A/N: I humbly present: chapter 26!
Nope, don't own Naruto.
Chapter XXVI: To See
In his restlessness, Sasuke woke much earlier than Naruto. He slid his sleeping mask off of his face, blearily eyeing the clock. Just shy of 8am. Peeling his tongue from the roof of his mouth, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, all but dragging himself out of bed to straighten his sheets.
A splash of cool water on his face helped wake him up as he went through his morning routine. His hair may have appeared unkempt, but he made sure it was free of tangles. He donned his ninja clothes, sans mesh undershirt and headband. His ninjato rested on its stand atop his dresser, the Uchiha crest facing towards him. He'd grown so used to wearing his headband and blade that it felt strange leaving without them.
Slipping into his haori, Sasuke turned to the picture frames that sat on his nightstand. One held a picture of his team—Kakashi had a slightly awkward smile, while he and Naruto wore mischievous smirks, and Sakura wore her signature sweet smile. Next to that was a picture of one of his most precious people: his mother. As he got older, he couldn't help but notice that he looked like her. Naruto even mentioned at one point that he resembled her. A small but sad smile graced his lips as a warm melancholy washed over him. He could only hope that she was proud of him and the person he was becoming.
He took a breath and ventured into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Normally, he'd prepare something for both him and Naruto, but it was nearly guaranteed that the blond would sleep in until later. Sasuke put a kettle to boil and tossed some bread into the toaster. Once the tea was set aside to steep, he sliced a tomato, arranging the juicy slices onto the toast. He poured himself some tea and sat down, offered his gratitude for the food, and dug in.
Naruto could poke fun all he wanted; tomatoes would forever be Sasuke's favorite food. He didn't inhale them the same way that Naruto did ramen, but he would be a liar if he denied eating them in lieu of other fruits like apples or grapes or cherries. Grape and cherry tomatoes also just so happened to be some of his favorite snacks.
As he ate, Sasuke went through his plans for the day. He would train, but his conversations with Itachi and Naruto left him deep in thought over the pros and cons of going through with the transplant. Logically, it made sense: a stronger Sharingan without the risk of going blind and suffering fatigue meant he could grow stronger alongside Naruto, as well as better protect those he held dear. He was more than confident in Tsunade's abilities as a surgeon and medic. A solution to the issue of Itachi possibly benefitting from a transplant would be reached, that much was certain.
Still, he couldn't help but feel as though he needed a second opinion. He trusted Naruto, but his mind wandered to the only other Sharingan user in Konoha. As he finished his toast, he made the decision to pay his sensei a visit.
Just as he was putting on his sandals, Naruto stumbled into the kitchen with his pajamas still on, sleeping cap and all. Sasuke turned to his half-awake roommate, who let out a yawn while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"You're up earlier than expected," Sasuke quipped.
Naruto lazily eyed his roommate. "What're you doing up?" he drawled.
"Heading out. I'll be back soon."
The blond hummed, letting out another yawn as he spoke. "Where ya headin'?"
"I'm gonna go talk to Kakashi-sensei. Then to Lady Tsunade. I should be back by lunch."
Naruto blinked as Sasuke's words registered. Forcing himself to wake up more, he nodded. "Alright. See you later, Sasuke."
"Later, whiskers."
Sasuke stared at the plain, green door of Kakashi's apartment, his mouth dry and his breathing shaky. Why was he nervous? He'd known his sensei for the better portion of his life, or it at least felt that way. He'd also come to know him more over the course of their two-and-a-half-year training trip. Steeling himself, Sasuke took a deep breath and tapped his knuckles against the door.
Not a moment later, Kakashi peeked out at his student before fully opening the door. He wore the standard issue blue jumpsuit that was usually accompanied by Konoha's signature green flak vest. His headband was missing, but he kept his Sharingan eye closed. True to form, he wore his mask.
"Oh, Sasuke. What brings you here?" Kakashi asked, curiosity in his tone.
"I, uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about something, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke answered, his own voice sounding oddly far off.
The masked man glanced over his student before nodding and opening the door wider for him. "Of course. Come on in and make yourself at home."
