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The first time he even uses his voice is when Naruto visits. He can't see them or sense them but he can feel them. Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, all three of them. Something about it makes him amused, how funny. He didn't plan on uttering a single word to anyone of them, of course, his plans are ruined as soon as the blonde of the three runs into his holding cell and kneels before him with a resounding thud of his knees harshly meeting the concrete floor. A gasped "sasuke" and arms are thrown around his neck and a patch of hot wetness seeps through his shirt. It makes him freeze up, stiffen, arms straining against the chains and cuffs placed around his wrists.
"Uzamaki…" a manages to hoarsely cough out his name, a wry chuckle moving past his lips as he tilts his head, eyes fluttering behind the mask and seals tied tightly against his eyes. A short gasp and more scuffling that sounds a lot like running gets closer and another presence is next to him. He doesn't say anything, just nods. In fact he doesn't say anything ever again during their visit. Or almost every visit. Every week Naruto visits and talks away their time, Sasuke grunting and humming in reply, the only words he ever uttered being the blondes clan name in greeting. They fall into a pattern, the blonde telling him about the outside, about missions and drama and new foods, the small things.
And when the jinchuriki isn't there, Sasuke sits there unmoving, thinking. What would he even do after this? When he thinks about it, he doesn't know. When he thinks about it, he realizes he never planned for this. It makes him grimac, makes him feel feelings he no longer wanted, feelings he was tired of. Fourteen months of sitting in here, eyes sealed, blocked chakra, chained to the wall, doing absolutely nothing. Nothing but thinking. He listens to the two guards talk sometimes, it takes his mind off of everything.
Everything, funny, how he thinks of it as everything when he has absolutely nothing. He was alone now, truly, alone. The only Uchiha, he has no idea what happened to Taka, hes chained to the wall of Konoha's most enforced prison, labeled a traitor. When he thinks back on it, even back then, it was like this. At least he wasn't the only Uchiha back then.
Being the last of his clan. He had never considered himself the last when he had hunted down his brother, and even after, when trying to avenge him, there was still Madara, or Tobi, Obito, whoever he really was. Sasuke thinks back to the moment he realized he truly was alone, the only Uchiha truly.
He had watched Madara take in a shuddering breath, eyes glazing over as Hashirama leaned down, murmuring to him quietly, a soft smile crossing the shodai's face as he grasped his old friends hands. Sasuke found himself next to him somehow, kneeling down quietly. Madara's eyes had shifted over to him, "you look just like him" The older uchiha chuckled wryly, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips, Sasuke startled, looking at Hashirama in confusion. The shodai simply smiled at him, "you look kinda like his younger brother, Izuna, funny, you're more like Madara though." he laughed, sharp, a sad look flashing across his face.
"You still here? Madara?" The uchiha hummed, eyes drifting closed, "you better give me that drink, Senju" His tone is playful, yet there's a tight, tired smile on his face, Hashirama nods, muttering a yes as he folded the dying mans hands against his stomach and drifted light fingers against his face and eyes. Sasuke swallowed hard, his face felt hot, his chest too tight as he leaned forward, forehead meeting the other Sharingan wielders chest. "Say, Sasuke, do you think Izuna will be disappointed when I see him again?" Sasuke shakes his head, throat tightening around the words he wants to speak.
"No, never." he can hear how his voice shakes, feels everyone watching, but it doesn't matter, none of it matters as he presses his ear against the others chest and listens. Listens to the weakening heartbeats, listens to the heartbeat of the only Uchiha left. "were cursed, the uchiha, and I don't think we can be fixed" Madara's voice is a whisper yet it seems to echo in his head as he clenches his hands, curling them into fists and he cries silently, shoulders shaking as Hashirama whispers a goodbye and brushes Madara's eyes closed.
He takes his last breath. Its shaky and short, barely there, and his chest falls and nothing, no more. It's an empty cavern and its ringing in his ears. Its empty, everything is empty as he lets out a loud, guttural cry, he doesn't care if people are watching. He wasn't putting on a show, wasn't pulling back the curtains, no, he was, in fact, pulling off the costume and bowing his last bow.
When Sasuke thinks about it, he sees no future for himself. Not in Konoha, not in any other village, not even as a rogue ninja. He doesn't see himself at all. He has nowhere to call home, nowhere to go. And in the cold holding cell, his eyes that define his name sealed away, every chakra point blocked and his hands cuffed and chained, labeled a traitor, a failure, an orphan and a monster, he makes up his mind. He's too tired to keep trying.
Solitude
(n) a state of seclusion or isolation