Naruto entered Sarada's room. His eyes met upon his best friend. Sasuke was looking out the window. His hair flowed in the night's cool breeze. His posture was proper and tall. In his right hand he held a scrawny teddy bear. Naruto quietly walked behind Sasuke and whispered softly to him, so he wouldn't alert him.

"Boruto and Sakura told me everything. I'm so sorry about all this."

"You have no reason to be sorry Dobe. This is all my fault. I've never been there for my daughter and wife. I'm the one who caused all this."

"Sasuke… Don't blame yourself." The Hokage brought his hand up and rested it on his shoulder. "I'm at fault here. I'm the Hokage therefore I've failed to guide-"

"But this is my family."

"WE are family."

"This has nothing to do with you Naruto."

Naruto sighed and sat on Sarada's bed. "Actually, this has everything to do with me. She's gone rogue and my son nearly died. This isn't something I can take lightly."

"I apologize..."

"I forgive you Sasuke, but there is something you should hear. Follow me." Naruto got up on his feet and exited the room. His best friend followed him to the couch, where a mini Naruto laid. The Hokage crouched down next to the boy and laid a hand on his forehead. "Boruto, tell Sasuke what happened at the valley."

The boy coughed. "Sensei. Sarada… She was talking to herself." He quivered. "I managed to talk her to come home, but all of a sudden…" He paused. Sweat beaded down his head." She lost her mind. It was as if someone or something was telling her otherwise. After that, I let my guard down and she stabbed me. Sensei… even before, when I encountered her in the forest, hours after the incident, she attacked me then. If it weren't for Mitsuki, I'd be dead."

Sasuke looked at the boy. "Did she behave the same way she did today? Even at the training?"

"Yeah. She definitely did." Boruto hacked up blood and groaned in pain.

"Alright, alright. Let the boy rest. Leave him alone you two." Sakura shooed the two men away. "He's had a rough night so he needs to sleep."

Sasuke walked to his room and shut the door. Within several minutes, he walked right out. He was dressed in his regular mission attire. He paced to the door and gripped his sword. He threw his long cape over his shoulders.

Sasuke's wife ran to him and grabbed his hand. "Sasuke?! Where are you going?! What are you up to?!"

"Sakura…" He kissed his beautiful bride and gave her a warm hug. "Stay here with the two Dobes. I'm going to bring our daughter back."


-Several Days Later-

The young girl knelt beside a large cave in the ground. With her Sharingan, she tried to look in it, but it was too dark for her to tell what was inside. She clearly remembered this place. Apparently, she had learned that this was the hideout her Father spent years in. He trained with one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru. Even thinking about his name made Sarada shutter. She couldn't believe she was here in the first place.

"Hello?" She yelled. Sarada awaited for a reply, but nothing came. She leapt in and wandered aimlessly into the hideout. The girl walked through a straight hallway for about 5 minutes until she reached an enormous room. Suddenly, a great big snake, with its mouth open, greeted her. She pulled out a dagger and jumped back. For a moment, she glared at the animal with her red eyes, but then relaxed. It was only a statue made of stone.

Sarada sheathed her kunai and moved cautiously into its mouth. Before she could walk any further, a man with long, black, silk hair and yellow glowing eyes appeared from the shadows. He was tall, although shorter than her Dad, but very young looking. He looked no older than 20 years of age.

"Who are you?" He took a good look at the girl and smiled. "You look awfully familiar. Have we met?"

"Yes sir. I was here a couple of years ago with my Papa. We were looking for my Mom at the time."

"Oh yes! I remember! My, my… You sure have grown up to be a strong kunoichi." Orochimaru opened his arms. "What brings you here to my place?"

Sarada looked away nervously. She wasn't sure if she had the guts to explain it all. "Well, you see, I was wondering if… If you could take me in as your student."

"Orochimaru's eyebrows perked up in interest. "Is that so? Well, let me ask you, do you know who I am?"

"You're Orochimaru. My Papa was under your care for several years. You're also Mitsuki's Father… or Mother… or both… either or… And you created those clones. That's all I know."

The man got to his knees and pat the girl on her head. "No. I mean, do you know who I REALLY am child? Do you know of my pasts and doings? Do you know what I am capable of?"

The young Uchiha's stomach dropped. Fear began to run through her veins. Her knees and arms shook, and sweat fell from her forehead. "No. I don't know sir. I don't know much about you."

The Sanin smiled. "Very well then. I'll take you in under one condition." She stood up and took off his coat. "Fight me. If you can put up a decent battle, I'll determine if you have the guts to be my pupil. Do we have a deal?"

