Hope For The Future

A/N: After a little thoughtfulness, I am fully prepared for this chapter! This story is back in action and will continue now!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 2: Trickery

"How much farther?" Sakura's soft whisper reached my ears as I silently lead her and Naruto across the unmarked border between Konoha and the Country of Grass. The long, dried grass rustled ever so slightly as we moved across the plains. Although I could not detect any unforeseen enemies, I knew better than to reveal our positions. And to our disadvantage, the grass crunching beneath our feet as we walked seemed to echo around us.

If we were even a few miles away, I was positive our target or anyone, for that matter, could hear us.

This reasoning fueled my decision to simply ignore my female teammate. She would have to learn to remain silent and follow my lead before her questions became an even greater burden.

In any mission, especially this one, I could not risk anything. Careful thinking and planned out strategies would be the best choice for success. My lips quivered slightly at such a thought. Due to my past faults, such as rushing into battle without a second thought, I had grown accustomed to forgetting about everything of value and focusing only on the opponent. Surely – for once – I could

My thoughtful gaze glanced towards my former teammates, my childhood friends. The word left a bitter taste in my mouth. However, it faded away as a piercing cerulean gaze met mine.

The strangest understanding dwelled in those depths. The background of the Country of Grass disappeared and left only Naruto and I. Not a single adorned his face as well as mine. Then slowly, but surely, a smile graced his features. A knowing smile.

The moment only lasted a few seconds, enough to keep Sakura oblivious. She glanced at us once before turning her head away in silence. The pink-haired woman slowed down until she trailed behind, scanning the landscape around us.

Naruto noticed this, his eyelids drooping a little, but his attention was quickly diverted when a rustling sounded from the right of us – the north. Unconsciously, my hand found the handle of my katana. The back of my mind registered that Naruto had already drawn a kunai and Sakura clenched chakra-enhanced fists.

The once silent, but peaceful impression had soon faded away from us. Now, only remained a strained, tense atmosphere. The rustling had stopped by this time, but none of our group relaxed even the slightest.

A light wind swept past us, blowing my loose kimono as well as my cloak gently to the side. The tall grass swayed in the breeze towards the south, revealing a dark, hunched figure on the ground a few yards away. My eyes visibly narrowed as my hand drew my katana slowly – inch by inch.

My fingers twitched when a whine sounded from the hidden figure. The sound didn't match anything that could possibly come from a human. Despite my suspicions, however, I did not release my katana. This animal – or whatever it was – still was considered a threat.

Carefully watching for any movement, I silently took a step forward. Unsurprisingly, the section of prairie within my view had rustled violently for a few seconds. Before I could really comprehend its action, the small figure darted towards us. I lunged forward to meet it as I fully unsheathed my Kusanagi, but stopped short.

I heard Sakura's gasp of surprise as I turned towards my two other teammates. Their stunned expressions mixed with confusion. I could clearly see Sakura exhale a shaky breath and Naruto's eyes narrow in disbelief.

To my mild surprise, the atmosphere seemed even tenser than before.

"Pakkun." Naruto murmured softly in acknowledgement. The sound of the familiar name caused my eyes to drift towards the small shadow at Naruto's feet. Of all places, why would this animal be here? And how had it lasted all these years?

The little dog chuckled roughly once his gaze met my own. "Took you long enough, Uchiha." His raspy growls did not hold any tone of welcome or companionship as he had once possessed.

I merely ignored his statement as I glanced at Naruto once more. The Kyuubi container smiled a bitter smile. It actually looked made him seem older than his real age.

"You gonna ask the question, Sasuke?" Sakura whispered in a deadly soft tone. I could hear the pain in her voice. It was also apparent on her face as well.

"I'm sure you're dying to know…" Her voice faded away as Naruto silenced her with a glance. I resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at her in inquiry. What question could that—

Right then, understanding was more powerful than I ever thought it to be.

"Where is Kakashi?" I asked abruptly. The words escaped my mouth before I could even think.

Pakkun's jaw clenched and unclenched tightly as Naruto opened his mouth to speak. However, Sakura stepped forward before Naruto could pronounce one syllable.

"Sasuke." As she murmured, a strange feeling of anxiety and tension overwhelmed me. I had the worst urge to silence her before she could say anymore. I could already sense something unfortunate had happened to Kakashi while I was gone. Unfortunately, I only remained motionless.

Pakkun only continued to watch me through hooded, old eyes. Observing me as I learned the truth about Kakashi's location throughout this entire mission.

Although the question had been in the back of my mind, I had never really cared if it was answered or not. Now, as Sakura's dreadful words finally were spoken, I found myself regretting such carelessness.

