Walking back from the platform with a quick step, Sasuke could feel his hands becoming wet from stress and his heart beating too fast. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew full well what would happen soon. For a good six months, his father had been getting strange threatening letters, not only writing about the danger that would befall their clan, but also people related to them. He didn't want to endanger Sakura, and her background didn't make it any easier.
Further, he didn't know why people looked down on her when she was the most trouble-free and caring person he knew. What was she at fault for? What were her people at fault for? But that wasn't what was important now, it was her safety.
That they wanted to remove his clan from power was certain. Their reign had already lasted twenty years, and it didn't look like it would stop. Though Itachi was older than him, because of his health, he could not be considered as the first heir after his father. It had fallen to Sasuke, who had been preparing for it for over three years. But now looking at what was happening, he doubted that he would ever sit as ruler of this village. Still, he couldn't deny that he wasn't happy about this news. He didn't want to have such a big responsibility.
All he knew was that his clan ran the village well. More than a hundred years ago, a war had broken out, finally ushering in a fragile peace. The Senju who had taken over slowly improved conditions, but when Hashirama took over, through his naivety and overconfidence in his brother, the Uchiha and commoners with eye and hair colors unnatural to them began to have worse living conditions.
And it was when Madara became the ruler that his clan, as well as Sakura's people, could easily work, study, and not be afraid to go out into the streets.
He also improved the condition of the village.
As Madara died, his father continued to treat everyone equally and to tell others so. His clan, though it could make people shudder, never treated others down. Everyone was the same - died the same, lived the same. It wasn't a person's background that made them different, it was the person themselves.
And now everything was back to the way it was before - the Uchiha were the bad ones, and those people were the cursed ones who must be culled.
Entering through the gate, into an area designated only for his clan, he headed towards the house. He needed to get there as quickly as possible, but people trying to run or hide didn't make it easy for him.
Reaching the front door at last, he opened it tugging hard on it. Inside, chaos reigned. In addition to his father and brother, there were some high ranking people from his clan here.
"What's going on, Itachi?" he walked over to his brother standing in the corner of the living room, looking at the whole event with a sad face.
"They've already found several dead people. They suspect poison in the food.", they're moving fast, Sasuke thought. In the last letter they had written a date to expect them, but it was tomorrow. They probably started today to make it a surprise. Especially since the Uchiha clan was not small.
"I did what I had to do." he didn't have to say exactly what he meant. Itachi knew.
A breathless man that Sasuke associated with came rushing in. He was a salesman at the bakery he and Sakura liked to go to.
"They surrounded the gate." everyone fell silent. They stared at the newcomer in shock and analyzed information in their heads.
"No one will make it out." Sasuke finally spoke up, to make them aware of something everyone knew, but didn't want to say out loud.
"You two will leave." Fugaku approached his sons with a quick step. He handed them the weapons, and removed the ring from his hand, handing another one, which he always carried with him, his wife's. He gave the rings to Sasuke, who put them in his pocket. He knew how important they were to his parents "North gate, exit on the right, no one but me and Itachi knows about it. Go." Sasuke didn't know if he wanted to speak up. He had a bad relationship with his father, but he continued to be his family. There was a sting he felt in his heart.
"All right, Father." Itachi nodded and moved catching his brother's sleeve.
"Dad, I-" began Sasuke, but he closed his mouth. The rest of the sentence was unspoken, but his father smiled sadly and nodded.
Sasuke ran after his brother.
In the background, as they ran that they were out of breath, they heard gunshots and screams. Terrifying screams. He prayed in his spirit that Sakura would manage to escape, that they wouldn't find her. If something happened to her he didn't know what he would do. She meant too much to him.
The smell of smoke reached his nostrils. He coughed catching his brother's attention.
"They set the fire. Let's hope our only escape route is intact." he saw tears gather in Itachi's eyes from the smoke, just as they did in his.
They ran as hard as they could just to make it. They were the last hope of this clan. If they died, the Uchiha name would also be lost.
Itachi ran into a small door. It was low and narrow, but they should still fit through. It''s something they have to do.
Passing through them, getting a little tired in the process, and running into the distance of the forest, all Sasuke could hear were pleas for the gift of life and terrified wishes to continue being in this world.
Sasuke rose from his bed all sweaty and shaky. Nightmares about that day tormented him a lot, but now they intensified much more. As if something was trying to tell him that something bad was going to happen again.
Looking around the room, he still was in the same place he had been waking up in for six years now. A very small room, with a single bed and a table next to it on which stood a candle practically all burned out.
