Here it is! The last chapter guys! Are you ready? The story will come to an end here, and I thank all of you who've read and followed it so far. Everything will be cleared up in this chapter, so if you've found anything mysterious previously, you'll find the answers soon :) Once you're done reading the chapter, check out the questions at the end and post a review with your answers!
Now, without further ado, enjoy!
"Uchiha-sama. This boy is Uzumaki Naruto."
This name… I've heard it before.
Blonde hair… Blue eyes…
… Blue?
The person in the midst of the clearing was barely distinguishable in the light of the dusk, but the raven immidiately recognized the blonde surrounded by the Uchiha. But something about his appearance was off.
For seven years Sasuke had looked upon the many faces of Naruto, but never had he looked like this.
His face was twisted into a menacing snarl that made every hair on the young Uchiha's body stand on edge. His lips were drawn back, showing terrifyingly sharpened fangs that no human could posses, the usually almost non-apparent whisker-like scars adorning the blonde's tan cheeks suddenly profound and marked glaringly.
"This is Uzumaki Naruto."
Blonde hair… Blue eyes…
… Blue?
Sasuke's crimson eyes clung to the vision in front of him as the foreign blonde silenced the screams of the nine men with a single swift outlash of his clawed hands. The blood spraying from the Uchihas' severed necks danced around the blonde, painting a terrifyingly beautiful picture of nine, bloody tails.
Blonde hair… Blue eyes…
… Blue?
No…
Shouldn't they be…?
The blonde's red eyes shone unnaturaly in the dusk as he stood with his head tilted back, an almost serene look resting on his distorted face as the lifeless bodies of the men fell to the ground around him, the red liquid quickly painting the muddy grass in a hideous nyance.
The scene was terrifying.
And yet, Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away from the massacre he'd witnessed as cold realisation dawned on him.
He'd known Naruto long before the blonde had appeared before him almost seven and a half years ago. The tales of the boy were known far and wide across the country, whispered in hushed voices behind closed door after darkness had fallen, telling of the many frightening and inhuman things he was capable of while covering the ears of young children.
But the name for which the blonde was known differed from the one the raven knew him as.
In front of him stood a monster, but it wasn't Uzumaki Naruto.
No, it was a demon. The Kyuubi.
"This boy is Uzumaki Naruto."
Blonde hair… Blue eyes…
… Blue?
No…
They were Red.
'Thump-'
He shuddered as his body snapped out of it's trance, a tremor wrecking through his frame as he released the breath he'd been holding in a small gasp.
The demon's head snapped in his direction, their red eyes clashing.
Sasuke's knuckles were white from clutching the handle of his blade, his body screaming at him to run, but his mind oddly silent as he met the unfamiliar fiery gaze. It seemed like minutes passed while they stared at each other.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump-'
Sasuke wondered if Naruto recognized him. The monstrous appearance the blonde had taken made him look so very unlike the Naruto the young Uchiha knew, and so the raven found himself at loss for how to act. Did he attack? Did he run? Would the demon slaughter him like it had the other men, or would it leave him be?
His thoughts were interrupted by a battle roar erupting behind him. His heart stuck in his throat as he too late realised he'd left his back unguarded.
'Thump-'
The crushing sound of the man's skull as the blonde slammed his head against the tree trunk behind the raven was sickening. He didn't dare turn to look at the remains of what he knew was supposed to be a human face as his heart thundered in his ears.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump-'
Beside him, the demon straightened out, flicking his wrist, meaty chunks of remains flying off his hand and onto the ground where the body had collapsed, lying in an awkward angle, everything above the neck mangled into a gruesome, unrecognisable mush.
'Thump-!'
Sasuke ran.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump-'
He didn't know for how long he ran, passing person after person, dodging the blade's of Uchiha as well as traitors as he dashed through the trees, searching madly with his blood-red eyes.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump-'
He couldn't find him.
His heart raced and his lungs ached, his feet tripping, threatening to drag him into the mud, as he forced his way through the wide area of the battlefield.
'Thump-thump-thump-thump-'
He thought he spotted a silver of white hair, but didn't stop even as he imagined hearing his name being called.
He had to find him.
Itachi – he had to –
"Brother!"
His eyes fell upon the familiar figure, but the scream building in his throat escaped through his lips too late.
'Thump-'
His red eyes spun his reality into slow-motion as he watched the arrow pierce his brother's chest, nailing the source of his brother's life with its sharp tip before protruding on the opposite side.
'Thump-'
His brother's eyes fell upon him in his last moments, his mouth parted in absurd mild surprise, before he fell dead to the ground.
