A Different Path

A Sinful Past

Sasuke's POV

Sasuke could hear Naruto's steady breathing in his earphones and took it as a sign that he had fallen asleep. At least now he can rest properly. He sighed as he leaned his sore back against the bark of a tree, high up on one of its sturdy branches. Why am I consuming myself like this? He raised his pale hand to ruffle his coal-black hair before covering his porcelain face with his palms and letting out a tired sigh again. What has he done to me? Sasuke rubbed his eyes slowly, a mess clouding his mind. He let his arms fall limply along his sides, too tired to even try to think about it.

He glanced over his left shoulder to see Sakura sleeping peacefully in her sleeping bag, on the cold ground. Thin twigs were crackling in the small fire near the kunoichi's strong body, lighting dimly the blanket covering her relaxed back. Kakashi was watching over her, sitting down on the grass a meter away, his right eye groggy from sleep deprivation. Sasuke would bet he could fall asleep anytime. But he didn't mind. It was his and Kou's turn to keep watch. Nawaki had left before sunset to catch a few more hours of light. He had been tasked with taking care of the final arrangements regarding the procedure they would have to go through the day after.

And then Sasuke heard it again. The most annoying sound he had ever heard. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing out a beyond-pissed breath. He could swear that the vein on his temple had swollen up to point where it might explode. The raven glared deathly at the man before him, drilling holes into his head. He was whisker-close to activating his Sharingan and putting him into a genjustu illustrating something worse than his worst nightmare or simply snapping his neck in half. Having him scream in agony from the Fireball Jutsu or plunging a Chidori into his chest were valid options as well.
"Wake up, you damn imbecile." Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth.

No response. Only the cursed snores that seemed to never cease.
"I said, wake up, if you don't want me to bash your brains out." The young Uchiha spat before he threw a kunai that dug itself into the harsh bark in front of him, a millimeter above Kou's dark-brown strand of hair. The man woke up instantly and hit the top of his head by jumping upwards, thus hitting the kunai, yelping slightly with his eyes goggled in shock. And he's actually supposed to be a ninja. What a waste. Sasuke felt like face palming but helped himself for the sake of his own sanity. He had been forced to put up with Kou for over five hours. And all of that was enough to bring him to his boiling point.

"You, Uchiha, are all the same." Kou puffed his cheeks while rolling his eyes. He looked as if he could fall asleep again. Tsk. Moron.
Wait.. Does that mean that he's encountered an Uchiha before?
"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke narrowed his coal-black eyes, his fists clenching in distress.
"I've only met an Uchiha once, and he was just like you. I mean, I know he's your older brother and all but-!" In a flash, the raven appeared right in front of him and grabbed him by his collar, shoving Kou's back painfully into the tree as small splinters jumped out.
"Why and when did you see Itachi?" He hissed, his body pulsing with hatred. Poor Kou was almost choking to death, given the Uchiha's strong grip on his neck.

"I might-t-tell, uh-you i-if you l-l-let me go.." Kou managed to choke out, his face slowly getting redder.
Sasuke pulled his hands away, leaving him to take a few plentiful breaths of air. The raven glared at him again to which Kou shuddered with disgust while panting slowly. He must not like the Uchiha that much.
"Start talking or I'll make sure you choke next time I strangle you." Sasuke's cold tone seemed to have made its effect.

"I met him about an year ago when Naruto had just turned sixteen. Itachi probably wanted to fight him since they'd battled for quite some time." Kou didn't tell him the whole story because he had promised Naruto to keep quiet about it. Itachi had actually come to spar with him and to teach him how to use Kurama's demon eyes to cast a genjustu, as his birthday present.