Beta-ed by Jenny-Cat-Miaow. And a small reminder, we are both but human and some (and in some chapters a lot) mistakes do slip past both of us. But we try to catch them all. Unfortunately it's not that easy and one or two are always missed and I apologise for that.
Things as they are
Chapter 11
The rest of the matches weren't anything to gloat about. Sasuke found it interesting that so far the original finalist, the same ones from his original reality, were the ones who had won their matches in this reality. The fights may have not been the same but the outcomes were and that was something interesting to consider.
ZAKU ABUMI VS TSURUGU MISUMI had ended in a tie knockout, just like Sakura and Ino's match for Sasuke. Sasuke had scoffed at that one. Those two really were a pitiful bunch. They were just pawns in Orochimaru's much larger game. However, Tsurugu did have the rather interesting ability to bend his limbs into some somewhat disgusting ways.
TEMARI VS INUZUKA KIBA had been entertaining in that Kiba had had his ass handed to him worse than when Naruto had fought him, and that was saying something since Naruto had really been quite brilliantly surprising in that preliminary match. Sasuke had snickered the entire time, snorting a little when the genin had looked to him with a glare for the laughs.
NARA SHIKAMARU VS TENTEN had been interesting. That Nara kid really was a genius on a level far above his peers. Too bad he was so lazy. He'd grumbled about being paired with a girl but with his shadow possession, Tenten's weapons were useless. If Sasuke wasn't mistaken, he'd say the match ended pretty much the same way as it had the first time around, in his world. He couldn't be sure because he hadn't seen it.
As Sasuke turned his attention back to the board, shaking his head at Lee and Gai's lamenting at Tenten's defeat, he wondered which poor unlucky bastard would get Gaara. Kabuto and Lee, they were they only ones left. So what was going to happen to the last person? Did they get an automatic pass?
Blinking at the names that appeared, Sasuke couldn't help the snort of laughter. Kabuto had to go up against Gaara. That was a riot.
He watched as the spy walked down the stairs, looking every bit the nervous genin he'd pretended to be as his eyes flickered over to Gaara, even allowing his hands to shake slightly. But then again, anyone facing Gaara might just be more than a little nervous about it.
Gaara frowned at his opponent clearly not expecting much of a fight from Kabuto, and Sasuke figured with Kabuto's background, it was likely that there wasn't going to be a match at all.
Kakashi and Obito did not miss Sasuke's almost gleeful amusement at the Konoha Genin's plight and they frowned at that. It wasn't helping Sasuke's case. At the current moment the boy was moments away from being placed in ANBU T&I. The only thing saving him was Minato's emotional attachment to all things that the boy had been before his sudden change.
Itachi stepped forward to start the match but before he could even open his mouth to ask if they were ready Kabuto stepped up with raised hands; the universal sign for surrender. "Unfortunately, Itachi-san, I do not feel quite up to this match. The second phase has taken more out of me than what I'd like to admit. Currently, I just don't have the chakra nor the expertise to fight one such as Gaara. I am, after all, a medic-nin."
The cherry on top. Medic-nin had small chakra reserves so his tale was more than believable. Itachi blinked at him before turning to the Hokage, completely unaware that Kabuto could best most ANBU.
Minato merely nodded his head. Kabuto got the message and bowed fluidly before returning to his position on the balcony. Did Konoha suspect that he was a spy?
"Winner by opponent forfeit, Gaara." Itachi stated blandly.
Gaara on the other hand looked livid. Sasuke, if he remembered correctly, knew that the boy needed a near constant stream of victims, his mind becoming agitated if he was left to his own devices for far too long. Would he be able to hold out? There was a month before the next official match. Sasuke made a mental note to steer clear of the genin until then. After all, Gaara had nearly killed Rock Lee in the preliminaries and he'd managed to kill the Oto Genin, Dosu, before they even got to the finals. Sasuke didn't feel like being this reality's Dosu.
"Alright, will all the participants that won their matches please step forward, including the participant who did not fight." Itachi stated, only just loud enough to be heard.
Sasuke walked with the rest of the genin that had won their matches down to the arena floor, wondering if this was when they picked their numbers. Glancing over to Lee, knowing that the other genin was very adamant about proving himself to the ninja world, he could see the all too visible slump in his posture as he made his way over to Itachi with the rest of the genin.
"All of your names will be resubmitted into the generator." Itachi began, pausing to point at the board, "While Rock Lee's name will be a fixed participant. His opponent will be randomly selected from those who have already won their matches." Itachi finished, tensing for the whines of disapproval.
Sasuke inclined his head in contemplation and wondered just who would win the match. In his world, Gaara had almost successfully crippled Lee. Lee was also a formidable opponent and he did not have the chakra needed to keep up with him. In his current state, he was safer forfeiting the match then actually fighting the genin, should he be the unlucky fighter chosen.
Sasuke ignored the half-hearted protests of those around him, focusing instead on trying to see just how much charka he had or could gain access too.
With a sigh he concluded that he just wasn't Naruto and therefore the seal Orochimaru had placed was efficient enough to cut off everything. He couldn't even access what he needed to do a simple bunshin.
He tensed when he sensed that he was being watched and turned around to spot the Oto 'jonin' watching him curiously. Sasuke's jaw tightened and he suppressed the shudder that threatened to run down his spine. He did not want to ever fall under that snake's command ever again. Hindsight was a gift in this case.
But . . . Naruto did not know this. Looking to the blond, just barely able to see the sealed curse mark, he couldn't stop the guilt that pierced his heart at his failure. Again, the headache throbbed just behind is eyes and he closed them, hoping that some form of darkness would help.
Naruto and he did not share the same bond as they should have at this point. That blasted mission to Wave was what had essentially opened his mind to the possibility of a team. But Sasuke had interfered in that mission and as a result this Naruto was less inclined to be on a team. How was Sasuke going to fix that because as it stood, there was nothing in Konoha that would even make Naruto pause before leaving? Sakura was nothing but a nuisance, Sasuke was nothing but something to surpass, a mystery that only served to infuriate Naruto and his sensei was a man that strangely Naruto couldn't stand for very long. His father, for some reason, only angered him more and Obito irritated him.
He had to fix it. He had to stop Naruto from leaving but what could he do?
