Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used within the story.

Some more curb stomping.

How fun ;)

Old faces

Chapter 2

"Man that place is depressing."

"You mean the hospital? If so, yeah- I've never seen that many sick patients in a while." Sakura bit her lip uncomfortably. Despite working in the medical field for so long, the sight of people on stretchers never failed to trigger her sympathetic side. "Their medical ninja was very poor in quality…"

"Their wounds were quite severe as well," Tenten added. "Haven't seen anything like that in a while."

"The skirmish with Konoha ninja deployed as assistance to Kusa devastated their Shinobi since we last pulled back the majority of our forces from their borders." Maito Gai elaborated, boisterous mask nowhere to be seen. Their military base stationed in the land of Grass had been severely damaged by foreign interference. Unfortunately, Iwa Shinobi had managed to kill three Konoha ninjas, hence Kusa sent their own Shinobi to protect their lands from a hostile occupation. "It's been a while since the Hidden Stone has tried anything like that. The third war killed many upcoming youngsters and medical ninja were high among casualties, targeted for their healing capabilities."

"Most un-youthful!" Lee exclaimed although slightly subdued.

"Damn those Iwa ninja," Kiba slammed a closed fist on his open palm while jumping from tree to tree. "Can't give us a darn break- always trying to one-up the leaf!"

Akamaru barked in agreement.

"I mean, that's what we try to do too Kiba," Tenten pointed out.

"Huh, I guess you're right," Kiba said, sufficiently cowed by the reminder. An annoyed expression overtook his straight face. "Man, talking about all this doom and gloom is annoying! Can't we discuss something more… bright, happy… uh… you know…"

"No, Kiba we don't. Care to enlighten us?" Sakura questioned snidely, an amused smirk on her lips.

The Inuzuka turned to glare at her. "You know what yeah? I do." Kiba coughed into his fist, adopting a highly aristocratic and formal tone. "Could we possibly indulge in the enchanting art of diverting our conversation towards a topic of a more whimsical and lighthearted nature, perchance? I do so relish the notion of venturing away from the abyss of weighty matters and delving into the realm of frivolous banter, for what joy could compare to the mirthful bliss of—"

"Ok, ok, we get it!" Sakura exclaimed. She turned to the Inuzuka. "I'm sorry for doubting you, your highness."

"Damn right. Your Highness, huh? I should ask everyone to address me like that." Kiba boasted proudly.

"The only time you will ever be addressed as Your Highness is after your drunken tantrums." The Byakugan wielder said, shaking his head at such childishness.

"Shut up white-eyes! You keep your mouth shut for all this time, and now you decide to speak! Besides, I don't even drink."

"That's something Naruto would say."

"Huh, you calling me a—!"

"Speaking of Naruto," Sakura spoke loudly, cutting off any more banter. "I wonder how he is doing? What kind of jutsu he's learning, his adventures- they are traveling around the world, aren't they?"

"You're his teammate. You probably know more about him than us." Kiba highlighted.

"I know, but Lady Tsunade hasn't talked much about him. She seems to be somewhat in contact with Lord Jiraiya but I can't get anything out of her. She's always so tightlipped." Sakura said, feeling a bit put out. He was her teammate, surely her master could address her concerns.

"Maybe she doesn't trust you? You get angry waaaaayyyy too easily. Might spill something sensitive you know."

Sakura felt a vein in her head throb. "You're one to talk. Hypocrite, much?"

"I don't ask for classified information though," Kiba shrugged uncaringly, brushing off her ire. "Besides, I can't wait to rub it in his face that we're all Chunin and he isn't." He laughed imagining Naruto's jealous reaction.

"That's true." Lee agreed readily. "But, it is most un-youthful to put down a friend just to look better. Friendships are sacred and must not be broken down just for your gain!" He exclaimed with utmost passion.

"Lee!" Proud tears gathered in Gai's eyes at his student's wise words. "Your wisdom may have surpassed my own!"

"Thank you Gai-Sensei, but I have years to go before I can reach your level!"

The tears were now flowing freely, from the Green Beast's eyes to his chin. "Lee!"

"Gai-Sensei!"

"Lee!"

The pair embraced midair as a mesmerizing beach scenery replaced the previous background of trees and shrubs. Somehow managing to suspend themselves for a few seconds, they separated soon after.

Sakura and Kiba shook their heads, amused at such antics. There wasn't a single boring moment when those two were around.