"Kakashi…" I could already feel my eyes widening in anticipation.

"He's dead, Sasuke."

"A few years ago…" Pakkun murmured quietly. "Kakashi received a reconnaissance mission that consisted of gathering information on the Akatsuki's latest movements. Due to limited shinobi at the time, Tsunade-sama allowed him to leave alone while she gathered a separate team to join with him." He ignored Sasuke's eyes narrowing at the word 'Akatsuki'.

Throughout the beginning of the explanation, Naruto's and Sakura's gazes closely observed the Uchiha. Each gaze held concern as well as curiousity. It was if both of his former teammates were wondering how he would react to the news. And he had noticed.

"Fortunately, Kakashi-sama had summoned me during this for the purpose of tracking. However..." Everyone could hear the delay behind his words. The anxiety as well as the tension was building up between the small group. A deep sigh escaped Pakkun.

"Instead of tracking Akatsuki movements or discovering their hideout, we found something more deadly than we expected to find." Naruto's hands clenched painfully together. "Kakashi, I, and the other dogs found the leader of the dangerous organization, Pein, with several other members. But…"

"They were not the problem we thought we would have to face." Sasuke stepped forward once, his shadow covering the ninja dog. Disbelief was etched into his usual impassive expression.

"You expect me to believe that something else was even more so possibly dangerous at that time?" Pakkun blinked at him in slight surprise at the amount of words that left the stoic Uchiha, but avoided the question altogether.

"You are young, boy. You wouldn't know what lies behind the enemies that bring themselves into the light." Pakkun cocked his head at an odd angle. "Do you actually believe the Akatsuki are the only ones who are a danger to us? That only a few criminals exist in this world—ones that gradually or immediately show themselves?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. The ancient-like animal was talking to him as if he was some ignorant child. And to his knowledge, Sasuke knew more risks than this mere pet.

"I did not—"

"You were so busy trailing after your brother that you did not wake up to reality, Sasuke." Pakkun barked roughly, as he stared up at the frozen man. "Just because your little universe stopped, it did not mean reality would also."

Sakura started to murmur something to Sasuke's defense, but Naruto silenced her with a glance. She flinched before moving away a few feet. A hand on her shoulder was enough to keep her within reaching distance as Naruto turned towards Pakkun.

"We must leave soon. Hurry up or don't finish it at all." Naruto muttered as a warning. Pakkun snorted softly in response, but ended up turning to Sasuke.

"Before I was rudely interrupted…" As Pakkun began to talk, Sakura's attention faltered as she noticed a strange gleam in his eye. She glanced towards Naruto and Sasuke, trying to subtly see if they had as well. Sasuke's own glance met hers with the same understanding.

Yes, he had definitely seen that familiar gleam. It held a sense of accomplishment and trickery. Sasuke's eyes widened a slight fraction as his hand tightened against the handle of the katana. At one second, the katana was unsheathed and another was spent racing towards Pakkun.

The little dog blinked at him in mild surprise before dodging towards the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. An uncharacteristic growl left his lips as his body shivered violently. "Sasuke!"

Naruto's yell stopped short when Sakura held a hand up for silence. Even though she continued to watch the dog, she spoke softly in a warning tone. "We have been tricked, Naruto." The words were in such a low tone, the Kyuubi-container had to listen even harder despite his well-trained ears.

Once the words registered in his mind, his cerulean gaze transferred to the bristling animal a few yards away. The normally charcoal colored irises were now a bright golden and the pupil was shaped in a small slit. Slowly, as if watching a twisted, sick show, Naruto felt his eyes widen as he stumbled back.

No longer was the 'animal' on four feet, but instead, in a hunched over form. The hind legs were growing at an incredible, disturbing rate. The brown hair had already disappeared without a trace—as if it had all been cut, but no strands or stubbles were left behind on the ground or the body. The color of bare skin was lightening from a dark shade of brown to a deathly pale.

Sasuke desperately wished to move, but found himself motionless as the transformation continued. It was truly one of the most disturbing sights possible in existence—and he had seen quite a few. At the back of consciousness, he could feel himself wondering why Sakura hadn't screamed. Or why Naruto hadn't lunged forward or—or—

"What gave me away, Sasuke-kun?" An unnatural murmur sounded from the hunched figure. It sent shivers down his spine as he watched through tension and anxiety. It didn't occur to him that such a monster could show himself this way. Not even back when this man used to train him, to actually help him, but that all seemed lost to him now.

