"So," Saiyame began, "tell me about yourself, anything you like."

I sighed heavily, rubbing my temples and wondering where to begin. When I opened my mouth the words flowed like water and I found myself telling Saiyame everything about myself. I began with the story of how my brother, Itachi, slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, leaving only me alive because I was too weak, too pathetic to kill. I told her about my time in the Shinobi academy, and about my relationship with my team. When I relayed the story of how I had abandoned my village and betrayed my friends, I was relieved to see that Saiyame was still calm, rather than sickened.

"I've been training with Orochimaru for about two and a half years now, praying that one day I would wake up with the power to destroy Itachi."

"But you said that this 'Orochimaru' only wants you to become strong so he can use your body as a container for his soul and thus achieve immortality. Does it not bother you that you are only a tool to him, whose life could be in danger if he found someone with more potential than yourself?"

"If giving my body to him is the only way I can defeat my brother, then I will gladly hand it over. I will have no regrets for my decisions." Saiyame's ears fell back and her tail hung low as she absorbed my response, and I was afraid my words had upset her.

"You know, you don't have to face your brother alone. Your friends are still fighting for you, even after your betrayal, and I'm sure they would understand your motive for leaving. If you ally yourself with people you can truly trust, your probability of success is great. I know you're worried about the safety of your friends too, but I also know that you must understand that your family was not prepared for your brother's attack."

I frowned, pondering her words in annoyance. If anyone else had spoken to me in such a way I would have brushed it off without a second thought or insulted them. "I don't want to talk about this," I stated plainly, searching for a different subject to explore.

"That's fine, and it's still my turn to ask questions." Saiyame smiled and I opened and closed my mouth a few times. "You can ask me how I did that when it's your turn. Now, it's time for twenty questions, or something of the sort."

I found myself smiling just the tiniest bit as I answered every new question Saiyame asked. My age, hair, and eye color, hobbies, likes and dislikes, all were relayed to Saiyame. I reluctantly told her that I was about two inches shorter than she was, even with my hair, and she laughed sweetly at the displeasure lacing my words.
"Have you ever been in love?" Saiyame breathed airily, leaping lightly over a fallen log. I refrained from asking how she knew it was there and ran my fingers through my thick hair, stalling.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I might have been once, but I don't know." I laughed dryly before continuing. "She was the only girl who didn't completely annoy the hell out of me, at least not once I got to know her. I almost felt like she was beginning to understand me, but I left before…before anything could happen." I clawed at the flower in my mind, trying to rid myself of her image in vain.

Saiyame nodded as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, or feeling. "I see. Your turn."

The abruptness of the declaration surprised me, but I silently cheered, more than ready to ask all of the questions that had invaded my conscience. "How old are you?" I asked, remembering her first question.

"Oh! Well that's something I haven't thought about in centuries." I choked at her answer and hoped she was joking, even though her expression was far from mischievous. "I'm somewhere around wait, that's not right. I know only that I am older than five-hundred, probably by a lot. When I was born Sunagakure had the most magnificent architecture. I remember vast pyramids strewn about the desert village, and the rulers dressed in gold."

I decided not to push the subject, feeling uncomfortable with the age difference. "You only look a couple of years older than me," I mumbled, knowing she heard. "Were you born blind?"

"No, I was probably in my early two-hundreds when I went blind. A priestess cursed me, but she never told me why." Saiyame's contemplative expression made me wonder if she was telling the entire truth, but I moved on anyway.

"Okay, why aren't you running into trees and tripping over logs? I knew the question was a bit too straightforward, but I didn't know how else to word it.

"Well, I can 'see' the life energy of living things. People, animals, and even plants are visible to me, though I am unable to make out distinct features or shapes. Aside from that little ability, these ears aren't just for decoration and my sense of smell surpasses that of a nin-dog's.

I nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see it, and continued the blitz of questions. I learned that Saiyame had psychic abilities, and that her telepathy was so advances that she often picked up stray thoughts without meaning to. Her favorite weapon was a long black, metal whip, which she used to enhance her lightning-based attacks when fighting was inevitable. My raikiri was nothing compared to her power. Finally, I asked the same question Saiyame had asked me. "Have you ever been in love?"