Tenten, used to such enthusiastic performances by her highly energetic teammates, decided to pose another question. "What about him? How do you think he is faring?"

Everyone except Lee understood that reference. "Who is he?"

"Sasuke-kun." Replied the medic of the team, feeling sadness at remembering her crush turned love. She knew that he had betrayed the Leaf, but she still had feelings for her teammate and wanted him to return to the Leaf like old times.

And then perhaps both of them could develop into something more.

"Young Sasuke-kun is under the tutelage of Orochimaru. As terrible as his actions are, there is no denying that Orochimaru is an accomplished Shinobi in nearly all variations of jutsu. If Sasuke-kun availed such an opportunity well, then we should expect him to be far stronger in the next encounter." Gai chimed in with his own two cents.

Neji agreed with that statement. Sasuke Uchiha had been powerful enough to defeat Naruto, someone he, the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan had suffered defeat against. He wondered how powerful both male members of team 7 had gotten. However, there was another far darker possibility that their team did not seem to consider. "Orochimaru may have already possessed the Uchiha's body."

"Lord Jiraiya has informed Lady Tsunade that Orochimaru's body possession takes three years after taking over a new body. Sasuke is alive." Sakura immediately shot down that suggestion.

"And if it is faulty information? What if it is all just a farce and that traitor already knew that his teammate was spying on him?" Neji persisted.

Tsunade's apprentice refused to consider such a situation. She, who trained relentlessly for the purpose of chasing down her beloved only to find out that it was all pointless? Countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears would not be put to waste. "I trust Konoha's spymaster," Sakura spoke with finality.

"She's right Neji, don't be so negative," Tenten said chidingly. I'm

"I'm being realistic, not negative. I only pointed out another possibility." The Hyuuga prodigy spoke with calm indifference while activating his Byakugan to scout for potential enemies.

"Do not worry Sakura-san, we as your comrades will also help you in your endeavor, not just Naruto." He gave a wide smile with sparkling white teeth and a thumbs up. "So, you can count on us! We haven't trained for nothing!"

Sakura smiled. Lee's enthusiasm was just as infectious as Naruto's. "Thanks, Lee. I'm glad to hear that."

Lee felt his cheeks turn red at her smile. Truly, Naruto's teammate was the personification of beauty. "No problem! Speaking of which, would you like to—"

"Three years ago since he ditched us and said goodbye without a word, huh? Doesn't seem that long…" Kiba interrupted Lee's confession knowing that it would end up in a brutal rejection. The poor lad did not seem to get the hint that Sakura was into pretty boys who treated her like she was the mud under their shoes.

"Yup, all of us have trained very hard since then, not just Sasuke," Tenten said encouragingly. "He may beat one of us, but not all of us."

"I don't understand what's important about that pretty b—"

"Keep quiet," Neji cut off Kiba's incoming rant with his assertive command. The affronted ninja opened his mouth to protest but was prevented from his speaking his mind by the Hyuuga clan member's next words. "There's someone ahead."

Immediately the six-man team was on alert. "Neji, can you get us a read on him?" Gai questioned his student.

The addressed individual nodded affirmatively. Straining his Byakugan, Neji examined his target. What he saw blew his mind away…

The target's chakra was powerful, far more powerful than anything he had ever seen; not the current Hokage's, Lord Jiraiya's, or any other individual's inbuilt energy came anywhere close to that person's level of strength. Its potency exceeded even that of the nine-tails chakra he had seen when he first battled Uzumaki Naruto. Every fiber of his being quivered at the thought of facing a Shinobi of such caliber.

That wasn't even counting the sheer volume of chakra present in the oncoming intruder.

And his left eye, he breathed in and out. Hidden behind a transformation jutsu, whatever chakra that eye had screamed unparalleled strength.

However, what well and truly surprised him was the identity of the oncoming adversary.

"So, what does he look like?" Kiba questioned as he prepared himself for a battle.

"It's him." He spoke with awe and reverence tinged with a hint of dread. He took solace in his perhaps, equally as powerful teammates.

"Him?! Wow, thanks Neji! That surely tells us a lot about—!"

"It's Uchiha Sasuke."

Truly, the Sage of Six Paths chakra far exceeded his expectations, even blessing him with otherworldly sensory abilities, perhaps even on par with that of Karin's.