Sasuke gave a small bow before crossing the threshold and slipping off his sandals. Kakashi's apartment was rather plain, as far as decorations went. There were no paintings, and no photographs hung on the walls, but there were bookshelves. Upon them sat books on teaching methods, ninjutsu, and what appeared to be novels. Sasuke thought he saw books about how to train dogs, more specifically ninja dogs.
What caught his attention, however, were the picture frames. One held a picture of the silver-haired man with his pack of eight ninja dogs. Another frame held two pictures of him and Might Guy, Konoha's Green Beast. One of the pictures was of them as young ninja, while the other was of them as jōnin. Sasuke couldn't help but let his gaze linger on the pictures as he took his seat at the table. Kakashi prepared a pot of tea for them.
The apartment smelled of clean linen, and was nearly spotless. Sasuke turned and noticed two metal bowls on the kitchen floor, clearly meant for a dog. Kakashi told him about his experiences in training his ninja dogs, but seeing the evidence was something else entirely. Never mind the fact that Sasuke hadn't set foot in Kakashi's apartment before, despite knowing where he lived.
As Sasuke took in his surroundings, Kakashi poured him a cup of tea before taking a seat across from his student.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about the Sharingan."
Kakashi couldn't help but let his head tilt slightly. His open eye held confusion despite its half-lidded state. "The Sharingan? I don't mean to be rude, Sasuke, but don't you think we've already covered as much as we could have? I mean, we did take that trip and all."
"No, I know. And you're right, we did cover just about everything we could. It's not about any skill or anything like that. It's…" Sasuke took a breath, trying to find the right words. "It's about the nature of the Sharingan, if that makes sense."
The silver-haired jōnin hummed. "I think I know what you're trying to say. But just so we're on the same page: what exactly do you mean?"
Taking a sip of tea, Sasuke collected his thoughts before he spoke. "You've used the Mangekyō Sharingan before. I've been there when you have. When we fought the Akatsuki, you used a unique ability."
"That's right. Kamui."
"Right. Well, didn't you feel fatigued afterwards? Maybe you had trouble seeing out of that eye?"
Kakashi gave a sagely nod. "Both of those things are true. Is it safe to assume that what you want to talk about has to do with those two things?"
"Well, yes," Sasuke answered, his voice smaller than before. "I recently learned of another kind of Sharingan: the 'Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan,' as it were. It's…a solution to the problems that come with using the Mangekyō."
"Fatigue and trouble seeing hardly seem like huge problems in the grand scheme of things," Kakashi reasoned.
"Maybe not. But, using the Mangekyō over time can lead to permanent blindness, not just fatigue and chakra exhaustion," Sasuke retorted.
The older jōnin hummed. "Well, blindness is another matter entirely, I suppose. How does one obtain this new Sharingan?"
Sasuke fidgeted in the chair. "That's…where things get complicated. The only way to acquire the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is through an exchange of eyes between two closely related Uchiha. The only known, surefire way to obtain it is through an exchange between siblings."
His words hung in the air as Kakashi merely held his half-lidded gaze for a pregnant moment. Sasuke pressed his lips into a tight line, anticipating anything from a slew of questions to a simple dismissal.
Kakashi let out a sigh. "Where did you learn of this, exactly?"
Sasuke paused to take a breath. "Itachi. During our fight, he went on a half-insane tangent about how the power of the Mangekyō pales in comparison to the Eternal Mangekyō. To be honest, I ignored a lot of what he was saying since we were in the middle of the fight. What struck me was the fact that he doubled down on it.
"I spoke to him yesterday—he requested my presence and said he wouldn't say a word until he had a chance to talk to me. Lady Tsunade accompanied me to his cell. That's when he told me more about the Eternal Mangekyō and how a transfer between siblings is the most ideal. In essence, he proposed a transfer of eyes between me and him. It was underhanded, since he's not exactly in a position to actually propose such a thing. But that's where I'm at, as of right now."
Another silence fell over the apartment. Sasuke took another sip of tea to calm his nerves while Kakashi processed the information his student gave him. Another sigh escaped the silver-haired jōnin before he spoke. "How did you verify the validity of what Itachi told you?"