"I suppose I don't know the answer to that either," she said, jumping onto a low overhanging branch. "There was one person I knew, but I haven't seen him in a long time. We had an interesting relationship and connected well, but I don't know if it was love. He was very cold, and his aura was that of a bitter winter, yet he somehow managed to warm my soul with his presence."

I stiffened at Saiyame's answer, strangely disappointed. I clutched my head and grimaced, baring my teeth in frustration. The real question I wanted to ask Saiyame was "Why? Why am I so drawn to you? How can I be so absorbed with someone I've only known for a few hours? I wished I was back in my room so I could express my rage by breaking something of great value, but since that wasn't the case I focused on breathing deep, relaxing breaths.

"Saiyame," I said testing her name on my lips for the first time, "I have to leave now." I needed to get away from her sweet, suffocating aura or else I felt that I might fall under some irreversible spell and lose sight of my ultimate goal.

"Okay." Saiyame nodded nonchalantly as if she had been expecting this, and I didn't doubt that she was just waiting for me to say the words. "I'll see you later." She bowed her head and I uttered a hushed "goodbye" before leaving her alone in the woods.

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"What a charming young lady," Orochimaru commented when I entered his study. "I wasn't aware there were still true youkai lurking in our midst."
My blood ran cold at my master's words, though my face remained impassive. Orochimaru's gaze bore holes straight through me and I struggled not to shift uncomfortably under the intensity of it. He was waiting for a response but I didn't know what to say, nor did I feel the need to explain my actions.

"You're so cold this evening, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, rising from his battered wooden chair. I kept one hand on the rusty knob of his study door, wondering if he would allow me to leave. "I must admit, I was rather surprised at your little outburst earlier, after that spectacular show with the leaf-nin. You've never been one to scream in fury and throw a fit, so what it is about that girl, hmm?" I remained silent, my mouth clamped firmly shut to prevent me from spewing a long line of foul insults.

"Ah, I see." Orochimaru snickered, amused, and turned his gleaming eyes to a cracked mirror hanging on an otherwise empty wall. He slid one pale finger across the length of his ashy cheek, smiling wickedly at his reflection. "Just be sure that little beauty doesn't decide to bare her fangs at you. Oh, and try not to let her manipulate you too much; I don't want my precious vessel to become poisoned with compassion."

A shiver chilled my spine at the subtle threat laced with Orochimaru's "concern" for my well being. "I wouldn't dream of it," I replied monotonously, wrenching open the door and heading to my room to think.

-------------------------------

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon," Saiyame said, patting an empty space on the same boulder she sat upon when I met her yesterday.

"Neither did I," I said, taking up Saiyame's offer and sitting next to her. My heart skipped a beat as a cloud dispersed, allowing the sun to seep through the trees and bask the demon in its radiance. "What is one thing you don't really like to do?" I questioned randomly, laying back on the rock and squinting into the sun.

"Swimming, definitely." My gaze flickered to Saiyame momentarily and then back to the sun. "To me all forms of water and the sky look like huge patches of white." I smirked as her eyes widened and she spread her arms above her head to emphasize just how big these "patches" were. "Besides, if something was to happen then I couldn't just climb up onto the water's surface like you or any other shinobi can do. I don't use chakra."

I nodded, remembering Saiyame's explanation of her power. Instead of combining her physical and spiritual energy to attack, Saiyame used raw spirit energy, which made her techniques much more potent.

"I understand," I replied hazily, closing my eyes and enjoying the heat raining down upon me. I felt so at peace next to her, like I could fall into an endless slumber, but I forced myself to remain alert. Orochimaru's warning lingered in my thoughts, just on the edge of my conscious musings. A sweet tune drifted to my ears and my eyes became heavier and heavier. The thought left me as I yawned and stretch, feeling that a short nap might...be ok...