Which was why he could feel—

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

Seven different chakra signatures approached him, all with a sense of eagerness with the sixth one having a very familiar feeling to it.

But first, he needed to test something.

Quickly changing directions and long-distance body-flickering away towards his left, Sasuke attempted to throw them off the trail.

Will they?

Stretching out his senses confirmed that they were not fooled by his misdirection and quickly seemed to figure out his position. This verified the possibility of a sensor or a Hyuuga amongst the team, someone who could scout over long distances.

And of course, due to the presence of Sakura, Sasuke acknowledged the predictable persistence of his former comrades. It seemed that forcing him into submission and obstructing his objectives had become a recurring theme. The bitter irony of the situation was not lost on him, a feeling that evoked a sense of nostalgia tinged with a hint of dark amusement.

Halting his journey, Sasuke perched atop a sturdy tree branch, awaiting the imminent arrival of the Konoha ninja. If it was a fight they wanted, he would gladly grant them their wish.

Finally. They're here.

The two taijutsu masters gracefully landed on opposite sides, the shorter figure positioned to his right and the taller to his left. Sakura materialized in a blur of motion, her visage reflecting a mix of sadness and unwavering determination—to capture him.

Casting a glance over his shoulder revealed Neji Hyuuga standing behind him, poised in the traditional Hyuuga gentle fist stance. Behind him, standing on the highest tree branch revealed his female teammate holding scrolls in both her hands… he genuinely had no idea who she was.

Lastly, Kiba, if his memory served him correctly, emerged alongside his rather large dog, both positioned diagonally behind Sakura.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the oldest of the squad spoke. Sasuke's eyes moved to stare at the speaker. "Where is your master?"

"I have never had a 'master'."

Kiba spoke up angrily. "You know damn well what he means!"

Sasuke only gave them a slow blink before cocking his head to the side slowly. "And what exactly does he mean Inuzuka?" If they enjoyed wasting his time with this confrontation, he too would not hesitate to squander theirs.

Kiba's face contorted into an expression of rage and looked just about ready to explode before Neji spoke. "Kiba, enough," Sasuke looked over his shoulder to eye the talker. "Orochimaru, the one for whom you betrayed the leaf, where is he?"

Sasuke ignored the way Neji dismissed his actual motivations for his misconceptions. "The snake is dead."

The rest of the group was taken aback by this revelation as if it was a possibility they had never foreseen.

"Y-you killed him? Why-uh… how?" Sakura questioned her face the pictorial representation of surprise and shock.

"That can be discussed later," Maito Gai said interrupting any further conversation. His eyes were as cold as chips of ice. "Uchiha Sasuke, you are a rogue ninja of Konohagakure and are hereby authorized to return to the leaf. Will you comply?"

"If I don't?"

"You will be brought back forcefully."

Sasuke's lips curled into a dark, sardonic chuckle—a reaction that caught his adversaries off guard. He found himself amused by the Leaf's display of hypocrisy. They preached the ideals of the "will of fire," camaraderie, and friendship, only to abandon those principles when faced with a challenge to the status quo. Then there were no words, only a beat down until you submitted your will to the higher-ups.

Oh, it wasn't like Sasuke didn't understand their reasons. He had defected from a military force and committed a grievous act of betrayal by aligning himself with the very person who had orchestrated an invasion of their home country. However, Sasuke perceived his betrayal as justice rather than a crime. To him, the massacre of the Uchiha clan by Konoha was a betrayal, a denial of their rights, and a refusal to acknowledge their grievances. He was only returning the favor.

"And what will happen if I surrender and do as you say?"

Gai's lips thinned into a straight line. His face darkened. "That is something the Hokage will have to decide."

"Standard procedure is to execute a traitor is it not?"

"I will vouch for you Sasuke-kun," Sasuke's eyes swiveled from the Green Beast to Sakura as she took jumped to the tree branch directly in front of him. "I am the Hokage's apprentice, if it gets down to that I'm sure I can negotiate something with Lady Tsunade."

"I see." Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. He knew her reasons for wanting him to return to the village. She wanted him to entertain her with a little romance, perhaps as a husband or a boyfriend. It was quite unfortunate that she would find herself disappointed he thought as he reopened his eyes, one with the three tomoe sharingan, the other with a transformation jutsu that gave the illusion of the basic form of the unique red eye.

"His left eye did not change!" Neji yelled. "We have no idea what's behind that transformation! Be on your guard for any unknown powerful techniques!"

