Naruto: The Uchiha Chronicles Re-Version:

Hey everyone, hope you're doing well! Welcome to this months first chapter. We get to see a better look at the fallout from the events of the previous chapter.

Arc VI: Chunin Exams:

Chapter 39: The Consequence of Indecision

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A throbbing pain in his arm woke Naruto. His thoughts were slow and stumbling, and he felt the urge to throw up. The boy blinked stupidly at the unfamiliar grey ceiling. Where was he? Naruto tried to push himself up, but immediately let out a hiss of pain as stabbing pain radiated through his forearm.

"Fuck, right, broken arm." He mumbled to himself.

With a glance at the plaster cast, he began to remember. He was in the room Team 7 had been assigned for the remainder of the test. It'd been all he could do to get there and take off his equipment before crawling under the sheets. It wasn't much, three single beds and a bathroom. His bed was furthest from the bathrooms. Naruto glanced at the other beds. They were already made up tidily, and the girls' shoes were missing from the cubbies near the door.

An uncomfortable pressure in his bladder made him grimace. He slowly got out of bed. His body was stiff and rigid like he'd never felt before. It was like having concrete for limbs. Every bump and bruise from the battle was still there. Normally he'd have healed, but the seal Orochimaru put on him cut off the Nine-Tails chakra to enhance his healing.

After relieving himself, Naruto showered the best he could. It was difficult shampooing and washing with one hand, while the water spattered down on the plastic bag taped over his cast. Every time his arm bumped against the wall in the narrow shower stall it throbbed in pain. Once he was as clean as possible, he tried to dress himself. The pants were easy enough, but it was a struggle to get his shirt tied shut. For a moment, he cursed his choice of more traditional clothing. A sharp rapping on the door drew him away from the futile effort.

"Who is it?" He shouted.

The voice that called out made him roll his eyes. "Your favorite sensei, come to help my cute little genin with a seal."

That's right, Gramps had said he'd send Kakashi to help Naruto remove the Five Elements Seal once he rested. The bed squeaked as he stood up. Padding across the room, he pulled the sliding door open. Kakashi stood there with his hands tucked in his pocket as usual.

"Iruka is my favorite." Naruto said with a smirk.

Kakashi rose an eyebrow, glancing at the kimono shirt that hung open. "Is it really the best idea to taunt the person that can remove that seal so you can heal and actually tie a shirt again?"

Naruto grunted but stepped aside, nonetheless. Kakashi stepped into the room, sliding the door shut behind him. The Jonin didn't waste much time chitchatting.

"Channel some chakra." He instructed Naruto.

"Why?" Naruto asked inquisitively, though he complied all the same. His chakra was sluggish, and willful. It just didn't want to do what he wanted it too. Naruto was just able to channel enough to make the two seals appear.

"This jutsu works best with direct contact. Now hold still." Kakashi replied. The man gripped his right wrist, as though preparing a Lightning Blade. Instead of lightning, flamelike blue chakra danced at the tip of each finger and his thumb, accompanied by a special elemental symbol. With his face screwed up in concentration, Kakashi muttered a warning. "Brace yourself."

Naruto clenched his stomach muscles and adjusted his footing. Kakashi's hand shot forward like a striking mongoose and slammed into Naruto's stomach. An involuntary gasp slipped through his lips. The fingers dug into his stomach. He grit his teeth against the discomfort. Kakashi's chakra flooded through the seal. A tingling warmth spread through Naruto's body. He watched as the Five Elements seal glowed red and began to unravel. With a sudden rush he felt the pressure in his chakra network release. Like water rushing through an unclogged pipe his chakra swept through and began circulating more easily.

With it came the familiar feel of the Nine-Tails chakra. 'Finally, that damnable seal is off! It took you long enough brat!' The fox growled.

