Naruto 1. Friends to the End

Hello there my friends! Here is a new one for you all I truly do hope you enjoy it.

Warning: While this does not contain direct spoilers it does contain brief references to the events after the Nagato ark and incident with the village. This is set after the Nagato/pain ark and before Madara's plan goes into affect ( I hope I am not spoiling to much with this. I'm trying to not give out details.) For those of you who are saying "Wait, who's Nagato?" and "who's Madara?" you best not continue unless you don't mind references you won't get anyway.

As far as plot, this is my own twist so don't expect it to be bang on with the manga. I am changing some things so buckle up. Enough rambling and on with the show!

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><p>Chapter 1: Friends to the End<p>

After a long and violent battle, it was at last over. The rocks of the canyon and the low hanging clouds above the valley trapped the young men in the atmosphere's grasps, sealing them on the stage of their last performance where the curtains now closed permanently. Their final testaments to their beliefs lay on the altar of fate before them, and judgment had been passed over the souls of the two young men. In the end only one could have lived, and as it now was clear, life had chosen the prevailing force.

Blonde tresses of the victor swayed hauntingly in the passing breeze as the boy stared down at his fallen enemy—his fallen brother. The heaving of the young shinobi's chest had subsided for the most part as the former battle drew further and further into the past. No matter how much time ticked with the taunting pendulum, it didn't seem to the boy that any time had passed at all. He was frozen, just as still as the lifeless black haired teen before him, locked in that last breath. The blue depths of the regretfully victorious young man were glazed over with a blank note of emptiness, their dead stare fixated on his fallen friend.

It was true that the blonde boy had won, but in a battle such as this there could never truly be a victor. They had both lost their lives in one sense or another, one physically and the other spiritually. A silent echo rung through the now hollow space in the blonde's heart where his meaning for existence once dwelt, reminding the young man again just how much this boy before him had meant to him. They had been oil and water as far as personality had allotted them, but they experienced a pull towards each other that neither could ever truly forget. Naruto Uzumaki, the boy of prophecy, and Sasuke Uchiha Madara's successor could not live without one another.

Even with that being said, the truth remained that one now _did _live in the absence of the other, one soul left behind by its matching counterpart. A stream of silent tears worked their way down the blonde's face in silvery trails, marring the already anguished face of the boy with more scars of his pain. The blood that clung to his cheek, some his own and some the blood of his fallen comrade, melded with the salty substance of tears and dripped down to the fabric of his tattered jacket. Balling his fists the young man knelt down beside the lifeless Uchiha, who had now gone on to join the rest of his family in the afterlife.

"Dammit, Sasuke…" the young man swore aloud, his eyes clenching shut as a sob hiccupped from his bloodied lips.

Why couldn't he have saved him? The blonde man could not ever forgive himself for going back on his word, for letting the Uchiha fall so far away from his friends, the only people who could have ever made him feel a sense of family again. The black haired Konoha shinobi turned self-justified vigilante had been so blind to what was around him and that blindness had led the boy so far astray. Painfully just out of the reach of his comrades, always eluding them by a step or two ahead. He was like a photograph of a time that was forever unattainable once it had passed. And that's just what the young Uchiha had done, came into the lives of friends and passed back out like the drifting breeze.

"Dammit, Sasuke! Why couldn't you see that we all loved you? That we were there to help you...That I was there for you …" the blonde cried, his balled fists resting on his knees as his head bowed in pain, tears falling onto the face of the motionless black haired teen beneath him.

The glittering droplets ran down the frozen boy's cheek, making it look as if he were crying alongside the Uzumaki boy. Ironic, only now could Naruto say what he always wanted to say to the Uchiha, now that the boy could never hear his words again.

A scuffling sound could be heard as the footsteps of his other teammate and their teacher approached slowly, making their way over the two brothers. The flaxen haired boy did not turn to meet the saddened eyes of his friends as he was frozen to solely his best friend's side like a shadow, the way he had always been when they were young, and the way he had longed to be when they were older. He did not even flinch as the gentle hand of his pink haired teammate grasped his shoulder or when the form of his teacher now knelt beside him. Team 7 was together again at last.

They all sat in silence for a long moment, the time seeming to hold onto that slice of time in a vice grip just as death now held onto the black haired teen at the end. The only sounds penetrating the hanging gloom were the soft sniffling of the blonde boy and the occasional hiccupped sobs from the pink haired kunoichi beside him. It seemed for the time that all of their hearts were in sync, each humming with the anguish of the loss. When Sasuke had died, it was as if his team died alongside him.

A gush of air could be heard as the silver haired jounin sighed through the thick fabric of his mask. His saddened mismatched, half-lidded obsidian and red eyes were glued onto the image of his students before him—his precious little students. Naruto, the boy who never gave up, Sakura, the girl whose kindness had blessed them all, and Sasuke, who now lie bloodied and limp on the ground. They were his pride and his joy, and regretfully one of his biggest short comings. The older man blamed himself for the way his team had fallen apart, for the way Sasuke had fallen as well. The Uchiha was his responsibility, and when it came down to it—when the Uchiha had needed guidance most—he had let the boy slip away into the darkness of hatred. He had become so corrupted with his own anger and misled ambitions, and his sensei had not been able to pull him back.

But, even if he had failed one of his students, he still had two more that he would be damned to let go of. The jounin knew that they were both in agony—as was he—and they would need to be comforted. On top of that, they were not safe there, even with Sasuke dead they still had to worry about the rest of his team was and more importantly, Madara. Who knew where they were at this point? Battered and bruised from the relentless struggles they'd faced, Team 7 was in no shape to take on more enemies.

"Naruto, Sakura, it's over now…We need to get away from here soon." The man sighed, his voice dead and bland on his tongue. It was like he had gone completely numb, sorrow being the only thing to permeate his senses.

Deep saddened pools of emerald locked onto the blank depths of her sensei's, their teary glimmer refracting light. Those green orbs of the silver haired man's student sunk his heart further. They were so full of pain and confusion, the questions of "why did this happen?" and "why him?" floated in their light green depths, begging her sensei for answers.

Yet another failure of his students, the older man thought. He could not make this alright, nor could he put into words the reasons for life's plans. The scarecrow let his sight drop to the ground beneath him, only to shoot back up a moment later after catching another painful glimpse of the young Uchiha's corpse.

"We don't know where the rest of Sa—…Rest of Team Taka is or Madara for that matter. It isn't safe here right now." The man pushed again, forcing his words to form through the thick seal of grief.

"I don't care…" the blonde teen muttered almost instantly, his misty eyes never breaking their attachment to the Uchiha.

"Naruto—" Kakashi tried only to be cut off.

"I said… I don't care. Let them come here…Nothing matters anymore." Naruto rejected completely out of character. The depression that clung in his voice made his words seem harsh and distant, their heaviness sinking in the stagnant air. "You know what's funny… I promised him I would die with him… but I'm still alive. We were supposed to go together. That teme, he was always a step ahead of me…but I guess that doesn't really matter now."

"Yes, something does matter, Naruto. You and Sakura matter to me. I am responsible for both of you. You both are meant to live, even if Sasuke wasn't. He became so lost in his rage and thirst for revenge that he pushed his body too far over the edge. His destiny was always tied to tragedy…for him, this is a fitting end. He died like a true shinobi, fighting for his beliefs." The teacher explained in a saddened but determined tone, though the pitch seemed to be only just above a whisper.

The eyes of the two teens looked up to meet the silver haired man's gaze, Naruto finally having broken his stare on the lifeless boy's face. Their stares held questions, pain and confusion within their depths, as they looked upon the older man.

"And now, you two have to keep fighting for your goals and live your life with meaning, it's what Sasuke fought for. Honor his memory. If Madara shows up now, none of us will have the strength to put up a fight and our dreams will end right here, do you want that to happen? You will throw away the life that so many of our comrades fought and died to protect." Kakashi offered, trying to persuade his students.

"Sensei, are you saying we should just leave now?" The pink haired kunoichi voiced one of many questions floating in her mind.

"We have to. None of us has the energy to fight for ourselves let alone each other. We need to head back to the village and report what has happened. An Anbu team will be out here shortly to make sure the area is clear and retrieve Sasuke's body…"The team's sensei explained as detached and as professionally as he could, seeing as clinging onto his professionalism was all he could do to hold it together. He could not handle the pain in his student's eyes.

The eyes of the blonde turned incredulous as they widened with hurt, the blue depth filling with a rage. He let his teeth grind together harshly before he let his pain and anger burst.

"So what? You just wanna leave him here?" A furious hand swung to gesture to their surroundings, adding emphases to the absurd notion. "That is so wrong, Sensei! How could you say that? No matter what… no matter how far he fell…Sasuke is still one of us! He is our teammate, and we can't—we won't—just leave him behind us!" the Uzumaki boy outburst, his strong will igniting his voice. He would not leave his best friend behind all alone…never again. He knew how it felt to be alone and dead to the world, and no one ever deserved that, especially not the Uchiha. Even in death it was wrong.

"Naruto…Please understand. If we were to try and carry him back it would only increase our chance of being caught and killed. You can barely stand, as can I, and we can't rely on Sakura's healing ninjustu because she is also completely worn out. I will already have to help hold you up as I had to for Sakura, carrying Sasuke will be impossible in our state. We are facing severe chakra exhaustion and if Madara was to catch up to us we would be able to do nothing more but watch each other be slaughtered. You need to think about what's best for the team right now." His sensei reprimanded him, forcing himself past the pain of what he was actually saying. Of course it was wrong to leave Sasuke behind, but right now he had to protect his remaining students.

"Sasuke is part of that team! He is our friend! We can't just walk away! That's so low—" the blonde boy shouted once more only to be cut off by the voice of his sensei.

"Naruto, Sasuke is gone now, you need to realize that. As a ninja you need to be able to deal with loss and move on with the mission. You two are my only teammates left and I will not let my comrades get killed again." Kakashi sighed painfully through his mask. It was so hard to do this to them, but the reality that they could have never saved the Uchiha remained to plague them all.

"Sensei… weren't you the one who taught us that those that break the rules are scum…but those who abandon their friends are even worse than scum? I thought you believed that, because I always thought you were the kind of shinobi that stood up for what is right." Naruto's low voice murmured thoughtfully, scorn and disbelief now lacing his words.

Kakashi's charcoal eye went wide, a small gasp of shock hanging in his throat. His mouth felt dry as he let his gaze lower to the dirt beneath him. Naruto was right, he had said that to them long ago during their very first training exercise. He had hoped to instill good values in his little team so that they could pass it on to the next generation, but somehow along the way the recent events had left him cold and he had forgotten that lesson. What kind of sensei was he?

"Sensei…you and Sakura can go back to village now if you want, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure I don't leave my friend behind. I promised him I would never give up on bringing him back, and I won't break my promises anymore." The cerulean eyed boy vowed with deadened depths fierce.

Tears streamed from emerald eyes as they looked down on the dark haired boy that had held their gaze for so long, even in death. The kunoichi held her hands over her broken heart, trying not to let any more pieces crumble away. This just wasn't fair.

She thought she had resolved her feelings for this young man who now lay lifeless before them, but in the end she hadn't changed at all. He was always going to be her everything and she knew Naruto was right. They couldn't let him lay here alone.

"No, Naruto… I'm staying with you. S-sasuke-kun was my teammate too… I won't leave him." The pink haired girl sobbed, her glossy green eyes meeting the blue depths of her friend's.

