Sasuke walked though the village silently. His feet following the path that would take him to his old home. The Uchiha clan's old home.
He reached the large arch at the entrance. He looked up at the familiar crescent of the once great clan. Fury fumed inside of him. He pushed it down. He had to remain under control. He walked through the village not looking at the houses. He didn't want to feel the anguish again when he'd remember who had lived where and what they had done in his life, and who had been responsible. Whatever had happened that night was about to be repaid ten fold. He stopped outside his house and slid the door open to his old home.
Inside was empty of course. The halls felt almost cold. He walked through the rooms remembering the past. He skipped the door to his parents room. He had no desire to go in there. The last time he'd been in there had been the last time he'd seen them, dead, with his older brother standing over them. He went instead to Itachi's old room, inside was barren not unlike it was when they had still lived here. So either Itachi wasn't here yet, or he was in a different room in the house.
He walked over to the window beneath where he had seen Itachi sit so many years ago. He was about to go to the academy. He'd asked Itachi to show him a jutsu. "Later" He had told him. Just like he always did, but there was no later that day. He rubbed his forhead remembering the feel of his brother's fingers pushing against him.
Sasuke turned on his heel leaving the room. It was stupid how he acted then, tailing after Itachi like he was some prodigal. He had been very, very stupid and very, very weak.
He looked next in the kitchen. Nothing. Of course not. Itachi hadn't ever been in here much even when they had been a family. He was usually by himself, getting stronger...
Sasuke slowly checked all of the rooms then stopped outside the last door. His room. Would Itachi meet him there? Was Itachi in there now? Did he know that he was coming for him? He paused keeping silent to listen. Nobody was in there...he didn't think. It sounded perfectly silent...
"Sasuke." A low voice came from behind him. He stiffened. How had he not heard him approach? Was he still so behind his older brother that he couldn't even pick up Itachi's movements? He turned glaring, activating the sharigan.
"Itachi Uchiha." He snarled.
Itachi merely stared at him. Sasuke stared back. Red eyes meeting red. He wasn't going to break this silence. He'd trained so hard. He had to be strong just like Itachi. No better than Itachi.
"Brother." Itachi began, still standing perfectly still. "Why have you come back to this house? Wallowing in self pity?" He still looked careless, but he knew he'd get an effect out of Sasuke
Sasuke fumed. Discreetly trying to form a jutsu's signs. He had gotten to tiger when he saw Itachi's arm swing out slamming Sasuke through the door of his old room. His body slammed to the floor.
'Damnit.' He thought to himself jumping to his feet. He reached back releasing a kunai at Itachi, still standing calmly in the doorway.
Itachi stretched out one hand and the kunai was suddenly on his index finger, still spinning. Sasuke snarled.
"Did you think I wouldn't see your feeble attempts at attacking me? You are not interesting to me right now Sasuke."
"Which means what? You don't want to fight me?" Sasuke yelled.
Itachi considered him, his face still blank. "You wish to die that badly then? As you wish little brother."
Sasuke saw the movement Itachi made and moved in time to see three kunai wiz past his head. He didn't see however Itachi's foot lift up to kick him across the room. He grunted falling to the floor.
"Sasuke you are still not enough to ever beat me." Itachi told him moving towards him.
Sasuke concentrated. The familiar "chi chi chi" of the chidori reached his ears. He rushed at Itachi his arm glowing.
"It has never worked, why would it now?" Itachi grabbed Sasuke's arm glowing with the chidori and punched him in the stomach. Sasuke coughed spitting out blood.
'Damn. I'm still so far behind him. How can this be?!' He once again felt the floor beneath him. He hadn't even felt Itachi throw him, yet here he was again Itachi standing over him.
"I told you to get stronger. Seems like you can't, brother." Itachi suddenly looked intense. Sasuke felt a familiar feeling seeping through him.
"No! Brother not this again! AHHH!" He held his head as the view changed. Again he was in his village running seemingly nowhere. Dead and blood lay around him. He couldn't do anything but run. That hopeless-ness flooding through him again. "Stop it!" He struggled to get out of the menjutsu. He couldn't he was weak. Everything Itachi said was right. He could never catch up, why bother. As he slipped away all hope to get out, he yelled another time before falling to his knees. He hoped the others would stay away.
"Sasuke..." Sakura jumped up from her hiding place. He was in trouble. She just knew he was. She could hear it. She was sure that was his scream.
As she ran quietly towards the Uchiha Village she wandered if Kakashi had sent anyone out. Probably not but still she wanted to go. She dashed under the arch of the entrance. She'd never been here before. Nobody ever went in here.
She wondered which house was his and had almost decided to look in ever one until she found it, when she heard another loud crash and Sasuke's yell.
She ran in that direction. "Hold on Sasuke..."