INCARNATE OF OBITO UCHIHA

Chapter 25: Honesty Is The Best Policy

(Time- T minus 22 hours before end of the Second Phase of Chunin Exams)

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who was carrying Sakura on his back while the girl was blissfully unconscious for the time being- a karate chop to her neck had been quite effective, though brutal, when Sakura got a little too violent when they suggested to carry her for the rest of the way to rest her injuries- and remembered the conversation they had a few hours ago....

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"When I was eight, someone massacred the entire Uchiha Clan -including my parents- and left only me as the lone survivor." Sasuke said with gritted teeth as he clenched his fingers into a fist, digging his nails into his palm. He glanced up at them, and Naruto almost flinched when he saw Sasuke's sharingan flashing with barely repressed hatred and anger, "and that someone happens to be my big brother."

Naruto shrugged off a snide comment from the fox inside his head -the grumpy bastard thinks he actually needed his commentary to brighten his mood, the asshole- and asked Sasuke, "You said you wanted to kill someone during our first meeting with Kakashi-Sensei.... you meant you wanted to kill your brother, right?"

"Yes." Sasuke mumbled under his breath. His nails harshly dig into his palm, making him bleed. "He tortured me with his special Mangekyo ability by making me see how he killed our family again and again, and again. He said he left me alive only because I'm weak and not worth his time." Sasuke's eyes flashed red as he hissed under his breath. "I hate him. I hate him so, so much, and this hate will not be vanquished unless I kill that bastard with my very hands and avenge my family."

"Sasuke....." Sakura said hesitatingly, her green eyes flashed uncertainly, "Revenge isn't the answer for everything, you know. Maybe you should first find out why Itachi-"

"Don't say his name!" Sasuke snapped at Sakura angrily, making her flinch.

"Hey! Don't take out your anger on Sakura! She didn't do anything to you, dattebayo!" Naruto argued with Sasuke, making the Uchiha boy glower at him and huff indignantly. Naruto just rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, "Drama Queen."

"I heard you, dobe." Sasuke said with a glare.

"Good, I meant for you to hear it." Naruto quipped back.

Sasuke scoffed and turned his head away from them -though from the way his tensed shoulder relaxed, he could see that the Uchiha had finally calmed down enough to listen to them.

"Sasuke..." Sakura mumbled quietly. "Don't do anything stupid alone, okay?" She asked as she squeezed his arm reassuringly. "After all, that's what friends are for, you know."

"Yeah, teme," Naruto nodded sagely. "Whatever you do, don't forget that we're with you every step of the way, okay? If you think you can just go on a revenge spree without us, then you have another thing coming. 'Coz we'll definitely chase you to the ends of the earth to knock some sense into your thick skull."

Sasuke's lips twitched upwards as he mocked Naruto, "I don't think anyone's skull could be as thick as yours."

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, offended.