I found myself looking up at the ceiling, counting the tiles for what must have been the hundredth time trying to take everything in- the situation I found myself in and who I- no, who this body was.
Haru Uchiha.
I was about 11 years old (having just turned it several months before the massacre). Evidently, I was born on March 21st, on the Vernal Equinox. I assume this is why I was literally named "Spring". I suppose our parents weren't too creative considering the fact that they named my older brother after water. Which speaking of, my older brother was actually someone of note, especially to the plot of the entire manga.
Funny enough, it was Sasuke that told me most of these things. It just so happened that the Hokage had a "meeting" that he could "absolutely not miss". More than likely, he just didn't want to stick around for the inevitable awkward retelling of my life.
What a chicken.
Anyway as I was saying before I sidetracked myself, I was 11 years old and had already graduated from the Academy before being accepted as an apprentice to one of the officers of the Military Police, Inabi Uchiha. He had been a straightforward kind of man, not one for subtleties and was actually fairly powerful in his own right. Of course when Itachi massacred the clan, he was among the dead, so I'm out a Sensei. Pity.
Well, at least I don't have to attend the academy anymore. I mean sure the material would have been interesting… for about a week. Then it would've likely just turned into the standard school experience of: study, tests, homework, and boredom.
You know,the typical school experience.
All in all, I was apparently the typical Uchiha according to Sasuke; that is to say, I was top of my class, awesome, extremely good at what I did, and a loyal and loving clan member. Granted, Sasuke is six years old, so his interpretation of things might have been a little skewed- especially since it's a given that he wouldn't pick up on the subtleties and politics within the clan.
Anyway, based off Sasuke's description of me prior to the massacre, I assumed that I was very likely arrogant, had a holier-than-thou attitude. Sure I guess my former self was nice to Sasuke, but then again, he was a kid and Uchiha tend to promote unity within the clan. It certainly would've helped that currying the favor of the clan leader's kid wasn't a bad idea and that our brothers were extremely close.
In any case it wasn't hard to guess that I wasn't placed on a genin team for a mixture of reasons, the first of which was probably to "keep me pure as an Uchiha". Of course being an Uchiha also meant that I likely inherited the semi-god complex, which meant that I probably didn't play well with others. Of course the increasing tension between the Uchiha and the village probably helped to contribute to this as well. While it wasn't toosurprising that I inherited many of the flaws that the Uchiha are (unfortunately) renowned for, it was a little shocking that I became such a typical Uchiha given who my elder brother all, he had ended up dying as one of the most loyal, selfless shinobi Konoha ever had.
Yeah, if it wasn't a giveaway from what I said earlier, my older brother was THE Shisui Uchiha. You know, the Uchiha that basically helped shape Itachi? He also had the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan ability, Kotoamatsukami that could subtly rearrange your memories around to the benefit of the wielder? So on top of all that, Shisui was basically a legend in the making, having already faced down Ao and a squad of Kiri ninjas while still coming out ahead. Yeah, that Shisui Uchiha.
Yeah, that was kind of a bombshell in itself.
So in spite of Shisui being my older brother, my former self seemed to fall prey to the curse of hatred and that insufferable pride that the Uchiha were known for. I wonder if that meant that I was also involved with the massacre or if I was left blissfully unaware.
Either scenario didn't sound too appealing to me.
Although it was more likely that I'd be left out, given the fact that I was barely 11 and just a few months after I had graduated from the Academy. Still, Itachi was just 13 when they asked him to start to spy on the upper echelons of the Konoha brass, so I shouldn't rule anything out.
Hm. I suppose this means I could potentially be suspect to being a traitor like the rest of my clan. While Itachi vouched for Sasuke's innocence, I have no idea if he did the same for me. I'd like to think he did, otherwise I'd probably be lacking eyes right now. Well, hopefully the Hokage will be soft on me because I'm still a child, I just lost my "family", and it's certainly helpful that throughout the series (prior to his death) Hiruzen Sarutobi was a big supporter of letting children enjoy their childhood.