The silence that reigned terrified him. Neither inside the apartment nor outside, nothing could be heard. Itachi must have been up some time ago, but he was quiet. Here where they lived it was rare to find a living soul. This small town, located on the border between the land of rivers and the wind, looked dead. So did its inhabitants.
The refugees themselves lived here. Some had really done a thing deserving of punishment, but knowing what sentences they were giving now, the only thing that would await them would be death. There were also a few people who were called cursed. Unfortunately, he didn't find Sakura among them. And maybe that was even better. He hoped she found a better place if she survived.
However, he felt in his heart that she was somewhere out there.
There was also him with his brother. They managed to escape and survive in the forest for a week. Only then, hiding in the train, did they reach this place. They had heard about it before, which is why they went here.
They lived in an abandoned tenement house, barely holding on. The apartment was terribly small and everywhere there was mold or dirt on the walls. They had two tiny rooms with one bathroom and a kitchen. The water didn't work, so they would go to a nearby dirty pond to take enough water to wash themselves. Food they got from one man, who stole from others. They had no other option.
It was bad, but it could always be worse.
Getting up, Sasuke opened the dusty curtains that were on the only window, in the room. He directed his steps towards the door to go to the kitchen. He was hungry, so he was sure to find a slice bread somewhere that could spread butter on.
Entering the room, just as he expected in a chair at a crumbling table, Itachi was sitting. He was absorbed in his thoughts. Sasuke walked past him, opening the refrigerator and the breadbox to pull out the necessary items. He took the knife lying on the counter and began to spread the bread.
"Good morning, Sasuke." Itachi suddenly appeared from the right, looking at his face. Turning his head to look at brother, Sasuke noticed that he was paler than usual. Over the past year, the disease had been affecting his health more and more. Without medication or doctors, it was hard to do anything about it.
It was killing Sasuke to think that his only family member was dying in front of him and there was nothing he could do to help him.
"How are you feeling?" asked Sasuke.
"Good. No need to worry, little brother." that fake smile of his annoyed Sasuke. Couldn't he just say he felt bad? It was so hard for him to admit, or did he not want to show his condition, to his brother?
"Any new information?" Itachi just shook his head "We can't sit in one place for the rest of our lives."
"Would you rather die? It's dangerous for us every time we leave home."
"I know." Sasuke took a bite of the bread, which was already stale.
"Still the same. Riots, murders, possible war." Itachi returned to his previous seat "It's bad and it's going to get worse."
Sasuke had already finished eating when he smelled an unpleasant odor. He hadn't washed for three days, maybe it was time. Taking one last glance at his brother, who had once again switched off from reality with his thoughts, he started for the bathroom.
There should be enough water for a quick rinse, so taking one tub he set it on a shelf above the designated area for washing. Taking the old gray bar soap and wetting his hands, he began to wash. When it was time to wash with water, Sasuke unscrewed the cap and the water poured down his body. It was cold and uncomfortable, but they could not afford another.
On way out he grabbed a towel lying on the floor. Sasuke wiped himself slowly thinking about all the years he had spent in this hole away from the one person he so desperately wanted by his side. Recalling her smile and her beautiful eyes, a warm feeling welled up in his chest. Through all the events that had happened a few years ago, he hadn't managed to say three words to her. The ones she deserved so much, and that he wished he could say.
Finally leaving the bathroom, dressed in his usual black clothes, he headed towards the kitchen again. Sasuke had nothing else to do anyway, so sitting with Itachi, even in silence, would be more interesting than anything else.
As he walked, he heard hushed voices coming from the living room. One of them belonged to a woman. Since Itachi normally talked to her, it meant that it could only be one person - Izumi.
Two years before his clan was slaughtered, her mother separated from her father, causing Izumi to move with her. No one knew where or what was happening to them at the time. She kept changing her name and hearing about her disappeared. It was only when Izumi heard about the tragedy that she decided to look for them. When they met again it turned out that her mother had already died of lung disease six months ago, so she was alone.
She was working for a man she didn't know. It was the only way to make money, and since she was agile, she was perfect for it. Izumi was to get information on people important to society. Rulers, paid assassins who were hired by high ranking people and others who contributed to the current situation. She would then relay everything to her boss's man, and he would tell him later.
She was a small part Uchiha and looked more like her mother, so hardly anyone saw her as a person from a clan that had been razed to the ground and anyone still walking from it had to be killed outright.
Also, she acted as their informant.
In addition, she had a close relationship with Itachi, which was hard not to notice.
