A/N: Hello hello. Chapter 2! Yay! I've been working on this at times when I shouldn't, like at school and during work. So it's a little odd. Warnings: angst, of course! and a bit of foul language. Oh, and um...fluff-like stuff toward the end of the chapter. Anyhow, I just wanted to warn you about the fluff, because it's Sasuke, who doesn't really do fluff, per se. But, he's been thrown into the cosmic water to see if he can swim, with the 'powers that be' laughing their collective heads off at him. And in case anyone is wondering (which I'm actually sure that you're not), the chapter sections Spy, Classified, and ANBU? Me? Why? were all written while listening rather obsessively to The Killers, mostly "Andy, You're a Star."

Legal Stuffiness: I dont' own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.

In This World of Make-Believe

Chapter 2: When All Is Not Right With the World

--Onigiri and Tomatoes--

Naruto leaned back in his chair. "My compliments to the chef! That was wonderful!" He patted his stomach, which seemed to have expanded exponentially with the sheer amount of food he'd eaten. Sasuke snorted. His mother smiled down at Naruto. He was glad she liked him. Before this lunacy occurred, he had wondered at times what his family would think of Naruto. His mother didn't seem to care that the Kyuubi's jinchuriki was sitting in her kitchen, and eating her food.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." She turned to Sasuke. "How come you didn't bring this one home with you sooner? He's very sweet." Naruto blushed, and smiled happily. He apparently wasn't used to getting compliments. Sasuke wondered how many people treated Naruto the way Sakura did. If he had anything to do with it, he wouldn't let that last. Naruto might be an idiot most of the time, but he was mostly harmless. And it was too strange for him to be so meek. Naruto had to be more…like Naruto. Then, everything would be right with the world. He reached for the last piece of onigiri, to go with the slice of tomato on his plate, and found his hand competing with Hinata's.

Their eyes met, and she looked away, pulling her hand back, as well. "No, that's all right, Hinata-chan. You can have it." She bit her lip, and looked at him questioningly. There was a look in her eyes that he couldn't identify. This Hinata was very different from the one he had not really paid much attention to. She had been only his distant (very distant) cousin, someone who was shy and too meek to lead their clan when it came time for it. He suddenly wondered why it was that they broke up. It was a little strange that he remembered everything from his other life, and nothing from this one. Back in his other life, maybe there was a Sasuke that was trying to cope in the same way. That Sasuke would be the one to be Orochimaru's vessel. He tried, but couldn't make himself feel guilty, since there was no way of knowing if there even was another Sasuke out there.

He smiled a little, a mere twitch of his lips, and turned his attention back to his tomato. It didn't taste bad on its own, it was just that he liked to pick off pieces of it and eat it with bites of onigiri. Hinata seemed to know this, and when she took the rice ball, it was with hesitation. Sasuke gave himself a mental shaking and made himself not look at her. "Naruto, how do you plan to move? You ate more than half of the food by yourself." The blond genin started indignantly.

"Oi, Sasuke, why do you have to say something like that? It isn't very often that I get to eat such good food." Naruto's eyes strayed to Sasuke's mother, who was clearing away the plates. He couldn't tell if he was trying to make her blush, or if he just wished he had parents of his own. If he understood Naruto at all, it was probably the latter. The boy wouldn't know a thing about flirting with girls if he was taught openly by Jiraiya. He was just too clueless.

"Calm down, moron." Sasuke said, and suddenly felt a hard slap on the back of his head.

"Uchiha Sasuke! You watch your mouth!" His mother said crossly. She glared down at him, one eyebrow raised, and had a challenging look in her eyes, daring him to contradict her. Oh, so that must be where I got that from. He laughed internally at himself while his trademark scowl slid onto his features.

"Yes, Mother." He rubbed the back of his head, and Naruto chuckled openly while Hinata caught the blonde's eye and smiled knowingly. Sasuke wasn't exactly happy with them having a laugh at his expense, but in a way, it felt good to have people around him that cared. Even if they were just laughing with or at him, it felt good to have people take the time to be around. That, and he was just glad his family was alive and whole.

