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Chapter 3.9 [32]

Sasuke was eager for combat—a test to match himself against. It was the next step on the long path to vengeance for his dead clan.

The village's forehead protector gleamed in the sunlight, and he proudly displayed his clan's sigil on his back as the only Uchiha worthy of the name. Kakashi and Shino took the front of the guard detail, and he and Sakura were placed on rear duty, sandwiching Tazuna between them.

After the initial questioning all those days ago, the old man was content to walk in silence, having long since finished his gourd full of alcohol. During the two weeks of travel, they'd stopped in nearby towns to rest whenever possible. Tazuna only found more booze, and the team restocked their supplies. When they couldn't do so, they camped under the night sky.

Sasuke disliked the agonisingly slow pace when all of them—even Sakura—were capable of so much more. Still, his responsibility weighed on him, both as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and as the representative of his clan of one. His father's lessons were always in the back of his mind, bloodstained, but there, so he bore it while paying attention to the old man and calling for breaks whenever he faltered.

"Hey, Sasuke?" His pink-haired teammate chirped, talking his ear off as she had been for the last twenty minutes. "We're going to reach the Land of Waves soon. What do you think it'll be like?"

Sasuke considered her question but eventually gave a noncommittal grunt—how was he to know? That said, Tazuna was leading the project to construct a bridge connecting the Land of Waves to the Land of Fire, so he was more well-off than the average person in his country but still looked as poor as the Leaf's more deprived citizens.

It was a small bit of information, but perhaps it spoke of the country's state as a whole. At the same time, he had travelled for the total duration of a month to and from the Land of Waves, so judging him by his appearance wouldn't be all that accurate.

"Curb your expectations, kids," Tazuna drawled. "The country's a shithole, and my bridge is the only hope it has of a prosperous revival."

"...Yeah, right," Sakura muttered under her breath.

Inwardly, Sasuke couldn't help but be sceptical of the old man's capabilities as a craftsman, let alone a builder, but that was as far as he allowed his doubts to grow. The mission was simple: escort the old man back to the Land of Waves. Anything beyond that was not his concern and would be a waste of energy.

Sasuke frowned and looked up at what was presumably the bridge that Tazuna was responsible for. It was encased in so much fog that he could barely see the scaffolding and construction equipment. They kept close to the side of the bridge, using it as cover—but against what?

Or rather… whom?

"Mr Tazuna," said Kakashi, speaking for the first time since they'd agreed to pay the ferryman an exorbitant amount of money to board his boat. "You and the ferryman look awfully tense. Is something the matter? Your behaviour is a little concerning. Whenever we raise our voices, you and the ferryman jump as if you've seen a ghost!"

He raised his voice to prove a point, only for the ferryman to flinch hard enough that the movement rocked the boat, sloshing foamy seawater against the sides. He looked around in what was probably a less discreet manner than before, but it was obvious to Sasuke that he was wary of something.

"That is suspicious indeed, sensei," said Shino.

Kakashi nodded, reaching over to pat his hooded head. Shino folded his arms, staring at the ferryman through his glasses until the man looked away.

"There, there, Shino. No need to scare the man responsible for our transport."

Sasuke decided that he had no such obligation—the ferryman needed his money, after all, and they'd insisted on only paying half the agreed price before boarding. He pulled out a kunai free and made a show of drumming the flat of the blade against his inner thigh. "You cut off the engine a while ago. Why? Rowing by hand is more tiring, not to mention inefficient… and you'd better be honest with me."

Kakashi reached over, and Sasuke felt an even weight settle atop his head. He leaned away from it immediately, fixing his teacher with a fierce glare that he only laughed at.

"Hold on a minute," Sakura reflexively raised her hand as she always did before stopping halfway with a sheepish smile, "it's the middle of the day. Shouldn't people be working on the bridge?"

Kakashi ruffled Sakura's hair; she seemed the most happy with the gesture out of the three of them. "Those are all good questions either of you gentlemen would be happy to answer, wouldn't you?"

The ferryman looked straight on, leaving Tazuna to bear the brunt of Team 7's stares.

Kakashi's face turned startlingly cold and was completely devoid of its previous humour. "Mr Tazuna, be completely honest with us, otherwise, my team and I are well within our rights to turn back. Is there something you haven't made us aware of?"

