The War Angel (A Naruto Fanfic)

Goodbye, Lonely Boy

Sasuke's POV

I kicked a stone along the path, my hands jammed into me all black suit pockets. Tomorrow was the funeral. Tomorrow was the day they were going to put Lea into the earth and seal her away forever. I couldn't bear to think about it.

I jumped up on a branch in a nearby tree and rested my head on the bark. The days were boring without her. Not only was her moody, annoying presence gone but the whole entire Leaf village was mourning. Those who didn't even know her personally was walking around somberly as if they did. Damn hypocrites.

Lea was gone and he was still here. That damn bastard that killed my whole clan was still walking around alive on two feet while Lea was being prepared to be put in a hole! Anger surged in me and I clenched my hands tightly. I wasn't going to stay for the funeral. My bag was already packed and I was going to leave. It was time to put aside my grief and set out on the mission that had fueled me all these years: killing my brother.

Something glinted in the light. What was that?

My answer came soon enough when wires wrapped around my body, holding me to the trunk. What was happening? I struggled against the wires but it was held tight. Then Kakashi appeared before me. There were bags under his eye, from crying over Lea I was sure. He had been devastated when he heard what had happened.

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked him, feeling the anger radiating off my body.

"If I didn't do this," Kakashi said, looking at me with the end of the wire in his hands. "You would have ran away. You don't listen well."

I just glared at him.

"Sasuke, stop seeking revenge. In this line of work, I've seen what revenge does to people. Those who've tasted it aren't satisfied and you'll only hurt and suffer more. Even if you succeed, you'll just feel empty inside."

"What the hell do you know?! Don't talk to me like you understand!!"

"Hey ... calm down..."

"What if I were to kill the one you loved the most? How far would you stray from what you just said? I can make you feel true pain!"

Kakashi merely looked at me.

"That would work," he said. "But unfortunately, no such person like that exists." Then he smiled. "Those persons have already have been killed."

I stopped, my eyes wide. Really?

"I've lived in a long, hard era too. I know how terrible true pain and loss can be. We aren't the lucky ones, for sure, but we aren't the worse off either. We both found precious companions."

My eyes fell. I knew who he was talking about. Naruto, Sakura, Lea...

"Chidori is a power given to you because you found something important to you," he continued, just as I felt the wire loosen. "That power should not be used against friends and for revenge. You should know what it's used for."

Kakashi allowed the wire to fall. "Think hard on if you can or cannot hold true to what I said."

Then, with one last lingering look, he walked away. My eyes fell again. Kakashi went through the same thing I did...? And he turned out fine...

But Itachi! He killed my whole clan! He can't go unpunished!

But Naruto, and Sakura ... who's been there with me since we became teammates. I can't just...

My thoughts ran like that till night fell. Itachi ... my teammates ... Itachi ... my teammates ... I didn't know which to choose.

I watched the shadows lengthen on the ground, my mind still a jumble. Then out of nowhere, four shadows blocked the moonlight then four bodies landed before me. I scrambled to my feet.