So uh, ever wonder what it would be like if they were samurai? No? Oh well, here it is, teh first fic.
arigato!
Standard disclaimer applies: characters ain't mine (sadly) All i take credit for are the historical aspects of this!
I am not allowed to live. My life is not my own. All I feel is numb. Senseless from all that I've been through.
My life has been one big hurdle.
Yet here I am. Off on my way to fulfill a goal that isn't mine. These missions were never my favorite.
Assassination.
I am a Wolf of Mibu. Shinsengumi. Always going out of our way to protect the shogunate. This is what happens when you're born in the samurai class.
Rectitude. Courage. Benevolence. Respect. Honesty. Honor. Loyalty.
Sure, I am filled with these. But they aren't my priority. These only help me attain my true goal.
I walk through the streets. Cobblestone. Tiled roofs. Sunshine. All the prosperity of the Tokugawa. The ideals we are trying to protect from Westernization.
Kyoto…this place holds too many memories. Bad ones. The kind I can live without. Like a reoccurring nightmare you can't shake off for the whole day.
Except I have felt this everyday. Ever since…that night.
My steps falter. Fists clenched.
He notices. His rare sky blue eyes quickly glance towards me. Questioning. This is why he is my closest friend. There is hardly anyone I trust more.
Cheerfully: "Didn't you grow up here Sasuke? You think you'd be a little more pleased to see it".
"No", I answer curtly. Hand gripping the sword hilt at my side.
Uzumaki Naruto. How this kind-hearted knucklehead is a vice-captain with me, I'll never know. Granted, he is one of the best swordsmen in the Shinsengumi, so I will give him some credit.
After my reply, he remains deathly quiet. The idiot knows better. He knows everything. He has known for four years; since we met.
About my past here in Kyoto. The shattered childhood. The horrible twist of fate.
We keep walking. Under the looming structures. Gold and red. Past the wooden temples and their supporting pillars. Sacred and blue. By the gardens and palaces. Vibrant and beautiful.
Naruto in awe: "Amazing…", first time in the big city.
I don't see any of it. Not anymore. It makes me remember.
I walk and he follows obediently; without question. I'm the expert of these streets. So I give him a silent tour.
I sigh and start heading back towards our inn. Enjoying the peaceful breeze of the green rock garden. Until…
Naruto whining: "I'm hungry!". And his stomach grumbles loudly. My left eyebrow twitches.
Exasperated, I say: "There's a good restaurant back at the inn".
Uzumaki Naruto grins sheepishly. I can't help but smirk. Most trusted friend.
Back on familiar streets, we can't help but reminisce in our thoughts.
Fighting back to back. You saved my life that time. I saved yours. Together; biting through the hardship and humiliation of training. And sharing the successes the years have wrought.
Best Friend.
Dinner: done and eaten. Bellies full. Hearts content. (As the saying goes).
But our hearts pump a different blood. Adrenaline. Anticipation. Action.
We both know what is to come. We feel it.
The rush preceding a kill.
Naruto proudly: "So I heard from the waitress that he's always at the Fushimi Inari Shrine these nights".
The man tonight is Shozan Sakuma. Member of the Ishin Shishi. Radical assassin. Samurai forerunner supporting western science and Japan's "modernization".
Loyalty
He seems a lot like me and Naruto. Only he's pulling for the other side. Anti-Shogunate.
To the official who assigned this mission to us, that was all that mattered. Our little fact sheet didn't tell us if he enjoyed warm sake. Or what art he liked.
Anti-Shogunate. Pro-Western. Nothing else mattered.
Oh, and one little detail the fact sheet skipped. Where the hell could we find him? What he was interested in all of the sudden is important, since then we could locate him easier.
But that's where gregarious people like Uzumaki Naruto come in. Killer smile. Literally.
And now apparently this Shozan Sakuma liked to go to shrines. To pray. To meditate.
To beg. Anything.
Resolute: "Perfect", I reply. Taking a few moments to mull over what he just said.
To plan. To coordinate.
"How so?". Naruto slurps loudly from his cup of tea.
Emotionless: "Because now we can meet him at the shrine gates. They're beautiful. Especially at sunset. You'll see".
Honor
Twinge of mockery: "You know Sasuke, you're a real sadist". He points his chopsticks at me.