----------------------------

I awoke to the sound of wind slicing toward me and caught a kunai just shy of piercing my heart. I leapt up and locked on to my target, chucking the weapon at a nearby bush. The blade flashed in the moonlight before a second kunai met it in midair, deflecting my attack and causing both blades to crash harmlessly to the ground. I relaxed my posture and waited for Kabuto to show himself, while also searching for any sign of Saiyame in the boughs of the trees.

"Hello Sasuke-kun, I'm glad to know you were alert enough to stop my assault. It certainly appeared as though you were dozing off in the open forest, and that wouldn't have been wise for someone with as many enemies as you, don't you agree? You could have been injured."

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by Kabuto's ruse. Ever since Orochimaru had taken me in Kabuto had been jealous of me, and his tolerance for my behavior was wearing thin. He was about six years older than me and an incredibly skilled shinobi, yet my abilities had grown and surpassed his in the two years since I began my training with the Snake Sannin.

"What do you want, Kabuto?" I asked coldly, my black eyes dull and my posture unconcered. He wasn't a threat to me and we both knew it.

"Just making sure you didn't disappear off the face of the earth," Kabuto replied with a coy smile. Perspiration beaded along his neck and his silver hair clung to his face. "Orochimaru-sama was worried when you didn't return to the hideout at your usual time."

"I'm fine, now leave," I demanded, waving him off.

Kabuto bowed stiffly, smiling politely. "As you wish, Sasuke-sama."

I sighed when he was gone and plopped back down on the boulder. "I can't believe I slept the day away," I mumbled to myself, looking up at the starry sky. Usually I had trouble sleeping due to the nightmares which plagued my mind and had me waking every few hours in a cold sweat. What little sleep I did get was restless and, and it left me wondering if I would have been better off getting no sleep at all.

"Me either, you must have been exhausted." I jumped up and nearly lost my balance, but Saiyame pulled me back down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, reclaiming her seat.

"It's fine," I said, dusting myself off.

"Who was that man?" Saiyame asked, glaring into the trees where Kabuto disappeared.

"Just another one of Orochimaru's henchmen. He knows that he's expendable and the thought doesn't sit well with him."

"Hmm, his aura constantly flickers, like a snake about to strike its prey."

I snorted. "It suits him. Kabuto wasnt chosen to serve Orochimaru because of his impeccable loyalty, he was chosen because he was useful. Now that his usefulness is gone, so is his false loyalty to his master."

"Well that's very rude of him," Saiyame scoffed, flicking her tail in annoyance. "I have to leave for awhile, by the way. I'll be back in a few days, a week tops. You will be okay without me, right?" Saiyame quirked an eyebrow and it was my turn to scoff.

"I've only known you for a grand total of two days," I said, feeling a pang at the thought of her leaving despite my words. "Of course I'll be fine." Saiyame nodded, flashed me a smile, and sprinted away so fast that even my sharingan couldn't follow.

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I stood at the edge of a bleak battlefield, accompanied only by Orochimaru and probably about one hundred unconscious and wounded shinobi. My gaze was bored and my body unscathed, which was quite a feat considering I had taken them all on single-handedly.

"You're too soft, Sasuke-kun. You didn't kill any of them." Orochimaru spoke in a condescending tone, as though he was disappointed in me.

"They aren't the ones I want to kill," I responded smoothly, sheathing my katana. I knew what Orochimaru was thinking; that was obvious. I could see the gleam in his eyes; I knew how impressed he was. At the same time I knew that he thought me soft, unable to kill those who I had no quarrel with. Perhaps he was right, though, I thought, studying my handiwork. Would I have slaughtered this many innocent people if I hadn't met Saiyame just a few days ago?

"You truly are an Uchiha," said Orochimaru, looking over my handiwork a second time. I nodded absentmindedly and began my trek back to the underground hideout. Yes, I thought, I am an Uchiha. And I have nothing more to learn from you.

