The smell awoke Sasuke before anything else. Disinfectant and death, poorly disguised.
Sasuke remembered why shinobi hated hospitals.
He opened his eyes slightly, trying not to reveal that he had awakened to anyone possibly in his room. White walls, closed door, an IV drip. No one within the room. Good. Sasuke glanced at the IV levels on his drip. Decently low, a nurse may check on him soon. He checked himself over. The pain in his chest had subsided, his burns had scarred over partially. Two lines of stitches crisscrossed along the right side of his torso, not fully healed yet. He brushed his hands over the stitches, noting the dull ache against his skin as he did. Not great, but he could still perform decently in combat. He'd have to avoid more strenuous jutsu and stress-inducing movement if he did end up fighting, and lightning jutsu may end up backfiring due to his stitches, but he would make do.
Sasuke looked around for his gear to no avail. Nothing in the room was his. It likely was kept somewhere else in the hospital. He laid down on the bed once more, intent on letting the IV finish injecting whatever was in the bag into him. He would leave once it was finished.
He wouldn't have to smell the decay after that.
Sasuke bound his chakra tightly, struggling to keep it at the level of the other civilians in the hospital. He eventually got hold of his chakra so he wouldn't arouse any suspicion and kept it bound before he closed his eyes and began to plan out his next moves.
I need to first ascertain where my gear is, then figure out where I am. I don't know who brought me here. I also need to find out who did and how much they know, as well as their plans for me. Security seems lax, I don't sense any guards, and the window is an easy escape route. If I can leverage their non-hostility, I should be able to escape with my items without having to reveal too much about myself.
Eventually a doctor did enter his room. Brown hair, black eyes, an unremarkable woman overall.
"Ah, good," he spoke. "I'm mostly healed. I'm in serviceable condition to leave. Do you know where my belongings are?" He asked her as he stood up, ripping the IV out of his forearm.
"Wait! You can't do that; you're not entirely healed! You could really hurt yourself!" She tried to lecture him. Sasuke pushed past her, uncaring.
"Just show me where my stuff is and I'll be out of your hair," he told her, dropping his earlier politeness.
She grabbed his arm as he walked past, pulling him back to the bed. He could have simply dragged her through the hospital, though he didn't feel like causing a scene. It would make escape more difficult.
"Fine," he acquiesced." Can you at least bring my belongings to me? I don't want them stolen.
"Of course," the doctor permitted. "So long as you don't try to leave the hospital, we'll bring you your items." Sasuke nodded insincerely.
"How long was I out?"
"About a week."
"What?"
"Honestly, I'm surprised you're even able to stand. You had a serious case of internal bleeding and ruptured organs along with severe burns. Most women wouldn't recover for at least three weeks even if they had someone like Tsunade-sama healing them," the doctor told him. Sasuke shrugged.
"I heal decently."
"Apparently so. Hop back into bed and let me get you back on the IV, then I'll get your stuff, alright?"
Sasuke silently got back into bed and she stuck the new IV in his arm before checking over the gauge. Deciding it satisfactory, she turned and began to leave the room.
"One more thing," Sasuke called out to her.
"Hm?"
"Do you know who brought me here?" He asked.
"I believe," she thought, pen to her lips, "It was Shiranui-san?"
Genma? What were they doing out in Kusa?
"The Jounin?"
"Yes! You know of her? Are you a fan?" She asked him teasingly.
"Does that mean I'm currently in Hi no Kuni?" She blinked.
"You're currently in Konohagakure General Hospital."
Oh.
This changed things.
Sasuke waited fifteen minutes after the doctor dropped off his gear and left to make his move. He ripped the IV out of his arm, threw on his normal clothes, grabbed his gear and hopped out of the second story window, using the wall to slow his fall.
He landed easily, knees bent, walking off and ignoring the stares of the people around him. Chakra or no, he couldn't have been the first man to jump out of a second story building. Strolling off aimlessly, he wanted to get away from the hospital before he decided what the next step of his plans were.
Slipping through an alleyway and heading away from the Hokage Tower, he decided he would grab some food as he thought. He headed towards an old yakisoba shop he had enjoyed in the past, hoping it still existed.
To his surprise, it did.
The nostalgic smell of noodles wafted through the air as the griddle sizzled in the back of the small restaurant. A few people sat at the surrounding bar and tables, quietly chatting about nothing in particular.
He sat down, ordered a bowl and sat at the bar, surveilling the restaurant casually. No shinobi beyond Genin level were in the restaurant, unsurprisingly. Civilians ate and talked carelessly, unknowing or uncaring of any possible conflict within the city. It reminded him of before he left. Perhaps before even his family died.
Hn.
