Sasuke got to his room and slammed the door. His room was dark and dusty. He flicked on the light. It's just as he left it… just dusty. Sasuke coughed as dust stirred into the air. He sat on his bed and noticed the face-down picture frame. He fixed it upright. He smiled at the old picture of them as kids when they were assigned to Kakashi. Guilt hit him again… it's all his fault the team got split up. Sasuke sighed, staring at his annoyed face.
He placed the picture frame of him and Itachi next to it. He was laughing in the picture, but he couldn't remember why he was laughing… something about Itachi. He racked his brain, but couldn't remember. Instead, needles of pain stabbed his mind again and he muffled his screams into his dusty pillow.
After the pain subsided, Sasuke dusted his room, cleaning it up. He went to sleep in his bed finally, seeping into the mattress.
The next morning, Sasuke surprised himself by walking toward his district, to the lake. Sasuke stood on the deck, waiting for Namikaze.
"Sasuke!" he heard the voice of Namikaze call out. Sasuke turned his head toward him. Sasuke looked out at the lake, the same lake he had learned the fireball jutsu at. Sasuke did the signs and thought, iKaton: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!/i He blew out a big fireball above the lake, illuminating the place.
Suddenly, he was seven years old again. Sasuke watched his father walking away, but instead of saying 'You are my son indeed', Namikaze said, "That was awesome!"
Sasuke smiled sadly. "Namikaze-kun, what is your chakra style?"
"I don't know," he said with a shrug. Sasuke stared at the lake in silence. Namikaze sat next to him, lapping his toes in the water.
Sasuke jumped out onto the water and motioned for Namikaze to come.
"You want to keep a constant chakra flow to your feet," Sasuke said. Namikaze stepped out hesitantly, one foot after the other. He stood for a few seconds then smiled.
"I did—whoa!" Namikaze splashed into the cold lake. Sasuke chuckled; he actually chucked! Namikaze sputtered when he surfaced, a scowl on his face. Sasuke pulled him up.
"Concentrate," Sasuke told him, "focus on the chakra at the soles of your feet."
They continued training throughout the day. At last, Namikaze was reaching his limit. Sasuke was impressed. iHe's great for a four-year-old!/i Sasuke thought. Namikaze held his hands in a tiger sign, charging his chakra.
Namikaze fell into the water once more. Sasuke waited for him to submerge, but Namikaze didn't come up. Sasuke dived in immediately, looking for the little body. Namikaze was passed out, floating lower, bubble escaping from his mouth. Sasuke swam quickly, scooping up the kid. Just as he was about to break through the surface, he had another mental strike. Sasuke's arm shook, but he clung onto the kid, blindly swimming up. He brought his arms to the deck and set Namikaze down. His body shook, pain shooting through his head. Sasuke clutched his head, as his body dropped into the depths of the water, his lungs gasping for air, eyes shut tight. Suddenly, a hand grasped his arm, propelling him upwards.