edited: 05/03/2022

Chapter 4: the compound

I spent three days in the hospital. The only times I would speak was to thank the nurses who brought me food, but otherwise I remained silent. Yamanaka-san didn't return to speak with me again, I figured that he was giving me some space to come to terms with everything before trying again. The only visitors I had were the medical staff who insisted on cooing over me and talking to me like I needed their pity. Which was the reason why I didn't speak to them.

While I waited to be discharged, I worked through some strengthening exercises that I could do in such a confined space. My body had lost quite a bit of strength in the weeks that it hadn't moved despite the healing chakra that had kept all of my muscles from becoming soft, and it wasn't as strong as Sasuke had been used to, let alone Jane. Getting my body back to the strength it used to have, before the attack was step one in my training, and then I would focus on incorporating everything Itachi and Shisui had taught me (directly or simple by demonstration) with everything that Jane had learnt. The fighting styles of my previous life were different to what I had seen and learnt about from this life, and considering the danger I would face, I had decided to make my own style based on what Jane knew. A completely unique fighting style would make me a harder opponent to take down.

Finally, I was released from the hospital and one of the ANUB watchers made himself visible in order to escort me through the streets and to the Uchiha district. The civilians who spotted me walking beside the ANUB kept calling out greetings, and a few of the foolish ones tried to approach before being scared off by the ANUB agent. They were barely two streets from the hospital when I had enough.

One of the Chakra control techniques that Itachi had taught me was tree walking, which could be applied to different surfaces such as walls. I couldn't do it for long, but I had just enough control that I could run up the side of a building and onto the roofs. Once up out of the foot traffic I ran across a few roofs until I was away from the civilians who had seen me climb before stopping.

I was shaking, my body pumped full of adrenaline. I recognised the signs; I wasn't ready to be put back among people. If anyone of them had actually succeeded in getting close enough to touch me then I wouldn't have been able to suppress a violent reaction. Something similar had happened when I was rescued by the army, being touched or surrounded set off a panic attacked which I could normally suppress enough to isolate myself. This was the first time I had been around more than two people since the attack, and even though none of them had managed to touch me, their attention on me and the proximity of so many people was still enough to trigger the panic response.

"Dame it." I hissed softly as I fell to one knee, closing my eyes and running through a series of meditation techniques. Focusing on nothing but my breathing with a presence which I had already associated as safe, helped slow my heart beat and reduce the tremors.

In my past life I had found that having a friend beside me helped to ground me in reality if I was struggling – especially in those first few weeks. And although the ANUB guard wasn't a friend, I had felt his (and his team mates presents) constantly watching over me for the last few days (and I image subconsciously while I was asleep as well) and they had been on guard – protective. I had noticed this and so my subconscious had associated them with protection and safety.

The ANUB agent simply stood beside me as I brought myself back under control. It took a few minutes, but my muscles relaxed and the shaking stopped. Despite having headed off the panic attack, I knew my limits. I wouldn't be able to deal with the people again that day, so I turned to the masked man.

"Do you mind if we stay on the roof until we get away from the main shopping districts?" I asked softly, staring at the roof top. Although I wasn't exactly ashamed of my emotions, I wasn't sure who the man was and whether he would understand why I didn't want to go back to the streets. Not all ninjas in the shadow division would have the emotional range needed to understand the trauma I was struggling with especially since they would have to be experts at compartmentalising and desensitizing.

"Can you jump between the buildings?" the ANUB agent questioned, his voice coming out in the generic monotone that signalled a concealment Fuinjutsu was on the man's mask.

"Only the ones that are close together. I can jump reliable fifteen feet. That will get us out of the main shopping district and towards the clan compounds where I can return to the streets without being harassed." I answered with a thoughtful tilt of my head, mentally plotting the route. I had only taken the roofs of Konoha twice while with Itachi because he didn't want me going on my own until I was better at jumping buildings and wall walking. Once they got closer to the clan compounds on the side of the village where the Uchiha's lived, the district was mostly residential and the houses were split further apart because they typically had wrap around gardens, or there were apartment blocks.

"Very well, lead the way Sasuke-san."

I took off across the roofs, concentrating on powering my legs with more than the natural chakra that ran through them. This ensured that I was running faster than a civilian (but not quite as fast as a genin) and that I would have the power to complete the building jumps. It took them fifteen minutes to reach roads which had very little foot-traffic so I jumped down from the building, making sure to bend my knees properly and absorb the impact.

It took another fifteen minutes to walk to the compound since I wasn't travelling at any significant speed. I could have made that entire journey in under ten minutes, but I wasn't familiar with the fastest roof route to the compound (only the general direction I needed to go) nor was I in any hurry to return to the site of my Clans murder.