Naruto's eyes went wide before a saddened smile slipped onto his chapped and bloodied lips. Blonde and pink, blue and green, locked in the eyes of one another. As their eyes connected all of their suffering seemed to be exchanged, each one knowing wholeheartedly the anguish the other was in. They had both just lost the meaning for their lives up until then, their singular goal—their hope. Only they could understand what each other were thinking perfectly, like their thoughts had melded with Sasuke being the glue. It was just as Nagato had said; only through true pain could people understand each other.

When Naruto finally broke the painfully reveling ocular conversation he let his weary eyes drift back to the silent silver haired teacher, whose eyes had softened from the widened gaze they had held.

Harsh black melted into smooth obsidian as tears visibly pricked at the uncovered eye of the older man, his gaze now focused on the sight of his students. They were right…of course. Their hearts were still young and so full of justice and compassion in their purest forms. Even though they had seen their fair share of violent battles and deaths, they still held onto the life lessons they were instilled with—lessons he had taught them long ago when everything was so simple. He never gave much thought to how those words had affected them, when they were still malleable and his every teaching was sculpting their future outlooks. He had passed down the Will of Fire to his little team and taught them how to be honorable shinobi, and now, it was his turn to learn from them. Honorable shinobi did not mean only someone who follows rules; it was someone who others could look upon with respect because when it came down to it they were not only amazing ninjas… but amazing comrades. Comrades did not leave their companions behind.

"Sensei, are you going back to the village ahead of us?" the blonde muttered quietly, his eyes fixated on his teacher. His voice was soft yet it held the strong tone of accusation. Naruto couldn't believe that his sensei would turn his back on their friend.

"No, Naruto. Not without my students…all of them." The man replied with a sad smile crinkling his visible eye. "But Naruto, there's still the matter of carrying Sasuke back, none of us have the energy."

"Don't you worry about that… I promised I would bring him back, and no matter what I am not going to give up! Even if I fall I will still get up and keep going, because I am not ever going to go back on my word again. That's my ninja way!" the blonde vowed intensely, a flicker of his usual energy gleaming in his promise.

The boy's teacher and pink haired teammate sat in awe as the boy who could barely stand forced himself onto his feet, lifting the lifeless Uchiha's body in his wary arms. After adjusting the added dead-weight the blonde steadied himself on his leg and turned to face his team, his sandals shuffling on the dusty ground.

"Well are we going home or not Team 7?"Naruto pushed through the thick sadness that dampened his voice and permeated his senses.

With a nod his remaining teammates struggled up onto their feet, their bodies wanting nothing more than to give in and crumble to exhaustion. But they knew that if Naruto, as tired as he was, could shoulder the burden of their fallen friend than they could at least walk beside him. To give him as much emotional support as they could, seeing as they weren't good for much physical support.

As the team walked the clouds that had been threatening them all day had finally decided to wage a tragic war upon the land, showering the earth in their tears. The walk back would be long and tiring, but at least they were making it together.

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><p>Shizune nodded to the messenger ninja and thanked them briefly before turning and walking into the Hokage's makeshift office, her eyes saddened and full of disbelief.<p>

"My Lady?"She pardoned as entered the room. "May I come in?"

"What is it, Shizune?" the female Hokage replied with a slightly distracted tone, focused a letter in her steady hands.

The woman looked over the younger black haired medic, her eyes then flicking back the paper she held.

"Well, we just received notice from one of Kakashi-san's ninja dogs that they came upon Sasuke, and apparently he and Naruto fought." Shizune began slowly, hesitation floating in her words.

"Well, what happened? Come on, spit it out." The edgy blonde pushed, impatient with her subordinates stuttering.

"…well, the batter got pretty bad, not to mention Kakashi-san and Sakura were ambushed by white Zetsu which caused them quite a bit of trouble and so Kakashi-san wasn't around for Naruto's fight and…"

"Shizune! Out with it! Is Naruto alright?" the blonde half shouted, causing the younger woman to jump.

"Uchiha Sasuke has been eliminated, my Lady." The medic finally blurted out, bowing her head.

The room grew quiet as the news set in, white noise humming in the atmosphere. On one hand, it was a relief to know that the rouge ninja situation had been dealt with, but on another hand even she herself had not wanted to kill the Uchiha prodigy. He was one of Konoha's brightest shinobis, before he was corrupted by her ex-teammate Orochimaru. But more than her feelings, she knew that Naruto was now suffering an unimaginable burden of pain. The pain of losing a dear friend.

She sighed letting her head rest on her intertwined fingers, her elbows braced on the desk top. "Thank you, Shizune." She said. "I need some time to work to think, alright? You are dismissed." The Hokage stated, allowing her professional mask to slide back into place.

"Yes, my Lady." The younger woman replied while bowing and turning to walk out.

"Oh, Shizune, one more thing. Did Kakashi state when Team 7 will return to the village?" the professionalism continued.

"Um yes, my Lady. I believe he said they would be here by late tonight." Shizune answered, her tone still sad and soft.

"Good. Have an Anbu team dispatched to meet them at the border, and have them take the body to the Intel division for evaluation. This needs to be done in the utmost secrecy, not a word of his death gets out to the villagers yet. Understood?" The blonde's eyes met the sad orbs of her assistant.

"Yes. Understood, my Lady." The young medical ninja responded as she turned and walked out, her form stricken with the uncomfortable feeling left in the wake of the information.

Once the young woman was out of ear shot the blonde Hokage stood from her desk to look out the window, the setting sun bathing everything in a golden copper hue. It would have been beautiful, if it weren't for the events that had come to a close with that setting sun.

"Oh, Naruto…" Tsunade let a single tear escape her eye.

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><p>Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think. I promise it will not always be this depressing, things are about to get very interesting. I just have to get things in place. Think of it as setting the table. Please review!<p> 


	2. Laid to Rest

Hello there all! I hope you liked my previous chapter and enjoy this one too.

Don't worry it won't be as depressing as the last—but I'm not making any promises on this one. It made me cry writing it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto manga or anime. And the views expressed are only based on personal opinions and do not reflect the views of the respecting owners.

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><p>Chapter Two: Laid to Rest<p>

The morning sunlight blistered through the windows of the Hokage's temporary office, coming as a bittersweet awakening for the pink haired kunoichi. Her eyes still stung from all the tears she had cried the previous day as well as the ones she had awaken to in the morning. It wasn't unusual for the rosette to cry in her slumber, as she had done it nearly every night since her only love walked away from the village and took her heart with him. Only this time, the tears were different. This time she wasn't crying for him to come back to her, for him to bring her heart back, because this time she knew he was gone forever and her heart along with him.

With a wavering sigh the young pink headed medic wrapped her arms around herself, the muscles in her exhausted arms straining in protest to movement as her tired bones creaked. She was still worn to the bone from the previous night, and the few hours she had attempted to sleep for had done her no aid.

They had arrived at the village in the dead of night somewhere around four in the morning, after having met up with the Anbu team that had been sent to retrieve the Uchiha's body from them—which had been met with no cooperation by her blonde haired teammate. He would not let them have the black haired boy, no matter what he vowed to them that he would be the one to carry Sasuke home. He was glued to that young man like he had nowhere else to go but his side. Kakashi-sensei had warily offered the idea that Naruto would be allowed to walk the boy's body to the Intel division and after that they could take things from there. The Anbu had hesitantly agreed and with that they all returned to the village. At last Sasuke was home where he had always belonged.

Sakura had been so deprived of chakra and energy that upon entering the gates to their home she had collapsed. When she awoke that morning she was laid in her own bed and had no memory of getting there, but then again, she supposed that really didn't matter now. She was told shortly after waking that she needed to report to the Hokage's office, and as professional as it sounded she knew the blonde woman was only using the authority as a cover for the concern she felt for the pink haired teen. She always treated Sakura as somewhat of a daughter, though devoid of blood relations, the godaime's maternal nature had guided Sakura through many hard times. Though, this time the young red clad medic wasn't sure anyone could make this situation better. Her heart was gone and the gaping hole left behind was something not even the great healer Tsunade could repair.

Naruto wasn't doing well either, the rosette knew. He was so fixated on the Uchiha for so long that being torn away from him was something the blonde boy wouldn't allow. According to what Shizune had told her, Naruto had refused to leave Sasuke's side even once they had placed him in the morgue of the Intel building, saying that he needed more time with him. Eventually the boy had passed out on the floor and the pink haired kunoichi was told that Iruka came to take the exhausted boy home. Naruto was always stubborn, Sakura tried to think absently. Willing her thoughts away from the agonizing reality she now lived in.

"Sakura?"

The pinket was pulled away by the firm voice of her mentor, who had her elbows resting on the dark wood of her desk. The thoughts in the young kunoichi's head swirled for a moment as they blurred in exhaustion, before they finally focused enough for her mind to process a response.

"Yes, my Lady?" the green eyed girl responded softly, the haze of her depression making her false smile even more unbelievable.

Her mentor watched her with wary, concerned eyes, not liking the darkness that had tainted the glimmering eyes of her student. She had known this would affect her gravely, but she never expected the emptiness that had replaced the emotions in her charges depths. She knew the pain of losing teammates, her heart clenched as the memory of once glimmering gold and green snake eyes taunted her memory. They were the eyes of one of her closest friends as a child, Orochimaru. He had fallen just as Sasuke had. Ironic how similar they had turned out to be.

Clearing her mind of the painful memories the fifth Hokage let her eyes focus back on the fragile girl in front of her.

"Do you know why I asked you here this morning?" the blonde woman began.

"No, my Lady, I do not." The rosette meekly answered unsure now what it was that her mentor wanted to speak of, the intensity in her golden brown eyes pinning the young kunoichi in her place.

"In response to yesterday's events I need to speak with you about the precautions that must be taken, regarding the case of Uchiha Sasuke." The blonde stated professionally, her tone one worthy of the title Hokage.

The pinket flinched at the name of her fallen friend and her eyes clamped shut momentarily before her gaze locked once more with her mentor's. It took her a while, but she had finally realized what her sensei was doing. The lady Hokage was putting on her brave face and holding fast to her authority to block out the tears she wanted to shed. She did this whenever she had difficult situations to deal with, to hide her emotions and keep herself from falling apart. She was the leader of a nation after all, and what kind of leader would she be if she let her emotions cloud the judgment she was entitled to. To the Hokage, the people's well being and feelings came first and then the stability of the villages' economics and military defenses, then her governmental duties, and finally at the end of her list was her own feelings. Sakura couldn't help but admire the bravery her mentor had, she was the model of how the pinket wished herself to be.

'_Thank you, my Lady'_ the kunoichi silently thought.

"Sakura, do you understand?" the Hokage pushed.

"Yes, my Lady, please continue. I understand." The rosette knew it was time she held it together, at least for a little while. She would not be weak in front of her teacher.

The blonde looked at the strength in her student's eyes that now poured out, holding her back straight and her eyes steady. That's what she needed to see. A small smile slipped onto the Hokage's face, as long as the Haruno girl had that will to endure, she knew that there was hope she would be alright.

"As you are well aware, a ninja's body is a mass storage unit for information. Including intelligence on the secrets of their home village and possibly those of new villages they enter, use of weaponry and most importantly, their ninjutsu." The woman began.

"Yes, I know. What do you mean by this, my Lady?" green eyes stayed steady even though her heart was beginning to pound in apprehension. What was it that her mentor was telling her this for? Uncertainty flipped in the girl's stomach as her thoughts went to the bad feeling that was tingeing the back of her mind. She knew this had something to do with the death of…She paused, she could not allow her thoughts to stray back to _his_ name. It was just far too painful. The pink kunoichi didn't even want to begin to think of where her mentor's words were going to lead.

