Another stupidly long chapter. 10,000. Again. Instead of writing my paper, I did this. What am I doing . . .
Two notes that will be reiterated at the bottom.
ON THEIR AGES. I'm making Sasuke/Ace two years younger than canon. He's 18 in my fic. The reason why, is because I don't want Naruto to be too old. By 20, I feel like he'd make Hokage, even without Sasuke pushing him so hard to grow stronger. The gap between Sasuke and Luffy's ages is decreased by one year. So Luffy's 16. Good? Good.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Ace's top priority is Luffy, and his decisions reflect that . . .
Though I didn't get to responding to everyone's reviews, I want to thank them and be more receptive this time around.
So thank you,
shinxshinx1595, KingSuno, WDW, Black Night Wolf, guest (04/24/15), Hikari Kaiya, Royiah, Allykrau, Bloodybel, and Mistress Belfray.
I appreciate every word!
Now the fic!
Chapter 3: Around the World
"Ace."
Sasuke frowns and bats at the hand that's poking him. He's really not in the mood for Marco's antics. He's tired. Sasuke can barely remember being so tired.
"Ace."
Not Marco, but Luffy. That's great because Sasuke is in even less of a mood to deal with his energetic little brother.
"Ace."
But what is Luffy doing here in the first place? Shouldn't he be with his crew?
"Ace."
And the fourth time is the charm. He shoots straight up, memories filtering through his mind rapidly.
"L-Luffy," he utters, staring around desperately for his brother who is kneeling beside him not even a foot away. He looks like he's in bad shape. Bruises cover the vast majority of his body, and bandages hide whatever else there is. Over all, Luffy just looks utterly exhausted. But so, so, so alive. Ignoring the protests of his body, Sasuke leans over and covers his brother with a hug which the younger desperately responds to. Luffy's hands weakly tremble against his bare back. It's painful for both of them, but Sasuke is still shaking because that had been close. He almost lost Luffy and that— God, Sasuke can't fathom that. But they didn't die, either of them. The fact that both of them dodged Akainu's fatal attack is something worth celebrating, but Sasuke feels the sharp edges of fear festering in the back of his mind. Because what about everyone else? His crew? His nakama? As his little brother slowly pulls away, Sasuke shoves those thoughts to the back of his mind for the moment. Luffy's survival takes precedence at the moment. Sasuke needs to figure out where they are and where he can get help for his battered little brother.
His brows knit as he remembers how exactly they got here. If it wasn't a dream, if it really happened, then he really—
And it's true. Sasuke looks around at their surroundings, because for the first time in decades he can feel the chakra in the air, feel it moving in his body. The tenketsu that had been dormant for so long have finally blown open and he quickly channels the energy to his eyes. The world changes shapes, and everything is sharper than ever before, and yes, yes, he can access his Sharingan again!
His stomach sinks though as he examines the territory around him, taking in the endemic trees and the wide dirt path nearby. Yeah. This is familiar too. Of all the places to land—
"Ace! You have cool eye things!" Luffy exclaims, and Sasuke shakes his head. Of all the things to ask . . .
"I know that, Luffy. It's called the Sharingan."
"Starry eyes!"
Sasuke blinks. That . . . he did not know. His eyes shouldn't be stars. It could be the Mangekeyou, but the only eyes he's ever seen were Itachi's pinwheels— a sudden memory of Shisui's clan lectures reminds him that all Mangekyou are different. If so, then it isn't impossible . . .
Could he really have activated the Mangekeyou without even realizing it? The requirements to activate the Mangekyou (extreme emotional stress and trauma) were certainly reached, he thinks to himself bitterly. It isn't impossible nor necessarily unbelievable. If they have traveled dimensions like he suspects (dreads), then it must be true. Ninja training 101 hits him suddenly and he checks quickly while his eyes are active for genjutsu, but doesn't find a single sign. That's good. Except for the part where he wants this to be a genjutsu. Sasuke could really do with having the world around them being an illusion. His energy fails him and he lets the technique fade away.
"Ne, where are we?" Luffy asks, craning his head and examining the deciduous forest curiously.
Sasuke is about 100% sure, but jumps up to the top of one of the trees anyways. His body screams at him, but he pads his joints with a little chakra and powers through. Sadly, his suspicions are entirely correct. In the distance he finds a very familiar village waiting for him. Letting out a sigh, Sasuke jumps back down the tree and lands in front of his brother.
"Ace?"
"Right now, we're in a different world," Sasuke begins reluctantly.
Luffy nods in perfect understanding. "Like the Rainbow place."
"What?"
"There was this awesome waterfall that took us to a different dimension. It was so cool!" Luffy crows.
Sasuke stares at his little brother for a minute before saying slowly, "Yes, like that then. We're somewhere different."
"Where?"
"A hundred miles away from Konohagakure." And if that isn't the most unpleasant surprise he's ever gotten.
"The village hidden in the trees?"
"Village Hidden in the Leaves," Sasuke corrects automatically.
"That's what I said."
"No it wasn't— look, Luffy, I'm going to need you to stay quiet while I figure out what to do next."
Luffy hesitates, perhaps sensing the seriousness of the matter. He nods. "Can I sleep, then? I think I might crash soon . . ."
"Yeah, definitely. When you wake up, we'll set up a game plan, okay?"
"Okay," Luffy says, lowering himself to the ground inches from Sasuke. The older brother lays on the ground too. There's enough foliage for Sasuke to relax his guard slightly. No one's looking for two battered, dimension-hopping pirates lying on the forest floor among the bushes. Besides that, they aren't doing anything illegal. Suspicious maybe, but nothing against the law. Luffy edges closer to him and Sasuke accepts the silent request and pulls his little brother close to him, tucking his head below Sasuke's chin. Luffy lets out a shuddery breath, reminding Sasuke once again that his brother has had one hell of a day . . . it makes Sasuke more determined to puzzle his way out of this.
Hopefully he'll have a conclusion that doesn't involve letting anyone in this world know he's here; that goes double for Konohagakure. He'd like to keep away from that bunch if possible. Sasuke supposes though, that even if they find him, the chances of them recognizing him are minimal. How many years have passed here since he's been gone? He'll likely be too old or too young for them to recognize him. Beyond that though, he changed a lot in the other world. The tan and tattoos alone will set them off. Not to mention the freckles, his mother's freckles . . .
