Name: Fairy Tale
By: Soccergirl13
Warnings: Blood, gore, and spoilers through Sasuke leaving Konoha.
Enjoy!
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Once upon a time…
He ran. He was so late; Father would be angry! But he had been doing so well throwing the shuriken…he had hit all the targets twice in a row! He couldn't wait until he told his aniki!
…There was a little boy…
He ran along the street, heading for home, a small figure in a black shirt and white shorts, carrying a book bag. He had been out in the training fields after school, as evidenced by the stains on his clothes and sweat on his face.
... Who had a perfect little family…
He may be only eight, but he had to train hard if he ever wanted to catch up with his aniki, his hero. He smiled as he ran along, waving to random schoolmates and store owners alike.
...a perfect little fairy tale …
He finally made it to the huge compound that his family lived in. He was sure that no one had a bigger home than his family…his family was the best in all of Konoha, he knew it! No one else had the Sharingan…and no one else had aniki or otou-san or okaa-san. They were the best!
... Until one day…
What was that? He stopped for a second and sniffed. Something smelled funny…almost metallic. What could that be? He looked around, noting the lack of people. Where was auntie, bringing in the things from the store? And where was Grandfather, sitting and playing shoji with Uncle? Something was wrong…He just knew it!
…When everything changed…
He started running again, faster then before, making his sore muscles protest. What was going on…? He rounded the corner, running for the gate that led into the Uchiha compound. He paused, staring at the painting beside it, eyes wide with horror. The Uchiha fan had a kunai buried deep into it.
…And the boy's little family…
But that small travesty was nothing compared to what was inside the gate. The dirt road lined with houses…
...his little fairy tale…
…Was littered with bodies, lying in crimson puddles, sick porcupines with so much metal protruding from where it shouldn't be.
…shattered…
"Kaa-san! Otou-san! Aniki! Where are you?" He screamed desperately, dashing toward his own home, slipping slightly in scarlet pools. He reached his door, put his hand on the knob, and paused.
…into…
He was so scared…so terrified…of what he may find. But he had to find out. He had to know…He slid open the door and gasped at what was inside.
…A thousand…
And there, on the other side of the door was his brother…his aniki, his hero… holding a bloody katana, looming over the broken bodies of his parents.
… Little pieces…
He remembered little of what happened after that. He remembered pain, blood, tears, and screaming that, only later did he realize, was his own. And one sentence, painfully engraved into his memory…
…And he lost…
"Foolish little brother; you're not even worth killing." His aniki had told him, right before he had passed out, fragile psyche unable to handle more battering.
…Everything he held dear…
The Anbu found him there, unconscious in the street, the only survivor of a massacre. They took him, cleaned him up, gave him a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate, and pried his mind for every tiny detail of what happened that they could get from him. And then they sent him back to the home that used to hold so many happy memories.
…was gone…
The bodies were gone when he got there. But nothing he could do would get rid of the smell of blood, blanketing everything like fog. He walked to his family room, and slid open the door, waiting for someone to jump out and yell 'surprise' as though it was just some joke.
…In an instant…
There were blood stains on the tatami mats, right where his 'Kaa-san and 'Tou-san had been laying. His knees threatened to collapse, then made good on that threat. He knelt on the floor, sobbing, tears falling onto the stained straw. "Aniki…I hate you. I hate you! I HATE YOU!" He screamed into the emptiness, trying to fight off the aching loneliness that was threatening to crush him. He fell asleep soon after, crying himself into oblivion.
…Time passed…
Now he always sat in the back of the class in school, never smiling, never laughing. All his friends started to drift away, until there was no one left.
…And the little boy…
The teacher worried, but wrote it off as a phase. The only people who bothered with him were a group of girls that he spent most of his time avoiding, who seemed to find his cold demeanor attractive.
…Grew up…
He always got good grades, and with his new found dedication to being the best he quickly became the top student in the class. It was only fitting of him; After all, Uchiha's were always the best.
…But he was always…
He trained non-stop. Sometimes he would spend the nights at the training fields. It didn't really matter… there was nobody at home to worry about him but the ghosts.