The ferryman continued pretending he hadn't heard Kakashi's question, casting his gaze across the fog in search of threats he couldn't see. Tazuna stared down at his lap with a sigh. He took a swig from his gourd and wiped his mouth against his bare arm.

"Alright," the old man coughed, "I'll come clean—but no, I didn't lie. More like I… stretched the truth a little."

Kakashi's eye smile returned almost instantly, and his voice brightened. "How so, Mr Tazuna?"

"I indeed need your protection while journeying to my home, but it ain't for something as simple as protecting me from bandits and the usual low-lives. The Land of Waves doesn't produce a lot of stuff, so I make routine trips to the Land of Fire to talk to suppliers and negotiate. I've needed to do a few more of those trips in recent months."

Sasuke noticed the look the old man gave the bridge to their side. A strange mist overcame his eyes as he beheld it—his face was almost mournful.

"My country... it's being bled dry by a money-grubbing bastard," he broke off with a derisive snort, "a highwayman to his rotten core. You'd have heard of him, I reckon—some big-shot international shipping magnate by the name of Gato."

"As in the Gato Company?" Sakura asked with wide eyes. "What does he want with a country as small as the Land of Waves?"

"On the surface, he's the boss of an international shipping company, but under it, he deals with gangs, ronin and shinobi to take over small countries and local businesses. Contraband, killing, kidnapping… there's nothing that bastard won't do if it means raking in more ryo."

Sasuke sat forward and already found himself frowning.

"Gato set his eyes on the Land of Waves about a year ago, using his massive wealth to get both feet in the door. Before we knew it, he'd taken over the country's shipping and transport, which was when the violence began. Control over the sea is vital to an island nation like mine; it means control over the finance, politics, the people—it's absolute power."

"T-That's terrible," said Sakura, gasping.

"The only thing that leech fears is the completion of my bridge." Tazuna shook his head. "I started building it about when he arrived and he's tried to shut it down several times since."

"Your bridge would end his monopoly," said Shino, adjusting his glasses, "and killing you would also act as an example to others. So, you've become a hindrance to him, then."

"That I have, kid."

"If that's the case," said Sasuke, his brow furrowing, "why haven't we run into anyone he's hired? A man like Gato would want you dealt with as soon as possible, but it's been… oddly quiet."

Sakura looked over her shoulders nervously.

"It's worrying, but there's one more thing I'd like to ask, Mr Tazuna," said Kakashi with a nod. "If you knew Gato uses shinobi, why didn't you make that fact known to the village in your request? That would've got you a couple of chunin and a team of tokubetsu-jonin instead of my cute little genin."

Sasuke immediately glared at him but didn't say anything to the contrary—as much as it burned him to admit it, Kakashi was right. A tycoon like Gato could easily hire A-rank or even S-rank jonin if he didn't care about throwing ryo out. Tazuna managing to get a team with an elite jonin like Kakashi happened by chance, and if it came down to it, he'd prioritise their lives rather than Tazuna's.

Especially now that they'd learned of the old man's dishonesty.

Under the right circumstances, a group of chunin and tokubetsu jonin could beat stronger enemies, but the same couldn't be said about a group of one jonin and three genin.

"The Land of Waves is a poor nation—even more so under Gato's hand. The feudal lords are poor and kiss up to Gato in the hopes that they'll earn money that way." Tazuna stared at Kakashi directly. His voice was calm and measured, but the effect was broken by the tremor in his hands. "Us regular folk are even poorer. Had I been honest about the mission, I wouldn't have been able to afford the Leaf's services. As it stands, you're the only hope we have to save our nation."

Sakura looked between Tazuna and their teacher. "That's…"

"Well," his easy smile didn't reach his eyes, "if you choose to head back after we disembark, I won't blame you. I'll probably die before I make it home at the hands of whoever Gato hired. My eight-year-old grandson will be heartbroken, but there's nothing that can be done."

"Hold on, now—" Kakashi raised his hand, trying to interject but Tazuna ignored it.

"And my daughter? She'll live the rest of her life in grief, nursing a hatred for the Hidden Leaf for letting her father die." Tazuna shook his head, that faux smile still in place. "But it's no fault of yours; actually, it's more my fault than it is yours for being unable to afford the Leaf's services."

He threw his head back and laughed, but Sasuke could hear the despaired edge to his chuckles.