Sasuke shakes his head. He needs to focus.
So, he's back in the shinobi world due to the Mangekeyou Sharingan. Logically, if he wants to go back, he should use the Mangekeyou Sharingan again . . .
Using his last bit of chakra, he activates the kaleidoscope eyes once more. The world shifts. He tries to think about his and Luffy's world, the one filled with pirates, the one with Marco, and Vista, and Izou, and Jinbe, and everyone else, and— and nothing changes. Sasuke grits his teeth and tries again, summoning every image of his home that he can think of, but to no avail. He doesn't know how to access the interdimensional aspect of the Mangekeyou. It isn't as simple as he hoped it would be. Letting out a pained exhale, he dismisses the jutsu to avoid collapsing from chakra exhaustion.
So, how is he going to get Luffy and himself back to where they belong? Right now, he has no idea.
Loathe as he is to admit it, he needs help figuring out the Mangekyou. Not that he'll be receiving any. Sasuke snorts. The only Uchiha left in the world is Itachi, and a meeting with him is the last thing Sasuke wants right now. Now that he thinks about it though, there is another source of information, but it makes Sasuke's stomach drop with dread.
The Uchiha library is packed with diaries and journals. Though he's read most everything at his disposal, there are some books and journals that are restricted by an age seal, meant to be saved until the Uchiha member comes of age. Sasuke wasn't old enough when he left for Orochimaru. At eighteen years now, he's more than ready . . . well fuck. If Sasuke wants to go home, he'll have to return to the one place he promised never to go back to. He forcibly dismisses his repugnance. There's no point in dwelling on personal vows made a lifetime ago. Getting back is key. He refuses to stay in this world, and keeping Luffy here, in a place so deprived of grand adventures and his nakama, isn't even worth considering. If getting them both home involves going back to the village, he'll suck it up. In the long term, it'll pay off.
With that in mind, Sasuke quickly cycles through possibilities. He can't force his way in, he knows that, because he isn't strong enough to fight, get to the library, and then hold off innumerable ninja while he peruses the clan's archive. Sasuke needs time. Sneaking in is also equally as ridiculous. His genjutsu skills are seriously rusty and his chakra is low. Getting in there and past the Anbu would be a miracle in and of itself. Getting in there with Luffy would be a veritable sign from god that Sasuke is a goddamn saint . . . which he very clearly isn't. Not to mention the fact that Luffy needs medical attention as soon as possible if he's going to survive the night. They need to get into the village— and soon.
That leaves going in, convincing Tsunade, or whoever the hell is in charge, that he is in fact Sasuke Uchiha, not quite as dead as he should be, and then enact his privileges as one of the main clan heads. He's old enough to take control of the estate now. After that, it would just be a matter of inducting Luffy into the clan to extend his rights, and then going through the books in the library all while dodging every one of the rookie-nine to the best of his abilities. Of all the options, this is the most wretched. He'd rather fight for his life any day over this. But it's the best option for Luffy.
Speaking of, Luffy isn't looking too well. His brother's eyes are darting beneath his eyelids and he's broken into a sweat. No doubt a nightmare. Considering everything Luffy's seen in the past 24 hours, it doesn't surprise Sasuke in the slightest. Though it's only been ten or fifteen minutes, Sasuke carefully nudges his little brother, trying to wake him as gently as possible. Right now Luffy has a death grip on him. One wrong twist, and Luffy will likely break some of the ribs Sasuke cracked in the battle of Marineford.
"Luffy, Lu," Sasuke says softly.
"Ace," Luffy whimpers, not fully coherent.
"Luffy, its okay, I'm right here. I need you to wake up though, okay?"
Though his grip tightens minutely, his eyes open slowly.
"Ace," he murmurs sleepily, relaxing his arms.
"Luffy." Sasuke exhales as he realizes that the biggest hurdle in this is telling Luffy the truth. He stands up, pulling his brother with him. He keeps an arm on his shoulder to keep him steady.
"We need to go somewhere safe so we can patch you up," Sasuke says. Luffy, though exhausted, nods.
"Before that, there's some things you should know," Sasuke begins. And fuck. How does one tell their brother that they're from a different dimension and that reincarnation is a thing? He starts the only way he can think of.
"I'm not really completely Ace."
"What do you mean?" Luffy tilts his head. "Are you possessed by a ghost?"
"What? No. I— I've lived a past life. Here. In this world. Before I was Ace, I mean."
"If you weren't Ace, who were you?"
"My name was Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke admits for the first time, and it feels nice to get it off his chest, although his mounting anxiety doesn't do him any good.
"Sasuke . . ." Luffy echoes, trying it out, and god it's weird hearing Luffy say that name.
"Yeah, that was my name. I was reincarnated into our world as Portgas — I honestly have no idea why, but it's the truth."
Luffy looks confused, but Sasuke proceeds anyways, too nervous about his brother's reaction to stop.
"There are a few other things you need to know. In this world there aren't really pirates. This world has much less water, so people basically spend their entire lives on land instead."
Luffy's eyes go big.
"I know, sad isn't it?" Sasuke says. "Instead of pirates, they have ninja, or shinobi." Sasuke proceeds to explain the mechanics of the shinobi world and how the economy works here. Once he finishes his very brief, very simplified version, he closes it by saying, "I was once a shinobi of Konohagakure."
"The tree place," Luffy mumbles.
"Leaves," Sasuke corrects.
"And you were like a fighter person for money? Like a mercenary!"
"Yes, but not really. The art of being a shinobi has a very illustrious past full of false pride and bullshit, but you'll get that soon, because we're going to have to go back to Konohagakure."
"Eh?" Luffy asks. "Why?"
"I . . . I don't know how to get back to our world," Sasuke admits bitterly. "I'm pretty sure it was my Sharingan that got us here, so it's our best shot at getting back home."
"The stars?"