If only he hadn't failed. If only he'd told someone about Orochimaru.
But what could he have said?
Again, another throb of pain behind his eyes. This headache was starting to become a serious disability for him. But he couldn't focus on that now. He had to focus on Orochimaru, and Naruto. He had to fix what he had broken.
He startled when a hand fell onto his shoulder and blinked in surprise at the person who'd placed it there.
Itachi?
Itachi was frowning slightly, speaking to him, but Sasuke's ears were ringing. What the hell was wrong with him?
He shook his head, trying to clear it.
"Sasuke-kun? Are you able to take part in this fight?" Itachi asked, probably having repeated his earlier words.
Bewildered, Sasuke turned to the board and saw that he was the chosen opponent for Lee. His eyes widened. He had to fight Lee. He wasn't in any condition to do that! But he had to win. He had to make it to the next round. Orochimaru was going to make a move and he needed to be in the next round.
If Lee had been facing any one of the others then perhaps, the oddity that was this reality would have meant that Lee would lose because he had lost in Sasuke's true reality. However, Sasuke was the odd one out in this reality which meant that anything could happen in this world. For example, Lee could win.
Everyone had already cleared out of the arena and Lee was giving Sasuke a look of concern. The look was enough to anger Sasuke into his usual frown of indifference. It brought him back to his senses. Enough to realise that Naruto was still standing in the arena, watching him.
"I'm fine." Sasuke growled at Itachi, shaking off his hand and walking closer to Lee. He had to win. He couldn't afford to lose.
"Sasuke." Naruto stated tonelessly. When had he stopped calling the Uchiha a dobe?
Sasuke paused to look back at the blond, wondering what he wanted.
"I want to see your full potential and you cannot show that, not with that seal holding back your chakra." Naruto explained, fingers curiously lighting up with chakra as he spoke.
Naruto moved before Sasuke even realised that he was about to attack him. He was knocked off his feet and his shirt was yanked up before he'd even hit the ground. The moment he did, Naruto's hand slammed down onto the seal on his stomach and pain rolled through his body in agonising waves.
He wanted to scream, to yell out but his Uchiha pride forced his jaw to clamp shut. His Sharingan swirled into angry activated and he shut his eyes to prevent anyone from seeing them.
Naruto moved away from him, not even batting an eyelash at the fact that Sasuke was curled in on himself, fighting off an intense pain. It would wear off in a minute or two. Besides, Naruto had been fighting the curse mark during his fight so really, the Uchiha could handle it. Not to mention the sealing of the curse mark was far more excruciating than the removing of a seal. So, in Naruto's mind, Sasuke could definitely handle it.
"Lee-san, if you'll please allow Sasuke-san a moment to adjust." Naruto bowed to the other genin and Lee, being the honourable fighter that he was, nodded with a smile.
Naruto then left, ignoring the disapproving look his father was giving him. The rules stated that the jonin and chunin could not do anything to help or hinder a participant in anyway until after they had fought. There was nothing in the rules about another participant helping or hindering a fighter and every jonin, chunin and kage in the room knew that all too well.
Sasuke gasped on the floor, mind racing through the current predicament he found himself in. He couldn't fight Lee using Lee's own style, because that felt too much like cheating. He couldn't use Orochimaru's taijutsu for obvious reasons and the only other taijutsu he knew was the Academy style and the Uchiha style, both of which he was extremely inept at, having not really practised them nor learnt them as he should have. After all, the Uchiha had died before his training could have been completed.
. . . wait. Kakashi-sensei, his Kakashi-sensei, fought Gai-sensei all the time. Gai-sensei's fighting style was very similar to that of Lee's and therefore Kakashi-sensei's fighting style would be the perfect counter. Sasuke had watched them fight often enough to have actually copied it with his Sharingan.
This Kakashi did not use the same style. His was slightly different to accommodate for the lack of a Sharingan and his blind spot, kind of like when the lazy Kakashi fought with his headband still tilted over his eye. So, essentially Sasuke could say it was his own style. He could do this.
Sharingan still spinning rapidly behind closed eyes, Sasuke began to mentally analyse all of the fights he'd ever witnessed his sensei in. Just as he had trained while emulating Lee's taijutsu, he forced his instincts to comply with those movements rather than Orochimaru's. While the snake's style was effective on a level all of its own, Sasuke just could not, would not, use it unless he had to.
Kakashi-sensei was a genius and so was his fighting style. Sasuke could use it.
Getting to his feet with a scowl directed at Naruto he turned coal eyes to Lee. "I am ready."
"As am I. Student of my sensei's eternal rival, I will show you what the genius of hard work can achieve." Lee replied, getting into a stance, standing straight with a single arm extending in front of him.
"I must apologise then, Lee-san. While there is no doubt that you are an extraordinary fighter, you will not be progressing to the third round." Sasuke pulled out a kunai and moved into Kakashi-sensei's opening stance.
"His fighting style has changed, again." Naruto noted.
"He could have merely adjusted to the opponent he is facing. He is an Uchiha." Obito muttered.
"An Uchiha who apparently does not have an active Sharingan." Kakashi added with a frown. That stance was one he was familiar with. He'd briefly used that style but found that he only needed to rely on it in dire extremities. Mostly in his ANBU days. So how did Sasuke know of it?
Kakashi-sensei's style was fluid, like a rushing river. He took advantage of every opening while leaving none for his enemy. He twisted and turned his body in ways that should have been impossible, flexible in a way that most kunoichi could only hope to be.
Sasuke had not trained his own body, but he hoped that he could still manage to scrape a win. He could use the month before the final round to get used to it.
Lee did not have any weapons, and as such he did not pull out a kunai of his own. He frowned slightly at that but did not comment.
"Both participants are ready." Itachi noted. "Then you may begin." He took a step back and Lee rushed straight at Sasuke.
Sasuke did not react until the last moment. This style was completely different from the style he'd used in his last match, which had been a very poor attempt at the Uchiha style and most of it had been instinctual counters to his opponent's attacks. However, this time Itachi could see the slight hesitance in his movements. While the reactions themselves were the perfect counter to Lee's swift and deadly strikes, the movements a dance of pure genius, Sasuke himself was not used to them. Itachi was an Uchiha, he could tell immediately when someone was relying on a borrowed technique because it did not come naturally to them unless they had actually practised it. It was one thing to know how to do something but it was entirely different to actually perform the technique.