---------------------------------

Back in my room I reviewed every aspect of my plan, searching for flaws and preparing myself mentally for the attack. If I was going to leave Orochimaru then I would have to kill him first, and now would be the perfect time. His body was deteriorating and I could see that each day he became weaker and weaker. Kabuto wouldn't be a hassle, and Orochimaru's other followers wouldn't be able to respond to his death very quickly, since very few of them knew where the hideout was. I wanted to wait until Saiyame returned, but I didn't know exactly when that would be, or if Orochimaru would become suspicious anytime soon.

"Tomorrow," I whispered, "your end will come."

------------------------------------

I jumped through my window and headed off into the dark forest for some last minute training. I didn't want to strain myself too much and be weak enough for Orochimaru to overpower me tomorrow, but I didn't want to be unprepared either. Even in his weakened state, Orochimaru was a Sannin, one of the three strongest shinobi to come from Konoha. I couldn't risk messing up and being defeated; I had to escape immediately after I fought my master.

"I have nothing more to learn from you," I said to Orochimaru, pushing my chakra further into my masters arm.

"I figured this would happen," the Sannin snarled, shooting me an acidic glare.

"You're weak, Orochimaru. You thought you could have my eyes because you couldn't obtain my brother's, but you didn't expect me to progress so quickly with my training. I suppose I should thank you for that, at least."

"Tch, you were quite a pathetic sight to behold, it's the least I could do for you. You were weak and you sought my guidance. You sought me for power, yet you turn on me now? Is that any proper way to thank me?"

"I was weak and I did seek you, but now I have nothing to gain by giving you my body. You've tried for so long to get your hands on my clan's power, and you even created a new technique to make you "immortal" by transferring your soul to other peoples bodies. You're disgusting. You can't even begin to imagine what kind of power these eyes hold."

Orochimaru chuckled darkly, spraying blood upon the sheets covering his deceptively fragile form. "If there's one thing I can assure you of, Sasuke-kun, it is your clan's power."

I cringed inwardly at the Sannin's lustful gaze at my eyes, but my resolve prevented me from flinching. Instead I sneered, taking a bold step forward. "You're not fooling me, Orochimaru-sama. I can see the wretched beast that you truly are. Once you may have been a powerful shinobi to be feared and respected, but now you're a joke, a shadow of your former self."

I pulled my katana from its sheath and advanced on the Sannin casually. "I won't show you the same mercy that I showed those men on the battlefield yesterday. I'm afraid my reserves for compassion are all spent."

"You insolent little!"

"I leapt back as Orochimaru's shape changed and his body morphed into the horrid creature he had become.

A large white snake was sprawled out before me, lashing its body in all directions. I left the room just as Orochimaru smashed the support column in his room and the earthen ceiling came crashing down. As I entered the underground training arena the snake struck, almost swallowing me whole. I gritted my teeth, dodging at the last second and forcing my breath to come evenly, rather than in ragged bursts that might rock my body and make me lose focus.

"Will you continue to run from me, Uchiha Sasuke? Or will you stand and fight?"

I stopped, turning to face my now former sensei. Orochimaru's long black hair sprouted from the snake's head and his yellow eyes were full of bitter hatred and a lust for power. His long tongue tested the air and I was certain he could taste no fear from me.

I smirked, letting the power from my cursed seal envelop me and transform me into something more powerful. My black hair grew quickly into a smoky mane and my skin took on an ashy pallor. My face was cleared of all blemishes and my nails turned to claws in a matter of seconds. Finally two large wings, shaped like webbed hands, burst from my back and I took flight just as Orochimaru's jaws crashed through the stone floor.

"Now why would I run from you?" I mocked. "An Uchiha's power is not to be belittled." Orochimaru hissed and I whipped out my katana, slicing into the soft flesh of his underbelly. Blood spurted from the wound but I had no time to admire my handiwork, dodging right as Orochimaru's tail lashed out at me.

----------------------------------

"Is it over already?" I asked, wiping the crimson liquid from my blade. The snake sannin's tongue lolled from his mouth and his body had been sliced many times with my katana and my raikiri. The room was rather messy, with blood painting the walls and the stone flooring overturned where Orochimaru had crashed into it. I turned from the sight, disgusted, when I sensed movement behind me.

