Author's Note: I apologize if there are some grammatical errors in this chapter. I feel pretty sick right now while I'm editing but I really want to update. Enjoy!

"No more 'bets' Kenshi," Kurushimi ordered with a glare in the other man's direction.

"What?" he shrugged. "That couldn't have even been considered a fight! Look at him now!" He gestured towards his unconscious enemy.

"I don't care. Besides," he smirked, "it's my job to torture him."

Kenshi frowned at Sasuke's form. The only sign that the Uchiha was still alive was the small rise and fall of his body when he breathed. "Haven't we already done enough?"

Kurushimi was silent for a fleeting moment and then broke out into a booming laugh. "That's a great joke Kenshi." He raised an arm and his chakra appeared, morphing into shackles around Sasuke's wrists while attaching to a plate on the ground, also made by his chakra. This made the Uchiha's position change slightly so it looked like he was bowing, head pressed against the cold rock. Kurushimi turned to Kenshi. "You're on watch duty."

"Watch duty?!" the man shouted in surprise. "What's he gonna do?! He's unconscious!"

He placed a hand under his chin, closing his eyes in thought. "True. I've also made it to where my chakra chains steal his chakra. That's how it holds and how he'll stay restrained. His dojutsus will be useless partly because of this and his weakened state. The other reason is I've fooled with his eyes once more."

Kenshi raised an eyebrow. "How do you do that anyway?"

"Many ways. I'll tell you later. Right now I have some, experimenting, to do." With this, the man with strange eyes walked towards the archway leading into the main hideout. "Oh, by the way, none of our 'helpers' should come this way. If they do, don't be afraid to eliminate them. Only we shall know about Sasuke for the time being."

Kenshi stared at the man's back as he vanished from the archway. "Experimenting?" He slowly turned his attention to the unconscious enemy at his feet. "Tch, watch duty," the swordsman mocked, throwing his hands into the air. "There's no point in it." Kenshi sighed heavily, staring at the blood beginning to seep through Sasuke's clothing. He stared aimlessly at the dark splotches on the man's shoulder, fingers twitching. He snorted the next instant. "You got yourself into that mess Uchiha." He knew that Sasuke could not hear him, but what else was there to cure his boredom? "You're too full of pride. Arrogant brat..." The man swallowed and crossed his arms, eyes still trained on the Uchiha's still form. "Although, I am curious. What happened before you met up with me?"

Sasuke's eyes remained closed as consciousness slowly began to return to him. He was aching all over and he was too stiff to move, pain coursing through his entire body. He wondered how long he'd been out of it. It couldn't have been a lengthy amount of time, seeing as his wounds were still quite fresh. It may have not even been ten minutes since he passed out. His head twitched slightly, forcing the male to suppress a grunt of pain. That was when he registered that someone was talking above or near him, he couldn't really pinpoint exactly where.

"... I am curious. What happened before you met up with me?"

The Uchiha easily recognized that voice as belonging to Kenshi. Was he just stationed here to mock him some more? Then what was that question about? Did he even know that Sasuke could hear him?

"You and her bring back a lot of memories for me," Kenshi continued, completely unaware of Sasuke's conscious state. "Of course, I was barely old enough to know what love was back then, but I realized later on how my feelings were. I really want you to know how that feels Uchiha, to suffer, lose the love of your life just like that. But, at the same time, I don't, and I'm not sure why. I'm not gonna kill her, but I'll make you remember every pleasant moment you two shared before Kurushimi decides to go through with it and put an end to the Uchiha clan once and for all."

Sasuke listened intently to the man's words, his curiosity increasing immensely at the slim details. What happened to Kenshi? He declared many times that he'd lost everything, but how? Who? His breathing hitched when he felt a cool material on the back of his neck. He did not dare to twitch.

