Heey guys! Longest chapter, I'm excited. Even though this has a little angst D: Next chapter is the Graduation though. Also, thank you for all the support!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha, I hope you understand this by now.
Chapter Seven:
Sasuke Uchiha, a boy of only eight (Turning nine that year of course), considered himself lucky.
He had almost everything he wanted. He had his family, he was doing well in his ninja studies, it seemed like his father was even giving him praise but most of all, he had her.
Kagome Hyuga, his very... Odd friend.
"Sasuke, can you touch your tongue to your elbow? I can't seem to do it!" he watched the girl as she leaned forward to her exposed elbow, tongue sticking out.
He had been visiting the Hyuga household that day, one of the days when Kagome wasn't allowed to be with Neji while he studied. A huge ninja test was coming up for those a grade higher than him and his friend. Something about class rankings, who was at the top of the class and what not.
At first he and Kagome had been playing with the crickets and running through the fields. They had found some baby squirrels that Kagome had taken an interest in watching. Sasuke had then dragged her of towards some ravens that were in trees, finding them even more interesting.
They went to train for a while, showing each other what Ninjutsu they knew. Kagome, who had found that she was elemented with Earth, worked on a few tricks to make plants move. Though she was only at moving around weeds and grass, at least she could make it do her bidding.
Sasuke on the other hand, was a natural born fire element user. Just like all the Uchiha before him, he was being taught how to do the 'Fire Release: Great FireBall Jutsu. He was frustrated that he couldn't make one as big as Itachi had, but his father had finally given him a smile the last time he did it. He had only shown Kagome the jutsu once, while she was visiting his house and he was training. The girl had been in such awe that Sasuke couldn't help but feel proud. Even if Kagome was impressed by almost anything, he wasn't going to let that get him down!
In the afternoon, Kagome had made them both some tomato soup (she knew it was one of his favorites) because their cook was out doing errands. While they were sitting, everything was quiet... Except for the sound of Kagome's slurping. She had yet to have a big enough moth to fit around the Hyuga spoons, which surprised him because the girl was pretty big mouthed.
Later on that night they watched a movie on 'TV', an extremely expensive device that would let you see a story. His Father and Mother had one somewhere inside the house, though he didn't know where. Also, he remembered Itachi telling him something about a movie theater?
By then, it was dark and Sasuke decided that he would stay a little while longer. A little while longer turned into three hours, both of them sitting in Kagome's garden.
He watched the girl trying to touch her tongue to her elbow.
"It's impossible Sasuke!" she looked at her elbow with a pout, a cute pout, not that Sasuke noticed it. He was an Uchiha... Uchiha's don't find anything cute.
"You know what?" she giggled, licking her finger and touching it to her elbow. "There, I did it!"
"No you didn't! You just licked your finder and put it there!" he argued.
"But it's my spit, from my tongue. That means I pretty much touched it!" she laughed, trying to argue back.
"You are bad at arguing your case." Sasuke pointed out.
"I know." she sighed. "I can't help it though! I just can't find it in me to lie."
"That's why everyone takes advantage of your skills." he shook his head.
"I know." she sighed again.
"Hey look Sasuke!" Kagome pointed up at the sky filled sky, specifically the large moon hovering over them. "It's a full moon, just like when we met!"
"Yeah." he looked up at the peaceful moon, a rare smile on his face.
Wait a minute! The moon? Was it really that late? His mother had told him she was going to be making a special homemade tomato dish that night, just for him! Did he miss it? Would his Mother be mad? He had to get going!
"Kagome, I need to go. I really didn't think it was this late." he told her, standing.
"Oh!" she also stood, giving him a hug. "Night then!"
He returned the hug softly and was then off running through the Hyuga compound and onto the street. Luckily, the Uchiha compound wasn't that far away from the Hyuga compound. It took him a while but he got to his home safely. Something wasn't right though...
Everything was silent and not the calm sort of silence he and Kagome usually shared, but more af a... Eerie silence. To Sasuke, there seemed to be no life around, little did he know how right that thought was.