Most Uchiha were too arrogant to practise and they almost always faulted in fights. Small moments that most never even realised were there. Even some Uchiha didn't realise that they hesitated.
Sasuke was doing that now, only he fared much better than others that Itachi had seen. He was more confident in his abilities. However, this implied that Sasuke had a Sharingan. Yet Sasuke's eyes were completely black. That was another thing that most did not know about Uchiha.
While copying another's technique, utilising it in battle, one almost always had to rely on the Sharingan to actually get it right. Very few could copy and later perform something without their Sharingan's help.
Sasuke's taijutsu was not originally his. So who had taught it to him? Or rather, who had allowed Sasuke to copy it from them?
Itachi watched carefully, trying to decipher the lighting quick jabs and fluid motions that followed.
The two were fighting at extraordinary speeds for genin but they weren't fighting at their maximum. Itachi could see that. Sasuke was relying on a mix of different taijutsu. There was the Uchiha style, only the most effective stances and strikes being implemented. There was perhaps the smallest hint of the Academy style. The speed of the style suggested the Hokage's own taijutsu, and that made Itachi frown. ANBU manoeuvres were also largely apparent. And lastly, there were heavy doses of Hatake taijutsu, making Itachi believe that this was the foundations of the entire style.
No movements were unnecessary, not an ounce of chakra was wasted.
Everything that Sasuke did was needed, and utilised to slowly chip away at Lee's stamina.
Itachi moved his gaze from Sasuke for the barest of seconds to stare at the boy's sensei. Hatake Kakashi was frowning at the two below, so clearly he'd seen it as well.
This style was also so far from Sasuke's original displays of ability that it made Itachi wonder if it was merely a spur of the moment decision to use the style due to the opponent he was facing. That went hand in hand with being an Uchiha. But Sasuke had not been raised as most Uchiha would. He'd been shunned from a very young age, completely ignored in terms of training. What little he had known before graduating from the Academy had been gleaned from watching the older Uchiha and as such he had been poor at it. Had being the operative word.
Lee suddenly broke away from the close range combat and skidded across the arena floor. Sasuke twirled the kunai with a smirk, quirking an eyebrow at Lee.
"Going to remove your weights?" He asked, a hidden amusement dancing in his eyes and lacing his tone. Sasuke was actually enjoying this fight.
Lee looked to his sensei, and the older Shinobi frowned slightly before nodding.
If anyone in the room had had doubts to Kakashi's earlier statements about his team, they were erased now. Uchiha Sasuke was a mystery and they were beginning to believe the silver haired jonin when he'd said that Sasuke would merely get irritated and catapult them to the tower. Sasuke just hadn't counted on a missing-nin trying to kill him and his team before he could get there, or so everyone assumed.
"Kakashi, isn't that a style you created?" Obito whispered to the jonin.
"Hai. But I haven't used it in years. While it's effective, I couldn't fully utilise it due to my blind spot." Kakashi replied, his frown deepening. If Obito had noticed, then there was something definitely going on here.
Just one more thing to add to their growing list of Sasuke's suspicious behaviour. Where was the boy learning all these things?
Lee bent down to remove the ridiculous sets of weights he wore and Sasuke focused his chakra so that he could successfully match the genin when he attacked. He had no idea how this match would turn out and that was an exhilarating feeling. Besides, he hadn't quite forgiven the other Shinobi for beating him just before the chunin exams in his original reality.
"You are a worthy opponent Uchiha Sasuke, but it is time to end this match." Lee stated with an ignorant confidence.
"I agree." Sasuke smirked right before Lee's weights were dropped and both disappeared from view, leaving those watched gaping in surprise.
Nothing but short sharp flashes could be seen, with brief glimpses of the two genin after that. Itachi even activated his Sharingan just to be sure of what he was seeing.
Half a minute into the intense high speed combat, a bright snap of lightning lashed throughout the room and Lee fell to the ground, twitching. Sasuke landed lightly next to him with a soft frown of apology.
"You truly are a genius of hard work Lee-san but I must be in the third round. I have no choice. Therefore I must apologise for using ninjutsu on you as I feel it is unfair. However this match had to end. My body could no longer keep up with the level I was demanding of it. Unlike you, I have not trained my body to maintain those speeds for long periods of time." Sasuke explained, the remorse clear in his tone. "I would very much like a rematch someday nevertheless."
"I was unaware that you knew how to manipulate a chakra affinity in its basest form, Sasuke-kun." Itachi commented, bringing the younger Uchiha's attention to him.
Sasuke merely shrugged. What could he really say? He'd resigned himself to the fact that if he was going to change anything in this world he was going to have to really try to, not slink around and act from the shadows. That was something that Orochimaru would do, was doing. But he also had to be careful. Too much and he'd been hindered in his attempts.
So he'd be as honest as he could because if he lied, they would know and it would make him look more suspicious. The best course of action right now would be to tell as much of the truth as he could. He had to fix that which he'd broken and this was the start.
If all else failed, then he would simply have to become the 'Naruto' he had stolen from the world, become the positive that attracted the negatives.
But for now he'd try to be the person he knew himself to be, which was Uchiha Sasuke.
There was nothing else for it.
"Winner by opponent disablement, Uchiha Sasuke." Itachi stated, after having counted to ten in his head, all the while watching Sasuke who seemed to have disappeared within his own mind again.
The medics came in and placed Lee on a stretcher, his nerves still not responding correctly after Sasuke's lightning induced attack. Lee, while having desperately wanted to get up, could not simply because his body would not respond to what his mind told it to do.
Once again Itachi called all the fighters forward while one of the chunin stepped over to them as well with a small bag that held the numbers that would decide the next round.
"As the Chunin exams are meant to show village strength, many nobles and important prospective clients are invited to watch the events. However they do not arrive for some time and as such, the final round of the chunin exam will take place in a month from now. The difference between then and the preliminary matches will be that you will know who your opponent is through random draw." Itachi explained, short and sweet, directly to the point. He gestured for the chunin to step forward and the ninja presented the bag to the genin. Sasuke frowned when his number was a four.
Was that the same as last time? He couldn't remember. All he'd cared about was the fact that he was to fight Gaara. All he cared about was the fact that Naruto was to be his opponent after that.