"Please, Sakura, I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but I wanted to be sure to notify you myself before you found out on your own." The girl's teacher sighed thoughtfully, her golden orbs trained on her student's form. Strong or not, this still wasn't going to be easy for her to handle.

"Go on, my Lady." The pink haired girl forced through the seal that had glued itself on her lips to keep the hiccups of sadness from bubbling out, her voice sounding almost cold.

After a moment of silence the Hokage finally pushed her own words out of her mouth, willing them to form through her discomfort. More than anything she did not want to hurt her pink haired student, but she knew that handling this with detachment was the best way to continue with Sakura. The rosette had asked her teacher some time ago not to treat her like the little girl she had been, but as the woman she had become. She wanted her sensei to know she could handle the heavy responsibilities of adulthood and that there was no reason to go easy on her. As painful as it was for the motherly Hokage to emotionally wound her young charge, she knew Sakura did not want to be treated any other way. She would hold all of her emotions together and stand firm like the true kunoichi she was.

"This afternoon, at around three o'clock, Shizune will lead the medical team along with Konoha's Intel division in the autopsy of Uchiha Sasuke's body to extract any information on the Akatsuki or Uchiha Madara that may have use to the Leaf village as well as any secrets belonging to Konoha to protect the village. More importantly, they will analyze any ninjutsu that is contained within his body that may give us hints about our enemy's tactics" The Hokage stated her back going rigid as the bitter feeling words passed over her tongue.

Green eyes grew wider as a breath was hitched in the young medical ninja's throat. An autopsy? The kunoichi paled. Of course she had known this would be the case, as it was for any rouge shinobi's body, it was simply too dangerous to leave things unchecked. But the painful realization that her friend was viewed as a 'information booth' or some kind of war prize for the village to do with as they pleased all to get an upper hand on the enemy made the pink haired girl's stomach twist in pain and disgust. Was that all he was now?

That boy, no matter how far he had fallen, was always a Konoha shinobi. Someone who she had trained with, learned with, bled with and laughed with. He, rather he still would have admitted it or not, had inherited the Will of Fire. He was the next generation of honorable shinobis in a long line of honored heroes, or at least, she still believed that. To her, he was always a shining star. Maybe that star had been blinded by the dark clouds, but underneath the veil he still held a light—a light that her heart had clung to.

Tears prickled at the backs of her green orbs, threatening to fall, but she would not let them be shed. She would hold her ground and suffer in silence. She was a kunoichi and above that, she was a grown woman.

"Sakura, please understand." The older woman pleaded softly, now growing more and more worried about her student as she saw the information sink in and the silence drag on.

"I understand, my Lady." The rosette responded at last, her green eyes growing cold as she sealed away her pain. "I only have one request. Please allow me to assist the medical team."

Now it was gold eyes that widened slightly, taking in the cold words her student had just spoken. Allow her to assist? What was she thinking? That would be too difficult for the young kunoichi at a time like this, when her emotional bonds to that boy were far too strong. The memories of the past would cloud her judgment, and the body of that boy could hold many dangerous ninjutsu traps, it was too risky for her to even attempt it. The pinket would not be able to bury the love she felt and that could be the downfall of the entire medical team. Who knew what lie beneath the surface of that Uchiha?

"Sakura, I think you know why I cannot allow you to assist in this matter. You need time to rest and recover from all you have dealt with." The Hokage sighed, the air in her office was becoming heavy and she didn't like the feeling. It was like trying to breathe through water, the dense emotions would swallow a person up.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I understand, my Lady." The pinket sighed, her face still straight as is it could be.

"I am sorry, Sakura. This is just how things are; please don't dwell on it too hard. He wouldn't want you to suffer." The blonde tried her hand at comforting, not being able to take the cold way her student was responding.

The girl flinched at the reference to her fallen comrade, a tinge of pain striking the hole where her heart should've been, but held herself in place. "Please don't worry about me, my Lady. I'm fine, really." The pinket forced her face to form a smile as her tone tried at the sound of her usual lighthearted voice instead of the thick bitter taste in the back of her throat, but the mockups were nowhere near their originals and it was painfully easy to see right past them. "Though, if I may, can I request to see him one last time? You know before the operation?"

The older woman pursed her lips in thought, suspicion in her eyes. Something wasn't right, and she couldn't deny the odd feeling growing in her stomach. She knew Sakura was struggling to hold it together and seeing that boy again could not help to strengthen her mental stability. But, considering the circumstances, the teacher could not find it in her to deny this request. The rosette deserved to say one last goodbye.

"Very well." The blonde replied quietly, her eyes trained on the form of her student.

"Thank you, my Lady."

With that Sakura excused herself from the little white office with a bow and left the blond alone to think, the unsettling thoughts still filling her mind.

"Please don't hurt yourself, Sakura." She murmured to the silence.

* * *

><p>It was cold and pitch darkness, but at the same time oddly comforting. It was like being enveloped in the essence of night itself, only the night had stars to light it and this place seemed to be constructed of only black.<p>

Numb and hallow, every pain had become nothing, just like the light. It was almost a relief, the way everything had slipped away into the emptiness. Like there was nothing, no pain, no anger, no struggles, no sorrow and no vengeance. It was just existence, and even that was a stretch to say. Well one would have to exist in order for thought to be plausible. Perhaps there was the truth of subsistence if only to support thought. Thoughts were troublesome though, they posed so many questions that had no hope of being bequeathed with an answer. Who would answer them anyway? In the floating darkness only one entity seemed to reside—a lonely eternity, indeed.

But, thought that single entity, this would not be his eternity. This was all simply a slice of his plan; it had merely caught him off guard. Who knew it would feel this way to die? No matter how many times he had thought about it, he had never calculated this feeling into his agenda. It was silent and empty, nothing like sleep at all.

Slumber was filled with subconscious images, some good and some bad. For him, they hadn't been joyful experiences since before he was eight years old. It felt like he had lived through an eternity of nightmares, all beginning at the one night that he wished had just been a nightmare. But, this cold, numb space gave birth to no memories or illusions. Even as he tried to think of the past, nothing would materialize in his mind. Or was it even his mind? He wasn't sure if the place he now resided was in fact the remains of his mind or if it was a new plane all together. One could say it was such a paradox it hurt to think about it, but then again, here he could feel no pain. It was strangely comforting and entirely confusing, but about one thing was certain: Uchiha Sasuke was not enjoying it.

He was finally all powerful; he did not need this comfort, this peace or this numbness. This place was nothing that the Uchiha had ever wanted to see, but as a last resort he had no choice. Who could've known that Naruto would be the one to kill him? He supposed the blonde had promised him that he would, it was almost funny how he had been right. Though, with his past put behind him and the thirst for revenge still a pumping through his soul, nothing about that blonde could be thought of in a lighthearted manner. He meant nothing now to the Uchiha, if anything he was merely an obstacle for the avenger to crush. And, thanks to his Sharingan he would be able to do just that, along with leveling the village of Konoha and everyone in it.

Most knew that Sharingan was capable to do amazing feats of genjutsu and replicate ninjutsu as well as taijutsu, but what many didn't know was that along with its unique abilities it also had the ability to resurrect the dead.

It was a myth amongst the Uchiha clan for generations, one that spoke of an immortal jutsu, capable of bringing one's own soul back to their body. The way it supposedly worked was the wielder of the Sharingan would seal away his soul in the mangekyou realm and at the point of death the user would activate the seal to lock their soul in the ocular jutsu. As long as the body remained intact, the user would be brought back in around twenty-four hours using chakra reserves to unlock the seal, thus sending the spirit and remaining chakra back into the user's body. There was a risk however, if the user's chakra supplies were insufficient the soul would remain locked in the world of mangekyou Sharingan and never be able to move on to the afterlife. That meant an eternity of nothingness, yet your mind would never cease existence.

At first, Sasuke had not believed it could work, but with Madara confirming the myth as truth the boy strayed to give it a chance. He knew that it was possible that nothing would happen and he would simply die when faced with his fate, and he also knew that if by chance it did work, he risked locking himself in the mangekyou realm if his chakra wasn't substantial enough. But, he supposed it was worth a shot in the end, he trusted his decision.

He would live again, he had to believe that.

Suddenly, something that shouldn't have happened took his thoughts from their current train. He saw something. But, that shouldn't have been possible, at least not from what he had deducted before. As far as he knew he should have been alone in this place, yet here was this white light. It was almost calming aside from the fear of uncertainty that it brought with its appearance. The edges of it gleamed red as it bled into the empty black space, illuminating the darkness bit by bit.

It shouldn't even be there, the Uchiha thought as he stepped closer to the enigma, or what he assumed was a step seeing as he wasn't sure his current form had legs or not. The closer he got the brighter it grew and soon he could feel its warmth on his skin—wait he could feel it! It was faint but it was still there, the tingling warm feeling that settled across his skin, or so it felt, then again he didn't think this was a physical form and therefore should not even comprise of skin or natural matter. To the Uchiha's surprise though, he found the when he gazed down at himself he did in fact have his body back, tattered clothing and all. So what was this place then? If he had a form and there was this light, had the mangekyou failed him? Was this the gate to his afterlife?

Afterlife was an interesting yet frightening thought to the young man, however if Kami-sama had so chosen to give him one, who was he to question it? Though he didn't honestly believe he deserved a peaceful afterlife, after having killed his only big brother. Murder just didn't seem forgivable. So, he supposed, seeing his family again was out of the question.

With his arm raised slightly, blocking the blinding white light from piercing his unfocused eyes, the boy proceeded forward. Whatever this fate was, it wasn't something he could back down from now. And if he tried, what could he honestly do? Run? To where, the blackness? No, he didn't like the thought of going back. As numbing as it had been, he preferred this light. He preferred feeling warmth and seeing light. Uchiha Sasuke preferred feeling human.

As the dark haired teen drew further into the light it seemed to swallow him up entirely, and soon all he could see was this white blinding light. It was painfully reveling of the worn state he was in, but it was also painfully _real_ and for that he couldn't have been more grateful.

"Sasuke," A calm and even toned voice spoke. "I knew wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. You landed yourself here anyway after all the work I put into keeping you from it, didn't you, foolish little brother?"

Sasuke froze. He knew that voice, it had still echoed in his memory all through the years. It was the voice of his big brother, not the cold and distant voice that he had acquired later in life, but the smooth lighthearted voice that hummed through all of Sasuke's happy childhood memories. Happy memories he had long buried and forgotten until this moment, when all of the pent up floods of images poured out into the young man's mind. It was Itachi's voice no doubt, but where was it coming from?

The black haired teen looked around the endless white space searching for a figure, but it was hard to gaze at intensely when the white glow had blinded his dark orbs. It took a moment or two for the boy to focus on a blurry outline in the distance and as he stared at it, it soon began to form a full silhouette. The Uchiha strained his eyes more, forcing his sight to make out the person before him.

Sasuke felt his mouth go dry as a breath lodged in his throat. It was Itachi after all, how could that be?

"I don't understand…Itachi, how…? How are you here? Where is here?" the boy with the usually cold and emotionless voice spoke, astonishing even himself with the meek and breathless sound the passed over his parted lips.

"I am here because I knew you would try to do something like this eventually, you were always so reckless. And, where is here? We are in your—well, my mangekyou Sharingan." The older black haired man replied, his tone still light as he answered his beloved little sibling.

"You mean, because I have your eyes? That's how I'm seeing this, and you?" the young man questioned again, making Itachi's eyes sparkle a little more as they watched his almost childlike curiosity. Well, childlike curiosity wrapped up in a very mature package.

