Phew! Finally!

Thanks to those who have read, favorite-ed, alert-ed and/or reviewed this story! It means so much to me!

I hope you guys like this chapter (I like it a lot, and feel very proud of it in terms of characterization)!

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:D

Chapter 1

Sakura's dirt and tear streaked face swam in front of my face for a moment, along with the sounds of hundreds of people swarming about and cheering. Sunlight was everywhere, and the sudden flood of light and sound was so intense that I had to close my eyes for a moment as my senses adjusted. In the few seconds that I kept my eyes closed, another, much louder voice sounded from my right side.

"Oi, Sasuke, wake up!"

Na…Naruto? Wasn't he away training somewhere? Why weren't there sounds of dying villagers? What the hell had happened? Why had the village exploded? Where was the enemy, where was Kakashi, where were the two ninja who had found me and brought me here? Where they dead, where they–

The overwhelming stream of questions was beginning to give me a headache, and I forced myself to open my eyes, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head that resulted from the bright sunlight. My head throbbed unsteadily, and when I reached up to touch it, I felt the rough texture of bandages, a thick wad of the thick white cloth covered my right eye, held there by several small pieces of medical tape. It was a bit disconcerting, not being able to rely on my peripheral vision to see where exactly Naruto was on my right side. I turned my entire head, and let out an involuntary hiss at the pain that jolted up my sore neck.

Sakura smiled without humor, gently pushing my head so it faced forward once more. "None of that, Sasuke-kun. You need to take it slow; that was a pretty bad head wound you got…there was only so much I could do, seeing as Naruto was in the middle of the battle."

Naruto's voice, slightly irritated at being ignored, sounded again like an insistent blare, and I growled under my breath at the stabbing pain that spiked through my skull at the suddenness of the loud noise.

"Hey! Is he gonna be alright soon? Kakashi-sensei said that he's got something important–"

Dead and dead and never coming back.

I couldn't help but flinch at the sound of our sensei's name. "Kakashi is dead. I saw him…under the rocks…"

Sakura and Naruto, their faces mirroring slightly altered levels of understanding, exchanged looks. The pink haired medic touched my shoulder, a surprisingly tender gesture that was, for once, free of any ulterior motive or feeling. I looked up into her eyes, surprised at the small smile that was slowly spreading across her face.

"It's a long story, Sasuke. But since you are a very wounded patient, and I am a wonderful medic with bundles of experience, I can ensure that you stay in this bed until the story' over." she said, with a grin, tucking a dusty strand of pale pink hair behind her ear. Naruto gave a little huff of impatience, and punched my shoulder before ducking out of the tent. The sight of his bright blonde hair, glinting in the sunlight that pierced through the opening to the tent, suddenly reminded me of Hikari, distracting me from the sudden image of Kakashi's corpse pinned between the two slabs of stone.

How could I forget her, even for a second?

Yes, my obsession with her safety was dangerous; yes it made me less motivated toward my revenge. Both were valid points. But a small part of me – perhaps it was the eight year old child in me who wished for a normal life, who wished that those long summer days spent training with his older brother and being tickled by his mother had never been abruptly put to an end – relished in the fact that I now fully understood what Naruto felt when he fought me at the Valley of the End.

My head broke the surface of the water as I swam to the surface, and I quickly climbed to the surface. I had been stupid to underestimate Naruto…I had underestimated him so many times.

When had he grown so strong? How had I missed it?

My hair stuck to my face, and I glared at the rising body just below the water. Naruto surfaced, his face staring up at the blue sky above the valley. I felt only hatred for the sadness on his face, I felt only pity and irritation. What a blind, idiotic fool. He thought that he, Naruto Uzumaki, could somehow defeat me, Sasuke Uchiha?

He was an idiot, and I was the last of the powerful Uchiha clan. We were worlds apart…we always had been. If he were smart, he would let me go. If he were smart, he'd understand that we were fated to clash against each other. He wanted peace, and I wanted vengeance. Two sides of the spectrum that could never mix, no matter how we tried to delude ourselves into thinking otherwise.

Those blue eyes turned to stare into my own, eyes that were the same color as the sky; only the blue in Naruto's eyes was not bright and cheery. It was dull and filled with pain. Filled with the sudden, clear realization that this was a battle to the death.

Finally, we were on the same page.