There was no time for negotiations...

"Almighty Push!"

The six-man team was sent rocketing across. Solid treetops, bark, and branches were transformed into lethal debris that was sent flying at high speeds across the clearing.

...only a battle would satisfy his old comrades.

Cold, malevolent eyes stared at the man in front of her. "No."

"But—"

Tsunade raised a hand silencing him. "It's not that I disagree with the profits your business shall give to the Leaf, but rather the business itself. The daimyo and his court have put heavy punishment on those that participate in narcotics. If there was a leak that our village's shinobi were taking part in it by guarding such institutions, it would deal a heavy blow to us both financially and in reputation—in time of course. Maybe not immediately, but surely within a few years."

Interlacing her fingers and placing them above her mouth, the Fifth Hokage continued in a more light and apologetic tone. "So, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I must reject your offer. Try other villages and see if they agree. I have heard Suna is rather lax in their laws recently."

The man bowed, shook her hand, and left the office, the only sign of his dissatisfaction were the annoyed twitches of his fingers. The door shut with a polite creak.

"I see you have settled well into that hat princess."

Tsunade smiled widely at that voice. "And I see you have returned early..." She spun her chair towards the man who hung upside down, his clownly visage seen through her window. "Jiraiya!"

"Good morning to you too princess," the man gave her a thumbs up. A quick body flicker and he was in her office. She swiveled her chair to face him.

"Where is Naruto?" she asked the first question on her mind. Her lip curled upwards as she remembered that yellow-haired optimistic fool, the same brat who made her take up the most tedious job in the entirety of Konoha. She wondered how Mr. Charisma was doing.

Jiraiya scratched his chin and gave a nervous smile. "Ah well..."

"Alright! Konohamaru, that jutsu is weak. Allow me to demonstrate!"

"Yes, boss!"

"Of course, boss!"

A salute. "It would be an honor, boss!"

"Behold my new, ultra-perverted ninjutsu!"

*Poof*

A beat. Then—

"Woah—"

"That's amazing—"

"Boss, your genius dwarfs all the Hokages combined."

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "You know what, I don't want to know. He hasn't matured at all, has he? Your influence I'm guessing?"

Jiraiya face-faulted at her words, his playful expression replaced with a sullen and defeated look. "No faith in me, princess? Here I am, the hermit of Mount Myoboku, the great and wise toad sage, the—"

"I've heard that a million times," the slug ninja waved a dismissive hand. Her face shifted into a cold, impassive mask. "I spoke with the messenger toad you sent me. He said it was something serious, so can we get on to the main topic."

In an instant, the jovial and carefree demeanor of Jiraiya dissipated into thin air. His once relaxed posture straightened, and his eyes, once filled with warmth and mirth, now turned as cold as a tundra. As his face darkened, a profound seriousness settled upon him, reflecting the severity of the matter at hand. "The elder toad sage said that the old prophecy in which there will be a child you shall restore peace through cooperation, love... is rendered void and untrue."

What?

That was impossible, inconceivable, unthinkable—

How?—

Tsunade got up from her chair, her face the picture of shock. "How?! Didn't you say that so far all of his predictions have come true?"

"It did. Every future event he told me or the toads always came true, my summons can attest to that." He hadn't believed the old codger's ramblings at first, so the ancient sage had told him a few future outcomes, all proven truthful within a year or two. Since then, he never doubted the large toad… until now.

"I… see." She most certainly did not see.

"But now?" Jiraiya walked slowly towards the open window, a somber expression on his face. He sighed, "Sometimes I feel like it was all just a waste."

Tsunade frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

With a heavy heart, Jiraiya turned to face her, his eyes carrying the weight of his thoughts. "Never mind. There's something else the Great Toad Sage revealed to me—a different prophecy. I'm simplifying this a bit but he mentioned that another figure will emerge, one who will bring about peace by dismantling the current system. Those in positions of authority, like us, won't survive, and this person will forge a new, pristine future. The sage mentioned that the one who shall accomplish this feat possesses the eyes of God."

"A child with the eyes of God?" Tsunade reiterated. She racked her brain for anyone who had such powerful visual prowess. "My grandfather fought Madara and he often described him as the Uchiha with the most powerful eyes. But he is dead."

Her eyes widened as she recalled two other individuals who had the same eyes as Konoha's most powerful traitor. "Wait, you fought Itachi, didn't you? Could he be the one?"

