Chapter 17

Red pierced through the darkness. A laugh echoed throughout the dark room, filling the room with a coldness that struck right to the core.

"Sasuke did you really think you could help her leave and get away with it? I knew you helped her escape the moment we returned. Is it possible that she was able to penetrate the cold ice you held so tightly to your heart?" there was another cold laugh, "Did you really become so weak as to succumb to petty emotions such as love?"

Sasuke's jaw set in a firm line, his Sharingan never leaving the beast in front of him.

"I believe it's about time I take what is rightfully mine," Orochimaru breathed. Sasuke's eyes darkened in intensity.

"Rightfully yours? Don't make me laugh, this body is mine, I was born with it. That," he gestured towards the man before him, "isn't even your true body. Whatever did you do to make your own body break down? I'm tired of the way you do things, I'm stronger than you and therefore I have no reason to hand myself to you. You couldn't handle Itachi so you came after me, isn't that right, bright eyes?" Sasuke mocked.

Orochimaru's eyes turned deadly in an instant.

"How dare you. I will have your body if it's the last thing I do."

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "I'd like to see you try."

The Sharingan took in all the sudden movements that Orochimaru made. He looked around himself and realized he was no longer in the room.

"This is where I perform the ritual. You're body will be mine and there will be nothing you can do about it."

Sasuke closed his eyes and opened them slowly, the red became even darker.

Orochimaru couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips as he realized how close he was to having the body he had been wishing for. Suddenly the smile vanished from his lips. Sasuke smirked as recollection began to set on Orochimaru's features.

"This—but it can't be! How could you deflect my ritual so easily?"

Sasuke walked slowly towards him, his footsteps echoing through the small area.

"You can't escape my genjutsu. I'm stronger than you, there's nothing you can do to me now that I have you under my spell."

Orochimaru began to chuckle. "She did break through the wall you built, didn't she?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks as his eyes never left his Sensei's face. Orochimaru smiled evilly as Sasuke stood before him.

"No response? I stated correctly didn't I? Tell me…is she pregnant with your child…or mine?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly which caused Orochimaru to throw his head back in laughter.

"Oh don't tell me you don't know! Whatever will you do if the child ends up being mine dear Sasuke? Will you be able to take that child and treat it as your own, even though it looks like me?"

Sasuke bit his lip as the anger slowly began to rise in him.

"Whatever will Sakura do when she's so stricken with sickness that she can't even bear to stand? What will you do when you realize the only one that could possibly save her is me?"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke hissed.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue.

"No I don't think I'm entitled to tell you anything. You are the one that has betrayed me so you should not be surprised that I added some insurance in that girl of yours. When she followed you into the woods that night I knew I had a golden thing I could use against you. And then after a few months she showed you that necklace she wears around her neck, the one I knew would sell you to her. You fell right into the trap I laid out for you."

Hatred burned through Sasuke's eyes. Pulling his sword from its holder he smirked.

"Then I'll just have to find a way to heal her myself. There's no reason for me to keep you alive."

Slowly he began to advance towards the man he had been trained by. His eyes widened when he suddenly felt a cold chill wash over him. Then he heard it…her. After the message was over he could feel the color leave his face. Orochimaru chuckled as he placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I have a feeling you have found something out. Why don't you share with me what she told you?"

Sasuke couldn't believe it…he was actually going to be a father, him not Orochimaru. Relief poured through him. Then concern replaced it.

'Sakura…I can't leave her there. I need to get her out of the village. Could she really be serious about me finding Naruto? I haven't seen him…I don't know what I will do once I do see him again. I almost killed him last time. Sakura I hope you know what you're doing with asking this of me.'

"It appears that it must be something rather important by the faraway look you have on your face. No matter, I'm sure it's just news saying that the child is yours, which is perfect. The Sharingan will be mine, if not from you then from your unborn child."

"You are one with the darkness now Sasuke, do you really think Sakura is going to want you when she realizes it? Really sees the true monster you have become? I think I did rather well with breading you, you turned out even better than I thought you could."

Sasuke's grip on his sword slackened and it clanged to the ground, sending echoes throughout the room.

"Yes you believe me don't you? If she knew the real you she would never want you near her child. The child you were so kind to bestow upon her. In a few years when the child hits the age of 3 I will come and I will take it from her," he grinned evilly, "And you will have to watch as I turn your child into a perfect image of you."