"I will not lose to the likes of you, Sasssuke-kun," Orochimaru hissed. I made the mistake of turning around and that's all it took, he had me in his grasp, squeezing all of the air out of my lungs. I gasped for breath as he lowered his gaze to stare me straight in the eyes. Not even my sharingan could help me now. "I am immortal, invincible, and you will not make a fool of me!"

An intense pain exploded in my head and I felt Orochimaru enter my consciousness. I struggled against the force of his probing, trying desperately to block out the Sannin's insane laughter. I could feel my thoughts clouding, succumbing to the gentle hiss of my former master. I pushed the pressure aside, momentarily at least, before it came crashing back down upon me. The more I struggled, the less effect there was. I was trapped and my mind was becoming Orochimaru's, and there was nothing I could do about it.

That's right Sasuke-kun; your body is mine now.

Another explosion racked my mind, though this one felt somehow pleasant. The pressure lifted almost instantly and I was flung halfway across the room. It took me a moment to regain my senses and I stumbled to my feet clumsily, grasping at the object nearest me. Only this object moved, and it wasn't scaly either...

"Uchiha-sama, are you ok?" I shook my head to clear it and groaned when I noticed that my support was Saiyame's arm. Great, just great.
"I'm fine," I mumbled.

"Good." Saiyame pursed her pale lips and glared at Orochimaru's battered form. Blood flowed from a number of wounds inflicted by myself, and others that I didn't recognize. I felt tense, standing here beside Saiyame now. She exuded an aura of power that I hadn't sensed before, and it was incredibly unnerving. I wanted to know what the demoness was thinking, but I didn't dare ask, seeing the fierce look upon her face.

This is going to be bloody, is all I could think, all I could understand. I was about to personally experience why demons were so feared, and I was silently thankful that her rage wasn't directed toward me.

With a burst of unnatural power the wind slammed into Orochimaru and pushed him through the stone wall into the next room. It took me a minute to comprehend that the "wind" had to be something else, because we were underground and the air was somewhat stale. I mulled over my earlier conversation with Saiyame, when she explained her powers, and the answer clicked. My telekinesis is just as powerful as my telepathy. If I wished to rip an opponent apart with nothing but my mind, it would be a simple task. Was I about to witness such a thing?

That question was answered all too soon as well. An agonized scream brought me back to the present and the sight was truly gruesome. Blood flowed down Orochimaru's body in rivers where chunks of flesh had been ripped from the snake's side and belly. Even as I watched, his eyes turned to mush and slivers of skin and scales lifted from his body and turned to dust. I brought my hand to my mouth, holding back bile that threatened to emerge.

"You bitch!" Orochimaru screamed, rage and anguish filling his failing voice. His throat was disappearing now, and with it his ability to speak. The process quickened, and within seconds all that was left of Orochimaru was his head, sliced and still twitching, not yet realizing it was dead.

"Let's go, Sasuke." Saiyame said, turning from the slaughter that she had caused, but could not see. I nodded, then mumbled a shaky 'ok' and quickly followed her through the hideout. I didn't remark on her casual usage of my name, or the unconscious forms of Kabuto and other sound shinobi that I passed on the way to the exit, but I was bursting with a sick curiosity that wouldn't go away.

"Saiyame?" I asked, feeling like the helpless child I was eight years ago when my family was massacred.

"I won't allow anyone to harm those who are precious to me," Saiyame said, reading my thoughts. Her voice was steely and her graceful movements now appeared predatory, after what I had witnessed. She sighed, calming down and relaxing her posture, though she didn't slow her pace. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Uchiha-sama. I consider you one of my closest friends, even if you find that hard to believe. Your quest for revenge is noble, even if your methods of attaining power to accomplish it are a bit stupid."

I huffed indignantly, reassured at the change in her demeanor. She sees me as a precious friend, I thought, wincing slightly at the unsatisfying notion. Saiyame's ear twitched and I wondered if she was aware of my distaste, but once again I failed to ask.