'Sorry about that, it's good to hear you again Fox.' Naruto replied. It was a weird experience being separate from the Nine-Tails. He'd spent so many years in contact with the fox, Naruto had completely forgotten what it was like to have his thoughts and mind to himself. The experience was unsettling. It wasn't just the foxes voice that was back. He felt it's chakra already at work soothing his bruises and even mending his bones. Heat radiated through the break as it began working itself back together. The arm would probably be fine in an hour.

Kakashi inspected the seal, apparently not finding any flaws. Once he was satisfied, the Jonin sat down on Sakura's bed and motioned for Naruto to sit down on his own. "Good, now that we've got that done, how are you doing? I heard what happened in the forest."

"Well enough, I should be fine in a couple hours. Still, Orochimaru would've slaughtered me if he took it seriously." Naruto said easily. It was sobering to realize just how far he had to go still.

"I wasn't talking about physically. Like I said, I heard what happened." Kakashi replied, giving Naruto a meaningful look.

It didn't take a genius intellect to realize what he meant. "Oh, that," Naruto said softly. His heart sunk as enraged black eyes flashed through his mind. "She's mad … not that I blame her. I was an idiot keeping that secret for so long."

His teacher gave a hum of thought. "Secrets are a tricky business. All I can say, is apologize, and hope she forgives you eventually. Just don't crowd her."

His sensei's words clawed into his brain and twisted his guts. It was like the man could read Naruto's thought. His first instinct was to go and beg for Sasuki's forgiveness endlessly until she gave it. Knowing her, that would be the worst thing he could do.

"Thanks … I think, I think I'll rest and let my arm heal before I leave. Need some time to think." Naruto said quietly.

Understanding flashed in Kakashi's eye. He nodded easily and began to walk towards the door. As he swung the steel door open, Kakashi glanced back at Naruto. "I'll wish you good luck, you'll probably need it."

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Sakura read the same line for the fifth time. By now she knew by heart that horsetail was useful for restoring teeth. It was just one of the hundreds of herbs her book covered. Yet she couldn't manage to pay attention long enough to get passed that one. She could feel Sasuki brooding across from her.

They were tucked away in a little alcove underneath a window on the fifth floor of the tower, two floors up from where their room was. The Uchiha girl stared out the window moodily. She'd been that way ever since they got there. Normally Sasuki brooding over various things wasn't that distracting. Unfortunately, since yesterday the girl had been radiating a palpable anger. Despite the warm summer light pouring through the window above them, it was like there was a chill breeze in the air. After the tenth time trying to get past horsetail, Sakura sighed and closed her book with a sharp snap.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked hesitantly. Her teammates eyes flashed with anger.

"No." Sasuki said curtly. Her voice was cold as ice.

Sakura winced. "It's just, I know you're upset, and I get it–"

"You get it? So, your best friend has been keeping the fact you aren't the last member of your clan from you for almost six years?" Sasuki cut across her with a growl. Ice turned to fire in an instant.

An awkward, heavy silence hung between the two girls. Sakura couldn't stand awkward silence. She tended to ramble to try and fill it. "No, I guess not, it's just, I know it's surprising. When I first saw the grave and figured out he was an Uchiha, it took a while too–" She felt Sasuki's intense gaze on her and realized what she'd let slip. Sakura's stomach plummeted.

Sasuki's eyes flashed dangerously, and she shot to her feet in a huff. "You knew? That's just great, who else knows I wonder?"

With an abrupt jerk, Sasuki turned and started to walk towards the staircase leading to the next floor.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sakura shouted.

"To get some air on the roof! There isn't anyone keeping secrets from me there." Sasuki shot back with a growl.

The girls' footsteps slowly receded up the curved stairway that ran along the towers walls. Sakura hung her head dejectedly. Somehow, she'd made things more awkward. All she wanted to do was try to clear the air and maybe help get her teammates to talk. She tried to get back to reading her book, but her heart wasn't in it.