The thing was straightening now, long black hair shielding any possibility of seeing its face. Clear, sticky ooze stuck to the forearms, legs, and much more of its body. It cracked its neck several times, as it became fully erect, its hair following it with every motion. Finally, the hair parted and one eye was visible.

Sasuke finally heard something from his former teammates.

Something he hadn't ever wished to hear.

Naruto collapsed to the ground with pained expression as his body numbed beyond mobility. His mouth formed a grim frown as his teeth clenched together in frustration. The brilliant cerulean gaze glazing over as the light died from within the depths of the irises.

Sakura forcibly choked off a scream as she bit her tongue. Her body violently convulsed in spasms as its owner's eyes moistened with pain and anger. A kunai was already in her shaking hand, growing dangerously close to her thigh as she fought the numbness. It was obvious she was losing the fight with her inner self as her arm slowly dropped towards the ground.

Sasuke, however, didn't seem physically affected. His hardened crimson eyes were narrowed on the being in front of him. Tension appeared to crackle around him as Sasuke took a certain step towards the moving figure.

"You haven't done enough, have you…" Naruto roared at the man with dark red beginning to touch the edges of his irises. His limbs shakily moved as he fought against the numbness rendering him helpless.

A hand nonchalantly brushed the hair away from the transformed being's face. It was a slow motion; its owner pleasuring himself with the pain the Uchiha in front of him was enduring. Surely enough, the face finally came into view and it automatically became the center of attention.

An earth-shattering growl erupted from Naruto as he protested loudly. He didn't want Sasuke to have to look upon the most evil, sadistic creature in existence. Especially, especially… Naruto gulped down air harshly as the sentence left him.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? Aren't you glad to see me?" Sasuke's eyes finally moved from the golden eyes as his gaze slowly ventured outside the sick, piercing gaze. The high cheekbones with a strong jaw line and those unexplainable strange, but complementing lines just above the once tanned cheeks. The closest, possible expression to a smirk adorned the calm, impassive face.

So familiar…

Sasuke's lips twitched slightly at the familiarity as undeniable hope whispered past him.

However, as the moment soon came to pass, Sasuke felt it all shatter with those golden eyes as he focused upon the entire facial expression instead of just the small, recognizable details. The wisdom that once resided in those eyes was now gone forever. Not a single trace of crimson or the most tormenting, yet magnificent doujustu technique, the Sharingan, was even visible now.

And yet, Sasuke knew that those weapons of destruction were not completely lost.

"I—I…" His lips were proving quite a challenge to move as he tried to form words. The most important object in the world was right in front of him now, and he was unable to even speak. The grief—and the shock—was finally raining down in one harsh, immobilizing storm.

Sakura felt the binds of numbness beginning to loosen after much struggle. She had just enough of an opening to break her free. With a frustrated cry of effort, Sakura's hand came down onto her thigh. The kunai pierced the skin—the blood splattering against her hair and cheeks.

The pain was enough to send her scrambling to her feet just as the monster blurred out of sight. Her eyes widened when he abruptly appeared in front of Sasuke before she could react. The hand without the kunai reached forward in vain as her feeble attempt failed to move Sasuke out of the way.

"Sasuke!"

As her harsh cry pierced the sky, several of Sasuke's ribs cracked loudly. Sasuke didn't cringe, but she could see the light returning to his crimson colored eyes. However, his body did stumble back several paces—the monster gripping his kimono tightly. A sadistic smile graced the man's lips.

Sasuke felt blood bubble to his lips, but all of attention became lost as his eyes met the familiar features. The sadistic smile and golden eyes didn't really match the big picture, but maybe it was just his imagination… All those meetings and memories seemed to form into one as each individual piece blew past him like a tornado's winds would whip past whoever was unfortunate enough to be caught in such a storm.

In order to overcome your barriers, you and I have to continue living together.

"You're not here anymore…" Sasuke's words were barely audible, even for him. He was sure the imposter before him couldn't have heard him.

Even if it means hating each other.

Because that's what being an older brother means.

Just as those words became clear in his mind, Sasuke awoke from the numbness. That wasn't him. The real older brother that had once existed wouldn't treat him like this, even if it meant to help Sasuke grow. The real Uchiha prodigy wouldn't have been vaguely interested in him, let alone spend enough time to dispose of Sasuke.

"You are not Uchiha Itachi." The Sharingan finally flashed to life as his eyes focused on the enemy in front of him. The suppressed anger was laced into his words and he could feel the power boiling in his veins. His mind had finally grasped that the man before him may be able to display himself of such a valued person, but that didn't change the facts.

Uchiha Itachi was dead—and no longer existed in this physical world.