The ANUB who had been shadowing me disappeared the moment the district came into sight. I knew that he was still there, along with his partner, since I was currently under protection as the last known Uchiha and the man who had slaughtered my clan was still at large. Some of the nurses had been talking about how I was the last Uchiha, that there was no chance my brother had survived despite his name not appearing on the Uchiha memorial that had been erected. But I refused to believe that and I knew that there was a large portion of the ninja population who believe my brother was still alive since they had found no evidence of his death.

Soon, if they couldn't find anything to prove that Itachi was alive, he would be declared missing in action. MIA was a better classification than he would have received had I not remembered the truth of that night, since the investigation had first been pointing to the fact that Itachi had been responsible for the massacre, which would have had him labelled as a Missing-Nin. A label he didn't receive because the Hokage had wanted to hold of closing the investigation and making any rulings until I had woken up – something I was very grateful for.

Walking slowly through the compound I noticed that someone had come in and cleared up the blood, and the small amount of damage that had been done to the property, but nothing else seemed to have been touched. Despite the clean-up, I could still see in my mind's eye, where all the bodies had fallen and how. Since I was walking so slowly, taking everything in, it took ten minutes to reach my home where I stood on the patio, unable to bring myself to open the door.

I just stared at the plane brown door, which I had walked through a hundred times before without even blinking. I felt frozen, like I couldn't take another step forward. I couldn't walk into the house where my parents had been murdered. I couldn't bring myself to live in this house, and make it my own. Not when I was on my own and trying to find my feet in this place.

"ANUB-san?" I called, and the man from before appeared at my side, kneeling so he wasn't towering over me. This small show of understanding was enough to clue me into the fact that he wasn't one of the damaged ANUB who was out of touch with the emotions of others. Now he had put himself at roughly the same height as me, I noticed that his mask was that of a dog and that the left eye was covered. "Do I have to stay here?"

"If you do not want to stay in the compound, the Hokage is willing to release one of the orphan apartments for you." The ANUB answered.

I frowned thoughtfully, staring around myself. I didn't really want to live in one of the orphan apartments since they were a tower block near the main shopping district. It would place me far too close to the ignorant general civilian population before I was ready to deal with them. I needed time to get my emotional and mental state under control, and I wouldn't get that in one of the apartments. But I couldn't stay in my childhood home, not yet. The memories were far too fresh, and I needed something new without the ghosts in order to get myself sorted. Maybe in a few years I could return and make new memories here, but right now I was alone and would run the risk of trapping myself in memories if I stayed in this house.

"Are there any houses in the compound that were empty before the attack? I can't stay in my home, but I wouldn't be able to cope in an orphan apartment."

If I stayed in the compound then I had access to privet training grounds, and it would also give me the space and time I needed to deal with the clan's things. I would also have easy access to the clan library, the storage rooms and the weapons vault. All of which would be useful. Beyond the practical reasons, staying in the compound would also provide me with the space I needed to deal with my emotional problems without other people getting in the way or triggering a response before I learnt control over myself.

Staying in the compound would make the ANUB job both harder and easier. The Uchiha compound was somewhat isolated from the village and the other compounds since there was an open area outside of the designated boundaries which had been left open for when the Uchiha's expanded beyond the compound's current boundaries. Being isolated from the rest of the village meant that the shadow guards placed on her was going to have to be present at all times, instead of adding her watch into the typical village guard rotation. If she'd stayed in one of the orphan apartments, they would have probably set her up in the same building as Naruto, and they would have shared a guard team, since that made economic and practical sense. However, since she was so isolated it would be very obvious if an unknown came close since they would stick out against the backdrop of only one chakra signature instead of the many that would be present in the heart of the village.

"There are three houses that were unoccupied, Sasuke-san." Another ANUB appeared, this time with a cat mask. I guessed that the first ANUB – who I strongly suspected was Kakashi since there couldn't be many active ANUB members missing a left eye, although I couldn't be sure since the man's hair was being hidden – had signalled the other one to answer the question. Likely because he didn't know the answer himself.

"Could you show them to me?" I requested.

Although I knew where the Uchiha I used to interact with lived or worked, I hadn't memorised the location of every Uchiha and the empty houses because I had far more important things to do. What I had done was memorize all their names, occupations and relations. It was something I had decided to do in order to make myself more approachable, and it had the advantage of showing the Elders I could be a good Head even if I wasn't as good a shinobi as my brother. It also relieved the pressure of my brother to find a wife, since I could take up many of those duties until he was ready to find a woman who could take the pressure. I both regretted and was grateful for memorising my clan now, because it meant that they would never be forgotten but I would forever know the name and manner of all their deaths.

