A/N: So...this a repost of my first story written in this language since this ain't my mother one. hope you enjoy.
A/N 2: There will only be two genderbending cases: Neji and Tenten, since the gennin squads are integrated by two men and a woman.
Summary: Fate has so many paths and all of them are uncertain. People are marked as failures, geniuses, prodigies, avengers, nuisances, etc. But as it's been said before, it is uncertain and it has many up's and downs. People change. So does fate? Sasu/Fem!Neji. Sasuke struggles with loss and the betrayal of his brother following a path of darkness. Neji is drowning on bitterness and hate towards the Main Family. Could they find a light at the end of the tunnel? Follows manga story line.
Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to own Naruto I don't, but I'm grateful since no one but Kishimoto-sensei could've created Naruto as amazing as it is.
Ch.1: The Blind Reaper
Such a warm day in Konoha it was.
"Did you heard what happened to the Uchihas?"
"Oh, what a tragedy! Only Captain Fugaku's youngest son survived."
"Itachi looked like a fine boy. Who could've though he'd be capable of performing such carnage–"
"Shhhh. There's the boy."
After two weeks in the hospital, 9-year-old Sasuke was released and it seemed that Konoha didn't had another conversation topic.
It was almost sunset and he had decided to take a walk. Get as far as possible from his house; the memories. The empty streets which just a week ago had been red painted with Uchiha blood. His brother's room. Anything. But it was turning out worst. Every person spared glances at his little frame and all of them were pity ones, and oh how he loathed it.
He had tried to think of any other thing. He tried to think it was a bad dream –a nightmare- of sorts or something. That he had been two weeks in the hospital because he had broken a bone or something during training with his father or brother, and that once he got home his aunt would give him special treats she had prepared, and his mom would scold him for nagging his brother into playing with him or something.
Sasuke began walking towards Konoha's outskirts trying –unsuccessfully- to convince himself everything was a lie –when by the corner of his eye he caught sight of the blond stupid boy in his class. Now that he thought of it, he was always was alone.
The boy who always challenged him and was portrayed as the clown of the class was alone –as always- picking on grass blades. He looked so lonely. Sasuke suddenly had the foreign urge to approach the boy and… hug him? –like he wanted someone to hug him- and tell him he could make it, but suddenly the boy looked up at him.
He stared at those blue orbs and they stared back. The boy's eyes did not denoted mock or silliness as in school. They denoted sadness, and for a moment he had the sensation of watching his own eyes in a mirror. His eyes since the incident.
Naruto looked as if he wanted to say something but the words seemed as if they were lingering on the tip of his tongue. The Uchiha boy walked away before the Uzumaki could say whatever he wanted to say. He did not wanted to hear more empty apologies.
Deep inside Sasuke regretted not staying. He knew Naruto was not going to pity him. He knew it could have been better if he had just stayed there a little longer. He had a vague feeling –very deep down- that Naruto could somehow help him… but his pride was bigger and he did not returned.
Sasuke strolled a little bit more, not really knowing where he was heading. The shadows had eventually grown till the whole forest was covered by the immense dark mantle. The night had fallen and the only thing he could hear were the noises nocturne animals produced and the wind's howling, but he wasn't scared. He barely could be scared after what Itachi had done.
Sasuke was lost and his feet hurt for walking too much, but he couldn't care less. In his mind, that was what he wanted. Get lost and never return to that compound, or the village, or any place where his brother had ever laid a foot.
A cold breeze hit his lithe body and he shivered. Sasuke scolded himself for not bringing a coat. His mother would always remind him of bringing a coat.
His mother. At this time he would be taking dinner with his family…which now was gone. A hot meal. A warm hug or even the curt nods his father gave him. The smiles or the head pokes Itachi gave him –which were a farce. He missed it all and without it, he was slowly falling into a deep abyss.
His eyes began to water and his knees buckled forcing him to fall on them. He truly was pathetic. He had not been able to do something to prevent it. Sasuke just wanted to see his mom again, and his dad, and his aunt, and his uncle and, it suddenly dawned on him–he couldn't unless he was with them.
The long grass blades prickled his bare arms and legs. He could feel the humid dirt under his nails, and the hot salty tears mingled with his own nose fluids drowning his face and falling onto that wet dirt which was slowly transforming into a minuscule mud puddle. Maybe if he stayed there he could die and –maybe– he could feel his mother's hugs again.
The little Uchiha laid on the ground and stayed still as if waiting for a hooded figure with a long sickle appear and tell him 'Here you are, Uchiha Sasuke. I'm here to take you with your mom and your dad who miss you. At the other side.'
But it never came. That could be his rebellious act against Itachi. He wanted him alive, so Sasuke would die and he would get his little vendetta –even at his own life's cost- on Itachi.
He heard footsteps and closed his eyes believing it was the hooded figure…only it wasn't.
"What are you doing?" a feminine voice asked instead of the raspy and crooned voice he was expecting.
'The reaper was a girl?'
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and white eyes stared at him.
'The reaper is a blind girl!'
"Have you come for me?" he asked.
"Who do you think I am?" the girl questioned slightly annoyed. Was this kid expecting someone or what?