Kenshi rested his katana on the nape of the Uchiha's neck, staring at the weapon, deep in thought. "I could just end it all for you now. Kurushimi will have a fit, but he'll eventually get over it. If I do this, you won't have to suffer anymore." The man chuckled. "I really can't comprehend why I feel like I don't want to watch you suffer. You deserve it, after all, with everything you've done... I guess it's just the old memories you force me to remember. It's torture, but yet... pleasant, being able to place myself back into those simpler times. I made a vow... I've tried over and over to make myself be content with the fact that you're an exception, but it always comes back in the end." After a minute of silence, Kenshi slowly removed his blade from Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke let out a quiet breath of relief. He couldn't fight back in his current state. He really wasn't even sure if he could manage to get into a sitting position on his own. He painfully tilted his head to the side to look at Kenshi. "What are you talking about? You keep mentioning a vow and saying I'm an exception."

Kenshi was shocked that Sasuke was conscious and it took him a second to reply. "Nothing you should care about. You're in no place to be asking questions at the moment."

"And?"

Kenshi resisted the urge to kick the man in the ribs. "Your arrogance will get you in a lot of trouble some time Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked tauntingly. "It already has many times before."

The swordsman shook his head and sheathed his katana. "What's wrong with you? I could kill you on the spot!"

"You won't. You would have done it just then if you had the urge to," Sasuke responded.

Kenshi scowled. "Keep your mouth shut or I'll-"

"You'll what Kenshi?" Sasuke spat. "You're just like me, how I used to be. A pawn in a senseless game of chess. What happens when Kurushimi kills me? Where do you go from there? What about the army? Are you sure he's even your friend, much less an ally?" A sandal harshly grinded against Sasuke's cheek as he was forced against the ground again.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about us or what we've been through! Why can't you get it through your head that you're not as powerful as you think you are Uchiha?!"

Sasuke grimaced as Kenshi removed his sandal from his cheek. He looked up at the man once more. "True, I don't know anything about you two. But I can see it in your eyes. You know the pain of losing everything. You wanted revenge, just like me. You got it, but there was just an empty hole after that. It didn't solve anything or bring anyone back. In fact, it only caused you more despair as you lost the only reason you thought you had to be alive." He managed to get to his knees, struggling with every movement.

Kenshi clenched his fists and glared daggers through the Uchiha.

Sasuke was unfazed. "Kurushimi is the one that decides everything. That's how it's been from the beginning, right? Ever since whatever tragedy occured he's been controlling you. After your revenge, he forced you into this, didn't he? You never wanted to kill the member of my clan even though he caused you so much pain, but you did it anyway, because Kurushimi wanted you to do it. All of this is correct, isn't it?" The horrified expression on Kenshi's face confirmed his suspicions.

"W-Why do you care?!"

"Because," Sasuke started, painfully straightening his back, the chakra chains behind him jingling, "you're in the same situation I was. Don't ruin yourself and everything you originally intended to fight for Kenshi."

The man frowned and closed his eyes. "It's far too late too 'save' me Uchiha. My purpose now is to help Kurushimi kill you."

"Do it then. I'm restrained. You have a clear shot."

Nothing.

"You can't do it, can you? Just like a minute ago, you can't. You say your purpose is to help kill me, but you won't take the opportunity. Also, what about your vow? You don't want to break it. That's part of the reason why you won't kill me now."

Kenshi was speechless. No one had ever read him like that, ever. "This is pointless. I have nothing left outside of here. I'm a criminal and that's all I'll ever be to anyone outside this cave. I've accepted my fate to live the rest of my life like this. Why don't you accept yours? Ha, you should be happy. You'll get to see your dear family again shortly."

Sasuke was silent, staring at the man unknowingly. How was he possibly supposed to convince Kenshi that this didn't have to be it for him, that there were still other possibilities?

"Answer this Uchiha. What do you think the world's reaction will be if I just claim to be 'changed' or 'saved'? Why would I want to be treated like dirt?"

"I face it all the time, but I pull through because... I always have friends to stand with, even if they're miles away. I atone for my sins, but I know people will not accept it still. I don't care though. As long as-"

"As long as the power of friendship helps me!" Kenshi mocked. He laughed. "Who would've thought the great Sasuke Uchiha could be so poetic? Guess what, I don't have anyone to call friend outside here. Heck, I don't even know if I have a friend at all. That doesn't matter though." He remembered how secretive Kurushimi was and clenched his jaw. The man looked towards the archway that led to the inner hideout.

