Disclaimer: Having exhausted my supply of witty disclaimers, I will not write anything here. So sue me. You'll get around three dollars.

Joy, another little drabble/oneshot from Song's sadistic mind. What fun.

Darkness

Sasuke wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd fled from Orochimaru's domain. Above him, the night sky paled slightly, the stars fading into a canvas of blue. His bare feet were marked with the scars of the sharp rocks jabbing upwards from the forest ground, and, in turn, his blood marked the stones as he ran.

If Orochimaru bothered to search for him, Sasuke would be doomed. The trail was too clear, and yet he was too damned tired to try concealing his path.

He stumbled over a protruding root and fell heavily, one hand reaching out to break his descent. He stayed kneeling on the ground. Above him, the sun began to rise, but no light touched the broken boy who sat gasping for breath and cursing his own wretched existence.

Sasuke tried to stand, bracing himself against the trunk of the ancient pine next to which he'd fallen, but the prodigy's strength failed him. Seconds later, he was once again on the ground, and consciousness slipped away soon after.

He failed to notice the crimson eyes watching him, failed to notice anything at all.

---

"Thought you were out getting food."

Itachi cast his roommate somewhat of a disgusted glare. Kisame was toying with the wrappings of his blade, something he did when annoyed or amused, and Itachi was fairly certain it was the latter. He dropped his brother's prone body unceremoniously on one of the beds.

Sasuke made a small groaning sound, and Kisame raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh, he's alive. That's a surprise, considering you were the one carrying him, Uchiha-sama." The name was laden with gratuitous sarcasm, which was not at all appreciated by the other ninja.

"Don't be a fool." Itachi flipped his ponytail over one shoulder. "If you want food, you can get it yourself."

"Well, thanks, almighty-bastard-who-doesn't-need-to-eat-to-survive." The Mist exile turned towards the door. "I'll just give you two some bonding time, ne?" He slammed the door shut before Itachi could respond, and grinned at the kunai protruding from the wood three milliseconds later.

Itachi glanced absently at his brother, who made another small sound and turned over in the bed. "Idiot," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. He inspected Sasuke's wounds thoughtfully, running a finger over the bruises purpling the slender legs.

Dark eyes blinked open slowly.

The exile didn't notice that his brother was awake until Sasuke kicked out, sending Itachi leaping towards the opposite wall. The kick was quite weak; the older boy frowned and studied his brother again, wondering what on earth Sasuke had been doing himself.

Nothing ever worked as well as the direct method. "What have you been doing with yourself?" he asked bluntly.

Sasuke mumbled something that was rather profane. Itachi was vaguely reminded of Kisame in a foul mood. Of course, Kisame was always in a foul mood when not killing or eating, but that wasn't the point.

"I'd heard," he remarked, "that you were with Orochimaru."

More profanity, followed with coughing that brought up enough blood to stain Itachi's pillow red. The older boy winced; it'd take a hell of a bleaching job to get that out. He'd get Kisame to fix it later. Sasuke struggled to raise himself up on one elbow, mouthing something along the lines of 'I'm going to kill you'.

"Stubborn boy." Itachi stood, his eyes slowly turning red. "Tell me. Where is Orochimaru? He's been a nuisance to my organization, and I've been selected to dispose of him."

Sasuke coughed out something about a cave and a forest.

"I see." There was a pause as the door opened again and Kisame reentered, carrying a large bag packed with all sorts of rather unhealthy-looking things. Itachi gave him a disparaging look but otherwise ignored his presence. "You'll lead us there, then."

"Never."

"Foolish little brother." Itachi's lips curved into a rare smile. "You'll help us. Or you'll suffer through that day again for all eternity."

---

"I didn't know your brother was so obedient," Kisame remarked, watching as Sasuke led them steadily into the forest.

Itachi said nothing, but gestured slightly to Sasuke's eyes, which were completely blank.

Kisame blinked, delighted. "You hypnotized him? But won't that use up chakra…?"

"I don't need all of it to take care of Orochimaru." The exile yanked absently on the ropes tied around Sasuke's wrists. "Don't stop."

"It's here," Sasuke answered flatly, one hand listlessly brushing away the foliage concealing the cave's entrance.

Itachi took one step forward.

"Sasuke-kun," a voice purred, "how nice of you to return."

Sasuke turned his dark eyes to where Kabuto leaned against the entrance, absently tossing a kunai in one hand. "Kabuto-san," he replied emotionlessly.

"I'll tell Orochimaru-sama that you've come. And who are your companions?"

Kisame hefted his sword higher on his shoulder and said nothing. Itachi's eyelids lowered slightly. "Uchiha Itachi."

The flash of surprise in Kabuto's eyes could hardly be missed. "Uchiha…? Very well. Come with me, Sasuke."

"He won't go," Itachi replied softly.

"What do you mean?" the Sound ninja asked, his grip tightening on his knife.

Crimson orbs closed and reopened slowly. "Sasuke's mine now."

Kisame blinked, muttering an obnoxious remark wisely ignored by the other exile. Kabuto's fingers flicked forwards; the kunai shot towards Itachi's quiescent face, and Sasuke's hand caught it easily, spinning it on one finger.

"I'd advise you to stop," the older Uchiha murmured. "Orochimaru wouldn't want you harming this perfect vessel of his."

