2 Hikari?

Sasuke Uchiha was standing at the edge of the cliff, staring down into the roaring waters that poured from the waterfall nearby. Sasuke's sword was strapped securely to his waist, and his white robe fluttered in the breeze that brushed against his bare chest. Spiky black bangs were lifted slightly by the gusts of air, and a sigh left him as he stood there. Intense, depthless onyx eyes were emotionless, blank, the only thing shining through the mask being determination and coldness.

It was the face he had worked for the past two years to perfect. It was the face of an avenger, and he knew that nothing would sway him from his task now. That was set in stone, only death would stop him. And Sasuke was now too strong to be easily killed, even by the likes of Orochimaru, who still planned to take Sasuke's body for his own.

Sasuke rarely allowed himself time to think about the past, but as he stared into the rippling waters, he was suddenly reminded of Naruto's glowing red eyes staring at him in hopeless rage, streaming with tears of sadness that made ripples on the glassy surface of the water. What a fool…what a waste of Sasuke's time.

He had been right in leaving Konoha. Sakura, Naruto, even Kakashi…they were all weak. Emotions ruled them, and that made them weak, useless in achieving their goals, or dreams, as the blonde idiot had put it. If Sakura's dream could even be counted as some kind of goal that could ever be attained. So ridiculous. They thought they knew Sasuke, they thought that they could understand.

That is where they failed entirely. Sasuke had begun to feel content with his pathetic bonds he had formed, actually letting himself believe that they could help him. But…then he had reached the truth. They could never understand. Not even Naruto. Not even the blonde idiot who had no parents, who knew Sasuke better than anyone.

Naruto Uzumaki knew nothing.

Sasuke snorted to himself, his eyes closing as he pushed those memories of their battle back. It was pointless to think of the past…unless it would help him kill Itachi. That was the most important thing. That was the only thing that mattered anymore. He would kill Itachi.

After that?

Sakura Haruno's voice seemed to echo though his thoughts, the continuous roar of the waterfall fading into the background.

"Even if you get revenge though…it won't bring anyone happiness. Not even you, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he drew his sword. The voice stopped, but then it came again, even louder.

"Do you really want to go back to being alone?!"

Sasuke's sword flashed, and the tree that stood next to him was suddenly detached at the base, and it creaked with an ancient groan before crashing down into the rushing rapids, quickly being pulled by the strong current. Emerald leaves fluttered helplessly around him, glinting in the faint sunlight that pierced the dismal clouds.

Sasuke watched the tree disappear, his eyes dark and dangerous. Sakura's voice was silent, and he smirked slightly. He was so much stronger than he was back then. And she dared suggest that he would be unhappy with the fact that his clan's murderer was dead?

Foolishness.

Sasuke sheathed his sword, and suddenly the air seemed to crackle and swirl around him. Chakra and something unfamiliar were pulsing through the air, and Sasuke tensed, but didn't unsheathe his sword. His eyes darted around the area quickly, and he was about to walk away when there was a huge boom of power in the center of the waterfall, and a shining figure appeared there. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the strange pulsing energy that surrounded him as the figure came into clearer view.

It was a girl. She was suspended by invisible strings, on her back as if lying down, her arms and legs faintly curved downward as if being tugged by her navel upward every so slightly. Her long blonde hair rippled around her like water, and her face was calm, serene.

Sasuke had seen some bizarre things in his years with Orochimaru, but this was something else entirely. It wasn't that he was attracted to the girl in any way; it was the powerful chakra that thrummed through her entire frame. It was uncontained, wild and untamable as she floated there.

Sasuke's sword came out of the sheath just an inch, and then the light suddenly vanished. Sasuke saw the blood on her arms and legs – she had some serious gashes, and a large bruise in the middle of her forehead – and then she was falling, her hair flowing behind her as she fell towards the dangerous rapids below.

The Uchiha's mind considered his options for a moment before the better side of him won over the rest. He wasn't so far gone that he'd let a helpless girl die right in front of him. But mostly, he was interested in the girl's strangely formed chakra, and the fact that she had quite literally appeared out of thin air.

Sasuke dove over the cliff, not even bothering to release the second stage of the curse seal on his neck, feeling no fear as he fell. Sasuke reached out with one hand and grabbed the girl's upper arm, tugging her wounded form into his arms and righting himself so he landed with a tap on one of the jutting rocks that protruded from the water's choppy surface.

Though Sasuke had tried to jostle her as little as possible, the movement had awoken her. The girl's eyelids fluttered, and Sasuke found himself staring into deep blue-gray eyes that struggled to focus on him.