Kakashi hummed and glanced at Tazuna before turning to face them. "What'll it be? The choice is yours. Do you want to continue with the mission despite Tazuna lying about it? Bear in mind that we're likely to at least run into veteran chunin-level combatants at a minimum, not to mention jonin."

Sasuke glanced at his teammates. Shino was as hard to read as always, his eyes were hidden behind those tinted circular glasses, but Sasuke noted the tightening of his folded arms at Kakashi's words. Sakura was far easier to analyse; she was stuck between fear and pity at Tazuna's current circumstance.

Seeing that Kakashi had opted to leave the decision in their hands, Sasuke's words would probably tip the scales in either direction.

"If we succeed, we'll have it on our records," Sasuke said slowly. "This mission is at least A-rank in difficulty, though. Between Kakashi and the three of us, I think we'll be able to protect Tazuna for a couple of weeks until the bridge's completion if we're careful."

"Do you agree?" Kakashi asked. "Shino, Sakura?"

"O-Oh—" Sakura sat up straighter and Sasuke could feel her eyes on him. "...Without us, Mr Tazuna will die, right?"

"Without a doubt," Tazuna replied.

"If he did, he'd only be facing the consequences of his lie," said Shino, looking at the old man for a moment. "Being kind-hearted is a luxury only the strong can afford—and we aren't strong."

Sasuke scoffed. "With my ninjutsu, I can handle chunin, and when my Sharingan manifests, I—"

"But it hasn't yet," Shino cut him off smoothly. "If the assailants are anything above chunin rank, we won't be able to protect Tazuna and Sakura simultaneously."

The pink-haired girl clenched her hands in her lap. Sasuke knew she was more aware of her weakness than everyone, but it was still a fact. Despite Kakashi's training to bring her up to physical form, her arsenal was still the most limited out of the three of them, and the one combat-oriented ninjutsu she knew lacked any offensive power.

She didn't have anything to make up for it either and lacked speed and agility. Unlike other classmates with smaller chakra reserves, she didn't dabble in poisons and paralytics or even seduction—an area where kunoichi usually excelled.

Instead, she focused more on academics without any thought for her future.

Irritation swelled in Sasuke's chest.

Kakashi hadn't taught them anything worthwhile since the joint training exercise with Teams 10 and 8, and before that, all they'd done was physical training and develop their chakra adhesion. For Shino and himself, it wasn't a problem, but Sakura had no skills or techniques beyond the basic ones taught in the Academy.

And for all her strategic thinking, here, she was a liability.

Kakashi sighed. "I did warn you, my cute little genin. I might be an elite jonin, but if I come up against someone as strong as me, my hands are tied. I won't let any of you die… still, there's a real risk to this, and you'll be the ones taking it."

Tazuna looked unsure as a grim silence seeped through the fog.

"Think it over until we reach the shore."

They sailed in silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on them as the shoreline grew clearer with each passing moment. The boat came to a gentle stop, and the mist began to lift. Kakashi jumped out first, landing gracefully on the sand, followed by the others.

Tazuna climbed out last, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight.

Sasuke scanned the area, alert and tense despite his earlier confidence. Shino adjusted his glasses, his face impassive but his movements betraying a heightened state of awareness. Sakura, clutching her pack, looked back at the boat and then at Tazuna.

"So, what's the decision? Do we continue or head back?"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "We continue. I believe we can handle this."

"This will be dangerous," said Shino, "but I trust in our abilities and Kakashi-sensei's leadership."

Sakura hesitated, then stepped forward with a firm nod. "I'll stay, too. I don't want Mr Tazuna to die because we were too scared to try."

Tazuna's eyes widened, a mix of relief and gratitude washing over his features. "Thank you... thank you, all of you."

"Alright then," Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in what might have been a smile, "it's settled. We'll protect Tazuna and see this mission through to the end."

As they began to move inland, the fog thickened around them once more, shrouding the path ahead in uncertainty. The further they walked, the more it lightened until Sasuke could see the green of trees and the winding path ahead of them. But suddenly, the mist thickened as two figures materialised within the haze, their presence heavy and foreboding.

Kakashi's eye widened in recognition. "You…"

"Captain," greeted the shorter of the two men.

Sasuke's heart pounded violently in his chest, his mind spiralling into the depths of his memories where he saw—and smelled—the blood and heard the bone-chilling screams and then the years of eerie silence that followed.