"Exactly." Sasuke sighs. "It was an accident, so I don't know the mechanics of how it works. We're going to need to look through the Uchiha archives so I can figure out a way to get us back home. They're in Konohagakure, so we have to go back to my previous village. Does this . . . does this make sense, Luffy?"
Luffy nods determinedly. "Yep. Which way?"
Sasuke blinks. Once. Twice.
"Seriously, you're going to accept it just like that? That I'm a different person?!"
"Yeah. I mean, you're still Ace, right?" Luffy points out simply.
"Of course, but I've been keeping this massive secret from you this whole time!" Sasuke runs an anxious hand through his hair. Luffy smiles.
"That's okay. You're Ace. Even if you're also Sasuke or whoever it's okay. Cause he's part of Ace, right? He's Ace too, so that's good." Luffy shrugs. "Besides, I'm just glad I got to meet Ace. And that includes all of whoever you are. All of Ace is good."
Sasuke exhales a pained breath and has to fights down the tears. The conflicting but warm emotions building in his chest slowly evaporate the anxiety, the dread, and the shame that's been growing in his marrow for the past eight years. Because he was too weak to share before, too afraid of rejection, too afraid of damaging to their bond; both because he'd hidden it for so long, and because of who he was before . . . But he realizes that he shouldn't have been afraid. Because Luffy met Sasuke at his lowest point, so filled with anger and self-loathing that all he wanted was for the world to burn. And Luffy loved Sasuke anyways. And now that's he's grown up, gotten stronger, learned about dreams and friends, Luffy continues loving him; for who he is and who he has been. And he shouldn't have been afraid because Sasuke is Ace. He hasn't kept his personality separate or pretended to be someone else. That realization makes him feel so much lighter. Sometimes he thought about his lives separate, but it's all him, like Luffy said, isn't it?
Sasuke looks at his simple brother and sees the unassuming wisdom behind his black eyes. How does he always know what to say? How is it that he can love so endlessly? What did Sasuke ever do to deserve such a wonderful brother? There is no amount of karma in the world that could grant him someone so kind and forgiving. Sasuke rolls his shoulders as he understands the situation fully. His mission? Take care of Luffy.
"Alright, let's get going then." He pulls Luffy by the hand into their uncertain future.
It takes them a few hours to get to the gates of Konohagakure. By the time they reach those large red doors, Luffy is about ready to pass out. In fact, the first words out of Sasuke's mouth to the two male shinobi guarding the gate are,
"Water, please, do you have any water?"
The two shinobi look at each other before one gets his canteen and tosses it to Sasuke. They must look really bad if they're giving them water with no questions asked.
"Here, Luffy." Sasuke passes the canteen to his brother, who takes three large gulps before handing it back to Sasuke, who takes one moderate sip and then puts it back in Luffy's hands. Luffy takes another drink before tossing it to Sasuke.
"Luffy." Sasuke is not in the mood. "Drink the water."
"You need water too, Ace," Luffy protests, pouting. It might've worked if Luffy didn't look so pathetic and weak.
"I'll have a little more, but you need to finish off the rest, okay?"
Luffy purses his lips before nodding. Sasuke takes a sip from the canteen before giving it to Luffy who drains the rest. Sasuke grabs the canteen and passes it to one of the shinobi, who looks like he's barely resisting laughing at their antics.
The ninja quickly regains himself and asks, "Papers?"
"Don't have any," Sasuke says bluntly.
The shinobi frowns, obviously about to tell them to scat when Sasuke says.
"But leaves are fickle things, don't you know? The only ones to know their paths are those that guard the trees."
The other ninja approaches him slowly, deceptively casually.
"How do you know those words?"
"Classified." He's going to try and pull this off like he's been undercover for a long time. The code guarantees him one message into the village to get someone down to affirm their status as members or friends of Konoha.
The second ninja twists his lips, but pulls out a small rolled bit of parchment and a pen.
"Only one."
"One is enough." Sasuke takes the roll of paper and goes to the little table set up by the entrance. He quickly pens in the secret code for the Uchiha clan that he barely remembers memorizing in case of emergency, and rolls it up.
One of the shinobi calls a bird down before taking the note and placing it in a carrying case.
Sasuke exhales and waits. The message will be scanned by the communications department of course for seals, information, or any kind of code. In this case, after unravelling the secret message, they'll immediately ping the Hokage the minute they see the Uchiha code pattern. The Hokage will then read it and—
A bird lands on the table only minutes after sending the first bird off. One of the shinobi takes the letter from the pouch, but all of them already know what it says already (except Luffy). It's especially reinforced when two masked Anbu appear silently on either side of him and his little brother.
"The Hokage will see you now."
"Wonderful," he mutters to himself. After receiving a nod from Luffy confirming that his little brother will be alright for a while longer (debatable in Sasuke's opinion. Luffy should be freaking out over the ninja's special appearances, but Luffy is evidently too drained to do even that), the brothers head up the main street of the village and towards the largest building. Sasuke checks the mountain, ambivalent to see that there are five familiar heads on the mountain. It's incredibly likely that it'll be Tsunade that will be entertaining them today. Fuck. She hates Sasuke. He sort of hoped that the old lady had died and that Kakashi would have taken over. His chances would be much better if that was the case.
Glancing over at his weary brother, he knows he just has to suck it up. Their lives depend on his success. If Tsunade doesn't believe him, then they'll both be interrogated and then executed. He sighs. As ironic as it would be to get executed after all of this, for Luffy's sake, he'll avoid the gallows to the best of his ability. Fuck knows what Luffy would do to save him this time. Crazy idiot.
It's painfully clear, that while it's been over eighteen years since he's been here, time has not passed as quickly. Considering the Mangekyou is a time-space jutsu that isn't too surprising, though it is unsettling to see the village almost exactly as he remembers it.
As they walk, Sasuke examines his escorts. One is rather familiar . . . ah. The long purple-blue hair. It's very, very likely that Hinata is one of the ones transferring him. If she made Anbu, then she's likely at least eighteen, if not older. He cautiously estimates that three or four years have passed since he's been gone. The other ninja is a male with short black hair, not Shikamaru, so someone else then. Someone he's never met before, perhaps. One meeting with a rookie-nine down, now seven more to avoid.