Sasuke sat soundlessly, staring at the cold rock below him. It was hopeless. He might as well just give up. Even Naruto wouldn't be able to get through to this man.

Kurushimi stared aimlessly into the fountain of light blue liquid. His gaze shifted to the black section, a thin line set on his lips. "Hm, should I go ahead and use it on Sasuke? No, I'll wait. I need more time. Well, I could- No, I'll taunt him first. It's always fun to toy with an enemy that can't fight back," Kurushimi thought with a smirk. "I'll even let Kenshi in on it as well." He began to laugh, but was cut short when a sharp pain pierced his eyes. The man gripped the fountain's edge tightly with one hand, covering his strange orbs with the other. He fell to his knees, hissing in agony. His vision was distorted and his head throbbed unbearably. A scream ripped free from his throat.

He stumbled backwards and held his hands out protectively in front of himself. "Please, don't kill me! I swear, I didn't know!"

"Why do you have them then?!" the man screamed back in fury, rapidly approaching the sixteen year old boy.

He shouted in fear and continued to walk backwards, tears spilling from his eyes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I never had a choice! Please don't hurt me!"

The man stopped and stood still. "He gave them to you though. He experimented on them and turned them into that!"

The boy halted, shivering uncontrollably. Anger surged through him. "You already killed him! You killed the rest of them for no reason! You got what you wanted didn't you?!" He finished and gazed at his friend struggling to get up in the corner.

The man laughed and raised his bloody sword, slowly stalking towards the boy again. "I killed him, yes. I also murdered the rest in front of him to make that man suffer before I killed him. Now boy, it's your turn. What I really want is those eyes! Now prepare to join the rest of them!"

He stumbled backwards once more and watched in horror as the man slashed with his sword. "NO!" He fell to the ground, barely dodging the strike. The boy heard glass shatter and opened his eyes, only to see liquid falling from the counter above. He didn't move as it hit his eyes. All he saw before pain surged through his head was light blue.

Kurushimi panted harshly as his distorted vision returned to normal, his body shaking relentlessly. "I need... more... more power..." He pushed himself up and cupped his hands, placing them into the light blue liquid. He quickly lifted them and rubbed it over his eyes. He hissed at the stinging sensation, holding onto the fountain. "I'll make you beg for death... Sasuke Uchiha..."

Sakura peered around the corner once more, studying the two men guarding the entrance. "How do I get past them? I don't want to alert the whole place." She looked at the large rock wall where the entrance sat, noticing many holes here and there. The pink-haired kunoichi saw one in particular, a large one, that appeared to lead directly inside the main hideout. There was still the two men to take care of though. "I need a distraction. This area in front of them is too open. I can't get close enough." Sakura's fingertips brushed the edge of Sasuke's cloak. "Or maybe... I'll keep masking my chakra and if I'm fast enough I might be able to get close. This cloak is dark enough to conceal me from view. The only flaw is my stupid hair..." Her emerald orbs once again landed on the pair of guards. They were busy chatting and chuckling at what the other said.

Sakura took a deep breath and surveyed the area once more. There were a few scattered rises in the ground, big enough to hide behind if needed, but far apart. Sakura clutched her necklace and took another deep breath, preparing to push off and make her first move. "I can't waver. If the worst happens, then I'll just go loud and take them out," she whispered to herself.

With this, the kunoichi pushed off and hit the hard rock of the cave floor, breaking out into a run the moment she felt her foot touch the earth. Sakura never looked at the guards while she ran, only focusing on the rise in the ground that lay in front of her. The woman finally skidded to a halt and crouched down behind the object. She strained her ears to hear the men's voices, staying as still as possible.

"Hey, I thought I just saw something," one said. "It looked... pink."

The other man laughed. "I didn't see anything. You're delusional."