Honesty
Arrogant: "Hn". As if to say: yes I know. As if to say: shut up. As if to say: what else do you expect? I shrug it off.
After all, this is only a practice kill. For me. Practice for him. The only man I have ever sought after.
Shozan is a practice dummy.
And in a small dark corner of the restaurant. Way in the back. Dimly lit. On the farthest table.
We plan his swift death.
We walk around all day. And by walk I mean trudge behind an overly excited Naruto.
Site seeing. Eating. Conversing.
I don't mind. It's exercise. It keeps my mind off certain things.
A whole day to kill before the kill.
It wouldn't be so irritating if Naruto wasn't dressed so…garish.
He just had to wear his deep red and black yukata and robes with obnoxious patterns. Topping it all off with a red forehead protector. Tied between his loose hair and ponytail. Metal gleaming above his brow in the harsh sun.
It made him look taller. His hair darker. His skin paler. A swordsman.
My clothing had the same effect. But more modest. A collaboration of black, blue and white. The only decoration: the family crest on my back. A red and white fan.
You will never see it on anyone else.
The sun starts setting behind the tall buildings. Casting orange and purple on everything and everyone.
I tug Naruto's sleeve. He responds promptly. Our faces setting into stone scowls and stares.
We arrive at the gates at Fushimi Inari. The vermilion archways glowing in the final rays of the sun. Golden.
For a brief moment Naruto's face lightens in awe. And in the next second it shifts back. Hard.
I lead us into and beneath the gates several feet. To wait.
In a couple of minutes we feel footsteps. Sense voices. We don't hide. We stand tall. Ready to strike. An impossible obstacle.
Shozan Sakuma comes into view. Two guards at his sides. Armed. Surprise. Of course we don't show it. We don't need to worry. The Wolves don't worry.
The three men pause. Twenty feet away. No words are spoken. None need to be. We all know our purpose.
The stare down doesn't last for long as the guard to Shozan's right surges forward. Naruto, at my left, counters.
The battle is short lived. Naruto is a master. Flawless sword wielder. He performs the Three Piece Thrust. Katana an extension of his arm. The technique attacks the guard's neck, left shoulder and right shoulder with one strike. Simultaneously. A deadly blur.
A groan is heard. Red tints pure red. Red tints crunchy gravel. Red tints light colored robes. The guard unceremoniously falls.
Respect
Shozan Sakuma and the remaining guard gape. At their dead comrade. At Naruto.
Naruto is now merciless. Relentless. Not the man you knew yesterday. His deep blue eyes shine wild and clear. On fire in the sheets of light.
My turn.
I loosen the sword from it's sheathe with just my thumb.
Click.
I advance toward him. Taking long and agonizing strides. I step over that guard's body without even glancing down. My katana slides out smoothly. It rings in anticipation.
In a flash, my sword and Shozan's meet in a loud clash. They grind as strongly as my teeth do.
Brow furrowed. A sweat drop glides down the side of my face. My onyx eyes are eyes are evil. I feel them flicker crimson.
I can see his next move.
Strike after strike. My sword meets his. Or his meets mine.
By this time Naruto is locked in battle with the other guard.
All I hear are grunts. Mine or Shozan's, I can't tell anymore. All I hear are the harsh sounds of scraping metal. The cacophony of the heat of a fight.
Attack. Counter. Attack. Defend.
I see an opening. I seize the chance.
Benevolence
There is a loud squelch as my katana pierces Shozan. I bury it deep. Straight through the other side. Blood falls like rain.
Our faces are inches apart. He looks right through me with pained eyes. His last words I will never forget.
Eighteen year olds shouldn't have to live through this.
Dying: "Uchiha Sasuke. Your brother should have rid of you all those years ago. You are worthless. You will never get your revenge. You bring the Uchiha name to shame. He says that you are weak. That you lack hatred".
I've heard enough.
In a flurry of rage, I rip the sword out of his gut. A cry of pain. I raise my sword over my head. I let it fall. Gashing diagonally across his body. A death stroke of time.
Scarlet sprays my face.
Courage
I don't blink. I try to catch the breath I didn't know I lost. My face contorts with anger.
A frightening statue.