All too soon they reach the Hokage's tower. Their escorts lead them all the way up to the doors, leaving Sasuke to knock. Taking a deep breath, he raps the door three times.
"Come in."
He steels himself for what's ahead. This isn't going to be easy.
Tsunade's morning hasn't been the best so far. First off, she's hung over. Jiraiya was in town last night, and the two friends spent all night and morning catching up over multiple bottles of sake. Her headache is only fading now, and that's with chakra and supplements. She really needs to dedicate some time to doing further research on a hangover alleviating technique. Or maybe a jutsu to give enemies hangovers. That would be a formidable technique indeed . . .
"Lady Tsunade, do you— do you think that the code is genuine?"
The second reason for her rotten morning is on envoy even as she speaks. Supposedly she should be expecting a member of the Uchiha clan if she's to believe the code. As if. Sakura's probing of the issue really does nothing for her temper, but Tsunade indulges her anyways.
"No. I don't." Tsunade calls bullshit, and is fully prepared to unleash her hangover driven frustrations on the idiotic stranger who thought it would be fun to imitate a dead clan. Normally the imposter would be sent straight to TI, but Tsunade's in a rotten mood, and the code she received was the most pressing, serious code any clan can use. She would be remiss not to entertain her guest for a few minutes before knocking their head into the carpet. No, this has nothing to do with the fact that her apprentice is incredibly upset by the matter. Tsunade just feels a very natural urge to crack skulls. And she is sort of obliged to investigate this matter personally. It's incredibly serious . . .
"Who would do something like this though?" Sakura asks softly.
Tsunade groans inwardly. This is still a touchy subject for her apprentice, even though it was four years ago. She keeps her face neutral though.
"Someone with a poor sense of humor and a death wish. The crime for impersonating a clansman is execution."
Sakura grips the folders she's holding a tad tighter. The two are sitting in Tsunade's mess of an office, spending the day filing away reports. Taking on Sakura has been a wise decision, if only for her organizational capabilities. On the other hand . . . Sakura's sensitivity really is her greatest strength and weakness. Today, it fits under the latter category.
Before Tsunade has a chance to say anything encouraging mixed with a mild reprimand, there's a knock at the door. Three raps, in fact. Sakura rises and stands behind her sensei deferentially. Despite her best efforts, the Hokage can still feel her nervous upset. Tsunade just barely resists cracking her knuckles anticipatorily.
"Come in," she calls.
Two men filter in, followed by her faithful Anbu. Men might be a generous term. Teenagers, fits better. One of which can't be older than sixteen. And that's generous. The other could be nineteen or twenty, with a completely developed body and physique which is on full display. He sports shorts and little else, fully displaying the mildly humorous tattoo on his arm. Her dry amusement is tempered by the fact they've obviously both been through hell in the past 24 hours. The youngest of the group looks just about ready to pass out. There's a familiar stubbornness in his eyes though that tells Tsunade that he won't be going down while he has an ounce of strength in his body.
Both boys get one or two reluctantly given points in their favor when neither of them spares a glance to her boobs. The amount of time it takes people to ogle her chest usually is a good test of character. Maybe this time is a fluke though. She can practically feel Sakura's tenseness from behind her as both teens stand casually before the strongest person in the village.
"Hello. I hear you're in need of assistance," Tsunade starts, deceptively calm.
"That's accurate." The oldest of the pair steps forward, placing himself between her and the younger.
"And I understand you're invoking emergency clan rights to bypass normal systems of entry into the village, correct?" She laces her fingertips together.
"Also accurate." He oozes subtle sarcasm, and she just wants to knock the calm expression off his face.
"And under which clan shall I be filing this?"
"The Uchiha clan," he says. "But you already know that."
"Indeed. The code you used is very clearly one given to the Uchiha clan. I'm just curious how an outsider like you received it. Are you perhaps a past associate of Sasuke Uchiha?"
The Anbu behind them tense imperceptibly. Anyone associated with Sasuke has to be dangerous or at least mentally unstable (if empirics are to be believed).
"Not to my knowledge." His words are sardonic while the younger's face turns confused. Tsunade immediately knows that if dealing with the older teen gets too complicated, she can get to the younger one easily. His face is an open book with bold lettering. But that's plan b.
She snorts dryly. "Well you certainly have the arrogance that goes with the Uchiha clan."
"So I've been told."
"Please, just tell us who you are already and save us all some time."
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he utters emotionlessly.
Tsunade's mouth opens, and she hears Sakura spluttering behind her. The two Anbu's posture has gone from tense to tenser. In the center of all of this stands the two teens, looking largely unaffected.
"Pull the other one," Tsunade says once she regains herself. "You're no Uchiha!"
The Sasuke-wannabe lets out a sigh. "How can I prove this to you?"
"You can't," she deadpans. "Rabbit, Snake." She nods to the Anbu.
Unbothered, the teen continues, "Maybe with the Sharingan?"
As he speaks, dual wheels enter his previously black eyes. Three tomoe lie in each in red irises, spinning ominously. Rabbit and Snake immediately jump back, pulling up kunai.
"It can't be," Sakura exhales behind her.
"It can't be," Tsunade confirms with a growl, signaling her Anbu to stand down. "Eyes can be transplanted you know."
The teenager actually subtly rolls his Sharingan eyes at her. "Fine. Then I could tell you all about my life. My favorite food was tomatoes. My goal after leaving the academy was to 'kill a certain person.' Sakura or Kakashi can confirm that one."
"No way." Sakura shakes her head, but her eyes are wide.
"Mind transfer," Tsunade counters.
"The chidori," the teen offers, letting the Sharingan fade.
"Sasuke could have taught it to you."
Not-Sasuke looks so perfectly, familiarly irritated, that Tsunade wants to punch the expression away. He bites his lip uncertainly for a moment.
"A chakra test? I don't know if it'll match considering I'm . . . different," he hedges, sticking out his hand. "But it's worth a try."
Tsunade grabs a nearby kunai, and with little delicacy, makes a cut across his finger. The younger of the pair tenses at her action, looking angry, and she raises an eyebrow. He looks about ready to pass out. He isn't thinking about challenging her, is he?
