Beta-ed by Jenny-Cat-Miaow.
Chapter 3
Sakura looked away from Ino as the door opened slowly. Immediately bright orange and yellow assaulted her senses and she found herself more grateful for that jumpsuit than ever before. She jumped from her seat and rushed towards the boy that had let himself into the classroom. Even Sasuke got up and came to the front.
"Dobe." He grumbled out immediately, "Your father is a bigger teme than I'll ever be."
"I know." Naruto replied, looking up with a sheepish smile. "I had no idea that this is what he meant when he said 'experimental' jutsu."
Sakura was about to add her own grumblings to the conversation, not that she really had any other than the loss of her previous skill. She still had the knowledge so she wasn't completely lost. She was willing to bet that both Sasuke and Naruto were nowhere near the level that'd been previously when they'd first entered the Academy. It just wasn't in their design to sit on their hands and wait. As it was, Naruto's outfit had more black than orange this time, probably as a reminder of his outfit from his trip with Jiraiya.
But when she looked at his eyes, eyes that were usually bright and carefree, she had to stifle a gasp. "Oh Naruto, I didn't realise." Sakura pulled the blond into a tight hug, one that was not immediately returned but rather flinched away from before he could stop himself.
"It's ohkay Sakura-chan. How could you know?" Naruto smiled softly, a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"No, don't you ever say that. I should have realised. I should have come to see you." Sakura shushed him, scolding herself as much as she was scolding him, her hug tightening. "We, both Sasuke and I, should have come to you." Sakura whispered in a voice so distraught that Naruto's expression froze, his protests dying down.
If those in the classroom thought the exchange was strange, they didn't say so and the three in the front didn't care. After all, if the two wanted to interact with that boy, they weren't going to get in their way.
"You should have come to the compound." Sasuke stated in a tight tone, suggesting he was also mentally berating his own stupidity.
Naruto didn't reply. Instead he seemed to surprise even himself when a choked heart wrenching sob tore itself from his throat as his face twisted with the effort of trying to hold it back.
He hadn't realised it had hurt this much until he was clinging to Sakura and Sasuke both, like they were his very anchor to reality, sobbing out the pain of loneliness he'd had to endure since that night about a year ago.
And it was to this scene that Umino Iruka walked in upon, surprised into silence by three sets of eyes that spoke of having seen far too much for their age. He didn't know how to respond, he didn't know what to feel, but his previous hostility and confusion towards the Uzumaki boy suddenly vanished upon seeing him so thoroughly broken within the arms of two of his classmates. It was in that moment that he realised, Naruto was a boy just like every other little child, except he was lonely and hurting, not able to comprehend the hatred of the villagers around him.
No one had even been aware that the three had known each other, other than Sasuke and Sakura having a friendship of sorts and even then it was only in passing.
Sakura and Sasuke glanced at the stunned chunin before gently tugging the blond towards an empty table where the three sat down, Naruto in the middle, Sakura still holding him as he sobbed quietly into her shoulder.
Most weren't really sure what that had been about, but they came to the conclusion that they had just witnessed something that should be private, something too intense for them to ever understand so no one, not even Iruka-sensei, said a word about it.
.0.0.0.
When the trio returned from lunch, Naruto's eyes were sparkling in a way they hadn't been for quite some time and the three did not sit together again. Instead Sakura occupied Ino, Sasuke went back to brooding in the corner he usually sat at and Naruto chose a desk near the back where he promptly fell asleep upon, much to the irritation of Iruka-sensei.
During the lesson Sakura was able to answer all the theory based questions with Sasuke able to do all the practical demonstrations and Naruto barely able to do either.
At home time, Sakura suddenly disappeared from Ino's side, latching onto Naruto's one side, while Sasuke appeared on Naruto's other side and the two dragged the blond towards the ramen stand. Naruto smiled in contentment the whole way there, reacquainting himself with the whole reason he'd never given up on Sasuke in the first place and the whole reason they would always be Team 7.
.0.0.0.
"Are we going to tell anyone?" Naruto asked as he slurped his ramen.
"No, not right now." Sasuke replied eating his own bowl at a more reasonable pace.
"I think we should just keep things as normal as possible for now, so that we're still on Team 7. I like the others and all but I don't particularly want to be on their teams. Plus it'll be harder to keep the truth from them that way. Not to mention that there will be no guarantee of events to come." Sakura mused, actually eating her ramen as she wasn't on a silly diet.
The two boys hummed their agreement, focusing on the food in front of them. It was silent for a moment, the only sound the slurping of ramen before Naruto broke that silence.
"Are you sad, Sasuke?" he asked almost hesitantly.
