Sasuke dropped to one knee as he picked up a large slab of rock and placed it onto a cart. He continued the process with a few more rocks until the cart was full before pushing it towards its designated spot.
Dropping them one at a time, the Uchiha patiently waited for his 'not friend' to bring him the news that he needed to hear. After weeks of toiling around, it would seem that the fated day was inching closer and closer. Now it was just a matter of when.
"Hey tough guy"
Sasuke turned around and caught a pebble that was flying towards him, one that was almost the same size as the pebble that he threw at Erik not too long ago.
"I gave you a head ups so that doesn't count" Erik smirked as he made his way towards Sasuke.
"Is it time?" Sasuke asked, tossing the pebble aside.
Erik nodded as he made his way towards Sasuke and began moving the rocks from the cart as well. In a place where there were very few breaks permitted between hours of labor, it was imperative that they maintain the façade of working while holding a conversation.
"Just follow me and you'll see for yourself" Erik advised him, "we can carry that log while we're at it. Should make us look busy enough to keep those witless idiots out of our throats."
"Alright" Sasuke affirmed.
The two nodded as they dropped the last rocks onto the ground and made their over to the large log. Carrying the object on either end, Erik led the way as Sasuke trailed behind carrying the other end. Walking a little further down the construction site, Erik stopped in his tracks as the Uchiha followed suit before the two carefully placed the log on the ground.
Sasuke didn't need Erik to tell him what was going on as he saw a small group of prisoners being gathered into small section. As he looked on, he noticed Wally was frantically, almost tearfully struggling to reach out to his brother Richard who was doing the same as well while the guards held them back. Turns out Erik's prediction were becoming true after all.
From what little he knew of the both of them, it was apparent that the two brothers shared a deep bond with each other. It was a feeling that was familiar for Sasuke and he couldn't help but sympathize with the plight of the brothers being separated from each other. If possible, he would try to switch places with Wally.
"Alright, listen up" Erik snapped Sasuke out of his pondering as the Uchiha's full attention was directed towards him. "I'm going to cause a distraction to draw their attention away from them, and while that's happening, you'll sneak into the crowd that's going to get transferred."
"And switch places with Wally" Sasuke added.
"That WAS the plan" Erik rubbed his chin, "But then he had to act all sentimental and cry for his brother like a little baby. Now he's got their full and undivided attention."
"What an idiot" the maroon haired boy said.
Sasuke sighed as he watched Erik shake his head. It's true that it was dumb move on Wally's part to cause a scene like that but at the same time, he couldn't really fault him for not wanting to be separated from his brother.
As Richard was forcefully taken somewhere else, Erik began to make his move as he lightly patted Sasuke's shoulder with his fist. "When I give the signal, you make your move, got it?"
"And I'll know the signal, right?" the young Uchiha inquired.
"Yup" Erik nodded, "You can't miss it."
Sasuke found it strange that Erik was willing to go through such lengths just to keep a promise. He wasn't sure if he could call him a friend since they rarely talked unless it was absolutely necessary, it didn't help that Erik preferred the company of his snake over other humans most of the time. Still, beneath that rough exterior was a clever and resourceful kid who knew his way around. It seems like he had a strange code of honor to him as well since he seemed to want to settle his debts at all costs.
"Are you ready?" the maroon haired boy asked.
"Sounds like a plan" Sasuke confirmed with a slight nod.
Erik slowly began walking back to his working spot while Sasuke was left standing in order to resume with his own work. The day's end was nearing and he had to make sure this plan went off without a hitch.
"Oh yeah, one more thing!" Erik called out as Sasuke turned around. "This doesn't change anything because I still hate your guts but…try to not die. I wanna kick your ass when we meet again"
Sasuke eyed him with skepticism but ultimately played along, "You don't need to worry about me dying. I'm not easy to kill."
"See that's what I really hate about you. It's that smug look on your face. It's the one I really wanna punch" Erik said with a chuckle as he began walking away to make preparations for the Uchihas' semi getaway plan from one section of the prison to another.
Sasuke was surprised by his own determination to go through with this plan. There was no guarantee that Erza was going to be in this section that he was going to. There was also the possibility that the conditions there would be worse than what they were here. This was on top of losing a potential ally in Erik, rough as he may be. In the end, perhaps it was the idea of having an escape test run that made him go through with this. After all, if he could successful do this, then his and everyone else's chance of escaping would be drastically increased.
In meantime, the young Uchiha pretended to carry on with his work as he watched the transferees closely, making sure nothing changed. A few minutes had passed with no sign of Erik or his so called distraction. Did he fail?
"One of the platforms's going to fall apart! RUN!" Erik suddenly arrived, shouting at the top of his lungs and running around frantically. A loud sound of something crashing followed suit as all the available guards began running towards the source of that crash while those that were guarding the transferees had their gaze fixed in that direction.
Was this his idea of causing a distraction? Whatever it was, it worked and that was enough for Sasuke to act upon it. This was the signal and he had to move quickly.
Amidst the chaos, and with nimble feet, Sasuke quietly made his way across the construction site and slipped into the back of transfer group unnoticed.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly until a certain someone began to notice that one of them was not like the others.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Wally whispered, eyes still swollen from all the bawling he did.
"So much for anonymity" Sasuke thought as he groaned internally. He would have to nip this in the bud quickly before he opened his mouth again.
"Just keep quiet and act like nothing's happening" the Uchiha quietly replied with a stern voice, glaring into Wally's eyes menacingly.
Wally nervously looked at Sasuke, unsure as to how he was supposed to react to all of this. It didn't help that he looked like he was about to murder him, especially with that creepy left eye of his. "O-okay….but why do you want to be here?" he asked, mustering enough courage to do so.
"I've got my own reasons for doing this" Sasuke explained, "and if you keep quiet, then I'll make sure you're safe too. Got it?" Giving a grieving kid who's just been separated from his brother an olive branch seemed like the best course of action at this moment, otherwise it seemed like curiosity would get the best of Wally and land both of them in hot water.
"Uh huh" Wally answered.
"Good" Sasuke said with an approving nod, "then it's a deal."
A few moments had passed and for the most part, Wally had stopped asking questions or trying to look at Sasuke at all, something that relieved the young Uchiha. Being at the very back of the line meant that most of the other slaves didn't take much notice and they themselves were just as occupied by the "distraction" that Erik had caused. Further good news was the fact that, according to Erik, while some of the transferees were handpicked beforehand, others were chosen at random, allowing Sasuke to blend in more easily.
"Get back to work!" one of the guards shouted, "and get those transfers out of here!"