"Luffy," the elder says without turning away from Tsunade. The younger, Luffy, exhales and relaxes his posture. His eyes are defiant though. Tsunade shakes her head as she wipes the blood with her handkerchief and then hands it to her apprentice.
"Class SS," she says shortly. The pink haired kunoichi nods and spares the elder dark haired teen one last look before exiting out the window.
"In case that doesn't work, is there any other way I can convince you?" he asks, maybe a tad desperately. Good. He should be desperate, Tsunade thinks.
"No. Even if that comes back positive, that's not going to convince me." Probably not. Chakra doesn't lie . . . but it isn't going to come back positive anyways.
"Well, then can you grant Luffy immunity?" not-Sasuke asks. "He has nothing to do with any of this."
Tsunade blinks at the request before examining the younger. Whoever he is to him, he's important to the older teen. This is getting too complicated.
"Why should I do that?" she asks with narrow eyes. "At the very least he's a foreigner who lied to get into the village."
"I held him hostage," wannabe-Sasuke lies. Poorly. From the look in his eyes, he knows it's a useless lie too. It's clear to all of them that the two are good friends at the very least.
"Not buying it." She needs a drink. Her hand wanders towards the sake under her desk.
"Fine. Grant Luffy immunity, and I'll donate my eyes to science after you execute me."
Tsunade's hand freezes before she reaches the bottle. Her head snaps up towards the teen.
"Now I know you aren't Sasuke Uchiha. No way in hell would he ever grant his eyes, his clan eyes, to dissection!" she shouts.
"I would if the reason are important enough," he replies quietly, intensely.
"What? Execution?! No!" The younger looks confused and entirely unhappy.
"Later, Luffy. Do not fight me on this," he says in a tone that brooks no argument.
"After we execute you, we can take your eyes anyways." She relishes the look of hatred and disgust on his face. "You have no clan affiliations to protect your body. You're a criminal at best and a terrorist at worst."
"So no matter how we slice this, I have to prove to you that I actually am Sasuke Uchiha." His lip curls.
"You can try," Tsunade clarifies. "After the chakra test comes back, Rabbit and Snake will be escorting the pair of you to Torture and Interrogation."
"This is because I'm tan, isn't it?" he asks suddenly.
"What?" She gives him a sideways look.
"That's why you don't believe me. It's because I got tan."
Tsunade coughs a little before responding incredulously. "And the tattoos, and the missing cure seal, and everything else!"
"I'm still me," he says. "Just a different version. You're focusing too much on what's changed."
"Right."
"I'll prove it."
She can tell he's about to do a jutsu and her Anbu leap forward, pressing their kunai to his throat. Unbothered, not-Sasuke pulls his hands together and makes the basic ram seal. A small cloud of smoke surrounds him. He only performed a henge, and a basic one at that, but gone are the tattoos and the dark skin tone. Aside from that everything's the same, down to the freckles. Rabbit is so startled that she removes her kunai and takes a step back.
Tsunade almost smashes her desk. Because with the more apparently similar face structure, lightened skin tone, and the tattoos vanished, he looks—
"Lady Tsunade!" Sakura pants, appearing in the window waving a folder in the air. "It's a match!" Her eyes move to the lightened version of the teen and her mouth falls open.
"Sasuke-kun— it's really you!" she exclaims, eyes watering.
"Evidently," he quips sardonically, as he nudges Snake's hand away from his throat. "I don't know how much this actually helps my case though."
"Not a lot. You're officially a missing-nin." Tsunade snatches the file from her apprentice and looks at it disgustedly. A 100% match. Blood can be faked, techniques transferred, and eyes transplanted, but chakra signatures are singular to a single person, a single soul, and this chakra matches with the one they have on record for Sasuke. Well shit. Justifying kicking him out just got ten times harder, and the revelation of who he is likely to be just makes her want to kick him out more in direct correlation.
"You went down in flames," Tsunade points out. "How exactly are we supposed to believe you cheated death? Orochimaru's jutsu?"
The henge pops, and the tan teen is back— a tan potentially-Sasuke is back.
"Would you believe me if I told you I was reborn in a different dimension and lived there up until the point I accidently transported myself here with the Mangekeyou Sharingan a few hours ago?" maybe-Sasuke asks blandly.
"No. I would not," she deadpans.
"Then this is going to be a long conversation." Possibly-Sasuke runs a hand through his chin length wavy hair. "Can we get him a chair?" He gestures to Luffy who isn't looking very well. Tsunade nods at Rabbit who leaves the room briefly and returning with two chairs. Maybe-Sasuke hovers around as Luffy gingerly takes a seat. With that done he pauses before taking a seat himself. His posture is rigid and unyielding— just like his gaze.
"Where should we start?" he asks.
"The other dimension part," she decides.
"Right. Well first off, I was reincarnated into another dimension."
"I'm still not completely sold on that."
"It's the truth." He shrugs. "You can mind-walk or whatever if you want. You're going to find that I'm telling the truth."
"Or that you were under a complex genjutsu," Tsunade challenges.
"One that tanned me?"
He has a point. It didn't look like he'd been in a coma anywhere. But time can be skewed, and it isn't impossible per se.
"Look, if I can prove my body is not of this world will you at least consider the possibility?"
"Perhaps," she says vaguely.
Possibly-Sasuke sighs before sticking his hand out. It immediately dissolves into flames. She starts at the sight. Snake and Rabbit both jump forward, but Tsunade sticks a hand out. He hasn't acted aggressively . . . yet. She pauses a moment, arranging her thoughts before she begins.
"How is this jutsu supposed to convince me?" Tsunade asks skeptically.
"Mostly it's the lack of jutsu I'm going for." He has her there with a distinct lack of handsigns, but there are other explanations. Gaara gives the impression that he's made of sand, but that's to do with the Ichibi. It isn't a tailed beast though, because Naruto holds the fire elemental beast. So how is he doing it?
Unaware of her thoughts, he carries on. "Beyond that, it isn't some shtick. My entire body is made of flames."
"You're lying."
"Throw something at me and find out. I know you're just itching to," maybe-Sasuke taunts. More than ready to take him up on his offer, she grabs her paperweight and chucks it at his head— only for it to slam into the back of the chair, breaking the wooden back support.
