Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything in this story.

Shiver

Chapter 9 Tremble

What was fear?

A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

Sasuke was not afraid of very many things. Years of surviving alone taught you that scary things were really not that scary.

And he had lived all alone since he was eight. Sometime between the age of 8 and 13 he had overcome nearly all of his fears.

There were very many foolish fears.

Like Anatidaephobia. The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you.

Pteronophobia – The fear of being tickled.

Russophobia – Fear of Russians.

Zemmiphobia – Fear of the great mole rat.

Genuphobia – Fear of knees.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – Fear of long words.

Must I continue?

All those fears were clearly insane, embarrassing, and more or less awkward. If you were afraid of one of those things then, obviously, you have a slight issue. Or perhaps a major issue.

But fear was not the issue. The fact that when he was afraid of things it made him tremble.

He was afraid of watching people close to him die. He was afraid of facing Itachi. He was afraid of failing, not living up to people's expectations. Pain was different things to everybody.

He hated watching his family die in front of his eyes. It still hurt, even after seeing it so many times. But nothing could take away the sting in his heart.

That hurt would never go away. There was a gaping hole in his heart that would never heal. It belonged to his family.

Though most people of Konoha had healed from the tragedy of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke knew he never would. Because he was family, he knew them in a different way, from a different perspective.

Thing would never be the same again. Even if he did avenge the clan, what would he do afterwards?

His life's goal would be completed. What would he live for after all was said and done?

Sasuke did not know. In fact, he had no idea.

He was confused and lost, again.

And he had to tremble at that point.