"Why would I be?" Sasuke replied, keeping his eyes on his ramen.
"Well, the Uchiha are your family." Naruto didn't need to elaborate any further. He was asking Sasuke if he was sad that his family was going to die.
"They . . . they sort of deserve it. I think . . . I agree with Itachi this time." Sasuke replied quietly. He didn't speak for a moment but added quietly, "Itachi-nii knows about my Sharingan. Not even I knew that I could activate it yet."
"Is he going to tell anyone?" Sakura asked with a worried frown, realising that the consequences of such a thing were not ideal.
"No, I don't think he is. He also realised that's there's something not normal about me. Then again, he wouldn't be my nii-san if he didn't." Sasuke replied thoughtfully.
No one replied to that, leaving Sasuke to his silence. It was a painful time for the Uchiha but this time, they'd get through it together.
.0.0.0.
Once again, Sasuke found himself lying in his room, thinking of the day his brother had lost his control. This time, he didn't wonder what was wrong, or what it was that Itachi had used instead of the normal Sharingan. No, this time he found himself wondering if there was a way to help Itachi, to not kill him.
He also wanted to tell Itachi to never, never ever, use those eyes but he figured his older brother already knew about the consequences of the Mangekyou Sharingan, understood them far better than Sasuke ever could. After all he'd managed to keep his vision for years while Sasuke had blown it all in a few battles spanned over weeks instead.
He also wondered how things would go this time around, if his own parents were wary of him. His mother and father had both been giving him strange looks since that day, where he'd defended Itachi and his view on the Uchiha clan, but Sasuke had continued to act like the happy little six year old he'd been before.
They didn't know what to make of him.
Just for the laughs, he had wanted to invite Naruto over but that would draw attention in a time where tension was running high.
He closed his eyes as he thought of his mother, so loving, so protective.
She was also in on the coup.
She was also an Uchiha.
She would die with everyone else.
This realisation caused Sasuke to begin to distance himself from his mother, hardly staying at the house at all. It had been a week before he realised that he was doing exactly as Itachi was. He understood his brother now more than ever. This pain, this anxiety, this foreknowledge of what was to come . . . it was enough to drive anyone mad.
He wondered if he should come home the second time around or if he should go to Naruto's house, maybe even Sakura's. Would Itachi wait for him so that he could make Sasuke hate him?
Would that waiting cause Itachi to get caught?
Sasuke got up and left his room. He needed to go and train or something. He was still so pathetically weak, even if he was currently stronger than when he was a genin the first time. He wondered what Kakashi's bell test would be like this time around.
Interesting to say the least.
Looking up, Sasuke saw Itachi approaching. He paused and stepped to the side to allow his brother the right of way.
"Morning to you, Aniki." Sasuke stated with a soft smile.
Itachi paused to look at him before simply continuing to walk.
Sasuke didn't take offence to it. Itachi was getting closer and closer to the day he was going to kill his own family. It had to be hard. It had to be painful. Perhaps by ignoring Sasuke he was trying to make the young Uchiha hate him, setting the foundations for the night he finally killed all those that Sasuke had called precious.
Sasuke watched silently as his brother and father passed each other, not a word exchanged, not a bow of respect given.
Sasuke stayed where he was, watching his father walk closer. The man looked exhausted, eyes closed in distant thought. Sasuke sighed quietly to himself, realising that this was the time his father was supposed to teach him a jutsu he'd already displayed knowledge of and having used as well. It was a moment he would not get in this reality.
It made him sad to think that.
That man was still his father, no matter what he was planning to do. He didn't love the man any less. It didn't make the pain any more bearable.
Those troubled eyes opened and glanced back at Itachi with a small frown before they moved forwards again, landing on Sasuke who offered the same respectful smile and slight blush as he'd offered the first time around before saying "Good morning Otou-san."
"Ah, morning Sasuke-kun." The man was unsure, thinking of Sasuke's strange similarities to Itachi as well as all the ways Sasuke wasn't like Itachi. He wasn't sure what to say, or how to treat the boy that was as serious as any Shinobi could be one minute and happy as any six year old could be the next. "Tell me, how's everything going at the Academy?" He settled for a trivial topic.
"The lessons are boring, but I make sure to stay at the top of my class." Sasuke replied, not as nervous as he'd been the first time around. Hardly trying to sugar coat it.
"I saw that you're able to use the firestyle, fire ball jutsu."
"Hai. I've always known the hand signs, any Uchiha does. It was only a matter of executing the jutsu, that's all." Sasuke replied with a shrug meant to be casual.
"I see. Did you figure this out on your own?"
