Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟒𝟔| Preliminaries

"There is no fire like passion, there is no shark like hatred, there is no snare like folly, there is no torrent like greed."
—Siddharta Gautama

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SASUKE

The mark on his neck pulsated incessantly. It was a different category of pain, one that contingently send waves of pain throughout his limbs and restricted his movement before settling down for the time being. The feeling it inflicted was indescribable, similar to an unknown force tugging at his desires and his need to become stronger. He succumbed to the greed knowing that it was a clear gateway to his goal, his ambition in surpassing his older brother as well as proving his self-worth.

However, in the process of achieving a powerful state, there were life-threatening risks and many things in jeopardy. Sasuke couldn't afford to compromise the safety of his teammates, he was a danger to not only himself but others around him. In the process of the anger that consumed him, he was blinded by the fact that one wrong move could've resulted to serious consequences. Consequences that he wasn't willing to endure.

"Try not to overwork yourself to exhaustion like your brothers and your father. I don't know Sasu, but it's like everyone's so distant lately and the last thing I want is for you to stray away from me or be reckless and get yourself hurt. Just promise me to be careful out there, okay?" His face contorted into a grimace knowing that he had somewhat broken his promise to his mother. Sasuke was the epitome of recklessness and endangerment. Was this what his father had seen in him? A monster in the making? Someone who was bound to end up like his ancestors; killed at the cost of their own flaws.

Weirdly enough, the build up of self-loathe diminished the moment he recalled the smile Dawn had given him. Was it possible for a simple gesture to have granted him all the reassurance he had ever needed? Was it possible for the smile of another to appear so effortlessly beautiful-

His eyes widened at his own thoughts, his cheeks flushing heavily as he stared at the ground. Did I really just think that?

Daringly, he lifted his gaze, his eyes hesitantly lingering on the side of her face where her attention was focused elsewhere as well as a rather bored expression vivid in her eyes. They were the bluest he had ever seen, a mixture of overlapping colours, translucent enough to create a fierce, yet soft blend of opaque emotions and fibres of delicacy. For a moment, he was trapped in his dream again forced to cradle her body that he had presumed dead, until the crack of her leg reverberated in his ears causing him to snap out of his reverie and clench his jaw in anger. Again, his rage was driven by a flick of the switch in his mind, one so easily triggered at the thought of helplessness.

I was helpless. His heart quenched, forcing his gaze away. It physically hurt him knowing that, yet again, he had to endure through her suffering and not be able to do anything about it.

"However, I do advise you all to not go overboard on the third exam." Iruka looked down at the four Genin and the large wolf with a sheepish smile on his face. "It can get a little tricky."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Kabuto had been helpful in acquiring the Heaven scroll that they were missing as they momentarily found themselves caught up in a Genjutsu on the way to the tower in the centre, and devised a plan in countering their opponents attacks and finally completing the second part of the exam. There was something off about him, Sasuke knew that Dawn felt the same way as she kept herself distanced and sent him glares, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.