Jiraiya shrugged, uncertainty clouding his features. "Perhaps. But if he possessed such god-like powers in his eyes, he wouldn't have fled from me the way he did. However, there's another issue. Remember those three kids from the Hidden Rain I trained? One of them had the Rinnegan."

This day was just full of shocking revelations after revelations. "Rinnegan?! Isn't that just a myth, some sort of folklore?"

Jiraiya's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing as he spoke with conviction. "I thought so too until I saw it with my own eyes. However, there's a problem with that—Nagato, the one with the Rinnegan, was my student, and the Great Toad Sage made it explicitly clear that the person he had envisioned is not my student."

"Then who could it be?"

Sasuke Uchiha ducked under a high kick, and parried a blow from behind that nearly landed on the back of his head.

Strikes came from all angles—hooks, uppercuts, spinning kicks—each delivered with a raw power that could shatter bone.

Sasuke dodged them all with well-practiced ease.

The two green beasts were fast. Incredibly fast, their speed enhanced by the sixth gate. Few could compete on such a scale, a testament to their skill and the hours they had put into their training.

Sasuke was faster.

With a blur of movement, Sasuke vanished from sight, momentarily disappearing from the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in midair, poised above the younger of the two taijutsu masters. Directing a devastating strike, his left elbow crashed into Lee's ribs with bone-crushing force. The sickening sound of crunching bones filled the air, followed by a primal scream of pure white-hot agony that pierced through the battleground.

The cries of pain reached the ears of Lee's teacher, Maito Gai, filling him with a mixture of concern and dread. "Lee!"

Big mistake Sasuke thought as he capitalized on the oversight, vanishing from sight and reappearing behind his adversary with lightning-like speed. His chakra-enhanced fist collided with the back of Maito Gai's body, propelling him through a chaotic path of destruction—trees splintered, rocks shattered, and shrubs uprooted—as the impact reverberated through the environment.

He would deal with him later, first—

Sasuke closed the distance between him and Lee. He directed a concentrated surge of lightning chakra into his downed opponent. Despite his valiant efforts to remain conscious and escape, Lee's body went limp, succumbing to the depths of unconsciousness.

One down.

Sasuke's heightened senses tingled, alerting him to the Hyuuga prodigy's presence as Neji performed a body flicker, closing in with chakra-infused fingers aimed at his neck. He swiftly ducked under the incoming strike and executed a seamless spin, his leg extending in a swift arc that connected with Neji's lower body, sending him hurtling to the ground.

A barrage of kunai rained down from above. With the power of the Deva Path, he summoned a protective force field, the invisible barrier effortlessly intercepting and deflecting each projectile. The hail of kunai dissolved into mere sparks against the ethereal shield.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Sasuke shifted his focus back to Neji, who was already recovering from the leg sweep, determination etched upon his face. A quick strike was launched, aimed with precision, but Sasuke's honed reflexes allowed him to dodge the blow, evading Neji's probing attack.

Sasuke reached out, his hand snaking out to grasp the back of Neji's collar. He deftly pulled Neji to his right, disrupting his balance and leaving him vulnerable. With a decisive chop to the back of Neji's neck, Sasuke expertly targeted a vital pressure point, causing his opponent to crumple to the ground, succumbing to the realm of unconsciousness.

Two down.

"Wolf Fang over Fang!"

A rotating force of sheer power surged forward, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake as it barreled toward Sasuke. Once again utilizing the Deva path, Sasuke created a force field that put a stop to the destruction of the spinning force. The destructive power dissipated against the invisible shield.

Channeling a surge of lightning-infused chakra, he unleashed a torrent of lightning, directing it toward Kiba and his dog. Both of them landed with a thud on the hard ground, slipping into the world of dreams.

Four down.

Sasuke looked up at the female ninja who had previously thrown a large amount of kunai toward him. Her face was etched with pure disbelief at the sudden turn of events. A smirk danced across Sasuke's lips as he sensed the raw terror that emanated from the woman. It's what they deserved to feel after they had tried to force him to obey.

No one would bend his will according to their whims. Not anymore.

Sasuke blurred.

Within an instant, he materialized behind the unsuspecting kunoichi, catching her off guard. With lightning-fast precision, he backhanded her, the force behind it propelling her through the air, her body hurtling several dozen meters before colliding with a tree, leaving her unconscious.

