Summary: Soft, rounded face. Long brown hair thrown in disarray. There's dark patches, hair clumped together where it had been resting in blood. His skin is pale, but not to the degree that his had been. His eyes are the only familiar features he can find, his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan spinning lazily in his right eye while his tomoed Rinnegan stays still in his left. Everything else about him, his looks and height, cause his stomach to drop.

For some reason, Sasuke was staring at Uchiha Izumi's face with his eyes.

hello i know i know what am i even doing. on one hand, this is great progress! the longest thing i wrote before this was like 1k and it took like 2 days. this took only a couple of hours and its double that. that means im gettign some of my mojo back! hopeflly that means the jikan phenomenon will be updated before the month is over. '

it's all in the eyes

It wasn't like Sasuke was going into the entire situation blind. He had stacks of notes, ideas both crossed out and circled. Information from multiple sources on both the political climate of the period and tips and tricks on how to deal with most scenarios. Sasuke would be in his younger body, but that doesn't mean he won't be able to do anything. Sure, it will be harder to deal with Danzo and the entire massacre, as a child, but that doesn't mean he will let it stop him.

Naruto goes over the seal with a fine toothed comb, muttering to himself as his eyes trace the swirls laid across the stone. It's as large as a building, the sealing array, and it covers the majority of the rocky outcrop they're standing on. Sakura is by Kakashi, her lips bitten red as she watches them from a few feet away. The entire process had been hard for her from the very beginning.

When making the decision on who should go back, Naruto was the immediate agreed candidate. He had both the charisma and the drive to change things for the better. That plan was quickly put a stop to, however, when Kurama summarily informed them that he couldn't exist in two places at once. When Kakashi mentioned the fact that he had been split once before, Naruto had winced and grimaced, letting them all know how much Kurama appreciated his comment. They would be the same half, Naruto finally added, which goes against what the world would allow.

"Wouldn't the stronger half just absorb the other?" Sakura had asked.

"Kurama says it's more likely that both of us just explode," Naruto had winced, scrunching his nose up as he patted his stomach in apology.

With Naruto nixed as their candidate, eyes turned towards Kakashi. He could go the farthest back and would be able to stop things closer to the root of the problem than any of them could.

"It won't work," Kakashi had told them gently. "Most of our problems are focused with the Uchiha clan. Who very much hated me. They wouldn't listen to a thing I said."

All four of them had avoided eye contact at the reminder. They had won in the end, the world was more at peace than it had ever been, but all four of them believed the price to be too high. Innocent people died during the Fourth Shinobi war. They did feel some unease at trying to change a future that mostly worked out in the end, but that hope that all of them felt at an even better one was impossible to ignore.

With the reminder of the Uchiha clan's role in the proceedings of their past, Sasuke felt the other three finally look at him. He had purposefully put forth Naruto to go back in time. While his treatment by the village had been awful, he had access to both the Hokage and, if it comes to it, the ability to get Jiraiya dragged back to the village. Sakura had been immediately dismissed for this very reason; she was incredibly strong and smart, but she held no links to anyone who could change anything. She was born a civilian. Kakashi had the advantage of being older than all of them, but he made a valid point about the Uchiha reacting negatively to anything to do with him.

Sasuke had swallowed, his throat tightening. He had been the obvious choice when it became clear that the Uchiha would play a part in changing the past. One look at his spooked look had caused the other three to immediately focus their attention on the likelihood of Naruto succeeding. Now that it had become clear Sasuke was the only choice, he could feel his nerves eating at his resolve. Out of the four of them, sending him back would mean the most emotional impact.

Sure, Naruto would've been able to see the Sandaime and Jiraiya again. Kakashi, if he had gone back, might've been able to save his father if he really wanted to, but he mostly seemed to finally be at peace with his father's decision. For Sasuke, he would be constantly surrounded by the people he knew would never survive. He would have the reminder of the worst night of his life whenever he looked at his clan.

"I can go," Sakura had offered, making Sasuke meet her gaze. "It will be harder for me to change things, but I can be the one to go back."

Sasuke had kept his eyes on her, searching her gaze. She clearly felt pity for him, her worry clear in her green eyes. Sasuke even allowed himself a brief smile, thankful for her concern over his well being, before he shook his head, calming himself to the best of his ability.

"No, I'll do it," Sasuke had finally agreed.

Now, they are only minutes away from activating the time travel array that would send him back to his younger body. The exact time is sketchy, but Naruto has assured him multiple times that it will definitely send him to some point before the massacre. It would suck to be a baby, if it came to that, but he was more than willing to accept that fate at a chance to better the lives of the people they were trying to save.

Naruto makes a satisfied noise from his left and Sasuke looks to see him wringing his hands as he stares at Sasuke. His bandaged arm is stark against the darker clothing he's wearing for the occasion, not the only one treating this endeavor as a funeral. He approaches Sasuke, and without a moment of hesitation, pulls him in for a tight hug. Sasuke lifts his sole arm and clutches Naruto's shirt, bearing his face against Naruto's shoulder. They breathed in unison, words unspoken being exchanged, before Naruto finally pulled away. He gave Sasuke a watery smile before he finally headed over to the side of the array.