"I combed through the scrolls from the Uchiha archives. There was a memoir that specifically mentioned the Eternal Mangekyō that lined up with everything he said," Sasuke answered.
Kakashi hummed. "I suppose that's as good as it gets when it comes to supporting evidence for something like this. I'm assuming Naruto knows?"
"Yeah, he's the first person I told."
"That's to be expected." Kakashi let a small smile grace his masked features before he continued. "Well, what are your thoughts on it after talking to Naruto?"
Taking another sip of tea, Sasuke gathered his thoughts once more. "He made a good point: I'd be a fool to not take advantage of the chance to improve my Sharingan. There's also the benefits of, well, not going blind."
"But, you're apprehensive, aren't you?"
A dejected sigh escaped Sasuke's nose before he nodded meekly. "I don't want to play into his hands any more than I already have, intentionally or otherwise. The last thing we need is him getting an upper hand. Worst case scenario is he breaks out of prison."
Kakashi gave another sagely nod. "Your concerns are justified. I'd be apprehensive, as well, if I were in your situation. That being said, I think both of you have good points. Naruto is right: it'd be a missed opportunity if you didn't take a chance. However, given your history with Itachi, you're right to be cautious. I'm sure you plan on talking to Lady Tsunade about this if you haven't already?"
"Yes, I'm planning on discussing possible courses of action with her today." Sasuke averted his gaze, his voice shrinking. "I, well, I just wanted to talk to you about it first. You are my sensei, after all."
Moved by Sasuke's consideration, Kakashi let a small but warm smile dance across his face as he gave a single nod. However, as a thought invaded his mind, the smile faded into a pensive expression.
A sigh escaped the silver-haired man. "Sasuke, there's something I think you should know."
Sasuke watched with an expectant look on his face.
"You remember that I was in ANBU before I became a jōnin sensei, right?"
"Of course. You told me you joined after the Third Shinobi World War. You were on a team with Captain Yamato."
"Back then, he was just Tenzō. But I digress. There's one thing I failed to mention about my time in ANBU."
Sasuke tilted his head slightly as Kakashi took a deep breath. "Itachi was also on my team."
Stiffening, Sasuke's eyes widened, feeling as though he had been sucker-punched in the stomach. His breath hitched as his heart pounded against his ribcage, his hands suddenly feeling clammy. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he found his voice. "I-Itachi was…on your t-team? With you and C-Captain Yamato?" His voice was barely above a shaky whisper.
Kakashi only nodded, prompting Sasuke to take a deep but shaky breath to compose himself. His voice remained low as he continued. "I…knew you were in ANBU, sensei, but…I never knew…why didn't you tell me?"
The pain in his voice was impossible to ignore. Kakashi averted his gaze, a dejected sigh escaping him. "You were still young. I know Naruto made sure you knew that your place was in the village, but you would have pushed yourself too hard, would have gotten distracted. I wanted to tell you during our trip, but you were making such great progress in your training and moving on from wanting vengeance."
Sasuke hung his head, letting out his own dejected sigh. "I understand. I just…"
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You deserved to know. I just didn't want you to go down the same path we'd just saved you from."
The Uchiha heir let out a soft hum of acknowledgment before another thick silence settled over them. Sasuke took another sip of tea, finally collecting himself enough to continue the conversation. "Please don't feel guilty, sensei. I know you were just looking out for me. I know myself enough to know that I would've snapped the second I heard anything about Itachi when I was younger."
Kakashi let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as relief washed over him. "Thank you, Sasuke."
"Do you think you could tell me anything about him?"
The silver-haired man met his student's inquisitive gaze. "Like what?"
Sasuke took another deep breath, gathering his courage. "Did he…act any differently before…that night?"
"I'm afraid I don't know. We were reassigned. But from what I remember, he didn't act any differently than normal," Kakashi answered dejectedly.
"I guess that's to be expected," Sasuke said under his breath.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."
"It's alright, sensei. At this point, knowing more wouldn't change too much," Sasuke reassured. Only now did he glance at Kakashi's teacup, noting that he'd taken a few covert sips.