A half hour into fruitlessly trying to read her book, Sakura heard footsteps coming down the hall from the opposite direction Sasuki had gone off in. She glanced up as she saw a flash of blond hair in her periphery. It was Naruto, dressed in a simple black kimono top and casual pants. His hair was tied into a messier ponytail than normal, and he was muttering to himself about his senses being off. She noticed the lack of cast on his arm. He was so distracted he didn't seem to notice her presence.

"Hey Naruto, is your arm feeling better?" She asked curiously.

Spinning on his heel, Naruto's eyebrows shot up at seeing her sat against the wall with her knees tucked to her chest.

"Oh, there you are Sakura. Yeah, didn't take the fox too long to." He said. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where Sasuki is, would you? I wanted to … to talk about, well you know."

Sakura's stomach tightened as she recalled Sasuki storming off. "You might want to give her a bit of time to cool off. She was pretty upset when she left a bit ago."

For just a moment she saw a look of despair flicker across Naruto's face. He slumped against the wall opposite her and slid to the floor. Looking at the ground and not at her, he let out a sigh.

"That's what I was afraid of. I really messed this up." He said quietly.

She shifted in her place against the wall, unsure what to say to comfort him. Sakura wanted to help; she just couldn't think of how. There was so much about the situation she still didn't really understand. How should she approach it?

"I should apologize to you too. I shouldn't have kept my clan a se cret. I might not have known you as long, but that secret still made things more dangerous than they needed to be. Can you forgive me?" Naruto said abruptly.

Sakura was surprised at the emotions she could see in him. His eyes were dull from sadness, a haunted look hung about him that wasn't natural. It reminded her of all that guilt she'd been carrying the past few weeks. She'd seen the same thing every time she looked in the mirror. Part of her wondered if Naruto dealt with that same struggle. It must have been years keeping his secret. She'd struggled with just a few weeks. Sakura had to relieve that worry.

"I already knew. About your grandfather and all." Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to say that so matter-of-factly. She bit her lip, nervous pangs riddled her body at Naruto's widened eyes and shocked frown.

"You … but … how?" He was stunned, stumbling on his words. Inspiration struck and she saw understanding flash in his eyes. "The gravestone." He said in a mutter.

Sakura nodded hesitantly. Naruto slumped even further. "It's my fault really, I did that so hastily. With how sloppy I've been it's a wonder nobody figured it out sooner."

Her nerves slowly settled. She'd been prepared for anger, but all she got was sad acceptance. Since she'd known him, Naruto had never seemed so dejected. Sakura floundered as she wondered how to help. It was usually the other way around, someone comforting her. She'd tried comforting Sasuki earlier how her mother would try and help Sakura, but it had failed miserably. One more shot couldn't hurt, though.

"If you don't mind me asking, why'd you hide it so much? The stuff with your grandfather must've been hard, but couldn't you have at least told Sasuki? I don't think she'd be the type to tell it to anybody." Her words were chosen carefully, but no less direct.

Naruto bit his lip. He seemed to give answering much thought. Finally, he took a deep breath through the nose.

"The biggest reason is complicated, and I want to tell her first." He began. Sakura nodded in understanding, that was reasonable. "As for why I didn't tell Sasuki back then … I was a coward. My grandfather thought I should wait, that it would be too much for her and maybe somehow, she'd let something slip. The longer I waited it got harder to come clean. She was so distrustful after what happened, I didn't want to be the final straw. Over the years the fear of her reaction just grew bigger and bigger." He explained.

Sakura nodded along slowly. It was hard to digest. Part of her understood where Naruto was coming from. Another knew that it was also the worst choice to make with Sasuki given her character. Sasuki was slow to trust and quick to lose it. Though no reasonable person would blame her after what she'd experienced. The longer Naruto waited the worse the reveal would be. Not that she needed to tell Naruto that. It was already plain to see he was beating himself up over it. That sat quietly for a few moments. The silence was surprisingly peaceful. Through the shuttered window, she could hear a few crows cawing in the trees.

She wanted to help her friend. Sakura thought of how her mother would do it. Choosing her words carefully, she said, "She went to the roof to clear her head. Maybe she'll listen, maybe she won't. But you won't know until you try and explain things. You two are close. It might take a while, but I'm sure eventually she'll forgive you."

