Disclaimer: I own no Naruto.
This is purely fanmade, the characters, except for eventual OC's,
all belong to the genius currently writing/drawing the canon series.
Once again, I own nothing.
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~Prologue~
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There was nothing left of what was once called the strongest shinobi village in history.
The deserted streets of Konohagakure that once had been filled of chatter and laughter by people who've joined the fallen in their afterlife,
now contained nothing but dried blood stains.
Stains of darkness. Stains of hatred. Stains of tears. Albeit, no love.
Love had deserted the once peaceful village the moment the dark phoenix had returned.
Corrupted by his lust for power, desperately hanging on by his own pain, he became what he once had so fiercely despised.
Vengeance had been his, but for such a heavy price.
If he could see any other path to tread, he would have given anything to change everything.
He could have, he should have. But he would not.
He could not see any other way, his pride blocking any sense of reason.
Following his instincts was so much easier than to give in to the wisdom of others.
That is precisely the reason why he now was standing by the broken gates of what he once would call his home.
That was the reason he was standing there unfazed, untouched, unloved and so utterly alone.
The golden fox that may have been his only chance of redemption, disgusted by the black phoenix's actions,
had moved on and left him to revel in his own private of hell.
How could he have been so naïve? How could he have ever thought that correcting what's wrong by doing wrong would somehow make it right?
The golden fox had been trying to tell him that for years, make him see reason, persuade him to come back to where he rightfully belonged.
He was where he belonged now. He was the only one there, and there was no coming back.
But how he longed for it.
"This is not what I wanted," he silently cried. No one was there to hear his agony.
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Although he'd lost too much chakra to feel my presence, I was indeed still there.
Ever since I moved on to the next plane of existence, I had been loitering around, observing his face full of pain quite closely.
I felt no love for him, his deceit still fresh in my mind, yet I couldn't shut him out completely.
What was it with this human that had tangled me into his grasp so effortlessly?
Until I met him, no one else mattered. No, that was not the entire truth.
There had been one before him, one that filled me with the strange sensation many would interpret for love.
Was it love I once had felt for the man who had been so much like the phoenix?
Could it possibly be the reason why I felt the need to watch over the phoenix despite everything that had happened between us prior to my demise?
It made no sense, no rhyme nor reason, but it still was very much the truth.
I hated that. I despised that down to my core, but there was nothing left for me to do.
Except, maybe... to give it another try. Another try that could make a difference.
That would change everything I thought I knew.
Yes... I would do that. For me, for him... and for the phoenix.
Those were the last thoughts I had in my mind before I was engulfed in flames that would take me back to the day before our story had even begun.
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AN:
And, that's the prologue.
Yes, this is a time-travel fiction.
No, it will not follow the canon since the plot of Ten Seconds takes place approximately 13 years before the start of the canon.
How many chapters there will be is not decided, as of now.
I usually plan for at least 4-5 chapters ahead, but this time I haven't. I haven't even begun writing the first chapter yet.
I do, however, have plenty of ideas for it though. And, although Sasuke will not have any (major) part of this fiction,
he won't be forgotten completely.
With that said, I hope you'll have a nice day.
Sincerely/L. Mikami
