So, guys, as you might notice, I'm completely new to writing, so please tell me if there's anything errors or whatever about this fic. Also, I'm just making up this story as I go, so be prepared for the occasional bout of writers block (and therefore lack of updates).
And besides that... Well, I dunno. Happy reading, people!
Oh, and before I forget:
Disclaimer: I am female.
"I won't run away anymore... I won't go back on my word... that is my ninja way!" - Uzumaki Naruto
On that night, Sasuke is left unconscious on the floor, or so Itachi thinks.
But despite the fact that his eyes are closed, his breathing is soft and shallow, his heartbeat slow, and his mind not quite processing anything, Uchiha Sasuke is most certainly not unconscious.
(If you wish to kill me...)
Suddenly something seems to snap inside of the Uchiha, dark eyes snapping open, and in an instant the fire is back in his gaze, his heartbeat picks up, and his mind is suddenly flooded with conflicted thoughts, emotions, feelings.
(Then hate me, detest me.)
Sasuke slowly drags himself up, his gaze landing on the still bodies of his parents. And although his eyes have suddenly bled crimson and the single tomoe in each eye are spinning wildly, he makes no move to go near them.
(And by all means flee, and cling to your wretched life.)
An indecipherable sound escapes his mouth, and an icy determination slowly overtakes the pain in his scarlet eyes.
In that moment, Uchiha Sasuke makes a promise to himself, one that would change the course of his entire life. I will not run away. I will do anything to avenge my family. Anything at all.
He wipes his eyes and sniffs before quieting as his Sharingan fades away, and stares at the bodies of his dead parents emotionlessly. Or so it would seem to any outside observer, even though he is internally churning with anger and hatred and betrayal as he thinks of his brother's last words.
This is how the Hokage finds him, an hour later, a lone child sitting in a pool of drying blood, staring with blank, empty eyes at the dead bodies of his parents.
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he walked through the streets of Konoha, otherwise ignoring the whispers of the villagers.
"Oh, look! It's the Uchiha boy, such a poor little thing."
"Did you hear? There are rumors that he was rescued by Hokage-sama himself!"
"I still can't believe it, Itachi was such a polite boy, who could've guessed he would've done such a thing?"
It had been a week already, a miserable week full of memories that just wouldn't go away, of everyone staring at him and Uchiha crest on his back with pity and false sympathy, of whispers following him everywhere he went. The scandal of the Uchiha Massacre hadn't faded yet, and it seemed that everywhere he went eyes would be openly staring at him, pitying him, judging him, scorning him.
Sasuke wished that the whispers would just stop. He wanted nothing more than to forget what had happened that night, but being bombarded with the truth every time he went out on the streets wasn't helping.
He tensed imperceptibly as he passed a particularly malevolent man, who whispered loudly, obviously wanting to be heard, "The Uchiha clan got what they deserved! Traitorous bastards getting killed by their own traitorous kin, serves them all right."
Sasuke shoved away his anger, and while on the outside he looks completely unaffected, he was fuming on the inside. But he should've been used to this by now, the constant attention, and he was trying to ignore the whispers when their tone changes abruptly, turning from a mix of pity and anger into a stream of cold hatred.
Whispers of a demon child began to snake through the streets like poison, and soon enough, everybody was wearing a frosty expression, staring coolly at something just ahead of him with poorly disguised hatred and disdain.
Sasuke couldn't help but look in that direction, and was somewhat surprised to see a pale boy, about his age, with bright, shaggy blond hair that hid most of his face walking through the streets in his direction. Sasuke had a faint impression of seeing this boy around before, though he couldn't quite remember where.
As they passed each other, the boy's head lifted a little, and surprisingly blue eyes met his for a second before they passed each other.
Sasuke was disoriented, not by the sight of his eyes, or the look of total determination on his soft, childish features, but by the total lack of resentment, or annoyance, or any negative emotion at all. Sasuke wondered, as he walked past the boy, what could possibly have made the villagers hate the seemingly innocent boy so much. Sasuke heard a lowly muttered name, one that he somehow knew belonged to that boy.
Uzumaki Naruto, huh?
As he walked on, Uchiha Sasuke was no longer distracted by the whispers, and instead wore a contemplative look as he recalls the those vivid eyes, so understanding despite the hatred thrown at him.
Throughout next few weeks Sasuke was suddenly hearing the boy's name whispered everywhere. Among shopkeepers complaining about recent pranks, seemingly plain civilians going about their own business, and even a few shinobi...
