Many days later after the village and ninja had calmed down Kakashi stood in front of the monument hands in his pockets and deep sorrow in his eye,
Rin
What should i do?
Sasuke fisted the blanket,
He should have fought harder….still
That was the first time…. The first time Naruto faced him with all he had. Ultimate speed, Rasengan.. Skills Sasuke didn't even know he had. But he had won.
And he had run….
It bothered him, he had to get back out there….
"So the princess has faced defeat?"
Sasuke jerked up painfully to see a familiar figure casually sitting in his window sill,
"Orochimaru!"
The pale faced man smiled,
"What are you doing here?!"
Because as far as he knew Orochimaru still wasn't widely accepted in konoha,
"Well after much discussion i have finally received permission for you to be my official apprentice."
Sasuke mouth dropped,
"Dad…?"
Orochimaru smiled,
"Yes even your father has agreed"
Sasuke wanted to feel happy. Getting trained by such a skilled Sannin, it was unheard of! But…
"I can't…"
Orochimaru blinked so sure that he would have agreed,
"I don't have time for that… I have to find Naruto…"
Orochimaru hmmed,
"Even though he has no desire to return?"
Sasuke glared at the man but he wasn't intimidated,
"Naruto left of his own accord, even going as far as injuring a comrade. Forget Naruto"
Sasuke gasped,
"Going after a person like that… only a fool would try."
Sasuke bit his lip,
"He's not…"
"Of course if you continue this farce you can forget training with me."
Sasuke looked up at the man,
"Anbu will monitor you and you will be restricted from leaving the village after all you aren't just anyone...you are an Uchiha, son of the main clan…"
Orochimaru smiled,
"So go ahead follow your own will, but forget leaving or being hokage.. You will live and die a worthless no one chasing after an illusion of the past."
THe room was quiet and Orochimaru wondered what this child would decide,
"Fine… screw you"
Sasuke's eyes were ablaze the sharingan flaring no longer two tomoes but three.
"I'll get stronger without you… I'll learn jutsu's without you...how can… HOW CAN I BECOME HOKAGE IF I CAN'T EVEN SAVE MY FRIEND!?"
Sasuke wouldn't let go of that future the one where he sat as hokage and sakura brought in reports from the hospital and there by his side as his strongest subordinate, best friend and guard; Naruto,
"If helping my friend is being foolish….I'LL STAY A FOOL MY WHOLE LIFE!"
They stared each other down before Orochimaru began to chuckle,
"Yes.. you shall be strong indeed."
"huh?"
"I don't believe Naruto left because he hated the village,"
Orochimaru stood,
"However Jiraiya will be hard pressed in locating the boy. Naruto knows all of Jiraiya's routes and connections he'll be harder to find than Tsunade."
That was disheartening,
"However in two years the pain of losing the 4th hokage will have eased and the village will be more tolerable especially with Tsunade in charge."
Two years…?
"Naruto will most likely come out of hiding after that but no doubt when Naruto's ready he will return."
Sasuke didn't understand what the man was saying but for some reason it didn't seem like he was scolding or dissuading him,
"Are you saying…?"
Orochimaru turned back to the window with a smile letting the breeze blow his hair back,
"Get well princess, i'd like to leave as soon as possible."
Sasuke though an Uchiha and usually stoic couldn't help the smile that bloomed on his face.
"YES!"
I had to.. I just had to... you have to understand that i had to put this...