Sasuke lifted the kunai and walked haltingly towards Kabuto, who pulled out another dirk. The younger boy's motions gained speed, his mind bent to Itachi's will. Slowly, dark eyes turned red, and minutes later, Kabuto's expression turned to one of anguish as Sasuke's hand drove the kunai into his heart.

"That was fast," Kisame murmured.

Itachi's foot caught Sasuke in the side of the head, and the boy crumpled immediately. "Take him back home. I'll deal with Orochimaru from here."

"Right."

"Another thing." Once again, the sadistic smile appeared on the usually emotionless face. "Don't wash the bloodstains from his hands."

---

Darkness.

Sasuke struggled to sit up. His hands felt strangely wet – sweat, maybe?

Next to him, a dim glow appeared, illuminating the bed upon which he reclined. His hands were dark red.

Blood. Not his.

He struggled to orient himself. He vaguely remembered flashes of the encounter with Kabuto. Itachi had said something about owning him – he wasn't sure exactly what his brother had meant. Then there'd been fighting – him fighting Kabuto – and then his hand driving a knife into…

Sasuke froze, gasping for breath.

A hand pushed him none-too-gently back onto the bed. "How does it feel to kill?" Itachi whispered into his ear.

No…

"You made me," Sasuke hissed, trying to retain any semblance of innocence possible.

"Ah, but anyone who really tried could have broken out of my bonds," his brother replied wryly. "Once again, it's all due to your weakness that people die, isn't it? Foolish little brother…"

The younger boy struggled to stay calm.

"You're as much of a muderer as I am," Itachi murmured. One finger traced a path down Sasuke's face. "We're exactly the same."

…dark eyes, widening in surprise and pain…a whisper escaping from dying lips…

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke screamed, trying to hide from the image of Kabuto's eyes, which would haunt him forever.

The exile leaned closer. "Give in to the darkness. Remember how it felt to plunge your knife into that man's heart. Become like me, and you will someday be able to kill me."

And then he kissed Sasuke, with a gentleness more searing than any pain. "Give in," he whispered again.

Sasuke didn't reply at first. A moment later, his hands tangled themselves in his brother's hair.

…the questioning eyes that will never disappear, screaming 'murderer' in their onyx depths...

---

Seven years later, Kisame wakes to find Itachi dead and Sasuke gone. He smiles wryly, wipes away a stray tear for the loss of his closest friend, and pragmatically goes off to cook breakfast.

Sasuke's left a note on the table, but it is indeciperable due to the wetness of the paper – Kisame managed to spill coffee on it before noticing its presence.

Sasuke stands on the edge of Konoha, his hair pulled into a long ponytail not unlike Itachi's. He wears a variation of his former training outfit and pulls a cloak over that, shielding his face. His footsteps lead to the bridge where Naruto and Sakura are speaking with Kakashi.

They stop at the sight of the stranger. And then he pulls back his cloak, revealing a face never forgotten during the eight years of separation.

The greetings that follow are tedious, Sakura being much too emotional, Naruto still acting like his twelve-year-old self, Kakashi not saying much, just watching the way Sasuke's movements are a fluid as a cat's. A hunting cat, Kakashi thinks, and tries to ignore how the younger man is an almost-exact replica of Itachi.

Sakura asks about where Sasuke has been, and Kakashi barely hears the answer before realizing what is wrong. He leaps as soon as the word 'Itachi' is out of Sasuke's mouth, pins his former student against the bridge. Sasuke doesn't struggle at all, the slight smile refusing to leave his mouth.

'Tell me,' Kakashi says, 'where did you get that necklace?'

'This?' Sasuke holds up a tiny silver pendant. 'I took it from Itachi's corpse.' He laughs at the expressions on his companions' faces. 'Is it that surprising that I managed to kill him?'

'Not that,' his former teacher replies, and jerks out a black cord, emblazoned with the name Akatsuki. He realizes too late that his guard is down, and Sasuke's kick catches him in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

Sasuke stands, smirking, absently tracing out seals with his hands. He bites his thumb, pressing the finger to the ground, and a shadowy black panther rises seconds later. She growls softly, tail lashing, and crouches.

Kakashi lifts up his headband, revealing his one Sharingan eye.

His adversary laughs, his own eyes fading to a rich, dark crimson. He murmurs something to the panther, who rubs her head against his hand, then springs at Naruto. And Sasuke turns to face Kakashi.

Kakashi's hands move quickly, and he raises a wall of water to engulf Sasuke.

The prodigy says nothing, but simply walks through the wall, still smiling unnervingly. He holds out his hand. Obsidian snakes shoot from his fingers, twining around Kakashi's arms, the largest perching on his neck. Another one hovers before Sakura's eyes.

Sasuke snaps his fingers. 'Do you think you could win against someone who defeated Itachi?' he asks, and the snakes strike, digging venomous fangs into his opponents' flesh.

He turns to the panther, who is holding an unconscious Naruto in her jaws. 'Come. Bring him to Akatsuki.'

Kakashi struggles to lift his head, the world quickly fading around him. '…why are you…?'

Sasuke turns. 'Why am I doing this?' he asks sweetly, one hand stroking the panther's fur. 'To pass the time.'

'…time?'

'Until someone kills me,' he replies calmly, and laughs as he walks away.

…he is lost in the darkness, and waits for the day when he can meet Itachi in Hell…

They are exactly alike, after all…