"Don't touch it."
Naruto flinched at the simple sentence, every voluntary muscle freezing in place, right hand inches away from the little book's spine. He looked over his left shoulder to see the speaker's back still facing him, the pencil in hand still leaving its marks to further complicate the designs already etched on the paper.
"How do you do that?"
"The floorboards, Loser."
Naruto looked down at the carpeted floor, then returned his gaze to his teammate's back, confused.
"The library is the oldest building in the Uchiha Compound, next to the Head's House, of course. Most, if not all, of the floorboards are loose, therefore a lot of them creak with added weight. Besides, you're too predictable."
Sasuke smirked, his leaded utensil never ceasing in motion.
The blonde boy grumbled. "Okay, Teme, if I'm so predictable, what book was I gonna grab?" He crossed his arms, grinning victoriously.
"The small, dark blue one that doesn't have a title on the spine."
Naruto's grin vanished. He stared at the Uchihan boy shortly before snorting and turning his nose up.
"Fine, but why can't I touch it?" he asked, continuing to look at and read the names of the other books.
"Because."
"'Cause why?"
"Because it is a very old and important book."
"If it's so important, then why don't you lock it up somewhere?"
"Why do you ask so many questions?"
"Just answer!"
Sasuke put down his pencil, sighing. He turned to face his loud mouthed questioner.
"Do you know how many safes are in the main house?"
Naruto shook his head in a negative fashion.
"One. There is one in my parents' room. Three in the entire Uchiha Compound. Do you know how many books are in this room alone?"
The blonde looked around the large room, trying to make a realistic guess.
"A lot."
"21,498. Logically, a safe would be the most obvious guess to the location of something so important. Any good ninja or locksmith could easily get into it. That book's safer surrounded by other books; you'd need to know exactly what you're looking for to find it."
"Hardly. They're all in ABC order. 21,000? Yeah, you would know the exact number, wouldn't you, Teme?"
"Shut it, Loser."
"So what's the book about?"
"It's important."
"Yeah, I got that. It's probably you diary, or something."
Sasuke remained silent.
"Oh my gosh, it is, isn't it?" Naruto beamed, "I gotta read this!"
The future Hokage raced from section 'T' back to 'U' (a/n: yes sasuke completely organized the library. he has that much free time to deal with). As if experiencing déjà vu, his hand stopped inches away from the Untitled. This time, however, instead of a verbal command, Sasuke's right hand securely grasped Naruto's. The Uchihan leaned in to whisper into the blonde's right ear.
"It's not my journal, but that of my father, my grandfather. Every head of this family has written their ideas, their situations in that book, long before this village was even created."
His hushed voice was seething in venom. With each poisoned word spoken, the Uchiha's grip tightened, causing Naruto to cringe in pain. Sasuke's voice lowered even more, if possible.
"There are secrets in that book, dangerous secrets. Secrets that could easily get me killed, maybe even bring this village to its knees, if the got out. Tell me Naruto Uzumaki, are you willing to exchange my life just to read a century old journal?"
Naruto silently, violently, fearfully, shook his head in the negative.
"Well?" the Uchihan hissed, his voice quiet, yet as clear and as sharp as broken glass.
"N-no," he whispered.
"I've given you access and permission to every other piece of literature in this compound. The Untitled is the only off-limits book. Under no circumstance should you ever touch it. Is that understood?"
The blonde boy nodded.
"Y-yes," he whispered.
"Good."
The Uchihan let go, turned and walked back to the table without second glance at his comrade. Naruto's bruising wrist fell limp at his side, the immense sense of fear and shock still coursing through his body. He shook his head to clear the daze that had fallen on him. The blonde turned, leaning back against the bookcase. Sasuke was back in the chair, back facing the Uzumaki, drawing like nothing had happened.
***
The sound of a pencil trailing over paper echoed throughout the spacious room, or, at least in the teenager's mind it did. The mentioned boy leaned against the old doorframe for support, ready to collapse at the memory. What was he thinking? He should just turn around, walk away and never come or look back. He closed his eyes, sighing in his dilemma. It had taken all of his courage to enter the creepy old compound; he had to literally break in, getting lost twenty-six times in the labyrinth of hallways, just to find this stupid room. The boy snapped up right. After all of that, he was not chickening out now.