He paused in his running, thinking he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Just for a moment, he had thought he saw a person crouched low on the telephone pole a little bit in front of him. Sasuke just thought that it could have been a trick of the eye, even if the dark splotch he saw was something, it was gone now. No worries, right? Of course not, now was the time to go find his family.
"Mother? Father? Itachi!" he yelled as he ran around a corner, only to come to a complete stop. Frozen.
Kunai and Shuriken were hanging out of walls, stuck to the roofs. The paper lanterns that his mother had taken a liking too had been slashed and ripped open. Large cracks in the street were formed, but it was something else that made Sasuke want to scream... Blood, and lots of it. Dripping down walls, spewed onto the sides of buildings. Not only that but laying in the middle of the street were... Bodies. Bodies of people he could recognize too, all of them Uchiha.
"What is this!" he whispered harshly. "What is going on?"
He continued to run, faster with time, until his legs wouldn't stop burning. He made through the streets that were littered with bodies. He froze again as he sharply turned another corner. Right there in front of him were two of his favorite people in the world.
"Uncle, Auntie!" he gasped, staggering back a few steps.
He had just talked to them that morning before he went to see Kagome. How was any of this possible?
"F-Father, Mother!" he than yelled out, running toward the compounds largest home in which he lived. He opened the door to come face to face with darkness. Nothing there at all. He gulped, walking in and taking off his shoes. "Mother, Father... Are you guys home?"
He sat the mad he had been carrying down, moving onwards through the house. The kitchen was empty, their bedroom was empty and even the lounge room was empty. He was about to yell for them again until he heard a couple of loud thuds coming from down the hallway. He ran straight for it, tripping over his feet in nervousness. He got back up and came to stand in front of the large wooden doors of the a small Uchiha dojo.
He breathed harshly as he heard more thuds coming from within.
There is someone in here. His thoughts were as shaky as his body. Like a leaf in a wind storm.
Hesitantly, Sasuke moved forward, his legs and arms feeling like led. He moved a step closer, putting his hands on the handles and giving it a push.
There, laying before him in the moonlight coming from a window were both his Mother and Father. On the bottom was his mother, laying on her back. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was wide open, blood trickling down the sides. Over top was his Father, it seemed he had tried to protect his wife, only to fall over her. His eyes were also closed and there was a saddening frown on his face.
"Father, Mother!" he yelled, running right into the room, doors shutting behind him.
Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps coming out from the shadows. Slowly, one step by another the body moved into the light. Every step it took forward, Sasuke took one back. That was until he was backed into a wall and finally noticed who the person was.
"Big brother!" he yelled, walking a step closer. "Mother and Father are both... I don't- I just don't understand! Who would do all this?"
A gasp escaped the boys mouth when a shuriken flew by his arm and embedded itself in a near by wall. Sasuke grasped his shoulder in pain when a cut was made.
"What are you... Itachi, what...?" the younger mumbled, his face turning horrified. "What have you done?"
"Foolish little brother, I almost pity you." his older brother looked at him coldly, closing his eyes only to reopen them with a spinning three tomoe sharinngan. "Mangekyo Sharinngan."
Something pulsed inside Sasuke, everything changed then. No longer was he in the small dojo he had used to practice in, now he was in the street that he had been running down only fifteen minutes ago. The moon had turned brown and the sky a blood red. Around him buildings were inversed colors, the walls being black and the trimming being a eerie white. Looking up the boy watched as the clouds turned black and started churning, moving backwards.
In front of him, movement caught his attention.
The bodies... The ones he had seen in the street, all falling, all dying.
He tried to move his feet, only to find he was stuck in the spot.
W-Why can't I move! his mind yelled.
Shuriken flew from nowhere, raining down and slaying the Uchiha clan. Blood flew as bodies fell to the cold ground beneath them.
Sasuke clutched his head, not wanting to see any of this at all. "Stop it! I don't want to know! Itachi, why are you showing me this! Stop!"
