OPrincess ShinigamiO here! Yes, it's really too early for me to post this chapter, but who cares? I said I was updating irregularly didn't I? Anyway, coincidentally, this week's chapter (in the manga, I mean) shows Sasuke FINALLY thinking things through WITHOUT relying on his vengeful nature. Yeah, he summoned the stupid snake again (if you don't know who I mean, it's Orochimaru), but I suppose it's for a good reason. Well, in this chapter (the drabble) it'll show a bit of the angsty side of Sasuke. He may be living in peace now, but that doesn't mean that he no longer suffers with the pain from his past. Not sure if I did justice to the "angst" theme (I'm not used to writing angst, you see), but I hope I made my point clear anyway. ;)

And of course, I'd like to thank my awesome reviewers FlameOfAFriend94, Serene-Aspiration723, Lost-puppyEYES, butterflyV, The Masked Idiot, ZoMg1010, evilbananalol, and the other guest reviewers! I really really really appreciate your comments and support, and I hope it will still continue! ;D

Disclaimer: I don't own... unless Itachi's back and reincarnated for good (and not in some zombie form!) XD

E- Endurance

...

The dark looming shadows fell over the last Uchiha's crouching body, threatening to swallow him whole in suffering. The latter writhed in pain, clutching his sweating head as his eyes bled profusely.

"It's over, Sasuke," a haunting voice that belonged to the dead Itachi Uchiha echoed throughout the darkness, "It's time to give into the Uchiha clan's fate."

"No!" Sasuke screamed, "I won't! I-I can't!"

"Yes, you can," Itachi's haunting voice replied, his blood-red mangekyou sharingan revealing itself in front of the pained Uchiha, "It's time to join me, little brother."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Sasuke shouted at the darkness, screaming in pain as his eyes bled in a more dangerous rate, his blood turning black.

"What's wrong? Is something keeping you here?"

"I-I don't know," Sasuke admitted, gasping in pain as he felt as if his stomach being punctured by a thousand kunais, "I don't know, dammit!"

"It's not something, it's someone. Is it Naruto? Or is it the girl?"

"I told you I fucking don't know, dammit!" Sasuke writhed as a large snake came out of nowhere and curled itself around his aching body, threatening to squeeze the life out of him.

"I am right, aren't I? Poor little brother. Doesn't know what he wants and truly needs. Why, pray tell, should you even want to stay in this world if you have no purpose? If you gave up your desire for revenge, then why stay at all? Didn't you want to die in the first place? Didn't you want to perish from this world than to live a normal and peaceful life in Konoha, the reason why I eliminated the whole Uchiha clan except for my precious brother? Then why, little brother, why would you want to stay?"

"Shut up! I don't have a damn idea, okay! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

The snake that coiled around Sasuke's body tightened excessively, earning a large painful cry from the captive. Blood dribbled from his chapped lips, his eyes too bleary to see anything but the darkness. Itachi's sharingan eyes narrowed.

"Very well. Let's see if you'll make up your mind if I slit the Hyuuga girl's throat, shall we?"

To this, Sasuke's neck snapped up, his bleeding eyes burning with rage. But the snake that caged him prohibited him from moving any further, digging its sharp fangs into the Uchiha's skin. Sasuke couldn't do anything but helplessly cry out in pain and anger as poison slipped into his system.

"N-no… d-don't do anything to h-her."

"Hm? Are you begging me not to do it? Let's see you beg harder."

A blurry image of the kind-hearted Hyuuga heiress appeared several feet before the pained Uchiha, her expression showing obliviousness to the situation.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" she softly asked in her usual worried tone, her lavender-white eyes glinting despite the lack of light. Unknown to her, a dark shadow started forming behind her, its arms ready to capture the innocent captive.

"H-Hi-Hinata," Sasuke tried warning her, but only a pained whisper escaped his lips, "G-get out o-of here…"

"Sasuke-kun, w-what's wrong? Please tell me," Hinata replied, her brows furrowing deeper as the shadow starts growing larger and larger.

"H-Hinata…"

"It's over, foolish brother."

A pair of sharingan eyes flew open on the dark figure's head, and as quick as the speed of light, the dark shadow swiped its sharpened arm across Hinata's bare neck. Blood splattered excessively from the large smiling wound against the frail Hyuuga's pale skin. Her equally pale eyes now lost its light, rolling back in her head as she was swallowed whole by the dark shadow.

"S-s-Sasuke-k-kun… h-how c-c-ould y-you?..."

"No! HINATA!" Sasuke tried screaming, but his trembling voice came out nothing more than a small anguished sob. The snake that trapped him tightened even more, and Sasuke felt as if his lungs have given up and deflated. The poison injected into his system was slowly making its way to his heart, and he silently prayed that it will all be over soon.

"It's too late, little brother," Itachi's raspy voice echoed around him like closed walls.

"It's over."

"Sasuke-kun!"

A pair of dark onyx eyes flew up, just to meet with another pair in a lavender-white hue. Sasuke quickly sat up, feeling his sweat dripping from his forehead to his neck. The innocent (and perfectly unharmed) Hyuuga girl was kneeling beside his resting form, holding in one hand a soft blue handkerchief that seemed to be soaked with tears and sweat.

"W-what the-"

"You had a bad dream, Sasuke-kun," Hinata meekly said, her eyes filled with worry, "A very bad one it seems. W-would you mind t-telling me about it?"

The Uchiha slowly turned his head towards her, his expression betraying some sort of relief and sadness, much to Hinata's surprise.

"Y-you're alive…"

Hinata raised an eyebrow, "O-of course I am. W-why wouldn't I be? It's only training..."

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he took in his surroundings. They were in the training area in the forest, with nobody around but themselves. He slowly recalled that he promised to teach her to improve her stamina the other day, and he was fulfilling his promise that day. Then he remembered seeing his companion's very tired face, and despite her strong determination, he insisted that they both take a break to restore some of their chakra before starting again. He concluded that he must've fallen asleep during their break.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

The lone Uchiha snapped out of his reverie and slowly turned to face the nervous girl who was apparently poking her fingers together.

"Um, w-would you, ah, l-like to t-t-talk about your d-dream? M-maybe, I c-could help take away y-your pain."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, increasing the Hyuuga's nervousness. Then he sighed, taking in fully that everything is alright. That she is alright.

"… After your training, we're going back to my place and eat some tomato salad for dinner. It's your turn to give Chii a bath."

And then, she just smiled.

Just a tiny, worried one, but still a comforting smile.

He knew that she knew. She knew that he was going to tell her soon, even when he currently brushed off her offer. He knew that his nightmares weren't just going to end there. Even with Itachi watching peacefully from the afterlife, he knew that his past nightmares of revenge on Itachi and the village were not some petty thing he could easily forget. But the dream did teach him something, something he realized that was of great importance to him.

Hinata was around. If she too disappeared, then his life would be a mess, again. She was with him through thick and thin when he tried adjusting back in Konoha, and as time flew by, he had never noticed of how much her comforting presence grew on him. And he was not willing to let her go like he did with Itachi. All the leftover pains that was imprinted on his head, he knew that she was willing to bear them with him.

And maybe, it's all worth enduring with her around.

...

Reviews are ALWAYS welcome! Wow, I never realized that ever since Chii the Uchiha Kitty's debut, he's been mentioned a lot since! As for the next chapter, it's going to be Hinata's turn to shine! Meaning, she's taking over most of the next chapter, and so will her father! So please look forward to it! ;)