Sakura cursed silently. Oh how much she hated her hair at times like this. She peeked around the rock quickly and sighed in relief. It was logical that Kurushimi would make big brutes like them guard the entrance to the main hideout. No doubt the pair had an extremely high chance of winning in a battle against most people, but Sakura perceived that they were lacking in intelligence. She could definitely use that fact to her advantage. Her emerald orbs shifted to the closest rise, about fifty feet away. She would get there in no time at all, but it was more likely that the enemy would see or hear her this time. "I can't stop here. I'm not going to let Sasuke do this." She crept to the edge of the rock and sped off a moment later. As Sakura expected, she reached the next rise in only a few seconds. Small rocks bounced past her feet when she stopped, causing the woman to hold her breath, hoping the men hadn't caught the sound.

"I swear I just heard something," the same brute who had seen a flash of her pink hair said.

The other male shoved him back. "No outsider has ever come in here! I told you, you're just delusional! Now quit being such a baby!"

"Hmph!" he grunted, turning so that his back faced his partner.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance.

Sakura looked up the wall and eyed the large hole she had noticed earlier. "I can't move further without them spotting me. They're right in front of the main entrance, under that section of the wall. Hm..." Sakura shifted her attention to the guards and gasped quietly. The one that knew someone was near still had his back turned. The other was leaning down, poking at some pebbles and small rocks. "Now is my chance! I need a distraction!" The kunoichi searched around for something useful and her eyes landed on a single rock next to her feet. "Perfect." Sakura grabbed the object and took aim, checking that the closest one was still occupied with the pebbles. The woman threw the rock with great force and watched carefully as it sailed through the air, eventually hitting the man with his back turned.

The brute yelped and hit the ground, causing his partner to jump up and stare with wonder at the male's body. The injured man rubbed the back of his head and scrambled to his feet, pointing an accusing finger. "Why did you do that?!"

"Do what?!"

"You hit me with one of those rocks!"

"Did not, stupid!"

"Liar!" He lunged forward and punched his partner and the brawl began.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Childish idiots," she muttered under her breath. The Haruno casually made her way to the wall and jumped multiple times, reaching the large hole in less than ten seconds. She poked her head out and gazed down at the guards, still fighting. They hadn't noticed a thing. "Now is where it's important that I'm not seen at all."

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted, the blue ball in his hand meeting the chunk of rock. A giant hole blasted into place and he jumped through, his comrades right on his tail. "Okay, we're in, easy as cake. Now what?"

"Well-" Kakashi started, being interrupted a moment later.

"We are not gonna split up again!" Naruto yelled. "Every time we do that bad things happen!"

Kakashi scratched his head. "All right. Kiba, can you get any trace of Sasuke or Sakura?"

The Inuzuka and his dog sniffed the air multiple times, slowly walking around the area. All was silent as the two tried to track their friends. Suddenly, Akamaru began to bark and pointed ahead with his nose. Kiba ran over to his partner and sniffed. "Yep, we got both of them! C'mon!"

The group rushed forward, following the Inuzuka and his dog, all intent on retrieving their friends and defeating any enemy in their path.

Kenshi sat on the cold rock, staring unconsciously at the cold ground underneath him. He didn't know how long he'd been "guarding" Sasuke or when their argument ended, but ever since then his mind had been stuck on past memories. The happy ones made him smile every now and then, and the many horrible ones forced a deep frown to grow on his features.

Sasuke had given up on finding a comfortable position quite a while ago, dealing with the stiffness in his legs especially. He thought his wounds had finally stopped bleeding, judging by the fact that he no longer felt anything trickling down his bloodstained skin. His shirt and pants had dried patches of dark red all over them, ruining the entire outfit. He smirked, remembering the hours of shopping with Sakura for men's clothes. She'd have a fit if she saw him now with his current appearance, no doubt about it. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He wanted so much to believe that she and Naruto had taken the others and escaped, but that woman could be as stubborn as the Uchiha himself sometimes and Naruto almost never listened to him.

Distant footsteps brought both men out of their thoughts and back to reality as they whirled their heads around to gaze at Kurushimi. Sasuke immediately narrowed his eyes in fury, Kenshi standing up.