--Spy--

He looked around nervously. Hand poised to knock, he didn't want to. Sasuke was still angry with Sakura, and he didn't want to talk to her. If he did, he was sure he would just blow up at her. But, if he didn't go through with this, Hinata would have his head. Or, at least that's what she said. Naruto had backed her up on that. Sasuke didn't understand. How could Naruto forgive Sakura for being so horrible to him? Then again, the dobe couldn't stay mad at someone for long, unless it involved some kind of terrible circumstance, like Orochimaru's luring Sasuke to him.

Knock, knock

A moment later, Sakura answered the door, yelling back to her mother that the person at the door was here to see her, and that she didn't need to worry about it. "Hello, Sasuke-kun. What brings you here?" She asked, a sassy smile on her lips. He nearly twitched, but stopped himself just in time. Was she still, even in this world where things seemed completely opposite of what they should be, a rabid fangirl? He bit the inside of his cheek to make himself speak. "Ano, Sakura, I wanted to talk to you. I was wondering about something."

Just then, someone walked up behind Sakura, and snaked an arm around her waist. Sasuke's eyes widened only slightly. Sakura leaned back against the young man behind her. "Can you come back later, Uchiha? Sakura and I have…training to do." The tone of voice used was actually rather suggestive, and this time, he really did twitch. He certainly didn't need the image in his head of Sakura doing anything sexual. Sasuke nodded slowly, eyeing the smirking young man. His longish slivery hair and glasses marked him as Yakushi Kabuto. Sakura elbowed him in the stomach.

"You're horrible, Kabuto-kun. I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I really do have training today. Have to sharpen my skills." She leaned back and lilted her head up, smiling back at Kabuto.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. Later, then?" He said evenly, keeping the suspicion and hatred from his face as he looked at Kabuto. Sakura nodded, and he turned away, walking back up the street. Kabuto was still in Konoha. That meant that he was still spying for Orochimaru, more than likely. Well, if the bastard was spying, then he would have to get rid of him. Or, he could set a trap. A small smile spread over Sasuke's lips as he thought of that. He chewed on his lip, thinking, then realized what he was doing and stopped. It was a bad habit, and he didn't want to start doing it often enough to let it develop into one.

Walking for some time, he thought about what had happened. He was pretty sure that it had been the well. It had to be. How else would he have ended up in this strange, topsy-turvy world?

After changing the world, do you then find yourself unable to deal with the way things are? When you finally get your wish, do you think that you prefer the evil you know to that which you don't? These are the questions facing Uchiha Sasuke. Already, he is trying to change things to what he feels are the way they should be. He is acting out of instinct. Human beings are creatures of habit. If one is used to something, even if it is bad, when that something changes, it takes a while to get used to it.

The powers involved in this little switch, are, of course, quite entertained. If they were people, Sasuke would be the topic of conversation at all of their cocktail parties. Instead, he is their little chess piece to move around, and watch, all to see what he would do.

Now, the young Uchiha is not obligated to kill his only brother, and he never went to Orochimaru. His life is good. He finds himself looking at his face in the mirror or in shop windows as he passes by, and not looking away in shame. So why is he so uneasy?

--Classified--

For some reason, he found himself in another hallway, one that he had never been in before. As his knuckles rapped at the wooden door, he wondered why he was going to see his sensei. Well, Kakashi wasn't his sensei anymore, but he didn't want to think about that. The door opened, and a masked Hatake Kakashi leaned out of the door. "Can I help you?"

"May I come in, Kakashi-se…Kakashi-san?" The man's visible eye narrowed. He cocked his head to one side, examining him for a long moment.

"Sure. Come in." He backed away from the entrance, and Sasuke walked in. The place was neat. No. That was not the correct word. Immaculate. Sterile. These are words that fit better to describe Kakashi's apartment. "What can I do for you?" Sasuke didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure that the man knew his name.

"I was wondering…how much do you know about Yakushi Kabuto?" That seemed to strike a nerve. Kakashi looked warily at Sasuke. His posture had tensed visibly, and Sasuke wondered if he was talking to the right man. For all he knew, Kakashi could be one of Orochimaru's men in this reality. Sasuke sighed. Suddenly, Kakashi looked around, then formed a hand-seal, which created a strange bubble around them both.

