Chapter 12: I Know You Know I Know


When the door to his cell finally opened, Sasuke hastily backed away from the entrance and prepared to confront The Third—only to stare in confusion as Danzo walked in instead.

"Hello, Sasuke," Danzo said.

Sasuke's shocked expression effortlessly melted into a glower at the sound of his voice. "You. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to impart a warning, that's all. Unfortunately..." Danzo muttered the last word under his breath, and Sasuke's contempt deepened as he caught it.

Danzo took several steps towards him. "Here," From beneath the sleeve of his robe, Danzo retrieved a small mirror and faced the reflective side towards Sasuke. "Open your mouth."

Sasuke's first impulse was to continue glaring and to refuse the ridiculous request, but he was also curious and more than a little suspicious. Taking a moment to mull over his options, Sasuke came to the unpleasant realization that at this point, he actually didn't have any options.

Sasuke approached Danzo and begrudgingly opened his mouth.

"Stick out your tongue."

Hesitantly, Sasuke extended his tongue out and peered curiously into the mirror. Beginning at the base of the soft pink muscle was a series of thick, black lines. As they extended away from his throat, the lines broke into two.

At the sight of the juinjutsu, Sasuke instantly withdrew his tongue. "What did you do to me?!"

"It's a cursed seal that is placed on anyone affiliated with Root. If you speak of anything incriminating that involves me—or insinuates my involvement—you will be paralyzed, rendered unable to move or speak for an indeterminate period of time." Danzo caught Sasuke's eyes as he spoke. "Anything, Sasuke."

Sasuke's face darkened and he slowly backed away from the center of the room. "I'll kill you for this."

"Oh? I hear you already have." Danzo said, amused. "Keep in mind that—if necessary—the seal's coverage can easily be expanded. If I were you, I'd think very carefully about what you say from now on."

With the threat still hanging in the air, Danzo gave a short, mocking bow and turned to retreat.

Danzo exited the room, and as his hand grasped the handle of the door, Sasuke angrily strode towards him. "You can't keep me in here."

Danzo merely looked at him impassively before shutting the door in his face.


Sasuke waited and waited for the Third Hokage to enter the cell after Danzo, but Sarutobi never came. He paced furiously from corner to corner of the confined area, his rage and anxiety building with every minute that passed uninterrupted. After a while, the exertion and stress took its toll on his body, and Sasuke succumbed to a fitful sleep. He awoke to the smell of something sweet wafting through the air and noticed that a tray with oatmeal, honey and toast had been placed onto the table. He hadn't heard anyone enter the room.

Sasuke spent the next—hours? days?—alternatively fuming, sleeping, and eating. Every time he slept, he rose to find that a new meal had been delivered. He decided that either the shinobi bringing him his meals was exceedingly sneaky, or that he was being drugged.

Obviously, the latter was far more likely.

Sasuke was lying on the straw bedding provided for him, staring dejectedly at the ceiling when he heard the telltale creak of the door to his cell opening. He held his breath and remained stationary as the door swung open and watched as the Third entered, carrying a tray in one hand.

He abruptly sat up.

"Good morning," Sarutobi said as he glanced at the plate still sitting on the table, food cold and untouched. "Not hungry, I see."

Sasuke glared.

Sarutobi took a seat and set the new tray next to the plate from the previous night. "In case you were wondering, it's been a week. The Chunin Exams have begun. The preliminaries were completed earlier today and the remaining combatants will spend the next month preparing for the final round."

Sasuke's brow furrowed as he quickly calculated the passage of time in his head. The exams would have begun several days after his confrontation with the Third. The second phase in the Forest of Death took three days, and the preliminaries...

"As you can see, it's too late for you to be admitted as a candidate."

The look of concentration on Sasuke's face morphed into bitter irritation, but he bit his tongue to keep from saying anything—if he hadn't learned his lesson by then, Sasuke figured he probably never would.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Who cared about food? Why was Sarutobi talking about the exams at all instead of bringing up the massacre? Why had he waited a week to talk to him? Why? Just... why? The questions were on the tip of his tongue, ready and willing to spill into the air and Sasuke nearly burst from the desire to ask them. Before he could succumb to the need to speak, Sasuke noticed how the Third was looking at him with calculated eyes and it dawned on him that it was a ploy. Sarutobi was taunting him—he wanted Sasuke to ask first, to show his hand and reveal exactly how much he knew.

Sasuke may have had questions, but he was done talking.

The two shinobi sat in silence, staring uncomfortably at one another for some time before Sarutobi realized that Sasuke wasn't going to speak.

Frowning, Sarutobi folded his hands on the table. "Itachi..." he began, "So you already know, then."

Sasuke did not outwardly react, but both knew he was paying rapt attention.

"I wish that events had unfolded differently. We—myself, the council, and Itachi especially—did what we thought must be done to protect the village."

"My clan—my mother, my father, my family—deserved protection," Sasuke said heatedly. "Why does everyone else in the village deserve to live in peace without ever knowing what was sacrificed for it?"

"Was the Uchiha's coup d'etat worth the lives of countless people? Was their desire for power worth starting a fourth shinobi war?" Sarutobi countered. "The villagers believe that the Uchiha clan was unjustly massacred."

