The Past That Repeats Itself – Chapter Three

Sasuke didn't move. He stood there looking at the ground while single tears rolled down his cheeks. His breathing wasn't changed and there were no sobs, like Suigetsu would have expected from the tears, but he could clearly see the Uchiha's hands shaking. Suigetsu looked at the floor for a moment to control his thoughts. He couldn't think properly seeing Sasuke like this. Heck, he couldn't think properly any time he saw Sasuke. He looked up in time to see Sasuke's fist fly forward and collide with his face before it all went black.

* * *
Karin followed close behind Juugo, but stayed behind as to not get stepped on by the larger man. They made their way quickly down the hall after Karin had told Juugo that she felt an explosion from Sasuke's chakra. Sure enough, when they got back to the hallway where their room was, Suigetsu was lying in the middle of the floor out cold, with a fat lip. Juugo picked him up and carried him inside the small room. Karin was always amazed at how Suigetsu was able to be so strong, when he looked so small and thin. It didn't help that in this case, he was being carried by an abnormally large man that would dwarf anyone who stood beside him.

Suigetsu looked small and quite helpless as Juugo sat him down on the bed roll and looked sadly over to his female team mate with worry in his eyes. Karin and Juugo found they were able to get along quite well. Maybe it was being polar opposites that helped them balance each other out or maybe it was the fact that Karin knew much about Juugo, having been his warden before, and Juugo was able to understand Karin because to be honest, she was quite simple minded. In any case, Karin closed her eyes and searched for the chakra of their now missing team mate. Juugo examined Suigetsu.

"Hey, Karin, you're a medic ninja, right?" Karin opened her eyes and looked over to Juugo who was leaning over his small friend.

"I guess so, yeah." She answered. As much as she disliked Suigetsu, he kept things interesting and actually fought hard for her when it had come to that. He was loyal too, and if he was able to make Sasuke happy, she would have to help him. "What's the matter?" She walked over and knelt down across from Juugo with Suigetsu's head just in front of her knees.

"I dunno." He answered. "I'm no professional but I can't understand why just a hit to the face would knock him out." Karin pondered this as she examined Suigetsu.

"Don't worry about him. He'll be fine. He's always fine." Juugo looked up at her with wide eyes. As horrifying as Juugo could be when he was on a rampage, he was really sweet and caring most other times. She was often amazed at the amount of care and patience he had for his small friend. "Sasuke just jolted his body with an excess amount of chakra. He should be fine shortly. It's a technique not widely known to non-medic Nins but I'm sure he must have picked it up from Kabuto. He changed it slightly to be more personal by basically harboring his chidori."

Juugo nodded and looked almost relived. Karin stood up and cast one last look down at Suigetsu. "I'm going out to look for Sasuke. Keep an eye on this one okay? A shock of chakra like this can be rough on the body even without the extra power from the chidori. I don't know how he will react to it."

"I'll take care of him. That I can do." Juugo smiled. Karin turned to leave the room but stopped when Juugo spoke up again. "Be careful okay?" Karin looked back at him and knew he was worried. He always worried. She smiled and nodded before leaving the room.

* * *

Sasuke was around. Suigetsu could feel it and wondered why they would be in such a place. It was like hatred and suffering was seeping up through the ground all around where he walked. Suigetsu hid behind the tree to catch his breath. He didn't even know why he was hiding; all he knew was that he couldn't escape the horror that kept flaring up in his chest. Suddenly, a hand came around the tree and clamped onto his mouth. He but down, glad he had sharp teeth again, but couldn't pierce the skin. It was a really dark color. Sasuke's katana was pressed onto Suigetsu's neck, causing him to yelp into the hand. Suigetsu's head was pulled backwards into the tree causing tears to prick at his eyes as his head spun. Suddenly, he smelt it. It was calming and reassuring. It was Sasuke. He was alright. Sasuke was near. Sasuke would help him.

Sasuke's face peered around the tree and looked at Suigetsu from only an inch away. Suigetsu screamed in to the hand and try to look away but having the image burned into his mind. Sasuke's face was a dark almost brown, almost grey, color that he couldn't describe, and his hair was long and white. His eyes were black pits, as blood flowed freely, like tears, down his face. There was no expression on his face. He looked dead and emotionless. His smell changed and now smelled rotted. It was the same sweet smell but there was something sour to it.