'Thump…'
The roar ripped from Sasuke's throat was unlike any possible human sound.
The young Uchiha had lost count of how many bodies he'd cut down after being robbed of his brother. Fuelled and blinded by his rage he'd sliced the arms of the archer held responsible for his agony, his unbroken scream hurting his throat and his eyes stinging from unshed tears as he'd driven his blade between the man's eyes. He'd then set about disposing the rest of the men present in the clearing, unable to find any solace for his restless heart in their deaths.
He ached. His entire being ached as he lived while his brother had died. The only thought that drove him onwards was one of pure vengeance as his heart was slowly corrupted by darkness.
Suffer.
He'd make them all suffer.
It never struck him odd how he was able to decapitate man after man, sever limb from limb on his enemies while he remained completely unscathed, untouched by their attacks.
In the midst of his rage he caught a quick glimpse of his reflection in the sword of one of his victims before he heartlessly tore him in half
His eyes had changed.
Instead of a consistent red, they appeared to have taken his original obsidian colour with a single crimson lotus unfolding within the dark iris, the colour of blood more prominent as it contrasted the darkness around it.
With the eyes Itachi's death had given him, Sasuke swore to see the end of the war.
The air of the early dawn was cold and unforgiving. The sun had yet to rise, but its beams still peeked shyly above the horizon and cast the fields in bleak sheen, offering a dim light across the gloomy battlefield.
Despite being ambushed, the traitors had managed to hold their own against the prepared Uchiha soldiers considerably well over the night. Many had fallen behind Sasuke's protective wing after the death of Itachi, regrouping behind the only one on their side with the same ocular prowess as their enemies and striking from there.
The casualties were huge on both sides, and still growing as the battle continued into dawn.
Sasuke's rage had yet to abandon him, boiling within as he distracted himself from the grief lying ready to strike him and render him immobilized through concentrating on protecting his fellow rebels as well as finding the one man he'd been searching for all night.
The battlefield had shifted from between the trees to the open plain of the huge field just beside the small forest.
The raven stumbled over another corpse as his new eyes searched after him. His sight blurred slightly, strained from the overuse of their powers, his headache becoming worse. Just as he felt how tired he was, his legs and arms aching, his head throbbing, Sasuke's eyes fell upon the ancient Uchiha in the middle of the field.
Uchiha Madara drove his spear through a poor man's gut, a devilish grin adorning his face as he pulled the spear out of the kneeling, lifeless body, wiping the blood of the man on his corpse.
Upon spotting the young raven, Madara's grin split his face further as he leisurely raised his hand and slowly motioned for Sasuke to approach him. At the sight of the self-assured action, anger flared up within the young raven. Gripping his dirtied blade tighter he steeled himself as he walked towards the older Uchiha.
As he closed in, his pace slowed until he came to a complete stop a few metres outside Madara's reach.
The sight of the ancient Uchiha that had been present throughout the many years of his life up close tugged at the young raven's heart.
Madara looked nothing short of majestic in his blood-coloured armour, towering proudly over the fallen bodies at his feet. He regarded Sasuke with his red eyes, an eerie silence resting between them in the middle of the battlefield.
"It's been a while, Sasuke."
The young Uchiha felt himself falter as the familiar, deep voice addressed him. Madara took note of his hesitation, a nasty smirk creeping across his features.
"How are things on your side?" He asked, feigning interest as he tilted his head back, a small smile playing on his lips as he held the young raven's gaze, an air of assurance radiating off of him. "It seems you're holding up rather well for a group of worthless traitors."
The words stung more than the raven had anticipated, and he flinched visibly at them, shutting his lips tightly and refusing to give the other an answer.
"It seems your brother fed you some nasty lies about the Uchiha while you were away."
The casual mention of Itachi rolling of the ancient Uchiha's tongue had Sasuke tense.
"I say. You've clearly been deluded from the truth by his twisted words,"
Madara continued amusedly, enjoying the changes of negative emotions his words brought forth within Sasuke's eyes.
"But then again, Itachi was always the rebellious one out of the two of you. And you always wanted to be just like your brother."
Madara's eyes narrowed, twinkling venomously at the young raven.
"Maybe I should have a word with Itachi, discipline him a little."
"Tell me, Sasuke." He said lowly, dragging out his words, a nasty smirk twisting his features. "Where is your brother?"
Sasuke saw red, but just as he was about to screaming lunge himself at the ancient Uchiha, his eyes caught sight of a third party, halting his outrageous attack,
Blue eyes met his livid gaze.
A wave of relief rolled through Sasuke as he took in the sight of the blonde man that had come to his aid. Quickly scanning Naruto, his eyes found no visible trace of the demon he now knew nestled within the man.