So as the Hokage was making his esca- I mean while he was leaving to go to his very important "meeting", he happened to mention that we'll discuss my situation once I'm cleared for service. Whether that means another apprenticeship or me being placed with other genin, I wasn't way, it will be rough. After all, I essentially have to relearn a decade's worth of chakra manipulation, muscle memory, and general knowledge.
Unfortunately, this whole situation is a double edged blade. Of course it's nice knowing that I was at the very least an above average genin born to a powerful clan, but this means that great things are expected of me. I'm one of three (four if you count Obito) remaining Uchiha in the world. The Uchiha were powerful, they were intelligent, and above all, they were prideful. Even bearing in mind the "amnesia" I have, I'm still expected to act a certain way and I have a reputation that precedes me.
Lovely.
However, before I can formulate an idea as to how to go about surviving this war-torn and forsaken world, something it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I'm Shisui Uchiha's younger brother. I'm one of two remaining loyal Uchiha. I can't just skate by in the background and hope that things go well.
I'm actually going to be relevant to the plot.
Shit.
SHIT.
This is bad.
My mere existence actually completely and utterly ruins everything.
Sasuke isn't alone anymore. He may not have the drive or ambition to kill Itachi. He may not defect to Orochimaru.
Hell, he may not even get the cursed mark.
Furthermore, Naruto connected with Sasuke BECAUSE he was alone.
If Sasuke isn't alone anymore, then Naruto may not connect with him. If that's the case, Naruto may not develop his work ethic and drive, whichmeans he may not become the Naruto that'll eventually go on to save the entire world.
He won't have that drive to bring Sasuke back. He won't have that drive to become someone strong enough to protect Konoha.
If that doesn't happen, we're suddenly out one "Child of Prophecy" to stop the impending threat of Akatsuki, Obito, Madara, and Kaguya.
Plus that whole clan of Ōtsutsuki that seems to be hell-bent on destroying Earth for some reason.
Without Sasuke and Naruto, this world is completely and utterly doomed.
Yep, my existence is bad. Like really, really, REALLY bad.
Okay. Stop.
Relax.
Breathe.
After taking several deep breaths, I stopped panicking and began thinking. How will I fix this? How do I keep the plot intact while still making it appear that I'm doing my duty?Well… the bigger question is whether or not I'd want to keep the plot intact. I mean, who says Sasuke can't be powerful in Konoha? He was a prodigy even before the massacre having learned the Fireball Jutsu in a week…while he was 7 years old. That's an impressive feat no matter who you ask. Furthermore, if his brother could become legendary whilst staying in Konoha, why can't he?
Of course this whole argument pretty much circles back to Naruto. He is after all, the son of the Yellow Flash and the Red-Hot Habanero. Even with his pedigree notwithstanding, he was the Child of Prophecy, the Savior of this World, and of course Konoha's Number One Hyperactive, Knuckleheaded Ninja. His growth was dictated by Sasuke. If Sasuke's not quite so alone, then how will this affect Naruto? Will Naruto have that same attitude, that same drive? Of course the ever-looming threat of Akatsuki is present, but can I say for sure whether or not he'll be as motivated?
The best I can think of is a maybe. I mean I could argue that with Sasuke still in Konoha, Naruto is more driven to protect his precious people. If he's more driven to do that, then the ambition and drive might still stay the same. Although on the other hand his growth during the original series was monumental, pretty much to the point of catching up to Sasuke within a few short months. I'd have no doubt that if they continued at the same pace; Naruto would have been able to surpass my younger cousin.
I bit my lip in frustration. The issue when it comes to theorizing like this is that ultimately you don't know how they'll play out. A linear and one dimensional story, is now something I'm forced to live in and interact with on a daily basis. After all, the smallest change can make giant ripples. For all I know, I could talk to someone on the street, a fellow shinobi, making him late to report for a mission, making their team late on moving out, thereby making them barely miss an Iwa patrol unit, saving their lives in the process. Of course the inverse of that could happen and I could cause a squad to die.
Oof, I sound like Omoi with all the paranoid theorizing.
