Sasuke woke up.

It was entirely unexpected and rather disappointing.

- - -

For the 48th time since he had awoken (however surprisingly), Sasuke once again tested the rope knotted around his wrists. He tugged down hard against the handles of the bathtub, feeling absolutely no give in the metal or the clean white tile surrounding them.

"Fuck." Sasuke swore (for well past the 48th time), and gave at least one more hard pull before giving up---for now. It had taken him almost twenty minutes after waking up before he'd finally looked up and noticed the crisp paper of a seal taped over the rope and smacked hard between the hot and cold handles. Although many seals were unique to the maker, Sasuke knew enough to realize a lot more than rope was keeping him tied up---more like a ton of chakra and a little bit of blood. Sasuke was damn sure that wasn't regular ink swirling into incomprehensible sigils.

After taking a long time to breathe and boil silently in anger, Sasuke kicked out against the back of the bathtub. It sent his spine jabbing painfully against the faucet, and he cursed again. He didn't repeat the movement.

On the other hand, he wondered what kind of asshole had designed the water taps to jut out of the middle of the wall so high above his head. That just wasn't fair. His wrists were bound tightly above his head, giving him almost no slack to relax his arms. By his calculation, around five hours had passed since he'd woken up---but there was no telling how long he'd been unconscious in his position. His fingertips felt numb and icy and his arms just fucking ached.

Sasuke would never admit it, but being tied up to the bed had been a lot more fucking comfortable.

- - -

Sasuke didn't even open his eyes when the bathroom door finally creaked opened, some nine hours after he'd woken up.

"Untie me," he managed through gritted teeth. He kept his eyes shut. He needed to keep his eyes shut.

There wasn't a reply. For some reason he wasn't surprised, but it didn't fail to piss him off anyway. He tugged his wrists down, his knees curling against his chest, almost trying to rip the rope with his weight alone.

"You shouldn't waste your energy."

"Fuck. You."

Silence.

Much better.

Sasuke turned toward the tile wall and finally opened his eyes. He studied the grout between the small white tiles, searching for imperfections in the plaster. He studied each one impossibly hard, not letting himself blink because.

Because he knew he'd shut his eyes and reopen them to the door. Which is exactly what he didn't want to do.

Focus.

"I've brought you something to eat, but I can take it with me instead."

Sasuke didn't answer. He stared harder at the faint markings of rust on the grout, not willing himself to turn around. He didn't care about food, he wasn't fucking hungry.

"I don't know when I'll be back to bring you more. You may as well eat while you can."

"I'd rather fucking starve."

"That's entirely up to you."

Sasuke slammed his head back against the tile, feeling pain explode against his skull and spine (that fucking faucet) but he didn't make a sound. He whipped his head around, eyes narrowing furiously at his brother. He jerked his wrists down with more force than he had all day, feeling nothing but rage and hearing nothing but blood rush in his ears. A growl was growing painful and deep in his throat as he pulled but the only give he felt was not the one he wanted.

There was a rip. A pop.

His shoulder screamed in pain when he could not.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the sudden shock of pain rushing through him, lips parting in an exhalation of surprise.

Itachi only watched on impassively.

"You shouldn't have done that," was all his brother said. Before Sasuke could find the voice to scream and howl with whatever was left in him to give, he felt a wet heat creeping down the back of his neck.

He thought he had broken the hot water tap.

"Sasuke..."

Itachi shook his head. Sasuke blinked in confusion---and a strange, sharp throbbing began in the back of his skull as the room blurred into a frenzied darkness---and that was all.

- - -

Pain was not the first thing that registered in Sasuke's mind when he finally came to.

His first realization was that the jet of water raining down on his head and soaking his clothes to his skin was ice cold. So cold even his numb fingertips felt warm in comparison.

It was only when he tried to move that pain rocketed up his shoulder and lower back, a little bit like fireworks in his muscles. Hot and sparking, causing lights to flare behind his closed eyelids.

He jerked under the cold spray, a pained cry escaping him before he could even attempt to cut it off. He bit down on his lower lip immediately after, stifling the sound even though he continued to whimper lowly, mindlessly, in the back of his throat.

The water cut off, and Sasuke sighed so deeply in relief it felt as though death were draining from his lungs rather than air.