Kurushimi chuckled, continuing his trek towards the pair. "Glad to see me again Sasuke?" he taunted. "While I was gone, I paid a visit to your intimate friend."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, pulling at the chains restraining him. "You-!"

"Relax, relax. I was only joking."

The Uchiha settled down, his blood boiling and fists clenched.

"It's quite amusing, how gullible you are when it comes to her," the dark-haired man jeered.

Sasuke bit down on his lower lip, holding back a cold retort.

The man stopped a few feet away from the Uchiha and the swordsman. He looked up at the roof of the cave and lifted a hand, staring with an indifferent expression at a certain spot. Kenshi and Sasuke watched as Kurushimi's chakra became visible and busted a large hole through the ceiling, moonlight illuminating the place in which the three men were located.

"Hm, it seems like it will rain soon," Kurushimi said in a casual tone. He tilted his head to the side, peering at Sasuke over his shoulder. "Do you know the meaning of my name?"

Both Sasuke and Kenshi eyed the man with strange eyes curiously, silent and cautious.

"It can be defined as many words, mainly suffering... pain... misfortune... hardship... any of those would work."

The Uchiha narrowed his mismatched orbs, wondering where the conversation was heading.

"A coincidence, don't you think? It's almost like my parents knew what tragedy my life would end up being... I received the explanation that I was given this name because they wanted it to be a reminder never to let hard times bring me down... I'm not exactly sure that I've lived up to that after all that's happened, but..." He trailed off, thinking of the incident earlier that day. The man hated that memory more than anything else.

Sasuke could sense the tension in the air increasing, almost exactly like the moment before he had been pummeled with chakra shards. The last Uchiha braced himself for the worst, just in case. To his surprise, Kurushimi slowly twisted around to fully face him and stepped next to Kenshi, raising his arm once more. "There won't be any surprise attacks this time Sasuke. I'm going to look you in the eye when I do it this time."

Sasuke's heart began to thunder against his chest. Was this it? Was this where everything was going to end? The Uchiha couldn't go out like this, he refused to accept it. There was something inside of him telling him to fight back, that now was not the time to reunite with his deceased family. His fingertips brushed against the chains of chakra restraining him, reminding the male of his current state. He was already injured, captured with nearly no hope of breaking free. How could he possibly fight back?

Kurushimi chuckled. "This is for the people you've killed or hurt."

Sasuke shouted in pain as the large shard pierced his skin, reopening the wound on his shoulder. "I... can't..."

"Believe me, I won't murder you now. There's much more we need to go over." With this, he laughed again as multiple shards sailed through the air and into Sasuke's body. "No vital spots hit. Having one of the most powerful shinobi in the world here, at my mercy, completely vulnerable, really is quite a sight to see. Sometimes I can't believe it's reality but then my eyes land on you, the great Sasuke Uchiha, defenseless."

The last of his clan struggled to breathe while fury surged through him. To have been beaten like this, it was totally foreign to him. "If I just let this happen, I'm weak. I can't let them win. I will not be defeated here, not like this!" Another shard whizzed through the air, stopping right before it touched his neck. It rose, forcing him to look up at the enemy, the sharp object barely scraping his throat, a drop of blood trickling down his skin.

A smirk grew on Kurushimi's lips. "Now, shall we reminisce over some of your memories? Better yet, let's test if I can change them into nightmares."

"Not like this... Not like this!" Sasuke watched as Kurushimi's eyes glowed lightly. He growled and tightly gripped the chains around his wrists. "I have to somehow fight back!" The Uchiha venomously shifted his head to get a clear view of Kurushimi's face. "No!" he shouted as the man's eyes glowed brighter.

It was almost as if time itself had stopped. Sasuke, Kenshi, and Kurushimi all stood stock still, their eyes wide open and their jaws hanging to the floor. They stared forward blankly, their minds completely stolen from reality.

Sasuke's eyes shot open and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He looked around in all directions, utterly confused. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. The last Uchiha saw almost nothing but trees surrounding him. Rain steadily fell upon the forest and Sasuke held out his hand, the droplets falling right through it. "What is this? I thought I was just in the hideout." He stood up and studied the environment once more, trying to recall any memory of the place. "I actually do feel like I've been here before." It was then that he noticed there were no wounds covering his body, his clothes clean and no bloodstained skin.