"What's your number teme?" Sasuke demanded of the blond a few genin away from him.
Naruto glared at him before raising his paper and flipping it to show a three. Sasuke's eyes widened. Next to him he saw that Neji had the number 1 and he heard a quietly muttered 2 from Gaara.
Oh no. Neji could not win against Gaara.
"I have to change that." Sasuke muttered. While he had no problem facing Neji, merely because his Jinchuriki status rendered Neji's taijutsu style useless, Gaara had the same advantage. The difference between Gaara and Sasuke would be that Gaara would have no qualms about killing the Hyuga genin.
He wasn't particularly pleased about being matched up with Naruto either because defeating the blond so early in the third round would only further drive a wedge between them and that was counterproductive to what he wanted to achieve.
"Minato-Oyaji!" Sasuke snapped loudly, bringing everyone's attention to him.
The blond Hokage blinked in surprise, having not expected the nickname from Sasuke. Naruto however growled quietly to himself.
"Yes Sasuke-kun?" The Yondaime asked hesitantly.
"I want the matches changed!" Sasuke continued in the same loud, boisterous tone as before. "I refuse to fight the teme so early on!"
"Sasuke-kun, it's a random draw on purpose." Minato frowned.
"What? You afraid I'll beat you?" Naruto scoffed.
"No." Sasuke sneered. "I'm afraid you'll lose and then the rest of genin are going to be boring. They might as well hand me the match because none of them even stand a chance." Sasuke decided that arrogance was his best bet right now. "Consider it motivation over this next month to train hard enough to actually lay a hand on me."
"Sasuke-kun, those match ups aren't meant to be changed on the whim of an arrogant genin looking for a challenge." Minato stated disapprovingly.
Sasuke shook his head. "I refuse to fight my best friend." Words he'd chosen on purpose. Naruto was too shocked by them to even interrupt. "Not unless it's the last match of the exams. I'd rather fight Gaara!"
He could see the Hokage hesitate at that. They'd gotten lucky with Kabuto forfeiting and truthfully everyone had been expecting to carry the boy's opponent out of the arena in a body bag. Neji was brilliant but with Gaara's sand defences could he really win the match?
Here was Sasuke, who was a complete mystery to his own village, willingly proclaiming a desire to fight the insane red haired genin. Sasuke was also the Jinchuriki to the Kyuubi and therefore perhaps the one best equipped to handle the Suna Jinchuriki. Taking Gaara out in the first round would save their genin fighters a lot of pain and perhaps save their lives if Gaara's track record was anything to go on.
But, did Sasuke have the power needed to do that?
Could they put their faith in the questionable genin?
Minato's gaze flickered over to the Sand Jinchuriki, who kind of looked like he was grimacing in pain but at the same time was looking at Sasuke with pure undisguised excitement. Kakashi, Itachi and surprisingly the Suna Jonin Baki, stepped forward. Two of them bowed to Minato while the third stood slightly behind them. Minato stepped towards them and the four conversed quietly, too quietly for anyone else to hear what was being said.
Reaching some conclusion the four stepped back and Minato looked right at Sasuke, his expression serious. "I hope for your sake Sasuke that you can back up those words, because I grant your request. Sasuke will swap with Neji, making the match up of the first match Uchiha Sasuke vs. Gaara of Suna and the second match up Namikaze Naruto vs. Hyuga Neji." Minato announced much to the astonishment of the other genin. Then the blond smiled broadly and stated. "What's the harm really? You already know who your opponent is so it's not like it's really all that different. However, Sasuke, if you and Naruto advance in your match to the semi-finals then I will not step in. You will have to fight each other."
Sasuke ignored the glares he received and the whispers about being the Hokage's favourite. He wasn't the favourite right now. Hardly. He just knew which buttons to push in order to get what he wanted.
The genin were dismissed, leaving the Konoha jonin sensei and chunin in the room. Minato noticed that Sasuke hadn't left yet and approached the boy with a frown. "You're playing a dangerous game Sasuke-kun. But so far, we have decided to leave you be." He had many things to address, such as Orochimaru and what he'd done to Naruto but this was also an important aspect right now.
"I know." Sasuke looked away, eyes dimming with regret for the pain he'd caused this man who honestly seemed to care for him.
"Can you handle Gaara or were those just pretty words? Your taijutsu matches showed a severe weakness on your part Sasuke. You rely too heavily upon ninjutsu." Minato continued. "While Taijutsu was enough for the opponents you had been facing and even understandable in your first match as you had no access to your chakra, it will not be enough for Gaara."
"I know." Sasuke stated again. "As for if I can beat him . . . well that remains to be seen. Truthfully I have no idea of my own strength. As I said to Lee, I have not yet trained my body to fight at the level that my mind works on. There is a rather large gap."
"And why is that?"
Sasuke frowned deeply at Minato's question, unsure of how to answer. He shook his head and faced the Hokage once again before addressing the real reason he was there. "Is Naruto going to be ohaky?"
The older Shinobi blinked at him before his gaze softened slightly from the guarded caution. He didn't answer though and looked away, a deep pain reflected in his gaze.
"He didn't always used to be like that, did he?" Sasuke guessed quietly.
"No. He used to be a little more like you . . . . like you used to be." Minato replied very quietly, the pain buried deep in his tone.
"Everything is going to work out just fine, Sasuke." Kakashi surprised Sasuke by saying, even offering the bright fake smile. Sasuke frowned at him, knowing exactly how things were going to really go but he didn't say so.
Instead he nodded slowly, turning to leave. Minato placed a hand on his shoulder. "It was really admirable what you did Sasuke. I didn't miss your slight panic at seeing the match ups. You know about Gaara, how he's more likely to kill Neji than simply win the match and leave it at that. It doesn't help your innocence but your apparent need to protect the Leaf genin does count in your favour."
Sasuke stared in wide eyed uncertainty at the blond, a part of him growing warm at the indirect praise.
"And that was a really good match Sasuke-kun, both of them." Minato added with a barest of soft smiles before reaching up and removing his own headband to offer to Sasuke.
Sasuke blinked at the headband, surprised when he felt the prickling of tears in his eyes. Reaching out a shaking hand he took the headband carefully and smiled at the Hokage, the smile a ghost of the smiles he'd given the blond before he'd graduated from the Academy.
