Such tenderness came from the very man who had just destroyed everything he had.
It seemed so eerie, so incongruous, steeped in the malice of a predator toying with its prey.
"Are you afraid?" Liuyu's voice was soft, almost a whisper, yet every word struck Sasuke's heart with perfect clarity.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, forced his eyes open, and glared at Liuyu with all his strength, though that glare seemed utterly powerless beneath the other man's calm gaze.
He wanted to scream, to demand answers, to lunge at him and bite, but something seemed to block his throat, leaving him capable of nothing but broken, breathy sounds.
"Do you hate?" Liuyu asked again, making Sasuke even more panicked as warm liquid began seeping uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes once more.
"Do you hate your incompetent, hypocritical brother, hate the Konoha High Command that drove the Uchiha into a corner?
"Hate... yourself, so weak you couldn't even protect your loved ones, only be sifted through like trash, your fate decided for you?"
Every word was like a poisoned spike of ice, driving deep into the most vulnerable, bloodiest part of Sasuke's heart.
My brother... Konoha... weakness... myself...
Images flashed before Sasuke's eyes: his brother being duped by the higher-ups, resolving to carry out the plan to slaughter his clan.
The scene was so real that Sasuke felt as though he were there.
Past memories intertwined with those images.
Hate.
How could I not hate them!
Hate my brother's betrayal and incompetence!
Hate Konoha's coercion and hypocrisy.
And most of all... hate myself, a useless piece of trash who could do nothing but watch everything happen.
Surging hatred swept through him like magma, breaking through the dam of fear in an instant and burning wildly in his young heart.
He