Naruto's eyes brightened just a bit. He took a steadying breath and climbed to his feet.

"I think I'll go try. Thanks for talking it over with me." He said gratefully.

"It's no big deal, I'll see you later." She said, waving off his thanks.

Sakura watched as Naruto turned and made his way towards the same staircase Sasuki had gone up less than an hour before. She felt torn. It was easy to understand both sides. She could only imagine the pain and hurt Sasuki must feel, to know her best friend let her think she was completely alone as an Uchiha outside her brother. Another part had just begun to grasp that Naruto had been paralyzed by the fear of his secret. It was a shocking idea. She'd always seen him as so strong and unshakeable. There was no way she could pick a side between the two. Naruto was the entire reason Sasuki ever gave her a chance. He was the one that encouraged Sasuki to give Sakura the chance to improve. At the same time, Sasuki was really her first female friend outside Ino. She hoped things would get better sooner rather than later, for both her friends' sakes.

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The air on top of the tower was much more pleasant than in the forest, Naruto realized as he came out onto the roof. Like the tower, it wasn't overly flashy. Simple concrete tiling with a metal rail going around the rim. Above the sky was clear and bright. A large water tank rose into the air on one side of the roof. Sasuki leaned against the railing, staring into the forest. Naruto felt like he'd be sick from the nerves. His stomach was tying itself into knots. Plucking up his courage, he walked across the rooftop towards his best friend. She glanced over her shoulder, shooting him a venomous glare when she saw him.

"Go away Naruto." She said, her voice cracking. Whether from anger or sadness he couldn't tell. Her eyes were reddened as though she'd been crying.

Naruto swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Please, just let me expl–"

Sasuki made to push past him before he could even get the words out. Lunging desperately, Naruto grabbed her arm and tried to turn her back towards him. She jerked away from his grasp and swung around with her fist raised. He held up his hands in placation.

"I'm not asking you to forgive me, please just listen, that's all I'm asking." He said imploringly.

Staring into his best friend's face, he saw everything he'd ever feared in her eyes. Anger, betrayal, disgust. What hurt most is he knew he deserved it. They held each other's gazes for a moment. Finally, Sasuki scoffed and brushed past him to lean against the railing haughtily.

"Fine. I'll do it, mostly because I want you to look me in the face and tell me why you let me believe I was the last Uchiha in the village." She replied.

Despite her vitriol, Naruto nodded gratefully. As a precaution, he began to use a series of hands signs. Dog, Rat, Boar, Ram, Horse, Dog, Monkey, Ram. With the last one a faint dome of yellow energy formed around he and Sasuki. Seconds later it disappeared. He sunk to the ground and crossed his legs.

"You might as well take a seat, this is a pretty long story. Unfortunately I'm not as skilled with the Sharingan yet so I can't use it to show you what happened like my grandfather would." He said. Sasuki narrowed her eyes, but took the advice. Once she was seated Naruto began. "It all started when I first met my grandfather."

Leaves rustled in the breeze, taking Naruto back to that time. "It was my first year in the academy, and I wasn't doing so well. He just showed up one day, pretending to be an old, retired shinobi named Daarma. Every day he'd give me advice and tips to improve. At first I didn't know who he was. Then one day I saw what I thought were Hidden Cloud ninja attacking someone. Later on, I learned they were fakes, and the man they were attacking was Shisui Uchiha. They'd successfully taken one of his eyes, and apparently, he ended up dead after."

Sasuki's eyes flew wide, then they narrowed with rage. "That's a lie. Itachi killed Shisui." She said with a hiss.

"Maybe, I have no idea. That's just what Grandpa told me." Naruto replied placatingly. "Anyways, those ninja noticed when I tried to run, so they chased me. So I ran to Daarma's cabin. My grandfather ended up saving me, and I awakened my bloodlines. Then he told me the truth."