Sasuke walked out the door in a daze, a small silly smile on his face as his hand tightened around the headband. He didn't even realise he was acting more like Naruto than like the avenger he had sworn to always be.
"And so the mystery deepens. Every day I see more and more of the boy we all thought lost. Just what the hell is going on with him?" Minato muttered, growing frustrated with the puzzle that was Uchiha Sasuke.
"If I may Hokage-sama." Itachi began but he was interrupted by the arrival of Shisui, ANBU mask in place and truthfully, not really supposed to be approaching the Hokage at the current moment at all.
"I wish to place in a request, Hokage-sama."
"Screw you both! I'm asking." Obito snapped, for some reason, having caught onto the same idea as the other two Uchiha had come up with.
"What the hell is going on?" Kakashi snapped, already mentally planning out what he was going to do with his two genin over the next month. They both needed training because their opponents were not easy ones and this task now fell onto his shoulders.
Minato merely shook his head as the three grown Uchiha men began bickering amongst themselves. And they were supposed to be geniuses. Well, maybe not Obito, but he had his moments.
.0.0.0.
Sasuke immediately began looking for Kabuto, wondering if the same jonin from his reality would be killed this time as well. He had a whole month in which to try and figure out what to do about Naruto and even begin to build his bonds with the blond.
He refused to lose to Orochimaru.
"Sasuke."
Whirling around in surprise, Sasuke blinked at Naruto, wondering what he wanted.
"What the hell is going on with you?" Naruto asked, eyebrows furrowing together as he expressed his confusion. He just couldn't figure Sasuke out and it was getting to him.
"Never mind me, is everything ohkay with you?" Sasuke waved a hand dismissively before gesturing vaguely to the curse mark.
"I'll live." Naruto muttered darkly.
"Good, then follow me." Sasuke moved to the roofs, not really bothered if Naruto was following or not. The curse mark, it even affected Naruto differently. Was its purpose not the same then? Sasuke's had been designed to eat away at his mind until there was nothing but a shell left behind; a shell with a Sharingan. So did Naruto have a different purpose in Orochimaru's eyes or was it just that Naruto had so much chakra that Orochimaru hadn't compensated for it?
That seemed very unlikely.
"Where are we going?" Naruto asked, following without hesitation, and perhaps without even realising he was doing so.
"You have to be really quiet. So shut up and be careful." Sasuke replied, moving into a cautious crouch as he spoke. He sensed the sannin's chakra very close by. He had to be vigilant.
Holding up a hand to signal the blond to stop, Sasuke peaked over the edge of roof, lying low to the ground. There was Kabuto, too far away to be heard as he spoke with the Oto 'jonin'.
So Kabuto was exactly the same in this world and there wouldn't be many hard feelings if Sasuke were to kill him. Not that Sasuke was. That wasn't his mess to clean up. His focus fight now was on the blond behind him.
"What is that?" Naruto breathed out almost inaudibly.
"A meeting between two traitors. You picked up on my hints in the Forest of Death. Kabuto is in league with the ninja that bit you." Sasuke replied with a deep frown. He couldn't hear anything and to see what they were saying he'd need to activate his Sharingan.
Speaking of . . . what bloodline did Naruto have?
A question for another time because Kabuto was moving. Their previous body language had suggested tension. But they were back to the usual snivelling duo now. Disgusting . . .
How had he put up with them for so long?
"Shouldn't we be telling the Hokage about this?" Naruto asked, his ever present frown deepening.
"He already knows." Sasuke replied, raising a hand to point at the hidden jonin. Hayate had once again been chosen to perform this task. Sasuke would make sure he didn't die. It was the least he could do. Another thought occurred to Sasuke and he shifted his gaze slightly so that he could look at the blond.
"You should go home, for now, Naruto."
The blonde's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because that curse mark took more out of you than what you'll allow yourself to admit. You'll need your strength for training. The Hokage has this handled. I was thinking of heading home myself anyway." Sasuke lied as easily as he told the truth, mixing the two so flawlessly that the distinction between the two became utterly unrecognisable.
Naruto blinked at him in surprise, having probably thought that he had some ulterior motive, that maybe he was trying to get rid of Naruto so that he could meet up with Kabuto. Something along those lines at the very least.
Sasuke didn't leave with Naruto as he reluctantly moved away from the rooftop and towards his home presumably. Instead he sent a Kage Bunshin, ironically the very technique that was Naruto's favourite in another world.
A part of him wished he had not lied to the blond and he knew that if Naruto ever found out then it would only further hurt their shaky bond.
However, there was hope in the fact that Naruto had listened to him, had actually gone home.
It was time for Sasuke to make a difference in this world. He had to act but he was bound by his name, his status. He had to either act from the shadows, using all the knowledge he had gained while in Orochimaru's servitude, or he was going to have to act out in the open.
Should he chose to act out in the open, he needed a different persona.
However. That presented a new problem.
How did he explain the lie when the truth came out as it inevitably would? It was a Shinobi village and Sasuke would be hard pressed to keep up his charade. It only took a moment, a slight bit of bad luck for a loose thread to form and for that thread to unravel.
Was demanding the Hokage's co-operation worth the struggle his life would no doubt later become?
For Naruto . . . perhaps it was.
.0.0.0.
Following Kabuto as he made his way to the meeting with the Suna Jonin, Sasuke was sure to use every ounce of the stealth training he'd undergone while with Orochimaru. Kabuto, ironically enough, was the one that had taught him all the skills that he was now utilising. Turned out, being a spy wasn't the easiest job.
But then, Sasuke had never thought that it was.
Still . . . the fact that not even the Konoha jonin sent to watch Kabuto had sensed Sasuke's presence was more than a little sad. Not that Sasuke was complaining. It made his job easier.
Sasuke lay low while he waited for the expected fight to take place. He didn't know much about this event but he knew that the proctor, which had been Hayate for him, had died before alerting the authorities to what he had managed to find out.
He narrowed his gaze in contemplation when Kabuto walked away, leaving Baki alone with Hayate. Baki, what a name. Seriously.
Shaking his head to get back on track, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and his roll of ninja wire. He didn't want the Suna nin to see him but he did need to get Hayate out of there. Tying the wire to the end of the kunai through the loop, he straightened slightly as he watched the Konoha jonin draw his sword.