He dug into the bowl set before him, eating his food quietly. The nostalgic savory taste washed over him as he bit into the noodles. It was rather pleasant. Before he knew it, he had finished his food already. Sasuke stared down at his empty bowl, realizing he had lost himself in food and memories.
He probably should stop dining here.
As Sasuke turned to leave, a young, black-haired woman walked in with a shorter teenage girl following her, likely her younger sister. He didn't recognize either of them, but he could have sworn they seemed familiar. Sasuke shrugged it off, deciding it unimportant and continued to walk out of the store.
"Ah, Uchiha-san, welcome back! And who is this young lady?" the shop owner asked.
Sasuke whipped his head around reflexively, the gears in his mind clicking into place.
"This is my younger sister, Izumi," the woman replied as the girl waved at the chef.
Itachi's girlfriend?
A vague memory of past trauma flashed across his mind, the first person his brother killed the night of the massacre. Itachi's first use of Tsukuyomi, on his own lover, before his blade pierced her heart.
She's alive.
The clan is alive.
Sasuke walked out briskly, striding purposefully towards the Uchiha district. Konoha faded into the background of his eyesight, he couldn't focus on his surroundings. Contradicting thoughts swirled in his head.
He had to see the clan himself.
Nearing the compound gates, Sasuke stopped and took a deep breath. He didn't know what his reaction would be if he saw his clan alive once more. Would he lose it? Cause a scene? He needed to remain calm.
Opening his unconcealed eye, he strode into his old home.
Vibrant was the word that came to Sasuke's mind. Everything was brimming with life. The streets and walls were no longer run down, the walls no longer in disrepair, the stalls no longer empty. Uchiha clan members of all ages strolled through the compound, buying food, talking, doing police patrols.
It was the most beautiful thing he had seen in an awfully long time.
He continued to walk through the compound streets, taking in the sights. Once the nostalgic joy had washed over him, he began to realize the differences between his sight and his memories.
The shinobi and police force were all women, unlike the male-dominated profession he remembered in his childhood. The men were the ones performing errands and carrying children. No longer was gossip the hobby of old women, who likely were now the clan elders; instead, old men occupied the outdoor tables, chatting mildly about the latest happenings in and outside of the clan.
The other main difference was his own reception. Sasuke was an oddity, an outsider. It did not matter that he looked like a member of their clan. None of them had seen him specifically before, and that was enough to be suspicious. Sasuke could sense a couple police force members tailing him. He turned a corner and strolled into a less populated area of the compound; one of the old residential areas. That was when his tails called out to him.
"Excuse me, sir, are you lost?" a woman called out to him. He turned. She had black hair pulled into a bun, and seemed rather fit, especially for just a police force member. Her eyes, though, reminded him far too much of his mother.
He couldn't bring himself to keep staring at her eyes, so he turned to her partner, another with a bob cut and colder, less trusting eyes.
"No, my apologies. I was just leaving," Sasuke replied.
Sasuke turned and casually walked back towards the compound entrance once more, carefully keeping any strong emotions off his face.
This was not his family.
Sasuke meandered through the streets of Konoha, uncaring of his destination. Recent revelations were off-putting, to say the least.
His family was alive, but they had no connection to him. His mother would not recognize him. His father would not know him.
He did not want to think about his brother.
He decided to purchase a room at one of the hotels near the outskirts of the city. The hotel was small and sparsely decorated, with little view of the city outside its window. Sasuke was fine with that. He had little desire to see any more of the city after what he had just seen and decided to stay in his hotel room to plan out his next move against Zetsu and the Akatsuki.
He knew he had blown his opportunity to end everything by not making sure he killed both Zetsu in time, but it could have been a blessing in disguise. He had been so goal-oriented that he had forgotten that Zetsu was likely his only shot at getting back to his world. If he had killed both of them, he may have been stuck here eternally. This world's Zetsu had survived, though, fusing the scraps of his world's Zetsu into her, so she may not have any knowledge of how to send him back either.
And if that's the case, I'm stuck.
Sasuke blinked.
Even if she knows, I might just be stuck anyway.
A sobering thought.
Sasuke stared out of the window overlooking the city. People were still out and about, and the sun had not quite set, so he had time to explore if he wished before he would be considered suspicious by ANBU or the Konoha Police force, and he was not particularly eager to see more Uchiha anytime soon.
Wait, ANBU.
ROOT.
If the Uchiha were still alive? Was Danzo found out? Was he already deposed? Did he just not give the order? Izumi seemed older, so it couldn't have been a case of not happening yet. He needed to find out what changed.
A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought.
Sasuke blinked. Might as well check who wanted to see a hotel resident. Maybe there was an issue with the room?
He opened the door, staring at two women with Konoha shinobi uniforms and Uchiha armbands.
Sasuke had to hold back from slamming the door and bolting.
"Yes?" he asked the two women. They did a double take at him, clearly just surprised as he was.
