A.N. Theoretically this is still Canon Complaint, but I will ignore the loss of Sasuke's arms during the last battle. Mostly because adding Hashirama's cells into the mix makes my head dizzy. Depending how the story goes, I'll add more tags.
No major warnings for now. Given that these are Uchiha we're talking about, it's almost fluff.
The Fourth Shinobi had shattered the world. Madara's words had proven true in the end since his actions had changed the world completely. Sasuke wandered through a small town looking for cheap food and thought how funny it was that he had little to fear. For the first time in years he felt free. For the citizens couldn't never even hope to match his power and the few left who could were to busy.
Neither Konoha nor anyone else spared him a thought. The Kages currently tried to rebuild their life. Forming an Alliance of this size had consequences. Many Shinobi refused to change the symbol on their forehead protectors, to go back to the old ways. Others had found a new love during long months of the war and wished to remain.
Needless to say that Sasuke vanished among the chaos.
Now he enjoyed his newfound life. Without his vengeance Sasuke wandered now through the continent, looking for time to sort himself out. He wondered how long this peace would last.
Well, his peace. For others this was a time of uncertainty.
Stepping into a small but homely looking restaurant, a waitress approached him.
„A table for two?" she asked.
Sasuke blinked in surprise then looked at the shadow following him.
„Yes. But only food and drink for one," Sasuke answered, trying to be polite.
Yet a growl appeared on his when he sat down in a corner, glaring at the figure following him. Strange how a simple girl had been able to see him where wise men and powerful Kages failed.
„What was that?" Sasuke asked his companion. „How is she able to see you?"
Indra's mouth formed a tiny smirk and pulled up a chair for himself.
„Sometimes there people like her," his ancestor answered. „Especially the young, who have yet to learn how expectations and ideals can blind their visions to the truth."
„Good to know. I would rather avoid attention and news how I'm followed around by a ghost wouldn't help."
Sasuke had no recollection when exactly Indra started to appear at the edge of his vision. He started talking to each other only after the end of the war but for Sasuke Indra's appearance was familiar. No matter how outdated his fashion choice was.
Before Sasuke could add something to their conversation the waitress appeared again. Only now he saw how young she truly was, not more than fourteen. Certainly a child of the owner, expected to help during the busy hours.
Sasuke had trouble to distinguish civilians sometimes. Since he woke with the Mangekyou Sharingan his world had heightened with color. If he concentrated he could see body heat and chakra as easily as the table in front of him. In a way it made even sense that he could see Indra's spirit better than a living person. With his brother's eyes inside his head no wonder his vision got a little funky.
„Your food," the waitress said and vanished quickly after that.
His gaze flicked between her and his ancestor after she had left. Had this girl truly seen Indra sitting at her simple wooden table? When others still hailed Indra as the God of Thunder, thousands of years after he died?
„Have no fear, Sasuke. She will think nothing of it," Indra assured him. „For her we are nothing but travelers. If asked, she might mention how we are probably related but she won't remember anything else."
Sasuke let out a snort.
„I'm aware that our appearance makes it easy to vanish in a crowd."
It wasn't the first time Sasuke made use of his far too superficial description of his person. Unlike the other members of his teams, he had a normal height and coloring. If he behaved accordingly people forgot him pretty fast no matter if you traveled with red clouds on your cloak.
Many shinobi forgot that most people in this country weren't experts in reading chakra levels.
„The Clan kept the dark hair and the eyes for a purpose," Indra explained and his gaze went back, rummaging through his memories. „Since no one followed my father after Ashura and I fought for the title, the system collapsed and we fled. Looking like a commoner helped a lot."
After a short pause Indra added with a serious expression on his face, „A fact which never changes no matter how much time passes."
Sasuke quietly ate his food while his ancestors recounted the endless amount of his lives. With everyone else he wouldn't suspect a hidden meaning behind it.
Yet this was Indra. His last connection to his family. If there was something that Sasuke craved desperation it was a Clan member, no matter what shape or form. That and the ability to look through history like a photo album.
„Are you telling me I should stop hiding?" Sasuke asked after he had eaten.
Meeting Indra's gaze was easy for Sasuke. He cared little about story how he had inherited Indra's chakra or how he was a reincarnation of an ancient power. No, Sasuke had lost so many members of his Clan he wouldn't let the last one remaining not out of his sight.
Yet it scared him a little how easily he could read Indra's mind. Vision appeared in front of his mind.
Konoha was still in a state of dishevel. Just like the rest they tried to figure out who was in power. The daimyo tried to press for money already since the war had destroyed a lot of fields, villages and food resources. Hunger would make it easy to lay the blame on the Shinobi, people who had run uncontrolled for so long. Why not rally against them?
Yes, Sasuke could see the potential of the situation. The Kages had torn down traditions and boundaries to take Madara down. Why stop here if would be so simple to drown the Hidden Villages in civil war?
Sasuke left the restaurant deep in thought, knowing Indra wasn't far behind.
Finally he stopped in the middle of the street. Sasuke looked up to stars shining down on him. They used to be changeless, eternal. But the man next to him help to shape the moon and would share the memory, if asked.
„What am I supposed to do?" he asked for advice.
Perhaps this was the reason Sasuke could talk to Indra. Why his ancestor stayed with him and followed his path. Every one else would've turned it into an agenda of the greater good.
„Turn a fragile peace into a blood path after Itachi sacrificed so much for it?"
His own emotions were still riddled with grief when he thought about Itachi. From Indra's chakra he experienced a flare of anger.
Sasuke turned around to see his ancestor shimmering in the moonlight. All white expect for the black hair and the red, angry aura around him.
„I would burn the world for your brother," Indra stated.
Sasuke noted how his ancestor's image seemed to regress to a younger age. Or he simply got more angry, burning his solemnity away like dry tinder.
„Why?" the last Uchiha among the living asked.
Sasuke was curious why Itachi received so much devotion from their ancestor. That Itachi deserved a place among gods was usually an opinion Sasuke shared alone. Finding out Indra felt similar was a pleasant surprise.
„It's a long tale," Indra offered, knowing Sasuke wanted to hear it. „And the answer to everything."
When they vanished between the trees Indra walked beside the last living Uchiha. An arm thrown over Sasuke's shoulder, he told a tale of two cousins who loved each others like brothers. The Eldest of the Uchiha spoke of loyalty, death and grief. Of the years when the Land was named Fire despite the fact it was full of trees.
Sasuke listened and the fragile peace lasted for another night.
1) I love Indra. In Buddishm he's the God of Rain and Thunderstorms and yeah, he is the same person. In this story at least.
2) I had a headcanon since forever that Itachi is the reborn son of Hagoromo's brother. There's talk how Itachi is Izuna etc. Why not start the cycle with Indra and Ashura? It would make sense since Naruto always went off how he is a better brother to Sasuke than Itachi was. What if it's jealously, deep buried in his soul?
3) I tagged this as a WIP. Indra and Sasuke are too interesting, especially together. And actually easier to write if they are talking to each other.