'Itachi' smiled sweetly; a trait so uncharacteristic that it was truly frightening. He laughed softly in a low tone, the laugh not even matching the same one from Sasuke's childhood. Amusement was clearly displayed upon his face as the chuckles rang out across the plains.

"Why, brother, how could you say such a thing?" The playfulness and innocence presented Sasuke the urge to rip the imposter's head off. The thought of blood seemed even more pleasurable than it ever had before—even after the Uchiha Massacre. The sight, the smell…Oh, it would be wonderful.

Naruto blinked at the immediate presence of bloodlust. His eyes widened as he struggled against the paralysis. Although Sasuke was finally gaining the right idea, Naruto would not allow him to destroy his brother's body. The outcome would be even more traumatizing than needed or desired.

"Your charade ends now…"

"Orochimaru."

The Sanin smirked widely, obviously pleased by Sasuke's understanding. He lifted Sasuke up by his kimono, the sleeve slipping off his left shoulder slightly.

"That's good to hear, Sasuke." He raised an eyebrow with mischief as Sasuke slightly frowned in annoyance and anger. "I just beginning to wonder when you would finally stand your ground." With those words said, Orochimaru allowed his hand release Sasuke's neck.

Naruto felt relief for about a fifth of a second, but it was soon shattered.

An earth-shattering crack echoed throughout the plains as Sasuke gasped out in pain. Blood dribbled down his lips as his body throttled towards the small huddle of trees a little less than a mile away. Several of the trees in the small area broke apart, blocking the view of the fallen Uchiha. The ground vibrated softly beneath the remaining teammates' feet.

There was no sound reaching them from the small forest area after the vibrations faded away.

"Now…who would like to join Sasuke next?" Orochimaru glanced over the remaining teammates, his black hair swaying slightly. Itachi's face seemed ever more present as the smirk grew in width. The lines stretched slightly and lips curved to sickly complement the rest of the facial expression.

Sakura stepped forward, causing 'Itachi' to acknowledge her with a sweeping glance. A perfect eyebrow arched in interest. The grave determination in her emerald eyes was enough to catch his attention, let alone her tense stance and the flaring chakra circulating throughout her body.

A growl of protest sounded from behind her, but she ignored it. Sakura knew she was fully capable of defending herself. She didn't need anyone to protect her any longer.

"Very well then…Sakura-chan."

Naruto struggled to his knees with much effort. The numbness was finally fading away.

Glancing from Sakura to the last sight of Sasuke, Naruto tried to sense any chakra signature from Sasuke's direction, but found none. His teeth grinded together in frustration at the Uchiha's disappearance. All that training and the bastard can't even recover quickly from a mere punch? God, all Naruto and his team seemed to have is disadvantages lately.

Orochimaru lunged forward, his eyes flashing with amusement. Sakura dodged narrowly to the side, away from the blade in his outstretched hand. Swiftly moving around him as they exchanged a few punches and kicks, Sakura silently drew chakra into her hands until they glowed a bright blue.

The opponent sensed it immediately and chuckled softly. Such an impatient child.

He glanced over his shoulder, observing her calculated movements as she maneuvered her body quickly towards him. His hand tightened on the handle of the katana immediately with a confident smirk gracing his—Itachi's—lips. Orochimaru whirled around, skillfully twirling the blade in his hand as he started towards Sakura.

However, his plans were stopped short as cerulean eyes caught his vision. Not only that familiar color, but a sudden swirling wind blowing his black hair towards the man before him. The sudden burst of wind, the flashing lights of blue, and of course—his mouth opened slightly in disgust—that large source of chakra.

Naruto grinned as if to mock Orochimaru just as Rasengan surged forward into the snake-like Sanin's stomach. He felt a strong churning force start spinning him until he was forced backwards several yards away, slamming into a rock roughly. The large boulder indented at the strength of impact.

Orochimaru found himself trying retain his focus once more as Naruto spoke.

"No one here is dying today…"

"Except you."

A/N: Thank goodness I finished this chapter! I honestly thought it would take forever to complete and finally upload. Wow...Did anyone see that coming? :)

Several things irked me in this chapter, but I fixed them to my liking a little. The transformation between Pakkun to 'Itachi' was a strange mix in the fanfiction, but I felt that Orochimaru would do that sort of thing just to freak everyone out. Ooh...maybe not appropriate for a 'T'-rated story. It should do for now though.

Anyways, did Sasuke stay in character at all? I surely hope so.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and is looking forward to the last two chapters!! I would love to hear what you guys thought of this update.

Until next update,

SharinganAnbuSakura