Her face…looked like the face of his former best friend, Naruto Uzumaki. Indisputably different, but the similarities were there. It made Sasuke freeze for a split second. He was unnerved by the fact that the moment he chose to think about his old teammate, a girl who resembled him suddenly appeared.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan almost automatically, and the girl's eyes slipped closed, and she fell limp in his arms once more. The boy noticed the blood that was soaking into his white robe, her face deathly pale.

In that moment, he was tempted to leave her on the rocks, and walk away to train back at Orochimaru's base.

But somehow, the better – and more impulsive – side of him won again, and he was running towards the base.

"Do you really want to go back to being alone?!"

"Shut up." Sasuke growled to himself, pushing himself even faster. Away from the voices, away from the place that reminded him so much of the bonds he had broken within Konohagakure, two years ago.

Sasuke walked down the stone steps, the girl's hair flowing around his waist as her head lolled lifelessly over his arm. He walked almost noiselessly down the hall, and yet the keen eyes of Orochimaru's jounin and chuunin heard him, and ninja appeared outside the doors, eyes gleaming in the dim light.

Sasuke ignored them, but one of the bolder jounin called out jeeringly.

"Nice catch, Master Uchiha. You mind if we play with her when you're done? There's enough of her to go around, right?"

Sasuke kept his face emotionless, not giving any sign that he heard the man, and the cackling laughter of the ninja echoed behind him as he turned the corner.

Rape was a common occurrence in Sound. Sasuke knew this, and he had been offered tossed aside slaves after the ninja had had their way with them. But pleasures of that sort were not important to him, and he refused. A small part of him pitied the women, but he wasn't here to change Sound and what took place within it. His purpose in Sound was to get stronger.

That was all that mattered.

If so, why was he saving this girl from that same fate?

Sasuke shook his head, and looked up to see Kabuto leaning against the door into his medical lab where he healed and "treated" patients. If you could even call it treatment. More like mutilation and experimentation, like people were his lab rats to use as he wished in order to prove some sick new theory of Orochimaru's. Kabuto was disturbing, to say it mildly, but he healed all right, so Sasuke didn't complain. Orochimaru was also standing beside the white haired medic, and his yellow eyes narrowed delightedly as they always did when Sasuke was around him. Sasuke didn't react, instead speaking in a low tone that was as flat and emotionless as his expression.

"I found her at the waterfall a few miles west of here."

Orochimaru's head cocked slightly to the left. "Yes…we heard the explosion. Why didn't you just leave her there?"

"I thought you might be interesting in saving her. Her chakra…is interesting."

Orochimaru blinked as he stared at the girl, and with a nod he turned to Kabuto. "Heal her, and then have Sasuke bring her before me."

Yellow, slanted eyes flickered toward the girl once more before Orochimaru disappeared down the hall, and Sasuke glared. What was he, some kind of waiter or something?

Kabuto quickly opened the door, and Sasuke followed him into the room.

It was a small room, with shelves stocked with supplies and boxes. There was a small table in the center, and the metal glinted in the light as Sasuke carefully laid the girl down on its icy surface. Sasuke retreated to the far wall, as far away as he could in the small space, and Kabuto moved forward to examine the girl. There was no conversation between the two, but Sasuke knew that Kabuto was wondering why he saved the girl.

"Do I need a reason?" Sasuke asked quietly, and Kabuto smiled.

"No, I was merely curious."

Silence rested upon them once more, and this time Sasuke was sure to keep his eyes away from the medic as he worked. Green healing chakra glowed around Kabuto's hands as his fingers drifted over the gashes, watching with calm gray eyes as they quickly closed and disappeared, leaving dried blood that had no source. After a few minutes, the cuts and gashes were gone, and Kabuto held his hand to her forehead for a few moments, and when he stepped back it was gone, leaving only the smooth tan skin of her forehead behind.

Her breathing was less shallow now, and some color was returning to her cheeks. Sasuke glared at Kabuto for a moment, and Kabuto bowed slightly, quickly exiting the room. Sasuke moved forward, and stared down at the girl once more.

Under the light of the lamp, Sasuke found that her similarity to Naruto was less pronounced. She still looked like him, but in a more feminine, elegant sense. Her eyes were a completely different color, and Sasuke comforted himself with that fact as he cleared his throat.

"Wake up."

The girl's eyes fluttered at the sound of his voice echoing in the small room, and they opened to reveal deep blue-gray eyes. Definitely not the same as Naruto's eyes.