More Uchihas fell, allowing Sasuke to see Itachi standing behind them with an emotionless mask.
People ran at all directions towards the prodigy, only to be flung back without Itachi having to move.
"No!" he screamed.
He watched as his Aunt and Uncle met their demise before the scene shifted, bringing them back to the dojo. The colors were still off though, which meant he was still trapped. He bellowed to the top of his lounges as he watched Itachi slice through his parents with a katana, acting as if they were nothing to him.
His vision became a blood red and all he felt was his legs weakening and allowing him to collapse to his knees and then to his stomach. As he laid there, trying to forget all the awful memories his brother had shown him, he gasped for breath. Everything seemed blurry as he attempted to get up.
"Why...?" his voice was shaken up as he spoke. "Itachi, why did you do this? Why?"
There was a silence before the only answer he got.
"To test the limits... Of my abilities." he said stone cold.
"To test... Your ability? That's why you did this?" Sasuke's face was masqueraded by his bangs as he lifted his head a little. "Your telling me you butchered every single person in the Uchiha clan, your family, for that reason only?"
"It was of significant importance." Itachi's voice was still as emotionless as before.
"What are you saying?" Sasuke ground out, slowly rose to his knees before launching himself at his older brothers body. "You're out of your mind!"
As he got close, Itachi stepped forward and planted his fist into his little brothers gut. The boy lost all breath, falling to the ground in pain. When he looked up though, he came face to face with his dead father. Then and only then, for the first time that night, did Sasuke let tears come to his eyes. A step forward and Itachi had Sasuke running out of the dojo, attempting to get away.
I'm scared... I'm scared! His mind yelled at him.
"I don't want to die!" he yelled, running down the streets again. He came to a halt when he heard a footstep in front of him. Tears streamed down his face as he looked at Itachi in front of him.
"Please, don't kill me." Sasuke whispered.
"Your not even worth killing." came the immediate response from his brother. "Foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day, build your hatred and despise me. Surviving in such an unsightly manner as this. Cling to your wretched life."
Sasuke couldn't stop his fright. What changed everything were the words that came out of his brothers mouth next.
"Do this, and you might be able to save your friend Kagome when I come for her." with that, he was gone into the night.
Alone, was the first thing that popped into the young boys head. I'm so alone!
He burst out crying, trying to find strength to move. He needed to find his way out of there and somewhere safe.
Wherever Kagome was... He needed to be.
Kagome woke to Hinoki shaking her shoulder.
When Sasuke had left, she had gone and ate a light meal and headed off for her bedroom. She had brushed her growing hair and brushed her teeth. Kagome had changed into a large t-shit and some shorts for pajamas, having outgrown nightgowns.
"W-What time is it?" the girl yawned softly and rubbed her eyes for ridding of sleep.
"Late." was all Hinoki said to her, changing the subject. "You have a guest waiting for you and by the looks of him, you better hurry."
Without any more prodding Kagome was up and out of her bed, running to the Hyuga gates. Maybe it was a late mail delivery? No, that wouldn't make sense. Maybe it was a mistake and they hadn't needed her? Maybe. At least it made more sense. What she hadn't expected to see was her best friend standing there, torn and dirty.
"Sasuke?" she yelled, running closer and ignoring the guards that looked at the boy with confusion and shot the girl dirty looks. "What's wrong?"
The boy shuddered, tears falling off his cheeks to the ground. It didn't seem like she was getting an answer any time soon.
"Here," she wrapped an arm around him and found his skin to be freezing. She slowly started walking him back to the Branch House. Lucky for them, the Branch's houses were closer than the Main ones.
She ushered him into the kitchen, sitting him down on a chair that went with the island.
Hinoki came beside her, looking the boy over.
"Oh my! I will go inform your parents, do you think you can handle him by yourself?" she asked.
"Yeah, Mother taught me some medical ninjutsu a while ago." the girl whispered, looking at her friend.
"Alright." the woman nodded hesitantly and was off in a flash.
