Hi everyone (again). Here's some stuff you should know. Sinceee AnimeSpiral is being all oooomg /unpredictable. I've decided to just stick with FanFiction. Good thing I saved this version on my computer! I never actually got to get past this chapter on AS... what with the site constantly being down and my constantly getting grounded. I hope I can finallyyyy finish it. I had so many plans for this story. And with like, what, years having passed since I actually started this, I have even more ideas for it, feedback and ideas from all you guys are always welcome though! Also hoping I can make Sasuke less OCC, but meh. Thinking I will ultimately fail. lolol.
Expect the unexpected. shwahh.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the song that I'm using as my title.
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Chapter 1- All Apologies
Hmph. Back again.
The Shell of a man, once a leaf ninja, stood at the gates of the home he left so long ago. A Shell of a man who once had friends who cared about him like a family. A Shell of a man who onced cared for and even loved friends he used to have, though the Shell of a man who rarely showed emotion. We all knew there was.
A Shell, since that same man now no longer exists.
The Shell of a man had achieved his life long ambition. He abandoned his village 7 years ago, in a search for power. He found it in one of the 3 sanin of Konohagakure: Orochimaru. He trained under Orochimaru for 2 in a half years, only to ultimately defeat the sannin and absorb him into his body. Then, he formed his own team of 4, including himself; named "Snake", formed for the sole purpose of tracking down his brother.
Mission accomplished.
At long last, the Shell of a man faced down his brother, a brother he learned to loathe, becoming stronger in an ambition to one day avenge the family he lost because of him. The Shell seemed to know everything of his brother, the true purpose of his fate as a spare in a massacre, the truth behind it all.
Mission accomplished. So he thought.
The whole "truth" was exposed as a lie; a lie that was lied to him to protect him. Truly, this truth had to be a lie, it had to be.
No.
A Shell's brother, planning his sacrifice to his only beloved brother since the very beginning. All out of love. Love. Could this Shell remember what love was?
Hn.
Madara, tending to his wounds after the Shell had avenged his family at last, had revealed a new truth to him, the real Truth.
So here he was. A Shell of a man taking his place at last as the heir to his former clan. He took his brother's final act of love: his Mangekyo Sharingan. A Shell saved from the darkness forever; the Inevitable and Orochimaru himself.
But could he be saved from the darkness of his own heart? Perhaps.
The Shell planned to irradicate Konoha completely.
Not even worth my time.
The Shell disbanded his group, to at last return to a village; a village who only remembers this Shell as the man he once was.
The Shell of a man named Uchiha Sasuke.
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"Hurry up, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto and Sakura rush through Konoha, heading for the Hokage's building.
"I'm coming, I'm coming! I'm--" Naruto crashes into another familiar figure.
"What the..oh Naruto!"
"I'm sorry, sensei!"
"That's all right...where are you guys heading to that's got you all excited?" Kakashi asks, rubbing his head slightly from the impact.
"Hokage's office!! Haven't you heard? Sasuke's come home!"
Team Kakashi crashes into the door to the 5th's office, all panting from the long run.
"Tsunade ba-chan!! Has Sa...suke.." Naruto trails off as his eyes settle on the Shell of a man he once knew, and the eyes of Sakura and Kakashi follow. The Uchiha turns
his head to look at the family he once had. He gives them the same cold stare he gave them years before.
"..Sa..Sasuke.."
"Naruto."
"Sasuke-kun.."
"Hn."
The room was quiet, heavy in mixed emotion. The tension between them, the distance. The tension and distance seemed to grow even more intense. They seemed to drift further, a friendship formally strong seemed to crumble in a matter of seconds.
Lol.
"SASUKE!!" Naruto, tears in his eyes, at last charges at the Shell of what was once his best friend, his brother.
Who is this new man, with the face of Uchiha?
Naruto embraces Sasuke in a fierce hug, crying into his shoulder. Just about as manly as a hug could get.
"Naruto..you haven't changed at all." He doesn't react to the hug, his emotionless eyes unphased, smirking the same cool smile this brother knew so well.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura, also having broken into tears, embraces Sasuke on his other side. "I've missed you so much..."
"Hn."
"So, you actually came back on your own, eh?" Kakashi chimed in, smiling secretly through his mask.
"As beautiful as this...moment...is. Sasuke and I have important matters to discuss. Since you've already forgotten, Uchiha Sasuke is an S-class criminal of Konohagakure, and will be treated as such." Sasuke face remains in it's normal stoic demeanor.
"Hn."
"But...Tsunade ba-chan--"
"She's right." All heads turn to Sasuke.