Every time the name was uttered anywhere in his vicinity, he would never fail to pick up on it- no matter how hard he tried not to.
Eventually he gave up and focused on finding out more about the mysterious Uzumaki Naruto. Unfortunately, that was a rather hard task when he couldn't find the blond anywhere.
Asking was no help either. Sasuke had questioned a rather gullible looking chuunin about him, only to be faced with a one-eighty degree attitude change and a rather forceful suggestion to keep as far away from the "demon brat" as he possibly could.
All of which stirred Sasuke's legendary curiosity, and provided a welcome distraction from... that night.
So Uchiha Sasuke had been reduced to snooping around the (generally) non-shinobi sector of Konoha. And that was where he was now, listening in on a conversation between two civilian mothers.
"... can't believe the nerve of that boy, asking to play with my precious Yuzaki-chan! Everyone knows what he really is, so why doesn't that demon brat just stay away from us!"
"Mika-san! You know about Hokage-sama's law, so please don't say those things out loud!"
"Why not? Everyone says that, so why shouldn't I? Really, Kiko-chan, you should loosen up sometime. And besides, everyone already knows that the brat is the Kyuubi, so what does it matter?"
Dark eyes widened as Sasuke finally made the connections. So that's why everyone calls him a demon! But... the Kyuubi... wasn't it killed eight years ago?
As the women moved on to a safer topic of conversation, Sasuke sneaked away, mind whirring in confusion.
After doing some research in his clan's library, Sasuke was more confused than ever. All of the official books and records claimed that the nine tailed demon had died on that night (October tenth, if he remembered correctly), killed by the late Fourth Hokage. Yet, if that was the case, then were those women lying? Why would they do that? And even if they were, what about the rest of the village? And, now that he thought about it, what was the Hokage's law about?
Shaking his head, Sasuke convinced himself to just drop it. Obviously, whatever was going on with Uzumaki Naruto was some sort of secret, and whether what he heard was true or not, it was none of his business.
Besides, he was going to start going to the Academy again in a couple of days, so he needed to focus.
Sasuke spent the rest of the day meditating, clearing his mind of all unwanted distractions.
It didn't work.
Mother!
Sitting on the bank of the lake, a gentle smile on her beautiful features. Warm dark eyes beckoned for him. "Sasuke, why don't you join me?"
No, all lies, it isn't real-
Smiling widely, he exclaimed, "Kaa-san!"
Stop! She's not real, she's dead they're all dead so just STOP!
Jumping into her lap and wrapping his arms around her neck, he grinned, it was a dream- of course it was! Aniki would never do anything like that, he was so silly to even believe that for a second. And his mother was alive and-
No, she's dead, Itachi is a traitor, its all because of him she's dead so stop this, please, not again-!
Then she shoved him away, a little gasp escaping her mouth as the blade pierced through her body, and warm, sticky blood splashed his face.
Red- so warm and red, and oh god was the sky turning red as well-
He looked up, over his mother's shoulder and saw a cruel smile, crimson eyes glinting in the tainted light.
YOU! You bastard, you traitor I thought I knew you you betrayed me you betrayed US traitortraitortraitorLIAR!
"Miss me, otouto?"
How could you do this to us I thought you loved us we were your FAMILY!
A broken murmur, "Aniki?"
No! he's not my aniki he would NEVER never never never do this not aniki- MY ANIKI IS DEAD!
Casually drawing the blade out of their mother's chest, Itachi took a step back as she fell forward. Another spray of blood from her chest, staining the clear water of the lake red.
Deaddeaddead all dead my mother is dead my brother is dead I am dead.
Redness spreading over the clear surface of the lake until it was a pool of sparkling crimson liquid, the stained green grass providing a morbid contrast.
Red... red is blood and betrayal and hatred and death. Red... I HATE RED!
"Isn't it beautiful, Sasuke?"
...?
"So beautiful... You'd almost want to drown in it..."
What... No! DON'T! Please, please, oh god no not like him nonononoNO!
A cold hand wrapping around his neck, dragging him closer and closer and closer...
MOVE! DAMMIT! WHY CAN'T I MOVE? NO!
His head was forced into the warm liquid, and he couldn't help but gasp as his face breached the surface. Blood immediately surged into his mouth and all he could register was a slightly salty, metallic taste and-
He was choking.
Move! Do something, anything! I just... have to...
And then he was drifting, spiralling down in a sea of red.
Sasuke woke up screaming.