"Yes. I sealed some of my own chakra into my eyes before I died, so that I could speak with you if you ever attempted this forbidden jutsu—which was no surprise that you did. I knew Madara would lead you astray, and I wanted to protect you from it. Unfortunately, this is the best I can do." The older sibling explained, his voice now drifting into the remorse his felt. He never wanted his little brother to become so dark.

"Forbidden jutsu?" the younger teen eyed his brother suspiciously, his dark orbs matching his older counterpart's own eyes, their Sharingan having faded.

"Yes, even the Uchiha didn't approve of that technique, The Impure Mangekyou Resurrection." Itachi replied; his eyes fixated on those of his brother.

"Then, why was it even created?" the boy thought, a frown forming on his ever stoic face.

"It was created by Uchiha Madara, once he had left the clan and the village. Word of it caught on in the Uchiha's main branch and others began teaching it to the younger generations until it was ruled forbidden and cast out of tradition before you were even born. That's why you never heard of it beforehand." The eyes of the elder brother softened as he thought of how naïve his little brother really was. No matter how much he had aged on the outside, the elder could still see that Sasuke was very impressionable—another reason why he had wanted to keep Madara far from the young Uchiha.

"I see. So, it worked then?" the younger questioned.

With a sigh the older Uchiha looked to the ground, hating that he had let his brother fall into the hands of someone like Madara, so much so that the boy had even learned the old man's forbidden techniques. In his eyes glimmered his sorrow, though if one to were gaze upon his face they would only see the ever famous blank expression of the renowned Uchiha family.

"Yes, Sasuke, it worked." His eyes connected with his younger brother's, hoping to see an expression there, but finding only the familiar empty mask staring back.

When he was young, Sasuke had the brightest eyes Itachi had ever known. So full of happiness and love, ready to learn anything and always eager to play, they were the symbol of Itachi's childhood. As long as they still gleamed, the older brother knew he was walking the right path. But now, they were vacant of those purities. They had seen far too many battles and had learned the truth of the violence that this world harbors. The childish twinkle had eroded away and left only the hallow echo of the person he use to be. Those eyes that longed to play now held the true thirst of a killer.

At last before Itachi's eyes an expression did work its way on to the younger's face, only it was not an expression he had ever thought he'd see on his little brother's precious face. The teen's lips had curved menacingly upward, splitting his face into a malicious grin. The smirk was chilling and distant, but was truly frightening was the dark exhilaration tainting the young man's onyx eyes. The face of the young Uchiha had changed so much from what the elder brother had remembered.

Sasuke took in the look on his brother's face, the apprehension that danced in his glossy black orbs. He thought the elder Uchiha would have been just as excited as he felt, seeing as he had just found out that he was going to live. His plan for Konoha's demise was still possible for the young Uchiha to do.

After all, Itachi was the reason for his new ambition, along with his family. He had to right the wrongs that were dealt to the Uchiha, and crushing those who hurt them was the only way to make them feel the painful demise they had given the revered clan of Sharingan wielders. It may not have been the path of least resistance, but it was the Uchiha's justice—his retribution.

The smirk on the young man's face dimmed a little as he continued to stare at his brother, whose eyes had grown sad and drifted to stare at the distance.

"Itachi, aren't you happy? This means I can live, I can avenge our family and you…by crushing Konoha" The younger questioned, pulling his brother's attention back to him.

"Sasuke," the older Uchiha's eyes widened. So that was what his impulsive little brother had come to? He truly had fallen, then. That was their home, and yet he was so willing to throw it away.

"Brother, they killed our family… You have to understand why I must do it. You can't stop me." Sasuke eyed the elder, taking in the shock in his eyes.

"No, Sasuke. There's something you need to understand—something you need to see. So you can understand how much the village meant to me, and at one point what it meant to you." The older brother spoke evenly.

Suddenly the white space they had been floating in began to change, morphing into something else entirely. Colors vividly took shape in front of them, materializing into a viewing screen of sorts. At first, it was an incoherent mess of shapes and hues, but soon the image before them focused into something much more familiar.

It was the academy, the very classroom that had been the boy's homeroom to be exact. It's chalkboard was dark and wide, just as imposing as the boy remembered it being, with a simple set of characters written across it reading, "Student Introductions" in plain white chalk. Sasuke remembered that writing, it had been there the first day of class.

"Itachi, why are you showing me this, it doesn't make any sense?" the younger man questioned, his eyes scrutinizing.

A small smile filtered onto the older brother's face; he loved how childish Sasuke could still act, always wanting to know everything. "Be patient." He told him.

Sasuke returned his sight to the memory as a sound could be heard, its soft volume echoing in the air. The little tapping footsteps clicked along until a form had come to stand in front of the chalkboard at the front of the classroom. It was a little boy, somewhere around six years old or so, whose black mid-length hair rested just above the boy's shoulders. Sasuke knew he had seen this boy before—he had seen that hair before, the tingling sensation of recollection nagged at the back of his mind told him so. The ebony hair wasn't the most familiar part of the child though, who looked nearly identical to the way Sasuke himself had looked as a child, it was his eyes. Their dark depths gave away the child's Uchiha decent, and the ever famous soft lines that trailed from the boy's tear ducts, marring the upper part of his round cheeks.

"Itachi, that's you isn't it?" the younger teen breathed.

"Yes. This was my very first day in my new homeroom at the academy, a year before I graduated." The man answered, only to be interrupted by the higher voice of his younger self in the memory, as the boy began his introduction.

"_Hello, my name is Uchiha Itachi. Pleased to meet you all." the polite little voice spoke, its tone still surprisingly smooth despite childish nature of it._

_Black eyes looked up to the rest of the class, who all looked to be a bit older than the little boy—maybe three years his senior, before his dark gaze rested on the woman who had come to stand in the left side of the desk. "Is there anything else I should say?" the young boy asked her._

"_Well, how about you tell us your dreams for the future and why you want to be a shinobi?" the woman in glasses offered, her tone lighthearted and guiding. She was obviously the sensei._

"_My dream for the future is to one day grow strong enough to join the Anbu Black Ops and serve as a protector of my village. That is why I am training to be a shinobi, because I want to be an asset worthy of the name Uchiha and title Konoha shinobi." The little Uchiha spoke firmly, his reserved tone holding too much maturity for someone as young as he was. You could tell by the look in his eyes that he had thought long and hard on his life's purpose and had made that decision with complete determination to make it a reality._

Sasuke watched with wide eyes. Had Itachi really said that? It didn't really matter though because Sasuke knew what had become of that little boy's dream. The village had used it to control him and destroy all he held dear.

"Itachi, why did you show me that? You know what the village did to you because of your loyalty." The young man questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"You still don't get it do you, little brother?" the older sighed.

Suddenly the image on the screen of memories changed once more. Though, when it rematerialized Sasuke found himself confused once more. It looked to be the same room, no, he was certain that it was the very same room. Once again the words "Student Introductions" had been scribbled across the black board, though this time the hand writing was a bit more masculine.

"Itachi, I don't get it. What is this memory?" Sasuke stared.

"Just watch, brother. You will see." Itachi replied, never taking his eyes off the image in front of him.

Soon a new little boy walked on to frame, standing in front of the blackboard just as Itachi had in the last memory. But this time, Sasuke recognized the child right from the start. It was himself, when he was around eight years old. The way he had walked was so much different than his brothers had been, as he strut full of defiance and confidence. It was almost amusing to watch.

"Brother, this is…"Sasuke faded as he listened to his younger self begin to speak.

"_My name is Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you." The child introduced simply, and though confidence was written on his face a whole different story was told by his eyes, which remained self-consciously flicking from student to student._

"_Very good, Sasuke. It's nice to meet you too." A familiar voice spoke as Iruka sensei appeared beside Sasuke, a smile on his face. "Now why don't you tell us what your dream is and why you want to be a ninja, okay?" the older man asked._

"_Hn," the boy nodded. "My dream is to join the police force like my father and protect the village like my older brother Itachi. That is why I want to be a shinobi." The little Sasuke stated, quietly at first but picking up more strength as he looked to the side of the room where the doors were, and it was plain to see that as the child stared off he fought the urge to smile._

"_To protect the village, hmm? That's a very good dream, Sasuke. You have the will of fire within you." The boy's teacher smiled._

The present Sasuke looked to his older brother, a question in his eyes. He knew he remembered the day very well now that he thought about it, it had been his first day in the new homeroom as well, but he needed to confirm the taunting thought that nagged his mind.

"Itachi, I was looking at you, wasn't I?"the young man asked quietly.

"Yeah, you were. I was the one that brought you to your first day remember? You were so nervous, even if you wouldn't admit it." A faint smile slipped onto the elder's mouth as he recalled the day.

Itachi watched his little brother as he worked the information, letting it sink in once more. Soon a dark determination lit in his eyes once more though, snuffing out the tinge of happiness that the younger man had appeared to have remembered. His gaze soon flicked to lock with Itachi's once again.

"We both dreamed a noble dream, and Konoha crushed them." The man stated flatly, hatred in his eyes.

Itachi sighed sadly; looking at his lost little brother. "I have more to show you then, foolish little brother."

* * *

><p>Sakura walked briskly back to her housing unit, knowing that soon she would make her trek to the morgue.<p>

She sighed. This was going to get her into a lot of trouble, and she may even be seen as a traitor of the village, but she had to do at least this much for him. He had been one of her closest friends and she would not let the village tear him apart for their own needs. He deserved so much more.

That was why; Sakura was not going to let them have him. It would be over her own dead body if they tried.

She was going to take his body and bury it in the Uchiha crypt, where his mother and father lay to rest, and the place where all respected clansmen resided in death. The thought seemed morbid, robbing a body from a morgue, but she had already made her resolve and morbid or not she would do this for him. He was a shinobi of Konoha and he deserved an honorable and rightful burial. Not to be some science experiment.

No, Sakura was not going to let him go. That was precisely why this plan had to work.

* * *

><p>Haha! Cliffhanger, my friends! Honestly I am sorry about leaving it that way, but it is how things must go. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Next chapter should be up soon.<p>

Note: I apologize for any gramatical errors. I think I have ironed them all out, but then again I am exhausted and my eyes tend to miss things when I am.

Review please! (or I'll use my computerized Sharingan to force you XD)


	3. Questions and Resolves

Hello everyone, here is the next installment of my fanfic. I really hope you all enjoy it! Oh and don't worry, things will start to make sense soon, right now it's all about laying a solid foundation.

* * *

><p>Obsidian eyes watched with saddened depths as the center of his universe fell into the darkest and most disillusioned existence in life, hatred. It was agonizing to see the bleak stare of his younger sibling that smoldered with an undying thirst for violence and death. Itachi cringed to think that he was most likely the reason that feeling had been birthed in Sasuke's depths. That somehow he had damaged Sasuke in the very way in which he had fought to protect him from. Itachi thought that by centering Sasuke's hatred on himself he could preserve the boy's love for life and his village, but in the end Sasuke had thrown both of those away.<p>

Itachi had given everything he could give to keep his little brother safe from the world's torments and truths, and his heart had sunken with the realization that perhaps it had all been in vain. Maybe Sasuke, his precious little brother, had fallen too far for retribution and the older sibling could do nothing but watch over him as he fell even further. That thought alone made the older Uchiha want to cease living, and he was already dead. His little brother was his most prized possession, and he would have died a thousand times over if it meant that the younger Uchiha could live a happy life, the way he had always deserved to live. But now, it didn't seem like his little sibling was living at all. His eyes were dead, black and unfeeling, the light that they once gleamed with having completely vanished.