"Sasuke, you need to tell me what happened." the eight year old female used her most serious tone which still sounded light and childish.
"Itachi... Mother, Father!" the salt water that leaked down his face just seemed to double.
Kagome took his hand and got him off the stool, taking him down the hall and to a bathroom.
"We need to get you washed up. Plus, your freezing." she whispered.
She sat him down yet again, this time though, on a stool in the large Branch Family bathroom. Luckily, it was one of the bathrooms in the house that had shower heads and faucets attached to the walls, a long isle for many of the clan people.
Kagome turned on a faucet and setting it to warm, waiting for the cold water to drain out first. While that happened, she walked over to the boy and set her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm going to take your shirt off now, it is freezing and I need to get you warm." she told him and received no answer so she just went ahead and did it.
The navy haired girl kept an eye on both him and the running water as she walked over to a cabinet and grabbed out a sponge. She came back and soaked it up in now hot water.
Slowly but carefully, Kagome squeezed the hot sponge over his hair. She watched as his shoulders relaxed just a tiny bit, still shaking from the cold though. The Hyuga continued her job, washing his legs, chest, hair and feet, getting all the dirt and, suprisingly, blood off of him. She made sure to be extra careful around any cut and bruises along with his puffy and red bare feet.
She turned off the faucet and ran over to the cabinet to grab one of the large puffy towels and walked back to cover him with.
They walked back to Kagome's room, Sasuke still wet from the 'shower' the girl had given him. He had been pretty much placed on the girls bed when thy entered. The lilac eyes never leaving him as she went over to her wardrobe and knowingly pulled out a large shirt and a pair of plain shorts she had taken from Neji when they were too small for him.
"Sasuke, you need to change before I can get you bandaged up and such." the girl tried not to yawn as she placed the clothes in his lap. "Can you do that for me please?"
He nodded but as she went to leave the room and give him privacy he called out a broken, "Stay."
"Oh, well then... I'll just turn around." she murmured and kept her back to him.
While she heard the shuffling of him getting up, Kagome couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. Whatever had happened though, she wasn't there to help him or protect him like she once promised. It had also been bad, she knew, from the way he didn't say anything and to the way he cried. He never cried, always saying, Uchiha's don't cry at all, there is no need. Then he would say something about how he had never once seen his brother Itachi cry and that he needed to not cry also. Kagome had told him that day that showing emotions was fine and healthy. He replied with his Uchiha 'Hn'.
When there was no more shuffling coming from the other side of the room she slowly turned around to find him sitting on her bed again, towel laying on the floor.
Kagome ran over to the towel and placed it in her dirty clothes basket before returning to her bed. For her seventh birthday she had received a large first aid kit from Sesshomaru, him telling her that she was clumsy and she would need it. The girl couldn't thank the silver haired boy enough for the gift at that moment.
She opened it up and took out some band aids, healing salve, larger wrapping bandages and some disinfectant.
First, she sprayed the disinfectant on all of the cuts and scraps, wincing as she heard the Uchiha hiss. Secondly, she took out the smaller band aids and put them on said scratches and scrapes, applying the healing salve onto the deeper ones. Continuing on with the salve she applied it to all the bruised skin she could find. Lastly, she removed the old wrappings from his legs and put some new ones on, also wrapping his feet with them after rubbing them with the cream.
After all that was done, she laid the Uchiha down on her bed and pulled her covers over top of him. Kagome watched as he seeped into the warmth that was still there from when she laid there. Slowly, his eyes closed and he was off into a sleep. She reached up and slowly whipped off the smaller tears on his face. She was extremely worried about her friend.
That night, while she heard Hinoki talking to her Father and Mother outside of the door, she pulled the desk chair up to her bed and watched as Sasuke slept. Every time he squirmed she would find some way to relax him. Rubbing his hand, humming to him, talking as he slept, all of those options worked.
Even if Kagome was worried, the explanations would have to wait for the next day.