The distraction lasted barely a minute, but it was loud and long enough to get the job done. He'd have to thank Erik for that, should they ever meet again. As the cultist began moving his group out, Sasuke kept his head as low as possible so as to not garner any attention and for the most part, it seemed to have worked since they treated him like the rest of the other transfers. Of course, that aspect wasn't really hard to pull off as other than Wally making a scene, the rest of the prisoners kept their heads low enough that the cultists didn't care who was getting moved, so long as they had their source of labour available.
As he began to march along with the others, Sasuke began to ponder on what fate had in store for Erik and his snake. They were certainly interesting characters and part of him wondered what they were going to do now.
Regardless, there was a new path lying ahead of him now; one that was rife with uncertainty and there was no point in looking back.
The march was surprisingly long and arduous. Sasuke had expected this place to be big but he didn't think it would be as huge as it was. For whatever reasons they were trying to build this tower for, it was definitely going to be huge.
Dragging himself off his feet, the Uchiha scanned his new surroundings to see if anything was different. Much of the area looked the same as the one he came from albeit with a few incomplete touches here and there. It seems that they really were short on manpower here.
He was gambling it all on this move and only time could tell whether it would pay off or not, especially since it meant even more work for him. Until he formulated a viable means of escaping, he would have to maintain his façade.
Still, that didn't mean he couldn't help others however he could.
"Where do you think they're taking us?" Wally asked.
"Looks like we're about to find out now" Sasuke answered.
The two watched as they were marched towards a new cell block as the cult members took a few prisoners and placed them into their new cages.
"This is your new home now, get cozy tonight because starting tomorrow, you're all going to work here" a guard stated, shoving the transferees into their new cells.
As they passed by each cell, the number of prisoners began to thin out, until only two of them remained.
They came to a halt as the guards opened the cell doors and stood aside to let them in. Sasuke led the way in as Wally followed behind with unease. As the door to their cell slammed shut, Sasuke thought deeply on his next course of action. The first thing he would have to do was to-
"Is…that really you!?"
He heard a familiar voice from inside the cell. One that snapped him out of his thoughts as his eyes widened to the sight of a certain someone stepping out of the shadows.
"Erza?"
The Uchiha couldn't believe his eyes. The probability of him encountering her of people in this place was one in a million. Someone had to pulling the strings of fate for something like this to happen.
"It really is you!" Erza shouted with joy as she ran up to Sasuke and hugged him tightly.
The Uchiha froze as he found himself incapable of formulating a response for such a thing. However, he decided not to resist it either. The embrace lasted for what felt like an eternity until he noticed the sound of her sobbing on his chest again.
Small droplets of tears began fall from her cheeks as Erza tried to hold it all in as best she could, "I thought…..I thought you were gone. That something bad happened to you."
He knew what she meant by that. Separated for more than week in an unfamiliar world rife with pain and misery would traumatize any kid, especially when said kid was separated from her only friend so far. The thing is, he was also in that position as well.
"I'm not going to go down that easily" Sasuke reassured her as he gripped her arm and squeezed it lightly, "And I had a promise to keep."
"I know" Erza said with a smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "you were always strong…unlike me"
That admiration in her voice gave him pause. An uncomfortable one at that, since he didn't know whether he was supposed to be flattered or terrified by that prospect. If his previous incarnation was anything to go by, he was just as bad as the cultists who were building this tower: someone who imposed their will on others whether they liked it or not. They were everything he hated about himself and seeing their atrocities constantly reminded him of his own misdeeds.
"You're strong too" Sasuke said, as he slowly pushed Erza away, "The fact that you've made it this far is proof of that. So don't give up."
"Are you sure...?" Erza asked, uncertain about his statement.
"I am" Sasuke answered. It was quick, simple and to the point. There was no need to play around with words for something so simple as reassurance. At least, that's what he thought.
"Hey don't worry, it's going to be fine" Sasuke looked to the side to see that Wally was bawling again, but this time, he was surrounded by a group of children and an old man, all of them trying to comfort him with kind words.
It wasn't much but he was glad that there were people out there willing to console him and lend their shoulders for him to cry on, especially after everything he had just been through. He had look of relief as he watched Wally slowly calm down again. They were able to give the kind of support he needed, something that he himself could never give. In a way, he considered the kid to be lucky: to have people like that be by his side at his lowest point.
"Did he come with you too?" Erza asked, watching the scene next to Sasuke.
"It's more like I came with him" Sasuke replied, "He was part of the section I worked in before they picked him up for transfer and took him away from his brother, that's why he's crying."
Erza eyes lowered as her expression switched from joyous to one of sadness. "That's terrible" she commented, "Why would they do something like that?"
"I don't think we should be surprised by any of this" Sasuke remarked, "These people don't care about what they do to others, as long as it's in the name of their god."
"Yeah" Erza said, her fist trembling as she clenched it tight, something Sasuke was quick to take notice of.
The young Uchiha could only guess as to what she was feeling right now, but from the looks of it, she wasn't happy at all. There were so many emotions bottled up inside not only her but all of them as well. Each one of them affected her equally: fear, despair, hopelessness and most important of all, anger. It was the one time where being angry might actually prove to be beneficial, not just for him, but for all of them. If they could channel that feeling of rage and use it to fight back, then there was a chance that they all might be able to escape.
"No! Not him!" a trembling voice suddenly called out. Everyone turned around to see a middle aged man standing amongst the prisoners, with a look of panic.
"What are you talking about?" one of the prisoners asked.
"Do you see that left eye of his?" the man pointed as everyone stared at Sasuke, who felt a bit uncomfortable as all eyes faced towards him.
Yet, he also remembered why many acted this way towards him. He knew that the Rinnegan would bring him unwanted attention sooner or later and not having a cloth to cover it up just made it worse.
Still, he personally didn't care what they thought of him. If it made them feel better, then they could accuse of whatever crimes he supposedly committed, so long as they didn't try anything stupid with him. As such, he maintained a calm and expressionless face as he let the man continue talking.
"It's a cursed eye. One that's brought nothing but bad luck to everyone in our whole village. He's the reason we're all in this mess and he's the reason I lost my daughter that day!" the man shouted.
The prisoners began to slowly take notice of what he said and nervously moved away from Sasuke. "Our village was a peaceful place. We didn't have any trouble and nobody bothered us" the man continued rambling on, "but that was before HE showed up!"
At this point, Erza was beginning to get irritated by what the man was saying. Sasuke may have had the patience to take all of this slander but she certainly wasn't going to stand by. "He didn't do anything wrong!" Erza shouted back.