After mentally finding the area he wanted, he gave a more determined sigh, stepping into the thresh hold of the library. Underneath the carpet and inch of dust, the floorboards creaked loudly. The seventeen year old froze, tensing, clenching his eyes shut.
'What was that?!'
"The floorboards, Loser."
The blonde slowly opened his eyes, glancing around. He couldn't help but imagine a certain dark-haired boy running in, demanding and attacking the intruder. He lightly bashed the edge of his palm against his forehead.
"Calm down, Uzumaki," he whispered, "you're just being paranoid. No one's even here. It been abandoned since Sasuke left."
His voice sadly softened as he finished his verbal thoughts. Naruto confidently marched over to where he wanted to be. His tanned hand skimmed over the spines of the books, looking for a specific literature. He retracted it sharply once he found it, almost afraid to touch it. Slowly, he reached up for the book. It was an almost repeat of five years ago. His hand stopped and dropped; raised, stopped, dropped. The future Hokage growled deep in his throat, glaring fiercely at the seemingly innocent book. He turned, leaning up against the bookcase, just like before, his eyes closed, face up-turned.
"Why is this so hard?"
"Under no circumstance should you ever touch it."
The blonde growled again.
"I know, Sasuke," he spat, "I know."
And for once, Naruto was glad he was alone, so no one heard his voice crack dangerously on the last word. Naruto turned to face the Untitled again. It's not like Sasuke would, or could, rather, notice. After all, he'd been out of Konoha for four and a half years and dead for five weeks. The Kyuubi holder stiffened and visibly grimaced as the latter fact made him want to cry. Yes, he was grateful he was alone in the spooky, old room. The blonde felt as though he was trapped in a Sharingan genjutsu, where the minutes, the seconds, seemed like hours.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke. Please forgive me," the Uzumaki decided before reaching and grabbing the book and flinching. Accidentally repeating his best friend's dying words to him, save for a name, certainly wasn't helping his nerves or emotions.
Finally grasping the precious book, Naruto spun around, marching purposely over to and sitting down in the wooden chair near Sasuke's "drawing table" from his memories. Naruto closed his eyes, taking in a deep breathe and holding it. Should he really be doing this? He slowly released his breathe, while opening his eyes to stare at the Untitled at the same speed.
"Forgive me," he whispered before carefully opening the front cover to the first page.
***
It took Naruto several hours to read all of the entries, and he was horrified throughout most of it. The horror the Uchiha clan themselves had faced, along with what they did to others could challenge Orochimaru, or at least peak his interests for ideas. The journal had talked about the Senju clan, Madara's brother and the assassination attempt on the Shodaime. How the Nidaime tried to correct the conflicts and mistrust between Konoha and the Uchiha afterwards.
Every secretly known detail bout the Sharingan was also included. How it worked, the different 'levels' to mastering it, even how to counter and destroy it. "Dangerous secrets," Naruto recalled. No wonder Sasuke had freaked, if he had already read the journal. It would be disastrous if the information had gotten out.
It was the last few entries that had grabbed the blonde's attention, though.
After Fugaku, Sasuke's father, had described the Nine-Tails Attack, and how they were blamed for it by the village elders, he talked about a revolt. The coup d'etat he and a few others were planning against Konoha would most likely trip a civil war. How other countries might attack the weakened village, causing its destruction. Naruto found himself nodding sympathetically and almost agreeing with Fugaku. The next entree member had been Itachi, dated the day before the Uchiha Massacre. The elder brother had explained why he was going to do what he did; that it was not his idea, but rather an order, the village elders' so called solution after the double agenting Itachi had told them his father's plans. Itachi had been more or less fine with the solution; he really didn't care too much if he murdered his family; he didn't seem to like them much. He did mention, however, that killing his little brother would be hard and he didn't know if he could do it. In the moment of ironic cruelty, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. The bad guy was really the good guy; the good guy were actually the evil mater minds; and no wonder Sasuke was the only survivor. The Uzumaki figured that was the last entry, seeing as Itachi would have been the last head of the Uchiha family. So when he turned the page to make sure, he was surprised to see one more, dated just about seven weeks ago by the lone survivor of the Uchiha Genocide.
***
My name is Sasuke Uchiha.