He was good. He had to be because he was one of Konoha's elite. But he wasn't good enough. He had no idea that Baki had been sent as the Sand siblings jonin sensei because he was the best they had. He had no idea that most people in Suna had a wind affinity. How could he?
He was sorely under-estimating his opponent.
Just as Baki used a retaliation jutsu Sasuke threw his kunai, the wire flying with it. The kunai wrapped around Hayate's middle and Sasuke fed chakra down the wire, enough so that he could yank it back and pull the jonin to where he was standing without harming him in the process. It would move him out of the way of the on-coming attack.
But Sasuke wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack entirely.
Hayate still ended up with a deep gash running across his torso.
The jonin huffed in silent agony as Sasuke forced him to remain in the shadows. Baki sneered into the darkness, coming to realise that just maybe the Konoha spy had had backup. He was now uncertain as to how much backup Hayate had and realised that attacking now would be foolish. Letting them live was also foolish.
He was backed into a corner with no choice left to him.
He ran.
"Why don't you have a partner? I thought Leaf always stick together." Sasuke demanded of the injured Shinobi who was beginning to slump with blood loss.
"What are you doing here?" Hayate managed to wheeze out. He'd seen his own death, known without a doubt that he wouldn't have been able to block it. This child, this genin, had saved his life. Of that he had no doubt.
"Was walking home when I saw that." Sasuke shrugged, lying through his teeth. "You should report to the Hokage. That didn't look friendly." He added, trying to distract the Shinobi with his more pressing duties.
Hayate regarded him silently for a moment before giving him a small bow and stating softly, "Thank-you." Then he was gone, having shunshined away.
Truthfully, the man needed to see a medic-nin but to a ninja of a Hidden Village, the Kage always come first.
Now, Sasuke truly needed to get home, lest things got too suspicious for him, well more suspicious than what they already were.
.0.0.0.
Minato sighed deeply as he took in all the information that had been presented to him. It was getting late, and he'd rather be home with Naruto right now but he knew two things for certain in that very moment: One being that Naruto wouldn't remain in the same room as him unless he absolutely had to and two, Orochimaru was threatening his village and he needed to figure it all out before everything fell to pieces.
Standing in the office with him were Nara Shikaku, Morino Ibiki, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Shisui and several others that were to be giving him advice and trying to solve the mystery just as he was attempting to do.
A slight flare of chakra announced the arrival of a new member and Minato looked up to see the usually pale Hayate looking even paler with the front of his clothing slashed deeply. The man should've been seeing a medic!
"Suna is planning an invasion with Oto, using the Jinchuriki as a distraction." Hayate gasped out. "And Uchiha Sasuke just saved my life." He added, his tone sounding awestruck before his eyes rolled back and the blood loss caught up to him. Message delivered, he promptly passed out, forcing an ANBU member to catch him, lest more damage be done to his already shredded torso.
"Take him to the hospital, now!" Minato ordered, knowing that such a command was highly unnecessary as many had been shifting to do just that.
"And so, Sasuke grows more troublesome." Shikaku sighed.
"Yet he saved the life of one our spies. Does that mean he knows more than what he's letting on? Without Hayate's warning, without Sasuke's interference, we'd never have figured this out in time." Obito frowned.
"Shisui, Itachi, Obito, your earlier request is granted." Minato sighed, closing his eyes wearily.
"All of us?" Shisui didn't think that questioning their Hokage right now was the best idea so he was really glad when the one having a kunai thrown at his head was Obito and not him. Didn't that ninja ever learn? The man had been his sensei after all.
"Three of you can keep a better eye on him!" Minato growled, eyes aflame with an anger that was mostly friendly… mostly.
As the three Uchiha left upon orders, Obito grumbled under his breath, something that sounded suspiciously like "Frickken bipolar-maniac."
.0.0.0.
The beginnings of an admittedly half assed plan were forming in Sasuke's mind and to pull it off correctly he had to be very careful. They, meaning the higher-ups of Konoha, believed that he had a teacher. Someone that had slipped under the radar already. So he essentially had an opening. Create something that never truly existed and it was easier to get rid of later.
So as he walked past the stall that sold the festival mock ANBU masks he snatched one off the rack and slipped it inside the jacket he'd chosen to wear. It was early morning and no one else was out. He found that people were less inclined to give him the hateful looks if they were too tired to care.
Now all he needed was a really secure black cloak. It wouldn't do to have the thing inadequately reveal the truth about him.
However, his ANBU tail had just arrived and they were being more watchful than ever. They hadn't seen him take the mask because he'd rounded a corner they had yet to catch up to and as such they'd just missed it. That was the problem with watching someone. You always missed a second here and a second there. But to a ninja that was a lot of time.
So he'd simply have to get a little more creative. Moving towards an alley, he ran up the side of the wall, appearing to the ANBU that he'd decided to travel by roof, like any ninja should.
Only, what he'd left behind in the alley was a Kage Bunshin. He might not be Naruto who could make hundreds of those but he could make some of them and he'd be damned if he didn't at least utilise the technique. It was pretty darn useful.
The clone henged into an ordinary looking ninja before slipping off to a ninja clothing store. Sasuke would sort that out later. After all, he would have to wait until dark anyway. He had a whole day to waste away. So he headed to his apartment, the apartment he'd begrudgingly begun to accept as his own, in order to stash the mask.
He'd just managed to tuck it carefully away, between the layers of his measly clothing when there was a knock on his door. He was immediately suspicious. Who knocked on a door? Better yet, who knocked on his door?
Walking to the door with kunai in hand, he approached it carefully. Opening the door, he blinked at the two standing on his door step.
"You ready?" Kakashi-sensei asked blandly.
"For what?"
"Training. I have one month to get you both ready. What makes things more difficult for me, is that Gaara doesn't have any weaknesses. I didn't get to see him fight in order to deduce one. As for Neji, well he'll block off Naruto's chakra and then he'll be stuck as nothing but a taijutsu expert. So I'll be training him in that area." Kakashi explained, sounding slightly pissed off. Maybe he was mad at Sasuke because it was technically his fault that they were fighting these opponents in the first place. "And I have one month to get you guys ready for that. That's not a lot of time so don't dawdle, and let's go."