"He killed a man in cold blood!" the prisoner retorted, becoming more and more hysterical with every passing second, "And he butchered a dozen more when the village was attacked. He's not some ordinary kid, he's a monster!"
"He did it to save Mr. Wells and all of us when the village was attacked!" Erza answered back.
"Then tell me why is it that whenever he's around, terrible things always happen to us!?" the man asked, "I'm telling you all right now, that eye is cursed, just like the kid who has it-"
"That's enough"
A skinny elderly man came forth and put a stop to his rambling. "It doesn't matter if he's cursed or not. He's just a boy and he's in the same boat as the rest of us."
"B-but…"
"It's quite alright if you feel this way but no good will ever come of pinning our misfortune on others" the old man explained, clearly trying to defuse the situation.
As Sasuke kept observing the situation silently, he noticed that Erza began to look towards the old man as well. Clearly he was someone of authority or at least a senior figure here.
"Grandpa Rob?" Erza called out.
"It's alright Erza" he reassured him, "if this stern looking boy is a friend of yours then there's no need for any of us to fear him"
"That's right" another voice chimed in. This time, it was a young boy, around his age with blue hair and a tattoo on the right side of his face. Those two were the most prominent features of his face and it definitely made him stand out from the others.
"J-Jellal…!" Erza stuttered as her face flushed red.
"Don't worry Erza, we're all in this together and if you're going to vouch for him, then so will the rest of us" the boy, whose name was apparently Jellal, smiled as he stood next to Sasuke and Erza.
The rest of the other children who were with Wally began to follow behind and stand their ground. It almost began to look like they were forming some sort of protective circle around him.
"You can defend him all you want" the prisoner said, staring angrily at Sasuke. "But he's nothing more than a demon ready to bring ruin to everyone around him. Just watch, it'll happen to all of you" he pointed at Sasuke who watched him with narrowed eyes.
"Sasuke's a good person! He'd never do something like that!" Erza asserted, trying her best to defend her friend.
Instead of invoking flattery out of Sasuke, her comments only served to irritate the young Uchiha even more. Not just because he felt undeserving of such praise, but because it only serve to accentuate his guilt over his shameful past: A past where he more than willing to murder everyone who he thought had wronged him and his clan, even those who were ignorant of the massacre.
"Listen" another boy interjected. This one seemed familiar to Sasuke, as if he had seen his face before. "I'm from Rosemary too, and as far as I know, he's alright, so just lay it off".
"Say that again once he's stabbed you with his magic" the man retorted.
"It doesn't matter" the boy named Jellal was about to argue back when something strange happened.
"That's enough" Sasuke interjected himself into the conversation. While he didn't care what others thought of him and he didn't mind if people tried to defend him, this was an argument that was never going to end and to prevent further irritation, he decided to take the initiative to stop it before it escalated into something stupid.
Everyone else remained quite as they all stared at him, almost as if they were anticipating his next words.
"If you think I'm some sort of cursed kid or a demon, then that's fine, because I don't care. So long as you don't try anything stupid with me" Sasuke stated, moving away from the other kids as he leaned onto a wall on the opposite side of the fearful prisoners with his arms crossed. "Do that and I'll make you regret it" he warned with slit eyes that stared daggers into the very souls of prisoners, who gulped in terror as they looked at so called "cursed" left eye of his. For a moment there, it almost felt like his old self had come back to life before quickly disappearing again.
Not another word was said by the man from the village or the other prisoners as they all began to huddle amongst themselves. Relative peace and quiet had finally returned to their cell.
However, the other kids had a look of uncertainty written all over their faces before Erza gathered them together and whispered something to them. One of them even made a sound that suggested that they understood the situation.
Sasuke on the other hand remained quiet.
"Hey, you're Erza's friend right?" the blue haired boy approached Sasuke. "Sorry that we haven't introduced ourselves, but I'm Jellal Fernandes."
The boy reached out a hand, clearly expecting a handshake as his eyes shone brightly "It's nice to meet you." Sasuke remained silent but continued observing Jellal; for reasons he couldn't fathom, the kid had an air of optimism about him.
"Sasuke Uchiha" he answered back but his arms remained crossed.
Jellal retracted his hands behind his head as he smile awkwardly, clearly not expecting him to refuse the handshake. "Oh….um…right, ahahaha."
"Sorry about that Jellal, but I promise he's really nice guy once you get to know him" Erza seemingly came to his aid to explain to Jellal.
"Well, he did save old man Wells once and even tried to save the rest of us too" one of the other boys added, "So he's good in my books, even if the adults say otherwise." He claimed that he was from Rosemary, and as Sasuke began to get a better look at him, the Uchiha was beginning to believe his words.
"Name's Simon by the way" the boy said, "Simon Mikazuchi".
From what he could gather from his first observation of him, Simon seemed like a calm and collected individual. His physical features also made him seem taller and slightly more imposing than the rest of the other kids and to be honest, he even seemed like a few inches taller than the Uchiha himself. It did give Simon a sense of maturity that others were lacking and he seemed to carry himself a lot more like a realist, rather than an optimist, a complete contrast from Jellal.
"I'm Millianna!" Sasuke averted his gaze from Simon and looked to the side to see the last two of the kids make their entry. The one who spoke was a girl of similar height to Erza and likely around her age as well. What was most unique about her was the fact that she had feline features on her face, with cat-like eyes, nose and even her mouth.
"And I-I'm Shô" the last one spoke up and introduced himself while hiding behind Erza. He seemed much younger than the others with a tan skin and dark beady eyes. There was also the fact that his shy disposition made him seem more sensitive and dependant, though Sasuke himself didn't know a lot about him yet.
That being said, even from these first few minutes of meeting each other, Sasuke could tell that they were friendlier and more amicable than Erik even if that was part of his charm. Looking at those eager eyes, ones that wanted to strive towards a future, the Uchiha couldn't help but be reminded of some of old faces of the past in some form or another. It almost made him want to let out a smile….almost.
"Alright, that's enough for now" the old man interrupted.
"Oh yeah" Erza exclaimed, "We haven't introduced you to him yet. Sasuke, this is Grandpa Rob. He can do magic just like you!"
"Like me?" Sasuke was taken aback by her statement. From the way she described him and the way the other kids seemed to revere him, this old man must've been the paternal figure of this little group. And if he's a mage like Erza claims he was, then he was definitely someone who could be depended on. The fact that he defended him earlier, only accentuated his trust a little bit more.
"Now now, he and Wally just got here after a hard days of work and they've both been through a lot" Rob stated, "So let's give them some time to rest up and get used to this place."