"W-What are you?" I stammered, the crushing pressure of the red chakra frightening and oppressive in its sheer strength. It felt as though the very air wanted to throttle the life out of me, as if my blood was the only blood that would satisfy it's lust for death and pain, and more death, death, death–

Naruto's eyes, no longer blue, but instead a bright and terrible shade of crimson, were streaming with tears.

"Your friend…"

I recovered from the shock as Naruto leapt at me. I had to beat him, I had to break these foolish bonds.

Bonds had to be broken, because they held nothing but pain and regret in their depths.

"When I'm with Iruka-sensei...I think that's what it's like to have a father."

I stared at Naruto across the water, both of us balanced on upturned logs. His eyes were still filled with the crimson rage and pain, as he stared down into the glassy water. I could see his face reflected back at him on the surface, that familiar, yet completely foreign face.

"And when I'm with you…" he said softly, and when he looked up at me I saw within his eyes all those times as Team Seven. All those hardships, all those happy times where Sakura and I watched Naruto make a fool of himself, where Naruto bantered with me relentlessly, both irritating me and goading me on at the same time.

"…I imagine that that's what it's like to have a brother."

My eyes widened, and a small smile crossed Naruto's face. I wanted to yell at him, but somehow my voice came out a whisper, broken and pathetic in its fragility.

"Why are you going so far…just for me?"

"Because this is one of the first bonds I've ever had, Sasuke. I don't want to lose you to Orochimaru, that's why I have to stop you!"

In that moment of weakness, it all made sense. Naruto and I were best friends, we were best together than we ever were apart. I cared for Naruto like I had cared for that man, so long ago. Naruto was my brother in all ways that counted, and I was abandoning him.

But then, another realization emerged from the shadows of my mind, and I focused my anger into a small spot in my chest. I reached for my headband, nestled in my pocket.

Naruto wanted peace and I wanted vengeance. He wanted bonds, and I wanted freedom. Two sides of the spectrum that could never mix, no matter how much we deluded ourselves into thinking otherwise.

I had always thought that Naruto was a fool for having those bonds. I still did, to an extent. They were stupid things for a ninja to bind himself down with, but for now, I pushed it all aside. Naruto had been trying to protect something precious to him, something that he couldn't bear to lose.

I had always thought of myself as someone who couldn't be bothered with such things.

But now, I had something equally precious, and the severity of that realization consumed me. I loved Hikari so much…so much…it hurt me to think of the unexpected rawness of my desire. I had never felt this way about another human being, even in the cases of my mother and older brother. It was a powerful, pulsing throb in my chest, stronger than the beat of my heart, and I spoke in an attempt to distract myself from it.

"Sakura," I interrupted Sakura's voice as she began to tell me what had happened in the time that I was unconscious. "where is Hikari?"

Sakura had never been a good liar. Her personality wasn't very reserved, and so it was quite easy – even after being away from the village for two years – to see what she was thinking. An annoying characteristic back in my genin years, and still an annoying one now, but in this situation I was more liable to use it to my advantage.

It was better to question Sakura about what had happened, rather than ask someone like Kakashi, who was an expert at hiding his true emotions from public view.

At the mention of Hikari's name, Sakura's face blanched, and her lips pressed together tightly, without her even noticing it. Panic dropped into my chest like a large and pointed stone, more jarring and real than anything else in my heart at that moment. No, she wasn't gone. Sakura was just confused; she just didn't know where Hikari was. It was natural for her not to keep tabs on people; the village was in ruins. Naruto would know where she was…someone would know…

I pushed aside the pain in my head, and yanked the covers off of my lower body, jerking away from Sakura's hands and getting to my feet. Immediately, dizziness swam before my eyes, and I swayed unsteadily. I imagined that this was what being drunk felt like. If it was, I swore to myself at that moment that I would never touch even a drop of alcohol. I hated feeling out of control of my own body; it was mine to control, mine to train and care for…and therefore my mind had to be – at all times – level-headed enough to handle it.

Sakura's hands were secure on my arms, but I flailed strongly, breaking her grip. My vision was blurring from the sudden change in gravity, but I managed somehow to stumble to the door. I was saying something – I could feel the words being emitted from my throat – but the ringing in my ears was so deafening that all outside sound was incomprehensible.

The light outside was even brighter than it had been when I woke up, and I couldn't hold back the groan that escaped my chest at the pain that stabbed into my skull. It was too bright…too much light…

Hikari.

Light.