Possibly-Sasuke looks behind him speculatively as the flaming hole in his head closes. "You know, if I had been lying, you would have just saved me a trip to the gallows."
She growls to hide her fascination. "So you're claiming to be all fire then?"
"Yes."
"But I cut you and took your blood ten minutes ago!"
"You only touch me if I want you to. Be careful." He holds up his flaming hand and rubs his chin. "I don't want you to now."
She examines his face as he pulls the fiery appendage away. Completely unscorched. Still a little cut up, but no worse than a moment ago. Flames continue to dance leisurely on his fingertips, all without a hitch in his breathing. A full body jutsu like this would be not only difficult, but extremely taxing. Yet potentially-Sasuke doesn't look affected by the display.
"No chakra involved," he goes on to say. "Ask Hinata to check if you want."
Tsunade grits her teeth. He's playing the part perfectly; being just as annoyingly observant as she remembers. Too late to change his knowledge of her Anbu. With a small nod at Rabbit, the woman turns her mask towards the Uchiha and makes a small handsign. After a moment or two, during which maybe-Sasuke's hand burns idly, she says stiffly,
"There's no jutsu. His chakra isn't moving out."
Shit. There goes another theory. She's running low on other options.
"Tell me," he begins. "Is there anyone in this world who can be an element without using any chakra?"
The answer to that? No. But from the pleased look on his face he already knows that. He's just as rude as the Sasuke she once knew. With the physical proof before her, she struggles to deny it. There are enough similarities between the teen and Sasuke's features to draw comparisons, but the slight differences in eye shape and the freckles are enough to tell her he's different. But he's still unnaturally familiar in appearance and mannerisms. In addition, the chakra matches Sasuke's perfectly. It is him, or his soul at least. That coupled with his improbable constitution makes his claim hard to deny. He may well have been reincarnated . . . What the fuck? A potentially revived Uchiha and a religious revelation at the same time is too much for her to handle, so Tsunade just focuses on the former.
"Do I need to go on?" probably-Sasuke asks.
"Some new kind of technique just invented," she suggests.
"Let me know when you find actual evidence." He raises an eyebrow dryly. "I would like to have proof before you execute me."
"I'll be investigating this further, but for the moment I'm willing to let it drop. There are other things to focus on. Like the fact you're here," Tsunade says decisively.
"Like I said, there was a fluke with the Mangekyou. I don't know why we ended up here."
"No, I mean why did you come to the village? You've gone through a lot of trouble to get into my office, and you seemed rather reluctant to return previously." A grand understatement. "Assuming that you are Sasuke Uchiha, which I still don't fully buy, why have you returned to Konohagakure?"
"I can't say for certain I'll be able to get Luffy and I back home with my current knowledge of the Mangekyou," probably-Sasuke admits reluctantly. "I'd rather do a little research in the clan library than send us spiraling into oblivion."
Sakura makes a little sound from behind Tsunade, and the Sannin knows that she's caught on the first part of his sentence. Who cares where he thinks home is? The fact it's not here is a great relief if anything.
"Hence why you came here instead of slithering back to Orochimaru. We have the records you need," Tsunade says.
"Basically," he answers shamelessly.
"What's to stop you from defecting again when we lose our usefulness?"
"I have no desire to work with that sadist again," most-likely-Sasuke replies stiffly. "I'll say that under truth serum if you want, or you can have a Yamanaka take a peek into my mind. I'm not lying."
Tsunade wants to bang her head on her desk. She forgot how good Uchiha are at avoiding verbal traps.
"That still doesn't change the fact that you're listed as a missing-nin," Tsunade says. "Your word isn't worth shit."
"Wasn't my record expunged after I died?" likely-Sasuke asks.
"It doesn't count if you don't actually die."
"Excuse me for not being dead."
Tsunade points at him. "See this is just another thing that gets me. You're Sasuke! You don't have a sense of humor. You've been stuck in the teenage angst phase since you were seven!" Sakura nods emphatically behind her.
"I'm a bit different from the last time you saw me," he says dispassionately before rubbing his brow tiredly. Tsunade will admit that he looks damn exhausted.
"Look, I'm returning voluntarily. I'll play whatever little game you want me to play, Tsunade. I just want access to my clan rights. I don't want my status as shinobi back, I'll be a civilian. I'll sign an oath of fealty if you need me to and while I'm here you can do whatever the hell you want with me until I find a way back home."
She notes again that 'home' is clearly not here. That . . . works for Tsunade.
The Hokage quickly runs through her options. She could,
a.) Kill probably-Sasuke and hide his body.
The issues of that being finding a way to attack a person made of fire, and secondly, killing him in front of witnesses and not seeming immoral. She could also,
b.) Let him back into the village secretly, keep his presence hidden from everyone (most especially Naruto) using a fake identity.
She'd have to face all the backlash if her plan went even a little awry . . . there's also,
c.) Announce to the village that the prodigal son returned, take all the credit for bringing him back and reviving a dead clan, and gain political capital from the advisors to accomplish more of her goals.
Shit . . . there really is no contest, is there? She just hopes she won't regret her decision, and that it doesn't affect Naruto and Sakura too much. From the faint trembling coming from behind her chair, she knows the latter is already a lost cause. Not much she can do about it aside from keeping them apart. Probably-Sasuke seems willing to cooperate with that goal, if his avoidance of eye-contact with the Sakura is anything to go by.
"Alright," she says grudgingly, digging through her desk to find the right files. "This is a contract of fealty. You're in. One misstep and you're back to the gallows."
"Not a big difference," he mutters so softly Tsunade almost misses it. She narrows her eyes.
"What were you doing before this to get so beat up?"
"War." His eyes are devoid of everything as he speaks, and Tsunade automatically knows he's telling the truth. He silently takes the form from her and signs his name with practiced, clean strokes. A glance to Sakura earns her a subtle nod of confirmation. It's his signature alright. Tsunade sighs as definitely-Sasuke passes the paper back to her. He doesn't sit, but instead hovers behind the other chair that the younger teen is sitting in, who's almost dozing off.