Tears streaking down his cheeks, drenched with sweat, he forced himself to swallow down the bile rising in his throat.
Slowly, he managed to calm himself down, hyperventilation dying down to slow, ragged breaths.
Slipping out of his fuuton and standing up on shaky legs, Sasuke made his way to the bathroom.
Forehead pressed against the wall of the shower, listening to the rhythmic sound of water pounding his back, the Uchiha allowed himself a sarcastic smile.
It had been a week since the nightmares started, and he still had this same reaction every time.
Pathetic.
Although it had been much, much worse the first time. He'd been avoiding the truth of what'd happened that night, and the nightmare was like a sharp slap in the face, waking him up to the harsh reality- and the promise he'd made that night.
Shame washed over him at the reminder that he'd been ignoring his oath- his obligation to his family- for such a long time.
But I won't forget again, Sasuke reminded himself. I will train twice as hard as Itachi ever did, and I will surpass him and avenge my family!
Face set, he stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around himself, and padded back to his room.
As he got dressed and cleaned the sheets he noted that it was only five in the morning- early, but when compared to the rest of his waking times for the past week, it was pretty late.
No use in going back to sleep, then. I might as well start training now.
He drifted to the Uchiha training grounds and began.
Sasuke buried his head in his arms, wincing at the ridiculously high pitched sounds of a few screeching girls nearby.
They'd been doing that more and more with each passing day, and he still wasn't quite sure why. Though he'd caught his name in their arguments a few times, and had decided that he really didn't want to know.
As the screeching gradually faded into background noise, Sasuke found himself dozing off. He snapped awake, though, at the telltale slam of the screen doors that signified Iruka-sensei's arrival.
He was pretty young- only about eighteen years old, mused Sasuke, but he was a pretty good teacher, if somewhat inexperienced.
Sasuke quickly realized that sensei's usual footsteps, however, were followed by shorter, lighter steps.
A child, around my age, Sasuke guessed.
Looking up, he saw that he was right. A boy dressed in ragged clothing was fidgeting at the front of the classroom. He was looking downwards, playing with his shirt.
He seems... familiar?
Then the boy looked up, sky blue eyes locking with his.
Sasuke barely held back a gasp. It was Uzumaki Naruto.
He'd all but forgotten about the enigmatic boy in the past week due to his nightmares, but now the questions he had about the boy came back full-force.
"Now, class, as you might have noticed, we are having a new student joining us today."
Sasuke frowned at the distaste in his tone. Even him...
This time when Iruka spoke, he was addressing the Uzumaki. "Introduce yourself. Your name, likes, dislikes... and your birthday."
Uzumaki Naruto grinned. "Okay! My name's Naruto, I like orange, ramen and pranks, and I don't dislike anything!"
Sasuke nearly face vaulted. This was the kid everyone thought was the Kyuubi? Idiots, the lot of them. The kid was way too disgustingly cheerful to be a demon, or anything even remotely close to one.
"And I was born on October tenth!"
October tenth? Why does that sound so familiar? Wait... wasn't that the day when...
Oh shit.
So... explanations, explanations.
First off, the Massacre. Sasuke was as good as unconscious when Itachi left him, and he does not remember anything Itachi doesn't want him to.
The Sharingan- Sasuke does not know he's activated it yet, and even if he did, he wouldn't have enough chakra at this age to use it for any significant amount of time. So no worries.
As for trying to forget about the massacre- well, personally, I think Sasuke might've done that for a while. After all, no eight-year-old kid could have his entire family slaughtered by his idolized brother and want to think about it afterwards. I think it's more likely that he'd try to suppress the memories, which are way to traumatizing for any kid to deal with, until a long enough time passes for him to deal with it- or something happens that forces him to remember. In my story it was the latter, with the nightmares.
Speaking of nightmares- Sasuke says that his aniki is dead because the aniki he knew disappeared the night of the Massacre. Sasuke is refusing to see his aniki and Uchiha Itachi as the same person, and thinks his aniki died that night, leaving a stranger in his place.
Also, Sasuke's personality will be different from in canon, because, remember- he's only eight now, he's just come to terms with the death of his family, and he hasn't yet had time to distance himself from everyone and create the cool, indifferent mask for himself that you see when he was in Team Seven (Although even that mask started to crack...). Of course, he will still have a radically different attitude than before the massacre.
And... I think that's about it. If you find any errors or plot holes I missed, feel free to tell me about it.
So, R&R, people and tell me what you think of this story so far!