I made to move forward, but suddenly two larger hands gripped my upper arms, holding me in place and keeping me upright. A low voice drawled suddenly, piercing the ringing in my ears, and the shock of hearing it made me freeze.

"Easy now, Sasuke."

Kakashi?

My gaze drifted up to meet a familiar dark gray eye, crinkled in an even more familiar smile. His spiky silver hair was freshly washed, and it stuck out in all directions. His mask was pulled into place as usual, and I found myself staring at the shape of his lips moving under the fabric. How were his lips moving? He was dead!

Kakashi Hatake was dead, and yet he wasn't dead. And not in that zombie-undead way, but in the frightening dead-but-completely-not-dead way.

My eyes were impossibly wide, that much I knew, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Kakashi didn't speak, instead just let me stare. I could see it in his eyes…he had been dead, but he wasn't anymore. What had happened?

Kakashi smiled again. "I'm glad to see you finally wake up…it's been nearly two days."

"Where is she?" My voice reluctantly lifted at the end, hopelessly, desperately, and when Kakashi didn't answer immediately I activated my Sharingan. I needed to know the truth…the whole truth. Kakashi was silent, and his face was as unreadable as the lower half of his face. I didn't need to clarify who I was speaking of…Kakashi knew as well as everyone else who was currently watching our exchange – Naruto, Sakura, and a few others I wasn't familiar with.

"Hikari was taken by Madara, Sasuke. I'm sorry, but there was nothing I could do."

My Sharingan faded away almost instantly at the sound of those words.

No….no, not Hikari. Anyone else…please…no…no…

My vision went gray, and I swayed, my head spinning. My skin felt so cold, so numb, and I couldn't seem to make my eyes blink. Everything was frozen.

"Sasuke, stay with me–"

"Kakashi-sensei, catch him, he's–"

My eyes closed.

Hikari.

No.

Hikari.

Please.

I felt arms lifting me up, struggling to keep me atop the water, but I was too far gone…sinking so fast, the voices melding into a swarm of sounds, the colors of the open sky and distant trees blending into similar shades of gray.

"…let's get him inside. Naruto help me lift him…"

Hikari.

Light.

In an instant, the light was gone, and I was left alone - horribly, utterly, completely - in the dark.

Kakashi felt a wave of tender sympathy wash over him at the sight of Sasuke standing there after Kakashi revealed Hikari's whereabouts, his eyes glazed over in shock. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to be suddenly faced with the loss of someone precious. It was like stepping into a pool of ice-melt – at first it was painful; shocking in its intensity, but after the first few seconds…you came unbearably numb. Numb to everything but the incredibly real feeling of desperation.

Kakashi wished that he could have done more. If he had been in a different fight…he could have saved Hikari, for Sasuke's sake. But fate was not kind in this respect. Fate was never kind, come to think of it.

Sasuke was swaying now, his brain shutting down, his mouth parting as if to speak, but only a soft gust of air came out. Kakashi saw that he was slipping, and tightened his grip on the boy's arms. Never had he seen the Uchiha in such a state of shock, and it sent a flare of fear fluttering through him.

"Sasuke, stay with me–"

Sakura called out worriedly, "Kakashi, catch him, he's going to–"

Kakashi didn't need to hear the rest of Sakura's warning, because in that second, Sasuke's legs crumpled beneath him, his head lolling forward as his eyelids closed over listless onyx eyes. Kakashi held the boy around the shoulders, keeping him up, and quickly nodded to Naruto.

"Come on, let's get him inside. Naruto, help me lift him..."

Naruto nodded solemnly, and carefully lifted Sasuke's legs, and helped Kakashi move the unconscious Uchiha back into the tent. The boy's breathing was shallow and quick, and Sakura quickly bent over him when the two succeeded in lowering him to the bed of blankets.

Naruto stared at his friend, his blue eyes sad and torn as they were met with the cold hard truth: he couldn't do anything for Sasuke right now. There were no demons to fight, no ninja to torture or beat the living shit out of. There was only an unreachable and impossibly powerful enemy who was hundreds of miles away by now. Kakashi put a hand on the blonde's shoulder, and gently steered him out of the tent.

"Let's leave Sakura to it, Naruto. He won't be awake for a while."

"What's going to happen now, Kakashi?" Naruto surprised Kakashi by suddenly asking, and the silver haired jounin stopped to look over at the boy. His hands were clenched into angry fists, and Kakashi sighed.