Sasuke woke with a severe headache. Having had several nightmares that were all... Zapped away by a silver light.
Whenever Itachi would reach him, the light would come and the nightmares would calm for a while before starting up again. When Itachi almost swiped his parents down, the sword from his hand disintegrated into a million pieces of silver light. Watching the light made him calm, made things seem okay for a while but then the nightmares returned. It continued on like that, the lights giving Sasuke a headache that he told himself he could manage as long as there were no more of those nightmares.
He opened his eyes, not understanding his surroundings. He was in a small room that smelled like lilys and lavender. There was a desk, a wardrobe, a basket that had a lone white towel hanging out of it, one that looked fairly familiar to him. Finally he looked to his right, understanding where he was then.
Right there, at his side was his best friend. She sat in a chair, swaying a bit, with her chin resting on her chest. Her hair which had grown down past her shoulders framed her face and her spiky and puffy bangs hid her face. Her pale skin was shining from the sun coming from the window. It seemed like she had been trying to stay awake but sleep took over.
Itachi... Said he was coming for her. Sasuke thought as he looked her over. Not if I can help it... I-I will protect her from him. She's too innocent, pure... Too important to loose.
As he shifted, sitting up in what he assumed was her bed, his eyes stayed glued to the girl. Apparently the sound of moving bedsheets woke her up. Her head snapped up, eyes wide with worry and at the corner of each eye you could see some sleep. She instantly rubbed it away. Jumping up and moving closer to the bed.
"Sasuke..." she whispered but before she had the chance to say anything, a knock came to the door and in entered Harumi Hyuga and her husband Hiashi.
"Oh my!" Harumi sobbed, running into the room and clutching the small boy to her chest. So she knew... This only caused tears to form in Sasuke's eyes as he stayed unmoving. "S-Sasuke dear, you will be staying with m-me and our family for a while, okay?"
Sasuke didn't nod yes or no, he just looked over the woman's shoulder at Kagome who was receiving a glare from her Father. It didn't seem like she noticed though for she was too worried about Sasuke.
"What's going on?" Kagome whispered.
Sasuke had been brought in for questioning over the next two weeks, staying with the Main House Hyuga's, Kagome visiting every night.
After she had been told what had happened, she had cried for hours, but pulled her boots up for the fact that she was sobbing and even Sasuke was staying stronger than her and it was his family. She had then acted softer towards him, trying and hoping he understood that she was showing her care.
Sasuke stayed emotionless as always, though this time... Things had changed. Instead of being quiet because it was his nature, it seemed like he was quiet because he couldn't find the strength to speak. The specs of emotions Kagome had been able to see in his eyes were all gone, leaving an unfamiliar blankness in its wake. He never made large movements, staying to himself except for the rare occasion he would lean on Kagome when she sat by him.
Neji and Sesshomaru were barely seen in those two weeks, only having a few times when Sesshomaru would drop by for a quick visit or one of the times she would fall asleep on Neji's floor, curled up in a blanket. Other than that she spent her time worrying and taking care of Sasuke.
One day, when she could not find him anywhere, she started to panic.
"Sasuke!" she yelled through the Branch house, trying to find her best friend. She ran through both the Main House and Branch house searching for him. She had checked the ballroom, the shrine, everywhere! He was no where to be found.
She ran out onto the street.
"Sasuke!" she called.
He could have been anywhere.
First she ran uptown to all the spots they had been together, he wasn't there. Seconly she ran to all of the Training fields they had ever trained in, he wasn't there either. Lastly, she ran to the academy, checking the bench they sat at most of the time, he wasn't there.
Kagome plopped down on the bench and put her face into her hands. She was only eight! Why did she have to deal with this? Why did she have to stay strong like everyone told her. Because she didn't want to let anyone down, that's why. Here she was though, no clue where her friend was, letting him down. The exact opposite of what she wanted to be doing.
If only... If only she could see better. If she could cover more ground things would be more simple. If only she had the... Byakugan. It was the only thing that would help in this situation so... She needed to try.
