City of Night

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Sasuke's fist hit the wooden dummy's head and the crude sphere burst outwards when the wood shattered and splintered, sending sharp wooden shards flying in every direction.

Sasuke lowered his fist slowly, panting and sweating from the long hours of training and straightened. Only a few more hours until sunset. Only a few more hours until he could see Sakura again. Then he could explain everything and she would understand. The thought brought a faint smile to his lips.

Dark laughter.

Sasuke spun around to face the source of the sound and snarled with annoyance. "What do you want?" Itachi shrugged and adjusted his position, sitting perched and elegantly poised on a boulder only a few feet away.

"Do I always have to want something before coming to see you, brother?" He asked, his voice nonchalant, but the look he gave Sasuke was calculating and Sasuke returned it with a glare, feeling his anger flare, just as it always did when Itachi was involved.

"I see the surface hasn't changed you one bit, Sasuke," Itachi chuckled with amusement, making Sasuke snarl, "You're still the same hot-headed little kid I remember."

Sasuke bared his fangs at his brother angrily. "What do you want, Itachi?" he snarled through clenched teeth and Itachi's face become a mask, like a slate suddenly wiped clean.

"You returned from the surface hours ago and you didn't come to see me."

Sasuke faltered, feeling the hateful glare drop from his face in his confusion and surprise. Had Itachi actually sounded hurt? Was he even capable of feeling such a thing?

'Brother...'-

'No,' Sasuke snapped at himself, stopping himself short and suddenly remembering every cruel, evil and sadistic thing Itachi had ever said or done to him. Of course he wasn't capable of empathy, hurt or compassion, just cruel tricks and mind games.

Sasuke snarled angrily and put as much venom into his voice as he could. "You sound surprised, brother."

The older boy's jaw set and his eyes flashed with anger, or hurt, something in between, Sasuke wasn't sure, but he smiled all the same, because he had gotten the reaction he had wanted from Itachi. 'How does it feel, brother?' he wanted to ask but Sasuke's triumph didn't last long because Itachi smiled icily, and the look was far more frightening than the previous. Itachi narrowed his eyes, turning from black to scarlet with his sharingan.

"What did it taste like?" he suddenly asked silkily and Sasuke felt himself go cold with shock and horror. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of icy water at his face and it was suddenly like he was back in Sakura's apartment, holding her in his arms with his mouth pressed firmly to her neck. How had Itachi known?

"What?" His voice was faint, strained and sounded almost detached in a way as he forced back the memories and powerful sensations. Just thinking about what her blood had tasted like sent a shudder through his body and Itachi's smile became a sneer.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't know, Sasuke?" Itachi demanded, eyes narrowing as the evil smile dropped from his face and the corners of his mouth curled upwards in a snarl. "You reek of her."

Sasuke snapped back to attention at the sound of the complete scorn and contempt in his brother's voice, as if Sakura were something vile and disgusting and he roared with fury, feeling something deep from within him snap at last.

The force with which he and Itachi collided, within a matter of seconds, sent both of them crashing to the ground. Sasuke felt an immediate surge of strength he had never felt before and knew that it because of Sakura's blood that now coursed through him. He hadn't expected an easy fight and Itachi followed through on this, fighting back just as viciously and furiously.