"Sure." Sarada stepped back and glared at her opponent in determination. She knew it would be impossible to last long in the fight, nonetheless win, but there was so much she wanted to learn. She wanted to get away from everything back at Konoha. Killing ChoCho, being unloved by her Dad, and hurting her teammate, she wanted to leave it all behind and follow a different path. A path with a deeper meaning.

Without warning, Orochimaru sprinted towards Sarada and threw a punch. The Uchiha dodged it and somersaulted backwards. She attempted to counter, but the man kept his attacks up. After several kicks and punches, Sarada relied on her Sharingan. She formed several hands signs and gulped a good amount of air. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Flames spewed from her mouth and aimed to the Sannin. Orochimaru red the attack. He simply blocked it with a substitution.

You're going to need more than that to stop him…

"Yeah, I know that." Sarada scanned the area with her eyes. The man appeared right before her. He swung his leg at her head. She squatted down and swept his single leg. Orochimaru jumped, brought his leg back, and twisted his body. Sarada flew back and shrieked in agony. She clutched her stomach and coughed violently. Orochimaru nailed her with a back kick to the belly. Because of this, her body couldn't move.

"Silly child." The Sannin walked up and towered over the girl. "It didn't even last 2 minutes. I'm genuinely disappointed." He smiled maliciously and walked away. "To think that an Uchiha is this weak, how pathetic. You're utterly useless."

Sarada's eyes closed. Her mind raced with rage, her fist shut tightly, and her breathing slowed. If it was one thing, she hated to be called weak. It was fine when Boruto called her that because he was an idiot, but hearing anyone, made her blood boil.

Sarada, you know what to do…

The young Uchiha picked herself up. Her eyes fluttered open. She could feel her eyes change, which was a bit strange, but she didn't mind it. "I'm not through with you! Shannaro!" She leapt forward and ran towards the man.

Orochimaru smiled softly. He turned and grabbed the girl's fist. When he gazed into her eyes, his heart stopped. "It couldn't be…" He began in amazement. "At such a young age… Just like…"

"I don't know what you're mumbling about, but shut your trap and fight me." Sarada cocked her arm back and swung with all her force. Once her hand made contact to the man's stomach, he slightly grunted and stumbled backwards. He looked up at the Uchiha and noticed her red dark eyes. Blood fell from down from them. The blood of an Uchiha. The blood of hate.

Orochimaru laughed and brought his hand up. "Alright, that's enough. I'll take you in as my student. But let me ask you, why have you come to seek me? What about your beloved father?"

"My Papa wanted power, so he came to you for it. I want the same. I want to leave my life from the village and join evil." Her Sharingan disappeared. For a couple moments, her vision blurred. She brought her hands up and rubbed them against her eyes.

I see that the Mangekyou is beginning to take its toll, the Sannin thought. "Are you sure this is what you want? Because once you decide, there's no going back."

She hesitated for a moment. Sarada wasn't real sure if she wanted to live this way her whole life. She didn't want to live this way at all, but she wanted out from the village. She knew that dream of becoming Hokage was now decimated. By now, her parents must have been looking for, but that didn't matter now. Her best friend was dead, so she had no one to turn to. Sarada only had Orochimaru.

"Yes Sensei. I want to do this." Sarada lied. Her heart was tearing into two and her stomach was dropping to her feet.

"Very well then, come to me child." Sarada walked forward. She looked up to her Sensei's yellow eyes. He reached over and slid off her red, metal headband from her head.

"You will no longer need this. From now on, you must sever all ties and bonds you once had with this village. This includes your Mother and Father. Any memory you once had should be lost and kept away from your heart. Understand?" The girl nodded her head. "Good. Come along now, we have training to get to." Both shinobi entered the dark, cool lair, where history would once repeat itself.


A man in black hair jumped from tree to tree. His eyes scanned the area rapidly. He stopped at a tall tree branch and looked over the scene.

Sarada…

"Yo Sensei! Could you slow down? You're way too fast!"

The man didn't answer back. With one purple and red eye, he tried to focus on any movement in the forest. Once the boy caught up, he darted off.

The boy whined and followed. "Sensei…"

"Quiet dobe. You wanted to come along so now you will have to suck it up. You're acting like your loser Father right now."

"Tch. Fine. Where are he headed Sasuke Sensei?"

Sasuke glared ahead. His heart was beating quickly and his throat went dry. "I don't know, but I have to find my daughter fast… Or else."

"Or else what?"

The man eyed the boy with uneasiness and kept quiet.

I don't want her to end up like me…