"Are you still feeling unsure about whether you want to go through with the procedure?"
"Only a little bit. I'm just not sure how to make sure Itachi doesn't gain anything."
"I'm certain you and Lady Tsunade will work something out. I know you want my opinion on this, so here it is: I think you ought to go through with it, but only if you feel it's the right choice for you. Just be sure to let us know so we can visit you, alright?" Kakashi ended on a jovial note and a masked smile.
Sasuke nodded. "I will. Thank you for the tea and for talking with me, sensei. I'll be sure to let you all know what happens."
With that, he placed his now-empty teacup in the sink before making his way to the door and slipping his sandals on. After bidding his sensei goodbye, he set off for the Hokage Tower.
Tsunade couldn't help but wonder just where all this paper could possibly be coming from. She'd hoped that once the village was reconstructed and inter-village trade resumed, there'd be a slowdown of documents that required her attention. Unfortunately for her, there was no end to the accursed bureaucracy. Shizune was the one who had the loathsome task of delivering said documents to the Hokage's desk, though she always offered an apologetic expression.
As she was finalizing yet another budget proposal, with Shizune waiting with a binder that required her attention, a knock came from her office door.
"Enter," she called, not looking up from the document.
She kept her eyes glued to the piece of paper until the footsteps stopped. After stamping it, she met Sasuke's gaze. The Uchiha heir gave a bow before she addressed him.
"Sasuke. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Actually, Lady Tsunade, there is."
Cocking an eyebrow, Tsunade gestured for him to continue.
"It's about the situation from yesterday. I was hoping to discuss possible courses of action. I've given it a lot of thought, and I think it'd be in my best interest to go through with the procedure, especially given the benefits. However, I know that it's imperative that Itachi doesn't benefit from this."
The Hokage wore her best poker face as she processed the information. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Very well. Since Itachi is your brother and a former member of the Uchiha clan proper, technically the decision of how this proceeds is up to you. Since you are heir to the position of clan head."
"I figured as much. The only course of action I've been able to come up with is leaving him blind, with no eyes whatsoever," Sasuke stated.
Tsunade shrugged. "That's something we can do. Are you sure that's the only thing you could think of?"
Bringing his hand to his chin, Sasuke thought for a moment before nodding. "Unless you have something else in mind, Lady Tsunade, that's the only solution I can think of with regard to ensuring Itachi doesn't obtain the Eternal Mangekyō."
"Well, it's not the most…humane thing, but it's the most reliable way to ensure that Itachi gains nothing from this 'exchange'," Tsunade said, adding air quotes around the last word.
"Um, Lady Tsunade? If I may, I have a suggestion," said Shizune, who'd been a fly on the wall up until now.
The Hokage hummed as she and Sasuke turned their attention to the Hokage's assistant.
Shizune tucked a dark lock behind her ear as she cleared her throat. "Well, we actually have some organ donors whose eyes were intact. Do you think it'd be possible to use those instead of leaving him blind? He'd still be without his Sharingan, and Sasuke would still get the transplant."
Tsunade brought a hand to her chin, contemplating her assistant's suggestion. "That's another viable option." She turned to Sasuke. "What do you think?"
Sasuke's mouth hung open slightly for a moment before he collected himself. "I…didn't think of that. Is that really possible?"
"Well, given that Naruto's eyes were from someone who was recently deceased, I don't see how this would be any different. His recovery time might be different from yours, but I'm fairly certain he'd still be able to see, albeit without his dōjutsu. As far as your old eyes are concerned, whether you want to preserve or destroy them will be entirely up to you," Tsunade answered.
The Uchiha heir nodded. "I understand." He paused, considering the weight of his next words with a deep breath. "I'd like to go through with the operation, Lady Tsunade. Of course, if you're willing to allow it," he stated with a bow.
Tsunade glanced at Shizune, who gave a knowing nod. "Like I said yesterday: you have my support. I'll make the arrangements, and I'll be performing this surgery myself. I'd like to leave nothing to chance."