The first house I was led too was in the middle of a row of houses in the main residential section of the compound. This was where the civilians and genin normally lived unless they were more integral to the running of clan business (by that I meant they earned more money or were more respected). The house was two stories with an attic, narrow and very enclosed. I wrote it off quiet quickly due to its placement and enclosed nature.

The next house was better, it had a small garden surrounding the property, and was a decent distance from the other houses. It was near the centre of the compound, not that far from the Head House. It was a four bedroom, with open kitchen and living room. I put it as a maybe as we moved onto the next house.

The final house was one I hadn't really considered when asking about the empty houses. It was a two-minute walk away from the nearest houses, and the last house which separated the living and working section of the compound from the series of clan training fields (as opposed to the small personal ones that were near some of the other – more important – homes). The house itself was a single story with large windows looking into the kitchen and living room, but smaller Fuinjutsu protected windows around the rest of the house. In fact, I was sure that if I looked closely into the frames of the kitchen and living room windows, I would find that they have protections as well.

It had once belonged to Madara's daughter – although very few people knew her relation to the late founder. She had lived in that house for forty-five years before passing due to the injuries she had sustained years previously during her active years as a Kunoichi. She had been feared and respected equally by the clan, and no one had dared live in the house once she passed. The only time someone had been in the house once the women passed, was when the clan head at the time (my two times Great Grandfather) had packed away her things and placed them in the attic.

Fortunately, it was standard practice in the clan to place all vacant houses under a series of seals which kept dust, damp, rot and other nasty things from the house until it was needed again. The clan didn't use seals very often, but alongside storage seals, flash tags and explosive tags, these were ones that all Uchiha Jonin knew as well as all of the Clan head family. Sometimes someone outside of that group would learn, but since it wasn't a skill that could be copied with the Sharingan, not many people bothered.

"ANUB-san?" I turned to the masked ninjas who was leading me. "I think I would like to stay in this house."

"Very well, Sasuke-san." the second ANUB agent disappeared as the first one followed me into the house. I looked around the kitchen, which had an open space I assumed was for the dining table. All the furniture had been removed – most likely returned to one of the storage vaults.

"Would you like help moving in, Sasuke-san?" the ANUB with a dog mask questioned when he spotted the lack of things in the house.

"I would be most grateful, ANUB-san. But I only need the basics. I can get anything else I may wish to add to the house later." I conceded to his offer of help. It would take too long to draw the storage seals I would need to transport things like the dining table and the bed to the house. "Do you know where the surplus storage is?"

"No." the ANUB answered after a moment, and a flare of Chakra from his companion.

"If you go to the Clan head house, one hundred yards to the east there's a collection of trees. The biggest tree has a door at the base of the roots. You should be able to find it easily since it's only hidden with a basic genjitsu. It's got basic household supplies in. Everything except food and cloths."

The ANUB nodded once to show his understanding before he disappeared. While they were getting things for the house, I wondered around.

The living room was very open and the window layout was in such a way that I could see out of them no matter where I stood in the room. The study had built in bookcases across two of the walls, and despite being smaller than father's office, it also seemed to be lighter. The other rooms in the house were the two bedrooms – both the same size as each other, and the bathroom that sat between them. I also found the entrance to the attic in the hallway outside the office and back bedroom (they were facing each other), but decided to investigate if anything had been left up there another day.

Wondering back to the kitchen I found an ANUB (whose mask I couldn't see), opening a storage scroll with kitchen supplies in – including food – which disappeared quickly into the cold box, cupboards and draws. A four-person dining table had already been added to the room. It took the shinobi less than a minute to have everything put away in the cupboards before he disappeared from my sight.

"Sasuke-san?" A sudden voice at my side had me stumbling black with panic before my brain caught up with me and recognised the first ANUB was kneeling next to where I had been stood.

"Sorry," I apologised once I had gotten my heart rate and breathing back to normal.

"We have added the basic things you need for the house. Your things are in the first bedroom, opposite the living room. Is there anything else you need?" the ANUB questioned as though I hadn't just been frightened by his mere appearance.

"Thank you, for your help. And no, I'll be okay." I had no doubt that the next few days were going to be a struggle, but I wanted to be able to do it on my own. No, I needed to be able to do it on my own. Although I was grateful for the knowledge that I was under the protection of the ANUB, and that they were willing to show themselves to protect me even from the gaze of civilians, I needed to be able to live and adapt to this new situation on my own.

"One of my team will always be able to hear you." The ANUB informed me before leaving.

Since I had already eaten at the hospital, I went and got ready for bed despite how early it was. The moment I was on the bed I allowed the tight control I had on my emotions to finally loose and the tears and sobs came.