"Where the heck did you run off to?! We have to head back! It's gonna get dark soon!"

Sasuke twisted his body around just in time to see a young boy rushing through the woodsy area right past him. "Hey!" he called, but the boy seemed not to have heard him. The Uchiha hurriedly followed the kid, hoping to receive some answers. Maybe the rain had been loud enough to drown out his voice or he hadn't seen him. Sasuke looked down at his body while he continued to pursue the boy, noticing that the rain still went directly through him. "What the heck is happening right now? he wondered. Sasuke sped up until he was almost directly beside the boy, attempting to get a good look at his face. "This kid is pretty fast, especially for someone his age."

Suddenly, the young male hopped off the ground and onto a tree branch. Sasuke planted his toe into the ground and switched directions so that he too was leaping into the treetops.

"Come on out! I'm serious!" the boy yelled loudly, picking up the pace. The kid stopped a moment later with a hand placed on the trunk he was perched on.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he tried to move so that he would not hit the boy when he landed. It was too late and the Uchiha braced himself for impact, but nothing came. He opened his mismatched eyes and his feet hit a long branch in front of the one the boy crouched on. Sasuke turned around in bewilderment to notice the kid unfazed with a hand under his chin. There was no way he could have missed him. "Did I go straight through him like the rain goes through me?" The Uchiha tested this theory by sticking a hand out as if to touch the kid's shoulder. He was proven correct as his hand felt nothing but air as it went through his body.

The boy stuck his head out from the shadows the branches and leaves cast, but not to where the rain could easily reach him.

Sasuke stiffened when he got a decent view of the kid's face. He had large brown eyes and hair the color of his best friend's, Naruto Uzumaki. Something seemed very familiar about him but it also felt like another something was missing. "Is that-?"

Suddenly, the young boy jumped off of the branch and to the ground, taking off with lightning speed. Sasuke was shaken out of his thoughts and he hurried to catch up. The Uchiha struggled to follow the fast turns and random twists that he took. Finally, he stopped running and jogged to a large hole in the ground beneath a tree, crouching at the entrance.

"Are you in here?" he asked, peering into the opening. A muffled response came back. The boy carefully crouched and shuffled into the hole, heading towards the voice.

Sasuke reluctantly got onto his hands and knees, crawling into the darker area behind the boy. He stopped directly behind the kid and peered around him to see another boy about the same age as the one he'd been following hugging his knees and resting his head atop them.

The male Sasuke had pursued sighed heavily. "You can't keep doing this. People are gonna start worrying."

The other boy raised his head, revealing tear stained cheeks. "Yeah right. I don't care anymore. I can't go back."

"What are you talking about? Your mom and dad don't want you to run away. I don't want you to either. You're my best friend."

"No, I can't keep listening to what they say about my dad!" he yelled in response, more tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Who cares what they say about him?! I sure as heck don't! Have they actually met him? Huh?"

The crying male hesitantly shook his head and his frown lessened a fraction. "No."

"Exactly! Now come on before anyone notices we're missing!" The boy offered his hand and the other took it.

Sasuke hopped out of the hole and watched as the two boys climbed through the opening. His eyes widened almost to the point where it hurt when the second kid stepped away from the shadows. Jet black messy hair with bangs on his right side and tired charcoal black eyes. His friend twisted around and Sasuke knew that his suspicions were correct as he put the pieces together.

The blond boy laughed. "I'll race you there Kurushimi!"

Kurushimi grinned and wiped his eyes. "What kind of fun will that be? Kenshi, you're the fastest kid in the village!"

He crossed his arms and gave a half smirk half smile. "Fine, we don't have to race since you're a chicken."

The two friends chuckled and began to walk away from Sasuke, who was frozen in place. The realization hit him like a slap to the face. "These are their memories..."

Author's Note: I'm going to make the next chapter longer than this one but this seemed like a good place to end it. Lots of things are about to be explained. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the support! Please review!