"Itachi, nothing you show me will change my mind." The flat, unfeeling tone of his younger brother woke him from his distant stare.

"Perhaps, but nonetheless I intend to finish what I started." He met his brother's eyes, his heart cringing at their intensity.

Their background once again morphed to another scene from the past, its colors twisting and fading to new hues. When it began to reform, the blank eyes of the younger Uchiha focused themselves on making out the coming image. This one looked familiar too, a picture once again of the boy's childhood. It was their back porch, along one of the many wooden walkways that joined sections of the Uchiha compound. The dark wood was smooth, Sasuke remembered, and it was always a place he liked to sit and think as a child—which appeared to be just what had been happening in the memory. But, even as familiar as the place was, he couldn't quite place the time frame Itachi had chosen to show him. There were many times the child had sat contently on that walkway, dreaming of happy and simplistic things.

Before Sasuke could inquire which memory this image had been taken from, and what relevance it had, his questions were answered on their own when the form of his older brother came to sit beside the younger version of the black haired boy. He knew this blurry image; it had been only a short time before the clan's massacre. It was one of the last times Itachi and he had spoken under normal circumstances, and one of the only times Itachi had let on to what was going to happen. The Uchiha teen watched the memory with a withdrawn expression; it was painful to see this. He wished more than anything that he could yell out to his little self, and warn him of what was to come. So that maybe, just maybe he could try to stop it. But, the Uchiha thought, that was far too implausible. Even if someone could've magically foretold the coming events, could he have done anything about it? Was he strong enough? Answer was: no, he could have done nothing at all.

'_Even if you were to come to hate me…Even if I only exist as a barrier for you to overcome… "_The phrases of his brother echoed in the memory.

Sasuke strained his eyes, for some reason the image of the past was getting more and more blurry, a hazy veil was clouding the figures and making it almost impossible to see it. Was the memory fading, or perhaps he was going blind? No, that couldn't be happening, when he had already traded his eyes for Itachi's own. With eternal Sharingan he should have infinite sight. Then, why couldn't he see?

Experimentally the teen tried blinking his dark eyes, and astoundingly his sight returned. Though, the relief only lasted for a moment before the glossy clouds shrouded the image before him once more. It was only then that he noticed the wet feeling sliding down his pale cheek. His eyes widened. Was he crying? Was that even possible? Hadn't he said that all his tears had dried up after Itachi's death? At that time he had felt certain that they really had, it was the last time he thought he would ever shed a tear.

But, obviously he had been wrong.

With a cold hand the boy reached up to wipe his eyes, scrubbing the traitorous droplets from his cheeks. Hesitantly he glanced to the right, hoping to see that his older brother had not noticed the moment of weakness he was experiencing, but to the young man's dismay Itachi was staring right into his eyes as he turned to face him. With an angry sigh the Uchiha teen averted his teary gaze to the glowing white floor—at least, he thought it was a floor seeing as he really didn't have a clue as to where they were suspended. Did flooring even exist in this place?

Itachi watched his brother's expression, it was clear to see the shock and anger at his tears, and the older Uchiha knew that the boy was fighting to hold onto his composure. A small flicker of hope lit the older man's eyes; maybe it wasn't too late for the retribution of his brother. Maybe he could pull the younger Uchiha back from the ledge he was teetering on, and save him from this darkness. Because if he had cried it meant that he did in fact feel something, and even that sliver was enough to ignite optimism in the older sibling. Feelings could mean that the boy held regrets and regret was a powerful thing. Just maybe it could wake the boy from his slumber of hatred and give him a chance to live his life the right way.

"Sasuke…" the long haired man spoke quietly, hoping to draw the attention of his brother without startling him or angering him.

"I don't…I don't want your sympathy, Itachi." The teen murmured, his eyes never meeting his brother's. The shame that the young man felt was clearly stitched into his words, lacing them and making them seem too heavy for the surrounding air.

"Alright, I won't pry. You always were so independent." Itachi finished his reply with a thought that had happened to drift into his mouth and become verbalized. It wasn't truly intended to be aloud, but when the older brother thought of his baby sibling, it was almost hard not to let words drift on about him. It was a habit Itachi had thought he had broken long ago, but being around his little sibling made him feel so different and yet so much the same. Like he was the same twelve year old who had carried his little brother home again.

"Look, Itachi… I know you loved Konoha, but I'm not you. I can't sit passively by while that village lives it up at our expense. It's like spitting on the Uchiha name, and I won't forgive them." The younger brother replied, almost as if his inner thoughts had won the war over his voice and decided to vocalize the thoughts of loathing that seeped through the layers of the teen's mind.

"I can see that, Sasuke. But please, allow me to show you one more thing. Okay, little brother?" the older man spoke trying not to let the molten eyes of the younger Uchiha affect him anymore than they already had. He couldn't forget that Sasuke still had hope, and so he would ignore the dampening hatred that loomed in his brother.

"It doesn't matter what you show me, I won't change my mind. I'm sorry; Itachi, but I have already given my soul to Akuma." The young man restated, he could not forget his only goal in life now.

The older brother watched patiently his sibling's expression, so fierce and determined—even if stray tears still marred his face, before he once again changed the memory before them. He knew this may not work in convincing Sasuke, because even the boy himself had said he had already made his decision, but as an older brother Itachi would do whatever it took to try to save Sasuke. It was his place, his duty as the elder and even in death he had no intentions of ever letting that responsibility go.

The colors on the memory screen of sorts shifted again, melding and saturating into new shades, and painting another picture before them. This time it was an image of Itachi kneeling before the Third Hokage, his eyes stricken with sadness and silent pleas.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sight, the way his brother—his ever strong and blank brother—looked to be begging for something. What was this memory? He had never seen anything like it before.

"_Lord Hokage, please, I beg of you. Don't tell Sasuke the truth of this incident. I have already accepted my damned fate, but please let him have a childhood." The younger Uchiha Itachi pleaded as he knelt respectfully to the village elder._

"_Itachi, are you sure this is what you want?" the old man asked, his eyes sad and low._

"_Yes. Sasuke deserves a life and home where he feels loved and safe. He can't handle the truth of our family and this village. I know what I had to do for this village and for the future of its people, but he could not understand it. He would hate the village and have nowhere to go. I will be a missing-nin, hunted and hated by the five nations and I accept that, but I won't make him lead a life of deceit and running. Please, Lord Hokage, protect my little brother. Let him know that this is a great village worthy of his respect and trust. I don't want to see any more pain and distrust amongst people, and I can start that future with him. Please, Lord Hokage." The red eyed boy looked up to his superior._

"_Understood, Itachi. I will do my best in the matter." The old leader replied, a sad sigh falling from his lips._

"_And I will be letting the other elders know that if they attempt to do anything to my brother, I personally will make them regret the day they thought to harm him. You know what I am capable of." The young teen said lowly as he stood, walking to the window to make his exit, the gleam in his red eyes deadly._

"_I understand, Itachi." the Third Hokage spoke, "I am so sorry this is the unfortunate way things turned out." The man sighed._

"_I know my fate; it was for the good of the village. Now, take care of Sasuke and this village. I trust you." The boy finished before disappearing out the wide window into the shrouding midnight darkness, a single tear running down his pale face._

Sasuke let his eyes lower in thought. This was the night Itachi had been ordered to kill the clan, Sasuke could tell by the way Itachi's headband had been tilted out of place and tears still marred his cheeks, just as he had looked when he had hastily left Sasuke at the Uchiha manor. A pain shot through Sasuke, his thoughts spinning as the words of his brother echoed in his head, reverberating off the walls of his mind. His brother valued him so much, and he had killed him. Why had he been so blind? Why did Itachi hide everything from him? The young Uchiha could feel the hot enraged tears pricking at his dark eyes, the hatred he harbored for the village only seeming to grow.

His brother gave everything to that damn village and this is what they gave to him? A death sentence at the hands of his own brother.

"Why…Why Kami-dammit?" The young man broke. "Why did you make them lie to me? Why did you let that village ruin everything? Why, Itachi? Why did you let them stand by while we were torn apart?" Hot tears now streamed down the boys face. "Why did you let me kill you?" he screeched, finally crumbling to his knees, his head in his hands.

Now it was Itachi's turn to let his eyes grow wide with shock. He had expected his brother to have some sort of response, most likely some form of denial and refusal to further listen, but to be honest he had not anticipated the boy to crumble before him. It took him a moment to regain his thoughts and function properly, gathering the strength to reply to the broken teen.

"I did it all to protect you, little brother." The older man spoke quietly, his composure impeccable given the situation. His dark eyes watched his brother sadly, their depths cloudy and distant.

"Why? I don't understand! Why sacrifice our family for that village? How could you follow those orders, and turn your back on our clan?" the younger Uchiha questioned, his voice cracking under the pressure of his confusion and hatred for the decisions that had been made.

"I did what I had to, to insure the prevention of a civil war, Sasuke." His older brother sighed sorrowfully, closing his eyes as images of that night flooded his mind like a raging tsunami.

"You should've let the civil war happen…The Uchiha would've won. Our clan would have finally had the power they deserved! We could've crushed that ungrateful village! Every last pitiful soul…" the boy growled, looking up from under a veil of silken black strands, eyes deadly and glinting with the young man's mental instability. Clearly thinking of the past had driven the Uchiha back into the darkness of his loathing. It was sad to say, but it appeared the boy was edging toward complete and utter madness, his hatred having warped him into something dark and unsettling.

"You sound like Madara now…" Itachi lowly chided, his black eyes narrowing. This could not be his little brother…

Itachi's heart had sunken even further as he watched the horror before him. Had his baby brother really let himself become this corrupted? The older man had known that the young Uchiha was confused and misled into the notion that the village was their enemy, and his intention for violence was easy to see, but the pure evil intent that drove the boy's voice—the cold and unmerciful glint in his eyes—had caught the older brother off guard. It was painful to hear the absolute disregard for human life that permeated the younger sibling's statement, when he was young the thought of harming someone would have never even crossed the child's mind, but now he seemed to had entirely forlorn his morals.

"So what? You know what they did to our family…they deserve the fate I will personally hand them. Ironic...the product of their greed will be their undoing… Fitting isn't it?" the younger brother droned somewhat sadistically, his eyes going out of focus as a deadened smirk curved his lips.

"Sasuke, you disappoint me. You were always so strong willed, yet you have let Madara put these images in your head, let him deceive you into following his plan." The elder brother condemned, hoping to reach back out to the part of his brother that still clung to ration.

Itachi's eyes locked back onto his brother's half-shrouded face as a crackle of low chuckles rumbled the teen's chest maniacally. "You think I let him tell me what to do?" the boy smirked again though his laughter had ceased. "You know, after he told me the truth he was quite shocked to see I had no intentions… of following in your footsteps. Loving the village was your thing, big brother. And vengeance…is mine. Like I said before, I'm not you, Itachi."

Sasuke slowly stood back on his feet, straitening his back. Itachi watched apprehensively, his dark eyes still narrowed. This was not the little brother he had fought to protect, but he was still his brother and that was enough for Itachi to hold to. No matter how far Sasuke was falling, he would not give up on him. He knew that if there was even the slightest chance that Sasuke could be saved that it was worth taking it.

Observing the look on his older brother's face, Sasuke chose to speak up again. "That's right, it was my decision. And, when I wake up I fully intend to exact that revenge, for our family and for you."

"Sasuke…" Itachi sighed sadly,"…you say you're doing this for me, yet you are throwing away everything I ever fought for. How can that be a tribute to my life or our family's?"