I know I'm breaking family tradition writing in this book, even reading and handling it, but I honestly don't care. I know that you're reading this, Naruto. Like I said before, you're too predictable. (At that, Naruto glared at the book, mumbling 'damn Teme' under his breath.) I knew that after you informed of what was in the Untitled, it was only a matter of time before curiosity got the best of you. It was shortly after our run-in with Itachi when we were thirteen that I found this journal in a safe, the lock far too easy to pick. I had gotten through the first five generations when I left Konoha to go to Orochimaru, so I didn't know the truth until it was too late. When I had already turned my back on Konoha, on Sakura and Kakashi. On you. When I had already killed my brother. What to know a secret, Naruto? About the master mind of the Akatsuki? He's the one that told me, after all. He goes by Tobi, now, but I know him better by his real name of Madara Uchiha. Yes, the same Madara from this book. Don't ask me how, but it's true; I have my ways of knowing. Perhaps it was the fact that he's family that I was so easily persuaded to join him; my want for family clouding my judgment. I dunno, but I figured you deserve to know your enemy a little more. It's the least I can do for all the trouble I've been causing. I wanted to apologize to you, Naruto. For the Valley of the End and everything sine then. I don't really expect your forgiveness, but I want, no, need you to know that I am sorry, so incredibly sorry. To you. And to Sakura and Kakashi as well. I know now that the three of you were just looking out for me, trying to save me, protect me, like a real family would. And so I also want to thank the three of you, you in particular, Naruto, for going to such lengths for my. You have no idea how much that means to me. I guess I'm not as smart as everyone thinks I am. I never should have left my perverted dad, clingy older sister and my loud, obnoxious, knuckle-headed little brother. As much as I want to come Home, I can't. I'd just be arrested, interrogated and then probably executed. Besides, I don't think I could face the "precious elders" after learning the truth. I'd probably end up trying to kill them and that wouldn't end up so good for me. So, once again, thank you so much and I'm so sorry.
Love, your older brother,
Sasuke Uchiha
***
Naruto had to move the book away so his tears wouldn't smear Sasuke's neat handwriting. He knew the Uchiha had meant every word; if he hadn't, he wouldn't have written it. After four long weeks of holding everything in, Naruto snapped and let all out. Every memory of the raven and himself, of Team 7, flashed rapidly through his mind. With every scene brought more tears, sorrows and regrets.
***
Twelve days, twelve God-for-sakenly short days were all that separated Sasuke's entry from that final battle.
***
Everyone had been there, of course; the remaining Akatsuki with Sasuke and his group of three against the Rookie nine (minus one), Sai, Team Guy and the Sensei. They had silently paired off, and of course, it was Naruto vs. Sasuke. They had been evenly matched the Uchiha just barely ahead. Apparently too well matched for one of the Akatsuki's liking. The raven was winning; he had Naruto underneath of him on the ground, struggling to keep the blonde down, when a long katana had pierced them both. The blade had gone from between Sasuke's shoulder blades to that soft spot where his breast bone ended and into Naruto's abdomen, hitting the bloodied dirt beneath them. Time seemed to slow down and everything, everyone else forgotten after that second. Staring at each other, Naruto couldn't help but watch the blood that immediately dripped from his best friends mouth, both stunned from the sudden turn of events. They both gritted their teeth and clenched their eyes shut, Sasuke slightly more pained, as the sword was removed. Sasuke had been obviously surprised to see Tobi-Madara, Naruto bitterly corrected himself- standing there. There was a brief pause before Madara had left to continue his own fight, a small satisfied/sadistic grin on his face. Sasuke had smiled down sadly at Naruto, then whispered, "I'm sorry, Naruto. Please forgive me." before falling limp on the horrified blonde. It was Kakashi that had told him when he'd woken up in the hospital nearly a week later that Sasuke Uchiha was dead.
Thinking back, Naruto recalled the hesitation in his friend's attacks and the lack of actual, serious injuries he received. (a/n: naruto was passed out for a week from exhaustion and shock.)
***
Hate, anger and sadness radiated from the seventeen year old. He was mad at himself for not being able to protect Sasuke. However, it was Madara he despised. It was Madara, Sasuke's own flesh and blood, that had murdered his best friend. Naruto closed the journal and held it close to his chest, silently promising Sasuke and the other Uchiha (besides Madara) that he'd keep the Untitled safe and the information it contained secret. But, oh, how he wanted that man to suffer and die for daring to mess with Sasuke and himself. Just as Sasuke had wanted revenge for his family, Naruto wanted revenge for his brother.
***
And a short twelve days later, he did just that.
***
Tada! End of thee.