They were, Sasuke wanted to say, but Sarutobi continued speaking and Sasuke bit his tongue harder instead.

"They believe that the Uchihas were wronged and have no knowledge of their planned insurrection or of their betrayal. If your clan's plotting had reached fruition, they would have been loathed, regardless of the outcome. Is that what you would have wanted?"

The glare never left Sasuke's face and he tightly clenched his jaw in lieu of replying. Even if Sasuke wanted to talk, he was hesitant to test the boundaries of Danzo's seal. He supposed it was possible that the curse would allow him to speak with the Hokage; Danzo hadn't been very forthcoming about the limitations of the juinjutsu.

"There were no innocents in this. I only wish that I had been able to think of another way before it was too late. For that, I am truly sorry."

Sasuke would have snorted if he wasn't so angry. It was unbelievable. If he was truly sorry, he wouldn't have done it. If he was truly sorry, he would have tried harder. Sorry meant nothing. Being sorry didn't change anything. Being sorry didn't bring the dead back to life. Sarutobi could go on being sorry until the day he died—which was coming up rather soon, wasn't it?

"I don't know who really told you, Sasuke, but I'm sorry you had to find out like this. Itachi begged us to keep the truth from you because he did not want you to be ashamed of your clan. He wanted you to remain proud of your heritage and proud of your status as an Uchiha. Your brother would rather have had you hate himself instead of anyone else involved. I am not sure if Itachi ever really considered that you would turn your anger on the village itself... perhaps it seemed like an unthinkable option to someone like him," Sarutobi sighed. "I think I understand a little more about why you've been acting out..."

The Third looked to see if the younger boy was acknowledging the validity of his words, but Sasuke had the same stony, defiant expression on his face. At least he seemed to have gotten his temper under control.

"Sasuke, I'm sure you know that only a select few have knowledge of the massacre. However... I'm beginning to suspect that more people know than we previously thought. How, I don't know. You won't tell me who you talked to, but have you considered the possibility that they may have altered some of the facts?"

Sarutobi waited for a response—there was none, of course—before continuing. "Have you thought about why someone would tell you about the massacre, and what they could possibly gain from it?"

"I'm not being manipulated," Sasuke spat, sullen that the Third's insinuation seemed to have hit a nerve.

"I never said that."

There was a lull in the conversation before the Hokage spoke again. "You know, considering the lengths you went to get into the exams, you're taking the news rather well. You were quite adamant that you needed to be there—at this one specifically. Why?"

"..."

"Answer me, Sasuke, or you're going to stay in this cell until the completion of the Exams. If you can give me a good reason—a real reason—for why you wanted to participate in the Chunin Exams, I'll see to it that you can attend the final rounds as a spectator."

As the offer left his lips, Sarutobi noted how the Uchiha suddenly looked much more interested in the conversation.

Sasuke's eyes had initially lit up at The Third's words, but his burgeoning interest was mixed with trepidation. If he couldn't come up with a good answer, he'd be stuck there until the end of the Chunin Exams. With Sarutobi dead and Danzo in charge of his fate, there was a very good chance that he'd never be let out at all. Ever.

"I just wanted to become a chunin."

Sarutobi's mouth formed a tight, disappointed line. "If that was the case, you still would be refusing to cooperate with me. Obviously the mere prospect of attending the Exams is enough to motivate you. You don't want to be in the Exams—you want to be at the Exams. Why is that?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but the question left him off-balance. He wasn't sure how to respond—so he didn't.

"Is there someone you are expecting to meet there, Sasuke?"

Sasuke froze. Meet someone? What? The snake-like face of Orochimaru immediately sprang to mind, and he relaxed at the visualization. The Third couldn't possibly be suspicious of Orochimaru—but then, hadn't Konoha been aware of Orochimaru's presence the last time around? The sannin hadn't been particularly subtle about his plans. In fact, the only real mysteries had centered around his motivation and his alliance with Sand. This realization made Sasuke uneasy, but he rationalized that Sarutobi had no reason to suspect any connection between himself and Orochimaru in this timeline. Why Sarutobi would think that he was meeting with anyone was a mystery.

The Hokage seemed to puff up with satisfaction at Sasuke's silence, and it occurred to him that Sarutobi probably didn't know anything and simply planned on having Sasuke followed at the finals to figure out why he wanted to be there. Well, he'd certainly be in for a surprise.

Belatedly, Sasuke said, "I... If I can't participate, at least I'll be able to observe. I don't want to miss any opportunities to increase my chances of passing. The sooner I'm chunin, the sooner I can get out of Team Seven."

"I see."

Sasuke tensed at the aloof response. The Hokage obviously didn't believe him; in all fairness, it was a shoddy excuse. Sasuke wracked his brain to come up with something better, all the while preparing for the Third to shoot his next reason down just as ruthlessly—but his strategizing came to a surprising halt when the Third merely nodded at him.