Not that it was a bad thing. All the same, trying to plan too much can lead to my downfall. After all, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
At some point during my musings, I must have drifted off because when I awoke, I could see a little bit of sun starting to creep up from over the Hokage Monument. There weren't many sounds yet, so it must have been relatively early, even for a village full of shinobi as I suspect I'd certainly hear a lot more commotion both from the outside and inside of the hospital.I decided to prop myself up so that I was in a sitting position and decided to just lay the cards out. I'm gonna hash out a battle plan so I know how to approach things. Looking around I noticed that for a Hospital Room, this was pretty nice and spacious. The walls looked to be freshly painted, the curtains separating the beds looked new and there were two beds. I guess being one of the last surviving Uchiha had its perks. Speaking of, the second bed was now occupied by Sasuke. I looked at him as he slept, seemingly content, and any resolve I might have had to ignore him or let him fend for himself started slipping away. How can I look at myself in the mirror knowing that I could stop Sasuke from suffering that grisly and torturous fate?
For better or for worse, Sasuke was family. I can't knowingly turn him away or hope he grows to go down the path of an avenger like Itachi had been so desperate to force upon him.
Perhaps it was because I was raised with a strong belief that a family's love is one of the strongest forces out there, but I found my resolve shaping up to make sure Sasuke grows strong, to make sure he has a family. To be that brother that Itachi unfortunately no longer can be.
After spending a few minutes taking in Sasuke's relative peace, my mind started to work again. It's probably for the best if I didn't let anyone in on the fact that I'm not "of this world" and have potential future knowledge. The thought flitted across my mind of telling the Hokage, but in all honesty that's probably way too risky. What guarantee is there that there won't be eavesdroppers or that he wouldn't divulge this information to his teammates, or worse, Danzō?
I let out a bit of a snarl. Danzō Shimura. He's a venerable elder, a decorated war veteran andalso happens to be the literal embodiment of Konoha's darkness. He's also the leader of the technically illegal but tolerated Anbu army, course Danzō plays a vital role by allowing Konoha to maintain its innocence while taking care of its dirty was the one who helped and manipulated the leader of Ame, Hanzō, into destroying the organization that only sought peace in their homeland, Akatsuki. Well, they're not so peaceful anymore, especially considering Obito was able to exploit Nagato and Konan's pain and agony and twist that into creating an organization that's ultimate goal was the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Of course no sane human could possibly imagine the consequences of their actions would reach that far but nevertheless it's hard to see him as anything but villainous. However, a thought suddenly hit me: he was the one responsible for the subjugation and alienation of the Uchiha; he was the one responsible for the clan's demise! As I recalled more and more about Danzō, anger began to course through me. Suddenly everything around me became extremely lucid as I couldn't help but let out another snarl.
That goddamn old bastard. HE WAS THE ONE THAT STOPPED MY BROTHER FROM PREVENTING THE COUP! HE KILLED SHISUI!
However, as quickly as the anger came, the anger flitted away. I calmed down and everything began to return to normal. I unclenched my fists (without realizing that I had even clenched them in the first place) and took a deep breath. That was certainly…strange. I lost control of my emotions rather quickly. It makes me wonder whether or not those were the emotions of me or this body. Perhaps a small part of Haru still exists. After all, why would I get so emotional over the death of a person I had no relation to or that I had threadbare knowledge about? Perhaps Haru and I simply… melded together. Perhaps my mind was simply stronger and ended up absorbing his or something to that effect. Whatever the case may be, I should be more wary of emotional outbursts. I have a bad habit of letting my anger cloud my judgment and ultimately I make an irrational misstep that almost always ends up costing me.
After calming down some more, I returned to my original thoughts or rather the person they were about; Danzō. The fact is, is that he is a problem, and likely one I should deal with, if for nothing else, to punish him for everything he's done. Although, my biggest concern regarding him was the confrontation between him and Shisui.
