An Itachi Fanfiction [EDITING]

Broken Bonds

I had kept an eye on Sasuke using my snake. One night, I followed him as he walked through the darkness alone. There was something final in the way he moved, something heavy. It looked as though he was leaving the village.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Sakura stood in the middle of the road ahead of him, illuminated faintly by the moonlight. "It's the middle of the night," Sasuke said by way of greeting. "What are you hanging around here for?"

"This is the only road that leads out of the village," she replied quietly.

There was something heartbreaking in her eyes. Like she already knew the answer, but was desperately hoping she was wrong.

As Sasuke stepped around her, Sakura's composure shattered.

"Why don't you tell me anything?" she cried. "Why is it always silence with you?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," he snapped. "Just keep your nose out of my business. It's none of your concern."

Hidden high in the trees above them, I closed my eyes.

That wasn't really Sasuke talking.

Or maybe it was.

Maybe revenge had hollowed him out enough that there was nothing left except words sharp enough to push everyone away.

"I know about your plan, Sasuke," Sakura continued desperately. "But seeking revenge... that won't bring anyone happiness."

"I'm not the same as you," Sasuke replied coldly. "I'm travelling a path the rest of you can't follow."

For a moment, his voice softened.

"I know that the five of us worked together, and for a while... I thought maybe I could take that road instead." His eyes lowered slightly. "But (Y/N) left, so where does that leave me?"

The words hit harder than any blade ever could.

My fingers tightened around the branch beneath me until the bark cracked.

'I'm sorry, Sasuke...'

"In the end," he continued quietly, "I've decided on revenge."

"Don't do this, Sasuke!" Sakura begged. "You don't have to be alone!"

Tears streamed down her face now.

"I have a family and friends, but if you were gone... that would be the same thing for me as being completely alone." Her voice trembled violently. "I'm so in love with you, I can't even stand it!"

My eyes widened so suddenly I nearly lost my balance in the tree.

We all knew how she felt about him, but hearing her finally say it aloud...

"I'll do anything for you," she whispered. "So please... don't walk away."

For a long moment, Sasuke said nothing.

The wind stirred softly through the trees.

And for just a second, he looked exactly like the boy he used to be.

The boy who smiled too easily.
The boy who used to wait outside classrooms for me.
The boy who complained whenever Itachi and I trained without him.

Then his expression hardened once more.

Suddenly, he disappeared and reappeared behind Sakura.

"Thank you," he murmured softly.

Then he struck her unconscious.

At least he had the decency to catch her before she hit the ground. He carefully laid her on the nearby bench instead of leaving her on the cold stone path.