"What do you know?" The man's voice was urgent.

Sasuke was startled. He gestured to the bubble questioningly. "Anti-eavesdropping jutsu?" Kakashi nodded. "All right. You'll probably think I'm crazy, but…" He told Kakashi about Kabuto's record with the Chuunin exam, and how in spite of the fact that he was a genin, Sasuke could feel something different about him.

"Those are just conjectures, Uchiha." Kakashi looked as if he was disappointed.

"You suspect him of being a spy, don't you?" That gave the man pause. He looked at Sasuke appraisingly. "I know he is. He's a spy for Orochimaru, who runs Otogakure. Check it out if you want. Have him followed. Search his home. Do something. He's a slimy bastard who hides behind his low rank and passes information to the worst criminal in Konoha's history. If he isn't rooted out in some way, then he'll end up becoming more of a thorn in our side than even Akatsuki." Again, Kakashi started.

"How do you know about that? No one but the ANBU and the Hokage are privy to that information." Suddenly, Kakashi leapt at him, but Sasuke dodged. He found himself struggling around with Kakashi inside the bubble. After long moments of grappling, dodging, and finally kunai being drawn, Sasuke activated the Raikiri around his hand. Kakashi stopped dead. "Who are you?" His voice had dropped to a whisper, which could barely be heard over the strange sound of birds chirping.

"I was going to pretend, but Naruto already knows, so I guess I can tell you." Sasuke explained the entire situation to Kakashi, including the fact that he had been taught the Raikiri, and had not stolen it. The man seemed stunned as he leaned on the wall of the bubble. "So I guess you think I'm nuts, huh?" Kakashi shook his head.

"All of that seems completely possible. Especially since you seem to know things you shouldn't. So, I was your teacher?" Sasuke nodded. "And the Kyuubi kid was my student?" Another nod. "Sounds kind of crazy. Was it fun?"

"Not when you were reading Icha Icha Paradise all the time. For a long time, it didn't seem like we were learning anything. But after the mission to the Wave Country, things started picking up." Then, something absolutely horrible occurred to him. "Oh, shit. Kakashi-san, what if Kabuto is cultivating Sakura as a spy? He was at her house this morning!"

Kakashi seemed to think for a long moment. "Well, he is supposed to be starting her on medical jutsu. She expressed an interest in them." Sasuke nodded. "Still, keeping an eye on both of them is a good idea. I'll see to it." Sasuke sighed in relief, and Kakashi released his jutsu. "You can call me sensei if it's more comfortable for you, Sasuke. And, if you can, bring Naruto by. I want to see if he has as much potential as you seem to think he does." Sasuke nodded. He didn't think that people would be so accepting of his situation. Not long after, Sasuke was walking back to his house.

--Me? ANBU? Why?--

Uchiha Fugaku stared down at him, arms crossed over his chest, and glaring. "And Why not?"

"Because, Father, I want to take the jounin exam. I can't practice for that if I'm off on ANBU missions." Sasuke looked up at his father, who had cornered him in his room. The man wore his uniform, which had always intimidated Sasuke as a child. Now, he simply looked dignified. The man still positively loomed over him, though He didn't think his father would start a fight over this, but Sasuke didn't worry about that. He was sure to be the one to finish any altercation.

"And do what? Teach?" The word was almost spat from his lips.

"What's wrong if I wanted to teach? It's an honorable profession." It wasn't as if he actually wanted to teach. Hinata was much better at that sort of thing than he was. But there was something in the way his father was looking at him...He looked at his father closely. There was something else bothering him. "What are you really angry about here? Not my career choices. You know I have plenty of time. What's really bothering you, Father?" The man started. Sasuke, as a child, had been very obedient. Perhaps he had stayed to that course until now? He smiled internally. This was a different Sasuke. They would just have to get used to it.

Fugaku recovered quickly from the insubordination of his son. "You had that boy in my house."

"Who? Naruto?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Fugaku nodded. "What's wrong with him?"

"He is not...the best of people. And he's weak." That made Sasuke's temper rise. He stood to his full height, and looked his father in the eye. Fugaku's eyes widened, though only slightly.