"Hey." entering the living room, Sasuke greeted, and two pairs of eyes located on him. They immediately stopped talking and looked at him. It was a little uncomfortable "Something wrong?"
The silence lengthened indefinitely for him. What had happened that they were pausing to answer?
"Sasuke, did," Itachi stopped talking, as if he wanted to first sort out in head how he should put this sentence together "Did you ever think you could have a family?" he made a puzzled face.
"Family? I don't know what you mean. What family?" he started walking over to the table where he only now noticed that something was lying on the table.
"A family of your own that you set up yourself." Izumi explained to him. Further, however, he didn't know where such an assumption came from. After all, if he had or was planning one, Itachi would know.
Coming closer he leaned over the table. One picture. With two people. One was a beautiful woman with pink short hair and the other was a child. A little girl similar to her mother, he guessed.
His heart beat harder.
"This is Sakura." he pointed to the person on the left "The child I don't know."
"You see Sasuke, it is very possible that this is your kid." Itachi said gently to let him think about it.
"No, after all..." he fell silent.
"She looks like you, a lot." Izumi stated, looking more closely at the photo.
"Is there a possibility that she could be your daughter after all?" at Itachi's question, Sasuke began to recall all the events of that time.
Sasuke slept with Sakura, even a lot of times, but they were always careful. But this one time, three weeks before the whole situation on the platform, they didn't think about it. That one time.
He remembered Sakura's words spoken as soon as she appeared then.
"Sasuke-kun! I have something so important to tell you that-"
Then he interrupted her. Why did he do that? Couldn't he have waited? But would it have made any difference? Would he have further told her to leave, or would they have run away together? Unfortunately, he didn't know the answer to those questions.
"It is." Sasuke looked into his brother's eyes, as if trying to convey through them everything he wanted to, but couldn't.
He, Uchiha Sasuke, most likely has a daughter that he knew nothing about.
He left Sakure alone with the child. It made him sick to his stomach.
Sasuke propped himself up with his hands on the countertop. At least he knew she was alive.
"Where did you get this picture?"
"There's more to tell here." she began slowly.
"Listen Sasuke to the end and don't panic." he looked back at Itachi. When he spoke like that it didn't help him at all. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the rest.
"Go ahead." he turned to Izumi.
"I was at the place last night where we usually share the information we get. They said Danzo had someone in mind. He hired one of the better assassins for the job." upon hearing this Sasuke had to sit down "It made me curious, so I asked for more details."
"We're not sure how Danzo found that out." Itachi interjected.
"The photo fell into my associate's hands when he was searching this killer's apartment. They want them dead." food came up to his throat a second time.
"The child they want to kill because she's half Uchiha, and Sakura for giving birth to her."
"Exactly right, Sasuke." Sasuke placed a hand on his head. The whole room began to swirl around him, he couldn't hear Itachi and Izumi's voices.
Not only did he have a family he didn't know about, but now they wanted to take it away from him too.
Sasuke couldn't let that happen. He loved these two people too much, even if one of them he had never even met.
"Do you know where they live?" he asked with hope in his voice.
"Yes, they are in a small area somewhere on the edge of Amegakure, but-" she didn't finish as Sasuke got up quickly from chair and ran to his room. Didn't have much to pack, he only picked up a small backpack, into which he began to pack the most important things.
Two t-shirts, an extra pair of pants and underwear. A wallet where money was scarce, but should be enough for three tickets. He also packed fake IDs. One his, the other his brother's. Izumi had gotten them three months ago, but they hadn't had a chance to use them yet. Hopefully no one would figure out they weren't real.
The gun was tucked behind his pants next to hip, covering with his blouse. It was invisible to the eye, and no one was searching the passengers.
Sasuke left the room, and upon crossing the threshold of the living room, he noticed Itachi and Izumi looking at him strangely, standing close together.
"You're not going anywhere." his brother spoke up.
"We're going."
"Don't you understand how dangerous this is?" Izumi looked at him with pleading in her eyes.
"We have no other choice." He pulled two knives from the cabinet next to the chair, handing one to Itachi.
"We have. I can go by myself."
"No."
"Something is getting through to you?!" she irritated him, so he grabbed her by the collar of blouse, to which Itachi reacted quickly and grabbed his hand sending a threatening look.
"I have to make sure they're okay myself."
"Sasuke, you know we're easy to recognize." thinking about it more, his brother was right, but Sasuke remembered one thing that might prove to be their salvation.
"Izumi," at her name she turned her head towards him "you still have lenses?" she furrowed her brow trying to remember.
"Yes, but you still have distinctive features."