Sasuke looked at his father, those eyes strangely hopeful and fearful at the same time.
"N-no." Sasuke decided on lying. "Shisui-kun, before he uhm, died, taught me a few things." Sasuke muttered, looking away as he told the somewhat lie. Shisui hadn't taught him the fire style technique but he had given Sasuke pointers and taught him about his Shunshin technique.
It was almost as if he had known he was going to die because he hadn't denied Sasuke anything when he'd asked for the knowledge, he hadn't tried to slow down the training simply because Sasuke was young. That day, it was almost as though he'd been trying to cram all of his collective experience and skill into a condensed lesson that could be passed on to Sasuke.
He now knew more about Uchiha techniques than he'd ever learned the first time. This was something worth learning since he was an Uchiha and this was the style most suited to his strengths. After all a clan knew their own capabilities better than anyone else.
But Sasuke knew he was running out of time to learn.
"I see." Fugaku's tone grew quiet, distant. Bringing up Shisui must have been a painful thing for him.
"Is there another jutsu you'd like to teach me?" Sasuke asked hesitantly, wondering if there was indeed a jutsu he could learn from his father this time around.
Fugaku gave him a considering look before continuing to walk. "Come, then."
.0.0.0.
Sasuke didn't show his disappointment when it turned out his father was going to teach him a jutsu he already knew, but then again, he had to remember that in his father's eyes he was still a child.
The jutsu his father was going to teach him was the Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu.
The hand signs were the Rat, tiger, dog, ox, rabbit and tiger again.
Sasuke watched his father preform it before being asked to preform it himself. He happily failed the jutsu quite miserably for an Uchiha that had already mastered a fire style technique.
He was surprised to note that his father's eyes held relief and not disappointment upon seeing him fail the jutsu.
"You're not ready for this particular jutsu it would seem." The happiness in his tone was one that he barely managed to keep as suppressed as he did.
Did Sasuke's difference from Itachi mean that much to him? He'd never expressed as much before. Perhaps the scare of thinking that Sasuke could potentially be just like Itachi had made him realise just how much he loved the fact that Sasuke wasn't like Itachi at all.
Sasuke gave the man a considering look as he walked back to the compound.
He smiled softly. This meant that he wasn't replacing Itachi like he had feared the first time around. This meant that his father truly had loved him for him.
So Sasuke practiced the jutsu he already knew how to do, so that he could satisfy his father in a different way from Itachi.
.0.0.0.
"Hold on Sasuke." Mikoto called as the young Uchiha made his way out of the house once again to go and practise a jutsu he already knew.
"Yes?" Sasuke asked, pausing to look back at his mother.
"I don't know what you said to your father, or what you did, but thank-you. He's more at peace now." Mikoto stated with a smile.
"He is?" Sasuke decided to play the six year old this time.
"Hai. The trouble with Itachi-kun has been worrying him a lot lately. Now come here so that I can treat those burns." Mikoto changed into the fussing mother Sasuke would always remember her as, gently rubbing the cooling balm on his cheeks and placing the bandages over them. Sasuke flinched and whined when needed, since he was playing the six year old today. He saw that this too gave his mother a measure of peace, as the lines around her eyes softened and the smile she wore became more content, more relaxed.
If there was something small he could provide his parents in the final days before their death than he would do so. If it gave them peace to see him as Sasuke and not Itachi, then he would give them that.
.0.0.0.
It was the third day of his 'practise', that Itachi found him.
"Why do you continue downplaying your own abilities? I could already see from the first day that you knew how to do this jutsu." Itachi asked, walking down the dock towards him.
"It makes father happy to think that I am not you." Sasuke replied. "I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm the six year old child he wishes me to be. So I shall pretend, to make him happy."
"Mature words from one so young." Itachi noted.
"You don't sound surprised." Sasuke looked at Itachi, watching his stoic expression.
"I suppose that's because I'm not. Not really. You ceased being anything but a mystery to me, Sasuke-kun, the night you had that nightmare." Itachi replied.
Was he making an attempt at learning Sasuke's secrets?
"I'll be leaving on a mission soon." Itachi sighed.
Sasuke didn't reply, wondering why Itachi was telling him this.
"I miss Shisui."
Then Itachi was walking back to the compound and Sasuke realised that his brother was trying to find someone to lean on, calling out to perhaps the only other person that could possibly understand him but not allowing himself that small luxury.
Sasuke's heart ached at the thought, the knowledge of the future that awaited his older brother.
Was there any way to save him?
.0.0.0.
It was the next day that Sasuke went to his father and stated in a soft tone. "I mastered that jutsu you showed me, Otou-san."