Flipping through thhe hand signs, she concentrated chakra near her eyes, exactly what Neji had told her he did when he activated his. Nothing happened though, it felt as if there was something... Blocking her from the capability of having the Byakugan.
I... I need to do this! she thought as she did it a few more times, concentrating. The same results accured though.
Please! she prayed. I have tried so many times before and it didn't matter then. This is for the sake of Sasuke! For his protection!
Suddently, something shifted inside her and the pressure of chakra behind her eyes seemed to double.
Now's my chance... her mind hummed.
She flipped through all the hand signs, making sure there were no flaws. Kagome concentrated on pushing the chakra straight into her eyes and all around them. When she heard little popping noises, she instantly reached up and round her eyes where she felt... Veins.
Eight year old Kagome Hyuga had unlocked her Byakugan.
Everything around her was magnified, changing different colors, her vision grew around her until she could see almost everything around her. Except for one small blind spot, but that didn't matter at the moment. She needed to find Sasuke.
She ran through town again, taking roofs and back streets. Her vision spread wider when she stressed her eyes more. Kagome could see inside of people as she ran past, seeing their chakra and tenketsu. She didn't stop and stare in wonder as she would have... No, she continued on, trying to find the familiar chakra of her friend.
When she finally picked up on an aura she felt of him, it lead her straight to the entrance of the Uchiha Compound.
Of course... Why did I not think of this? she whispered in her mind.
Kagome hesitantly walked through the gates and continued down the streets, walking to where she knew Sasuke's house was.
Looking down she saw footprints. That could only mean ha had been here.
Continuing onwards she walked through the already open door and looked around. There on the step was his pair of shoes and a bag that looked like it had been thrown there a long time ago. She cautiously continued, taking her shoes off and following the hallways to where his aura and chakra signal was. With her Byakugan she looked ahead and saw him sitting in the backyard, a garden with a lake she had only been in once. He was staring down at his reflection in the water, sitting on a dock.
Kagome walked down there only to scream when he jumped in. "Sasuke! No!"
Her Byakugan deactivated as she ran her quickest and launched herself at his sinking form in the water.
Apparently he had heard another splash and turned around to she navy hair swaying in the water and large, scared lilac eyes. He hesitantly reached out for the body, the person grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to them. The warm body took them up higher, kicking off from the ground and bringing them to the surface.
"S-Sasuke." the voice was hoarse and stiff from the cold water but as he listened he knew who it was.
"Kagome." he whispered and allowed her to pull him to shore. They sat on the grass, breathing heavily. Both of them shivered and leaned into each others body, trying to share heat.
"Itachi... He said he was going to come back for you." was his whisper to her.
She gasped and looked over to him.
"Don't worry though... I will protect you. I will be strong enough for the both of us." his voice was broken as he said it.
Kagome pulled him into a hug and buried her head into his neck. No, she though to herself. You won't have to... I will become stronger as well. She never told it to him, but it was a pledge she made.
They stayed like that for a while before heading back to the Hyuga complex to get warmed up again.
The months went on and bot Kagome and Sasuke turned nine.
Kagome was named a prodigy by a few of the Hyuga clan, all for activating the Byakugan at a younger age. Neji was proud of her and Sesshomaru had came by for a day to say congratulations.
Sasuke on he other hand had just nodded and ruffled her hair.
The boy had become less emotional over the months. Becoming colder to those he did not know, sticking closer to the ones he did. He trained constantly and by the time the two kids were ten, he had moved back into the Uchiha complex by himself. He would have forever stayed at Kagome's home, but he knew that it would only cause her more pain to see him so sad everyday.
Things were not the same as they used to be. Though Sasuke was still there for her when she was sad or mad, he would comfort her in smaller ways then before. He barely showed emotion around others and even to Kagome it became limited. She had tried her hardest to help him and still tried to the very day.
Things were odd, things were different, things weren't the same.
Kagome knew this, and she knew it would have to be the way she lived from then on.