"If you want to destroy your brother, Uchiha-sama, I wish to aide you. I promise not to interfere unless you are in danger of dying, but that is all I can promise." The abrupt declaration caught me off guard, but the proposition was hard to refuse. I had seen the way she handled a Sannin, so easily, and I knew I would feel more comfortable and confident if she was fighting by my side. For some reason Saiyame had that effect on me...
Then again, this was my fight. Even Orochimaru feared Itachi, and for good reason. My brother was even more merciless than my former master, and his sharingan was far more developed than mine.

"That doesn't mean anything," Saiyame said, interrupting my thoughts. That kind of power cannot be used by a ningen without consequences. The Uchiha clan's power is formidable, but not invincible. Come now Uchiha-sama, you of all people should know that."

I nodded, not bothering to snap at her for reading my mind. "Mangekyou sharingan is especially flawed. With Itachi using it as much as he has over the years, he is probably losing his eyesight." I stared at Saiyame. "Then again, there's a chance that only made him stronger."

"Not everyone can handle blindness as well as I have, Uchiha-sama. Unless your brother has extensively prepared himself for this, it is possible that you could surprise him."

I nodded grudgingly, rolling my eyes at Saiyame. "I won't stop you from following, but my brother is my problem and I intend to deal with him on my own." I jumped into the nearest tree and headed out of the valley, finally ready to hunt down my brother.

------------------------------------

They found me again, as usual. No matter what I did to cover my tracks, my old teammates seemed to follow me around wherever I went. Right now I was resting in a clearing and Saiyame was off sniffing flowers or something of the sort, while Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura watched me with mixed emotions.
"You know, it's rude to interrupt someone while they're sleeping," I stated matter-of-factly, rising slowly to my feet to show them that I was not afraid.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered, causing my gaze to shift to her. I fought to keep my heartbeat calm as I stared into those watery green eyes that held me where I was. Dammit, I thought, why did I have to remember her of all people? Naruto had been my best friend and worst enemy, but Sakura was the only one to ever come close to understanding me. Even my former sensei had remained clueless to my true intentions, and he had trained me rigorously for an entire month.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, still as loud as ever. "This time I'm going to bring you back even if I have to rip you apart!"

I chuckled dryly and turned my black eyes on him. "Isn't that the same thing you said three years ago?" I shrugged my shoulders and turned my back on them, walking casually toward the surrounding forest. "I have more important matters to attend to, if you don't mind."

"Sasuke," Kakashi called. "Orochimaru's dead."

I paused, rubbing my temples like they were some small annoyance that wouldn't stop pestering me. "Of course he's dead, he wasn't worth my time anymore." My words were followed by a gasp from Naruto and Sakura, but Kakashi seemed unsurprised.

"So you killed him, then? I'm impressed."

"Well I wouldn't take all the credit," I said leaping into an overhanging branch. Or even most of it, I added as an afterthought. I disappeared into the foliage within seconds and relaxed when I didn't hear any signs of pursuit. Saiyame could catch up with me later, I had no doubt about that, but right now I just wanted to leave.

"Do you have to be so rude to them all the time?" Saiyame asked, falling in step beside me. I rolled me eyes, not having heard her approach, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Orochimaru didn't brainwash me like they might think. I made the decision to leave them because they are of no concern to me."

"Sure, and I'm not really blind. You should think up a better lie."

I snorted and shot a glare at Saiyame, once again frustrated that she couldn't see it. To be completely truthful, I didn't know what to think of them. I had spent nearly three years convincing myself that I didn't care about my teammates or anyone else in Konoha, and I had finally begun to believe it after a time. Now everything I had convinced myself to be true was unraveling, and I was beginning to feel again. I cursed silently; emotions were a dangerous thing for a shinobi to have.

"It's not a lie," I stated firmly, trying to end the discussion.

"Ok, then it's a false truth. That little flower seemed especially concerned about you; maybe you should give her a chance."