"Did you now?" Fugaku asked, almost like his mind was miles away.
"Hai. Would you like me to show you?" Sasuke asked.
He watched his father's eyes narrow and take in the burns and bandages on his face, eyebrows pulling together slightly.
Fugaku had agreed, his eyes sharpening to show that his mind was now fully concentrated on their conversation. They two were currently back at the docks, Sasuke getting ready to show his father the jutsu.
"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu."
Sasuke cut off the jutsu when he had shown enough and turned to his father to see his reaction. Just as the man had done the first time, his eyes widened and he turned away in shock before slowly walking back up to the Uchiha compound.
Sasuke watched, waiting breathlessly to see if his father would say those words to him again.
Those footsteps were just as loud as the first time, just as heart stopping. Every single one was like a knife to his heart and he wondered if he'd ruined it by 'mastering' a more difficult jutsu than the last time.
But then Fugaku stopped.
"Now then, that's my boy. You've done well. Work hard and you're bound to soar high and bring honour to that crest you wear on your back." Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled a soft, grateful smile. No matter how many times he heard it, it would always mean the world to him.
"I will. I will always find a way to bring honour to the Uchiha name." Sasuke promised.
"From now on, mark your own path." Fugaku paused to look back at him, "Not in the footsteps of your brother."
Sasuke closed his eyes to saviour the bitter sweet moment. The problem was, how was he to restore honour to a clan that was about to be wiped out by one of their very own members without killing the one that had done it?
Kill Madara. It was that simple. And he had Team 7 to help him do it.
.0.0.0.
A few days afterwards, Sasuke was sitting with Naruto and Sakura, rather than at home about to ask his mother what Fugaku really thought of his children.
"It going to be soon." Sasuke muttered.
In his mind he knew that his mother would have told him that Fugaku loved them both, talking only about Sasuke when she and he were alone. It was a moment that Sasuke would always treasure but today he just couldn't pretend anymore. Today, he needed the support of his teammates.
This day the first time around, he'd been in an awful mood as well, wondering if he was a replacement for Itachi. He knew he wasn't, that Fugaku had perhaps been trying to distract himself from the events unfolding around him.
He sighed and Sakura held his hand.
The three of them were sitting on top of the Hokage monument, pointedly ignoring the glares the Shinobi were sending them because of it.
The three of them had taken it upon themselves to paint the Hokage monument, only the genjutsu they were currently under ensured no one knew exactly who it was unless they employed the help of the Byakugan or the Sharingan.
Instead of the bland brown and orange rock, the Hokage were now in full colour. It was easy to do it for the three of them seeing as they'd personally met all the Hokage.
They'd chosen however, to sit on the now sunny blond hair of the fourth, taking in the view of the village, the same view that Madara and Hashirama had often stared at.
So far, no one had made a move to apprehend them so they figured the Sandaime was amused by their paint job, and the fact that they hadn't rudely defaced the monument was probably a plus for them.
"But I'll let you in on a little secret." Mikoto whispered. "When we're alone and no one else is around the only one he talks about is you."
Sakura's fingers tightened on his while Naruto leaned his head onto his shoulder, humming slightly.
His team, Team 7. They were in this together and they would never stop being there for each other. Not this time.
.0.0.0.
Sasuke lay on his bed once again, staring at the ceiling as his mind went over the events that had been happening; the evidence of what was to come.
His body, his emotions, they felt numb, like he wasn't quite sure what to feel anymore. On one hand he lost his family, on the other he lost his brother.
No . . . he was about to lose both.
.0.0.0.
Sasuke walked into the main room only to see Itachi putting on his shoes.
He's hardly seen the other since that day at the docks. Itachi hadn't sought him out again, perhaps afraid at what he would do.
"Aniki." Sasuke greeted and Itachi turned to him.
Just to see what would happen Sasuke did the one thing he hadn't asked in nearly a year and a half. "Do you think you could help me with my shuriken jutsu after school today?"
"No, I'm busy." Almost like a reflex for the ninja and Sasuke bit back the smirk that was both nostalgic and pained. He'd almost expected a different response. "Why don't you go ask father to help you?" Was he pushing Sasuke to spend the little time he had left with his family?
"Aww, come on, you're way better at the shuriken jutsu than what he is. I mean even I can see that." Sasuke pouted at him and he could see the amusement in Itachi's eyes. Itachi knew he was playing with him.
"Aniki, why do you always treat me like such a pest?" Sasuke pouted further.
Itachi turned to him fully, a small smile on his face and gestured for Sasuke to come closer. Even though Sasuke knew what was coming he walked over to his brother whose smile widened before poking Sasuke's forehead.