Five down.

"Hirudora!"

Sasuke turned towards the shout and what he saw made his eyes widen. A wave of high-pressure air in the shape of a tiger was rushing toward him, destroying all matter in its path callously.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes determinedly. His left eye blazing with otherworldly intensity, Sasuke drew upon the power of the Deva Path releasing a near-fully powered 'Almighty Push.'

The Hirudora clashed with Sasuke's Almighty Push, resulting in a cataclysmic display of destruction. The ground beneath their feet cracked and split, trees were uprooted and sent hurtling through the air like projectiles. The surrounding landscape transformed into a scene of desolation as the earth trembled, rocks crumbled, and the air crackled with residual energy. Nature had taken its fair share of hits that day.

Eventually, with the Rinnegan's powers combined with Six Paths chakra and Sasuke's ability to keep the pressure for as long as his large massive reserves allowed it, he overpowered the taijutsu technique resulting in Gai being blown backward by the sheer force of the technique.

A piercing glare reflected in Sasuke's eyes, his frustration mounting as Gai continued to prove himself a persistent annoyance, a vexing distraction that needed to be swiftly eliminated.

Using lightning-enhanced body flicker, he moved.

Within mere seconds, the distance between them closed, and Sasuke's hand shot out, clamping firmly around Gai's neck. He choke-slammed the annoying pest into the ground, the impact creating a colossal crater that echoed with the sheer force of the impact.

Sasuke glared at the man, who stared back defiantly through a whirlwind of pain, his form enveloped in a cloak of blue vapor.

Still holding his opponent's neck, Sasuke summoned the chakra absorption power of the Preta Path.

"What are you doing?!" Gai screamed, in confusion and anger. The menacing red eyes of the Uchiha watched with an air of detached indifference as the blue aura surrounding Gai diminished, reduced to mere whispers of a dying flame.

"That's enough of you," Sasuke's monotonous voice spoke. He grabbed his opponent's collar, pulled him up, and forced him to look into his Sharingan.

Imposing a potent genjutsu upon Gai, Sasuke released his hold, allowing the defeated shinobi to slump to the ground, his consciousness ensnared within the confines of the created illusion.

Six down, one more to go.

It had been a long time since she felt such fear, not since the Forest of Death at least.

Sakura couldn't stop the shudder that traveled down her spine as she glanced at her old teammate. Sasuke-kun stared at her with complete indifference, his eyes not showing a shred of emotion. His imposing stature radiated a confidence that struck her to the core, his posture rigid and unyielding, the cruel red eyes of the Sharingan holding her captive.

Sakura found herself trembling, shivering as she stared at Sasuke-kun who walked toward her, slowly. Her knees gave out as she fell to the floor, thoroughly exhausted.

Nothing she had done worked, hours and hours of training with Lady seemed utterly pointless against her crush-turned-love. Every punch, every feint, every poison was dismissed and dissipated with casual ease. Despite seeing him decimate her teammates and destroy that absolute monster of a technique Gai-sensei had released, she had tried to do something, anything against him; all of them were rendered useless.

There was only one thing she could do as tears rolled down her cheeks: beg.

"S-Sasuke-kun… please, come back to us. Even though there's nothing I can do, even though I'm too weak to stop you, just please listen to me! If there is even a sliver of care you have in your heart for me… I-I… I know things can be like old times someday and—"

"Sakura. Keep quiet."

Her mouth clamped shut.

"Even though you may not listen, let me make something clear. I will return someday."

Wide, hopeful eyes looked up.

Sasuke-kun crouched down, his presence casting a shadow over her trembling form. She felt herself quiver under the weight of his cold, unforgiving gaze.

"Even if I were to return, it would not be for you. I have no reason to like you, nor do you have any reason to like me other than this unnecessary obsession of yours."

Each word he spoke cut through her like a sharpened blade, leaving wounds that went beyond the physical. Despair settled deep within her, engulfing her heart in a bitter, painful embrace.

He got up and dusted off his clothes with a few swipes of his hand.

"So, stop your whining… your begging and get over this worthless, pathetic goal. Get over me."

She wanted to reach out, to yell that no, she would not—her blood, sweat, and tears would not be for naught. By the time she opened her mouth to speak, she found herself staring at nothing but a towering tree.

Ah, that was so much fun to write. Thank you to my first two reviewers: Rage Sage and... Guest.