Sasuke shook his head with a sigh. "I can beat Gaara. I already know how and I have the skills to do so. As for Neji, he can't hit someone he can't keep up with. Shouldn't you focus on Naruto's speed? Besides, what's to say that Naruto will have his chakra blocked off in the first place? You say it like it's a certainty."
Truthfully, Sasuke wondered if the one on one training with Kakashi would help Naruto. Would he leave or would he stay? Every action, every event, led Sasuke to asking himself those same questions over and over again. If he did this or if he did that, would Naruto leave or would he stay . . . . .
Naruto also didn't have the advantage of the Kyuubi and that was really what had won him the match the last time. And some sheer dumb luck. "Neji also doesn't watch the ground, far too confident in his own ability to succeed. Knock him off his pedestal from the direction he'd least expect it. The ground. To beat Neji, you need to be unpredictable, the very epitome of the ninja saying 'Underneath the Underneath'. Take my advice, don't take it, that's up to you." Sasuke shrugged, almost overdoing the indifference he was exuding.
Kakashi growled in annoyance before grabbing Sasuke's shirt and pulling him closer. "Your arrogance is astounding and coming from me, that's saying something and it's likely to get you killed if you're not careful."
Sasuke was confused by the concern he could sense within Kakashi, a concern he was trying not to show. "It's not arrogance when it's a fact. I know my limits, I have to." Sasuke stated quietly. "The only thing I need to work on it toning my body and smoothing out my technique. In case you haven't noticed it's sloppy. My taijutsu most especially."
Kakashi stared at him for a moment before sighing and releasing him. "I hope you know what you're doing Sasuke. And if you don't, you'd better figure it out soon." Kakashi turned to walk away, Naruto's thoughtful gaze still pinned to Sasuke but the jonin paused to look back. "You're hurting Minato, so I hope that whatever you're doing, is worth it. There's only so much he'll take before there's no going back."
'I plan to fix what I broke.' Sasuke mentally promised. 'And I'll start with Naruto.'
Sasuke watched the two disappear, his mind already whirling through several thoughts at once. One of them was the fact that he needed to build the bond and he would do that. He'd join them later. But for now, he had a meeting with the Hokage later tonight. He had to speak to the man.
The other was the fact that he needed to figure out just how much like his orange loving Naruto he was becoming. He had to figure out if he was losing any information, any of his skill.
Moving to his bedroom, he sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. He was determined to win against Orochimaru and to do that, he had to figure out just where he was, what his limits were.
Taking deep calming breaths he allowed his mind to wonder, to run through all his memories, from the most painful to the most inane. Memories of his life before this one.
It was going to be a slow process but he had to do it. It was going to be painful, but that hardly mattered. This wasn't about him anymore.
.0.0.0.
Sasuke was pulled from his thoughts by a loud obnoxious knocking. What the hell?! What was it with ninja today?
Once again grabbing a kunai, the young Uchiha walked to the door with narrowed eyes. Opening the door he blinked yet again when he was faced with the bickering duo of Obito and Shisui. He didn't have time to figure out what the hell they were arguing about because he was about to be attacked from behind.
Now that was more ninja-y.
Lashing out, he thrust the kunai in his hand towards the intruder, glaring when that hand was effortlessly caught and pinned to the wall. Itachi smiled at him before letting go and raising his hands to show that he meant no harm.
"See Shisui, he has three." Itachi added over his shoulder when Sasuke reluctantly put the kunai back in his pouch.
What the hell was going on? Why were these three here?
Shisui huffed in annoyance and looked away, clearly upset at having gotten something wrong. Sasuke nearly groaned with he realised that reflexively he'd activated his Sharingan as soon as he'd sensed the attack. He scowled at his own stupidity as he turned to the doorway only to see that Obito wasn't there anymore.
Noises alerted him to the fact that the oldest Uchiha was in the kitchen going through the cupboards. And if he wasn't mistaken, Obito was giggling about his ramen. Sasuke growled slightly in annoyance but there wasn't much he could do about it, unless he kicked them all out and that would mean he didn't know why they were there.
"What are you all doing here?" He asked blandly, levelling a glare at the two he could see. They didn't reply but Obito yelled loudly from the kitchen, "We're stealing you from Kakashi for a month."
"You, Obito, are not doing anything. Itachi and myself will be handling Sasuke. After all, we are better equipped to handle genius Uchihas." Shisui replied, clicking his tongue in annoyance at the oldest Uchiha.
It seemed they were going to continue their argument from earlier.
Sasuke blinked lazily at the ensuing argument before yawning and retreating to his room having now learnt the reason they were here. Once again the Uchiha noted that he needed to get new clothes. Somewhere during his earlier meditation his clone had returned and had placed the black cloak with the mask, to be used later. However, should those three be staying, he had a problem.
Deciding to take a shower, just to keep the three waiting, or rather to stay away from them longer, Sasuke took his time, making sure that there wasn't a single drop of hot water left by the time he was done.
He walked out of his room without so much as a glance at the still bickering duo and moved to the kitchen. Itachi had been sitting calmly on the couch, perhaps waiting. Perhaps he was used to the behaviour that Sasuke was currently displaying.
"Like I said before, appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything. For instance you've already made the mistake of assuming I'm a patient man. The clan, the clan . . . You over-estimate your own abilities with no idea of the depth of my own."
Words from another time, from another world, spoken by the very man waiting so patiently on his couch. How deep was the well of Itachi's capabilities?
Then again, why did Itachi appear to be so patient when he had stated that day that he wasn't? Could this Itachi be nothing like the other one? He pondered over the words and his brother's actions as he made a cup of instant ramen, noting with a morbid fascination that he was actually beginning to like the stuff.
He stiffened however when Itachi approached him. "Ramen isn't very healthy." Itachi commented lightly.
Sasuke's closed his eyes to the warmth in Itachi's tone, the slight hint of concern he wasn't fully able to hide from his voice.
"It's all I have and all I'm able to buy because no one sells me anything else." Sasuke replied stiffly. He couldn't bring himself to do what Naruto had, to smile brightly and proclaim loudly that he loved ramen so they could all go shove it where the sun didn't shine. Naruto loved ramen, but Sasuke knew that the boy liked other food as well.