Every muscle in his body tensed, and he felt a suffocating fear gripping him.

"Itachi…" he whispered, his voice trembling. The world around him blurred as his focus honed in on his brother. The dark cloak adorned with red clouds was a new sight, but the calm and menacing demeanour…

It was all too real, too familiar.

The ground fell away beneath him, and Sasuke felt himself being pulled back to that horrendous night. Surrounded by the darkness of his parents' room and the pool of blood beneath them ebbing towards him, he remembered the calculating look in Itachi's eyes as he looked down at his younger brother.

Those eyes now stared at him with the same chilling indifference. Sasuke's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he struggled to regain control.

"It seems you're still not worth killing, little brother," Itachi had said, and those words echoed in Sasuke's mind, amplifying his rage.

A small, strangled cry escaped his lips as he fought to breathe, his chest tightening. The fear and grief clashed, holding his throat tight in its grip. It slackened under his burning rage as hot tears pressed against his eyes, unbidden, but he didn't wipe them away.

He heard Kakashi order them to get back, but it was muted, and nearly drowned by his cascading thoughts.

Sakura's voice, distant and shaky, cut through it all. "Captain?"

Her words broke through the nightmare, anchoring Sasuke to the present moment. He blinked rapidly, forcing himself to focus on her and Kakashi. The world slowly came back into focus, just enough for him to breathe again.

Sakura turned her gaze from the two rogue ninja to Kakashi, confusion and fear evident in her eyes. "...Did he just call you his captain, Kakashi-sensei?"

"He did indeed." Kakashi's expression hardened, but his voice remained steady. He held his arm out like a barricade, positioning himself in the line of fire. "Itachi Uchiha… is my former subordinate."

Sasuke's breath hitched, and he shook his head, trying to clear the lingering fog of his traumatic memories. "How?… He's t-the one who… who…" His voice trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.

Kakashi glanced at Sasuke, his eye softening slightly. "Stay focused, Sasuke. I'll tell you about it once this is over, alright? We need to get through this first."

Sasuke nodded, swallowing hard as he forced himself to stand tall. His team's presence helped him to momentarily shelve the fear—only giving free rein to the unbridled rage it had been suppressing. This was his chance, his moment to face Itachi and show that he wasn't the helpless child he once was.

Sasuke's mounting rage only halted when Kakashi lifted his forehead protector revealing the Sharingan.

"I haven't mastered this eye yet, so I'm going to be on the defensive here. Again, don't look into Itachi's eyes. He'll ensnare you in genjutsu."

"As wise as always, Captain." Itachi hummed. "However… that eye of yours does not belong to you and so pales in comparison to mine."

Kakashi chuckled. "I wouldn't be so sure, Itachi."

Beside Itachi stood a towering figure with blue skin and a shark-like grin. "Copy Ninja Kakashi, eh? Seems Gato wasn't lying when he said we'd find interesting prey here."

"You're Kisame Hoshigaki, I presume?"

The blue-skinned shinobi grinned—Sasuke looked closer and noticed the sliced-through Hidden Mist sigil. "What gave it away?"

"That isn't any regular sword you're hefting around. It's Samehada, one of the Mist's legendary seven swords." Kakashi shrugged. "Well… that and the smell of fish."

Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled and heaved the massive bandaged blade onto a shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Itachi?" Kakashi asked.

Itachi tilted his head. "The Akatsuki has been hired by the Gato Company, Captain. I'll have to ask you to hand over the bridge builder. For old times' sake, I'll let you and your genin go—yes, even you, little brother."

"We can't do that, now, can we?"

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Kisame laughed, baring his filed teeth in a vicious grin. "Since you know this lot, we'll go on your call, Itachi."

Itachi considered the question with a tilt of his head. "Keep Kakashi occupied, but don't rough him up too badly. He's still needed, after all. I'll handle the rest."

Sasuke's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. That careless tone… the same tone he took when explaining why he killed their parents, their neighbours, Izumi, and Shisui fuelled the embers he'd been stoking for the last five years.

Itachi's shadow and his betrayal had constantly clung to him for the last five years. He killed anyone Sasuke had ever cared about and ensured he burned the possibility of future relationships to ash with the threat of his existence.

The Uchiha crest at his back burned white-hot against his skin at the sight of their bloodline's worst traitor since Madara Uchiha.

