This chapter is a super-spoiler. ( Naruto Manga chapter 396, 397 ). Crazy idea I'm having. Nice excuse to take a long break too, I just realized XD
scienceboy, thanks for pointing that out :)
Daybreak (2)
Dark storm clouds rolled and folded over each other. Only a dim white light shone through occasionally down onto the heavily forested plateau below, in the middle of which flowed a river, more than a hundred metres wide.
The waters in the river rushed rapidly towards the edge of the plateau, where it poured down abruptly into a mist-shrouded abyss. From all over the waterfall, the strong winds drew a constant spray of water out into the air.
On each side of the waterfall, carved into the side of the plateau and rising halfway above the cliff, were the gigantic stone statues of two young warriors, facing each other and holding their left hands before there chests with the index and middle fingers pointing up and the other digits curled. The both of them wore armour made up of tightly interlocking bands covering their trunks, hips, upper thighs and upper arms. Each had a solemn expression on his face.
One of them had long spiky hair drooping down way past his shoulders. Over his left shoulder and back was a smooth long cape which was draped over his right hand as well.
The other warrior had long straight hair flowing over his shoulders. Sitting atop his head, appearing as small as a fly compared to him, was a boy dressed in a white gi and a blue kilt, and bearing a striking resemblance to the stone effigy of the other warrior standing before him, even right down to that stone-cold expression, though the boy was shorter in stature and appeared younger.
"The Valley of the End ?" A cold reptilian voice hissed from behind the boy. "Why ?"
"If you are too dumb to figure it out, Orochimaru, you are not worth telling." Sasuke stared blankly ahead.
"Talking back to your master already hmm ?" the voice sounded weirdly amused. "Let's see, this was where the renowned Uchiha Madara fought with the First Hokage, not long after the Hidden Leaf village was founded." Orochimaru paused for a moment. "… ah, I see, another battle occurred here, between you, and your closest friend."
"Naruto." Sasuke muttered.
"Yes, yes, he tried to stop you from leaving the village." The voice chuckled. "Last we met, he was still trying to bring you back. I doubt he has given up yet."
"Bonds." Sasuke shook his head. His expression softened slightly.
"Yes, bonds ... Speaking of which, I have a surprise for you, Sasuke-kun !"
Sasuke felt heavy, thick, smooth coils of something alive tighten itself around his body. Alarmed, he stared down to see what appeared to be the tail of an overgrown python wrapped around him, pressing his legs together and his arms against his chest. No matter how he struggled against the constricting appendage, he could not free himself.
"It's bondage time !" Orochimaru hissed excitedly.
"You sick-minded monster !" Sasuke cursed, eyes wide.
"Hehehe …" came Orochimaru's sick-minded reply.
"Release him, vile serpent !"
Sasuke looked up towards the source of the sudden thundering voice. He could feel Orochimaru halt his squeezing in surprise as well.
There was no other person in sight. Noone … except for the colossal statue of Uchiha Madara.
For a while Sasuke stared at the face of this distant relation of his, the former head of the once glorious Uchiha clan, now immortalised, in stone.
And, Sasuke remembered sadly, all that was left of his clan was nothing … but himself.
Then, Sasuke gasped in shock as the statue's wide glaring stone eyes began to glow red, like ore heated in a blast furnace. The glow intensified, until the three claw like extra pupils in each eye became more and more distinct, and Sasuke felt Orochimaru's tail loosening itself from him.
As the image of the Sharingan formed completely, the red glow overtook all of Sasuke's vision …
Xxx
Sasuke sat up abruptly in the darkness, and took in a deep gulp of air. For a while he trembled, eyes wide, his breathing hurried and shallow.
Gradually, he calmed down and looked around.
He was sitting on a long bench in a small room whose walls, floor and ceiling, and even the bench themselves, set into the wall, was covered in uniform white tiles, like a toilet, or a strange laboratory. Only, this room was completely devoid of the utilities that would be found in those facilities.
One wall was missing. In its place were closely spaced columns of green light which separated the room from a corridor outside, along whose sides were lines of similar rooms, all of them relatively well lit by white phosphorescent lights which further gave the impression of a scientific research facility.
"More likely a high-tech a prison." Sasuke sighed.
Opposite him, on a stone bench, leaning unconscious against each other, were Logan and Ororo.
"Don't worry, they'll be fine. It was just sleeping gas." A weird male voice. Deep, aged yet sometimes vibrant as a child. "My special recipe. Colourless, odourless … barely detectable even by the Sharingan. "
A figure in a black cloak walked right into his field of vision, seemingly from a corner in the cell which, moments ago, appeared empty.
The figure continued. "I intended to use it in that mansion you had been staying in, but Sabretooth had to go and fight you people in the middle of the road, so I had to change my plans."
Sasuke kept silent and motionless, staring past the figure.
"We've met once before, as enemies, but don't worry, I'm no longer your foe. I brought you here to tell you something important."
Sasuke did not reply. It was hard to tell if he was deliberately ignoring the strange figure, or just ...
"Not interested, I see. Maybe you'll pay attention if I say it like this, it's about Uchiha Itachi ..."