"Now that I'm not an S ranked criminal, can we get him some medical service?"
Tsunade grunts. "I'll see him." She points to Luffy. "You're going to have to go to the hospital. Rabbit—"
"I'll wait for you to finish," Sasuke says coolly. His suspicion of her is palpable. Reflecting on how badly she wants to slam his face into the ground, it's perhaps understandable. Still, she hasn't done anything to make him expect harm will be done to Luffy . . . whoever he is. Sasuke pulls her out of her thoughts when he says,
"That reminds me; I'm also going to need the necessary paperwork to induct an outsider into the clan."
Tsunade's mind crashes for a minute before rebooting.
"Rabbit, Snake, take this imposter to TI."
Said teen lets out a growl. "Stop it already!"
"Sasuke-kun would never let an outsider into the clan," Sakura points out, conflicted.
"I would, if he's my brother!" Sasuke snaps. And Tsunade's brain crashes again.
"You can't be serious." Her voice is stern.
Sasuke nods. "This is Luffy, my little brother. Luffy, these are people who probably won't try to kill us."
The younger teen nods and waves.
"Hi."
Tsunade rubs her forehead and growls. God. As if this whole situation isn't already fucked to hell, she has another Uchiha to deal with?!
"How is this possible?" Sakura asks, eyes trained on the younger teen.
"Isn't it obvious? Different dimensions means different things."
"Is this Itachi's equivalent?" Sakura asks curiously.
She takes a step back as Sasuke levels her with a glare.
"It isn't a parallel world." His words are indescribably icy. "Luffy is no one's equivalent. He's just Luffy."
"Alright," Sakura says softly.
The council will have her head for this, but if this keeps Sasuke around, then who Tsunade to complain? They'll be too busy singing her praises to get on her ass about this. Probably.
"Alright, but you'll have to get council and clan approval and do the ritual with at least three witnesses. Until then he's your ward."
"Sure," Sasuke agrees easily. After digging for a few minutes, she reluctantly places the forms on the table. Sasuke swipes them with the barest hints of a smirk. He folds them in half before placing them in one of the pockets in his cargo pants. Tsunade still isn't entirely over seeing him dressed like this.
She shakes her head.
"Come over here, then, Luffy Uchiha," she gestures him forward.
"Treat Ace first," the kid says, stubbornly crossing his arms.
"Luffy," Sasuke growls.
"Ace?" Sakura asks.
"It's my name in the other world."
Tsunade barely covers up her laugh. It's such a common name for someone as aristocratic as Sasuke. Then again, looking at his topless tattooed form, she wonders how stately he is these days.
"I can see that." She gestures to the tattoo on his arm. "I'm just surprised that the rookie of the year misspelled it."
Luffy pauses for a few seconds before looking at his brother's tattoo. "You're right!"
"How did you not notice before?"
A look of surprise, wistfulness, and wonder crosses his face. "Is the 's' . . . I mean, is it for S—"
"Luffy, I'm not getting treated before you. You're barely even conscious. Besides, weren't you also poisoned earlier today? You need treatment," Sasuke pushes, redirecting the conversation.
"Poison?" Tsunade's eyes widen, looking for the signs: fever, nausea, shivers. Beyond the shakes from exhaustion, she can't find any typical symptoms which makes her brow furrow.
"Iva-chan fixed it!" Luffy protests.
"Tsunade, please look at my younger brother."
It could use an honorific or at least a title of some kind, but it's unexpectedly polite of the arrogant Uchiha. Tsunade sighs.
"Get over here, kid. You two can leave," she directs towards Rabbit and Snake, who bow before disappearing from sight.
"I'm sixteen." Luffy pouts but approaches her chair. "Not a kid."
"Hold still," she orders as she coats her hand in chakra. First thing she runs is a diagnostic. He giggles a little and jerks away.
"That tickles!"
Tsunade's eyes grow wide as the final result comes up. She jerks her hand back and stares piercingly at him.
"What's wrong with your hormones?"
"What? Nothing's wrong with them. I have no idea what you're talking about." The teen proceeds to avoid eye-contact and whistle very poorly.
"Such a bad liar." Sakura sweatdrops behind her master.
"Luffy?" Sasuke asks sternly. And that tone, Tsunade can identify it now. It's an 'older-sibling' sound, one she recalls using regularly with Daisuke . . .
"Iva-chan, uh, may have given me some adrenaline to keep going, and done some stuff to keep me from getting sick from the poison," Luffy hedges.
"With this much adrenaline in your system, you should be dead," Tsunade says bluntly, and Sasuke takes a sharp breath. Before he can open his mouth to reprimand the other boy, Tsunade jumps in. "Your organs feel like they're all new tissue. Why is that?"
"It might . . . be a side effect of Iva-chan's hormonal therapy." The Godaime wonders what kind of technique this 'Iva-chan' used.
"Luffy, is there anything else?" Sasuke asks seriously.
Luffy looks to the side before shaking his head unconvincingly.
"Whatever the technique was, it shaved almost a decade off your brother's life span," Tsunade announces, feeling weary all of a sudden. War, was what Sasuke had said . . . It's looking truer all the time. Sasuke's face pales as he looks at his brother who's wincing.
"Tell me you didn't . . ." he pleads, voice soft.
"I didn't have a choice. It was this or poison." Luffy's defiant expression falters at the look of anguish on Sasuke's face. "I wouldn't have picked anything else. It's not your fault."
"But you never would have been poisoned if it wasn't for me, Luffy."
"I'd pick it again, if I had to."
"God, you're so stupid."
Luffy pouts, but winces as Tsunade pokes his skin. Sasuke returns with a look that clearly says that this isn't over yet. His eyes are laden with a new burden, but he turns to her and nods. Tsunade returns to her work now that the brotherhood drama is over. It seems like Sasuke really cares about Luffy. Enough to show real emption. Tsunade doesn't know what to do about that yet.
She presses her hand on his chest to check his too fast heart. Sasuke tenses and opens his mouth, but it's too late, Tsunade's eyes narrow and she carefully pinches a bit of his skin and pulls—
and pulls and pulls and pulls.
