DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto"

Chapter 11: Rage

There was a ferocity in his movements. Every offensive move lacked the grace that usually defined Uchiha Sasuke. Every defensive move… lacked logic. He was pure aggression. There was no concern for his own body's safety; he merely wanted to lash out. Every opponent was cut down and, though Orochimaru noticed that Sasuke killed no one, they suffered wounds to end their careers as ninja. The boy himself was covered in cuts, bruises, and dirt… but it didn't deter him in the least. More than once, the curse mark threatened to consume his body, but somehow, even in his reckless state, Sasuke managed to push it back. He was powerful. He had come a long way in the year he had spent in Orochimaru's tutelage; he had proven it time and time again. His teacher was giving him another opportunity to prove it. Monstrous beast men were released into the arena. Their strength was massive and they moved with an unnatural speed. A condescending smirk flickered over Sasuke's features as red bled into his black eyes and filled his vision with the sharingan. In only a matter of moments, he allowed the curse mark to transform his body. His skin shifted to gray and his hair to blue as two clawish wings grew from his shoulder blades.

A sadistic smile appeared on the snake-like face of Orochimaru. "Foolish boy."

Sasuke sulked through the torch-lit hallways. He hadn't even bothered to see Kabuto about his injuries. He didn't need the self-righteous prick's treatment. And if he even began to lecture him about strength… no power would stop him from ramming his chidori through Kabuto's heart! How he hated that man. In fact, he hated everyone in this hole. He even hated the hole he was living in. More than anything… he hated Orochimaru. No, Itcahi.

Sasuke's eyes glowered with red as his jaw tightened and his brow crumpled in a scowl. He hated himself.

As he glided through the halls, every living thing avoided him. His hate was almost palpable. It emanated from him like a black cloud… charged with lightning. The lightning was really there, cackling around his form, shooting from his body and leaving a charged tingle in the air. Sasuke observed the energy that poured from him and knew that his raw emotion was triggering it. He would learn to control it, make it bend to his wishes. As he contemplated his chakra control, he didn't really think about where his feet were leading him. When he finally reached his destination, Sasuke wasn't surprised to find himself in the training hall. He couldn't think of a better way to clear his mind than with more training.

Every ounce of energy he had was poured into hours of enraged training. Lighting crackled along the ground, flashing with rage as Sasuke practiced in quick succession every jutsu he knew. He didn't care that his muscles screamed in agony. He didn't care that his skin buzzed with numbness. He didn't care that salty water trailed down his face. All that mattered was perfection. All that mattered was his goal. His fingers ached as he formed another hand signal. Monkey, dragon, rat, bird, ox, snake, dog, tiger, ox, rabbit, monkey…

Nothing. Nothing happened. The lightning along the ground died out and Sasuke's knees buckled. As he sat against the wall, his eyes closed, he felt all of the pain hit him. His body was sore to the point that he couldn't move, his skin prickled as if being attacked by needles, and his mind still raged with emotions he wanted to ignore. And now… he was left with the most minimal amount of chakra to survive. All energy was gone.

The irresistible urge to sleep overtook him. His dreams were aimless and unfocused, simply images and sounds. It made no sense to his exhausted mind and perhaps that was for the best. His body rejuvenated and the tightness in his skin eased… the pain his muscles… he would be stiff for the next few days. When he woke, he knew it past dark. He had slept away the day. He felt little relief over the thought for he knew Orochimaru would lecture him later for his laziness. Sasuke managed to get to his feet, though his muscles fought against him, and made his way to his corridors. The long painful walk back to his room only allowed his distressing thoughts to return to his mind. He wanted to meditate, but his restless mind stewed and simmered with rage, making his scowl return once again.

Once inside his room, he slammed the door and yelled. He slammed his fists into the stone walls repeatedly until the skin split on his knuckles. The pain felt good. The warmth of blood trickling over his fingers was unnerving. It was like a reminder that there was blood on his hands… his brother's. Not yet of course, but soon enough. In a fit of rage and growling, Sasuke broke every object in sight. He turned over his bed, and pulled the drawers free from the desk, making parchment fly. Sakura's scrolls littered the ground.

It made him pause. He slid to the ground and released a sigh. He knew why he was so angry… but refused to give name to it. He refused to acknowledge it. He refused to admit he was sorry for leaving. He denied his feelings. He pushed it aside and buried all thoughts that had accompanied the day. He stood and began to tidy his room, putting everything back in its proper place. Finally, he came to scrolls. He wrapped bandages around his knuckles, blotting away the blood, and then reached for the letters. He took them and gently placed them back in the desk drawer. He gave one last glance before shutting them away to be forgotten once again.

A/N Hi again! Thanks for the reviews... love them all. This one goes out to Sakura's Indecision for encouraging the chapter. I hadn't been quite sure I wanted to post it, but your last review made me certain of posting it. What do you think? I know it's a little short, but... well, this is the third update in two weeks... :P

I'll update again as soon as I can. As for right now... I have some other stuff to write, possibly a haircut to get, and hopefully winter shopping to get done. Please leave me some reviews!

P.S. I had reviews on this chapter... but as I was trying to update the first chapter, not knowing exactly what I was doing... I somehow manage to delete a few things. LOL! So now I know what I'm doing... silly me.