Sasuke paused, his eyes slightly wide. "Itachi… No matter what you say, this is something I have to do. I-I won't go back now." The teen shakily replied.

So, he's that instable, the older Uchiha thought. Maybe that meant Itachi still had even a bleak chance to change his mind. At least, the older brother would try one last time. "Sasuke, I don't have much more time here with you, so please let me ask you one more thing before my chakra fades completely."

Sasuke nodded, looking into his brothers eyes for a moment before averting his gaze to the white ground. The realization that this would be the last time he saw his brother setting in and sealing his mouth, he was so ashamed now that his anger had over flown the way it had. He had poisoned his brother's last moments with hatred for a second time.

"Will you ponder this last request I have of you, little brother?" Itachi began his tone mournful though he tried to put on a small smile. This was the end for them, and he didn't want it to close with anything other than happiness—even if that happiness was merely fleeting. "Will you bring yourself to your own end by the hand of your hatred, and lose everything I tried to give to you? Or, will you take what I have fought for and protect it, in our family's name and in mine?"

Sasuke's eyes widened further as he looked up to his brother, the soft smile on the older Uchiha's face pulling him from his previous anger and stripping away his composure. It was the same kind of smile his brother had always worn when they were children, only now the sadness in his eyes tainted the purity of the moment. Flashes of the past flurried through the teen's mind, clouding his eyes once more with the salty liquid that continued to betray his sense of composer.

"I will leave you with this choice: Live for me or die for yourself." The older brother spoke softly, his eyes crinkling with a sad smile. "Think about it at least, alright, little brother? I want your choice to make you happy."

"Itachi, I…" The younger Uchiha stuttered, awestruck by his elder brother's words.

Sasuke stepped forward, a hand desperately reaching for his brother, eyes filling evenmore with hot and traitorous tears. What was he suppose to do with that choice? His brother had knowingly left him with an impossible decision, and the younger Uchiha was positive that had been exactly what Itachi had intended to do. It was Itachi after all, and it was a well known fact that he didn't do anything without a reason to back it—just like he always had done as a child, back when he and Sasuke had so little to worry about.

He could see the figure of his brother fading, like the whiteness around them was swallowing him up. It was like watching him die all over again, and the falling feeling it put in the younger brother's stomach was making his head spin. It was like plummeting off of an unmerciful cliff and he couldn't reach out for his brother's hand to save him. He did not want to lose him again. "Wait, Itachi!"

"Sorry Sasuke, this is really the last time." The brother replied, a smile still gracing his lips as his fading hand reached to lovingly poke his little brother's forehead, fingers gabbing the same spot they had time and time again. It felt like home to the older man. "Goodbye, little brother."

The Uchiha teen stood in shock, tears now running freely down his cheeks, as he watched his brother step away from him and vanish like a dream that had been drawn to a close by the awoken slumber. The image of sweeping, long black hair and pale skin burned into Sasuke's mind forever had faded before him, and took with him the boy's certainty about everything he had thought he knew. Every decision that had been clear in the young man's head was now a blurry and confusing sham of what it once was. He honestly did not know which way to go; on one side was the duty he felt to avenging his family—which for so long had been the only driving force for the teen—but now on another side laid his brother's last wishes. After everything he had done for Sasuke the teen had yet again thrown it all in his face and turned his back on him. Sasuke had been telling himself that Itachi would understand his reasoning's even if they weren't things the older sibling would have condoned. But now, the boy had affirmation that Itachi would never back him on this and the thought of the lost support was crippling. Was he instead of honoring his brother, tarnishing his memory?

What had he done? Or—more importantly—what was he going to do now?

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><p>Sakura took a deep breath as she readied herself to walk out her front door. The pinket's mind was spinning, yet at the same time she was completely sure of her decision. This would be the last thing she could offer to her departed love, the only thing she felt she had ever really done for him.<p>

All throughout their childhood on team seven she had constantly followed after him, yearning to be everything he needed—at the very least to be useful to him. But, it seemed that no matter how much she tried to push herself for him she was always left behind by her teammates, always failing to catch up to their level. They were always the ones saving her when her bravery backfired, always there to catch her. The rosette knew she had only burdened the two of her friends, and she hated herself for it. That was why she would not fail at doing this. It was no doubt going to be hard, but she had to push through it—to prove if only to herself that she was there for him in at least one way.

He deserved to rest in peace with his family, joining them in the afterlife with a proper send out—not some medical experiment. There would be nothing left of him if she let them continue with the autopsy, and that was not something the young kunoichi could accept.

How could the Hokage think to do that to her friend—to a Konoha shinobi—after everything they had done to save him? She could respect the elder's decision to tell her but she could not condone tearing the Uchiha boy apart. The kunoichi understood that it was a procedure they ran on all enemy ninja's bodies, but that was where her mind refused to make a connection, Sasuke was not their enemy. It was known that he had made bad decisions and had been led astray by Orochimaru, but he was simply misled, and Sakura felt positive that if given the chance and guidance, he could be just as bright as he once was—just as bright as he had always been to her.

She steadied herself as she deliberately pulled her black leather gloves into place, tightening her fist with determination. The kunoichi had readied herself with her kunai holster and shuriken pouch, rather she would have to fight anyone in the end she didn't know, but it would be best to be prepared. With a ragged sigh she huffed the breath she had been unknowingly holding, trying to ease her nerves as her heart pounded away like a bass drum to a heavy rock band. She reached to straighten her collar nervously and sweep a lock of baby pink hair behind her delicate ear, her hand grazing her neck as it passed with its motion. With a small gasp she realized that even with all her preparations she had forgotten one thing and it was perhaps the most important. It was a necklace that had been given to her on her birthday, and it was the only thing that Sasuke had ever given her in their childhood. It was delicate and silver, its chain always seemed to glitter in the sunlight, and from it hung two very ornately jeweled pendants. One was her own Haruno family crest, which appeared to be made of diamonds bordered by more glittering silver, and the other was the proud Uchiha paper fan crest crafted out of beautifully vibrant red and white jewels. Together they glimmered side by side like a bright light in the darkness and a beautiful symbol of the friendship she would never let go of.

She never knew how much it cost and she never really wanted to ask, feeling that if she knew it would have only made her head spin with how in debt she was the Uchiha. But, she did know that it couldn't have been a cheap item to come by, most likely it had been custom crafted seen as those sort of things don't just happen to be lying in any old jewelry shop. His excuse of he had just come by it and picked it up last minute didn't fit the bill, and if she weren't so grieved by the fact that she would never her an excuse or any words from him again, she would have probably smiled at his bad ability to lie. He always thought he had everyone fooled.

With a shaky hand the girl reached into the small jewelry box on her dresser and pulled the shimmering reminder of her friend from it, holding it up in front of her for a moment. Her eyes began to well up with the pent up tears she had been holding in all afternoon as she stared at the swaying red and white tribute the Uchiha, but she quickly blinked them away. She would not cry in front of this symbol, well at least not yet anyway.

She had to stay strong, for him and for herself. She had to hope that he was watching down on her and that somehow, just maybe he would see what she was doing and feel a sense of peace.

With green eyes fierce the pink kunoichi clasped the necklace into place and tucked it into the front of her red zip-up shirt before turning to her front door and opening it. Her heel clacked against the platform at the entrance to her home as she turned to lock the door tight. This was it, once she got to the morgue there was no going back. Not that she even thought of turning back now though.

Her pace was brisk, the tread of her sandals scuffing against the ground in rapid steps as she made her way to the Intel division's main building. It seemed she would be making record timing aside from if she had resorted running. She would need the energy for running later.

By the time she had reached the building she had already come up with what she would tell the team in order to seclude herself with him. It would have to work out perfectly and absolutely no one else could be around the room. But, she knew that the medic team would easily trust her, so fooling them would be no difficult task—the Intel team would be a different story though. They were not people she was personally acquainted with, aside from Ino's father Inoichi, and it wasn't as if she had time to go and personally introduce herself to them anyway—what would that help with anyway?. Gaining their permission would be a slight set back, but Sakura hoped that her story would be good enough to win them over. After all, they were all shinobi and they knew what it was like to have to say goodbye to a beloved comrade. They couldn't deny a fellow ninja the right to mourn their teammate.

Her hand reached out for the door handle as she took in a deep gulp of oxygen, hoping to quench the flipping feeling in her gut. Her mind was rationally trying to give reasons why her mission was devoid of point, trying to convince her to preserve herself, but her heart knew the importance of her purpose. It knew and understood why it was worth giving everything for—because Sasuke himself was worth giving everything for. This was going to be the last thing she did for the Uchiha, she had to remember that, and so it had to be perfect for his sake.

With a tug she pulled the door open and slipped inside, letting her form drift over to the desk in the corner of the room, where a woman with glasses sat writing something down. Her sandals clacked softly and echoed in the sterile space as she came to stand in front of the desk, clearing her throat as politely as she could.

The woman looked up from her papers absently, eyeing the kunoichi before speaking. "How can I help you?" her voice was flat and dry.

"Hello, my name is—"Sakura was cut off by the woman's horse voice as she spoke up over the young shinobi's soft voice.

"I know who you are, Haruno Sakura. I am asking you what I can do for you." The voice stated.

"Well, you see my comrade was killed and they brought his body here for an autopsy, and I was hoping to see him one last time. You know, to say goodbye." The pinket softly spoke, trying to hold herself together and make this believable as could be.

The woman eyed her suspiciously for a moment before speaking back up. "Have you cleared this with the participating teams?" she asked as she pulled her glassed down to her nose, looking over the top of them in a way that a teacher might when scolding a student.

"Well, no actually. But I did speak with the Hokage and she had given me permission to do so." Sakura tried to keep her composer up even though this woman's attitude was now pushing her already fried nerves.

"Without notification from the Hokage I can't let you go back there, nor have you gotten permission from the teams and so there is no reason for you to." The woman flatly replied, pulling her glasses back up and returning to her stack of papers.

Sakura's hands balled into fists as she let her emotions boil inside of her. She would not let this one woman stand in the way of saving her comrade. "Look, my best friend was just killed and I could do nothing but watch him die. I never got to speak a word to him nor will I ever again, so I think the least I can do for him now is actually say goodbye to my comrade. So, I would really appreciate it if you would call a team representative out here so that I can." The pinket lowered her voice, her reddened eyes fierce.

The woman looked at her for a brief moment, letting the words sink in before her gaze lowered. "Right, I'm sorry." The woman now apologized, reaching for the phone to page the team in the back rooms. "There is a miss Haruno here to see the Uchiha boy's body, can the two team leaders please come to the front desk to verify her entrance?" the woman spoke quickly into the phone, her eyes never again meeting the molten pools of green that remained locked on her.

Sakura waited for a few moments her eyes still trained on the rude woman at the front desk before her gaze looked up to meet the two form emerging from the two wide double doors that presumably led to the many operation rooms.

"Sakura," Shizune said sadly as she entered followed by the blonde man known as Inoichi.

"Lady Shizune, Mister Yamanaka," the pinket bowed as she greeted the two team captains, both clad in white medical over coats. "Lady Hokage gave me permission to visit him one last time, but it seems like the message wasn't overlaid to your teams. I am very sorry."

"That's alright, Sakura. But, I don't think seeing him now is going to be good for you. I know it's hard to lose someone, but I really don't want to watch you suffer like Naruto-kun did when he was here." Shizune replied her eyes grim.

"I know, thank you for caring, Lady Shizune. But I really need to do this for my own healing. I just have to say goodbye, please let me be alone with him for just a little while. I know I have told you before, but he was more than just a friend to me…" Sakura persuaded, though this time the lowering of her eyes was not forced and the pain in her voice was real.

