I found this hidden in the deep bowels of my computer files a couple of days ago, and after re-reading it, thought that it wasn't bad. So I thought that I'd post it up and see if I could get a second opinion. It's only the first chapter, obviously, so I may write more. Or I may not.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but do have quite a few ideas I'd love to share with Kishimoto about where the story ought to go from here on out.
Three hours after the Uchiha Massacre found Uchiha Sasuke sitting in the Hokage's office, eyes swollen and puffy from tears that he had promised himself he wouldn't shed, but had fallen anyways, raven hair a spikey mess atop his head, and wrapped in a soft, plush quilt that a medical ninja had given to him an hour and a half ago when she had (unsuccessfully) attempted to get him to rest for the night.
The young Uchiha sat in a chair far too large for him (his legs dangled over the edge) in front of the Hokage's desk, the Sandaime himself standing behind the slab of oak wood, a remorseful look in his eyes and his arms folded behind his back.
"Are you sure you are up to this so late, Sasuke?" the Hokage questioned, thinking that it may be best to let the child get some sleep before anything is expected of him. But Sasuke just shook his head and stared straight at the Hokage, his gaze watery, although the Sandaime thought he was trying to appear strong.
A slight sigh escaped the Hokage's lips, and he is walking around the desk so that he can stand by Sasuke, still in front of him, but a little off to the side and crouched down just slightly, so that he can better look the eight year old in the eyes.
"Tell me, what were you doing three hours ago?" Sarutobi asked, the question a formality, but really, all of them were. There was no real need to look into the Uchiha Massacre; the reasons for it and the culprit were already known. He had known before the murderer himself had. But Konoha would look into it none the less, just to put on a show for the other nations, and for its own people. It would be their way of covering up another one of their dark deeds, of hiding what had happened on this night instead of shedding some light on it. Because if anyone ever knew, well, surely nothing good could come from it.
Sasuke turned his head ever so slightly to look the Hokage full in the face, his expression becoming more rigid. And with it, the feeling of dread in Konoha's leader deepened.
"I was walking home. I had stayed late at the academy to practice some of my shuriken techniques, and was coming home late," the young raven stated, his tone surprisingly steady, although the Hokage noted how he hesitated slightly before saying the word "home".
"And then?" the Hokage prompted gently, the sadness in his eyes deepening. As selfish as it was, he hated this and wanted to get it over with. He didn't want to have to ask an eight-year-old child about the brutal murder of his family only three hours after it had happened. It was cruel.
Sasuke was silent for a moment, and Sarutobi could tell that he was composing himself so that he would not stutter over his words when he spoke.
"When I got back ho- . . . to the Uchiha Compound. . . everyone was. . . e-everyone w-was. . ." Sasuke stuttered, stumbling over his words as fresh tears brimmed along the edge of his onyx orbs. He sniffled, and opened his mouth to continue, but the Sandaime quickly hushed him. He would not let the boy finish such a morbid statement.
"Just tell me, Sasuke . . . who did this?" the Hokage asked, despite already knowing the answer. One of his wrinkled old hands was on the boy's shoulder now, the hold firm and reassuring, yet gentle at the same time. It was sad, how good he had gotten at being around orphans.
"It was Itachi, but Hokage-sama. . ." Sasuke began, only to let the words die off in the air.
The Hokage frowned slightly. "What is it Sasuke? Anything you have to say might be important."
Sasuke nodded absently, the look in his swollen eyes distant now.
The Hokage thought he was caught up in the trauma of the night for a moment and let the boy be, knowing that he would bring himself back to his senses in due time. And he was partly right; Sasuke was lost in the world of his memories. They were of the massacre as well, although not of seeing the bodies of his parents lying dead on the floor, or watching the horrible scene created by his brother's terrible sharingan (a Sasuke in another world, another life, saw these things, but not him). No, Sasuke was thinking of Itachi himself . . . and how he had seen his brother cry. How he had seen the tears on his face as he stood apart from him, his dark eyes so sad that Sasuke thought he was imagining it. But no, the more he thought about it the surer he became, something had happened here that was not what is seemed. And Itachi had tried to hide it from him, lied to him so that he wouldn't know. But those tears changed everything. Itachi hadn't killed everyone out of some quest to test his own strength, why would he have silently mourned their death if he had? And Sasuke wanted to share that with everyone, too, wanted to share his brother's innocence, but something inside of him kept him quiet, whispered to him that this was a secret idea that was meant for him and him alone. Maybe it was the part of him that had been torn and scarred by his brother's Tsukiyomi, the part that saw the blood on his hands and trembled. Because, when Sasuke thought about it, he was still frightened of his brother. Possibly innocent or not, he had killed everyone, and made him watch. It all was terribly terrifying, and Sasuke knew that he was never going to be able to come up with an answer tonight. I just need some time to think, he reasoned. So he said nothing, wondering if he would ever be able to overcome his fear enough to think about this rationally.