"It doesn't matter. We'll cover our hair with caps and try to stay out of sight." Itachi only sent him an uncertain look, but finally let the air out of his lungs and tucked the knife away.
"You really agree to this, Itachi?" as if in disbelief at what she was seeing, she asked.
"I understand him. I would have done the same if I were him." Sasuke was so grateful to his brother for everything he had done for him before and what continued to do. He knew how important Sakura was to him, so when he found out that Sasuke could have a daughter, he couldn't keep him home.
"Let's get going." chuckled Sasuke walking off towards the kitchen to grab something to eat. They didn't have much, but they couldn't starve to death either. He stuffed the bread and ham into his backpack and picked up a bottle of water that was probably still drinkable.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was ready. Sasuke with Itachi now had blue eyes and their hair tucked neatly, so nothing could be seen, under their caps.
They didn't know if they would ever return to that apartment. Maybe they would be killed along the way, or fall into the wrong hands. Or vice versa and they would stay where they arrived.
And so they had no fond memories associated with the place.
Nodding to the rest, Sasuke took a step forward. Walking ahead, he heard Itachi lock the door. They didn't even have a key to it, so Sasuke was often surprised that no one had broken into it.
The way to the platform itself, or more like the remains of it, was short. They only had to pass three blocks and a bakery on the corner. As they climbed the short stairs to the top, Sasuke nearly tripped over a protruding step.
The place was dirty and neglected. The cash register where tickets were sold was a single countertop that was barely standing. The bench was one and at this point what man was sleeping on it. The tracks looked like they were about to crumble under an oncoming vehicle.
The woman sitting behind the makeshift cash register was young. She probably wanted to make money, and this was only free job.
"I'll go buy the tickets and you guys wait." Izumi said and walked with a quick step.
A couple of the people on the platform were giving them strange looks. Though what was to be surprised, they were dressed all in black, with winter hats when it was warm.
"We attract too much attention." Itachi stated.
"We just look idiotic." Sasuke's words were followed by silence, broken only by coughs from Itachi.
They turned their heads when they heard Izumi approaching. She raised her hand to show the three tickets and the moving train. At stopping it made a horrible screeching sound. It made Sasuke's ears hurt.
"Let's get on."
They took their designated seats, in the penultimate carriage, placing their backpacks on the top shelf. There were maybe ten people in the train, so without worrying too much Sasuke closed his eyes to rest at least for a few moments.
He wasn't dreaming.
Sasuke was glad for that; he'd rather sleep and see emptiness than the same nightmare over and over again.
They had been driving for five hours now, and there were four more ahead of them. The journey itself was fairly peaceful. They only stopped at three stations along the way, and the last one was half an hour ago. Some people got off, some people got on. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Sasuke felt Itachi next to him tense up. He could hear him searching for something and whispered to Izumi.
"Sasuke, get up." Itachi shook his shoulder way too hard. Sasuke opened his eyes looking at his brother "Conductor." after that one word he himself tensed up.
Taking his backpack off the top, he began to search for the IDs. His hands were sweating and heart was beating fast. Sasuke had to calm down, or he would betray with his condition that something was wrong.
Handing one ID to Itachi, he opened the other and held it firmly in hand. His gaze was fixed on his feet.
"Tickets." the man standing over them had a tired and annoyed look on his face, and his tone was very rough.
Izumi handed over what he asked for. He eyed them for a long moment as he finally handed them over. Let's just hope he doesn't ask for proof of identity, pleaded Sasuke in spirit.
"Documents." and it all came crashing down. Sasuke raised a shaking hand only slightly as Itachi took what he was holding and handed it to the conductor himself.
IDs of the two of them browsed even longer, as if trying to force them to admit to cheating themselves. Sasuke felt his brother's gaze on him, telling him to stay calm.
Previously, as any departure from home did not equate to possible death, he was very confident, but now he sometimes had trouble controlling himself. Even more so now that Sasuke even had to get to Amegakure.
The man handed it back slowly, looking hard at Sasuke. Could he have recognized him? Or was he also claiming he was abnormal by dressing like this?
"Miss?" Izumi handed him the document with a sweet smile.
As Sasuke stared at the man he noticed the movement of his hand. With slow motions so as not to attract attention he reached for the baton. He realized.
Standing up in a flash, Sasuke hit the conductor in the face with his elbow with all his strength. The man caught his nose, and Sasuke aimed a punch at his stomach and legs, hearing his knee crack under the force he put into it.