"Mikoto-sa…" one whispered. "Er, we got a complaint from the hospital that one of their patients decided to break out, we tracked you down on their request. You went through the Uchiha district, right? I don't think I've seen you before…."
"I did." No point in lying to them when they have reports otherwise. "And no, I was recently brought here for treatment. You wouldn't have seen me, officers." The two women looked at each other, the more tanned one eyeing him suspiciously.
"You're definitely an Uchiha, though. You could seriously be Mikoto-sama's brother or something." Sasuke thought of trying to claim he wasn't, but her mind had apparently already been made up. "Tell you what, we'll bring you to see Mikoto-sama, see if she recognizes you or knows anything about Uchiha branches outside of Konoha, and we'll let you go. We'll tell the hospital you're all healed and everything. Sound good?" the tanned one asked him, clearly the more outspoken of the two.
Sasuke closed his open eye and breathed, thinking it over for a minute. On one hand, it would be troublesome having a full alert put out to hunt him down if he ran. He didn't need a full village knowing a man could escape both police force and black ops alike, they would be far too interested in tracking him down. He would never see a moment of peace.
On the other, Sasuke was not ready to see his mother alive and well.
Damn.
A few seconds more and he came to a decision.
"Sure," he replied, opening his eye again. "Lead on."
Sasuke hoped against hope that he would make it through the conversation.
He was led through the sunlit streets by the two police force members, almost acting as a personal guard, as if he were the one who needed to be protected rather than the civilians.
He almost snorted at the irony.
They walked leisurely, giving Sasuke ample time to both watch the afternoon sun wind down into the evening and steel himself to try and pretend he had never met his own family. The trio eventually made it back into the Uchiha compound, and Sasuke felt a dreadful familiarity wash over him once more.
I believe I'm beginning to loathe this place.
The stares he received by his estranged family were no longer of curiosity, but of recognition. Gossip had spread fast, it seemed, though Sasuke knew not what the Uchiha had whispered about him. He shrugged it off, setting his face forward and following his police escort to his former home.
"You've become a bit of a celebrity within the clan, y'know. Everyone is curious who you are. You look like us, but no one here has seen you before," the pale one told him, finally breaking her silence. It seemed for all the Uchiha's beliefs in stoicism, they were as bad as everyone else once interesting developments happened.
"Hn."
"Well, if I had doubts about you being one of us before, they're gone now," the tan one told him.
Shit.
"Is this the place?" Sasuke asked the pair, changing the subject as they came to the Uchiha Clan Head's home.
"Yeah, it is. Head on in, they're waiting for you." Sasuke nodded at them in acknowledgment and farewell before walking up the small steps and knocking on the door.
He swallowed.
Be calm.
The door opened and a woman he did not recognize greeted him. Sasuke blinked.
"Ah, you've arrived. Please, come in," the woman told him, stepping aside to reveal the familiar entranceway.
Sasuke could still see the bloodstains on the tatami.
"Thank you, Uchiha-sama," Sasuke bowed before stepping inside, slipping off his shoes at the entrance.
He was led to a small tea table where another woman sat, one he recognized this time.
His mother looked as beautiful as the day she was slaughtered.
Sasuke choked back a sob, set his face and bowed in greeting.
"Thank you for having me, Uchiha-sama."
Mikoto waved him off.
"It's not trouble at all. Please, sit. I have tea ready."
Sasuke sat down, taking in the scent of his mother's tea. The teapot was different, an ornate white and blue ceramic rather than the jade-green pot he remembered. He noted it with mild interest.
"I apologize for my wife's stiffness, Fumika is still a bit wary of strangers in our house. She means well," Mikoto told him gently. God, even her voice was the same, he couldn't imagine also having to face his father-
Wait. Fumika?
Sasuke's eyes snapped to the woman and her features were altered in her mind, more masculine. His father, apparently a woman, stared at him evenly. Sasuke looked away, unable to match her gaze now that he understood exactly who she was.
"It's no trouble, I understand," Sasuke answered hesitantly, quietly, bringing up his teacup and drinking the steaming brew to try to drown out his awkwardness.
If tou-san's counterpart is a woman, is nii-san's? Is mine?
It's best if I don't dwell on this.
"I've already introduced my wife, and I am Uchiha Mikoto, matriarch of the clan," she told him as she poured Fumika a cup of tea. Fumika nodded silently in thanks before bringing the cup to her lips.
"Indra," Sasuke responded.
"Hm, I don't recognize the name. Did you grow up outside of Konoha?" she asked him lightly. Sasuke paused for a minute, trying to answer without giving away that he was lying.
"I was a traveler for a good amount of my life. I rarely settled down."