He could see that Itachi was grateful for the small moment of normalcy even as he said "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, some other time maybe, ohkay?"
Sasuke would've continued to pout and whine like a child but looking at Itachi, seeing the way his eyes stared at the ground, the pain there for the world to see for but the smallest of moments, Sasuke remained quiet.
"I'm sorry you have to do this, Aniki." He wanted to say, but could not.
He stood, eyes moving away from Sasuke's view. "I don't have time for this today." He sighed and the meaning of those words could be to play the big brother, or to figure out what it was that made Sasuke so strange to him.
"You're always doing this to me. You jab me in the forehead and say 'I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, and you never have time. It's always the same story." Sasuke had whined at one point in time, hardly grasping how selfish and childish those words had been at the time he'd said them.
Now he did, so he kept silent and watched as Itachi walked out the door, ready for another mission. He sighed sadly, sorry that he wasn't able to make his brother feel just a little better.
The cracked and broken Uchiha crest upon the wall was the last thing he saw before the door was closed once again.
.0.0.0.
The familiar sound of the dishes being washed filled the room as Sasuke sat with his father at the table. He glanced towards the man, taking in his distant expression.
This time, he would not enquire about a different Sharingan.
This time he would merely try to offer what comfort he could.
"Is something wrong, Otou-san?" Sasuke asked quietly, and the sound of the dishes being washed paused.
"Hmm?"
"Well you seem distracted lately, tired. Is everything alright?" Sasuke continued.
"Yes, Sasuke. Of course, why would you think otherwise?" Fugaku blinked in surprise at him.
"Otou-san, why is aniki always so cold to me?" Sasuke swiftly changed the subject realising that that approach wouldn't work.
"He's a peculiar one, your brother. He's never cared about being liked or making friends or any of that." Fugaku murmured, looking to the ceiling in contemplation.
"Why do you think he's like that?" Sasuke knew that his father didn't know but he asked all the same. Talking about Itachi seemed to be loosening him up.
"I don't know. As his father you'd think I would have a clue. But I don't." This fact was whispered in quiet anguish, as though this really pained him. "People are starting to tell me that now I need to watch out for both of you but I don't think so, do I Sasuke-kun? You're just as confused by Itachi-kun as the rest of us are?" Fugaku's eyes snapped to him and Sasuke tilted his head slightly.
"Hai, Otou-san." Sasuke replied with a small nod.
Sasuke offered his father a smile, when inside, he was quietly dying.
Things were going to happen soon, so very soon.
"Got your lunch ready, Sasuke-kun. It's time to go." Mikoto announced happily as she held out his lunch towards him. "And when you get home today I'll watch you practice you're shuriken jutsu."
"It's not practice Okaa-san," Sasuke chuckled. "It's training."
As Sasuke ran through the streets of the Uchiha compound on his way to the Academy he had to fight back the tears.
Today was the day where Itachi murdered his entire family, save for him.
.0.0.0.
Sitting at the school Sasuke drowned himself in the textbooks and the exercises of the day, Naruto challenging him loudly and often in the hopes of distracting him and also to provide him with a way to vent his frustrations. Naruto could take anything he could dish out; others at the Academy could not.
After the third taijutsu spar they'd gotten into and the third one that Naruto had purposefully lost, Sasuke lost his temper. "Stop holding back dobe!"
Naruto got to his feet and gave him a considering look, taking in the heavy panting that was hardly from the little scuffle, the anger and pain in his eyes and the slight slump in his shoulders. The blond nodded once before running at him again, this time meeting his punch and matching it.
It was lunch hour so this wasn't an official spar. The students at the Academy watched in silent awe as the two exchanged blow after blow, Naruto getting more pummelled this time than ever before, but also dishing out his own beating.
When Iruka came to stop the two, Sakura pulled him back and shook her head, quietly muttering that they both needed to vent their frustrations.
Once again Iruka found himself witnessing something that was far too private to be public and he was speechless at the amount of skill the two possessed, that they hadn't shown before. Was it a spur of the moment thing or had they been holding back all this time?
Suddenly, Sasuke's punch flew so far off its mark that Naruto ended up catching the stumbling Uchiha, holding him in a tight hug as he sobbed, much like the time Naruto had done the first day he'd come to Iruka's classroom.
"I'm sorry, so so sorry, I'm sorry, so so so sorry. . ." Sasuke sobbed over and over again as Naruto continued to hold him.
This was something no one could understand. No one there could even comprehend. Iruka didn't even know what Sasuke was apologising for.
Naruto didn't say a word, give any indication that he knew what Sasuke was apologising for either but then, he didn't have to. He knew Sasuke was apologising for a great many things, from this life and the one before.