Yes… As Shisui was about to use his Sharingan to persuade the Uchiha to stop the coup d'état, Danzō attacked and took his left eye. Of course shortly after, he met with Itachi and imparted his right eye onto him so as to stop Danzō from recovering the eye. He unfortunately committed suicide soon after that and in doing so unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan for Itachi. I could understand Danzō's rationale of course; if Shisui was able to use it on the entirety of the clan, then who's to say he wouldn't continue and eventually down the line go rogue, or use it on the higher-ups of Konoha. It's a weak rationale that was probably just used to cover-up the fact that he wanted that power himself, but I can certainly see the concern there. Nevertheless, the fact remains; Danzō has one of Shisui's eyes. Perhaps I was being a realist or perhaps I was simply being selfish, but I needed to get that eye.
I'm willing to assume that at some point down the line, I'll unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan. Not a pretty thought to be hopeful about, but if I'm going to survive, I need every tool at my disposal. However, using is going to be an issue, because the more I use it the more I lose it. I'll eventually go blind if I overuse the Mangekyō so the most ideal situation then would be to hope that Itachi would feel guilty enough to pass onto me Shisui's eye instead of giving it to Naruto to use for a failsafe against Sasuke, should he go rogue. Then the only issue would be to get the other eye from Danzō. Of course it won't be that simple, as I doubt someone would willingly pass on something that gives you monumental power to sway others, but the fact of the matter is that I need both of Shisui's eyes in order to achieve the final step: the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. With that… I'll be able to use Susanoo, Amatarasu and whatever else comes with it. With that… I'll be able to survive when shit hits the fan and everyone gets power-ups left and right. I don't really fancy the idea of dying again so this should be my end-goal. Then at least I'll be able to help Naruto and Sasuke when they take on Kaguya.
I groaned out loud putting my head in my hands. In order to survive I'll have to begin training, doubly so if anything to make up for lost time. In my past life, I wasn't athletic- like at all. I was scrawny so I was able to run fast, but that was about it and even then I had little to no stamina to back that up. I subscribed to the theory of brain over brawn and as such never really saw a point in athletics. It also didn't help that again, I was super scrawny. I think if given the choice I would need some sort of tutor at first then join a genin team. It would definitely help to have other people watching my back on C-Ranked missions or higher, because as far as I'm concerned, anything can happen now. For all I know, Naruto could take a stray kunai to the head, and that's the end of everything. I'll have to ensure that I become powerful, by any means necessary.
After all, I was Haru Uchiha, younger brother to Shisui Uchiha and one of the two remaining, loyal Uchiha. This world will change, I will survive and I will become powerful.
No matter what the cost is.
(A/N): Well here's the newest chapter. Apologies if it seems overly angsty or too centric on the thoughts. I thought this would serve as a good chapter to basically get most of Haru's introspection out of the way (hence the name of the chapter), establish goals that Haru would like to accomplish, and hopefully illuminate some of Haru's characteristics… good and bad. He's determined, he's loyal, but he's prideful, arrogant, and ultimately selfish. I do want to say this though: just because Haru thinks something's going to happen, doesn't mean it will necessarily happen. I'm personally a big fan of "cause and effect" when it comes to story-telling, that is to say, something Haru does now, will have an effect later on. Despite this being a SI OC, you should probably expect that Haru will make mistakes, he will come out ahead at times and behind in others. Yes, I plan on making my character (and the other characters as well) suffer, they'll pay consequences for their actions and ripples will be made. After all, that's life isn't it?
Also, I'm not quite sure anyone really cares about this, but for the intents of this fic, Shisui would be roughly 16-17 at the time of his death. A lot of people assume that he's the same age as Itachi, but after reading the passage of when they met from Itachi Shinden, and the general timeline (specifically when he fought Ao from Kiri), it seemed to make sense that he's a little bit older than Itachi. That would make the age difference between Haru and Shisui about 5-6 years and the age difference between Itachi and Shisui about 3 years. Probably not a big deal in the scale of things but, I thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who was mildly curious.
Lastly, I would sincerely appreciate some criticism. This is my first attempt at storytelling through writing (that is to say this is my first time trying to write creatively) and I feel like I'm missing the mark at points but hitting at others… So any criticism would be greatly appreciated- good or bad.
With that… DZFlash out.
