Alter. Modify
By Audrey Michaels
Chapter 1:
Judgment Day, The Final Judgment
45 miles outside of Konoha gates
--
"Wake up," was the only warning Sasuke got before he was kicked, none too gently, in his side. He opened his eyes to the pathetic sight of his chained and shackled legs sprawled in an awkward position across the ground.
"That fucking hurt," he growled.
"We're moving." Kakashi continued as if Sasuke had not even spoken. "We will be in Konoha before five if we keep pace."
Sasuke tried to sit up only to fall right back down. How was he supposed to stand let alone run if they kept him bound like this?
Not one to show his discomfort, Sasuke attempted to stand again.
Only to fall. Again.
"Do you require assistance?" There was no amusement, no inflection. This was a simple question, between captor and prisoner. No inflection was needed.
Sasuke ignored him and continued to struggle to his feet. He managed to balance, but that in itself was a feat. How was he supposed to walk?
Kakashi did not speak as he grabbed Sasuke around his waist and hefted him over his shoulder.
"Naruto," he called. "Let go."
Naruto appeared silently to their right, ANBU mask strapped to his shoulder. Sasuke could only assume that he was the one that Naruto was staring at, but he really wished he would stop. As much as he hated to admit it, having Naruto stare him down with those hurt and betrayed eyes made his ever-aching heart throb.
An ache that began the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Naruto just continued to stare, hurt and betrayal was clear on his face
"Hai," he whispered. "Lets go."
Konoha Gates
--
"Kakashi! Naruto!" The guard greeted them. He glanced at the figure draped across Kakashi's shoulder and narrowed his eyes.
"Kotetsu." He called. "Go get the ANBU. They have the Uchiha."
Kotetsu did not question him, he just went, but they had all seen the glare directed at Sasuke, even if Sasuke had not seen it himself.
They waited only a minute before they were surrounded, ANBU blocking every possibly escape. The ANBU that stood directly in front of them was the first to speak.
"Glad to see you back, Hatake, Uzumaki." He- or so Sasuke guessed- sounded happy and Sasuke could not help but wonder who exactly it was. An old friend? One of the Rookie Twelve?
A thought struck him. Who would be the happiest to have them back?
Sakura…
Kakashi soon proved his theory wrong as he laughed out a tired, "Glad to be back, Neji."
Neji apparently had not wanted them to speak his name. "You know not to speak names, Hatake." His voice was slightly chiding, still happy, but faintly annoyed.
"We need to go see the Hokage." That was the first time Naruto had spoken, his voice a ragged baritone.
It hadn't really clicked with Sasuke were actually in Konoha until then. As if speaking of the Hokage solidified the fact that they were-
Sasuke stopped in his thoughts. He couldn't really call this home, could he? He had run away, he no longer had a home.
They had finally brought him back and now it was judgment day.
Sasuke felt their eyes like hot drills on his back. He could tell they were glaring, whether he could see or not, it wasn't even a question.
Judgment day indeed.
Hokage Tower
--
They wasted no time getting to the Hokage tower, and they wasted no time talking.
The trip there was a silent. Sasuke guessed it wasn't really the silence that bothered him, he loved the peace that came with it, but he was unsure of what had put this queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Was he afraid of his sentence? Was he afraid of what would happen?
No. That can't be it.
Surely, they would not be so foolish as to kill their only chance at rebuilding the Uchiha clan, the most powerful clan to have inhabited this pathetic excuse of a village.
Of course they won't. It would be idiotic to let the Sharingan die with me.
You are not the only one with Sharingan, a cruel, bitter voice whispered through his mind. They have Kakashi's, and surely, they could make copies. They will not need you then.
He hated it, that he thought this way. They can't, he denied. That's not possible. You can't copy a kekkei genkai.
The little voice in his head laughed. It was cold and spiteful, mocking him in his own thoughts.
He was drawn out of his thoughts when they reached the double doors that indicated they had finally arrived at the Hokage's office.
One of the many ANBU knocked on the door gently, as if afraid to interrupt. But Sasuke guessed he could understand that. He had heard of Tsunade's terrible temper.
"Hokage-sama, we have a prisoner in need of deliberation." He wondered why the ANBU hadn't spoken his name. Surely, he was of some importance.
The soft, muffled, and vaguely familiar voice that answered was not that of Tsunade's. Perhaps Shizune had spoken? The ANBU opened the door, but there was no Shizune. The large chair behind the Hokage's desk was angled facing the large window oh the back wall. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong. That was not Tsunade's voice.
"Thank you Hyuuga-san." That same whispery, soft voice. "You and your ANBU friends may leave."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Hokage? That is not Tsunade.
The ANBU in the room suddenly disappeared, leaving Naruto, Kakashi, two ANBU left to stand guard, himself, and this mystery Hokage.
The person sitting in the Hokage's chair slowly began to spin back towards them and Sasuke couldn't help but be anxious.
He knew Tsunade. He could be more positive about the outcome of everything with her. He could be more positive that she would not have him killed.
…
But he did not know this person. He could not be sure of his fate with this stranger.
…
He could not be sure that his life would be secure. And for the first time since he was twelve, Sasuke panicked. Not outwardly of course, on the outside he was still the emotionless bastard that had left them all six years ago.
On the inside, however, his mind was chaos. The only reason he hadn't put up much of a fight was because he was almost positive they would let him live, but now.
Now, everything had changed.
He needed to calm down. He needed to be able to think clearly if everything hit the fan and he needed to escape. He needed a plan.
In all of his panic, he had forgotten about the other people in the room. Naruto and Kakashi shared twin expressions of astonishment. He glanced over at the ANBU, but they seemed calm enough.
What was it that had shocked them so much?
As soon as he lifted his head, he understood. And he wouldn't be surprised if his face look a lot like Naruto and Kakashi's.
The chair had come full circle.
A/N: Not too sure how to go about this. I want it a bit more dramatic, but not so much that it's actual drama. I know you probably already guessed who the new Hokage is though…maybe. You might be wrong. Anyway, advice? Please?