Uzumaki Naruto is a witness. He saw everything. He heard everything. He felt everything.
The moment my black eyes meet his blue, something triggers.
An epiphany in the purple twilight. Framed by fiery red.
Shozan Sakuma's dying words are a reminder. I have lost track of my true goal.
My true purpose in life.
I have to leave now. Find him. Make him pay. Avenge.
My brother must die.
I'm still staring at poor Naruto. He steps towards me. He defeated his opponent long ago. Now forgotten. Katana sheathed. Looking concerned.
Worried: "Hey…don't pay attention to what he said. That lowlife. He doesn't understand. What happened in the past isn't that important…".
I cut him off, shouting uncontrollably: "No you don't understand! It is important! I am not allowed to forget the pain he put me through. I will make him pay tenfold".
I seethe. Subconsciously pointing the bloody sword at Naruto.
He notices, and steps back. I sheathe it quickly.
No sorrow: "I'm leaving…NOW".
Pleading: "Don't go! What about…?".
Drenched in anger: "What?! Nothing else matters! You don't matter. My rank doesn't matter. Only my fraternal bond forged by hate matters. And I must meet it head on".
Silence.
Naruto whispers: "But what about her? Don't you love her? Didn't you promise her?".
Calmly: "I already told her I wouldn't return until I achieved this. The last time we spoke. She knows".
Accusingly: "And when was I going to be informed? After the mission?".
"In a way, yes. I would have left while you slept". It'd be easier that way.
It's dark now. Fireflies glow around us. Crickets chirp. The half moon shines bright. The night sky is fuzzy with stars. All out of focus. The air is stagnant.
I turn to leave. Toward the bamboo forest. The fastest way out of Kyoto.
A voice. "Wait".
With enough cruelty: "Don't try to stop me. Don't follow. This is something I can only do alone".
Realizing he would only be a burden, turns the opposite direction. Sniffles. My own eyes set on the horizon.
We walk separate paths.
Rectitude
She is the one thing that can pacify me. Her deep green eyes, warm. Here in her embrace, I forget all.
Sakura. My flower. Flower with pink hair. Long and cascading to her hips. Haruno Sakura.
We are to be wed.
But not until…
Her heated skin against mine is soothing. She playfully traces invisible figures across my chest. While lazily lacing her fingers through my new head of dark spikes. Rebellious.
I won't be a true samurai for a while, so I chopped off the ponytail. I'd put the code to dishonor with what I have planned.
I enjoy her silent company. Pleasant. Content. She sighs, leans against me and smiles.
I smirk. Holding her tighter.
"Sakura…", I begin. But I don't finish. Because everything has already been said.
Instead I kiss her. It would be my last chance. Soft lips. I lose myself in her tiny frame.
She responds and breathes an "I love you".
I love her all over again. I never want it to end. Because when it does, I will be gone. Gone on my last assignment with Naruto. Then gone for revenge.
I reluctantly roll away. Missing her warmth. Yet still I lean, pressed against her cheek: "I'm an avenger. But I promise to return".
One last kiss. One last touch. One last glance. And I'm gone.
This has taken far too long. Fourteen long months in search of that bastard. Always just missing him. Always right on his heels. I get to a place and I know he's been there.
A lingering feeling.
I wake up in Osaka. Hamamatsu. Kobe. Okinawa. Nara.
Every time a different city, but the same sensation. Right behind him.
But today is different. He is near. Near Edo.
I have been tracking him. His movements. His activities. His actions reek of Ishin Shishi. He's been seeking power for his own goals ever since he left Kyoto. Left the Uchiha district. Power from the Meiji government. Siding with my rivals.
Walking along the outskirts of Edo. A hawk cries overhead. The cicada buzzes. In the distance I can hear a bubbling stream. I decide to head toward a clearing. A meadow amongst trees. Yellow and green from the sunlight. Walking there on a whim.
I stop at a large oak tree. Resting at its base. Lying down, I stare up at the sky. Puffy cotton ready to be picked. I try to make objects out of the wispy figures.
Something stirs. And the irony hits me. All that traveling and looking. I should have taken a nap sooner. I sit up.
Uchiha Itachi.
He steps out from the other side of the meadow. Long gray cloak around his broad shoulders. His black bangs are longer now. Charcoal hair always a sharp contrast to my blue-black. Lines under his eyes from evident lack of sleep.