"I'll kill you, Itachi!" he yelled, charging forward.

Itachi's eyes flashed with cold amusement. "But how? You're still weak, little brother."

"Sasuke, wait!" Kakashi called out, but it was too late.

He clenched his kunai tightly. What was once fear and helplessness gave way to something else. His vision tunnelled, focusing solely on the object of his five-year vendetta, to the point where he barely noticed Kisame Hoshigaki rush past him.

He blasted past Sasuke in an instant and, by the sounds of it, engaged Kakashi. Sasuke roared, going into his pouch to hurl several shuriken at Itachi. His rage propelled him forward, kunai in hand, aiming straight for the throat. Itachi effortlessly sidestepped, his twin Sharingan eyes spinning hypnotically.

Sasuke skidded to a halt, turning sharply to face him again.

"You've grown, Sasuke," he kicked out and struck through Sasuke's guard, propelling him past Kakashi and Kisame.

He landed in a heap just in front of his teammates and Tazuna.

With a swift motion, Kisame swung his massive sword, and Kakashi barely managed to deflect the blow—though its force sent him flying and they only moved further away with each successive strike. Sakura and Shino immediately flanked Sasuke, their faces set with determination as he swayed to his feet. Tazuna stayed behind them, clutching his gourd as if it could offer otherworldly protection from the monster that was his older brother.

"Stay back!" Sasuke yelled. He slapped away Sakura's hand. His chest gave a twinge at the hurt in her face but it was quickly vaporised by his rage. "He's mine!"

With a scream of frustration, Sasuke launched a barrage of shuriken at Itachi, who deflected them effortlessly with a flick of his wrist. Sasuke dashed in again with a kunai in hand, slashing furiously.

Itachi dodged each attack with minimal movement, his expression unreadable.

"Is this all you've got?" Itachi asked, catching Sasuke's wrist in a vice-like grip and twisting it, causing Sasuke to drop his weapon with a sharp cry.

Itachi's eyes flicked to Sakura and Shino. Sasuke frowned, wrenching himself to safety. His left hand throbbed but he barely felt the pain, spitting to the ground in disgust at Itachi's words.

"You rushed at me without a second thought for your comrades. Why?" He could see it—that same euphoric glint in his eyes when Sasuke found him standing over their parents' bodies. "Have you abandoned them for power as I have?"

Sasuke saw red and launched himself at Itachi… only for him to disappear. He spun around—and his stomach dropped.

"We can't just watch!" Sakura started to move forward, but Shino held her back.

"We have to be strategic," Shino replied. "Itachi Uchiha is an S-rank threat—he's at least as strong as sensei and definitely beyond us! Do you remember how he toyed with us during the Bell Test?"

She didn't move when he let her go and neither of them saw Itachi approaching.

"G-Guys," Sasuke croaked, heart racing. "Watch out!"

They turned at the same time, immediately flinching but raising their weapons.

"...M-Mr Tazuna is un-under our protection," said Sakura, despite her hands shaking.

Itachi, his back to Sasuke, turned around with a chilling smile. "You should have stayed in the village, little brother."

Sasuke tried to launch himself forward but he suddenly found himself pinned to the ground, thick metal spikes driven through his limbs and torso. He couldn't see Itachi, nor his teammates' corpses. The sounds of the battle between Itachi's comrade and Kakashi had disappeared.

All he knew were the rusty metal spikes and their agony. Every attempt to move sent waves of agony through his body. He gasped, his breath coming in ragged bursts. No matter what he did: speeding up his chakra flow, slowing it down, stopping it, flaring his chakra—nothing worked!

Itachi's voice materialised in the air around him. "This is the reality of your weakness."

Sasuke thrashed despite the agonising pain—he couldn't let Itachi do it again after he'd dedicated five years of gruelling training for the sole purpose of killing him. But he was helpless, forced to watch Itachi walk with a deliberate calmness towards his teammates and Tazuna.

"C-Come back here." He tried to threaten him, but it didn't work. "I'll tear you apart myself, coward!"

The pinwheels in his eyes spun faster, melding into a distinct pattern Sasuke would never forget. "Do you remember what I told you, Sasuke? That if you wish to kill me, you should curse me and hate me; to live a long and unsightly life until you have the same eyes that I possess."