"Do you remember your parents? Were they from Konoha?" Mikoto was being obvious, but she could probably tell if he was outright lying. She was always good at reading him. He had to keep away from outright falsehoods.
"My parents died when I was young. I don't remember too much about them," Sasuke responded solemnly. "It's not an easy subject for me."
Mikoto nodded in sympathy. "Losing family is a difficult experience. Many shinobi can relate. I've lost quite a few cousins in the Third Shinobi War." Sasuke's fist tightened under the table. He had little sympathy for Obito, no matter the madman's reasons. If it was up to Sasuke, Obito would have been put down like a dog.
"Thank you, Uchiha-sama."
"Please, Indra-kun, there's no need for such formality among family," Mikoto smiled at him.
Both his and Fumika's eyes snapped to her. "What?"
"Please, Indra-kun. You look like you could be my brother, and I don't believe for a second that you don't know your last name." She held out her hand to him. "Welcome back, cousin."
Sasuke froze. Indecision paralyzed him. He no longer knew what to do. He knew that look in his mother's eye, she would go to the ends of the earth to find him if he left. She would get the whole police force, possibly all of Konoha, to find him if he vanished. It would be no better than being wanted again.
However, he was ineffectual by simply staying in Konoha. He could not hunt Zetsu from the village, and they certainly would not simply allow him to hunt down the most dangerous ronin organization on the continent. They believed him too weak, and if they knew his power, they would deem him too valuable. Neither option was good, but a decision had to be made.
Sasuke closed his eyes.
"Thank you, Mikoto-sama."
He never was able to refuse his mother.
He was offered to stay in one of the empty clan homes at the compound, but Sasuke refused, citing that he had already paid for a hotel room for the night and might as well use it. He told Mikoto he would help clean the spare house tomorrow but was waved off. She had said that construction was not a man's job and she would hire a crew to fix up the building. Not wanting to argue with his estranged mother, Sasuke let it go and retreated from the compound.
Within the privacy of his hotel once more, Sasuke began to plan.
He would likely have to hit Amegakure if he wanted to make any progress against Zetsu. She would not make the same mistake again, and would be hidden out of sight, so he would have to get rid of her allies to halt her plan. She would be hard-pressed to find any shinobi as competent as the ones she already has.
Thus, Pein needed to die first.
Beyond Pein, Kisame and Obito would be the biggest issues. However, Kisame cared little for any real cause, and Obito was another coward who would hide in the shadows and attempt to manipulate others to do his bidding.
Now that he thought about it, if the Uchiha clan was still alive, was Obito still in the picture? Sasuke remembered Obito admitting that he helped slaughter his own clan, but what if something changed?
Sasuke's eyes widened. Something did change. If the Uchiha clan was alive, then Itachi may not have defected. If Itachi did not join the Akatsuki, then Orochimaru would have no reason to leave.
Priorities have changed. Hunting down Orochimaru is top of the list.
Orochimaru had little loyalty to the Akatsuki, and if Sasuke could convince her of Zetsu's true goals, Orochimaru may be willing to negotiate with him.
If not, Sasuke would slaughter her.
However, he was now a known resident of Konoha. His mother would be on him like a hawk. He knew that despite what Mikoto said about family, she did not trust him at all yet, and was inviting him in as an excuse to keep a close eye on him. If he was too suspicious, she would throw him in some prison and have him interrogated for all he was worth without a shred of remorse.
His mother did not become clan head through flowers and pattycake.
He needed to be able to act without alerting his clan of anything. Shadow Clones, perhaps? The chakra spike may alert the clan members that something is suspicious. He would need a secure place to perform the jutsu in secrecy. If the police force were tailing him as he had suspected, then that would be rather difficult. And if he decided to simply abandon the village, he would be hunted by all villages once his secret was out. There would be nowhere for him to hide; he would be constantly on the run.
A sound at his window, nearly silent. He glanced over. His window was open.
Sasuke had not opened his window.
Sasuke barely avoided the barehanded thrust at the base of his neck. He snatched the wrist as it passed him and flipped his assailant onto the table. Sasuke pulled her sword from her sheath and pressed its blade against her neck.
Another blade was held to his.
"A sword to my neck won't stop me. If you don't want to die, you'll start explaining what exactly you want," he spoke to the silent woman behind him. Sasuke was in no mood for games, he was at the end of his rope after today. His blood boiled
"I would ask you to release my comrade first," the cloaked kunoichi behind him replied.
"You have no negotiating power. I can kill you both before you'll realize you're dead."
A moment passed, then two. The blade was slowly released from his throat, and he did the same to his own captive, setting her sword down on the small desk. Sasuke released her and she took her blade back, standing up slowly and sheathing her sword.
She wore a blank white mask.
They both did.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"You are Indra, yes?"
He nodded.
"Shimura Danzou wishes to speak with you."