…Obsessed with the thought…
He had to get better; He had to beat his aniki. Nothing else mattered. Friends? Who needed them. Family? His was gone. He was always alone, and if you asked him, he'd say that that was the way he liked it. But in truth, he was still trying to convince himself of that.
The only thing truly constant in his life was the need to avenge his family, and though he would never admit it, even to himself, he had to show his brother. To show him that he was worth it…to make him regret not killing him then.
…Of revenge…
It was a few months before his thirteenth birthday that he graduated from the Academy. It hurt; everyone else had parents, family, friends, celebrating their graduating, but he had no one.
"Great job, son!"
"I've cooked all your favorites for dinner!"
"You graduated! I knew you could do it!"
He left for the training fields immediately, and only there did he allow the tears that had been threatening to appear, flow.
…On the man…
The next day, after a restless, nightmare-filled night at home, he appeared at the Academy to be assigned to a Genin team. Much to his chagrin, he was placed on the same team as one of his 'fangirls' and the dead last student in the Academy. He felt like strangling something. 'Please,' he begged mentally, 'Please let the teacher be strong.'
…Who had shattered his fairy tale…
He was so angry, only years of hiding what he was feeling kept him from punching someone into next year. The idiot had placed a dirty chalkboard eraser on top of the door…and their sensei fell for it!
"Well, my first impression is…I don't like you guys." If it hadn't been for the fact that it would have been a very un-Uchiha-like thing to do, he would have groaned. 'How am I going to get stronger with this bunch of losers?'
…Angry at the world…
He sighed. Trust the idiot to lose the training exercise and then beg for food. But they all did have to eat to maintain their strength, and Kakashi was nowhere in sight…And with that thought, he sighed, lifting up his self-made bento box and offering it to the other boy.
"Here. Eat." The boy gaped at him, and the other girl flew into a flurry of protests. But she did listen when he explained his reasoning, and without a second thought she offered her half-eaten lunch to the boy as well. He sensed their sensei the moment before he appeared in front of them.
"YOU!" He yelled, anger rolling off of him in almost visible waves. "Pass!" He finished sweetly, his only visible eye curving into a happy arc.
The boy let out a breath that he hadn't known he was holding.
…And all who lived in it…
It was only a few weeks later, in country of the Waves, that all his careful planning and training almost went for naught. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but one moment he was fighting the masked boy, and then, completely without warning, his subconscious decided he needed to protect Naruto.
He had dashed in front of him, undoubtedly saving his life, but almost losing his own. Now he lay with his head on Naruto's knee, to weak to move, metal sticking out of his body at awkward angles. "I promised myself…I wouldn't…die." He whispered weakly, "Not…until I…killed him. My…brother…" And the blackness came rushing on.
…Eventually…
The Chuunin exams…he had been so sure he would ace them. But know he was lying there, feverish with pain, in the middle of the second exam, with a mark burning into the skin of his neck. He heard Sakura scream, voices yell, noise pounding into his skull. He pushed himself up, feverish eyes turning red with the Sharingan.
"Sakura." He said in a voice not quite his own, from a body not quite under his control. "Who hurt you?" Everything blurred, except the yells of a man in pain, lancing through his skull like knives.
…He left his home...
He had failed. Failed at the Chuunin exams, failed at getting stronger, failed at avenging his family. But most of all, he had failed at making his brother see him.
He left. It was the only thing he could do. He had to find Orochimaru, and get stronger. So he left everything he cared about in the dust and fled.
…His friends…
"Come now, Sasuke-chan. We mustn't be late." The pallid snake man called in his silkiest voice. The boy suppressed a grimace. Even in the three years he had followed the man, he still couldn't bring himself to get used to his 'teacher's' mannerism's.
"Yes, Orochimaru." The boy replied, keeping his eye's on the ground.
"No need to be so down, Sasuke-chan. I'm certain that once you find out the conditions of our little trade, you'll be pleased as well." The boy scowled, curiosity almost overwhelming him. The snake-man had been dropping hints like that all week. It wouldn't change his opinion though. Any deal with the Akatsuki, even a simple prisoner exchange, was a bad idea.
