Thought I'd add something to the Sasuke X Naruko list of fics. The idea popped up after seeing some stuff on the internet.
Heads up that this will have pretty dark themes though I'll try to make it vague, but there will be some evil shit taking place.
Prologue: Memories
Sasuke Uchiha stared silently at his rival and dare he say it best friend, their opposing ideologies and lack of understanding of each other finally reaching to the point of coming to blows.
He wanted to end the era of shinobi and keep the peace through power by himself while she refused to let him walk that path for reasons beyond him. Thus they had come to blows once again just like they had the first time in the valley of the end. A fitting place if he had to say so himself.
It seemed the only way he'd understand her will be through the near death experience like before, at this point where death had become an almost constant companion to him, he preferred it this way. His blood longed to battle and prove him superior to anyone that dared challenge him.
This is was the end of their battle, they were both spent, having spent most of their chakra reserves in their epic clash. This final bout of their signature techniques would finish it.
"GrraAAAHHH" they both yelled simultaneously.
With a burst of speed they lunged at each other. Rasengan vs Chidori, they clashed and both were blinded by a flash of light.
Sasuke felt that in another life he might have seen something different, something that would have changed him view and make life easier but alas it was not to be in this one and he was not expecting nor ready for what he saw. The last time they both went through this, he only saw glimpses of her past, things related to what she wanted to convey to him but this time it was different.
He saw all her memories with vivid details and just like last time he understood what she meant but this time he also understood her completely and why she would not let him go.
The memories were now burned in his mind forever and he doubted he'd be able to forget now, no he didn't what to forget because forgetting it would be denying her pain, that was what she went through. His past was barely a bruise worth mentioning compared to hers.
She was far stronger than him yet at the same time far more weaker.
The reason why she considered him so precious to her was because he bled for her and had risked his life for hers, he had seen her as an equal regardless of how he acted. He considered her life priceless, more important than power or his revenge and she knew it, while others treated it like a commodity, something to be used and thrown away when it lost its usefulness.
And then he felt it.
Pain.
PAIN!
He felt it, it started immediately at his heart throbbing as if he was stabbed with a fire infused sword. It was burning, starting from his chest and rising to his head, his eyes hurt. His head rang and his whole body shook uncontrollably.
He grit his teeth, tears slid down his face. How could he have been so blind? How could he have not noticed? He had a damn doujutsu damn it!
"Hehe...looks like it's a draw eh teme?" He heard her haggard voice and he felt like stabbing himself for having hurt her to that state. She didn't need anymore pain.
"No...it was my loss" he replied. He didn't know if she realized he'd seen all her memories. He wanted to tell her but stopped himself.
What good would that do?
Even if he spent the rest of his life trying to make her life happier, this cursed world will see to it that she suffers again.
As he looked at the rising sun in defeat and despair. He realized how well they fit each other. They were there for each other during their critical moments that brought them closer, the choices they made, he doubted many would and could have done the same. Whether in terms of ability, personality or choice.
Realizing all that made the pain burn even hotter, he had gotten stronger and yet even now he was not good enough for it to matter, he had to accept the hand reality dealt him again.
He grit his teeth, 'No' he was done accepting the truth of the world or others. He will be the one making destiny.
As Sakura came over along with Kakashi to heal their wounds, he contemplated on what to do.
Line Break
As he looked at her waiting for him to help her break the genjutsu, he slowly walked over. This was it, after he released them from the genjutsu they'd arrest him and he didn't have the energy to fight back though he was positive she would never let them kill him.
If only he could turn back the clock and do it all over again but what good would that do? He'd still be a metaphorically blind brat obsessed with revenge unless he somehow magically had his memories.
His memories!
He couldn't turn back the clock nor could he go back in time but there was something else he could do. He could send back his memories.
Kamui was a jutsu that opened a portal to any destination he had previously seen while Izanagi would let him re-write reality to his wishes to a certain degree while the rinnegan would allow him to transfer all his memories instantaneously.
He grinned like a shark.
He felt the pain burning his body and soul ease only a little, it was barely noticeable but it was still there. If he was going to stop his pain and make her happy then this had to work.
She looked at him worriedly, his face resembling the time he had met them after he had killed Danzo.
His eyes turned to their final forms and their strain and exhaustion hurt but it was nothing. He jumped back to make distance from them, he couldn't afford them stopping him. He only had one chance.
The izanagi would render his right eye blind while the rinne-sharingan's use would kill him due to his lack of chakra right now but it wouldn't matter. If he did it right then it wouldn't matter.
"Kamui...Izanagi" he murmured as a portal to the current Konoha opened before izanagi distorted the image to the earliest image he could remember perfectly. The pond where he started practicing his fireball jutsu after the day his father showed it to him. It was the perfect time as well since they hadn't started targeting her and it gave him enough time to train his body and skills.
His grin widened as he saw himself and with the help of his rinnegan he blasted all his memories to his younger self and saw him fall over from the unexpected rush of information. With his job done he closed the portal and fell on his back.
His right eye was already blind while he could feel his life fading away.
He felt her rush towards him in panic and concern, saw her full of worry and hurt but then he saw it. The world behind her and around them was fading as if a genjutsu was slowly being removed.
His grin became more of a smile as he realized he had succeeded, reality was re-writing itself. If he had jumped inside the portal then he would have created a new time line but with him sending only his memories and with izanagi making sure it was his reality he could make his Naruko's life better. He blinked one last time as he realized he could even save Itachi and his clan.
As his eyes closed for the last time with the image of her blue eyes full of hurt were the last thing he saw.
He swore an oath, he would remove that pain from them.
When he opened his eyes again the first thing he saw were his own original younger eyes staring back at him in one of the pond of his clan but without the innocence or ignorance of youth.
His lips stretched into a smile then formed a feral grin, he was doing that quite a lot he now noticed, it seemed it occurred whenever he lessened the pain in his soul.
End
Well it is a prologue. Tell me if you're interested in it being continued. Sasuke is damaged yet again. This time realizing the truth of his rival's pain. Heads are going to roll in the masses. This isn't your everybody goes home happy story.
The truth of Naruko's past will be revealed whenever Sasuke goes in to change it.