At the mention of his brother's name, Sasuke glanced sharply up at the stranger.
"There we go. Firstly, You won, it was very close though. If the X-Men hadn't taken you in, it could have taken you a week or more to recover. You shouldn't be so wreckless with your life."
"Why would you care ?" Sasuke huffed.
"Ah, why would I care ? I guess I should seriously introduce myself. Like you, I am a living, breathing Uchiha ... and the man who knows the truth about Uchiha Itachi."
Now Sasuke's eyes widened again. He stared up in as the stranger reached up for his hood and slowly lifted it …
… to reveal a bright red Sharingan eye.
At the sight of the latter, Sasuke felt a wave of intense heat rise involuntarily through his body and gather in his eyes. Despite the unbearable searing pain, Sasuke could not do anything other than sit and stare hard at the stranger,
Who appeared to halt his own action in surprise as he saw the young boy's own Sharingan activate, and then immediately the three commas in each of the latter's eyes lengthened and expanded into scythe like shapes which rooted themselves into the now dwindling pupil, forming one large pupil shaped like a glaive with a hollow centre, whose three blades spiralled gently out across the entire bright red iris.
"… Impossible ! Ghaah !" The stranger screamed as his shoulder, right arm, and hood burst into black flames.
Now Sasuke felt the control of his body return to him, and he bent down, covering his eyes with his hands. His groans of agony was occasionally drowned out by shouts and curses, and occasional shuffling noises coming from the stranger standing beside him. Gradually, the noises died down, and he felt something hot drip down from his eyes onto his palms. He pulled his hands away from his face and looked at them.
They were dotted with drops of blood.
"What the hell was that ?" He stuttered in horror. His eyes had dimmed back down to a glassy black colour now. The pain was fading. In its place came a significant fatigue. Whatever happened, it had drawn more than just blood from him.
"The Amaterasu that Itachi implanted in you." The stranger replied. "Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, even in death he never ceases to amaze me. Even planning for a situation like this."
Sasuke looked up at the stranger who now stood calmly before him. The black flames were gone, together with the stranger's black cloak, revealing tattered black vest, pants shoes and bandana, and white socks. He wore an orange oval mask covered in rounded ridges which spiraled in towards a hole at the approximate position of his right eye.
Sasuke he recalled when and where he had met this stranger. So he was an Uchiha as well ? Was this real ? What did he want ? What happened to those black flames ?
" What … what are you saying ?"
"He equipped you with his own jutsu, as a last ditch effort to kill me. Or perhaps his intention was simply to keep me away from you." The stranger explained. "I assume he set things up so that the sight of my Sharingan would automatically trigger 'Amaterasu' to activate. It's what you would call a 'fail-safe', although he only got as far as the 'fail' part." The stranger paused for a while. "Look, Itachi did something to you before he died, right ?"
Now Sasuke remembered the final moment before his brother died. Itachi had touched his forehead, and mumbled some cryptic message to him.
"… I have no idea what you are getting at."
The masked stranger shrugged. "You fought him. You know how he can effect the flow of Chakra in another person's body with a tiny, innocent looking gesture. Somehow, at the last second, he transferred all his eye techniques into you."
Sasuke shook his head slightly. "… that makes no sense … what are you trying to say ? Why would Itachi want to -"
The stranger chuckled, both in amusement and exasperation. "You still don't know ? It was … to protect you."
Sasuke cringed for a second. "… pr … protect me ? … is that supposed to be funny ?"
The stranger waved a hand. "No, not at all, Sasuke. See, you knew so much about your brother, yet you knew nothing at all."
"… you keep fucking with me … I'll kill you !" Sasuke clenched a fist. There was now a harsh edge to the tone of his voice.
"I see talking with you is going to be difficult. I guess I understand … some weirdo comes to you and starts saying all these things …" The stranger continued, undeterred by Sasuke's threat. "but I assure you, I speak the truth. You asked Itachi yourself, about the man who helped him that night."
The stranger bent forward and brought his face closer to Sasuke, a gesture which caused the boy to forget his annoyance, and instead feel an inexplicable chill run up his spine. "It was me. Uchiha Madara. I know everything there is to know about Itachi. Of course, he died without realizing just how much I know."
"Enough !" Sasuke shouted."I don't care anymore ! Let me out of here and never come near me again !" He was shivering now, wide open eyes glancing jerkily around, but not once looking in Madara's direction.
Madara stood and spread his arms. "I think you should … no, you have to question me. It's your mission … your duty … after all, you did intend to seek me out, did you not ? Now finally we meet, so listen to me … let me tell you about him, this man who risked everything to protect the shinobi world … the Leaf village, and most of all, his little brother. You need to know, what it is … that your brother Uchiha Itachi lived and died for !"
Yeah, we all need to know, so stay tuned to NarutoMangaReturns or bleachexile
I probably won't be updating until Madara finishes his story and leaves Sasuke alone. ( Probably, that is. Suggestions are very welcome. And yes, we are still open to codename suggestions for Sasuke. )
See y'all then.
Have a nice day/night.
Star