"Why doesn't he say anything?" Iruka asked, looking to Sakura, who seemed to be the only other person who understood what was happening.
"He doesn't have to. They understand each other too well. Words would only ruin it. Besides, what can he really say?" The young girl asked, "It's not like he can say it's going to be ohkay, because we all know that it isn't."
"Sakura, what's going on?" Iruka asked, sensing something terrible on the horizon, something the three weren't telling anyone about.
Sakura turned to him then, her eyes large and almost mournful. How could such a young girl have so much pain in her eyes? "It's too late, sensei. It's already happened. That is why he cries."
"W-what happened?" Iruka was afraid to ask, afraid to get the answer but he needed it all the same.
Sakura didn't even look at him this time, only at the two in the middle of the field. Sasuke wasn't crying anymore, and was pulling away to wipe the tears from his face. Naruto watched him, eyes clouded over in some far off world of deep thought. He said something, and Sasuke shook his head. Sakura sighed, like the world was on her shoulders.
Iruka couldn't help but feel that he was standing somewhere far behind those three, so far in fact that his voice would never reach them.
Mizuki came out then, completely oblivious to what had just happened. In fact just about all the kids in the field had lost interest the moment the fight had stopped and Sasuke had started crying. The only two that had really been watching were Sakura and Iruka.
.0.0.0.
By the end of the school day, Sasuke felt the compulsion to go and practise his shuriken jutsu. Something that he'd been planning to do at home and not at school.
Startled, he realised that Itachi had placed a genjutsu on him, this morning when he'd poked his forehead.
Once again he was reminded of just how far he was from reaching Itachi's level. With a sigh he dispelled the genjutsu, feeling the compulsion slowly disappear as he headed home, knowing exactly what he would find. He had always wondered why he'd ever stayed so late at school that day in the first place.
"Want me to go with you?" Naruto asked him quietly, watching the Uchiha walk past him in a silent daze.
"No. This is something I need to do on my own." Sasuke replied, pausing only long enough to give Naruto a despondent stare.
Sasuke walked at a casual pace back to the compound, hair falling into his face and darkening his entire appearance. So much so that no one even tried to talk to him.
Standing at the gates, he stopped, wondering if this time he'd see Itachi in the act since he hadn't stayed late after school like Itachi had wanted him to.
Could he really walk in there, knowing what he did? Could he really do this one more time?
A hand grabbed his and he looked up into large blue eyes. "Did you really think I'd let you do this alone, teme?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke didn't reply, but squeezed Naruto's hand to convey his gratitude before he moved quickly, enough to knock Naruto out before the blond could even realise he was about to do it.
He used a shunshin, the very jutsu Shisui had taught him, to take Naruto back to his apartment. Going back to the Uchiha compound, Sasuke steeled himself before beginning to run through the streets as though he were late.
He paused at the same pole he'd paused at the first time, looking up to see if the same presence was there, the same watchful intensity that had stopped even him, who had been so naïve back then.
It wasn't. So he continued running, noting the sky was darkening now, instead of being dark already as he made his way through the deserted streets, knowing exactly what he would find.
Rounding the first corner, Sasuke tried his very best not to see the kunai, the shuriken, the damaged buildings and decorations. Mostly he tried so very much not to see the bodies.
Throwing open the door to his own home Sasuke paused on the threshold, habit the only thing that made him take off his shoes before continuing into the building.
This time he didn't waste time with going through an empty house. He went directly to the room he knew his parents to be in.
Dashing through the house, not even trying to be quiet about it, Sasuke burst through the doors, the very same ones he'd previously hesitated at. This was his very nightmare, replaying itself before his eyes. This was his one true failure, destined to happen again. And Sasuke could do nothing to prevent it.
It was only then that the killing intent hit him and he found himself pinned to the wall, Itachi's surprised face inches from his own.
"You're supposed to still be at the Academy." Itachi's tone was almost accusing.
Looking around his brother Sasuke saw that his parents were still alive, bound by jutsu and kneeling on the floor. He knew, from the memories that Itachi had shown him, that his parents had literally been killed moments before he'd arrived the first time.
"You'll never know how hard it was for me to walk through those gates today." Sasuke whispered with a watery smile as tears feel freely from his eyes.
"I always lied to you, telling you to forgive me. I always kept you far away, with my own hands. I didn't want . . . to involve you. But now I think that maybe you would have been able to change our Otou-san and Okaa-san, the Uchiha. If I had faced you from the start . . . tried to see things from your point of view you and talked with you about the truth . . . but I failed and no matter what I say it still won't reach you."