"Uzumaki Naruto is a good ninja, and he has great potential. And I don't care what stigma you've assigned to him. He's a decent human being, unlike the people in the village who treat him as if he either doesn't exist, or like he's less than dirt." Sasuke stepped toward his father, anger rising to new levels. He had just gotten his friend back, and he wasn't about to lose him again because his father had a stupid prejudice. "So, unless you have anything else to say about my friends, and how I shouldn't see them, I would appreciate it if you stepped out of my room. Please." It was not a request. Uchiha Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan, commander of the Konoha Police Department, and his father, stared at him with abject fear in his eyes. The elder Uchiha backed out of the room, and Sasuke shut the door in his face.

He took a deep breath. He had to find out more. Sasuke needed to know. He had to know why things were the way they were. Who was he? How did he act toward others? He had to find these things out. Rummaging through drawers and cupboards, he found a set of journals. He sighed in relief. Taking the first one, he opened it and started to read.

March 20

…Had practice today with Itachi. He says I need work. I don't know. He's always saying I need work. Father agrees with him…

The journals began when he was old enough to write and fight. They told of everything from his days in the Academy to his missions as a genin. Also, more recently, he found the entries involving the Chuunin Exams and the missions he had taken as a Chuunin. From two months earlier, there was an entry concerning he and Hinata.

December 15

…I was given formal notice today. Guess it's been a long time coming…Hiashi sent Neji to find me. It was even in writing. The Hyuuga elders don't think that we would be a good match. They won't let me see her now. I even tried sneaking into the Hyuuga compound, but they had posted guards at her door, and her window. I could hear her crying. I miss her…

So he had loved her? Obviously they had cared for one another in some way. That would account for the terribly awkward looks he got from her. But that meant nothing. He was a different Sasuke now. She probably wouldn't love him once she got to know him. He was referred to as cold, unfeeling and superior. Sasuke put the books away, and leaned back in his chair. What the hell…even after reading all of his thoughts for the past nine years, he still had no idea what was going on.

Plink…Plink…Plink

"What the bloody hell…" He turned to his window, where the sound was coming from. When he looked out of the window, and saw Hinata standing on the ground, rocks in hand. Sasuke had to try very hard not to laugh. She gave him a pointedly inquisitive look, and he nodded, gesturing for her to come up. Using the same technique she had taught Naruto, she walked up the building and scrambled into his window. When she got into the room, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

To say the least, he was shocked. He blinked, stood there stiffly, and just did… absolutely nothing. Later, he would laugh at himself, but for now, he was mortified. This was his first kiss, unless you counted Naruto's face getting shoved into his (but let me say this: He most definitely did not call that a kiss), and he couldn't even react. And was it just his imagination, or were those her breasts pressing into his chest? Yep. Breasts. Um…breasts? Hinata…breasts? Oh, the fates were laughing at him, he could tell.

After a (seemingly very long) moment of his brain stuttering around the subjects of kissing, breasts, girls, and sex, his gray matter simply cut off the link between itself and his body; i.e., he just stopped thinking. Since he had never done this before, he was running on pure instinct. But at the age of fifteen, with raging hormones, the body just seems to know what to do on its own. Sasuke's arms encircled her waist, pressing her tighter to him, and did what came naturally. He kissed her back. Honestly, it was a rather pleasant feeling, with little tingles moving over his skin where she touched him, and of course, a nice soft pair of lips…His mind got pleasantly fuzzy, and by the time they pulled away from one another for air, he couldn't care less about the fact that this was Hinata he was kissing. In fact, it made it better, in a way, which he would never really be able to explain.

He was surprised that he didn't blush, really. As first kisses go, that was pretty intense. "Sasuke…" she said, laying her head on his shoulder. He could feel her shaking, and he realized that she was crying.

Moritfication returning, he seriously didn't know what to do. He tried something his mother used to do to him when he was a little boy. Still holding her close, he used one hand to stroke her hair. "Hey, it's all right. What's the matter?" He tried to sound comforting, but he wasn't sure how convincing he was. She looked up at him, her eyes still wet with tears that were as yet unshed. For some reason, he felt a small pain in his chest when he saw her like this.

