Sasuke walked alone today. He was tired of Karins rants to Suigetsu about how he was always following them. He was tired of Juugo's quietness. He was just plain tired. Slowing his pace, he came to a stop, thoughts and memories he thought forgotten crashing inside his mind like waves. Never ending, like the tide, the memories rose and fell, the good ones, and the bad. He sat down on the cold ground, twilight slowly turning the sky dark colors through the trees above him, casting shadows on the ground around him. He closed his eyes, and let the memories wash over him, knowing that they would go away after that, thinking that maybe, after this they would go away forever instead of becoming more painful, and harder to handle, like they did every time.

He saw his brothers face, a tear running down his cheek, he saw Naruto's bloody shoulder as his arm ripped itself the hole he had made, Naruto's sad face as he realized Sasuke would never be the same. Sasuke opened his eyes, tired already of the memories washing away his mind. standing, he pulled the Akatsuki cloak tighter around him, trying to hold back the urge to shiver. Uchiha's don't shiver. Pulling the straw hat down over his head, only letting his crimson eyes shine out of the darkness underneath, he walked.

The moon had already risen when he realized he had been following a thin path through the woods, just by instinct. he sighed, thinking to himself that he had might as well follow it, as he still didn't want to turn back just yet. suddenly, out of the thick brush ahead of him, he saw a town, there were lights, and even fireworks in the distance. No one will notice me, and even if they do, he thought, his crimson eyes fairing in the darkness showing for just a moment the hint of the star-like pattern he had acquired, they won't after I'm done with them.

He walked into the village without much problem, having blended in with everyone else there despite his Akatsuki cloak because of the bustle around him, and having nothing else to do, he wandered. He wasn't hungry, he didn't want to play the games they had, he just wanted peace. though he did wonder why all this was going on, so with a thought, he went to the storytellers street. There must have been 30 tents, each supposed to tell a different story, but most were empty. Walking up to one of the stalls were a few of the storytellers had gathered to pass time, he asked why all this was going on. "Don't you know?" the first asked. "Aw, come on Shin, he's an outsider, just look at his cloak." the second said, slapping the first upside the head. He then turned back to Sasuke and explained that this was the cherry-blossom festival. Just before the cherry trees bloomed, they would celibate for a good year. Sasuke still didn't understand why almost all the stalls were empty.

"Oh, that's simple enough. the substitute story-teller over there stole our thunder o'course." Sasuke looked to were the first man pointed, thanked the men, and headed to that direction, curious despite himself on what he would find.

Though what he expected never amounted to what he saw. not in the least. the substitute story-teller was using smoke to draw pictures in the air, adding words with a slightly deep voice, keeping the children addicted to what they saw. his curiosity now sated, Sasuke was about to walk away when he realized what story it was.

Walking closer, his eyes for once, showed shock as he took in the scene before him, the story he himself had lived. In that moment, he knew without doubt who the teller was. The moment when he saw the storytellers arms shaping the smoke into a giant snake, racing toward the boy on the branch of a humongous sycamore tree, a boy who's hair spiked up at the back. he watched it all unfold in smoke as another boy jumped in front of the snake, stopping it before it hit the first boy, hearing faintly the storytellers voice saying: " as the evil snake man raced toward the boy, our hero jumped in front, planning to stop the evil snake whatever the cost. now-" of course he continued, oblivious to Sasuke standing there.

Sasuke sat down where he wouldn't be noticed, watching and listening to the end, when all the kids had gone home, the parents convinced it was their bed time. the story teller started closing up his stall, unawares of the man who sat in the shadows, watching the grown-up Naruto pack his things. His gold and red kimono flaring about him when he moved. Sasuke registered the changes in his old rival, taller, his eyes ran over the man, broader, his spiky golden locks just the same as before, and he leaked an aura of power.

Sasuke stood up, fully intending to disappear before Naruto turned around and spotted him, when he heard, "You aren't just gonna leave without a hello or goodbye, right Sasuke?" he watched as Naruto turned around, his cerulean blue eyes locking with the crimson ones he found. They looked older, sasuke found himself thinking, more serious, not as carefree as the Naruto he remembered. But then again, that was mostly his fault, he thought sadly.

Like Naruto could read his mind, he said, "Sasuke, if your lonely, there's always a place for you. you know where to find it." Naruto shouldered his pack and walked away from the stall with just a backward wave to the startled Uchiha. the Naruto he knew would have screamed and charged, uncaring of the consequences. Sasuke smirked for the first time in 8 years. he walked back toward the forest, back toward the camp where he had left his team, thinking, maybe, it makes us stronger to remember the memories, than to forget them.