Shizune took note and set down the binder before excusing herself from the office. Sasuke deepened his bow. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I greatly appreciate this." As he rose from the bow, a thought occurred to him. "Out of curiosity, Lady Tsunade, when would the operation be?"
"As soon as possible. I have Shizune making arrangements to transfer the prisoner to the hospital as we speak," the Hokage said matter-of-factly as she organized some documents.
"Wait, as in right this very moment?" Sasuke asked, trying to mask his incredulity.
"That's right. I'm about to head to the hospital myself to make the preparations. The Chūnin Exams are coming up, and we can't have you stuck in a bed during that. In fact, if I were you, I'd head home and let your roommate know that you'll be going in for surgery soon," Tsunade answered, her tone as nonchalant as could be. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a surgery to prepare for. See you soon, Sasuke."
With that, the Hokage made her way out, followed closely by a stupefied Sasuke. He bade her a quick and respectful goodbye before making a beeline for his apartment.
Sasuke opened the door to an all-too-familiar sight: Naruto eating ramen while once again poring over the Hiraishin scroll. The blond offered a muffled greeting through a mouthful of noodles, which Sasuke returned, albeit with an added eye-roll.
"I swear, you need some serious help with your manners," Sasuke grumbled.
"Oh, blow it out your ass. It's not like we have company over or anything," Naruto retorted after downing his mouthful.
Sasuke snorted. "You could still stand to act like a normal person now and again."
Naruto answered by blowing a loud raspberry.
"One that isn't five years old," Sasuke added dryly.
The blond merely shrugged and went back to eating and reading. Sasuke sat in front of his roommate, watching him with a stoic but expectant look. Naruto paused after realizing that Sasuke was waiting for him.
"Yeah?" Naruto prompted after downing another mouthful of his beloved ramen.
"I've decided to go through with the surgery," Sasuke answered.
Naruto's brows shot up, his muted purple eyes widening. "Really? You worked something out with Granny and everything?"
The raven-haired young man nodded. "Lady Tsunade said she'd perform the surgery herself. Itachi will be getting eyes from an organ donor—Shizune suggested it. He'll be able to see, but he won't have any dōjutsu anymore."
"What about your old eyes?"
"I'm going to preserve them. I'd rather them not fall into the wrong hands, and I want to personally make sure that doesn't happen."
Naruto nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, there's already enough creeps in the world who probably still want the Sharingan." He shuddered as he remembered Orochimaru's obsession with Sasuke and his eyes. He downed another mouthful of noodles. "So when's the surgery anyways?"
"Today," Sasuke deadpanned.
The blond nearly choked on his ramen. He stared at his roommate with wide, muted purple eyes. "Today? As in, today today?"
Sasuke gave a single nod. "I'm headed there in a little bit. I just came home to let you know. Tell Sakura and Kakashi-sensei for me, yeah?"
Naruto blinked, still processing the fact that the operation was taking place not even forty-eight hours after Sasuke told him that it was only a possibility. He shook his head to bring himself out of his stupor. "Wait, Sasuke, are you sure about this? I mean, it just seems like this is kinda quick, especially for you."
The Uchiha heir rose from the table. "I'm sure. The Chūnin Exams are coming up, and we were just promoted to tokubetsu jōnin. Gotta be ready for anything, right?"
A chuckle escaped the blond while a smile tugged at his mouth. "Yeah, that's right. I'll be sure to let Sakura and Kakashi-sensei know as soon as I'm done eating. Just make sure you don't take too long to recover. We gotta keep training so I can kick your ass some more," Naruto said, sneering by the end.
Sasuke snorted. "Whatever you say, whiskers."
"Seriously, though, good luck. I'll make sure to visit you," Naruto added with sincerity.
It was Sasuke's turn to smile. "Thanks, Naruto. I'll see you soon."
A/N: Quite an interesting and unorthodox solution that they've arrived at, don't you think? Par for the course in this universe, if you ask me. I tried to make Sasuke and Kakashi a bit more familiar/comfortable with each other, seeing as how they took a training trip, and all. Thanks so much for reading! Chapter 27 is in the works!