"And I believe I should tell you; the body switch ceremony is being prepared as we speak. You should be ready within the week."
The boy whirled on him, snarling. "And I told you! I will not submit to the ceremony until your end of the bargain is complete!" To his surprise, the Otokage's only response to his outburst was a smug chuckle, and the words:
"All in good time, Sasuke-chan. All in good time."
…Everyone he cared about…
They reached to small clearing where the exchange would take place soon after. Orochimaru beckoned to the third member of their group, the white-haired medic, Kabuto. The man sauntered past the boy, a chain held firmly in his hands.
Attached to the chain by their wrists were the prisoners. Six missing-nin from various villages and of various rankings, chained together like cattle. The boy looked away as Kabuto jerked the chain, causing one of them, a boy not much older then he himself was, to stumble, almost falling. No matter how he tried, the boy couldn't help feeling a little sorry for them.
'Stop that.' He told himself sternly. 'The only place emotions get you is dead.'
…To chase the dream…
He was stirred from his internal musing's by a rustling on the other side of the clearing. He was on his guard immediately, grabbing a kunai and flipping it into a defensive position, Sharingan flickering on automatically.
A single Akatsuki member, recognizable by his black and red cloud pattered coat, appeared directly across from them. In his hands was another chain, this one almost identical to Kabuto's saving the fact that it held only one singular prisoner, and that it blazed in his Sharingan with chakra-dampening ninjutsu. Then the prisoner himself caught his eye.
…That could only destroy him…
He was thin in an unhealthy, I-haven't-eaten-in-weeks sort of way. His shoulder-length, black hair was matted and dirty; his face, streaked with blood, dirt and tear-tracks, was prematurely lined.
His only clothing was a torn, hole-ridden pair of pants, leaving his torso clothed only by a thick layer of filth. His coal-black eyes, almost identical to the boy's own, were staring blankly at the ground, and had a world-weary look in them, despite the fact that he couldn't have been a much older than twenty.
But the man's appearance wasn't necessarily what caught the boy's eye. It was the fact that this grimy prisoner wore around his neck something he had thought he'd never see again.
…Until one day…
The boy still remembered that day, so many years before, when he had been about seven. His teacher at the Academy had decided that they needed to do craft, and had set the entire class down with beads and wire to make necklaces. The boy's had only had three beads, clear ones with gray centers, spaced along the wire. He had been quite proud of his work, and had determined it was worthy of his aniki.
He had gotten home that afternoon to find his twelve-year-old brother sound asleep on the couch, just back from yet another grueling S-class mission. He had set the necklace on a table, and walked up to his brother. Before he knew it, he was pinned on the floor, a kunai pushing at his neck.
His brother had lost control, yelling at him for sneaking up on him. The younger boy had run off to his room, sobbing that he had only wanted to give him something. Itachi had come in later and apologized for his actions, practically begging the younger boy to forgive him. That was when the younger boy had realized that, despite how old his brother acted, he was still a child; still vulnerable.
He hadn't been able to find the necklace until, months later, he had glimpsed it under Itachi's shirt. When asked, the older boy had promised that he would never take it off.
…When his world was shattered…
The Akatsuki member shoved his chain into Kabuto's hands, and liberated him of the other prisoners. He then whirled around in a swirl of red and black, stalking back into the forest, yanking the prisoners behind him. The entire transaction took less than a minute.
"Alright, boys; we have what we came for." Orochimaru smirked, spinning on his heel and starting back the way they had come.
…Once again…
The boy stumbled along behind him, questions shooting through his brain. This…this pitiful prisoner couldn't be his proud and dangerous brother…could he?
"O-Orochimaru …?" He asked, voice half-breaking uncharacteristically.
"Yes, Sasuke-chan?" The prisoner's eye's widened in recognition, but remained blankly on the ground.
"That isn't…That couldn't possibly be…?" It was Kabuto who answered.
"Uchiha Itachi, Konoha missing-nin, S-class criminal, formerly of the Akatsuki." The man growled, eyes finally coming off the ground to glare daggers at a point somewhere above the medic's right shoulder. The action did not escape any of them.
