Chapter Nineteen: Gone

Sasuke needed Rei now. The more he thought about what the Sound ninjas said, the more he was tempted by the power, the more revenge seemed important to him. Their words replayed in his head. Remember your purpose. Shaken by the fight, he could only stare down at his hands, and all the anger came back in a fury. He didn't want to be consumed by this feeling but…but he couldn't control it. He couldn't stand being weak.

He started to run. Run back to the village - to Rei. Her surgery should be over now and she would probably be at the hospital or at –

"Sasuke...Uchiha?"

He didn't want to stop, but it was a familiar woman's voice that said his name…her voice covered in pity. "Yeah?" he replied, his voice trembling with anger still. He had to dig his nails painfully into his palm to suppress the urge to get away from the Hokage. And then he realized who he was talking to. The anger in his face broke and urgently he asked, "Where is she – where's Rei? Is she still at the hospital?"

Tsunade looked away.

Something is wrong. His heart dropped, and he felt cold all over. "Wait…why are you here?" His voice started shaking now, his thoughts scrambling. Worst case scenario, the medicine didn't work and she would still be sick but that would be okay because –

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

No.

"Something went wrong and…and her body rejected the medicine. Violently."

"No," he repeated shaking his head, eyes wide, not listening to her. She's lying…this – this can't be happening. "You're lying! Where is she? Where is she?" Sasuke grabbed the lady, shaking her arm but nothing but regret flashed in her eyes as she squeezed them shut and looked away guiltily from the boy.

All he could think about was the eyes of those that told him his parents were dead. His aunts, his uncles. Everybody - dead.

And now, truly everyone was.

His black eyes searched her face for…something, an indication that would prove his thoughts otherwise and that Rei was all right…but there was none. And then he was numb as the truth dawned to him, the devastation clear in his eyes. He didn't feel anything any more, nothing but the tightness around his chest and the bitter sting behind his eyes. His fingers slipped and his hands dropped to his side.

"She's…she's dead?" Sasuke breathed, his voice so quiet and broken that it pained Tsunade to hear it. He's so young...they're all so young to be feeling all of this now. His hands shook as he reached inside his pocket and when he pulled out the chain, the ice was melted. It was gone.

Rei was gone.

0-0

Kakashi found himself walking along the moonlit path out of the hospital, alone in the middle of the night and feeling nothing but the wind on his face as one finger dragged down the tip of his mask down to his chin. The air was cool on his face. His bare, unhidden face.

No one was around anyway, and he needed to breathe.

He had lost his student.

And the pain he had thought he would never feel again came crashing back to him.

0-0

Sasuke stared at the picture, feeling the pull of gravity oddly strong, as if his heart was being pushed down. It was a picture of the five of them – Sakura and even Kakashi smiling. But it was nothing compared to Rei's. Even somehow the camera managed to capture the brightness of her eyes, the general flow that she carried. He couldn't look at that picture anymore and know that he will never see those eyes again. He turned it over.

Then he looked down into his hands at the headband. He had planned to give it to Rei, or exchanged it - whatever. Either way, it was for Rei. The headband was hers - a symbol of the Konoha he would stay for, because of her. With her. But she was gone now, and he would never wear the metal plate on his forehead ever again.

She's gone…Rei's dead.

It didn't matter how much times he said it. He couldn't believe it, it wasn't real yet.

But the pain was. The only way to even attempt to forget the pain was to leave behind the village. He couldn't stay here another minute. Any chance he had of forgetting about his revenge and moving on died along with Rei. He walked out of the village and saw the other girl in front of him. "It's the middle of the night, what are you hanging around here for?"

"This is the only road out of the village," Sakura stated sadly and then she caught the sight of his backpack and immediately panicked.

"You should go to bed." He walked away from her, away from the village and for a moment he thought she would let him go but he was so very wrong. One moment, it was calm and normal - and it all shattered as she started shouting, started crying.

"Why Sasuke? Why won't you ever tell me anything? Why is it always silence with you – you've never shared a single thing –"

"Why should I tell you anything?" Sasuke said quickly, cutting her off. He wondered how he could sound so cruel when he felt so dead inside. "Just keep your nose out of my business, it's none of your concern."

