Notes: I've decided that the only way I'm going to be able to write this is as a bunch of drabbles that eventually will weave together. If they sound unrelated, they're supposed to. I'm not a master at writing at all, but this is an attempt at a style that may actually work for me and my limited attention span.

For some coherency, I'll try to keep each chapter set to a theme, which is the chapter's title.

Oh, and I'm not bothering to quote the manga. I'm ad-libbing by this point, since I get to claim the AU disclaimer, heh heh. Also, I write incredibly sporadically. Please do not ask me to rush this, because I just suck that much. As for the timeline, I think it will take a while to get to the point that original ficlets were under... but I'm probably not going to go in any chronological order either.

-

Chapter 2: Dreams of Family

A Memory: Trust

(state: long, long forgotten)

"Niisan, will I'll get to be as powerful as you one day?"

Itachi turned around to look at the child toddling after him. It was true that he himself was still a child, but his little sister was truly a child, in skills and thoughts. However, unlike a normal child, her head was not filled with candy, games, or friends, but of training and techniques.

Itachi knew better than to shake his head at that -- Sasuke would think that would be the answer to her question. So he thought about the question seriously.

Sasuke was not his full sibiling, so she did not have the same lineage that Itachi had, which practically ensured that he gained the Sharingan at an early age. Later, Itachi would doubt if this was really due to bloodline, but for now, he merely understood that the Sharingan did not match up to what he was told.

He looked at his sister, who both eagerly and apprehensively stared back up at him. Since he didn't know what caused someone to be strong or someone else to be stronger among the Uchiha family (there seemed to be no obvious pattern that he could yet observe), Sasuke could very well have what it takes to be one of the few that unlocked the highest level without the bloodline.

"...It is possible, if you work hard at it."

Sasuke would believe this for the rest of her life.

-

A Conversation: Worry

(state: explained by Kakashi later)

"Sakura-chan, aren't your parents really rich?"

"They aren't rich, Naruto. We're just well-off."

Naruto just blinked incomprehendingly at her. Sakura sighed and rephrased her answer. "We're not really rich, just nowhere near poor," she explained.

Naruto pondered on this a bit. "Hmm... I think I get it." He opened his eyes. "So if you're 'well-off', how come you're a ninja?"

"Well... that is... well, Sasuke-kun is well-off too, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but your parents are civillians... aren't they worried? I would be worried for you -- being a ninja is really dangerous and stuff, and everyone dies one day..."

Sakura changed the conversation at that. Sasuke pretended that she didn't hear, while Naruto lost his train of thought.

-

A Tsukiyomi Dream: Conflict

(state: doubted)

"Nothing will ever change the fact that we're siblings, no matter how much you may hate me later."

"Why would I want to deny it?" A young Sasuke asks Itachi. She looks really cute, cuter than Naruto remembered her being. It was probably because he was older or something. All he could remember was the little girl being an ass to him, not what she looked like.

Itachi smiles enigmatically -- Naruto can't imagine how he could smile like that. The only time Naruto saw him, he looked way too creepy to ever smile like that.

"Jealousy, perhaps."

Jealousy? Like when he fought Sasuke for the first time, because he had learned the rasengan? Or... because Itachi wanted him? Or because he had no family to begin with? Or maybe it was because he had a choice... sort of.

"You never even had a family!" Sasuke cries out, eyes wild.

"Niisan... Itachi... killed everyone... just to test himself?"

Mikoto turns around from her cleaning. "I'm sure Itachi has dreams too, although I don't know what they are. I'm sure both of you can make your dreams come true, whatever they may be."

Sasuke looks up from his (her) seated position on the steps. "I don't have a dream so much as an ambition."

Itachi glares at the police in pure anger. "You idiots that cower behind the image of the clan... you do not know what true power is."

Itachi turns to Sasuke. "Foolish little brother."

Sasuke appears almost out of nowhere, in front of Naruto. "ITACHII! I've come to kill you!"

Neji smiles back up at him. "I'm sure you can bring Sasuke out of the darkness, like you did for me."

Naruto screams also now, whether from the barrage of images or the effort of trying to stop him, he's not sure. "SASUKEEEE!!! STOP RUNNING, DAMMIT!!"

But it is no use. Itachi looks down at Naruto, who collapses down on the ground.

"You have grown, Naruto-kun. But it is still not enough."

-

Another Memory: Lies

(state: under debate)

Sasuke stared at his own reflection, unable to believe his eyes, so to speak.

Staring back at him was the Mangekyou Sharingan. The exact thing that he had left Konoha and failed to obtain two years ago. Why did he get it back now? Naruto was still alive, as was the rest of Kakashi's team.

"Is there something the matter, Sasuke-kun?"

"No."

Quickly, Sasuke attempted to dispel the Mangekyou. No such luck. So he simply altered his henge to include his eyes. After all, with Kabuto around all the time, one couldn't be too careful. Sasuke had no idea what Kabuto did or didn't know about him, but it was best not to test it out.

He could only wonder if Itachi had known this would happen.

-

Yet Another Memory: Peace

(state: remembered by all parties, unfortunately)

By now it had been several months since Team 7 had been back, but Sai, Sakura, and Naruto were STILL Team Kakashi, while Sasuke was merely on parole (for now). Still, they were all together... which was not necessarily a good thing. Sai still hadn't learned how to not provoke people, and although Sasuke had learned great patience for that sort of thing during his time in Sound... well, one could say that Sai was a genius at insulting words.

"You know, Sasuke-kun... I had been wondering what you look like ever since I received my mission... and I have to say, you look more manly than Naruto does. You at least have a dick. Why do you keep that henge, anyway?"

"...It's more comfortable." The words were almost forced out, but Sai continued out, oblivious.

"Well, I suppose if you look like a guy even as a girl, it's a deifnite improvement to your looks. I didn't think anyone could look worse than that bitch, though." He must have meant Sakura, who blatantly ignored him. Both Naruto and Sakura were used to Sai by now.

"At least," he continued, oblivious, "You look more like a girl as a guy now, than in your ID photo. Is it because all the strongest Uchihas are male?"

That was enough. Sasuke stood up, and Naruto stood up with him.

"H-hey, don't kill him!"

"Don't worry; I'm just going to shut him up. Permanently."

"Did I hit a sore spot?"

By now Sakura was far more used to damage control than she ever wanted to be. She just sighed and tripped Naruto (who ran into Sasuke) and used the same momentum to clock Sai in the back of the head, wishing she were back in the hospital (she never thought she'd hear herself think that). If she ignored Naruto's sputtering, all was peace and quiet.

Still, Sakura had to commend Sasuke for his patience. No average lady would stand for such insults. Sakura sighed to herself -- Sasuke-kun never lost his touch as the coolest ninja in the Five Countries.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Sakura's faraway look, while Naruto muttered to himself about the unfairness of it all.