Sasuke pressed the blade into Suigetsu's throat. Suigetsu tried to yell but felt his lungs fill with his own blood as Sasuke dragged the blade deep into his skin and his throat. His chest burned as the hot fluid replaced what should have been air. He knew he should have been dead by now. Anyone would know that when half the blood in their body was pouring down their chest and pooling around their feet and in their lungs. And even though he could feel it leaving his body more forcefully every time his heart pounded, he was still alive.

Sasuke withdrew the blade and positioned it tip first on Suigetsu's chest. Sasuke drove the blade in agonizingly slowly as the young boy started sobbing. Sasuke didn't even waver when Suigetsu began coughing blood onto his hand. He looked at his hand and withdrew it from the smaller boy's mouth. Suigetsu had no energy left to yell out and every time he had tried, only blood escaped his lips. Sasuke stopped and licked the blood off his fingers before slamming the blade directly through Suigetsu's heart. He felt it pierce though. It was the exact same feeling he had before Sasuke had punched him. Heartbreak.

* * *

Juugo was pacing incessantly around the room biting his nails as another strangled cry came from Suigetsu's lips. The larger man walked over and took the cloth off his friend's forehead to replace it with a cooler one. Suigetsu's body was covered in sweat and was shaking. And as it had many times before, it stopped and Suigetsu's body stopped and relaxed. Tears continued to flow down his face though. 'The effects of Sasuke's Jutsu are causing Suigetsu's nightmares. It'll be over soon…' Juugo repeated it to himself a few times as Suigetsu started to sweat again.

Every time a nightmare ended, a new one began almost instantly. Juugo wiped a tear off his face, horrified at seeing his friend so distressed, before standing up and resuming his pacing. Even though he did everything he could to distract himself from the worry for his best friend, and even for Sasuke who had rescued him from Orochimaru's cage and taken care of them, Juugo still found that he was unable to stop the tears that slid down his cheeks.

* * *

Sasuke threw another stone into the water as the images continued to attack his mind. Pictures of Sakura as he left Konoha, Naruto as he lay down defeated, Itachi and his dead parents, among others flashed behind his eyelids every time he blinked. He hurled another rock and yelled out at no one in particular and began kicking stones into the water. He didn't know who he was so angry at, or even why he was so angry, he just was. His thoughts went to Suigetsu and Sasuke knew he would be the best person to cheer him up, but that wasn't an option for him.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned around on his heels. Sasuke kicked the ground as he walked over to the edge of the trees that met the shoreline. He sat down at the base of a tree and just let the pictures come. He was tired. Tired of fighting the memories. Tired of chasing after Itachi and tired of just always loosing. He buried his face in his hands and let himself cry for the third time ever since he lost everything. He didn't sob though. And his body didn't shake the way he had seen other peoples. The tears just fell down his cheeks and disappeared into the ground.

Sasuke heard a noise coming from his left and pretended not to notice until the person was close enough that Sasuke stuck his katana out and let the very tip sit just in front of the person's throat. He heard a familiar yelp and looked up to see Karin leaning away from the blade with her hands up in surrender blushing slightly as usual.

He sighed, wondering if there were anyone in the world he would rather not see, and placed the blade back in its case with a click. Sasuke let his head hang back down between his knees as she came towards him. The grass ruffled softly as she sat down beside him. She looked at the tear streaks on his cheeks and felt her own cheeks heat up anew.

Karin opened her mouth to say something but no words came to her. She shut her mouth and rested her head on her knees. Sasuke felt as though he should tell her to get lost or use the situation to his advantage somehow but he just couldn't think of what to say. He leaned to the side and rested his head on her shoulder. Karin lifted her arm and draped it over his shoulder. As much as she knew that she could easily make him fall for her using her amazing charm, she didn't want to. It was a strange thing for her to think but she had to admit that he and Suigetsu made a very sweet couple.

"He really does care for you, you know." Sasuke lifted his head and looked at her.