"How long have I---"

"Ten hours."

It was only when he heard that voice did the final details of his situation once again become clear. Sasuke's head jerked up, causing a hot rush of pain down his spine. He needed---he needed to see---that man. His brother. Pain was so thick behind his eyes he could barely see but the swirl of black and red and near-white was all he needed.

Itachi.

Itachi crouched. An odd sight. Sasuke's breath was escaping him in rasping pants, eyes blinking heavily and he wondered if everything he was seeing was...even real.

Itachi was silent. Silent like death---which was something Sasuke had gotten fairly accustomed to over the years. He gazed back, almost uncertain if he was even awake. The icy water still clinging to his clothing was the one thing that helped him stay aware and alert, but it was quickly warming from contact with his skin.

"Sasuke."

He flinched. Visibly. It hurt to do so; another pained whimper resounded in the back of his throat.

"I'm not going to untie you. You will stay like this until I come back. I don't know when that will be." Itachi murmured. His voice was startlingly clear to Sasuke. Perfect and comprehensible when everything else had faded into colorless static and noise.

"I want you to remember this mistake, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked blearily at him. The voice was clear but the words made no sense. He couldn't...he couldn't stay like this. The sheer enormity of Itachi's words was---impossible.

Itachi stood. Itachi turned and left. Movements and motions that were completely lost to Sasuke's vision as it twisted and blurred, turning bright and vivid for almost an instant as Itachi shut the bathroom door behind him.

Sasuke didn't know how to pray. Somehow, it still felt as though a prayer had been answered when he finally lost consciousness and the room slipped away.

- - -

Naruto wouldn't leave him alone.

Naruto's idiocy, his ferocity and all of his ambitions---none of it left him alone. It was all he wanted. He never asked for a rival. He never asked for a best friend. He had tried so very hard to rise above everyone in his class, in the entire academy, mostly for strength but also because---if he removed himself and all of his dark goals from the rest…

Then maybe he wouldn't infect them. His darkness and his taint, all of his arrogance…it was his and his alone. He didn't want to share his pain. It gave him strength and drive. No one deserved to feel the pain that dogged him in his every waking moment. He separated himself. It was better that way for everyone. Best of all for himself.

Then maybe when it came time to kill his closest friend there would be no one to fulfill that role and he could defeat Itachi because he was strong enough on his own.

But Naruto---Naruto wouldn't leave him alone.

When Sasuke dreamed---more vividly and deeply than he could ever remember dreaming before---he found himself in a forest. Sunlight filtered gold onto the grass, the air smelled distantly of salt and the sea. He wasn't home.

"Home" being Konoha. He might have cringed. Konoha Village had not been his home in a long time. Perhaps not so long in years or even days, but what felt like an eternity in slow motion. A lifetime under the world.

He wasn't…home but he knew where he was. The trees around him were different from the ancient forests surrounding Konoha, they were tall and slender and…new. The deep slashes on the bark were made by his kunai, the markings of a ninja, the first of their kind. It had never occurred to him before.

He was with Naruto. The first time it was...just them. They were running up the trees and leaving their mark so high up on the branches the civilians would marvel at the height for years to come.

Naruto's yell was in his ear. Echoing in the silence and warm stillness of the morning.

Their footsteps. Heavy and pounding and relentless against the bark.

They were alone. He dreamed, twisting and turning, of sweat pouring into his eyes and exhaustion burning hot in the center of his chest. It felt more real than---than anything.

They were alone and they never spoke but twice. They spent days in silence and Sasuke felt every moment of those days rolling over him freshly, a feverish dream. Naruto's yell. Naruto's footfalls and heartbeat and gasping breath all so much louder than his own.

Naruto never spoke and Naruto...never left him alone.

Sasuke knew that it was all a dream because it wasn't Naruto's feet that failed. It wasn't Naruto who fell clumsily from the height of the tree.

Sasuke fell. His feet slipped away from him, and even though he knew he had fallen, his eyes were on Naruto's outstretched hand and not on the approaching forest floor.

Sasuke fell and he never hit the ground.

- - -

Sasuke woke up.

It was disorienting and infuriating---and he wished.

He wished he hadn't.