Sakura approached him next, tears collecting in her eyes as well. Sasuke gave her a weak smile, trying to be as reassuring as he could, before he pulled her to him. Their hug was far more gentle, some hesitance still lingering between them, but Sasuke ignored the unease. This would be the last time he saw his Sakura and he didn't want it to be tainted with regrets long forgiven.

She took her leave, sniffing slightly, before taking her place in her own corner of the array. Kakashi slowly stepped forward, his unmasked face bare to them. He looked forlorn, his entire posture straight and rigid as the stared at each other. Their relationship had been the hardest to repair. Naruto had always forgiven him the fastest, with Sakura following a second later. Kakashi, however, had been far more hesitant. It had taken months of showing Kakashi he had changed before the jonin had graced him with even a hint of one of his infamous eye smiles. Now, with a resigned expression, he reached his arm out, hand extended. Sasuke didn't hesitate, lifting his own arm to tightly grasp Kakashi's forearm. Kakashi's grip was tight, almost bruising, but Sasuke didn't even flinch. Whatever nerves he had felt before were extinguished as he saw the building tears in Kakashi's eyes.

His sensei gave him a brief nod before letting go and heading to the last spot in the array. They formed a perfect triangle surrounding him, as he stood in the middle of the array. No more words were exchanged as they all closed their eyes, a heavy feeling settling in the air.

It happens surprisingly quickly. One moment, Sasuke can feel the building monsoon of the chakra around him, and the next he's stumbling forward, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He gasps out, eyes wide as he struggles to breathe. His hand immediately flies to his chest, grasping at his shirt. He starts to cough harshly, almost gagging with some unknown feeling. It takes him a moment to gather himself, calming his fevered hacking finally.

He looks around at his surroundings and immediately pales. He's more than ashamed to admit that he has forgotten most of his clan's names and faces. There were certain people who made a large enough impact for him to remember them, like Shisui, who had been like a second brother, and Izumi, who Sasuke had been certain was going to be Itachi's wife one day. So seeing her mother, who was a nice older woman who had ran one of the food stands towards the middle of the clan compound, was more than disturbing. He couldn't stop the brief gagging sound he let out, having to close his eyes and breathe through his mouth so the smell of copper didn't cause him to go into another attack.

With a few stiff starts, Sasuke finally manages to push himself up from the floor, his knees shaking as he stumbles away from the corpse in the room and towards the dark hallway. The rest of the house seems to be clean, the majority of the bloodshed having been contained to one room. Sasuke stumbles past a body length mirror, sweaty hand leaving a mark on the corner, when he finally registers that something is wrong.

Sasuke had never seem Izumi's mother's body. He hadn't entered their house before it had been cleared. He shouldn't have woken up on the floor, laying sprawled across from a dead woman. He could feel his hands shaking as he slowly turns to face the mirror he is resting against. He absentmindedly clocks onto the fact that he is taller than he should be before he finally registers his features.

Soft, rounded face. Long brown hair thrown in disarray. There's dark patches, hair clumped together where it had been resting in blood. His skin is pale, but not to the degree that his had been. His eyes are the only familiar features he can find, his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan spinning lazily in his right eye while his tomoed Rinnegan stays still in his left. Everything else about him, his looks and height, cause his stomach to drop.

For some reason, Sasuke was staring at Uchiha Izumi's face with his eyes.

Creeping panic is abruptly cut off when he feels the release of powerful genjutsu, Itachi's chakra signature suddenly burning bright in his senses. He immediately turns away from the mirror, leaving his internal panic aside in favor of finding his brother. His identity crisis isn't the worst part of this situation, Sasuke is quickly realizing. Naruto hadn't lied. He had been warned that this wasn't an exact jutsu; that Naruto could only guarantee a general idea of the time line. He had promised the massacre, but it had never occurred to Sasuke that he would land himself in the middle of it.

Make that at the end of it, he thought darkly, as he emerged into the night. There were bodies laid out everywhere, people who had left their houses to investigate the commotion cut down on their own lawns. There would be more dead in their own homes, but Sasuke didn't have the time to worry about that, not at the moment. Izumi had been one of the first casualties, Sasuke knew. The fact that he was walking around in her body left him with a strong feeling that there was a seven year old that had just suffered what was basically a mental break.

He couldn't sense any active chakra signatures anymore, not even Itachi's. The only one in the vicinity was Sasuke's own troubled one. He narrowed his eyes, his senses telling him that it was coming from the direction he knew his house was in. With dread coursing through his veins, Sasuke pushed himself forward, trecking through the silent, blood filled streets. He avoided looking at the destruction laid around him, turning off his Sharingan in hopes that he wouldn't keep such a crystal clear image of this moment in his head for the rest of his life.