"What?!" Sakura gasps as his skin snaps back into place.
"What are you?" Tsunade asks with narrow eyes.
Sasuke rubs his forehead. "I should have figured this would happen," he mutters to himself.
"I'm a rubber man!" Luffy pulls the corner of his lips far out to the side before letting it snap back.
"Luffy's like me," Sasuke admits reluctantly. "If you want another reason why I won't go to Orochimaru, here's one; I'd rather Luffy avoid his dissection table."
Tsunade believes him. Unlike Sasuke, it seems like Luffy is completely tangible, though uniquely so. Her old teammate would have fun figuring out how he works . . . Tsunade concedes the point. For the moment, it definitely seems like it's in Sasuke's best interest to stay in Konoha.
"Is everyone there like you?" Sakura asks, examining Luffy curiously. That's a bizarre thought— a place where everyone is made out of something or other.
"Hardly. It's supposed to be very rare. Luffy and I have always sort of been special cases."
Tsunade wonders why that sounds like some massive understatement.
"Anything else I should know?"
Luffy opens his mouth, but Sasuke quickly cuts him off.
"Nothing else relevant."
Tsunade narrows her eyes, but lets it go. She's had enough for one day, to be perfectly frank.
Green chakra surrounds her hands before she applies it to his skin.
His eyes widen with delight as his cuts and inner wounds start healing right before his eyes.
"So cool!" he gushes. Tsunade notices with hidden surprise the small smile that cover's Sasuke's face. And it's not a smirk, but a legitimate smile. It fades when he notices her staring, and the impassive expression is back. It's also interesting to see Luffy's reaction to her jutsu. It's like he's never seen anything like it before. Could it be that they didn't have healing jutsu there? Or, even more serious, no jutsu at all! If there were other people like Sasuke and Luffy who were made of different things, then the entire dynamic of the world would be different. Luffy giggles when she runs her hand over her ribs, snapping Tsunade out of her thoughts. It seems unlike Sasuke, Luffy has no problem showing his emotions. She smiles dryly before turning her attention back to healing him. She has a feeling that there will be plenty of time to investigate Luffy and this other world.
After working on him for about fifteen minutes she lets her chakra fade. Then, she goes to one of her drawers and pulls out bandages.
"That's about all I can do. You need rest more than anything." Tsunade proceeds to carefully wrap his hands, which are the most difficult for her to heal fully.
"Thank you," Sasuke says.
"Thanks!" Luffy smiles.
"I'm tired. Get out of my office already and go to the hospital, Sasuke."
"Mean lady," Luffy mutters.
He barely dodges Tsunade's second paperweight. Sasuke steps in between them.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't try to kill my little brother," he says coolly.
"Get out of here already." Tsunade sniffs.
"I need a note from you to bypass the banking system."
"Forgot your codes?"
"Do you think they'll be willing to give me, Sasuke Uchiha, access to my funds? Do you want me to parade my presence around before you can make a statement?" He raises a brow.
She grits her teeth. Tugging open her top drawer, she throws him the first stack of bills she sees tied with a rubber band.
"Here. I'll withdraw this amount from your account later."
He wordlessly catches the bills she throws to him.
"Now leave."
"With pleasure. Come on, Luffy. Let's get something to eat."
"After we treat your wounds," Luffy pipes up.
"I can do that—" Sakura begins.
"No, I need you here." Tsunade makes hard eye-contact with her apprentice. "We still have a lot of files to go over."
Sakura bites her lip, but lets them be.
"I'll be taking my leave then." He hesitates for a moment before giving Tsunade the slightest of bows. "Thank you."
After which he walks out of the door, Luffy trailing on his heels with a bright smile.
As their footsteps disappear, Tsunade exhales a breath she doesn't remember holding. What a fucking mess. She was not expecting this when she groggily woke up this morning. And even later in the day when she had the code in front of her, she had been expecting to turn the Uchiha imposter over to TI. That didn't happen though . . . she never imagined to find Sasuke Uchiha on her doormat.
A small chakra flare ensures an Anbu will be following him for the next while. With that taken care of, she covertly looks over at her apprentice who has gone back to rearranging Tsunade's massive collection of files. Her shoulders are shaking lightly, and Tsunade knows there are one or two tears hovering at the edge of those jade eyes.
"Sakura."
Her apprentice turns to face her head on, looking ashamed, conflicted, and even happy.
"I just— I never thought I'd see him again," she confesses. "I thought he died. And then he shows up here, looking so entirely different, and he smiled! Did you see that?! He smiled!"
"I could barely believe it myself." Tsunade says dryly.
"Can it really be him?"
Tsunade sighs. "I wish it wasn't, but in the face of so much evidence, I don't think I have much of a choice. All signs point to the fact it's him."
"Sensei, what are you going to do about Naruto?" Sakura asks softly.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I need a drink," Tsunade announces, hand dipping into her secret sake stash. After taking a couple long gulps, her eyes slide to the side to land on her apprentice. "You are not to tell him anything until I say so, do you understand?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sakura says. There's conflict in her eyes, but Tsunade just has to hope that her apprentice will be able to suck it up until Tsunade can figure out what the hell she's going to tell Naruto.
She should have just stayed in bed and nursed a bottle well into the afternoon. With a sigh, the Hokage turns to file the fealty paperwork. Nothing for it.
.
.
.
As was previously mentioned, every choice Sasuke made was based on taking care of Luffy and getting them back home. Luffy is crashing hard core. Closest place to get help? Konoha. Where can he get knowledge on Mangekyou? Konoha. It makes sense to me, but point something out if you don't agree.
ON THEIR AGES. I'm making Sasuke/Ace two years younger than canon. He's 18 in my fic. The reason why, is because I don't want Naruto to be too old. By 20, I feel like he'd make Hokage, even without Sasuke pushing him so hard to grow stronger. The gap between Sasuke and Luffy's ages is decreased by one year. So Luffy's 16. Good? Good.
Ah, and Jiraiya is alive. And Sasuke's death remains unexplained . . .
I had a bit too much fun writing for Tsunade, I admit.
Also, chakra being tied to a soul? Just my head-canon.
More stuff soon. Leave a review if you want. :}