"Got it" Jellal nodded before walking away, "Sorry for getting too excited but let's talk sometime later, okay?"
The rest of the other kids followed Jellal as they each said their well wishes. Erza on other hand remained next to Sasuke who sat down and rested his back on the wall while Wally came up to him from the other side and did the same.
"They're really nice, aren't they?" she said to the two of them as they looked at her.
"Yeah" Wally spoke up with a small smile on his face. It seemed like the loss of his brother was mitigated slightly by the warmth and kindness he received from his new cellmates.
"I'm glad we could make you feel better Wally. I'm really sorry about what happened to you and your brother, I-" she hesitated to speak up on the matter any further, fearing it might make things worse again.
"I-it's okay. It wasn't your fault" Wally reassured her, letting her heave a sigh of relief, "I'm really thankful to everyone here for trying to make me feel better."
"Wally…" she said gently as she smiled at him. It was a strange comfort to suddenly have so many friends in such a terrible place, both old and new. And with Sasuke back, it almost felt like things were going back to the way they were before.
"So what about you, Sasuke? What do you think of them?" Erza asked the Uchiha with a smile.
Sasuke took a while to think of an answer. It was somewhat difficult for him to describe them in words: should he tell her about each of them individually? Or should he just tell her that they reminded him of people from his old life? There were a lot of ways he could word it out and none of them could really do justice on what he wanted to express.
"They're….interesting" he replied.
"You really don't talk much, do you?" Wally stated, his spirit seemingly lifted by the sight of Sasuke's apparent lack of social skills, "I think I could count the number of words you said in an entire day."
Erza let out a giggle upon hearing Wally's assessment. To her, it was an accurate description of him, at least for the most part. But she knew there was more to him than that.
"That's true" she agreed with Wally. "But even so, we're all in this together" she added, "So I think, you and Sasuke will get along with everyone here just fine."
"Yeah, I think so too" Wally said before facing Sasuke, "and you?"
Sasuke slowly nodded as he opened his mouth to speak up. "Same here."
'Y-you know….I got a last name now, just like you" Erza's said as her cheeks slowly reddened again, "Jellal gave me one."
Sasuke raised a brow as he took in what was said to him. It was surprising to him, since she never really seemed to give him her last name on the day they met; didn't help that he never really bothered asking her about it, so for her to receive one in this place of all the times, was interesting to him. "So what is it?" he asked.
"It's Scarlet" she answered, almost looking uncharacteristically shyer than she usually would be. "Do you like it?"
"Scarlet huh?" Sasuke remarked, "I guess it's not so bad."
Wally shook his head, a reaction of disapproval towards Sasuke's answer. "Well, guess I can't expect you to talk to girls either".
"I'm not sure what you mean by that" Sasuke blankly replied.
Erza looked at the Uchiha for a few seconds, surprised by his almost nonchalant answer, but then again she probably should've expected a bland response when trying to fish for compliments from him. However rather than dampen her mood, it only served to make her a smile even more. Hanging around with him for a long time has taught her that despite his lack of tact, deep down he was a decent person in her eyes.
"Jellal said that it reminded him of the color of my hair" she softly said, slowly brushing the front side of her hair with her fingers, "That's why he gave me the name Scarlet, so that he could just think of my hair whenever he wanted to remember my name."
"Is that so?" Sasuke said, his lips curving into a very small smile, "then it looks like he picked a good name for you."That smile disappeared as quickly as it was formed, but it was enough for both Erza and Wally to notice, taking the latter by surprise but making the former's cheeks turn even redder.
"Erza Scarlet" It wasn't a bad last name at all, and it felt like it fit her, at least much better than 'Erza Uchiha' or something along those lines. Regardless, it was a quite a day for him, from leaving Erik to joining up with Wally to re uniting with Erza and her new friends. As far as his new life was concerned, it was a strange and unpredictable one indeed and he could probably expect things to be even stranger down the line.
For now, he was going to rest and take the night off.
By the time morning had arrived on his new cell, Sasuke was already up and about getting to work. He was genuinely surprised by the fact that the guards didn't seem to make too much of a fuss on account of there being an extra prisoner; it was possible that they were either oblivious or didn't care. Erik did suggest taking out one of the transfers before the day happened and taking his place, but for some reasons, the Uchiha was vehemently against that idea and from what transpired yesterday, it would've been completely unnecessary.
Erza and the others were sent off to work on other parts of the tower, leaving him stuck with carrying large boxes of crates all by himself or at least without a familiar face as there were other prisoners to keep him company, in a way.
He found it a strange sort comfort, to find a measure of peace in a hell hole like this. It almost felt like the universe was working hard to ensure that he was punished for the things he did in his old life. If it were just him and him alone in this prison, he might not even think about escaping until his time was due. But there were others here, innocents as far as he knew, who were taken from their homes and forced to do this. They didn't deserve it, and it was for that reason alone that he would endure in order to find a way to free them.
"Shut it kid!"
His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a guard screaming at a boy. As he looked closer, he noticed that the kid was from his cell, the shy one.
"Please…no" he wailed, looking like he was on the verge of tears.
"So he's a crybaby too" Sasuke thought as he watched the events unfold. But then again, he was just a kid forced into a situation someone his age shouldn't be stuck in the first place and from the looks of it; the guard seems to be doing it just to flex his muscle. He'd probably have to do something to bail the kid out.
Attacking the guard would be a bad idea, since he'd just end up getting zapped and taken to their torture chambers but perhaps he could get the kid away from him without picking a fight.
"Hey kid" Sasuke called out to Shô as the two looked towards him, "Get over here and help me with these crates."
"And who the hell do you think you are!?" the guard barked.
"I need his help to carry those crates" Sasuke answered back. "Do you have a problem with that?" the Uchiha stood his ground and glared at the guard, unflinching in his resolve.
The two kept up their staring contest as Sasuke kept his guard up while remaining steadfast and without a shred of fear in his eyes.
The guard eventually relented with a groan. "Tch, fine! But I'm watching you!" he yelled as he walked away, giving way for Shô to make his way over to Sasuke.
"Thank you" the boy said with relief as he scampered towards him.
Sasuke paid no mind to his words as he began to resume his work as if nothing had ever happened. "Just shut up and help me" he ordered.
Shô was a bit taken aback by his coldness and the detachment he showed but he decided to comply nonetheless. "Okay" he said as he began assisting Sasuke in carrying the crates. Erza had said that he wasn't the most talkative person and that a lot of people of were afraid of him. It was only now that he was beginning to see why; he looked like someone who didn't care about what would happen to him or anybody else and the look on his eyes just sent a chill up his spine.