"But why? He was one of the Akatsuki's strongest members!" The boy stared at the now-identified prisoner with barely contained hatred, only the small stabs of pity for the pathetic state he was in kept him from attacking. The Otokage started laughing.
"Because…the Akatsuki does not deal in damaged goods."
…And he realized…
"Damaged? What's that supposed to mean?" The boy asked, glancing back at his still silent brother in shock.
"Didn't you know, Sasuke-chan?" Orochimaru answered, still laughing with his patented shivers-down-the-spine chuckle. "Mangekyo Sharingan overuse…causes blindness. Isn't that a good thing! Now he can't even fight back when you kill him. Ah, and look! We've reached our destination!"
The boy looked around, feeling slightly numb. They had reached a clearing, with a huge seal painted on the razed ground, candles lighting the area under a darkening sky. Various Sound-nin scurried around, making final preparations.
…That revenge…
The Otokage nodded at Kabuto then turned to his protégé.
"Are you ready, Sasuke-chan? I've fulfilled my end of the bargain; just kill him, and we can begin the ceremony." The boy stared blankly, mind racing. Everything was going to fast! He was supposed to have time to run! He barely felt the kunai being pressed into his hand.
A startled gasp made his head whip around. Kabuto gave another savage kick to the back of Itachi's leg, bringing him to his knees. The man tried to get up, earning only an equally savage hit on the head with the butt of Kabuto's kunai.
…Isn't…
"Kabuto-kun, go make certain that everything's in order." Orochimaru ordered from where he was gripping the boy's shoulders. The white-haired medic nodded and walked over to the seal, leaving Itachi on his knees, panting slightly as small rivers of blood streamed down his face.
"Go on, Sasuke-chan. You and I have both waited too long for this to simply let it pass by." The snake-man hissed in the boy's ear, gently guiding the hand clutching a kunai toward their captive's throat. Itachi froze as the razor-sharp point pricked the tender skin of his neck.
"Sasuke…" He whispered, in a tone that would have been deemed fearful in a lesser man. "Ototo…"
A small voice in the back of the boy's mind began screaming 'This isn't how it's supposed to be! All my planning, all my dreams of killing him, it was always in a fair fight! I CAN'T DO THIS!'
He almost ignored the voice, his conscience. He had thought he would until he felt the kunai pushing forward, felt warm blood dripping onto his hands, saw his brother wince, useless eyes closing against the inevitable, all as if in slow motion. And then he whispered…
"No."
…Always…
He stumbled toward the village of Konoha four days later, dirty, ragged, badly injured and exhausted, but blessedly sane. He hadn't slept (indeed, he hadn't even stopped!) since running from the ceremony. He finally collapsed, in the middle of a training field just out side the village.
He was too tired to even sleep. All he could do was lie there, paralyzed, and hope that a Konoha shinobi would find him soon, or he knew he would die…if he was lucky.
He felt himself moving. His eyes flickered open, and he found himself clutched to the chest of a silver-haired, masked ninja, running through the village gates and toward Konoha hospital.
"Hang on, Sasuke. You're going to be alright." His former sensei murmured, speeding up slightly when he saw that the boy was awake.
The boy smiled. He could feel black oblivion rushing toward him, but still couldn't help feeling happy.
"I'm…home…"
…Sweet…
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Hiya minna-san! It's been awhile! Anywho, this was my first ever Naruto fic, about Sasuke, who is one of my favorite characters in the show. What did you think? I meant the ending to be vague; I'll leave it up to you guys to decide for yourselves whether Itachi died, and whether Sasuke survives or not.
Japanese Glossary:
Aniki: Big brother
Otou-san: Father
Okaa-san: Mother
-chan: Suffix used for young children, especially girls. In this use, it is meant to be derogatory.
-kun: Suffix used for a familiar person, usually male.
Ototo: Little brother
I want to give a huge thank-you to my friend, MistressofCeleritas, for beta-ing this for me. THANK YOU!
Review? Pretty please? Constuctive criticism is loved forever! Flames, however, will be given to Axel and used to roast marshmallows! Ja ne!