"I hate them. I hate them all." She buried her face in his chest. Just when he was about to ask her who she was talking about, she answered his question. "Father is making me get married to someone else." Sasuke blinked. He didn't know how to feel about that, but the small pain in his chest suddenly got bigger.

"Who?"

"Nara Shikamaru." Her voice had a dead quality to it, and Sasuke's eyes widened. He could not, for all of the money in the world, all of the power, or anything, imagine Hyuuga Hinata as Shikamaru's wife. It was an utterly ridiculous idea. It was preposterous. It was...pissing him off. Something hot and frightening was born in his stomach just then, squirming and threatening to take him over. It took everything he had not to jump out of the window and go to find Shikamaru. If he did that, Kagemane no jutsu would not save him. Nothing would. It didn't occur to him to ask why he felt that way, though it probably should have. He pushed her away slightly.

"No."

"Sasuke?" Her eyes were wide with apprehension.

"This will not happen. I won't let it. You don't want to marry him, do you?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"Of course not! I'd sooner marry Neji!" She clung to the front of his shirt, a wild and desperate look in her eyes. "But there's nothing that can be done, Sasuke. Father has made it clear that if I don't do as he says, Hanabi will be the heir." She looked worried.

"And what's the problem? Do you really want to be Clan Head?" She bit her lip. He had the feeling that she didn't really want the job.

She surprised him when she said, "Someone has to change things, Sasuke. If not me, then who?"

Sasuke smiled down at her reassuringly. "How about you and Neji? You don't have to lead to change things. Just making people aware of the problems can make them look at things a second time, and think about what can be done to change them." Hinata's eyes widened at the thought. Sasuke leaned down, and kissed her forehead, then spoke from the experience he had with himself and others that were like Hinata's cousin. "Neji's just a little angry. If he can channel that anger, use it for the good of your clan, then he could be a powerful force for change. So could you." Hinata looked frightened.

"I don't know. It could get messy."

"Messy? Life is messy. Clan upheaval can be disastrous. That's why both of you need to be involved. One member of the Main House, and one of the Branch House. If you work together, I think you're more likely to succeed. Neither side can blame the other." He gave her a small hug. She was positively stunned by what he had said. "Or, if you don't want to marry Shikamaru, just talk to him. I have a feeling…he's not the marrying type at the moment." Hinata's eyes lit up at that.

"That would definitely work out better. If I did that, it would get rid of the whole wedding thing for now. I don't suppose it would hurt to talk to Neji, either."

Sasuke leaned down and placed a small kiss on her lips. "Yes, and you'll need to speak to Hiashi-sama. I think he recognizes that you won't be as easily controlled as your sister, and he's holding this over your head. You need to be strong, Hinata-chan. You need...to..." Suddenly, he felt strange. His vision blurred, and his head swam. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor.

"Sasuke!" Hinata breathed, less than a whisper. He saw her kneel next to him, looking worriedly down at him. She leaned down, and said quietly, "I'm going to see if I can find anything wrong with you." Chakra in small amounts was being channeled into his head and chest through her hands then, probing as she used the Byakagun to look into him. "Your chakra system is fragmented, Sasuke. You need rest. I'm going to put you to bed." He found himself being lifted off of the floor before he could protest, and then being gently lowered to the soft mattress of his bed.

"There. Now I have to go before I'm missed. "I'll see you when I can." She stood straight, and went to the window. Just before she jumped down to the street level, she smiled over her shoulder at him. "Love you, Sasuke." Before he could even gape at her, she was gone. Sasuke closed his eyes. Things were getting really complicated.

Knock, knock

Sasuke sat up in bed. "Come in," he said wearily. His mother stepped into the room, and smiled at him, then closed the door behind her. She looked a little worried.

"Sasuke, I didn't mean to, but I heard something just now. I was only passing by…" He nodded in understanding, and she came to sit on his bed. "I like her, Sasuke. I really do. But do you really think that this is a good idea? You could break her heart with this." He looked away from his mother, biting back a heated retort. He wasn't even sure why he felt the way he did. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Hinata. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

Yes, things had just gotten much more complicated.

A/N: Well? Odd, yes? Who cares? I love Hinata so much! She is so cute...