*********PROV-Change********

"Hound-san," The Hokage greeted the figure that climbed through the window to his office.

"Hokage-sama," Hound knelt on the ground in the respectful bow that was expected of all ANUB agents when reporting to their Hokage.

"What is your report on Sasuke?" the Hokage asked, and Inoichi leaned forward slightly in his chair. He had been tasked with making sure that Sasuke was mentally stable since the Hokage didn't trust anyone else with such a high-profile case. Especially when their security had been compromised as badly as it had been.

"Sasuke was highly uncomfortable the moment he left the hospital, and I believe that he was only able to walk the streets because I was at his side and this prevented the civilians from directly approaching him. However, the looks and attention obviously got to him because he escaped up to the roofs after only ten minutes.

He knows how to wall walk, but it takes him time and concentration to get to the roof. He also hasn't worked out how to control his chakra output so he isn't wasting energy.

Once he had reached a roof which was out of view of the civilians below, Sasuke collapsed to one knee and began a breathing exercise. It took him several minutes in order to calm himself and stop the shaking that had started the moment he was away from the civilians. I believe that if he had not removed himself from the situation, he may have had a panic attack.

Sasuke was able to jump between the buildings until we reached the clan district, at which point we returned to the streets. Since there was very light foot traffic in this area, and it was only ninjas, Sasuke had no other issues reaching the Uchiha compound.

He gave no visible reaction to entering the compound, but he was unable to bring himself to enter his own home. He asked to live in one of the houses that had been unoccupied at the time of the attack, and chose a two-bedroom house that was closest to the training fields and separated from the rest of the homes. At his request we moved the basic things he would need into the house before leaving.

When I appeared next to him without forewarning Sasuke reacted in a very extreme way – jumping away from me, and reaching as though to grab a weapon which he didn't have on him. It took him several moments to both identify me and calm himself enough to respond.

Once he was alone Sasuke got ready for bed before collapsing and crying. It took three hours for him to cry himself to sleep." Hound reported the events of the day.

"I was wondering if he was going to keep bottling up his feelings. After we interrupted his grieving that first day, Sasuke has shown no hint at his grief since. I am relieved to see that he has chosen to release that grief now that he is unlikely to be interrupted." Inoichi observed with relief.

"What do you believe will be the best cause of action, in regards to Sasuke?" the Hokage questioned.

"For now, I think that we need to let him deal with this on his own. If he continues to bottle up his emotions, or is unable to cope with the civilians, then I would recommend him seeing me in order to talk through his emotions. However, mind-walking will have to remain as a last resort for him. Considering the nature of the Tsukuyomi technique, I doubt he will react very well to it." Inoichi explained his professional opinion on how to handle the Sasuke situation. He hesitated a moment before revealing the next bit of information.

"I also got the sense that he has revealed all that he was willing to release about what happened to him. And he likely only did so because he knew it would be important for his personal profile when he becomes part of our forces."

"Did he let anything slip about what he experienced?" the Hokage questioned, having not done so before since it hadn't been necessary for him to know at the time and he had other things to worry about.

"Only that he underwent torture for the equivalent of years, and the man who attacked him and his clan was attempting to frame his brother. He must have a very strong sense of self, and devotion to Itachi in order to remain as functional and determined as he is."

"And if we discover his brother's body or proof of his death?" the Hokage asked the difficult question. None of them wanted to believe that Itachi was dead since he was one of their best Shinobi and probably the only person who could really tell them what happened that night. Especially when they considered the fact that they didn't know how one person could have massacred an entire clan without bringing the attention of the village to the clan compound.

"From his words Sasuke seems to have built his determination on Itachi's views and desire to protect and serve the village. If Itachi is found dead, I believe that Sasuke will become a very focused soldier. But I fear it may prevent him from making any emotional connections with others if he loses the hope that his brother might return." Inoichi explained thoughtfully. He didn't have a lot to go on, but based on his experience with trauma and loss and what Sasuke had said to him in the hospital that was the best he could deduce.

"Very well. Hound you are to deliver a report of Sasuke's actions for both me and Inoichi until otherwise ordered on a daily basis. It is to be delivered in person and no one else is to be aware of the content of these reports." The Hokage ordered.

"Hay," Hound bowed to show his acknowledgement of his orders before he left through the window much to the annoyance of the Hokage who grumbled about doors. He wasn't as annoyed at a member of his ANUB team using the window (or the secret entrance which was known only to his guard and the Hokage himself) as he was with the other ninja that visited his office in such a way, but he was very much aware that Hound would have left through the window whether he was in the mask or not.