Naruto - Threads of Fate
Chapter 8 - Calm before the Storm
Sasuke felt at home hidden by the darkness of the night sky. It was his sanctuary, his escape, his place of rest. It had no light, no windows, and no candles in his room and he often spent hours on end sitting in the quiet darkness of his dwelling. Even in Konoha, the Uchiha heir would sometime leave the village at night and slip off into the nearby forest to find the darkest corner among the trees and sit there. The shadows of the thick woods welcomed him in their embrace, and Sasuke found the cold arms of the darkness a more preferable place than the palace Orochimaru built for himself. This night was no different for Sasuke as he decided to go to his favorite spot and meditate after his seemingly endless hours of training. He sat with his legs crossed and his hands before him in the traditional meditating position, his mind all around him and far away at the same time. However, his attention at the moment was on an intruder who invaded his place of peace.
"Why do you follow me, Karin?" Sasuke growled without opening his eyes. "Show yourself before I become angry."
To his left, a figure stepped from behind a tree hesitantly. The person did not dare step closer out of both fear and awe "I am sorry, Lord Sasuke," a tiny voice squeaked from a distance. "I only wished to see where you go when you leave the palace at night."
"Did you not think I would notice you?"
The young girl stepped further away from her hiding place and passed over a spot where the light shone through the branches of the thicket. The moonlight revealed the demure face of a young girl framed with raven colored shoulder-length hair. She wore a long sleeved, robe-like dress that seemed to fit her loosely. The garment was made of a fine violet silk, which matched her large, alluring eyes. A Sound Village forehead protector was wrapped around her tiny waist like a belt and appeared to be the only thing keeping her dress closed. When she came within three feet of Sasuke, she knelt down and bowed her head. "Forgive me, Lord Sasuke. My intentions and actions were not to insult your skills," The pixie-girl explained.
"Why do you intrude upon my silence?" he questioned. "Did Kabuto send you?"
"No, my Lord, I came of my own accord," she managed to say. "I only wished to observe you."
"State your business so that I my return to my solitude."
"M-my Lord," she began. "I have seen your power firsthand and I wish to be your apprentice."
"Why do you ask this of me?"
"Because I want power."
"You are already one of Orochimaru's elite guards; surely you can ask him for what you desire."
"That is not all, Lord Sasuke. . . I wish to be by your side. If you will take me as your apprentice, I pledge my loyalty, my obedience…" She stopped for a moment and pulled her forehead protector from her waist. The loose dress fell open and she allowed it to fall completely from her shoulders and gather in her hands. ". . . and my body."
Sasuke stepped closer to the young girl and eyed her practically naked form. She searched his eyes, but they did not tell her weather he approved of her or not. She gasped slightly when he forcefully pulled her close by the waist. Karin felt Sasuke's intense gaze bore into her soul through her own eyes, and all at once she felt helpless in her position. Perhaps he really will take me, she thought as he leaned in closer to her face. She closed her eyes and parted her lips, leaning in just slightly and awaiting the inevitable.
"You are not worthy of my affection nor my love," he whispered icily. Ami's eyes opened to the wicked smile of the Uchiha boy. He released her and turned his back to her, indicating his was done with her.
"But lord Sasuke, I swear I will be faithful -" she begged.
"Another girl told me the same thing years ago. I actually cared about her and I STILL left her where she was. What chance do you think you have any chance of fulfilling my desires?"
The young girl's cheeks became flushed with embarrassment when she felt the sting of his words. She let her eyes drift towards the ground and pulled her dress closed. "I understand. Forgive me, my Lord," she croaked weakly. As she made to leave she felt a hand grab her shoulder, and gasped as she looked back into his glowing red eyes.
"You are not worthy of my attention or my love, but at least you can be of some use to me." He said as he pulled her down.
Foolish girl. He thought to himself. I'll suck every bit of usefulness out of you and then, I will simply dispose of you.
Long after she was gone his thoughts drifted to memories of his former teammate. She had opened her heart to him, and she offered love above and beyond what was normal for the chance to keep him at her side.
"I'm different than you guys," he remembered telling Sakura that night they stood on the path and she pleaded with him to stay. "I follow a different path than you guys. I can't be like you or Naruto."
"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself?" she cried. "I love you more than anything! If you are by my side, I will make sure you will not regret it!" Her pleas were frantic at this point and wrenching at Sasuke's gut with each desperate word. "I beg you! Please stay here! I'll even help you get your revenge! There must be something I can do!"
After all of her shouting, all of her begging and tears, the young Uchiha turned around to and said: "Even after all this, you're still annoying." Even after all of that, he couldn't get her to hate him. She still chased him and tried to force Sasuke to stay. Now another girl had decided to give herself wholly to him.
Hmph, what fools he thought bitterly.
He knew he was tainted the moment he walked in on his brother standing over the dead bodies of his parents. And he would kill Itachi, and anyone else that stood in his way.
As memories of the pink-haired girl and the blond idiot played through his mind, he felt the familiar burning of the cursed seal flow over his body. Sasuke clutched his head and howled in agony as he tried to fight off the feeling of the seal which brought him power.