Some of Itachi's final words to him before he'd left the world of the living, having been reincarnated by Kabuto, flashed through Sasuke mind, but those words were useless now, more so than they ever had been.
"You knew. You knew that they were going to die." Itachi stated finally, stepping back to allow Sasuke to slump forwards.
"In my own way, I knew that something was going on. This morning, the look in your eyes before you left . . . I'd never seen you so defeated before." Sasuke explained.
"Still such a puzzle, aren't you Sasuke-kun." Itachi muttered, close to sounding frustrated.
"What happens now?" Sasuke asked, looking at their parents, who were staring at them, eyes sad and remorseful.
"I leave, you live." Itachi murmured, raising a hand and tilting Sasuke's head so that those large eyes looked at his. Those eyes that always, without fail, were filled with such adoration. Even now that adoration remained, tainted only by a pained understanding.
"I had hoped to not involve you." Itachi continued.
"I know. It's why you never really told me what we both knew." Sasuke closed his eyes, knowing that perhaps if he'd said something maybe Itachi would have been able to save the clan rather than kill it, but he hadn't said a word because Madara would have come anyway.
"I still haven't been able to fully grasp the extent of what you know." Itachi informed him. "Shisui told me that training you that day, was not like training a six year old, genius or not."
"He said something like that." Sasuke agreed but then he opened his eyes, exposing swirling Sharingan, "No matter what you do, Aniki, I could never hate you. I've told you before that I am only just beginning to grasp the extent of your achievements, your sacrifices."
"Even if I kill them, make you watch." Itachi's voice was toneless, his eyes and features completely blank.
"Even then." Sasuke whispered. He'd already seen it all before.
Sasuke was suddenly dragged across the room and placed in front of his parents. His father's face was devastated while his mother cried, but neither moved to stop Itachi, knowing that they couldn't even hope to stand a chance against him.
"Sharingan?" His father whispered, seeing Sasuke's eyes. "How long?" he asked breathlessly.
"Since I was five I think." Sasuke replied, not meeting his gaze.
"You aren't going to kill him, are you Itachi-kun?" Mikoto asked, not looking at Sasuke, but at Itachi.
"No." Itachi replied quietly and they both seemed to slump in relief.
"You've chosen to fight on their side; that was something I suppose I should have expected." Fugaku noted. "Promise me, that you'll look after Sasuke-kun."
"I will." Itachi drew his tanto, his hand shaking as he did so.
"And remember Itachi-kun, I will always love you. You've always been different from me, but that doesn't make me any less proud of you." Fugaku smiled sadly at his sons, both of their Sharingan swirling in angry protest to what was happening, but neither able to change it.
"Sasuke-kun, remember that promise you made me on the docks. Bring honour to that crest, and make your own path." Fugaku looked to his youngest son, the son he now realised he understood even less than Itachi and in his final moments, it was a painful realisation but he didn't let it show in his features.
"Hai, Otou-san." Sasuke promised once again.
Itachi raised his tanto, hesitated, hand shaking all the while as tears ran down his face.
"Do not hesitate Itachi, our pain will last only an instant, while yours will never fade." Fugaku whispered, "Finish the path you have chosen to walk down."
"His sacrifice is far greater than what you will ever know." Sasuke thought to himself as he closed his eyes so that he didn't have to see the tanto fall and meet its mark.
He couldn't block the feel of his parents' blood splattering on his face. He couldn't block the sounds that the tanto made as it entered their bodies, exiting once more after having pierced through their hearts.
Perhaps this was worse than seeing it.
"Sasuke-kun, my foolish little brother." Itachi stated softly.
The young Uchiha opened his eyes, only to be staring straight into Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan.
The torment from before, it started all over again but still, he would not hate his brother, he would not allow the other to push him away. His world became that black and white hell of utter torment but still, he would not hate his brother, not again. Over and over he was forced to watch those of his clan die. Over and over he was forced to watch as his mother and father were killed right in front of him.
Once again he managed to pull himself out of it with a scream of pain as he fell to the ground, gasping for air. His heart raced in his ears, making it seem like there was no other sound in the world but he knew there was.
"I still won't hate you." Sasuke gasped out. He was lying on the ground, unable to get up, unable to move towards his brother.
"Why do you refuse to see nothing but the good in me?" Itachi questioned, sounding mildly frustrated.
"You truly are a gentle person." Sasuke said the words that his father had not this time around. "And I can never hate you. You are my brother, my flesh and blood. I'll always be there for you, no matter what." Sasuke felt like a hypocrite saying those words, but the words of the Second Hokage reminded him that when an Uchiha loved, they loved unconditionally. Only now did he fully grasp the meaning of those words.