Sasuke sat up wiping his tears and stared at her.
She didn't looked like a reaper. She had long dark brown hair and even her skin which was white was not a ghostly white. She also was sporting some bandages around her forehead, a white tank top and a beige jacket wrapped around her waist, black shorts, and ninja sandals. So… she was a ninja…? The girl also looked about his age.
"Well…the reaper, but I suppose you're not…are you?" he answered. Sasuke inwardly cringed hoping she wasn't one of his fangirls but so far she hadn't given any sign of knowing him.
The annoyance abandoned her features and instead there was a confused expression which quickly morphed into a concerned one.
"What's your name?" she asked. Phew! She wasn't a fangirl. But anyways, who was she to believe she could just ask his name?
"It's common courtesy to give your own name before you ask someone else's." he answered slightly glaring at the girl.
The girl narrowed her pupiless eyes at him and then he knew she wasn't blind. She was a Hyuga.
"Hyuga Neji." The girl stated courtly still staring at him intently.
Sasuke hesitated a little before speaking.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Neji's eyes widened in recognition and Sasuke inwardly prepared himself for the pity words.
"And why are you waiting for the reaper?"
"Look, I don't need your pity-" he began annoyed but stopped in middle sentence "wait, what?" he asked in disbelief.
"They're annoying, right?" Neji chuckled darkly, her white eyes gazing into the distance. Sasuke supposed she was referring to the pity words and he only nodded.
"Well, will you answer me?"
Sasuke wanted to snap at the Hyuga, saying that he wouldn't be saying her a thing but his mouth spoke first.
"So it can take me with my family."
Neji stared at him blankly.
"It won't come, you know?" Neji said sitting by his side, twirling a kunai between her fingers absentmindedly.
Sasuke's anger won this time and he snapped.
"And how would you know?"
"Because I also waited for it." She answered embedding the kunai on the dirt.
A sudden silence reigned over the little clearing where they were. Neji was looking at the floor, twirling between her fingers a grass blade, her chin resting on her knees.
At this Sasuke got surprised and suddenly asked himself what was Neji doing in the forest at night.
"Do you also miss someone?" Sasuke questioned while rubbing his legs and arms. It was chilly.
The Hyuga noticed that, and since she just had finished her training she didn't felt cold. Neji removed the jacket and placed it on the boy's shoulders.
"My dad. The only person I had." The Hyuga answered, the wind waving her long coffee hair behind her back. She looked about Sasuke's age so she must've lost her dad long before he had…lost his, since she looked so calm.
Sasuke attempted to give her back the jacket but she only waved him away.
"Keep it. I have lots in my closet."
Sasuke stared at the beige jacket –which fitted him perfectly- and put it on. It was very light and comfy, so the cold instantly was gone and he cuddled with it a little more. Then, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Aren't you cold?" he asked. She was leaning on a nearby tree so he approached her and sat next to her.
"No, I've been training." Was her simple reply as she stared at the sky –at the sparkling stars. Sasuke followed her gaze and noticed in awe that the stars truly looked beautiful from that point. His mom and he used to go to the lake where he trained with his dad, sit at the pier's edge and watch the stars.
Memories of his family flooded him and the constant pain in his chest intensified. He felt as if some foreign being was oppressing his chest painfully, feeling as if it would burst at any second. The little Uchiha began to sob silently, his body shaking, when he felt a small hand on his shoulder.
White wide eyes stared at him and instead of comforting him, she stared hard at him and asked.
"Who is responsible for this?"
"I-Itachi." Sasuke mumbled hugging his knees.
"Well, tonight you'll only cry, but it will be the last time. Have you heard me?" she commanded and grabbed his shoulders making them connect their gazes. Sasuke only continued sobbing.
"You will live and train very hard so you can take revenge on who took away your family."
"B-but Itachi was also m-my fa-family." Sasuke wept, his eyes red from crying.
"My family was the one who took my father away, but I'm going to avenge him and… I won't cry again." She stared at his eyes as if trying to transmit her message telepathically. A tinge of grief and bitterness was visible deep into her hard –for her age- eyes.
Sasuke nodded and she did what she had never done in an awfully long time. She hugged the boy one year younger than her and held him all the time he cried.
Sasuke clung to the Hyuga girl which was giving him what he was craving for. A hug. Not comforting or pity words. He only wanted someone to say him that he could do it and a hug.
They stayed like that for hours till they both got asleep.
:.:.:.:.:.:
The next morning when they both woke up, they were laying on the floor, their limbs tangled being the only heat source on the cold night.
They stood up and stretched. Their necks and backs were stiff but Sasuke felt a small relief after that night.
"Neji." Sasuke called.
The girl turned around, her hair standing out on funny directions which made Sasuke chuckle and Neji aware of her appearance.
"What, Sasuke?" she answered trying to placate her rebellious –once obedient- hair.
"Could you…help me?" he asked. Silence, in that moment, was the only thing that could be heard. They both knew with what Sasuke required help.
"Meet me next Monday here after school." She stated and turned around leaving.
Sasuke only stared at her fading figure and unconsciously held tightly the beige jacket around his frame.
.
.
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Thanks for reading