"What are waiting for?" The older boy called out.
Shô snapped out of his thoughts as he realized that he was falling behind. "Sorry" he gulped as he tried to catch up to Sasuke. Somehow, he wasn't sure if being with him was a better option, but at least he wasn't trying to hurt or pick on him…for now.
…
Just as midday rolled in to replace morning, so too did Sasuke's chores change. Splitting up from Shô, the Uchiha was kept busy by way of him having to smash large rocks into smaller piece with a sledgehammer. He wasn't sure if this was the safest kind of work for someone of his age but it was certainly a change of pace from all the shoveling and cart pushing.
If he had to guess, it was probably the guard that he had confronted earlier that pulled the strings as a way of getting back at him; something that he found odd, considering that he could've just abused his authority and hurt him with those magic of theirs. There was something much bigger at play here, he just knew it.
After a few minutes of hammering, it seemed like his suspicions had come true to an extent as the metal bar flew right off the handle, just as he was raising it up to strike it down. Sasuke immediately looked back to see if the bar accidentally hit anybody but was relieved to find out that it had struck the ground as quickly as it flew.
Assigned to a tougher job while being given dangerous malfunctioning equipment at the same time? It felt like someone was either playing a sadistic prank on him or was truly out to get him. He could pick out a lot of people here who might fill those criteria but there was no confirmation yet. However, with the way things were going, Sasuke guessed that he was probably going to find out sooner rather than later.
As Sasuke mused on his thoughts, his eyes darted towards the handle on the ground as a figure stepped in and picked it up. What surprised him the most was the fact that the person who picked it up was none other than the one called Jellal.
"This is yours, right?"
Jellal smiled as he walked over to him. Sasuke initially didn't think much about it when they first met but as the boy got closer, he noticed how he stood out from the other kids, not just with his appearance but with his attitude as well. He was surprisingly cheery and kind for someone who was stuck in here.
"It is" Sasuke replied, lowering his guard as Jellal handed the metal bar over to him.
"Can't believe that they'd give us shoddy equipment to work with. It's like they want us to get hurt" Jellal mumbled while watching Sasuke try to reattach the bar to the handle.
The Uchiha remained quiet and didn't seem to notice the comments made by the other boy as he busily tried to fix the sledgehammer.
"I saw what happened to Shô this morning" Jellal continued, "I really appreciate what you did back then. I guess Erza really was right about you."
Was she? Erza may be able to form a positive opinion on him based on what she knew about the current Sasuke, but the Uchiha was sure her image of him would shatter if she ever saw the old him.
Another silent response caused Jellal to pause before letting out a nervous smile. "She also said that you didn't talk much. I guess that's true as well" he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.
Now that was a correct assessment of him whether it was the old him or the new. Sasuke hated small talks; it felt like a waste of his time since nothing meaningful ever comes of it. While he could tolerate Suigetsus' constant rambling or Karin's bickering to an extent, he found it easier to just keep quiet and say something only when he felt necessary, which right about now, felt like the right moment to do so.
"So why are you here?"
"Me?" Jellal blinked.
"Yes you. Don't you have work somewhere or are they suddenly giving out breaks for free now?"
"Oh …right" realization hit Jellal as he found himself scrambling for an answer. "I finished up my part and I thought you could use some help" he explained.
"Is that so" Sasuke raised a brow, finding his explanation hard to believe. If he was skipping work just to have some chat, they were both going to get in trouble.
"It's the truth, I-"
Sasuke place a hand near his face, signaling him to stop talking. As Jellal complied, he eyed the young Uchiha with an odd look on his face. His lack of communication made it difficult to discern what he was thinking or what his intentions were at the moment.
"Is something wrong?" the blue haired boy asked.
"See for yourself" the Uchiha replied.
Jellal shared another strange look before doing what he suggested and scanned the area. His eyes widened as he realized what the raven haired kid was warning him about as a couple of armed prisoners approached the two of them with malevolent intentions. But the worst part was the fact that almost all of them were from the same cell as he was.
"What are they doing here?" Jellal asked with a worried tone.
"If I had to guess, they're probably after me" Sasuke answered, remaining calm and stoic as ever.
Jellal continued looking around and began to realize that the other workers were keeping their distance as well. Not even the guards were stepping in to intervene, something that shocked him.
"Why aren't the guards doing anything?"
"Looks like they're in agreement with those men" Sasuke said, eyes narrowed as the men approached the two of them., "That or we're their entertainment for today."
"This is ridiculous!" Jellal angrily grunted.
To be honest, it was a sentiment that Sasuke found himself agreeing with. He knew that people from the village would be wary of him after their recent string of misfortunes, but to do something this extreme was a tad too far.
"Jellal!"
"Sasuke!"
The pair looked over to see Erza and other kids amongst the crowd, desperately trying to push their way towards the two of them. There were others like Simon and the old man who were holding them back though, which was something of a relief for the both of them.
"No! Stay back!" Jellal ordered as the kids looked on with worry. Sasuke was impressed by how composed he was amidst all of this. He had expected him to be quaking in terror, not telling others to remain calm.
Still, if they were only after him and him alone, then Jellal might have a way out. After all, he had nothing to do with any of their problems and certainly didn't deserve whatever they were about to inflict upon him.
"Jellal" Sasuke called out.
"What is it?" Jellal asked pensively.
"Listen, if they're after me then you don't have to get involved in any of this. They'll probably just let you go, so get out here while you still can" Sasuke advised, raising his hand to his side to serve as a barrier and to let Jellal run back to the others.
"Are you kidding me!? There's no way I'm leaving you here with these guys!" Jellal argued.
"Don't be stupid. This has nothing to do with you" Sasuke let out a stern warning.
"I don't care" Jellal stubbornly answered as he forcefully pushed Sasuke's hand out of the way to stand next to him, "I'm not going to let you fight them on your own."
The Uchiha found his bravery somewhat admirable even if it was reckless, idiotic and downright suicidal. In a way, it reminded him of a certain blonde idiot who was always obsessed with saving each and every comrade he had. "Fine. Do whatever you want" he relented. "Idiot" he quietly muttered.
"I'm going to do just that" Jellal smirked as he stood side by side with Sasuke as the men began to surround them.
The duo changed positions and placed their backs against each other as their would-be assailants readied themselves.
"I know people are going to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong" the main prisoner, the one who rallied against Sasuke yesterday, stepped forward. "But they don't know the dangers of having you around. I'm doing this for their own good!"