Darkness overtook Sasuke's features. The Sharingan turned a deeper red then it was before.

"You talk about the darkness that has come over me. Well I think it's time I really showed you what I'm capable of."

"Good, now you're serious." Orochimaru breathed.

The thin light that was always in Sasuke's sight slowly began to fade. 'There's no reason to keep it there…no reason to still hold out hope for me. Sakura—you'll have to raise the child on your own. I won't be there. I'll become the world's most hated and feared Ninja to ever exist. Keep the child safe…from everything evil in the world, even from me.'

"Dear me Sasuke, is that tears I see in your eyes? You wouldn't be crying over the fact that you're about to kill me?"

The evilest sneer for Sasuke to do came on his face.

"No not at all. There's no reason for me to cry over you. I never so much as thought of you other than a tool that I needed. Easily disposed of when I was finished, nothing more."

"It appears you really have fully embraced your destiny, this fight will be interesting."

Sasuke bent down and retrieved his sword. As he was rising he spoke, "It won't be much of a fight."

Orochimaru crossed his arms across his chest. What could his young learner have up his sleeve that he didn't know about?

His black hair fell over his face, concealing his eyes from view. Swinging his sword around in his hand he smirked. 'Time to close my eyes to the light—time to achieve what I set out to do.'

The image of Sakura flashed before him. He faltered slightly from the path he was about to embark on. Seeing her dazzling green eyes filled with so much love towards him almost made him want to go back, to step towards the light instead of walking away from it. Forcefully he pulled himself away from the girl in front of him.

Chidori flashed throughout the room when Sasuke's eyes met Orochimaru's. Orochimaru's smile began to waver. The darkness began to rise inside of Sasuke. This was the end…the end of everything that he used to know.

Sakura bolted upright. Cold sweat covered her skin. Gasping Sakura looked around the room trying to figure out where she was. To her right she saw Kakashi's form on the floor. He was sitting up now as well, gazing at her with a bit of tiredness.

"Sakura what is it?"

Sakura covered her face with her hands. Her body began to shake as she recalled the vivid dream she had.

"Sasuke…Sasuke!" she mumbled his name over and over again. Kakashi was next to her in a second. Grabbing her by the shoulders he forced her to look at him.

"Sakura what happened with Sasuke?"

Her eyes where widened in fear. Dread filled Kakashi as she began to mumble again.

"Kakashi- Sensei…he's not going to come back. He won't come back!" Big tears rolled down her cheeks as she succumbed to the pain.

Kakashi held her firmly against his chest as he gazed out the small window that was by the bed. What was Sasuke doing?

Orochimaru coughed up blood as he looked up to see Sasuke looming over him.

"Looks like you really have given in. I thought I'd never see this day but I'm surprised that it took you so long. You've wanted to get revenge on Itachi for years and yet this whole time you were hesitating, I always wondered why. Now I no longer have to wonder. You were holding onto the vain hope that the village and your teammates would welcome you back with open arms."

Sasuke looked down at his Sensei with disgust.

"You have nothing left to offer me. This is the end for you and I will get revenge for my clan."

"Ah yes and you'll restore your long lost clan. Oh that's right…you already have."

Sasuke let his Sharingan go back into sleep. Orochimaru looked amused as Sasuke turned so his back was to him.

"So I guess you really don't have the heart to go through with it."

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "You're wrong; I sent a poison into your blood you only have a few minutes to live."

He began to walk away as Orochimaru continued to cough, blood pouring to the ground.

"Where will you go now?"

Sasuke smirked into the darkness.

"To find Naruto," then without another word he teleported away from the base.

A/N: Okay I just wanted to tell you guys I'm so sorry if there's a ton of grammatical errors. Silver never got back to me and it was probably miscommunication on my part but I just thought you guys were due for a new chapter. Thanks so much for reading! I would extremely like it if you all reviewed. Reviews help me get better as a writer. Plus I love to know what you guys think. Thanks for everyone that has sticked around since the very beginning of the story. I've noticed that I've lost a few readers but most of you have stayed faithful (hahaha not saying those who left aren't...I can understand why people stop reading stories) And I apologize for how short the chapter was, I just needed to get this chapter out of the way. The next one I already have like four pages for and it's still going. There's a lot that is happening in the next chapter.

Well until next chapter!