I grabbed 3 by the collar and threw him into the wall before punching him across the face twice and headbutting him, finishing him off.

I was feeling it, that feeling from back then, it was coming back, I was fucking pissed.

I took 4 and uppercutted him before grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him into the dumpster. I smashed the lid onto his fingers, probably breaking them from the cry he let out, before turning my attention back to the other two. 7 punched me across the face, sending me spiraling into my rage even more.

I was afraid of this happening, every time I got into a fight I was afraid of this happening, I was afraid of losing control.

Yet, here I was, seeing only red, blood red.

The other men must've noticed, because they backed away, faces covered with pure fear.

I growled animalistically and charged, grabbing 5 and throwing him onto 7. They landed on the ground next to each other and scrambled to their feet, only for me to kick one of them back to the ground and slam the other right back with them. I unleashed a flurry of punches on 7, knocking him into oblivion. 5 tried to get up and run away, but I caught him by the neck and slammed him into the wall before roundhouse kicking him the head, knocking him out cold. 7 unconscious men surrounded me while the boy had already run away. The last man, who seemed to be the ringleader, was frozen in fear.

"Y-y-you're the devil," he whispered in fear, clutching the cross around his neck and praying. My eyes were still red as I advanced towards him. He stepped back with every step I took until his back met the wall and he had nowhere to go. "Please, no…" He pleaded, his voice cracking with pure fear at the monster before him. I grabbed him by the back of the head and bashed his head into the wall.

Once.

Twice.

Three times before I let go, his blood covering my hand. His eyes rolled back as he fell unconscious with the rest of his boys.

I looked at the scene of destruction I had caused, examining the place before searching for a camera, which thankfully, wasn't there. I ran back to my car to make sure no one else could see me and my eyes and slammed the door shut. I laid my forehead onto the steering wheel and took deep and calming breaths, but my eyes still glowed red from what I had just witnessed, what I had just done.

It was like everything bad that had happened in my life came rushing back in that moment, and I just...broke.

That's exactly what happened, I broke and went berserk, just like a rabid animal.

I revved the engine of my car and sped off at unlawful speeds back to Brigham City. I reached there in 45 minutes, but my eyes still looked like pits of blood, I refused to let Sakura see me like this.

Sakura.

Just the thought of her calmed me, the dark thoughts that plagued my mind dissipating at the thought of her bright smile, of the warmth it provided me with.

My eyes went back to their regular color, onyx, and I got out of the car and walked into our room.

"Sasuke?" She called from her bed as she turned to face me. Her eyes widened at the sight of my bloodstained figure before she got up and rushed to me with a first aid kit. I stayed silent as she sat me down and applied medicine and bandages to my wounds, glad that she was here with me.

"Sasuke, what the hell happened to you?"

"Got into a fight with 8 guys."

"That's not what I meant," she whispered softly.

"What?"

"You disappear for the day to who knows where, you ignore all my calls and texts, ever since we were given this case you've been cold and distant. What happened to my partner?" Her voice slightly cracked with the last word, sending waves of guilt through me.

I didn't know what to say to her because she was right, I had become my old self, the person I was before I met her because of this whole ordeal with Shisui and Itachi.

"Sasuke, please, answer me," she pleaded, holding onto my arm. I thought about what I should say to her to get her forgiveness, but then it occurred to me, maybe she should just let go of me. If I don't ask for her forgiveness, I won't have to keep hurting her and make her worry.

"Sakura, you should leave," I said flatly, hiding the shakiness in my voice. She looked at me in shock before opening her mouth to say something, but her words died in her throat.

"I'm not a good person, Sakura, all I'll do is cause you pain, that's all I do to everyone around me. I'm a killer," I paused and drew a shaky breath, "I'm a monster."

She stared at me in shock while I avoided her gaze. I thought back to what I had done in the forest that day with the man who burned those kids. I could never forget the look of fear on Naruto's face, no matter how hard I tried. Tonight, a man thought I was the devil himself, how much lower could I go?

"So you're a monster now?" She questioned angrily. I looked up and was surprised to see her emerald eyes glowing with anger.

"That's exactly what I am," I replied stoically.

"No, that's what you think, that's what you want to believe you are, you stupid asshole." I narrowed my eyes at her and ripped my arm away.

"You don't know anything about me," I said angrily.

"I do, frankly, it seems like I know you a lot better than you think. You give off this image that you're this dark, cold-hearted killer because that's what you want people to think, but in reality, you're just scared that one day you might feel happy again, that's why you're pushing me away, am I right?"

"Shut up," I growled at her.

"What's wrong? Did I say something right?" She retorted.

"Shut the fuck up," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Or what, Sasuke? You'll murder me? Stop being so damn hard on yourself all the time, whatever happened to you is done, it wasn't your fault, so stop shouldering all the blame and responsibility!"

"HOW!" I yelled, silencing her. "How the hell do I stop blaming myself! I'm the only one left to blame!"

"No, you're not, stop lying to yourself-"

"You wanna know why I'm so fucked up in the head?" I growled, feeling my eyes bleed red again. I got up and cornered her by the wall.

She seemed frozen by my eyes, but I didn't really care at this point. "My parents were killed when I was 7, and the police suspect my brother, still do. I thought it was him too, but then I realized it wasn't, because he wouldn't do something like that. Too late, though, he's gone now, no one, not even his best friend, who I visited today, knows where the hell he is. So tell me, what the hell do I do, I've got nothing. Nothing."

I choked out the last word. She stared up at my red eyes with an expression I had never seen before, which confused me.

"Your eyes…" she whispered. I backed away from her and looked away.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

"No, you think that little of me?" I whipped my head back to face her. She reached out her hand and touched my cheek, filling me with warmth and comfort. I felt my eyes turn back to their regular color.

Despite everything, she was still my cure.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, Sasuke."

"Stop," I croaked out.

"But you're not a monster, despite what anyone tells you, you're the farthest thing from a monster."

"Sakura-"

"You care too much, that's your issue, that's why you try to be so distant, you're afraid of losing people. You act like you're a stoic person because you're afraid of losing anyone else, right? But you've really got a heart of gold with a black mask on it."

I lost it.

"Shut up," I growled, returning to my feral state, "why the hell do you keep talking?"

"Because I care." I couldn't stand it anymore, I couldn't stand hearing what she was telling me, this partner that I didn't want in the beginning, I didn't want to hear her telling me the truth.

So I made sure my next sentence reeked of finality.

"Well, don't, I don't care about you, you're nothing but a burden to me," I stated coldly, determined to keep her away from me. But her reaction was so different then what I had expected. She gave me a sad smile, like she was remembering something. "You're right, Sasuke, I'm a burden, to everyone around me, just like my parents said, but I still care about you, and I know you're a good person, even if you try and deny it."

I froze and stared at her in shock.

I was definitely not expecting that.

I didn't have a response, so I just walked out of the room and shut the door before collapsing against the door. I put my head in my hands and pretended not to hear the sobs and cries coming from behind the door.