Written for the Naruto Meme in July. Beta' Version by tandoori
The decision to leave Konoha was not as hard as it should have been. Fugaku thought it said a lot about the relationship between the Clan and the Village of Konoha that nearly all votes had been for relocating to Suna.
"Will it be different, father?" Sasuke asked him one day, while he was helping with packing.
"Very," Fugaku answered. "But hopefully better. The climate will be something we'll have to get used to, yet I have no doubt we will adapt. As fire breathers used to the heat and the Sharingan gives us the necessary endurance to survive in the desert."
"I guess it also helps that most of us live as spartanly as possible," his younger son said with a grin, eyeing Itachi's belongings.
Like his own, they consisted of clothing, weapons, and a few pictures of his family. Since the Uchiha Clan had its own armoury and a library to boot, it was easy enough to organize the official property.
Fugaku shrugged. "Our ancestors were nomads for centuries and left bases in the entire eastern continent. Also, we've been shinobi for far too long to get used to the sedentary lifestyle after only three generations."
The Head of the Uchiha Clan noticed how eagerly Sasuke was listening to him. Ever since Itachi had confessed to his little brother that he had trouble shouldering the growing expectations, his younger son had decided to take some of the pressure as his own. Sasuke had just entered the academy and while he still lacked the sheer genius of Itachi's thought process, he had shown a better emotional balance than his brother.
It was a good idea to involve Sasuke, Fugaku reflected. After I stopped searching for another Itachi, I actually saw the potential he carries.
It had not taken long until Fugaku had admitted it wouldn't be Itachi who would enter the Police Force. Sasuke had a sense of justice that surprised his father very often.
I wonder how he'll fare in Suna, Fugaku wondered. We will no longer be the traditional Military Police Force and the Prison Keepers, but as new settlers we could remain neutral between the old clans in the desert.
The advantages of relocating were pleasant enough to accept the Kazekage's offer. Suna was vast and had enough space for the Uchiha Clan to spread out. In return for the protection when they defected, the Uchiha would create the village's first glassblowing corporation. Fire and sand went well together and both resources were limitless. Not to mention that many of the elders and mothers of the clan were looking forward to working at an honest trade. There was not much choice in learning a profession if the only option was prison guard by the Second Hokage's decree.
Yet the selling point for the citizens of Suna had been the Uchiha Clan's affinity for heat. One of the Sharingan's advantages was the ability the see chakra. Perceiving heat signatures wasn't far from that point and, as tests had proven, a normal Sharingan user could detect underground water reservoirs with a little bit of time and dedication.
No matter how much blood and war the Uchiha Clan might follow to Suna's doorstep, every single person born in the desert would defend them to the death if it meant they gained a reliable source of water supply in return.
"Tou-san…" Sasuke hesitated in asking. "Are you convinced that the Clan will fare better in Suna?"
Fugaku had gotten to know his second son better in recent years. Before, he would have heard doubt. Now he saw the real question burning in Sasuke's eyes.
Would you die for our new home?
"Yes, I am," Fugaku answered. "I really am, Sasuke."
But if I'm right, none of us will have to die. I wouldn't relocate the Clan if I honestly considered it dangerous, he silently hoped.
"You can't do this," Danzo roared a few weeks later, when Fugaku informed the Council of his decision. "You're betraying the village."
"I cannot betray what abandoned me and my people a long time ago," the Clan Head answered, standing tall and proud in front of the elders that were no longer his own.
His headband rested in front of the Third Hokage. He was the last Uchiha left in the Village. His family, his clan, his people had crossed Suna's borders yesterday and had dispelled the illusion of a thriving Uchiha district.
"Your ancestors signed a binding contract, Fugaku," the Sandaime warned.
The former Konoha-nin smiled eerily and the other four, who were old enough to remember him, saw Madara emerge from Fugaku's blood. The resemblance between them had never been greater than in that moment and a collective shiver ran down the elders' spines.
"The Uchiha signed a contract with the Senju," Fugaku said. "But there are no Senju left in Konoha. Tsunade-hime even refuses to step inside this village anymore and if you speak to her, you'll find that she was quite willing to cut the threads tying our clans together."
This time the Sandaime was shocked and then he quickly lowered his gaze, saddened.
"You found her?" he asked.
"I certainly did. I was not willing to leave a debt of such a size behind," Fugaku explained, but left out the fact that it had been Tsunade herself who'd brought the option to the table.
No one stopped Fugaku when he turned to leave. Mostly because the Anbu were at a loss what to do when the Hokage gave no order. As soon as Fugaku passed the borders of the village, the heart of the old district caught fire which consumed every trace the Uchiha might have left behind. The spreading fire caused severe explosions, rocking Konoha's very foundations.
And rumours had it that when the last Uchiha in Hi no Kuni faded into the shadows of the night, the Shodaime Hokage's face shattered like fragile glass.