"Ah, Naruto. How nice of you to join us." Madara drawled, looking suspiciously pleased by the blonde's sudden appearance.
The blue eyes held Sasuke's gaze for several heartbeats before drifting to Madara, blinking once on the way. When they re-opened, a fiery red had replaced the radiant blue within them.
The young Uchiha's gaze shifted between Naruto and Madara as they stared at each other, his heartbeat increasing along with the tension in the air. When the blonde took his first step towards the ancient Uchiha, Sasuke's hands instinctively tightened around his katana. With his body on alert, the raven watched intensely as the blonde slowly walked towards the older Uchiha, ready to strike as soon as either made a move to attack.
His heart nervously pounded as the blonde crept closer and closer until he came to a stop right in front of the man, Sasuke holding his breath in anticipation as he awaited the first strike.
Then Naruto turned to face him, joining Madara at his side. The raven's crimson eyes widened in bewilderment before a feeling of absolute dread took hold of him, his heart sinking in his chest.
"Do it." Madara said, eyes glistening wickedly in the dim morning sun.
Looking between the two, realisation settled within the raven.
His determination to fight was replaced by a paralysing feeling of dismay. He felt how his hands lost the iron grip he'd had around the base of his blade since his brother's fall, but did nothing as it fell to the ground beside his feet.
The raw feelings of betrayal tore at his heart as he stared at the blonde, only a single broken thought managing to escape his lips, his voice sounding raspy and weak, even to his own ears.
"Your mission was never to protect me."
Across from him, the blonde at Madara's side regarded him impassively.
"No."
He agreed, confirming the fears gripping the raven's heart.
Seven and a half years ago, Madara had assigned an assassin in the disguise of a bodyguard to make rid of the heir of one of the most prosperous families within the Uchiha. Even back then, he'd been able to anticipate that mentioned boy would be sceptical to a change of heart, putting him, as the head of the Uchiha clan, at a great risk if the boy were to be swayed to join the opposite side of the war in the future.
Madara despised the boy, Uchiha Sasuke; how he grew weak in mind and spirit as soon as he faced a conflict. He cursed that their blood-limit ran strong in such a weak person, and feared that some day, the boy would change the Uchiha and turn them against him.
But he would not let it happen.
Uchiha Madara refused a future where Uchiha Sasuke would be the cause for his downfall.
Madara watched in twisted pleasure as the young Uchiha crumbled before him.
The battle had gone beyond his expectations with Itachi's death, and now he got to watch as the reality of the last Uchiha opposing him shattered before his eyes. He savoured the moment; basking in the feeling of superiority it brought him.
Meanwhile, Sasuke could feel nothing, as he stood frozen in the middle of the huge field. Around him, traitors were still fighting the troops of the Uchiha, unknowing that they'd already lost to the cursed red eyes of their opponents.
As if the past seven years of his life had meant nothing, they were overwritten by the harsh reality that had been looming in the shadows all along. He'd been so naïve, taking the loyalty of the blonde for granted without even once questioning his presence by the raven's side.
How easily fooled he'd been. And now he'd have to pay the price.
"Kill him."
Madara's cold command snapped the young Uchiha's attention back to the familiar blonde across from him, their red eyes meeting, gazes lingering on each other one last time.
This was it – The end of the line.
The only comfort Sasuke found was within the thought that crossed his mind, that Itachi wouldn't have to be alone on the other side for much longer.
He readied himself and drew a final breath, meeting the blonde's gaze head on.
Then Naruto acted abruptly, his hand shooting out, penetrating the chest and ending the life of Uchiha Madara.
The battle was over.
The men of both sides had long since dropped their swords and bows, supporting each other and picking up their fallen comrades, almost shyly cooperating for the first time since the era of reign by the Uchiha had begun. Some old as well as newborn grudges still hung in the crisp morning air around them, but that was unavoidable, as both sides had spent all time prior to the aftermath of the battle considering each other enemies.
What had them forsaken their arms was the young man – an Uchiha, yet, at the same time, a rebel – stepping over the body of the Uchiha clans previous leader, possessing a new set of almighty eyes, commanding them all to stop with a mighty roar, and so bringing their unnecessary fighting to an end.
With his new set of eyes, the Uchiha clan found no other leader fit to rule them as they were a proud clan, cherishing the strength of their bloodline above all, thus willingly heeding the young man's wish and releasing their swords.
The rebels recognized the younger of the two brothers from the Uchiha which had willingly supported them and joined their side, levelling their chances in the war, and decided to respect his will in remembrance of his brother who had fell while fighting for their liberty.