She didn't give up, her green eyes desperate and muddled with tears as she reached out for him. "I know you hate me, even in the beginning you could never stand me. Remember? Back when we made genin and we were assigned to our four man squad? We were alone together for the first time right here in this very spot. You got so mad at me that day..." A life before Rei.

"I don't remember that."

He heard a soft gasp and she was crying again. "Yeah, sure, it was so long ago, right? But still, that was the day when it all began. It was the start of you and me…and Naruto, and Rei," his heart stopped at the sound of her name, "…and Kakashi sensei. The five of us started going on mission, it was rough back then. Every day was such a challenge but...more than anything, it was so much fun."

He remembered – he so clearly remembered being out late at night with his squad after a long day. He remembered clearly how happy Rei was the first time she stayed with them throughout the entire mission, the way she curled up against at him at night under the stars. All that felt like years ago, but he remembered each moment with her as if they were infinities.

"I know about your clan, Sasuke, I do. But seeking revenge…that won't bring anyone happiness. No one at all. Not you, and not me." But it had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with the fact that Rei was dead and Itachi was alive. With his first reason of living gone, he had to go to the second. It was as simple as that.

"I knew it." He smirked, playing the cold-hearted ninja to cover up the broken one. Correction: the re-broken one. "I'm not the same as you. I'm travelling a path the rest of you can't follow." He stopped, thinking about Rei again. "I know that the five of us have worked together and for a while I thought I could take that road instead. But," but Rei, he didn't say, "in the end, I've decided on revenge." He was lying now, but he just wanted to leave this village soon. The longer he stayed, the more overwhelmed he felt. "That's always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you and Naruto."

This got a reaction out of her. "Don't do this, Sasuke, you don't have to be alone! You told me that day how painful a thing solitude can be." Her voice was begging, pleading for him to stay. "I understand that pain now. I have a family and friends but...if you were gone, Sasuke, it would be the same thing for me as being all alone!" No, she won't understand, she never will. She had never truly lost anyone, not the way he had. She wouldn't understand this pain until tomorrow morning, when Kakashi would quietly tell them that Rei...Rei -

"This is a new beginning." Forget about me, so I can forget about Konoha. "Each of us has a new path lying before us." He walked away from her and yet she started shouting all over again.

"Sasuke, I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it!" she cried out desperately. Love? "If you would only be with me, I promise, I'd never let you regret it. Every day would be a joy. I can give you happiness. I'll do anything for you Sasuke, so please… I'm begging you - don't walk away! I'll even help you get your revenge. I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen, I swear! So stay here…with me. And if you can't, then take me with you, Sasuke!"

His fist tightened. How could she be so clueless to think that he would want any of that with her? He wanted to tell her everything that was wrong with what she said - that he didn't want her, that he didn't want happiness, that he didn't want to stay, that she couldn't do anything. He wanted to tell her up front how desperate she was, how repulsive the idea of his teammate coming along with him to hunt down Itachi was...but then he saw Rei in the back of his eyelids, smiling, thanking him for everything and he stopped immediately.

It was because Sakura cared for him that she was acting like this. He reminded himself that.

"You haven't changed." Then again, maybe she needed something rude to wake her up from the delusion. "You're still annoying."

Sensing his determination to leave now, Sakura resorted to threats. She had to make him stay – she really had no idea what to do if Sasuke was to leave, she couldn't even imagine that possibility. "Don't leave me! If you go, I'll scream and –"

"Sakura." He cut her off, appearing right behind her. He was tired of this stupid game. He was wasting more time, staying here and not pursuing something instead. He had no direction without Rei, except the one towards his brother.

Remembering the last word Rei said to him, Sasuke said quietly: "Thank you…for everything." And like Rei, he was leaving too - forever.

Let's just start by saying, I AM SORRY. The last update was less than 300 words, but got a heck load of reviews! It had to happen, guys. I really looked forward to that point when I was writing about the story.

I'm not sure if "enjoy" would be the right word, but still...hope you like this update!