Itachi didn't say anything further on the topic but he did frown, and for Itachi that was saying a lot.
Grabbing his ramen he walked out to address the still bickering duo. He held up a hand and they turned to face him. "You can all train me if you can live with each other. My Uchiha basics are lacking, as I'm sure you've noticed. Shisui and Itachi are both geniuses so I'd be a fool to turn their offer down." He paused slightly as his chest squeezed painfully when he thought about all the times he'd asked Itachi to train him only to be met with rejection. "Obito is the Yondaime's student and my sensei's teammate. Also, if he hasn't been kicked out of the clan by now it's because he has something to offer the clan, something too valuable to lose despite his outward behaviour."
"Perceptive." Obito grinned. "It's a Mangekyou Sharingan." Obito added with a shrug. But there was something more in his tone, a pain that ran far deeper than what Sasuke could ever comprehend.
"We all have one." Shisui added, gaze flickering over to Sasuke in curiosity.
Sasuke frowned, wondering if they'd all killed someone close to them in order to gain that which was otherwise unobtainable.
He didn't dwell on it. He didn't want to.
"We'll come back tomorrow. It's too late to start training right now." Itachi decided, moving to the door while the other two moved with him, following him. In essence he'd sensed that Sasuke's thoughts were far from the little apartment he called home. So they'd just have to come back the next day.
For now, they had to go help the Yondaime. All they'd really wanted was to inform Sasuke that he would be trained for the chunin exams by them and to confirm that he did indeed have a Sharingan as they'd come to suspect. None of them had ever dreamed it would have had three tomoe.
.0.0.0.
Sasuke tightened the cloak around his shoulders, securing the straps and buckles to ensure that it would not slip off, no matter what happened. He then slipped the stolen mask over his features and pulled the hood over his head.
Without blinking he created a Kage Bunshin wearing the exact clothes he'd just removed. The clone henged into a taller appearance before nodding at him and hopping out the window.
The real Sasuke removed the clothing, tucking it away once more and moved out the window himself, heading to a training ground while his clone headed to the Hokage tower.
In his meditative state earlier that day, Sasuke had come to learn that his abilities, his skills and his knowledge were exactly the same. He's just been so anxious about the possibility of losing them that he'd created his own problems. That didn't mean his body could keep up with his mind though, and that was what he needed to train.
The Chidori and all its variation were open to him because Kakashi did not have the Sharingan and therefore would have abandoned the technique. That's what he'd told Sasuke when he'd taught him how to perform the Chidori in the first place. The Chidori relied on either a trapped and alone enemy where they couldn't retaliate, moving too fast to be touched, such as with the Hiraishin no Jutsu, or with a Sharingan that would be able to see any and all attacks directed at his person while moving at such high speeds.
Unless this Kakashi knew the Hiraishin no Jutsu, then he did not use the Chidori. He hadn't once felt the need to use it against Zabuza as he had the first time around so Sasuke was relatively certain that he could use this jutsu.
To call the Chidori his own technique would be untrue, and there was a chance that Sasuke could be wrong, that Kakashi could and did use the Chidori in this reality. But to leave the Chidori and all its variations alone would seriously cripple the young Uchiha. It wasn't his only jutsu, but it was his strongest.
Now all he had to do was train himself to do so and he'd be fine. He'd have his entire arsenal of jutsu and with them he'd be able to defeat Orochimaru, he could only hope that he could do so in time to stop Naruto from joining him.
.0.0.0.
I see that some authors like to put stories that they really like in their fics and I always find some really amazing fics this way, so I felt I'd do the same for my readers.
Stories I recommend . . .
The Yellow Fang by Policy.
A true dark gem among the Naruto fics. A very refreshing read.
Summary: He was left broken from the death of his parents. The one man who had salvaged the pieces burned to ash in front of his eyes. At times, he questioned the meaning to life. But who knows? Maybe these three little Genin might show him the answer. (Team 7 AU) Sensei Naruto.
Naruto: The Shinobi Institute of Analysis Performance by MaxFic
If you're not already reading this, then you should. It's also a very original take on the Naruto Verse, showing a view that's humourous as well as rational. Let's face it, Naruto and the characters within are ninja, trained to be deadly, yet the manga finds a way to put a loveable spin on such mysterious assassins. This fic has the ability to do the same. XD And if you're like me and you don't really care much for romance riddled fics then this one ifs for you.
Summary: Not every idea Orochimaru ever had was bad. When one of his mothballed programs gets refreshed by the Third how will the world change for Team 7 when they are given brutally honest evaluations of their skills, personalities and potentials. With this knowledge laid bare before them and their Sensei what do they do and how to they grow. STRAIGHT/NON-YAOI
Naruto Shippuden: Botsuraku by MaxFic
The Sequel to Naruto: The Shinobi Institute of Analysis Performance, this story is in its infancy and has as of yet to still pick up. But based on the previous fic, it can only be very promising.
Summary: Sequel to Naruto: Shinobi Institute of Performance Analysis. Botsuraku... Downfall... The Villages have a purpose now, joined together by Akatsuki's war game can they come together and do what's necessary. One year to prepare and then open season begins. The question remains, who's downfall will come first.
Sealed in a coffin by Sodium Bicarb
This story is still relatively new, but it has some original elements already as far as I can see. Worth a look into.
Summary: When the third member of Team 7 dies, the Council must beg Uzumaki Naruto to join it so that Team 7 can enter the Chuunin Exams. NO PAIRINGS. *REVISED CHAPTER 4 has been posted*
Naruto: The Darkest of Heroes by Scissorman1985
This fic is only in it's first chapter but it does have an intriguing start. Enough for me to want to read what comes next.
Summary: Born of demonic lineage, Naruto is the perfect host for The Kyuubi. Introverted, cunning, and ruthless, his impressive control over the beast's chakra and his own bloodline-limit will make him a force to be respected and feared. Can someone like him bring hope to a world on the brink?
Hope from the Shadows by Alianachan
A story that has promise, yet also quite young with only three posted chapters.
Summary: Time travel, ANBU. On his way back from a mission ANBU captain Inu found two unknown injured masked nins. The questions are why are they so strong, why is one of them looking exactly like Minato sensei and why oh why is Sandaime-sama trying to make Kitsune the next Hokage?