The survivors of that battle had been the first, but not the last, to hear of the changes that the young raven promised the country that early morning as he stood, towering over Uchiha Madara's corpse, his voice carrying loudly and clearly over the field of suffering men around him.
No longer would the Uchiha be superior to anyone. From then on out, everyone was to consider everyone a brother, no matter the colour of their eyes, and they would share everything they owned with each other, like one would with family, no matter the blood that coursed through their veins.
And near to no one would have even dared defy the man whose eyes burned with a new-found, crimson light, as he gazed upon them, challenging their objection to his decision.
Over the years to come, the new leader of the Uchiha pulled his troops back and opened up all lands to the deprived people of the country.
Side by side the Uchiha and the regular men rebuilt village after village, restoring towns and bridges to their former glory prior to the war, burying their hatred deep beneath dirt and rocks and disposing of the shovel. Food and wealth was distributed fairly, the huge mansions of the Uchiha opening their gates to share the comfort of their luxurious homes with those in need. No longer did the Uchiha rob the farmers of their crop; Instead they distributed to nourishing the lands and learnt new skills from the farmers themselves, labouring day and night, side by side with their new companions.
It was a slow, difficult process, and every once and again a temporary obstacle got in the way of the countries rebirth, but under the rule of the young, determined Uchiha, the land advanced steadily towards a flourishing future.
As the months grew into years, tales grew forth of the battle that had changed it all. Often they told of heroic people who'd assisted the miraculous change that had blessed their land, the stories often differing slightly in detail of whom had fought whom and how everything had transpired.
Often the tales told of a noble raven haired man who'd bravely faced and defeated many foes single handedly without as much as a rip on his clothes, as well as an incredibly durable blonde, whose radiant looks and mysterious strength were unmatched by anyone that had ever lived.
The tales always ended the same; with the raven standing victorious on the battlefield with the blonde by his side, looking out over the men that were to be recreated under his rule, free from hatred and the darkness of war.
The tales of Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto lived long after the memory of the Era of the Uchiha had disappeared in history.
Sasuke never asked the blonde why he'd had a change of heart in the middle of the battle all those years ago.
Sometimes, the thought surfaced in his mind, but he never voiced his question. For some reason, the raven didn't think he needed to hear the answer, because somewhere within his heart he knew what had brought the blonde that early morning, when they had faced off on the field, to drive his hand through Madara's chest. He understood, and thus felt no need for the blonde to voice what he already knew.
Throughout the many years that had followed, the blonde had never left his side, loyally standing behind him as he pointed the direction of which he wanted their country to head.
In a way, he owed his life to the blonde. The man had had plenty of chances to make rid of the raven as Madara had wished of him, but hadn't taken them. Sasuke admitted that it was still something that puzzled him about the blonde, but he had long ago given up trying to understand him. The blonde had been mysterious from the very start, and unlike any other the raven had come across, the mystified air around the blonde never cleared, even as they aged.
"Thank you."
He realised he'd never thanked the blonde for everything he'd done, and found the phrase rolling off his tongue before he'd even made a conscious decision to speak.
The blonde looked at him over his shoulder form where he was crouching in front of Itachi's grave. His blue eyes were still as enchanting as they'd been the first time they met.
Sasuke meant it. He was truthfully, completely, and utterly thankful to the blonde for everything.
The blue eyes twinkled at him.
"You're welcome, Sasuke."
And his brilliant smile told of the many years to come of which the blonde intended to spend at the raven's side.
The end.
A/N: Thanks to all of you (once again) who've read and followed this story!
This idea came to me a long time ago, and was actually completely inspired by the phrases "I know what your power is." & "You can be in more than one place at the same time." Those two lines came to me, and I wanted to make a story with them sooo bad. Then, one day, I wrote the first little part in chapter one (the one where they meet) and then I just kind of went from there.
I've never done a story quite like this before - the style is completely different from what I usually do, and the way the story is told through all these small paragraphs set in different points in time is a very unique and unusual way of storytelling. I would lie if I said I didn't enjoy it, it's a very selective way of writing as I don't have to linger on every detail but get to jump between the important parts, only writing the absolutely necessary.
Either way, I enjoyed this story very much! I thank you for sticking with me even though I chose to split it into three parts (as it originally could've been posted as one, really, really, really long chapter lol!).
I'd love to hear what you thought of the story in whole!
Questions for this chapter: Do you like this sort of writing? Would you like to read another story like this? What did you think of Itachi's death? Was Naruto's betrayal expected? All sort of thoughts/reviews are welcome!
Thank you for everything! (Tips: go back and re-read the whole story in one seating, from chapter one to three without pause - you'll enjoy it!)
Take care!