Itachi continues to walk towards the center of the field. And stops. A wind blows. Omniscient. It scatters leaves through his hair. He raises a hand to stop the bangs on his face. At the same time he stares at me. Analytical. Stone cold glare.
He knew this would come to pass. He came to me. He willed it.
And now I rise to my feet. Sauntering across. If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now.
I stop ten feet away from my brother. Not speaking. Enough has been said. Communicating through the eyes. A clash of obsidian.
I growl: "Itachi…". My voice isn't short on malice.
I lunge forward. Katana flashing out of my side in the sunlight. Akuma's appears out of nowhere. From beneath his cloak. A loud clank of metal. Scraping under the strain of our muscles. A stalemate. We leap back.
The brawl continues. Every attack is guarded. Every thrust is deflected. We fight in slow motion. Our movements round and fluid. Seemingly choreographed.
Dodge. Duck. Defend. Our ears only hear the whoosh of wind created by failed assaults.
Then I realize it. The opening. To the left and under. A weak point. I ready myself to strike. The sound of a battle cry. Victory is eminent.
But I miss. Itachi sidesteps sideways. Leaving me flying past him. But before I can hit the ground, my forehead is rammed by his sword hilt. Like how he used to flick it with two fingers when I was a kid. I'm flung backwards.
No thoughts. Itachi grabs a handful of hair and gives my head a quick jerk. He knees me in the stomach. I cough up blood. Dull.
Amused: "What's with your hair, little brother? Uneven and spiky. It looks like chicken feathers…chicken-head". With a chuckle and a smirk.
Now I fume. Angry at how he tries to create a height difference. Angry at what he just said. Angry at how easily he took me down. I'm stronger than this damn it.
Near my ear: "Little Sasuke, you've lasted longer than I expected". Closer still: "You are still weak".
I smolder. In a fit of rage I tear away from his grip with unforeseen strength. I kick Itachi square in the chest. He tumbles backward. Shock and surprise. Sooner than he can fall I kick him again. Harder. Where it hurts. I punch him. Straight in the jaw. It makes a crack.
I pick up the sword that fell during my folly. I attack.
Raising my sword above my head. Charging. Breathing hard. Exerting more than enough energy. Pumping blood and endorphins through my system.
Slice.
He slashes my entire left side. Down to my thigh. But not before I separate his left arm from his body. He cries in pain.
I don't feel any pain. I am numb. Another spinning kick in the chest. Now for the signature move. One that cannot be seen.
I sheathe my sword. I run at full speed again. And right before contact, I whip out the blade. Pulling upward. Gashing across his chest diagonally. Cutting through the neck.
All in one smooth motion.
He staggers back. I pull him in.
"Is that enough hatred, brother?". The finishing move. In a large wide thrust I stab him in the gut. Twisting the handle. The moment lasts a lifetime.
I suddenly remove the sword. Red and slick.
In close proximity, we look at each other. Matching black eyes meet for the last moment.
Our lives flash.
Itachi leans against a tree. His hand holds the stab wound. He lifts his chin higher and smiles. It's weak, but real. Filled with pride…for me.
His eyes cloud over. Fuzzy and unclear. The smile fades away. And his body slumps down.
Uchiha Itachi is dead.
Now I truly am the last of my clan.
I run. Frantic. I run through the shadowed streets of my clan's own district.
The Uchiha district. Dotted with red and white fans. The crest.
I panic. The streets are dark too soon. It's not late enough. Where is everyone?
I race towards home.
I turn a corner and I see it. Bodies strewn and fallen on the dirt road. I skid to a stop.
My eyes scan everywhere. I know and recognize everyone.
What happened?
I feel eyes upon me. I am being watched. My head shoots skyward. To the top of a post. I expect someone to be perched upon it. But it's empty. Bare against the full moon.
The wind blows cold as I continue to run. Harsh and bone-chilling. It messes my raven hair as I race past the lifeless figures. Brown stained lumps.
Twelve year olds shouldn't have to live through this.
I reach my house. It's dark and empty. Out of habit I remove my shoes at the entrance. Dirtied from training and running. I pace room to room. Searching and shouting for my mother and father.