He approached his house slowly, stretching his senses out farther to make sure Obito or Zetsu wasn't still hanging around. Itachi must have just left, the front door ajar. Sasuke pushed it open, ignoring the ominous creek it released as he gained entrance to his home. It looked incredibly dark in the moment, the memory of his own discovery of his parent's death surfacing in his mind. He doesn't quite manage to push it down, his feet retracing the steps he made all those years ago.

Sasuke never realized how tiny he was. He was unconscious, frown heavy on his younger self's lips as he laid curled up in the doorway. The room smelled like copper, much like the rest of the compound did, but it his Sasuke even harder. He tore his eyes away from his younger self's prone form to take in the other two bodies in the room.

Sasuke knows it's morbid to think, but they look peaceful. They look like they understood and accepted that fate that they had caused to come to fruition. It breaks Sasuke heart.

He swallows thickly, his mouth dry as he bows his head. He doesn't say anything, valiantly trying to ignore the burning in his eyes. He crouches down, trying to figure out how to situate his child self in his arm, when he blinks, shaking his head. He forgot for a moment that he now has the use of both arms. He cradles the child to his chest, sorrow all encompassing, as he exits the house and immediately makes his way towards the closest exit.

He's tempted to try and jump up to the roof top and makes their departure quicker, but his chakra is in disarray. He can sense well enough, but even the thought of concentrating enough to not blow out anything underneath him leaves him wary. He exits through the main gate, exhaustion wracking his frame suddenly. He almost drops his younger self before he gently places him on the ground. With a lingering gaze on the boy, Sasuke takes in a deep breath before letting out a shattering scream.

"Help! Somebody please! They've all been killed!" With a ragged gasp, Sasuke pitches forward, landing next to his younger version, finally letting his panic overwhelm him.

Sasuke idly played with the small hand in his larger one, tracing lines gently as he hums nonsensically.

It had been three days since the massacre and two days since Sasuke had woken up in a hospital. The first day was awful, questions and suspicions almost drowning him. He had contemplated sparing Itachi's reputation, but at this point it didn't matter. Sasuke told his interrogators that he saw Itachi Uchiha and an accomplice, who was wearing a mask, massacre the entire Uchiha clan.

"How did you live?" someone asked him.

"Sentimentality, probably," Sasuke answered bitterly.

Sasuke ending up in Izumi's body likely restarted her heart, thus her escaping the massacre. He hadn't been stabbed through, not that he could find, but there was some lingering soreness where his heart was. He couldn't quite figure out if the pain was an echo of an injury that had been deadly, or if his emotions were strong enough to give his grieving heart enough power to cause physical damage.

There wasn't a very good reason for Uchiha Izumi to survive when so many others who were stronger than her had died. He steered them into the thinking that if Itachi spared his brother, then maybe he also spared his supposed girlfriend. If he was twisted enough to leave his kid brother alive to seek revenge, most doubted that he wouldn't go the extra mile to allow a broken-hearted sweetheart the same courtesy.

Now, after the rather intense interrogation was done and over with, Sasuke sat next to his younger self's bed, small hand cradled gently in his own. His younger self had yet too wake up, and if things stick to what Sasuke knows, he will remain out of it for at least three more days. Still, Sasuke stayed by the child's side, contemplating his next moves.

Something had clearly gone wrong with the time travel array. He had definitely traveled back int time, but something had caused him to end up in the wrong body. He also hadn't gone back far enough to prevent the massacre. There was only one more Uchiha alive than there was in his own past and it brought a sickening feeling to his stomach. He hadn't managed to change anything. Itachi was still ordered to commit treason, Obito still wormed his way into Itachi's life, and there was no proof against Danzo that would convince the Sandaime to finally move against his old friend.

With a sigh, Sasuke shoved his depressing thoughts away for a moment, looking out at the blue sky from the window beside him. He needed to think up new plans soon, the previous scenarios all involving Sasuke actually being Sasuke. Now that he was in Izumi's body, he had to deal with several unforeseen circumstances. As the last Uchiha alive, Sasuke's younger self will fall under Izumi's guardianship. Sasuke now has to play caregiver to a traumatized child. He wasn't exactly looking forward to it, though maybe he could do some good by telling the kid that there was more going on then was obvious on the surface.

Underneath the underneath, Sasuke thinks fondly, a sad smile gracing his lips. Nostalgia threatened to overtake him for a moment, images of the family he left behind. He almost succumbed to it before he shook his head once more, turning away from the cheery sky.

He didn't yet know what he was going to do, but he did know one thing. Uchiha Izumi, though not seen as any type of threat, was going to become one. Nobody would be prepared for when Sasuke came to collect names and kick asses. Hand tightening briefly around the still one in his grasp, Sasuke closed his eyes, determined to catch a quick cat nap before he grew too immersed in his all-consuming plots.

hope you enjoyed! it would be fun to explore this universe in the future, but as of right now, this is just a one-shot.