"Sasuke what the hell..!?--"
"Naruto..unfortunately there are consequences to leaving and betraying the village, whether or not you actually try to harm it. Sasuke..is a criminal. And as Hokage, Tsunade-sama must do her job and give punishment accordingly.." Kakashi explains, with a slight break in his voice.
"..Sasuke-kun.." Sakura says helplessly.
"I suggest you all leave now."
The tension returns..
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"Now, where were we?"
"Hell."
"Don't get smart with me, Uchiha. If I were you, I'd try to get on my good side."
"What does it matter? My rights as a ninja are going to be stripped from me, regardless. Or, I'll be fuckin' exiled from here completely. What happens if I get on your 'good side', huh? Give me a fucking gift basket and send me on my goddamn way?" The room was still, their eyes met in a burning glare.
"I'm not going to exile you, I know very well why you left, and I can sense a change in you. I assume..you know the truth then?"
"...Yeah."
"I see...I'm sure Itachi didn't intend for you to be regarded as a criminal, now did he?" Tsunade smiles reassuringly.
"..." Sasuke looks away. Itachi..
"You don't have to worry, Sasuke," He turns his attention back to her, "I'm giving you the rank of jonin."
"..."
"Learn to trust people, Sasuke."
"Don't you think it's a little, oh I don't know, strange that you're giving an S-Class missing-nin a jonin rank and no punishment whatsoever? At least make this situation a bit realistic...Tsunade-sama." Sasuke stares at Tsunade darkly.
"I would think you would take the offer, no question."
"I would think a Hokage would do her job." Tsunade let out an irritated sigh."Don't question me, little boy. I know damn well how to do my job. I don't have a fucking reason to punish you seriously. Though you left the village without permission or even a notification that you were planning on doing so, you didn't harm the village. In fact, not only did you take down Orochimaru, one of the most dangerous threats to our village, but in doing so you completely eliminated one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome during this war against the Sound Village. It's pretty much ended with him out of the way, we've been able to conquer his bases, one after the other. Soon we will be able to overpower the Land of Sound completely and liberate the Land of Rice Fields. And by taking out...well you know who..you've also partially crippled the Akatsuki, striking a blow at our war against Akatsuki. I'm rewarding you for your active work in Konoha's saftey and victory. You're a war hero, intentionally or not."
"Hn."
"So yes, I thank you for your efforts in our times of war, though there is one punishment you will recieve." He nods, showing no emotion. Like old times... "I'm putting you on probation... you will function normally as a ninja and you won't exactly be restricted as a criminal, but you will be closely watched by me. One slip up and you're done." Silence.
"...Then who is my new team?"
"I guess I should let you know now. In your absence, I assigned a replacement ninja to your formal ninja team 7. His name is Sai."
"Hn."
"You will be temporarily teamless, I'll call you back to meet when I've figured out an arrangement for you."
"Alright..."
"Take care, Uchiha."
"JONIN?! YOU'RE A JONIN?!" Naruto spits ramen all over Sasuke's face. They'd met at Ichiraku with Sakura after he'd been dismissed. Sasuke calmly wipes away the noodles and Naruto's saliva.
"Yes..."
"What the hell?! Damn! Why did she do that?!"
"She said I was a 'war hero'."
"And she didn't punish you at all?"
"I'm on probation."
"Oh..well who did Tsunade-ba team you with now? I mean, with us with Sai now and all--"
"She hasn't figured it out yet."
"Well, hopefully the old lady can find a way to set us all back together again, right Sakura?"
"Yeah, it would be so great to have Sasuke-kun back with us!"
"Peh. Are you still about as useless as last time we were a team?" Sasuke smirked. Sakura sweatdropped and smiled nervously.
"No, no! Ever since you left, I've been training with Tsunade-sama to become stronger...to help get you to come back home.."
"Hn."
Oh my god, he's so sexy when he smirks!!
"I still can't believe she made you a jonin after being a damn criminal..!" Naruto pouts and crosses his arms, upset that Sasuke didn't even have to take the chuunin exams the way he did.
"Would you rather have me executed or exiled? Like a damn criminal?" Sasuke raises a brow.
"No! No!"
"Nope! Not at all!" Both Naruto and Sakura waves their arms around and shake their heads violently, clearly stating they would not want any of that. Naruto finally finishes disagreeing and continues with the conversation, "Sasuke, you should show me how much stronger you've gotten over the last few years, cause I have a couple of new tricks up my sleeve my self-ttebayo!"
"Yeah..me too."
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Yep. That's Chapter 1. Hope it wasn't too horrible. And also hope I'll continue this one.
PS: I know I have another story on this site..it's been three years since I wrote it and I know I didn't update that one past the first chapter either but honestly I really don't like it. If you realllyy want me to continue it then let me know but I'll be trying to focus on this one otherwise.
All Apologies, by Nirvana.