"Tomorrow, you will meet Ebisu and the rest of your team at the gates at 8AM sharp. Do not be late. The four of you will be leaving the village to train for the rest of the month. Upon your return, I expect an outstanding report showcasing growth in your ability to collectively cooperate and function as a unit by the end of the month. If I'm satisfied with the results, the three of you will be allowed to attend the finals as spectators."

Sasuke gawked at him. That was it? He was being let go—just like that? That was—Sasuke almost asked why, but he managed to stop himself. If the Hokage wanted to let him out, well, who was he to argue?

Even so, something didn't sit right with him. The Third obviously wasn't worried about Sasuke spreading his knowledge of the massacre around. Danzo's cursed seal took care of that—at best, Sasuke could only relay half of the story, at least until he figured out how to break the seal. Would he be unable to talk about the massacre entirely because it involved Danzo, or could he just not mention Danzo's involvement? He wanted to test the limitations, but there was no way he was saying anything more to Sarutobi—if he even counted.

The Hokage rose from his seat and opened the door to the cell as he spoke. "I understand that you're upset. But even you must realize that threatening to disrupt the peace would do nothing but destroy everything your brother sought to accomplish. Whatever you think you know... You know nothing, Sasuke. If you want knowledge—the truth—prove to me that you deserve it. Prove that you can handle the answers to your questions without acting rashly, and without spitting in the faces of those who only want what's best for you."

As he exited the room, Sarutobi left the door wide open as an invitation to leave. Sasuke was hesitant to follow after the Hokage right off the bat, but after a few minutes he became paranoid that the door would snap shut on him and he ran out of the cell.


Sasuke cracked open the fridge—his small, achingly empty fridge—and cringed as his stomach growled loudly. There hadn't been much food left to begin with, and after a week of incarceration and even longer since he had last gone grocery shopping, the amount of edible food in his kitchen was pitiful. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped his last few meals after all.

Sasuke briefly considered heading somewhere to eat out before he opted to just stop by the market instead. Hopefully, he'd be less likely to run into someone he knew there. He really was not in the mood to socialize.

Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke was halfway through his hasty shopping spree when he spotted a headful of pink hair. Sakura was browsing through the fruit and vegetable aisles, cradling a small brown bagful of apples in one arm. He halted in his tracks at the sight; she hadn't seemed to notice him, and he contemplated leaving right then and there. Irritation swept through him at the impulse; why should he have to leave? Couldn't she just leave him alone for once in his life?

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke sighed. So much for leaving.

Sakura was looking over at him from across several crates of fruit, her mouth hanging slightly open and surprise evident on her face. Composing herself, she cautiously walked around the barrier seperating them and stopped several feet away.

She stared at the the collar of his shirt when she spoke. "Naruto's been looking for you all week."

"Hn."

Her eyes flickered to his face for a moment before her gaze returned to somewhere below his chin. She continued to stand there, uncomfortably tense but unwilling to leave, until Sasuke grew irritated enough to walk away.

"Wait!"

Sasuke stopped walking and grudgingly glanced over his shoulder to look at her.

Hesitantly, Sakura began to speak, but the words died on her lips and she trembled before trying again. "Why..."

Sasuke looked around the marketplace as she spoke, keenly aware of the villagers around them. She wasn't really going to talk about this now—in public—was she?

"Why would you tell them... Why did you say those things about Kakashi-sensei?"

Of course Sakura would. Why wasn't he surprised?

Turning away from her, he grabbed head of lettuce and haphazardly stuffed it into the cart he was carrying. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

When Sakura began sniffling quietly to herself in response, Sasuke looked back at her and was surprised to see several tears running down her cheeks.

"Stop it," Sasuke said, the order coming out harsher than intended. "You're in the middle of the market."

Sakura's head whipped up and she finally looked him in the eyes. Although her cheeks were still wet, she had stopped crying was glaring at him instead. "Sasuke-kun, I've always thought you were so smart and brave and confident..." She trailed off and shook her head. "And I still do. But..." Sakura bit her lip. "You might be a good ninja, but you're a real jerk!"

Sasuke stared at her. Did Sakura just insult him—and in public, no less? That was new. New, but equally annoying.

He must have muttered the thought under his breathe, because suddenly Sakura was bristling and had the same look in her eyes that she'd get right before clocking Naruto over the head.

"I'm... annoying?" Sakura repeated, her voice low and foreboding. "Well, at least I'm not a liar!"

Sasuke hadn't been paying much attention to her as she spoke—if he had been, he would have seen her hand snake into the bag she was carrying. Instead, Sasuke barely dodged the apple that she hurled at his face. The apple sailed over his shoulder and landed in the crate of tomatoes behind him, several of the fruits falling to the floor from the force of the impact.

Sasuke continued to stare after Sakura as she turned tail and ran out of the market. Several passing villagers watched as she fled and then looked over at Sasuke reproachfully before going back to their shopping.

Shaking himself, Sasuke picked up one of the tomatoes that had rolled onto the floor and gently placed it into his cart.

This was going to be a very long month.


A/N: Certain things will make more sense, um... Soon. In defense of Sasuke's bouts of rashness and emotional upheavals... *points towards later manga chapters* Also, I guess it's now canon that the Sharingan is literally strengthened through the power of emo. So there's that too.