"I don't need him. I don't need anyone. He would just get in the way anyway…" Sasuke put on a stoic expression and looked away. He felt Karin's arm move just before it came back and hit him in the back of the head. "What the hell was that for! Did you forget whose group this is!" Sasuke had jumped away from her and glared at her as she spoke.

"Baka…" He opened his mouth to retort as he stepped towards her but she hit him again.

"Alright! Cut it out!" Sasuke cowered slightly with his hands over his head and his eyes wide in disbelief and shock. Karin just looked at him. He looked kinda vulnerable like that. Sasuke saw her expression change and prepared to fight back if tried to hit him again but instead she just laughed. Sasuke fixed his posture and replaced his expression while he waited for her to finish, and spoke as she wiped tears away from her eyes.

"I could kill you, you know." He looked up at her with menacing eyes that always came before his use of the sharingan. Sasuke was dead serious and Karin knew it but she just shook her head and leaned back against the tree.

They both just stood there for a while. Karin looking up at the clouds that drifted around in the sky, and Sasuke following her gaze.

"Is this really what you want to do now?" Sasuke looked back at Karin who was now standing in front of him. Of course he had heard her coming but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and let her think she could be sneaky for once.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and stood casually.

"Do you want to let this pass? Do you really want to just walk away? Can't you just let yourself be happy for once and not over think everything? Have you ever wondered why Suigetsu and I never got along? I didn't know what he felt for you but I knew I had to compete with him for something. And that something was you Sasuke. He cared for you long before that stupid bet. We just wanted you to pick someone that you would be happy with. When he told Juugo, I overheard and… I… we just want to help you. That what team Hebi is all about. We just… " Karin trailed off and took a shaky breath.

Sasuke looked away. He knew he had acted rashly and he had been hoping Suigetsu was okay, against his better judgment that he should just leave them all. He knew he didn't want to. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and everyone else had been important to him, sure. Leaving had been a tough decision, but logically, it was necessary. Now, he didn't think he could leave, and it was beyond logical reasoning. The reason that he stayed with them was because this was where he belonged.

Sasuke let the world come back into focus and realized that Karin was inches away from his face. He pouted at her to show his displeasure at the motion but she just smiled.

"Epiphany much?" Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck feeling sheepish.

"Just a bit." He smiled, armed with his knew found knowledge and placed a kiss on her cheek. She blushed a very deep pink and he smiled thinking how impressed he was that he could make both Karin and Suigetsu react like that.

"Time to go back to the others?" Karin's voice didn't waver as much as Sasuke thought it would after all the chasing she had done to get him. But he found himself not caring as he nodded. "Race you there!" Karin took off and Sasuke rolled his eyes before following, slightly reluctant, feeling that this wouldn't end well for him.

Every step he took forward now seemed like a step away from Konahakagure. That was the past and he was ready to move forward now. He didn't want to have to run away from these people. He wouldn't let it happen again. He ran full speed, after Karin, which was weird, but nevertheless, towards Juugo… and Suigetsu as well.

* * *

Karin actually did manage to beat Sasuke back to the inn and was waiting for him at the front doors. She grinned when he showed up and he threw his arms up in defeat. She just giggled as they made their way back to the room. As they walked, they talked and Sasuke found himself struggling not to run. He wanted to see Suigetsu again.

When they got to their room, there was no Suigetsu ready to jump into Sasuke's arms and apologize. There was no Juugo to high-five Karin for the success of reuniting the team. There was no Suigetsu at all. Juugo was out cold and the door was wide open. Karin ran over to Juugo and grabbed the damp cloth off the floor that had been used for Suigetsu and started cleaning the blood off his face.

When he came to, he saw Karin and tears came to his eyes. He started mumbling incoherently.

"Juugo. What's the matter? Speak up." Sasuke was pacing but stopped when he heard Karin talking.

"I'm sorry…. I didn't watch him…. I couldn't help him… Karin… I'm sorry…" Tears were streaming down his face. Karin looked at Sasuke with worried eyes and Sasuke looked away as to not give away how much it hurt to lose him again.

It didn't matter though. Because he had already decided he was going after Suigetsu. It was a waste of his time and energy that he should have been putting into finding Itachi and training but somehow, this came first. He was going to tell Suigetsu first when he beat Itachi. Suigetsu was going to be there and he would make it happen…