Shizune took a moment to think, her gaze also locked on the floor beneath them as she recalled a young Sakura sharing her crushes name with the Hokage and herself. Things were so simple then.

As the silence dragged on Inoichi decided to speak up. "We understand that you held feelings for the boy, but this procedure is for the village and we cannot allow anyone to be near the body for risk of it being tampered with. Not that we suspect you would, but protocol must be upheld." The man spoke, his tone even and calm.

"Inoichi-sama, please, you must understand what it is like to watch a comrade die in battle. Wouldn't you want the chance to say farewell. I just want to let his soul and mine to rest in peace." She looked up to him, her green eyes dimming with grief.

He knew that look, for he had worn it many times when he was younger. All the countless times a teammate had slipped through his hands. As he stared at her he could only think of his own daughter, how sad she had looked when she had found out what had happened to the Uchiha boy. Her eyes had gone dead just like Sakura's and there was nothing he could do to help her cope. With a sigh he spoke up once more. "Alright, Sakura, but only for a short time and only if the medical team approves."

"Thank you so much Inoichi-sama." The girl's eyes welled. "Shizune?" the kunoichi turned to the older black haired medic.

"Well, we are still going through briefing, so there's still enough time and I know Lady Hokage would have wanted you to have your peace. So, the medical staff allows it." The medic replied, her deep saddened eyes looked up to meet green orbs."

"Thank you both, I promise to not be too long. I just…I just need to tell him goodbye." Her lip trembled. Though she had forced the action, the pain and sorrow that swam in her depths was very real and still very raw. It wasn't as hard to convince them as she had thought it would be when her emotions played their parts much more perfectly then she had anticipated. Instead of giving her away they had only strengthened her plea.

With that the kunoichi bowed to her superiors and followed them back through the swinging metal doors, her heels clicking on the tile as she went. Her heart was pounding but her resolve was solid and she knew that this was going to be her biggest challenge yet. This time, she would have to betray the trust of others and her village all to follow her plan.

'_This is all for you…Sasuke'_ she thought painfully.

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><p>Well my friends, that's it for now, tune in next time to see if Sakura can really pull off her plan, or if she will get caught before she can see it through. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait to write more. Please review and let me know how I am doing, I really don't want to continue if I can't produce readable stories. Thank you!<p> 


	4. Awakening

Hello there my dears, I am here to give the long awaited installment of my favourite little fanfiction. I hope you all enjoy it!

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><p>Chapter 4: Awakening<p>

Pink, black and blonde made their way through the intricate back halls of the Intel building, each step bringing them closer and closer to where _he _lay, and each one of those strides was only intensifying the burning pounding that throbbed in the pinket's chest. Even breathing had become painful.

Sakura felt her head spinning as she and the two team captains leading her rounded another corner; it felt like she was falling off a waterfall with no way to slow her descent. In reality she knew she wasn't in any physical danger—well at least, she wasn't as of yet—but it was as if internally her body knew that this whole situation was a risk and it was tensing up with each passing moment in protest. She may end up not being able to get the Uchiha out of the facility due to her own weakness, or worse, she could potentially make a grave mistake and get caught. If the village officials found out about her little plan they could easily mark her as a traitor to the entire village, as it might seem that she was covering up something on the Uchiha's behalf—or even that she was taking the body to steal the ninjutsu it contained for herself. She was a very skilled medical-nin after all, and it wouldn't have been hard for her to extract those precious powers from the boy's body. So the speculations wouldn't be hard to believe.

Then again, those were all risks she had thought of earlier, and accepting the possibilities was a part of the execution of a plan. Anything a person did always carried consequences, and though she severely hoped that she would not run into any of the more unfortunate ones she knew that it was well worth all the risks she was taking. He was and always would be the center of her world, and if he had to go down then she would gladly follow him into the darkness. Even if he never saw it, she was always willing to die for him, and though time had passed, that fact had never changed.

He was the gravity that held her to this earth, the water that fueled her life and the air that sustained her breaths. Now that he was gone, living didn't really seem all that possible to the kunoichi. She had died along side her beloved in spirit, leaving her body numb and out of place—a vessel without a purpose.

It was funny, Naruto had once told her about a zombie movie he and Kiba had watched and he had asked her if she believed in an undead apocalypse. Rationally as always, she had told him that notion was absurd and that there was no such thing as the living-dead, it was a contradiction to the science of life. Her misty green orbs settled on the floor, she had always thought the blonde was far too influenced by silly media. Ironically, now she could tell him that there was such a thing, and that she was that very concept. It was painful to think that she had become that contradiction, living yet dead, and it made her eyes sting with anguished sorrow. Though her heart beat, her soul had gone dim, as if it were reaching to the other side where her only love now rest. Like without a moment's notice it would let go of its physical shell and pass fully on to the afterlife. A bittersweet glint tinged her faded green orbs; maybe her dead soul really was with him, and maybe he knew how much she missed him. Maybe, he could see what she would do for him. Maybe he could see that in all his time of absence she had been lying to the world about her happiness and well-being, that all along she had been absent too.

She was brought out of her painful reprieve as the footsteps ahead of her began to soften and then stopped all together, the final echoing clicks on the polished tile forced her mind to process the real world and take in reality as opposed to the blurry and frightening state of her thoughts. The rosette looked up to meet the two pairs of eyes watching her. "Thank you for letting me see him, Shizune-san," the girl's voice was soft as she addressed that they had now reached the door to the morgue, as the sign on the door had indicated.

The black haired medical woman nodded sadly, lowering her eyes to the floor before looking back to Sakura," Are you sure this is what you want, Sakura?" her voice was full of concern. The Haruno girl had become quite close with Shizune over the years, almost like sisters, and seeing the pinket suffer was difficult for the older medical ninja.

The pink haired medic ninja forced a sad smile, tilting her head to the side with a slight nod and letting silken strands of pastel rose shrouded her gaze, hiding the tears that pricked her green eyes. She wouldn't let them fall though, she had already promised that to the Uchiha. Her beloved raven never did like it when she cried—rather it was because he cared or was just annoyed, she didn't know. But, knowing the stoic boy, it was probably the latter. A lump caught in her throat as she recalled her memory of him, the time when he had handed her a tissue to silence her tears and told the pinket, _"You know, shinobi aren't supposed to cry."_ His voice had been annoyed and his deep obsidian eyes had never made contact with her watering green orbs, but even so, she still recalled that as one of happiest realizations in her little life. She didn't even remember why it was she had been crying, but the image of him walking toward her and offering what she had labeled as a token of kindness was burned into her memory. The rosette had naively concluded that because he had noticed her, somewhere deep down perhaps he even cared about her—even loved her. Of course now she could see past her childish hopes, but that memory remained the same for her.

The black haired medic watched her friend with sad eyes, seeing that the rosette had lost herself in thought. She must be hurting so much, Shizune thought. It was hard to see her like this. "If you are sure, then…" Shizune paused as she pulled out the keys to the locked door that the morgue lay beyond, "go on in." The woman's eyes welled with tears or remorse for the pink kunoichi, "Sakura… would you like someone to go with you? I…I could come with you just to be there if you'd like." She meekly offered, not wanting to seem too pushy in such a delicate situation.

Sakura's eyes widened briefly as she turned to look back at the dark haired medical-nin, having already nearly stepped through the threshold of the doorway. She had to stop and think for a moment, her depths softening and becoming smooth green pools of glass. Of course she was hurting, and having someone to cry on would be wonderful—no, 'wonderful' didn't even cover how much she would love to have that comfort. But, she wasn't going to cry on anyone's shoulder. In fact, she wasn't going to cry at all—at least, that's what she had told herself. She wouldn't let Sasuke down again as a friend, she couldn't. And so having someone to cry on wasn't something she could need, it was simply impossible for her plan to work if she did. The kunoichi had to do this on her own, and that meant she had to do it completely alone.

With a sad smile the rosette let her pink adorned head bob in a simple nod, "Thank you Shizune-san, but I need to do this on my own. I just need some time." The young medic convincingly persuaded, then again, she had no need to try to deceive her company about her true emotions for they were honestly just as they seemed. You don't have to play dead if you already are.

Shizune gave one final nod of morbid understanding, before turning and walking back down the corridor with Yamanaka Inoichi in tow. The clacks of their standard shinobi sandals grew softer as they distanced and eventually disappeared around the far corner of the hall. The pink haired kunoichi took a moment to ensure their chakra had drew far enough away before stepping fully through the open passage, sterile walls surrounding her small form as she passed down the short hall. Before long her weary feet had carried her to stand before a metallic door, the white bolded characters across its surface read "Morgue 1.A" Her heart instantaneously sped to a thunderous storm in her chest, momentarily freezing her movements as if to prevent her from pushing the door ajar.

What was it she felt? Was it apprehension? No, that couldn't be it. The kunoichi had already made her resolve to save him now that it was all she could do for him, but this tightening of her every muscle felt too much like the familiar sense of hesitation for it to be a hoax. She didn't have time for this, she thought as her half extended hand balled into a fist. _He _needed her—Sasuke needed her now, and there was no way in hell she was going to let him down once more. The Haruno girl let her hand flatten against the metal plate of the doors surface, ignoring the pounding in her ears and gave a push forcing the door open and her will to submit.

The metal door gave way easily and swung silently open to reveal the sight that had been hidden from her liquid green eyes. Instantly she could feel her heart seize up along with every other muscle in her tensed body, gluing her in her place. Her gloved hand gripped the door frame with her unforgiving strength, struggling to hold her upright as it felt like her body had given up the task of functioning.

Her eyes had adjusted to the blindingly white lights above, finally focusing enough for her to clearly see what she had honestly never wanted to see. Even all of her thoughts of his passing and her constant planning couldn't have readied her for this image.

There _he_ was, she gasped. There on a sterile metallic table, shrouded with what appeared to be a bluish-white sheet, lay Uchiha Sasuke lifeless and unmoving. Only his face was uncovered by the medical drapery, allowing his icy, ghost-like skin to glow under the florescent lighting. It wasn't the radiance he use to have, the lively vibrancy that clothed his being in life. No, this was the vacant and eerie glow that one could only see in death. His feature were still and stone like, the skin pale and in stark contrast to the ever ink black hair of the Uchiha family. The raven's lips lie in a flat line, not even a smirk to mark his blank face. Sakura was use to seeing his carefully crafted stoic mask, but this wasn't like his usual blank expression, this was just…_emptiness._ He looked so different and yet the same. This was still the body of the same boy she had grown up with, but that's all the familiarity it held. His personality and his _warmth_ were gone from here now, and only her memories of him could keep the truth of their existence alive in her mind. His smirk, his attitude, his strength and yes even his weaknesses. She loved them all, every piece of him, and now she could never truly see them again.

The kunoichi could feel her throat going dry and closing up with the lump that had formed there, closing off her air supply. She found herself sucking ragged breaths of desperation as she let the shards of her heart painfully rip their way through her being before falling to the icy ground. There was no use trying to catch them, when they would merely slice right through her frantic hands. What was she going to do? Why was it this hard to see him? Sakura had seen him on the scene of his final battle, the place of his death. She had seen the wounds, the blood, the lifelessness, the emptiness. But somehow, this was entirely different. This was like the final nail in the coffin of her hope, that childish hope that perhaps all of this had been a dream. That soon she would awaken to find herself a genin again, when things were blissfully simple, and _he_ would be there when she came to training. Be beside her as they learned, and there for her to run to.