"You're out of your mind!" Jellal shot back.
"No!" the man screamed, "I'm doing what's needed. He's the reason why my daughter is gone, why we're all stuck in this mess. These men agree with me and we're going to get rid of him and that eye, for my daughter, and everyone who's suffered because of him!"
"He's lost it" Sasuke thought to himself. Corrupted and misguided fanatics were some of the worst types of people he had to deal with. They were fools who think they can decide what's good for others and that it justifies any atrocities that they commit. In any other situation, he would've just used the Chidori or his fireball Jutsu to end things quickly. But with dangerous eyes watching the both of them as well as the presence of other innocent prisoners, it left him with little option but to take them down non-lethally.
"Hey" Sasuke's voice drew out Jellal's attention as he glanced at him. "Can you fight?"
"Of course I can" Jellal scoffed, almost sounding offended by that question.
"Then you can take them down without killing them, right?" the Uchiha asked again.
"Why's that?" Jellal replied with a question of his own.
"Those guards up there are looking for an excuse to torture us, especially if someone's killed. We won't get away with this no matter what we do but if we can just knock them out, then those idiots will probably take the brunt of the punishment over us" Sasuke explained.
Jellal was surprised by how ruthlessly pragmatic he was but he wasn't against it either. At least nobody had to die…..hopefully. "Alright, I can do that" he gave his answer.
"Good" Sasuke affirmed his words. "Then take this" the Uchiha passed the handle of the hammer onto Jellal who took it without complaint.
"Thanks but what about you?"
"Don't worry" Sasuke said as he weaved a few handsigns. A puff of smoke materialized out of thin air as another Sasuke stepped forth.
The bystanders' eyes widened as they witnessed a kid performing magic in front of their own eyes. Even the attackers were taken aback by this momentarily before quickly regaining their composure and charging towards the two boys at full speed.
"You can make copies of yourself?" Jellal inquired, surprised to see another mage in this tower other than the cultists and Rob. It seems stories of his abilities weren't exaggerated at all.
"No time to explain, let's go" Sasuke stated.
"Right" Jellal nodded as the duo charged forth as well.
….
As Sasuke gathered up dirt in his hands as he charged towards the prisoner who had a grudge against him. As the man readied to slam his pickaxe onto his skull, the Uchiha nimbly dodged to the side and tossed the dirt right into his eyes.
The man yelped as he desperately tried to wipe the irritation off of his eyes, but it bought Sasuke enough time to strike back. Taking a large piece of rock, Sasuke swung and struck the man's' left thigh from behind with enough force to bring him to his knees as he screamed in pain.
Wasting no time, the Uchiha turned around and hit his face with a running knee strike, strong enough to knock him out.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the fight, Jellal was facing his own set of challenges in the form of two men, one wielding a pickaxe as well while the other had a shovel. Just as it seemed like he was outnumbered, Sasuke's clone entered the fray and kept the pickaxe wielder busy, though Jellal himself didn't know if that was the real Sasuke or the copy.
In the end, it didn't matter to Jellal since it was a golden opportunity that he was not going to miss.
One of the goons, whom the clone had originally kept busy, turned his attention towards the duo, ready to lend his aid before a rock struck his head from behind. Enraged, the man looked back to see Sasuke standing over the unconscious body of their leader, daring him to fight the boy instead, something he was more than willing to comply since he was the intended target in the first place.
As fight went on, the shovel wielder attempted to swing at Jellal from the side, only for the boy to safely slide out from underneath him. Wasting no time, the blue haired boy struck his foe with the handle between his legs and straight into the family jewels. With a sickening crunch, the man winced in excruciating pain as his face reddened and his eyes looked like they were ready to pop right out of his head.
It was a sentiment that all the other male prisoners shared as each of them held onto their private parts while cringing at the sight of a man lying on the floor and squeaking out in a high pitched voice.
While he did take a moment to chuckle at his accomplishment, Jellal immediately took the shovel and rushed out to aid the two Sasukes.
As one of them disappeared into a puff of smoke after being struck by a pickaxe, Jellal immediately jumped from behind and struck the wielder in the back, knocking him unconscious as well. This left little room for doubt that the one true Sasuke was still in this fight.
With all of his accomplices taken out by two kids, it left the hammer wielder as the last man standing. Despite his larger size, he was beginning to realize that they had badly underestimated these two brats. Their leader never told them how strong and skilled the cursed child or his friend really was.
As Sasuke charged forward, the man readied his guard up, anticipating a jumping attack as expected of a smaller foe. However, just as it looked like he was about to jump, Sasuke fell on his back at the last possible second and rolled over to his leg, grabbing his left knee before hooking both of his legs in an entangled position.
The man was taken aback by how quick and unorthodox it was, not to mention the fact that he found himself falling flat on his face. The boy held him in position with a painful leg lock as he desperately tried to reach for his hammer.
But before he could even do that, another boy jumped on his back and wrapped his arms around his neck. As he continued squeezing those smalls arms of his as tightly as he could, the final goon found himself gasping for air as the light began fading from his eyes. Eventually, the pain from having his left leg cinched in along with air no longer flowing through his lungs was enough for his face to turn blue before eventually passing out.
It was all over.
…
The two boys stood together as the crowd looked at them with awe. There were smiles of happiness and relief written in the faces of Rob, Erza, Simon and the others.
"Wow, they're so cool!" Shô's eyes sparkled with admiration. His initial fear and reservation towards Sasuke giving way to feelings of awe towards his combat skills.
"Yeah. I gotta admit they were pretty good out there" Simon smiled with his arms crossed.
"I'm just glad they're both okay" Erza heaved a sigh of relief.
Sasuke looked at the carnage around him, a little bit pleased with his progress. A few months ago, he could barely fight one man, and now he was taken on multiple people in hand to hand without breaking a sweat. Of course, that was diminished a bit by the fact that he had aid this time. But it wasn't a bad feeling either, to have someone fight by his side.
"We make a pretty good team, don't we?" Jellal looked at Sasuke and smiled.
Sasuke simply let out a grunt and nodded in return. All things considered, Jellal not only lived up to his claim that he could fight but held his own as well. He was very much impressed by his fighting skills.
As the mumblings amongst the prisoners began to heighten, the leader of the group slowly but weakly got up with a wobbly leg as the duo looked over to him with caution.
"I can't lose like this. Need to kill you! TO AVENGE HER!" he rambled on, clearly having lost his sanity.
"You can put the blame on me all you want, but nothing's going to bring your daughter back" Sasuke bluntly answered back.