She blinked slowly, and turned to look at Sasuke with tired eyes. "W-Where am I? Why do I feel so weird?" Sasuke didn't reply, instead grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Her voice was lower than Sasuke would've guessed, and it lacked the hyperactive tone that had always accompanied Naruto's. Sasuke didn't know why he was reassuring himself like this, but it made him feel better for a strange reason, knowing that this girl was different from the boy who had been like a brother to him.

Sasuke let go of her arm, and started walking down the hall. "Come, Orochimaru wants to see you."

The girl wasn't following him, instead facing him, her eyes flickering around in confusion. Her hair went to her elbows, and she pushed it behind her ears as she frowned.

"Wait, uh, whatever your name is! Where am I? I was hit by that car…how can I be here?". She looked down to her chest and screamed. "Why am I a girl?".

Sasuke looked at her like Kakashi shouted "YOSH, YOUR YOUTH BURNS BRIGHT. YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH" in a tight green spandex .

Sasuke didn't know what she was talking about when she said "car" and totally ignored her question, but assumed it must be some kind of weapon and she was still traumatized . Her clothes…also strange. But he didn't pay much thought to it as he continued to walk down the hall. As long as she got to Orochimaru, he didn't care what she asked him.

Sasuke was about to open the door to Orochimaru's throne room when a fist swung towards his head, and she growled.

"Hey, answer me!" Sasuke snorted, and ducked, whirling around, opening the door so that Orochimaru could see her attempt to attack him. Who knows, the snake might find it interesting to find a girl attacking someone such as Sasuke, with no fear of the obvious power he wielded.

The girl looked shocked, but her face only grew more determined, and she leapt towards the boy again, her mouth set in an angry snarl.

I felt his large hands on my wrists to restrain me, but I kicked viciously at his chest, which he avoided easily. I bit down on his hand, feeling bitter blood on my tongue, and his onyx eyes narrowed, and I was thrown into the ground, and I hissed as I slid across the floor painfully. I spit out the blood, and crouched in defense, adrenaline pumping through me. The boy stood, not fazed in the slightest, staring at me with emotionless eyes.

I was stunned.

I was used to being much stronger than the people around me…and this boy had dodged my punch…with his eyes closed! It was if he dodged punches and kicks from people like me everyday. And he was fast…much faster than me and HOW THE HELL AM I A GIRL?9

How could this be? Unless…he was the same as I was. Different. Special.

I was about to attack again when I heard a hissing voice from the front of the room, across from the large double doors. I glanced over in that direction, and when I glanced back to the boy I gasped.

The boy was gone. He had made no sound…and I hadn't seen him move. It was like he teleported to the side of the large throne that stood elevated above the floor, and I shivered as the silky voice sounded again.

"My, my, my…what do we have here?"

The torchlight suddenly allowed me to see the man in the chair more clearly, and I felt fear rush through me as I shivered again.

It was a man with pasty white skin, and slanted eyes that reminded me of the cruel gaze of a snake. His long black hair hung around his shoulders, and as I watched, a long tongue darted out of his thin lips. I shuddered, and the man smiled even more widely.

"Hello, my dear. Please…come so I can see you better."

I stared into those yellow eyes, and looked toward the boy who looked almost bored as he leaned against the pillar. The boy didn't look at me, and after a moment pushed off and turned away from the man in the throne.

"Orochimaru, I'm going to train."

The man smiled slightly, and waved the boy off. The boy looked at me once more, and his eyes narrowed before vanishing in a cloud of smoke. I slowly made my way until I was in front of the chair.

"Uh, where am I…sir?"

Orochimaru's eyes glinted in amusement, and he leaned forward so he was leaning on his thin elbows.

"You're in the Village of Sound. But before we go into that, I'd like to know your name, my dear."

I shivered. I didn't like how he said "my dear". It made me feel as though I was about to be eaten or something. When I focused on his question, I frowned.

Should I give him my name? What if he was some kind of stalker? Wait, that didn't make sense. Whatever. But I didn't want to give him my name.

I stared into the eyes of the man who reminded me of a snake, and the silence grew.

What should I do?

What the hell was going on here?

Where was I, anyway?

It seemed that if I was going to get any answers, I was going to have to give this man a name. Any name.

I swallowed. "My name…I…"

Orochimaru smiled in understanding. "I see. The explosion must have done…damage. It is no matter. I will give you a name."

I shuddered at his silky smooth voice that was supposed to sound comforting, instead sounding scary as hell.

"Your name will be…" Orochimaru reached out to stroke my cheek, and I had to struggle not to scream. I could feel the raw power coming off of this man, so strong it almost made me fall to my knees. I could no more to this man then I had done to the boy. I was powerless.

"Hikari. Your name will be Hikari."