Sasuke limped home from his self-enforced genjutsu practice, bone-weary and tired of existing. At age twelve, he already knew how to fend off amateur assassins, knew all the best hiding places in the village, a hundred and one ways to cook rotten tomatoes, and that humans, as a race, were shallow, selfish creatures.
He needed to train more, he told himself. He needed to be able to hear that kunai coming, next time, and catch it or avoid it like the ninjas in the village could. And he needed to know how to chakra-heal, because at some point his stupid twelve year old body was going to give up under the injuries he still couldn't manage to avoid.
To do that, he was going to ninja school, whether the villagers liked it or not, because he needed to survive long enough to show them that he was more powerful than them all combined. That he wasn't just a target-practice dummy for the genin, or worse, the civilians.
Sasuke was pretty sure that ninja school, for normal children, started at eight. He was eleven. They'd been denying his application for three years already. However, he needed that training more than anyone in the stupid town. The Hokage was going to read his application, and he was going to get accepted, no matter what.
With that thought in mind, he marched as fast as his injured leg could carry him through the dark streets of the village, pain shooting up his leg like lightning bolts at every slight movement. He didn't feel it, with his goal fixed firmly in his mind.
In the Hokage's schedule, there was a five-minute gap between meetings every Tuesday, he'd heard the rabbit-faced ANBU he'd been following before he'd gotten caught the other day say, and he wasn't going to let something as stupid as pain stop him from taking advantage of it.
Taking one minute to stop at his flat to pick up his triple-checked papers, he broke into a run towards Hokage Tower. At the foot of the tower, he waited, staring up at the lit window, shedding light on a spot just to his left. The light was a disguise, he knew, that he could use to avoid the guards on the way up. The guards only checked the darkest corners.
Extracting the kunai planted in his leg, he used it to drag himself up the rock wall, jabbing it into cracks and swinging up, then anchoring himself with his bare toes in cracks in the tower. A few of his toenails might have cracked on the way up, he thought, he hadn't had time to pick up his shoes on the way out, but his heart was beating so loud and fast in his chest, the anticipation so intense, his goal barely an arm's length away, that he couldn't bring himself to care anymore.
At last, he slammed the kunai into the wall, dropped his feet from their anchors, took a breath, then swung both legs up with a mighty heave that resulted in him smashing heels first through the Hokage's window, (which was a lot easier than one was led to believe.)
The antique gas lamp was burning low as Sasuke slammed onto the floor. He could just barely make out the slumped outline of the Sandaime Hokage before…
A dry voice came from his left. "Good evening, Sasuke. What brings you through my window this fine night?" The Sandaime wore a wry smile on his face as he stretched a hand towards the boy lying on the ground.
Up close, he noted, the Sandaime looked very frail, with veins winding up his arms and skin like someone had stretched, then crinkled it before replacing it on the old man's face. His breath smelled like tobacco, and he was not wearing his ceremonial headdress. His head was spotty and bald. The hand outstretched trembled a little when he grasped it, and he had a hard time believing that this hunchbacked creature was the most powerful man in the village.
But his yellow-green eyes were like embers, burning intensely, so Sasuke mentally retracted his previous statement.
He grasped the preferred hand and rolled to his feet, (a little surprised the old man didn't fall over from his weight,) cut the pleasantries and bluntly proclaimed his purpose.
"You've kept me out of Ninja Academy, and I want to exercise my right as a citizen of Konoha to submit an application that will be seriously considered, Hokage-sama."
A flash of surprise showed on the Hokage's face, before it was smothered by his normally blank expression.
At this point, a secretary gently eased open the door to the Hokage's office, starting at the sight of the broken window and Sasuke. Seeing the Hokage calm, though, she composed herself quickly.
"Your meeting is starting, Sandaime," she said quietly.
The Hokage waved her off.
"I know, Yui. I'll only be a minute. Try to appease the delegates in the meantime, if you can."
The secretary nodded and left, shutting the door behind her. He turned back to the boy.
"I was not aware that you were applying to Ninja Academy, Sasuke-kun."
"But all applications get a review at the Hokage's desk, it says so on the papers." Inwardly, Sasuke was not surprised that none of his applications had ever reached the Hokage. "Here."
The Hokage took the papers from Sasuke's tight grip, and held them close to his eyes, peering at them rather near sightedly.
"So it seems. I assume, then, that you would like me to review this application?"
Stopping himself from rolling his eyes at the strongest shinobi in the village, he nodded sharply.
"Of course. Whenever you have time, as long as it's before the acceptance deadline. Arigato, Hokage-sama. Have a good night, Hokage-sama."
Sasuke turned to leave out the same window, but was stopped on the windowsill by the old man's voice.
"If I may, could I inquire as to why you want to become a ninja, Sasuke?"
Sasuke looked out the window at the ground below him, watching the beams of many flickering candles from the windows of the tower dance with the shadows along the ground.
"I don't want to be a shadow in a village full of light."
The Hokage's eyes burned a little softer.
"Reasonable. You have my word that I will make sure that it makes its way to the rest of the committee, as well. Have a good night, yourself. And please, use the door."
Sasuke's head snapped around to meet the Hokage's eyes, startled. The corners of the Hokage's lips tipped up, and to Sasuke's amazement, he strode over to slide open the door, inclining his head outwards.
"If you don't mind."
Sasuke walked hesitantly past him.
"Th-thank you."
Sandaime waved as he left down the hallway, to the stairs he knew were there. All the way down the tower, glances ranging from apprehensive to downright hostile met the back of his head. Feeling them, Sasuke put his nose as high in the air as it could go without seeming deliberate. Allowing himself a rare inward smile, he marched his way out the ornate front doors. The Hokage approves of my goals. Take that!
You answered well, Sasuke-kun, Hiruzen smiled to himself as he strode towards his eighth meeting of the day. Though not how you thought you did.