But it was of little use to reason with him, as the man was too far gone. "I'll KILL ALL OF YOU" he screamed as he ran towards the pair.
Before he could even reach them however, a magic circle formed from beneath the three of them and let out a bolt of electricity that shocked the three of them into the ground.
"Alright, that's enough! Back to work you pathetic scum!" the cultists came running, evidently having had their fill of entertainment from watching the prisoners fight.
"Now, we can't exactly let our bosses know that we were arranging fights for fun so we're still going to have to take you brats to the disciplinary chamber" one of the guard stated as Sasuke and Jellal glared at them with gritted teeth, " but because you two were so much fun to watch, we'll go easy on you."
The guards cackled as they dragged their helpless body away, leaving their friends to watch in horror.
"What are they going to do to them?" Millianna asked.
The old man simply shook his head, almost saddened by the thought that he had to be the bearer of bad news. "It's best that you don't know" he answered with a somber tone.
"What!?" Erza called out with worry, "are they going to be okay?"
"Don't worry" Rob reassured Erza as he patted her head, "Those two boys are strong. They'll make it through this and come back to us. I'm sure of it"
It was a lie.
When they said they were going to go easy on the two of them, it felt like a big fat lie.
And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that compared to what he and Jellal were getting, the other four men were probably having it worse, At least, according to what was told to them, though he couldn't exactly trust the words of the cultists in the first place.
Surprisingly, getting chained up and shocked several times over felt mild compared to the tortures he had to endure before. Perhaps Orochimaru was rubbing off on him more than he wanted to admit, much to his own displeasure.
"Hey, are you still awake?"
Sasuke slowly turned his head towards his right side, facing Jellal who called out to him. Unsurprisingly, his partner in crime was in the same state that he was in; chained up from the limbs and with bruises everywhere.
"I am" Sasuke wheezed out, his voice coarse and parched.
Jellal mustered up enough strength to let out a chuckle. "So was it fun for you as well?" he joked as he let out a cough.
"Quite the comedian, huh" Sasuke noted internally. It reminded him of the clowns he had hung around with all his life, the ones who would joke around in life or death situations. Suigetsu and Karin in particular. "I've had worse" the Uchiha answered, "This one tickles."
"I…..know….right?' Jellal nearly choked from laughing, but managed to hold himself together.
"Stop wasting your breath talking. You should try to save your strength" Sasuke advised him.
"Sorry….I just felt like I needed someone to talk with so I didn't have to lose my mind getting bored" Jellal mumbled, slightly adjusting his arms to relieve some of the pain.
"We'll be out of here soon, you can talk as much as you want then" Sasuke said, loosening his hands as the cuffs and chains continued to hold him in place.
"Is that a promise?" Jellal asked as his tone still remained somewhat as cheerful as before.
'No" Sasuke bluntly answered.
"Thought so" Jellal let out a small laugh as he shook his head. "Still, I think you should try talking to people more often, not just when you need to, you know…" Jellal said as he looked over to Sasuke with a smile.
The Uchiha only grunted and remained silent, though by this point Jellal had gotten used to it and as he looked over at that dour face of his, maybe that was just the way he was.
"Of course, if that's not your style, then you don't have to force yourself" the blue haired boy added, "I won't judge."
At first, Sasuke thought of his endless optimism as a sign of naivety, that he was playing a fool's game and was going to get himself in trouble someday. But as he got to spend more time with him, that dismissal and annoyance slowly began turning over into curiosity. The fact that he went above and beyond, risking his life to help someone he barely knew for less than a day was impressive.
"Hmph" Sasuke smirked in response but it was enough for Jellal to take the hint and respond back with a light chuckle of his own.
"Hey, Sasuke" Jellal said as he looked up to the ceiling. "You don't have to answer this if you don't feel like talking but do you have a dream of your own?"
"Not really" was the short answer he gave.
"Right…." Jellal said,
."And do you have any dreams of your own?" Sasuke asked.
"My dream is to have a future outside of these walls, not just for me but for everyone here. A place where we can carve our own path and not have to be stuck in this stupid tower."
"Sounds nice"
"Thanks. So what do you think? Will you help me with that?" Jellal asked, turning his gaze towards Sasuke.
As the Uchiha stared back, he noticed that the boy had certain warmth about him. He was the type of idealist that he himself could never be and in a way, Jellal reminded him of people like Naruto or even Hashirama Senju; they were the type of people who would try to help every person they could no matter how unrealistic it was while shouting out idealistic nonsense.
But those were the same flaws that drew people in and made them beloved. He was beginning to see a bit of that in Jellal as well, and if he stayed on this path, it was possible that he might become someone close to the first Hokage, someone who could bring about positive change and build a future for others.
"I'll think about it"
"That's great to hear" Jellal nodded with a smile.
In a way, Sasuke felt like talking had somewhat alleviated some of the burden that was placed by these chain as it kept him busy with his conversation. So perhaps, this was the one exception to the rule when it came to engaging in small talk.
The moment of established comradery was sadly ruined by the loud growling of the stomach that originated from Jellal's belly.
"Man, I hope they let us out soon. I'm starving" Jellal whined as his smile disappeared only to have a frown take its place. All that spouting about dreams and futures having disappeared as hunger took control.
Sasuke could only shake his head in respond. And just like Naruto and Hashirama, it seems the blue haired kid also had his own moments of idiocy.
As the hours went by, the cell where Erza and the others resided in looked and felt emptier than usual. Other than Jellal and Sasuke, the other four men that resided in that cell were also missing as well.
"Are you sure they'll be alright Grandpa Rob?" Millianna asked with a look of concern, glancing upwards at the senior prisoner.
"Don't worry. They can hurt them as much as they want but they'll never break their fighting spirit" Rob reassured the young girl.
The other children huddled around him, deferring to him for advice and words of comfort on account of his age and wisdom. In a way, Rob saw all of these kids as if they were his own adopted grandchildren and they loved him back in equal measure. It compelled him to remain strong and firm, despite his old age, in order to ensure that the next generation would have a better future than the one he had.
"Alright, get in"
The kids looked over towards the metal door as two boys stepped forth, one draping his right arm over the other's shoulder for support.
'It's Jellal! And Sasuke too!" Shô was the first to greet them as he excitedly ran over to the two of them.
"I knew they would make it!" Erza said, clenching her fists in happiness.
"Looks like Grandpa Rob was right all along!" Wally happily proclaimed, "They really are strong!"
"Told you there was nothing to worry about. But honestly, I'm just glad they're back here in one piece" Simon smiled.
"Same here" Millianna nodded with a sigh of relief, "I was really beginning to worry about them."