The kunoichi sucked in another anguished gasp for air, a sob that she had been holding in ripping at her sealed throat and vibrating her heaving chest. She knew—that was the worst part—now she _knew_ that this life was over for him. The rosette wasn't the little girl she wanted to go back to being, this wasn't just a genjutsu or a dream, this was real in every sense of the word. Death was real, you couldn't come back from it, and she knew this and had to face this fact. But she didn't want to. She didn't want this to be their goodbye.

The young medic ninja's feet robotically carried her forward, her legs numb and her trembling body slightly curled in on itself, making walking a near impossible task. She couldn't feel her arms anymore at this point and barely noticed the way her hand had to pry itself from the doorframe she had clung to. So many pleas filled her mind, begging life to just give him back, as she rejected the logic she knew she should obey. Give him back. Give him back, Give him back!

'_He's my teammate! You can't just…You can't' _her thought's wailed, _'I love him…_'

She soon found herself standing above the Uchiha's lifeless form, the tears she had denied for his sake now flowing, the dams on her emotions giving way. The knees that barely sufficed to hold her upright decided to give up their battle as well and she soon slumped lower and lower. Desperate arms clung to the Uchiha's chest, both to hold her up from falling completely to her knees and to hold her close to him. For one reason or another she felt if she believed he could be there to comfort her he would. In that instance she was no more stable than the little girl she had been back when they were teammates. Back when he was still here to be her light.

Sakura could not hold in the anguished wail that tore itself from her lips repeatedly, a mantra of pain forming. "Sasuke-kun! Sasuke!"

No one would hear her pain from all the way back in the morgue. Here, she could suffer alone. Or so she thought.

* * *

><p>What was the Uchiha suppose to do now? Abandon his purpose and just go back to life like nothing had ever happened between his family and the Leaf? No—that he could not do. Could he? What did Itachi expect of him at this point?<p>

The onyx eyed boy sucked in a ragged breath, plagued with his mental instability and the heaving sobs that had racked his lungs. It had been astonishing to learn that he was still capable of crying like that, letting his sadness consume him and drag his walls down just as it had after the massacre. By now though the tears that had been flowing freely had slowed, allowing the teen a fleeting moment of clarity—well clarity was the wrong term, seeing as the choice he now faced had anything but a clear solution to the Uchiha's dismay. Sasuke was a missing-nin, a traitor and a criminal, and there was no doubt he would be either imprisoned or killed by the very village his brother so loved. What kind of life would that be? Making amends just to hand himself over to capture or death in the end. It wouldn't bring back those Konoha killed, nor would it erase the evil he had done to achieve his goals. The raven had given everything to avenge his family; he had sold his soul to the devil, and then killed the devil only to become one himself. Sasuke had become immorality in order to right an immoral act. Even if he was to go back to Konoha, beg for forgiveness—not that _he_ would _beg_ those traitors—he doubted anyone would hear his pleas for mercy at this point. Though he remembered, kyuubi still held hope for him—to an obsessive extent even—but he knew the village elders would be less inclined to receive a missing-nin with open arms and warm welcoming.

The Uchiha let his onyx gaze drift, nothing being there to catch his sights. "I'll be lucky if they let me live." He spoke to the blankness where Itachi had vanished, knowing full well that no one was there to reply, but wishing that just maybe the whiteness would offer up the correct path for him to take. Nothing. Of course, it was just void space after all.

'_Live for me, or die for yourself.' _ Itachi's haunting words floated in the younger Uchiha's thoughts, plaguing him with the weight of his decision.

Against his will he could feel the emotions built up in his hardened heart begin to leak out, swirling inside him just as they once did while he was young. The teen gripped at the fabric of his shirt over where his throbbing, and traitorous heart lies. Cursing the pain that was 'feeling' the Sharingan wielder let a hiss of anger pull sharply past his clenched teeth, his lungs taking in a ragged breath.

Was Itachi calling him selfish? Is that what he had meant by that choice? Had he intended to make Sasuke regret the choices he had made about vengeance? But, Sasuke had only done that for their family, which was all he ever wanted to do. It was his destiny.

Sasuke grit his teeth, his fists balling up. Itachi had been the one to will him to take revenge. He had been the one to spark Sasuke along that path, even if that had only been to make the younger brother stronger. How could his elder brother ask him to change now? The ink haired teen had followed Itachi's plan perfectly, had unknowingly obeyed the elder's will without question. And now Itachi had willed something else of him, and Sasuke couldn't help but feel the pull that beckoned him to follow his brother's words. He had killed him after all; he had taken the last member of his own family from the world and stole away the young man's right to live because of his own hatred. In that sense Sasuke thought—no, he _knew_ that he owed the world to his older brother.

But, why did it have to be that village? Why did Itachi have to care so much for a place that had used him like a pawn—a human murder weapon? Konoha had been the sole reason for their family's demise, the desecration of his childhood and the murderous path which both Uchiha siblings had walked. One decision had caused a cascading effect on the Sharingan wielder's destiny. In place of growing up to protect the village posing as his home, they had now forced him to mature into an avenger—an avenger, who would end their peaceful life of lies. It was the only way to right the wrongs dealt to his family—Itachi's family. Or was it?

No, not according to his elder brother, he thought while clutching at his temples. His mind was spinning with so many thoughts, justifications for either path that now lay before him, the fork in the road that would change his life forever.

Behind his now tightly shut eyelids he watched the possible outcomes to both choices, cursing at the blurry line of rational between them. Why could they not be marked out with some form of a map to the correct path? One would lead him to the retribution he sought for his family's name…or was it just for own his name? Was it his family's honor he wanted to solidify—or was it that he himself had been wronged?

Pale fingers curled tight, twisting his shaking hands into iron fists. The teen was so confused, and he despised that fact. He was Uchiha Sasuke. He was unbreakable, cold, and concise and above all, his motives were unquestionable—but then why was he questioning it all now? If it were to be left to his brother's choice, the young Uchiha knew what answer the elder would provide. Itachi seemed to think that what's done is done, a part of the past. The elder Uchiha believed Sasuke's own happiness now was the only important goal to be strived for. That thought alone was baffling to the raven haired teen, who for so long had forsaken the thought of happiness in favor of justice for his murdered clan. Was looking for his own happiness in the forgiveness of those he once called upon as "friends" even possible?

'_Friends…'_ his mind echoed.

Flashes of memories fogged his subconscious, filing his thoughts with the images of times he had actually acknowledged having such things as _friends._ Sasuke fought to keep them away, forcing the remembrance of those people from his mind, but no matter the strength he put into his battle he could not stop the faces of his _comrades _from seeping into his thoughts. They were there at his side and he—as much as he dismayed to recall—was at theirs, training together to accomplish their dreams—only they did not realize where his dream would take him; that one day they would lose him entirely. The Uchiha's heart winced in pain, the memories of all their times together plaguing him unmercifully. They had laughed together, struggled together, learned together and in the end, he supposed they suffered his pain together. His pain had been the cause of theirs.

And not just their pain, but many others in Konohagakure. Konoha, his thoughts paused, remembering all the meaning that came with that word. That had been his home, his education and childhood.

The academy, with all his classmates, teachers and _friends, _it was a place that no matter how much time passed he could not rub the sight of it from his weary eyes. He could still see their faces, painted in his internal memory like it had been engraved there. There was all of the rookie nine, who had all shared the experiences of learning to be shinobi together, each Sasuke was sure had changed to the point he probably would not recognize them anymore. Childish naivety and foolish notions of the future had gone, and in their place was painful realizations and true understanding of what it meant to be a shinobi. Those along with the trials produced by life would shape his former friends into new people, and subconsciously the Uchiha's heart could feel the tinge of guilt pull at him having not being there to grow along side them.

Had what he given up for his cause really been worth it? Was Itachi right about everything, after all?

The young man did not have time to even ponder the questions in his mind as a loud pounding came, tearing his train of thoughts from its rails. Obsidian eyes searched the whiteness for an answer to what the noise had been, but nothing brought him the solution he sought. Before his weary thoughts had the opportunity to return to their duties of unraveling his situation, another pound resounded through the open space, so loud this time the Uchiha was forced to his knees with his hands covering his ears for protection. What was this? What was happening to him?

In a cold flash, the whiteness that had come to be familiar dissipated, leaving him floating in the black abyss once more. Sasuke cursed at the nothingness as it enveloped him once again, as panic began to fill his mind. Trying to pick of the pieces of his scrambled thoughts, he struggled to make sense of what was occurring. Did this mean that the ninjutsu had failed?

_Boom._

There it was again, that painfully loud pounding in his ears.

_Boom._

Sasuke fought to move, but in the nothingness of the blackness, he could not feel any movement at all.

_Boom…Boom._

The thudding was growing faster now, and the Uchiha could feel the atmosphere growing colder…So very cold.

With the pounding resounding in his mind, the young man tried to figure out what was happening to him or where his was now through the slight panic waning in his thoughts, but all he could feel now was the coolness of his still fingers and a cold, hard surface of some kind pressing at his back. That was it! His mind jumped for joy, at least now he could feel _something._ But that wasn't all, now he could also hear something as well. It wasn't very loud yet, but as the seconds passed it seemed like he was emerging from under water, and his ears soon picked up the true volume of the sound.

It was crying, he quickly realized. Someone was crying very loudly, their voice cracking as if they had been doing so for quite some time. It was painful just to listen to, like someone was truly suffering.

Brushing the thought of why they were crying from his mind, he tried to focus on who the voice could belong to. With strained senses, he listened. It was female, he gathered, and from the tone of it they whoever she was had to be no older than a teen if that. Her smooth voice was roughened by sadness, but the Uchiha knew had she not been crying it would have been a light almost sweet tone to her voice—so much like someone he knew.

That person, however, had a much more childlike voice. Then again, it had been so long since the raven haired youth had actually heard her voice. Who knew how much it could've changed by now. She wouldn't still be the little girl he had left behind.

'_Sakura…'_ his mind tested.

The Uchiha tried to force the black veil from his vision so that he could honestly check for himself rather or not this woman's voice could belong to Sakura Haruno. Slivers of light entered his subconscious, allowing the obsidian to glimpse at what lay beyond his shrouded mind. There was a flash of stark whiteness, not empty space anymore, but this time a room.

With another burst of energy the dark eyed boy willed his eyes open once more letting in another fraction of the outside. This time his blurry, wondering sights caught a flash of pink lying against something. He pulled his eyes open once again, this time forcing them to remain that way. The young Uchiha heir now realized that the form of pink was indeed a head of soft baby pink hair, which had fanned out onto what he could now recognize as his own chest, as the feeling of the added pressure now reached his senses.

So this was Sakura's voice, he concluded, letting his gaze remain on her while the world around him became a little clearer by each passing moment. Her body was hunched over his, face buried into his barely rising and falling chest—which through her tears she had not seemed to notice. She looked so…broken, and the boy began to wonder if it was he who had caused her to cry like this again. It would not be the first time he caused the pain of his teammates.

The raven haired teen could not fail to see how similar this all was to another point in their lives, when she had thought she lost him. She had been lying on him just as she was now, calling his name out just as she was now. It was painful to the Uchiha boy, who now was swimming with guilt for his actions and the conflicting hatred he knew he should feel for a girl who belonged to a village he should despise. Even so, with all his might he could not help the words that slipped over his lips.

"Sakura…you're heavy…"

* * *

><p>Well my minions, that is all for now! I do so hope you enjoyed it, and I apologize for this taking me so long. But alas! Sasuke has returned to the real world!<p>

Please review and let me know what you think.


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