"Truth? Can you just spit it out instead of trying to unravel things delicately?" Sasuki said testily.

Naruto braced himself. "My grandfather was the Madara Uchiha, the one who founded the village alongside the First Hokage. I don't really want to get into it, but he eventually betrayed the village. He faked his death in his battle with the First Hokage, then he wandered. Over time he came up with a plan to gather all the Tailed Beasts." He licked his dry lips.

Sasuki's eyes sharpened. "So, he's another traitor?"

"NO!" Naruto responded. "It's … it's complicated. He did betray the village. At the time he was angry, bitter, and sad from losing his brother. Our clan has always had a curse of hatred hanging around our necks like an anchor, and Grandpa Madara wasn't an exception. Eventually, though, he met my grandmother and started over. That plan for the tailed beasts was abandoned, and they even had my father."

The Uchiha girls hardened expression softened just slightly. For a moment, it'd looked like she would write both his grandfather and Naruto off in an instant.

"Obviously, you remember what Grandpa Madara said about my grandmother's death?" Naruto asked. Though they hadn't ever revealed his heritage, he and his Grandfather had told Sasuki a version of the story of his grandmother's death and his father being brought to the Leaf. Sasuki nodded. "Well what we didn't say is that during his time looking for my father, Grandpa discovered the place where he'd kept the materials for his plan had been raided. Somebody took everything, including the method for sealing the Tailed Beasts. Then October tenth happened."

Sasuki paled, the reason obvious. In the Hidden Leaf, that day was infamous. Everybody knew if you mentioned October 10th it was the day the Nine-Tails had laid waste to much of the village. He was also sure she got the implication.

"The person that took the materials, they were behind the Nine-Tails Attack as well?" She said with a gasp.

Naruto nodded grimly. "Yep. My mother was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki before me. After I'd just been born, a masked man appeared and took her to steal the Nine-Tails. He's the one that caused all that suffering. I don't know much about him, but I do know he's an Uchiha. From what Grandpa discovered, he think's that man is waiting, and he's probably not alone." He looked into Sasuki's eyes, imploring her to understand. "That's why I didn't tell very many people. I needed the edge for as long as possible. If he gets any hint somebody knows his plans it'll be disastrous. Although, truthfully, I'm just a coward. I let my fear build up and used it as a crutch so I didn't have to tell you. I'm sorry."

Naruto finished by bowing his head. His stomach was back to twisting itself in knots. He couldn't bear to look at Sasuki, afraid of her reaction. She hadn't shown much emotion since he finished. Her expression was impossible to read, though she didn't show any more outward anger. Part of him, a foolishly optimistic part, hoped that maybe she'd accept his reasoning and forgive him. It was soon crushed.

"I can't forgive you." Sasuki clenched her fist so tightly the knuckles turned white. More startling were the brimming tears of frustration and anger that swam in her eyes, "Maybe not ever. You didn't trust me with any of this, even though I've trusted you with everything. I thought … I thought we meant more to each other. I need some time to think."

The anguish in her voice was a knife to the heart. Naruto sat numbly as Sasuki shot to her feet and walked away briskly. There was something important in what she'd tried to say, or rather, what she hadn't. What was it? He wanted to follow her, to beg for forgiveness once more. Something in his gut screamed at him that he was making a mistake by not following her. Naruto forced that feeling down. Sasuki needed space, that's what he told himself. She didn't appreciate being treated as weak in any way. If only he could convince himself of that.

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Well, that's a wrap. As you can see, Team 7 is dealing with the fallout of the reveal. When, or will Sasuki forgive Naruto? You'll have to wait to find out.

So, there is a bit of news. I'm considering taking December off from posting for a few reasons, not sure quite yet if I definitely will be. Just wanted to let everyone know so you aren't wondering where the posts are come December 1st if I do that. Obviously, there's wanting to spend time with family, but also, it would be nice to get a bit of a break to decompress mentally and get ahead a bit.

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