Rob shook his head and smiled as he watched the children run over to help their friends. He may have said that they were strong to comfort the other kids but those two really had it in them to endure whatever was thrown at them.
"I didn't think we'd get a welcome party like this" Jellal laughed as he continued leaning on Sasuke for support.
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he held onto Jellals' right arm. Even when he could barely walk, this kid had time to quip jokes."I guess so" he said, not sure why he going along with this.
Beaten and bruised, the two boys watched their friends run over to help them, smiles of happiness and relief shone brightly in this dark and decrepit cell. For Sasuke, it was a strange feeling to have. Was he glad to have people show concern over him? Could he call them his friends? Did he have the right to do that, even after all that he had done? Was this a second chance for him to make things right? There were so many questions in mind and he didn't know what these feelings were but it was a pleasant one nonetheless.
But as Sasuke looked towards Jellal, he realized that there was something about him that drew others to him. Even he was beginning to be impressed by his courage, strength and kindness. In Jellals' eyes, Sasuke saw hope. A potential for a better path than the one he took.
Jellal mustered the biggest smile he could make as he looked over his friends coming to his aid.
"Did you guys miss us?"
….
AN: Just so you all know, I also do a bit of drawing around as well and writing this fic gave me some inspiration to draw a few for this story. Just don't expect any sort of professional or five star work. (Also, I don't do commissions but I'm welcome to any ideas based on this fic). Anyways, here's the first one : aeso3/art/Young-Jellal-and-Sasuke-Crossover-869389179
Also, I just got around to finishing the Grand Magic Games Arc, which was fine for a bit except for the part where Natsu singlehandedly beat DragonForce Sting and Rogue in base form through the power of friendship which was just too much for me. The Eclipse Arc was a lot better though.
Speaking of the Eclipse Arc, I was originally salivating at the idea of writing awesome Susanoo vs dragon battles until I saw their sizes and they barely look like they're half the size of tailed beasts. It's a massive bummer but I think I'll figure something out.
But then the Tartaros Arc came and oh boy, was it amazing. The villains felt like legit threats, they were all cool, the stakes were high, Natsu got shoved into the background and didn't do much, Gray finally got some character development and an awesome power up. I give this arc a 10/10.
By the way, for the fighting scenes here, the technique that Sasuke used to take down the main attacker is a Jiu Jitsu move called the Imanari Roll. I implemented it because I thought it was cool and I used to train in BJJ as well. Sasuke does also a few bit of grappling, especially in the original anime where he uses a modified armbar and two nasty piledrivers. I thought I'd implement some real life martial arts into his Taijutus such as Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Jiu Jitsu etc since he does use a bit of real life martial arts.
Dxhologram: I think Sasuke's base Sharingan and Cobra's super hearing, perfectly cancel each other out. Both of them can anticipate each other's moves but the Sharingan overall has better benefits and less weaknesses.
Sengoku: Sasuke would probably fight an entire army of Momoshikis over having to sing. Social situations would probably just makes him sweat bullets.
Protector for all: Hagoromo might not appear in every chapter but I'll make sure he appears when it really counts.
Journey to the End: I think I'll make him shadow clones, but not too much because that's usually Naruto's thing.
Kensei – 1085 : Oh yeah, Sasuke's definitely going to have to work his butt off to become stronger again. But he's going to get a few power ups along the way.
Perry: I agree, but there were still moments in the Ninja War arc where he tended to charge ahead and bum rush opponents.
Love-to-peace: Sasuke and his dark counterpart are going to butt heads a lot. He's kinda like the devil in the ear type of being. As for him regaining his humanity and love for others, it's one of the main themes of this story.
Kaleidoscope's Beauty: There are a lot of ways he can regain the Sharingan, but I've pitch out a scenario for that and it might just surprise you. But it's going to take several chapters.
Hatred and Love: I don't think there's much need to change Erik because that's just the kind of person he is and it's what's so cool about him. As for activating his Sharingan, it's going to be a combination of both his memory and a strong emotional response to a certain situation.
Stand Up Be Strong: His meeting with Mira will be very interesting and slightly diverge from her canon origin. That's all I can say right now.
Ven: and he'll be soccer's weekly's most eligible Wizard Bachelor, lol.
Danish78: Angel is VERY attractive and she seems like a cute pairing for some spicy fanart but to be honest, I don't think there's much chemistry between her and Sasuke. I just can't picture an appropriate scenario for that. Ultear on the other hand, is also VERY VERRY attractive and I believe she has the potential to develop an AMAZING chemistry with Sasuke. I've got some great materials for Ultear and Sasuke for this fic.
Saru: I've got one better. I thought Sasuke should have a new theme that signifies a new beginning while also retaining some of that old Naruto charm. If it were upto me, this would be his main theme: Pete Masitti - Will to Win and this should be the theme that plays when he's no longer fooling around and is ready to kick Zeref's and Acnologia's asses: Guyler -Epic Warriors and finally, this one should play when he does an epic team up with Erza or someone else: Tiger Maskw - Power of the Tiger
Gen2324: Definitely. There's going to be some hilarious freak out scenes when he's hanging on trees or walking on water.
Pride of the Quincy: The entire reason Hagoromo reincarnated Sasuke is to try to mend his relationship with Indra. He also told his sons story to Sasuke so he try not to do everything by himself and rely on others, treating them as equals so there could be harmony between each other.
Iskandar Hero: I don't think there's going to be a new team Taka but he's definitely going to have a weird friendship/rivalries with several characters. Sasuke's a living fight magnet since so many people seek him out just to fight him.
Tina: Rediscovering love is part of the story's theme, alongside atonement and self improvement as a person.
Fisher: That Fic is the very reason I decided to make my own. I love many parts of it, and overpowered Sasuke with half of Earthland's ladies fawning over him is fun to read. That being said, I feel like the author uses too much style over substances (Chakra's have recovery timers per second somehow) and there are moments where Sasuke acts like moron with no sense of personal space, especially the part where he just stares at one of Sabretooth's cats like a bug eyed weirdo despite the protest. Also, I've mention this before but I hate the use of Japanese honorifics in English texts.
Inza: Despite the specific requirements for the Sharingan and its variations, there are a lot of loopholes in canon that are neither debunked or proven, so I plan to take some liberties with this. Don't worry, it's nothing too extreme.
Rino: I took inspirations from that game to write the scenes.
Zod6006: Don't worry, SasuErza will have its moments alongside SasuMira. Though I don't see Sasuke confessing to anyone. It'll be a colder day in hell when that happens.