Instead, he turned to the Hokage, his eyes glowing an unearthly red, one tomoe hovering around each pupil. His tears had dried up, and the Hokage, looking into the young Uchiha heir's eyes, saw the fierceness of his blood thirsty clan hang there, although the emotion was softened by his childish face.
"I just thought you should know, Hokage-sama, that when I chased after Itachi, I awakened my sharingan."
/
"You want me to take the kid in?"
The Sandaime nodded, a grim expression on his face (it had been stuck their lately, and he couldn't seem to get it off, no matter what he or anyone else did).
"I do. I know that you are not the sort of person to make an ideal guardian, but he needs to be around someone who can help him . . . someone who knows what it's like to lose their parents at a young age."
"Are you sure it's not just because of my sharingan?" the silver haired ninja asked, sounding skeptical, and not trying to hide it.
The Hokage chuckled lightly, although the sound did not hold the warmth that it usually did. "You've gotten me there. The boy's sharingan activated itself the night of the Massacre, and he needs someone who can teach him how to properly use it. That isn't the sort of thing that I want him messing around with on his own," the Hokage admitted, a slightly guilty expression falling on his face.
"But, Hokage-sama, I am an active member of the ANBU . . . surely you can find someone who has more time on their hands to care for him. What will I do if I am called away on a moment's notice? He can't just be left alone," the ANBU pointed out.
The Hokage nodded. "That's why I'm taking you off of active duty, for now. I need someone to look after Sasuke, and you are the most qualified."
The most qualified, the nin though, because he might have a chance of standing up to (or at least holding off) Uchiha Sasuke's older brother should he return to finish what he started, although he didn't say anything.
Sarutobi could tell that the young man before him wanted to protest further, although after a moment of stony silence relented.
"Hai, Hokage-sama. As you wish."
The Sandaime smiled good naturedly, thinking that this might not only be good for Sasuke, but his new guardian as well. The man could stand to bond with a few more people, even if they only were eight years old.
"Well then, why don't we go and introduce you to your new 'mission'? I'm sure he's tired of waiting."
In response, Hatake Kakashi just grunted.
/
Uchiha Sasuke was a quiet child, Kakashi observed. He had been introduced to the boy, taken him to his home (a small apartment he rented that, coincidently, had two bedrooms), and helped the boy unpack his possessions, all without the eight-year-old saying more than fifteen words.
It wasn't surprising though, really, since everyone the boy loved had either died or betrayed him in a single day and effectively uprooted his whole life. He had some right to silence, although Kakashi wondered how much was healthy for children, as if he hadn't been one at some point in his life. That time in his life seemed so long ago, (although it reality it hadn't been) like some life lived by a different person, a different Kakashi.
But those were musings better left to another time, and Kakashi didn't want to deal with them right now. He had better things to do than sit around and wallow in nostalgia. Things such as take care of an orphaned eight-year-old boy, who was now staring up at him with wide, tired grey eyes. An awkward silence had fallen over the room, and Kakashi wasn't sure how to fill it, or if he should even try.
After an unbearable moment Kakashi cleared his throat and suggested that they eat something for dinner. Sasuke nodded in agreement and followed Kakashi into the kitchen without saying a word. Kakashi, who wasn't used to cooking for anyone more than himself, ended up making ramen that Sasuke saw and then, in a way very characteristic of an eight-year-old, scrunched up his nose in disgust to.
"I don't like ramen," he commented, and Kakashi was secretly pleased to have gotten a reaction out of the boy about something so trivial. Sasuke did, however, eat the horrible, disgusting stuff, because he knew better than to whine about eating foods that he didn't like.
After that the raven cleared away the dishes, bowed, said good night, and disappeared into his room as if this was what he had been doing for every night in his life.
And Kakashi just sat there, wondering about the little enigma that had been dropped into his life.