AN: Here's your one-day late Valentine's Day present. I have agonized over this chapter, and I'm still not quite satisfied with it. But any further changes do not feel like they improve it. So…here you are. Enjoy.

And I really would appreciate reviews on this chapter in particular. Hint, Hint. Even one sentence or two. Thanks!

I wasn't born to walk on water
I wasn't born to sack and slaughter
But on my soul, I wasn't born
To stoop, to scorn, and knuckle under
A man can learn to steal some thunder
A man can learn to work some wonder
But when the gauntlet's down,
It's time to rise and climb the sky

And soon the moon will smoulder
And the winds will drive
Yes, a man grows older but his soul remains alive
All those tremulous stars still glitter
I will survive!
Let my heart grow colder and as bitter as a falcon in the dive

There was a dream, a dying ember
There was a dream - I don't remember
But I will resurrect that dream
Though rivers stream and hills grow steeper
For here in hell where life gets cheaper
Oh, here in hell the blood runs deeper
And when the final duel is near
I'll lift my spear and fly

Piercing into the sky and higher
And the strong will thrive
Yes, the weak will cower while the fittest will survive
If we wait for the darkest hour
Till we spring alive
Then with claws of fire, we devour like a falcon in the dive!

- excerpt from 'Falcon in the Dive,' sung by Chauvelin, The Scarlet Pimpernel

Chapter 7: Falcon in the Dive

The sharpness of fingers clenched around his eyeball getitoutgetoutoutoutnow switches abruptly to a finger poke on the forehead –

"Sorry, Sasuke; maybe next time" –

Sasuke? That's the same name he was called before, but who –

Red eyes with black spirals open slow as a rising sunset getawaygetawayNOW but he can't move and he's falling so far –

The lights of the operating room flicker. Is this a hospital or a lab?

But no, it's lights on the surface of a lake still steaming with heat as his lungs heave with the fire they've expelled, and he turns in pleasure to stare at his father behind him –

"I will say one thing: From now on, walk your own path, not in the footsteps of your brother."

Brother? He doesn't have a brother… does he? And he never knew his father, was exiled for the man's existence and part in Hiei's creation –

Hina's face appears and then it's a woman with long black hair, just like his, and a sweet face that tends to smile, but right now is serious with sympathy.

"That's not it… Your father is the representative of the whole clan… if the clan is in a bad position, he must protect it. Itachi is the older of the two of you… the job of looking after the clan must be left to him…" –

Mikoto and Fugaku – those are the names on the tip of his tongue. Sasuke's parents, who he has never met was raised by since the day they brought him home from the hospital and the only person cooler than them is his big brother Itachi, who is the acknowledge genius that Sasuke has to catch up to – "keep this up and you'll be just like your big brother" – oh make up your mind didn't you just say not to follow him but no this is earlier –

His name is Hiei, not Sasuke! He doesn't know any Itachi!

– A boy with angry red eyes and black spirals, hair tied back in a pony tail, three men sprawled around him on the ground – a man, face obscured by the cloak sprinkled with bloody clouds, holding him up by the neck and glaring – A boy in black clothes and white armor, their home empty except for the two of them and bloody corpses littering the streets, spatters of bright red in a black and white world and they're everywhere –

"You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome, even if you hate me… that's what big brothers are for."

"There is no value in killing the likes of you… my foolish little brother… if you wish to kill me, curse me! Hate me! And survive in the most unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life…"

"You still lack hatred." –

There's a knife scraping his brain with a white-hot flame, and lava running through his veins, from the teeth of the eyeshadow freak shemale he bit my neck, but not to tear out my jugular, why and then the nightmares are starting all over again because you're nothing but a weakling! And though he can outrun fangirls, he can't outrun this guy and now his teammates are going to die just two more people he couldn't save no no no!

He can't save anyone, can he.

Save? Since when is he focused on saving?

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality.

"I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain man."

Not an imiko, then, if Sasuke can hope to actually find a mate who will willingly give him offspring. And the certain man sounds like Itachi.

His sword is pierced through the redhaired girl and the man behind her. The traitor who ordered his thirteen year old brother to kill the rest of the Uchiha – and offered Sasuke's life as the carrot. Danzo.

He may have killed Itachi blindly, but now that he knows the truth, he will make sure the whole world knows what his brother did to save their undeserving existence before he makes it burn.

The pictures start to fly faster.

A masked man, telling him the truth he doesn't want to hear, but it explains so so much, and his older brother still existed oh god he's dead he's dead Itachi's dead and the blood is on Sasuke's hands on his face on his blade get it off off off off NOW he has to make this right, has to burn them to the ground, has to make sure this never happens again –

"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash." Is Kakashi enjoying reinforcing the memo in their head by putting them on garbage collection duty? –

"I… I love you with all my heart…" no you don't you don't know the meaning of love shut up "I would do anything for you so … please just stay with me!" don't you see that the kindest thing I can do is leave?! "Sakura… thank you." and he knocks her out. –

The golden haired boy, carrying a swirl of ki in one hand, while Sasuke's arm is wrapped in lightning. They leap from a hospital roof, and meet in midair in a waterfall valley, bodies changed with faces more animalistic, and wings flapping behind Sasuke's back while an orange battle aura envelops what he can only assume to be a kitsune hanyou.

There are two paths.

One ends with the boy, human once more, impaled on Sasuke's arm.

The other ends with them, older once more, and Sasuke doubly skerewered on Tenten's blade and Naruto Rasenshruiken. He intentionally stepped in the way of the first. He got in the way of the second when Naruto tried to push him away, thinking Sasuke was about to attack her.

I am Hiei. Imiko, orphan, Bandit's son, swordsman, killer, thief, exile, forbidden. Anathema. Harbringer of destruction and chaos.

I am Uchiha Sasuke. Beloved son, traitor, Shinobi master, genin, Genius, second-born, devoted avenger, failure, suicide by best friend. Monster in human form. Fratricide. Murderer for hire. Shinobi. Missing-nin. Little brother.

Which is true?

And finally, there's Itachi, his face peeling away as the reincarnation jutsu ends.

"I failed. I won't put myself above you and tell you this and that, it's too late. So this time, for once, let me tell you one small truth.

"It's alright if you never forgive me.

"But no matter what, I will always love you."

And he spirals away to consciousness, and a world that makes no sense at all, and far too much.

…When Hiei wished for answers, he decides, he should have remembered to be careful when tempting fate.

AN: … Memories acquired. If not exactly sorted.

Next time: Hiei recovers from his surgery, attempts to sort out his identity, and reprioritize his life.