I shuffle on the wooden plank walkway passing the fountain garden. Outside large double doors I hear two deep thumps. I speed at the doors, but I freeze. Hands trembling on the handles.
Move. Move! Move, Sasuke.
The double doors push open. My eyes widen. In the center the bodies of my mother and father lay on top of each other. A stream of blood creeps toward me. A shadow with eyes looms over my dead parents.
It steps forward. Moonlight shines upon his face. Shadows on the contours and crevices of his face. I know who it is. My mind denies it. It won't accept it. But the truth is inevitable.
Itachi.
"Foolish little brother. So weak. You're not even worth killing".
"W-why did you do this?"
"To test…my abilities. To measure my capacity".
"That's it? Stop screwing with me!".
And I leap forward. Fist ready. And it never touches him. He simply uppercuts me in the stomach. I collapse to the floor. Coughing. I gaze up. Into the bloody face of my father. Tears well and overflow.
I grow scared. I am scared. Of his eyes. Of his obvious intent to kill. There is nothing left of the protective brother I once knew. He's far away now. Distant. I don't want to die.
I run outside. To the streets. Yelling. Crying. I don't want to die.
In an instant he's in front of me again.
"You truly are foolish. There is one use for you. You have potential, little brother. You can become as I great as I. With you, I will be able to truly test my capacity".
I am speechless. At this moment I can't comprehend anything. Only fear.
"If you wish; curse me, hate me, detest me. Run. Run away, and live a loathsome life".
Suddenly my vision starts blacking out. Falling face forward. The last thing I see is my brother calmly gazing at me.
I do everything he tells me to.
Now…I can live. No, I will live. I will love. I will laugh. Carefree. I will go home. I will marry her. I will live. Now I am allowed to live. To do everything I've been deprived of. Everything I want to feel. Finally, I will live.
Oh but first…
I dare to look. To look down at my hands. I stare at them. They are stained with blood. His blood. Permanently. I glance over to the arm five feet away. My head reels. I realize the vicinity is war torn. Blood and destruction. My eyes follow the blood and entrails to their origin. My stomach churns.
Then, I see it. The body. His body. Him. The big brother I looked up to. The one who taught me everything. I loved him.
I am fixated on his lifeless form. Entranced. Head turned downward. Lips slightly parted. His dark, clouded eyes half-lidded. Covered more so by his long bangs. His cloak tattered and bloody. My handiwork. From afar, his body resembles a tired man napping. He died, slumped against a tree, facing me. No more the strong proud brother I once knew.
A dead man.
I glance back down at my hands. The blood is still there. It always will be. My breath quickens. I try to wipe the crimson onto my dirtied pants. All it does is smear. I become desperate when it hits me. I am covered in blood.
His. Mine. Ours.
My face collides with my hands and knees. Our blood mixes together. All at once, every bruise, abrasion and cut aches. My wounds are still bleeding. The cuts on my face sting. The horrible metallic smell hits my nostrils. Good thing I haven't eaten.
I conjure the courage to bring my face back up. I stare straight up. Arms outstretched at my sides. Lazy clouds float against the azure canvas. There is a strange and unfamiliar warmth welling in my eyes. The salty wetness hits my mouth. Mixes with red.
Silent tears.
My breath becomes ragged. I gasp for air. My body shudders. Chest falling erratically. Collapsed onto my knees. Hands fisted into grass and blood.
I scream.
Earsplitting, earth-shattering, gut-wrenching. Yell.
It rises from deep within. Guttural. Reaches my throat. Release.
It echoes and travels through the forest. Seven birds fly up into the sky. The only response.
I lose my voice.
Happiness. Relief. Anger. Emptiness. Devastation.
They course through my heart and soul. Overflowing.
A million thoughts race in my mind. About the past. The future. Only one repeats itself.
Freedom.
My mind shouts it over and over again. Freedom.
I am free from my brother's oppression. The power hungry drive. Free from the force that led to live a loathsome life.
I am the last of the family. The last of the clan. But not for long. I survived. At last, free to live how I want. I will restore things to their former glory.
I smile. I cry. I am free.
Now…I can return home.
phew. read n reveiw i guess. sorry if it wasnt what u expected shrugs
any questions just drop a message