"You haven't once asked me why." Itachi noted, not responding to his previous words. "But I'll tell you anyway. I did this to test the limits of my own strength–"
"Why do you persist in trying to make me hate you, I won't." Sasuke demanded, moving his head so that he had a better view of his brother.
"Let me finish Sasuke." Itachi scolded. He seemed adamant to make this happen, to make Sasuke hate him, so Sasuke would let him believe that he had. "I did this to test my ability, to see who could stand against me."
". . ."
Itachi watched him, clearly waiting for a response, or perhaps trying to figure out what was going through his head in that moment. So Sasuke spoke, "You shouldn't use those eyes so freely. Power always comes at a price." Sasuke muttered.
"I know. So think of it as a testament of how highly I think of you, foolish little brother." Itachi replied, using that annoying nickname, but the one that fit him most.
Sasuke continued to lie on the floor, making no move to get up even though he knew that he could. He'd done so before so why not now? He did not want to fight his brother this time. He did not want to hate him. But in order to satisfy Itachi he had to pretend he did, just like Itachi was pretending now.
So he made himself struggle to his feet, made himself rush at his brother with a cry of anger that was mostly directed at himself only to be met with the same result as before, a clenched fist to the stomach. He allowed himself to drop back to the floor, gasping in the pain he knew he deserved.
This time, when he cried it was not at the pain and terror he felt at what was happening around him, no, it was the shame of his own inability to do more.
He forced himself to his feet as Itachi moved towards him. His mind reflected on the last time this has happened, how he had run from the room and how Itachi had let him. He'd paused only long enough to grab his shoes and pull them on, an action that had been foolish at the time. He hadn't, not once, taken into consideration that Itachi could have killed him in that time, so many times that night. He'd been too foolishly blinded by the lie his brother had crafted.
This time he did not run, he faced Itachi, breathing hard.
When he ran at Itachi again, it wasn't to attack him but rather to yank the Konoha headband from his forehead. "You won't be needing this anymore." Sasuke stated lowly. In truth he couldn't bear to see his brother slash the only symbol of loyalty a Shinobi visibly had. His brother didn't deserve that.
So instead he would keep the headband, and he would return it the day he managed to save his brother from his own fate.
Itachi eyes were wide for a moment, before he smirked. "If that is what you wish. I have acted like the older brother you desired for one reason, because I wanted to discover how powerful you were. I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my own abilities. You, have that unique potential. Hating me, will give you the desire to defeat me which is the exact reason I'm going to allow you to live. Don't you see, it's all for my own benefit? Like me, you may be one of the few that can use Mangekyou Sharingan. But there is a catch." Here Itachi paused and Sasuke stared at him in confusion. He had no idea what he brother was trying to achieve in making him hate Itachi. "Take the life of your best friend. You must kill him!" That was a lie. He knew that itachi hadn't killed Shisui and he'd still gained the Mangekyou. "Just like I did."
Itachi didn't require Sasuke to say anything as he continued to speak. "In the main hall of Nakano Shrine, underneath the seventh tatami mat on the far right, is the clan's secret gathering place. There you will find a secret document, an explanation of the Uchiha's clan's jutsu. It tells of the visual jutsu's true purpose." Itachi stopped to smirk arrogantly, "If you discover how to activate it, you will be the third person to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan, including myself." Itachi stopped to chuckle, "To ensure that that happens, that's enough reason to let you live."
Sasuke remembered that this was where Itachi left, where he went after him and activated his Sharingan the first time around. Where his brother told him that he wasn't worth killing, that he was too pathetic. Where his brother actually cried over what he was doing.
"Oh don't worry, you're not worth killing my foolish little brother." Had Itachi actually been disgusted in his behaviour that night because Sasuke sure was ashamed by it? "If you wish to kill me one day, in hate and revenge, surviving in such an unsightly manner such as this, by all means flee, cling to your wretched life and then one day when you possess the same eyes, come back and face me."
Those were the words Itachi had said to him the first time around. What would he say this time?
When Sasuke was faced with those Sharingan eyes again, this time, he didn't break out of the genjutsu; Itachi had made it too strong.
He managed to stay with it long enough to watch as Itachi pried the headband from his fingers and placed it within his school bag.
Sentimental Aniki?
This time there would be no chasing after Itachi, but he did see the tears as Itachi placed that headband between his textbooks so that it wouldn't be found even if anyone cared to look.
No, all they'd find was a lost little Uchiha, in the same room as his murdered parents.
"I still don't hate you, Aniki." Sasuke whispered before passing out.
Whether or not Itachi heard him, he'd never know.
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