Disclaimer: Never owned, never will.

Written after Chapter 297; probably insanely inaccurate anyway, but who knows?

Saviour

The serene peace of the afternoon forest was interrupted by the labored breathing of a solitary ninja. He knew he couldn't go on much longer. He had already used too much chakra—a foolish move on his part—and was beginning to tire. His red eyes swept through the forest, trusting them to keep him from tripping and spotting any possible ambushes.

He wasn't even sure where he was, really. He knew he could rule out the Land of Wind, most of the Land of Water, and he had the sinking feeling he wasn't in the Land of Fire.

It happened too quickly for his fatigued mind to comprehend. The figure rammed into him from behind, making him loose his balance. He reflexively turned, trying to avoid falling or at least fall on his back so he could get up quicker. That only served to aid his pursuer, grabbing him by the throat and pushing him against a nearby tree, toes just barely touching the ground.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sasuke, you should know better than to run away." Kabuto teased. Even if Sasuke wished to reply to his enemy, he couldn't have, the medic keeping too much pressure on his throat. Enough to ensure he could breathe, but talking would be difficult. His bangs hung in his eyes, so he lacked a view of Kabuto's face, but he imagined it was smirking, savoring the defeat of the Uchiha heir. Sasuke closed his eyes, deactivating his Sharingan. It was just a waste of chakra now.

"How many times has it been, hm? I believe this is your third attempt at escape. Really —is that how you repay someone who has taken you in and given you power? You owe him."

Sasuke knew it would happen before it did. The mark on his neck stung painfully and he winced in Kabuto's hold.

"And that is a sign he owns you. Mind, soul,

"And body."

The Uchiha felt a strong urge to kill the older boy-- take a kunai and cut his throat to pieces-- but his body refused to obey even the slightest command. Exhaustion was settling in, taking away every ounce of energy.

"Even if you did reach Konoha, it would be pointless. You're a missing nin that belongs to Orochimaru. Just give up. No one is going to save you."

As darkness took over his vision and mind, Sasuke gave a tiny laugh. He was right—no one would save him. He was just a part of the tragic Uchiha tale. That was true—no one could or would save him. All the same, he wanted someone to...

End Saviour