"No!" Sasuke yelled, his mouth drying rapidly the closer Itachi drew to his teammates. However, his body refused to move, still completely dominated by the genjutsu and the helplessness only reignited that deep, seething hatred he felt towards the man he once called "brother."

With swift, precise movements, Itachi blew past his teammates and slashed Tazuna's throat. Blood sprayed out and the old man crumpled to the ground. Sasuke's eyes widened in horror as his gaze moved from the dying old man to his two comrades—they would be next.

Them—as much as it scared him to admit it—his friends.

Before Sasuke could react, Itachi moved with blinding speed. He grabbed Sakura by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Her neck snapped with a sharp crack and he let her body fall. Burning tears obscured Sasuke's vision and when he opened his eyes, he saw Shino attempt to launch an attack.

His insects swarmed towards Itachi, but Itachi was faster. He grabbed Shino by the throat and immediately flitted back to Sasuke, meeting his hateful, teary gaze with a smile.

"And you," he said, staring into Shino's eyes and lifting him higher, "you were right about one thing: you never stood a chance."

With a swift motion, he snapped Shino's neck and relinquished his hold over his lifeless body.

"Itachi!" Sasuke's eyes burned with tears of rage and frustration. "I'll never stop until you're dead!"

"Perhaps one day," Itachi replied, his voice like ice. "But today, know that your efforts have fallen short… and that your friends have died because of it."

Looking at the corpses of his two teammates, the hatred left Sasuke frighteningly quickly, replaced with a slow, gnawing despair. Gritting his teeth, he mustered the focus to look up at Itachi despite the pain.

"Is that sorrow I hear in your voice?" Itachi chuckled, then. "Where was this concern for your comrades when you rushed at me?"

Sasuke shook his head over and over, as if denying the sight before him would bring them back to life. His vision blurred with tears as Itachi's words cut through him. Sakura's dull green eyes stared at him, head twisted at an unnatural angle, and just ahead of her, Shino's broken form lay on the ground, unmoving.

His heart pounded violently in his chest, each beat echoing the terror of that night. The blood, the screams, his parents' bodies—all of it came rushing back, overwhelming him. His breath hitched, coming in short gasps as he watched Itachi move closer to his teammates in his mind's eye.

Sakura's neck snapping, Shino's lifeless body—each moment felt like a dagger to his soul. Once again, Sasuke was too weak to protect those he cared about, and that realisation tightened around his chest like a vice.

He kneeled, rooted to the spot, transfixed by the sight of their corpses as if they would rise if he stared hard enough.

Itachi moved closer. "Did you know that you awakened the Sharingan on that very night? Though it seems you repressed it. Unable to bear the truth of your powerlessness, you hid from it, and now look at you." His words cut through the haze like a knife. "The truth is, foolish little brother of mine, is that your comrades died because of your weakness."

Sasuke closed himself off, unwilling to subject himself to the pain of losing anyone ever again. Yet Sakura and Shino—just through their constant presence in his life all day, every day—managed to matter to him before he even knew it.

…And now they were gone.

The unfairness of it all lit a spark within him and, just like after he awoke in the hospital all those years ago, that spark caught fire, burning away all the fear.

An inferno of hatred ran rampant within him, leaving him trembling. "I'll k-kill you... I swear I'll kill you!"

It was the same vow Sasuke made in the hospital five years ago. However, it was no longer just a vow worth committing his life to. Not when the monster stood tall over their bodies. It tore at him, unwilling to cease until he did something—anything—against the man responsible for the unceasing pain.

No, it wasn't a desire but a desperate need he would fulfil even if it led him to his death in the end.

His vision sharpened, the world coming into crystal-clear focus—and Sasuke knew it instantly. The Sharingan, with its spinning tomoe, had awakened. The pain in his eyes was searing, but he welcomed it; he embraced it, submerging himself as the power of his bloodline washed over him.

Then he saw something that stopped the hatred cold—Shino and Sakura weren't dead. They lay beside Tazuna's corpse, unconscious, but unharmed. Itachi's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something—perhaps recognition or satisfaction—crossing his face.

Sasuke clenched his kunai tightly. This time, he wasn't powerless. This time, he would fight… even if it killed him. His friends might not be dead, but there was a blood debt to be repaid even with two names firmly off the list.

"Today," he said, taking a step forward, "I'll cast off your shadow—one way, or another."