"No! I can have my memories, damnit! I am allowed a past!" he screamed into the air as he held his head. However, he heard The Voice respond to his words. He knew The Voice all too well. He heard it whenever he had to train, whenever he injured an opponent, whenever he tried to think about anything that made him happy. It was part of the curse that gave him power over his enemies. However, The Voice seemed to grow stronger the more he used the seal. It seemed to have a distinct personality, and it only fed off his progress as a shinobi. Lately The Voice had grown stronger.
"Your memories make you weak," The Voice echoed within his mind. "I can take that weakness away."
"I give myself to you when I fight, nothing else!!" he growled at the soulless words inside his head.
"She is your weak link," the voice persuaded. "All of them are. GIVE UP YOUR PAST SO WE CAN ACHIVE OUR GOAL!" The Voice raged.
Sasuke fell to his knees and screamed. "NO!"
"Oh you will give yourself over to me," the sinister inner part of Sasuke stated. "You've come too far to try to set boundaries on me." The burning began to spread and intensify, making him feel dizzy. Pain traveled through his body, and all he wanted to do was make it stop. His body told him to surrender, but his mind would not allow it. He fought its spread with everything he had. No, I won't. . . lose myself, Sasuke mentally chanted. I am an avenger, but I am still Sasuke Uchiha; I will not lose my sanity to you. I will . . . kill. His eyes flashed open, the Sharingan now active. Sasuke stood up from the ground with a slight smile on his lips.
"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I will kill my brother as vengeance for his betrayal," he told himself as his lips curled into a very ominous smile. "I will see his blood spilled and I will enjoy it."
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The heavy double doors of Orochimaru's throne room were blown off their hinges from the explosion. They shattered into splintered pieces and started to disintegrate, scattering the remaining debris across the marble floor. The dust from the explosion rose into a thick, heavy, blackish cloud. Orochimaru sat at his throne, unaffected by the intrusion and destruction of the entrance to the room that was the symbol of his power. He is ready, the snake-man thought delightfully. The dust began to clear and the shinobi ruler saw Sasuke standing at the entrance with two bodies that had once been Orochimaru's guards lying on either side of him. The raven-haired boy marched slowly into the room, his eyes completely hidden by the thick hair falling in his face.
"I want to know where he is," Sasuke demanded.
"And who are you talking about?" Orochimaru asked with mock ignorance.
"My brother. Where is he? I know you know where he is because I know you keep track of his organization. Now tell me where he is!" Sasuke's eyes flashed underneath his mop of midnight hair. The Sharingan markings were visible as they were illuminated by a demonic red glow.
Kabuto, who was standing nearby Orochimaru, glared at Sasuke. He pointed a finger at the young Uchiha boy menacingly. "How dare you, Sasuke! First you destroy the entrance to the throne room then barge in here making demands of Orochimaru! You have gone too far—"Kabuto gulped as he suddenly found a kunai pressed into his neck.
"Apologize you worm, or you'll have to find another way to breathe, and I doubt even your regeneration abilities could save you." Kabuto glanced back and saw Karin body half out of the shadows, eyes that portrayed that she would most diffidently follow up on her threat without a second thought.
"This does not concern you, Karin," Sasuke stated calmly. "Kabuto drag your sorry corpse out of here and stay out of my business. This is between me and Orochimaru only."
Orochimaru continued to smile as he motioned for Sasuke to move forward. "Now, now, there is no need for tempers," the Sound Lord said to soothe the situation. "Sasuke only wished to make his point that he is clearly ready to seek out his brother for the revenge he desires. And I see he has found some help." The snake-shinobi appraised Sasuke slowly. His eyes held a devious glint of approval as he nodded his head at the young boy. "Yes, yes, you are most certainly ready to take on your brother."
"Then tell me where he is!"
"Patience, patience," Orochimaru told him. "Though you are right; I do keep track of my former organization's movements. So you should be happy to know that your brother was recently sent to the Fire Country. If I were you, I would start looking there for Itachi."
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"Hokage-sama."
"Yes, what is it?" Tsunade answered without turning around to towards the voice coming from the shadow.
"I have found out the Akatsuki is on the move once again."
Tsunade felt a deep pain in the pit her stomach at the sound of that name. Please tell me they are not after him again.
"Do you know what they are after?" she asked the voice.
"I do not know, but I do know one of their members is headed to our village."
"You've done well, Ino," Tsunade said. "Tell no one of what you have learned. You are dismissed."
"Hai," she responded, and like that, the girl standing in the shadows as gone.
Tsunade walked over towards the balcony of her office overlooking the village. The darkness over Hidden Leaf made it appear peaceful and serene. However, she knew those days were about to end. Something has to be done, but I don't wish to make a rash decision. I have to do what's in the best interest of the village. She sighed to herself, not liking what had to be done. Please let me be right, I would do anything to protect that child. She thought about how he had grown over time. No, he's not a child anymore. None of them are children. They will be some of the best Hidden Leaf has ever produced, and he will be the one to lead them.