"I can't afford to give anyone a chance!" I snapped, angered that Saiyame kept pushing the subject as if she had a right to.

I only met her a few days ago, yet she spoke as if we had been friends forever. I hated the logic in her arguments, the way she seemed to draw my emotions into the open, and the power she harbored that was so much greater than mine. Most of all I hated how the wind blew her hair away from her face and gave me a perfect view of that soft, flawless skin which I longed to touch, just once. And yet, someone else yearned for me in the same way that I yearned for Saiyame, but I had always pushed her away, even when we were teammates. I wondered if that would be harder to deal with than what I felt now.

"I'm sorry," Saiyame whispered, averting her eyes and flattening her ears against her head. "It was wrong of me to say such things. You should be allowed the pleasure to believe what you wish, even if you only believe it on the very surface of your being."

"It's ok." The more I was around this magnificent creature the more my resolve crumbled. I was still firmly set on destroying Itachi, but everything else seemed to hold a new importance that I didn't want to face. I didn't want to deal with the thought of having friends who could be hurt by my sometimes rash actions, but I already knew the truth. No matter how much I pushed them away, my friends would not abandon me to myself, just as they had not abandoned me to Orochimaru. They would not allow my mistakes to destroy me so easily. They would fight for me until I was dead and then they would seek revenge.

I dropped my pace and jumped down from my tree to the solid earth. Saiyame followed, keeping her pace only slightly slower than mine. We walked in comfortable silence, taking in the peaceful atmosphere and purging those unpleasant thoughts that lingered from the earlier battle. The whole ordeal had been unbelievably surreal and I wanted only to follow the path that lead to my brother's, and possibly my own, destruction.

------------------------------

"It's going to rain soon, we should find shelter." Saiyame stated absently, turning from the forest's beaten path onto a much less noticeable one. I followed without hesitation; sure that she knew where she was going. The sky was only faintly overcast, but even my ears could make out the slight rumble of thunder in the distance, moving this way.

In about fifteen minutes Saiyame and I came to a cave almost completely hidden by a mess of brambles and vines that were crawling around its entrance. I slashed through them with my katana before entering the cave, then placed a heavy illusion around the area in case someone stumbled upon our hideout. I was surprised at how spacious and dry the place was, and grateful for the pile of wood already stacked in a corner. Without much thought I started a small fire and leaned my back against the wall, ready for some well-earned rest.

Saiyame sat on the wall opposite of me and closed her eyes without speaking. I had to stop myself from staring at her expression, which was so completely peaceful that I couldn't help but wonder how she could be so calm. I shrugged and closed my eyes as well, allowing the sounds of the rain and thunder to rock me asleep. My last thought before drifting off into unconsciousness was not of Saiyame, but of a beautiful flower that had fully bloomed after I left Konoha.

---------------------------------

I started awake at the sound of a roar that was unmistakably Naruto's. In the next moment I was on my feet and well aware that Saiyame was no longer in the cave. Grabbing my katana, I exited as well and leapt into the cover of the trees. When I was sure that my chakra was completely masked I dashed forward and crept to the edge of a branch where I could see into the fairly large clearing ahead of me.

"Where is he?!" Naruto shouted, his eyes red and his expression feral. I followed his glare with my gaze and my eyes landed on Saiyame, who happened to be on the receiving end of Naruto's anger.

Behind Naruto, Sakura studied Saiyame curiously, while Kakashi focused his sharingan on the demoness. My replacement, Sai, was off to the side looking bored, and I scoffed at the sight of him.

"I haven't a clue what you are talking about, Uzumaki-san," Saiyame stated nonchalantly. Her expression was almost as bored as Sai's, and her declaration didn't sound very convincing. I snorted derisively, knowing that Saiyame could easily convince my old teammates that she didn't know me if that is what she wanted to do.

"Dammit, where is Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted, clenching his fists and baring his teeth aggressively. His shoulders shook with suppressed rage and a bead of sweat crawled slowly down his face until it dropped to the already damp soil below.