The man fell, so quickly Sasuke grabbed Izumi and pushed her forward to start running. Itachi taking his back, put his hand on his brother's back and pushed gently forward to get him to move.
Sasuke grabbed his luggage and, turning around, directed his steps to where Izumi had disappeared. He ran fast, trying not to fall through the little space between the seats. Itachi running behind him did so much slower. Because of his breathing problems, he couldn't speed up.
They fell into the last carriage catching their breath, Izumi walking up to the sliding doors and opened them.
"We have to jump." a terrible idea, but the only one "Drop your backpacks first." Izumi got rid of her luggage first, then Itachi and Sasuke did the same.
"Izumi, go first." Itachi walked over to her grabbing her wrist. They only looked at each other for a few seconds, but it made Sasuke feel uncomfortable, like he was interrupting.
"Okay, if anything I'll catch you guys." she winked and jumped. A small smile crept across Itachi's face.
"Sasuke, now you."
"If someone comes in here, I'm stronger, so-"
"Go." that damn sight of his. He hated him because he could persuade him to do anything.
Sasuke looked ahead, this land with too green grass.
He jumped, landing hard on his buttocks.
The train was fortunately moving quite slowly, so with a quicker jog, he evened his stride with the open train doors where Itachi continued to stand. He should have jumped out by now, every second counted.
"Itachi, jump the hell off!" the angry voices of the people were getting closer and closer to the last carriage.
Itachi finally, after a long moment jumped off.
Itachi fell to the ground and rolled a few times. Izumi ran over him to help stand up.
The train had moved away to a safe distance, so they breathed a sigh of relief. They were lucky.
"I'll go get our backpacks." Sasuke announced, then started in that direction. Picking up three luggage from the ground, he threw two over his shoulders and held his own in his right hand. He quickly returned to the others.
"Apparently we have to walk the rest." picking up her backpack, Izumi put it on her back. Itachi reached out for his own, but Sasuke just shook his head. He didn't want to strain him even more.
Izumi took out a map to see where they should go, and Itachi found a compass in his pocket.
With a direction set, they headed off.
After seventeen excruciating hours, they arrived at their destination.
More like, they had almost arrived. It still remained for them to find a suitable building, but they were getting closer.
The whole trip was a real nightmare. First, for the three first hours, the sun shone so hard that they barely had a stroke. Then they stopped for an hour to rest. Water was scarce, but they managed to use it in a good way. They were also short of food.
Another four hours were spent walking in the rain. Not having any sweatshirts or jackets, they got soaked and had to stop for two hours to change. Also, they needed some rest, so Izumi and Itachi went for an hour-long nap.
As they set off the weather was thankfully pleasant until the end. Sun behind the clouds, no wind.
They had to go through the woods or along paths as far away from people as possible. There was no way they could bump into someone, because that could be dangerous.
Now, standing in the middle of a small town that looked like everyone was hiding afraid to come out, they tried to figure out where Sakura lived. There were few tenements or houses here, but they preferred to get to a good one rather than explain why they knocked on strangers' doors.
Sasuke noticed a small boy in the makeshift playground. He looked like he was about six years old and was playing by himself. Walking towards him he felt brother's gaze on back. Being in front of the child, he could see the fear in his eyes. He wondered if he would run away.
"You know them?" he pulled a picture out of pocket, which he had tucked in there earlier to keep with him at all times.
"This is my friend." the boy pointed to the girl.
"Do you know where she lives?" he nodded and pointed to the building on the right at the end of the alley. Without another word Sasuke moved there. The rest of them followed him.
As Sasuke entered the building he felt something was wrong. This silence. A frightening silence. He quickened his step.
The townhouse had three floors with four apartments on each floor. Sasuke hurriedly opened each one, most weren't even locked.
Reaching the third floor, he noticed one door wide open. It was kicked in, as if someone had broken in.
Itachi appeared to his right "The rest of the apartments are empty." so that had to be it.
Stepping closer, Sasuke lifted a gently shaking hand and pushed the door open. It creaked as it opened wider. Finally as everything was visible he noticed it.
Blood, more blood, smashed furniture, glass on the floor, a barely held painting on the wall with Sakura's face on it.
Sasuke stood motionless, his heart slowing its rhythm, only to speed up to an above-normal beat a moment later.
He didn't make it. As if he had been faster, as if he hadn't been caught in the train, as if he hadn't interrupted her then, everything would have been different.
His fist hit the door frame with all its force, making a shrill sound.
"Fuck."
first three chapters are more of an introduction :D
hope you enjoyed it!1
if anyone hasn't read it yet, feel free to visit my first ff :x