"I don't know, Naruto. I wish I did. With Tsunade-sama in the state that she's in, the first thing will be to find a temporary replacement. Whatever happens next will be up to that replacement and the Council."

The Council. An unpleasant feeling filled his chest at the mention of them, and he couldn't ignore the anger that rose deep in his gut. Sasuke had told him the truth about the Uchiha Massacre not two weeks ago…and now that he knew the truth – it had to be the truth, Sasuke wasn't a liar, it wasn't in his nature – he couldn't help but feel betrayed. He had been led to believe by the authority he once put all of his faith in – he still placed nearly all his faith in the Hokage, but now that faith was slightly less solid – that Itachi Uchiha was a mindless murderer who killed the Uchiha clan merely to attain a twisted measure of personal capacity.

To suddenly hear that it was Konoha who ordered the attack and willingly labeled Itachi Uchiha, a truly honorable shinobi and a loving older brother, a traitor…it made Kakashi's stomach turn. Ninja villages were forced to take drastic measures at times, but this seemed…just plain barbaric. To kill hundreds for the act of a few…it was the easy way out, without a thought or a care to the innocents lost in the process. Babies and toddlers who had no way of comprehending what a few of their elders were planning, children and teenagers who were told nothing of the Uchiha clan elders' rebellion. All dead now.

Obito's bloody face as his now empty eyesocket glared up at him, his lips contorted in pain.

"Take care of Rin, Kakashi…for me…"

Rin's tear stained face. "N-no, Obito…p-please…"

The rocks, tumbling around them, Kakashi's arm tightening around a sobbing Rin. It was all crushing Obito now, filling the cave and sealing their friend's already dismal fate. There was an all encompassing thud as the larger rocks fell toward the gasping Uchiha, and Rin's scream echoed in Kakashi's ears.

"OBITO!"

Kakashi shook his head to clear it, and forced a smile at Naruto, who was looking at him expectantly. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"No…are you okay, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah…I was just thinking. Well, you'd go better help Sakura…she needs company right now."

"What'll you do, Sensei?"

"I'll finally finish my book. I'm only ten pages away from the end."

"The end that I sorta-not-really almost spoiled for you in that bells test with me and Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, that's the one." Kakashi nodded, and Naruto laughed before ducking back into the tent. Kakashi let the smile fade from his face as he listened to Naruto greet Sakura in a voice that was uncharacteristically quiet, Sakura's voice responding in an equally soft tone.

The jounin turned on his heel and started walking. There was no real destination in his mind…he just needed to walk, in order to have something to do. His mind swam with thoughts of Sasuke and Obito…and the beautiful village that was now reduced to dust and vivid memories. It was only three days ago when Kakashi had been walking down the street, his nose in his book…smelling the smells of Konoha that were so familiar and soothing to him. The smell of ramen, grass, sweat, freshly made dango, washed laundry, perfume, cologne, meat, vegetables, smoke, rust, dust and flowers…they all made up the familiar air that made Kakashi feel at ease. He was home when he smelled that smell.

The only smell in the air now was blood, dust, and sweat…and the only sounds were the voices of survivors and the moans of pain from the injured – so drastically different than the sweet rustling of leaves, the light and happy voices of children and civilians, and the comforting breeze making the wind chimes in the windows dance and sing.

His book lay untouched in his pouch as he walked and walked and walked, until his legs felt like jelly. It was then, and only then, that he allowed himself to settle down in the tent he shared with several other jounin. The others had long since gone to sleep, and so it was in pitch blackness and dead silence that Kakashi slid into his sleeping mat.

Kakashi sighed as he lay his head down, waiting for sleep to overcome him. It always did, at some point or another. All Kakashi had to do was wait…and wait…

"Where is she?"

Sasuke's voice, so full of pain and panic, floated across his senses, and with a jolt, Kakashi snapped open the covers. He was clad in only a black tank top, plain gray pants, and his mask – the rest of his gear was stacked neatly beside his mat – but he didn't pay any heed to that fact.

The jounin slipped on his sandals, and ducked out of the tent, firmly walking despite the fact that his legs ached and whined for him to stop. He couldn't stop, he wouldn't stop.

Because if he did, all he would see is Sasuke's stricken face, so pale and scared, so full of shock. He would see himself in that face, the same face that had existed when his thirteen-year-old self opened his uninjured eye to see Obito – the annoying, emotional…irreplaceable Obito – pinned under that impossibly large boulder.